Rain and Refreshment: For the Earth and For Us

August 15, 2023 by 2 Comments

Summer rain is almost always welcome, isn’t it? So refreshing and life-giving.

I wrote the poem below a few years ago during a time of drought in our region. We and so many others desperately needed rain. Today areas of our nation and world cry out for rain again.

In our personal lives, many of us also cry out for refreshment. Some sort of drought has been our portion for too long and we are in need of relief.

Won’t you praise God with me today for the refreshment he gives our earth—and also for the refreshment he gives our souls? How we thank you, how we praise you, Lord!

Blessed Sound of Falling Rain

Blessed sound of falling rain
The music we’ve strained to hear
For so long,
The sound of life
To our drought-stricken land,
The melody of God’s provision.
A greedy earth clutches at the drops
Almost drinking before they land,
Needy and desperate for any relief
It takes hours before she relaxes.
Finally she glories in the drink
Soaking, laughing, swelling with life,
Praising God with every drip, drip, drip
Turning green with gratitude.
Our thirsty souls wait as well
For the sounds of life that restore us,
The sounds of a Savior
Coming to pour
The music we’ve strained to hear.
Yes, blessed sound of falling rain.

“for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.” Psalm 107:9 NIV

*How has God refreshed you lately?

*The current issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, came out earlier this month. It’s not too late to receive it. Sign-up is FREE. *Temporary problem with Life Notes sign-up. To sign up, just contact me.

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride and also my Wedding Inspiration cards, check out my Books/My Work page.

*Flickr photo by John-Morgan, Creative Commons License

Filed Under: blessing, creation/creative/creator, help, joy, life, nature, poem, praise, provision, rain, refresh, sounds, summer, thanks Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Find Rest in God’s Promise of a Haven

August 1, 2023 by Leave a Comment

“He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven.” Psalm 107:29-30 NIV

Storms are inevitable part of our lives. Why? Simple—we’re not in heaven yet.

Jesus, in fact, warned us of storms. He told his disciples, “‘In this world you will have trouble.’”(John 16:33 NIV) But in that same verse he also told them that in him we may have peace and that he has already overcome the world. In other words, he promised that he is bigger than the storms that come barreling into our lives.

The words of Jesus have certainly proved true in my life. Time and again, God has stilled the storms that have assaulted me. He hushed the waves that threatened me.

Even when I felt as if I might drown not long ago while in the midst of a very private and nearly unbearable season of life, God strengthened me until the storm’s fury subsided. He held me up until he calmed the angry sea of waves around me.

And just as the Psalmist stated, after the winds and waves lost their steam, God led me to the haven I needed, a haven of peace and relief. And he has continued to surround me with peace. He’s wrapped me in comfort and led me along a path of forgiveness. He’s graciously given what I’ve needed.

But even though God has faithfully carried me through all the storms of my life and ministered to me in their aftermath, I still haven’t reached the point where I welcome them. I’m not sure any of us do.

We can reach the point, though, where we don’t fear storms so much, where we know our God is bigger. We can reach a point where we trust him in the midst of a storm. A point where we’re at rest—at rest in his promise of a haven.

“The LORD replied, ‘My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:14 NIV

*When did the Lord last lead you to a haven?

*The new issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, comes out tomorrow. Sign-up is FREE! *Temporary problem with Life Notes sign-up. To sign up, just contact me.

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride and also my Wedding Inspiration cards, check out my Books/My Work page.

*My photo (Coulter Bay area of Grand Teton National Park)

Filed Under: burden, comfort, encouragement, faithfulness, fear, help, life, peace, protection, provision, refresh, rest, stress, trial, trust, unfailing Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Full Length Mirror for the Bridal Dressing Room

June 6, 2023 by Leave a Comment

Mother of the Bride, your daughter and her beloved may have already secured their wedding ceremony venue since that’s one of the first things that needs to be done before other wedding planning. But chances are they didn’t think too much about the bridal dressing room when they made their choice. After all, other factors are indeed more important.

But now that the venue has been selected, be sure to tour it soon with your daughter. Not only will you want to see the area to help plan décor, but be sure to view the rooms the wedding party will use to get ready in and  await the big moment.

In addition to wanting a bridal dressing room large enough to accommodate the bride and all her bridesmaids, another must is a full-length mirror. The bride and her maids will want to check their appearance before walking down the aisle, and they will want a full-length view. They’ll want to make sure they look perfect, not to mention delighting in their beautiful appearance for a minute and tucking it away in their memories. The bride especially needs the opportunity to do this. The groom and his guys will need a mirror as well, but you and I both know it won’t be quite as important to them, will it?

So, MOB, if a full-length mirror is not already part of the bridal dressing room, add that to your to-do list. Arrange for one and make sure your baby girl gets the view of a lifetime on her special day!

*You might also like to read Preparation for Decorating Wedding Reception Venue.

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride and also my Wedding Inspiration cards, check out my Books/My Work page.

*The current issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, came out earlier this month. It’s not too late to receive it. Sign-up is FREE! *Temporary problem with Life Notes sign-up. To sign up, just contact me.

*Flickr photo by Corey Ann, Creative Commons License

Filed Under: advice, appearance, bride, bridesmaids, change, memories, Mother of the Bride, preparation, provision, vision, wedding Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

God—Our Gracious Giver of Bounty

June 6, 2023 by Leave a Comment

“You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance.” Psalm 65:11 NIV

Thriving backyard gardens. Colorful farmer’s markets. Seasonal fresh fruit offered in restaurants. Just a few signs of summer’s bounty in full swing. And if we’re not quite there yet, we will be soon, won’t we?

As we all get opportunity to enjoy the beauty and the nourishing benefits of growing and thriving gardens this summer, let’s remember the One who makes the bounty possible. And let’s remember he is not only crowning our year with good garden produce, but he’s blessing our lives with abundance in other areas as well.

For example, I’m rejoicing this month in a wonderful blessing God has given our family. Our daughter Kristin and her family are now living closer to us! Our travel time to see them has been cut in half, and that means we can visit for a quick overnight or even make a long day trip when necessary. And by the way, that highway runs both ways. They will be coming to see us more too!

We’ve seen great blessing in the lives of my extended family recently as well. My sister Debbie and her husband celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in May, and our entire family will be gathering for a joint celebration next month in Branson. The whole family has not been together since July 2017 so this upcoming gathering will be a great blessing indeed for all of us.

God has also brought bounty into my writer life this year through my writers group, the Fellowship of Christian Writers. Our group, like many others, has been struggling since the pandemic, but this year he led a core group of us to step out in faith and assume positions we didn’t think we could manage. And as you can imagine, he has rewarded those steps of faith and is growing and revitalizing our group in wonderful ways this year. We give him all the praise!

These are just a few current examples from my life. If I listed the bounty of an entire year, I’d have to do it in installments! Now that I think about it, my gratitude journal is one way of doing this.

What about you? How has God crowned your year with bounty? What abundance has he blessed you with lately? Join me, won’t you, in giving him glory for the good things he’s doing in our lives. I’m all ears!

“They will come and shout for joy . . . they will rejoice in the bounty of the LORD . . .” Jeremiah 31:12 NIV

*The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, will come out in early August. Sign-up is FREE. *Temporary problem with Life Notes sign-up. To sign up, just contact me.

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride check out my Books/My Work page.

*Flickr photo by juicyverve, Creative Commons License

Filed Under: Above and Beyond, blessing, celebrate, family, fruit, giving, growth, joy, life, nature, praise, provision, summer, thanks, variety Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Bird Feeder and God’s Word: Discovering the Treasure

March 21, 2023 by 2 Comments

My dear friend Teri, knowing that I’d developed an interest in birds one summer several years ago—thanks to my desire to use my camera—got me a bird feeder for my birthday that August. Of course, she included a songbird blend of food and also a bird guidebook. Yes, she’s one of those friends who doesn’t miss a beat.

Within days, I had the bird feeder up and filled with food. I even bought a special pole to hang it on in the backyard. I positioned it not too far from the birdbath and also made sure I could see it from my back porch steps. I was all set. Couldn’t wait to see the flurry of beautiful birds that would visit my yard now.

Fast forward a few weeks and my bird feeder still waited to be discovered. I’d glanced out my office window and looked out my back door several times each day, and only once had I seen a bird come close to it. The tiny sparrow flew away before it landed, almost as if it was afraid to try it.

I’d done my part. The feeder was filled with food and was even located near a water source. It was all prepped and available, just waiting for a taker, just waiting to be discovered. I figured once that happened, the news would quickly spread by word of mouth—or should I say by tweet of beak!

I wonder if the Lord feels the same way I did as he waits for us to discover the provision he’s made for our spiritual nourishment. He’s given us his Word. He’s inspired and equipped preachers, teachers, and writers to offer sermons, Bible studies, and other spiritual food. He’s done his part and made the feast available.

Yes, I think God longs to see us fly to his Word—to his truths—and to partake of all that he’s given. He waits for each of us to discover his provision.

Let’s not be like the birds who come close but go on their way unfed. Instead, let’s be the ones who discover the treasure of nourishment. Let’s be the ones to share the good news!

“When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, Lord God Almighty.” Jeremiah 15:16 NIV

*Yes, the birds did indeed discover my bird feeder before too much time went by. Success!

*The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, will come out in early May. Sign-up is FREE! *Temporary problem with Life Notes sign-up. To sign up, just contact me.

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride and also my Wedding Inspiration cards, check out my Books/My Work page.

*My photo

Filed Under: creation/creative/creator, food, Friend, life, nature, new thing, opportunity, provision, Word of God Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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