The Redwood Forest

My husband and I sauntered through the thick moist soul-penetrating air to approach the majestic Redwood Forest. The sight and lack of any sound took my breath away. It was as if nature was in silent reverence of these splendid giants. My entire being was at peace, unlike any place I have ever been.

We learned these trees can grow 300 feet high. They have the smallest cone or seed and needles of all the pines. The trees are 500-700 years old on the average, with the oldest tree recorded being 2,000 years old! I can’t comprehend this with what I know in life. These giants are in an environment that has over 100 inches of rain per year, not counting the constant mist that visits their needles daily. They cannot handle extreme temperatures, especially freezing, but their largest threat is humans. 

As I stood next to the giant root, I realized my miniature size. I touched the bark of the tree to find a soft, hairy surface similar to my own hair. Unlike my skin, the bark can be 10-12 inches deep to protect the tree. This particular tree was hollow in the middle. I sat in the center cradle of this giant Redwood in awe. I received a glimpse of being in the palm of God’s gigantic hand. How enormous He must be and how minute I am. What a contrast, what an unbelievable reality that He made me, He chose me, He knows me, and He still loves little me.

Romans 1:20
For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

These magnificent Redwood Trees are a testament of God’s creation, balance and existence. Yet they weren’t created in God’s image, nor were they given His son Jesus to atone for their sins. Those great gifts were reserved for us. I don’t know about you, but I know I need over 100 inches of God’s living water, His word, per year and that I need a consistent steady mist of His love and grace daily to withstand the physical, spiritual, and mental elements that bombard us on this earth. God was, and still is, and is to come.

Where do you see the grandeur of God?

To Lead or Follow

To avoid chaos there must be a plan, order or system.

I don’t have the perfect knowledge, wisdom, and power God had when He made the world. He spoke all that is into existence and it worked the first time. Sometimes I have trouble finding the right words or speaking them.

It comforts me to know God has the ultimate plan and He knows what’s best for me. I’m challenged by my human pride, my spontaneous nature, and my desire to take control and lead. Instead of seeking Him first and looking for His soft guidance along the way, I have found myself alone and frantic because I ran ahead. I have learned I can’t put God in a box and carry the box to my destinations, thoughts, and plans without trouble. He cannot be an after-thought. My life is not all about me but about the God who created me. I must trust Him and let Him lead me; I must follow with great anticipation of the good plans He has for me. God lead the Israelites through the desert by a cloud in the day and by fire at night. As I have learned to trust and follow God more with age, my spirit is at peace even in the midst of a storm.

“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.” Proverbs 19:21

Trust and follow God and you will see the good He has planned for you.

What chaos have you experienced lately because you want to lead?

I Stumbled

I stumbled this weekend through a path of insecurity and agitation.

Throughout time many strong kingdoms, castles, and fortresses have been attacked and some have been seized. The majority have tumbled and crumbled to dust as a result of the enemies within their very walls. In my life I have found Satan destroys individuals, marriages, and families the same way.

This week I allowed my primary focus to slip off of God and onto myself. My focus on self brought self doubt, criticism, insecurity, and an earthquake to the peace in my spirit. You would think by now I would not go down into this slippery cesspool; instead, I stumbled in.  This stumble reminds me I am human and I can do nothing good without God as my Lord. I can’t serve two masters. Matthew 6:24

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.”

It’s either God or me and my sinful nature. I quit taking every thought captive and let my humanness take control which equaled no peace and self destruction.

I am grateful and humbled to serve a God who loves me, forgives me, and redeems me in the midst of my humanness. I will strive to stay the course of God by seeking him first (Matthew 6:33) and I will submit my will to him first and he will direct my path (Proverbs 3:6).  Only then I will keep my peace.

Have you stumbled lately?

The High Road

My heart grows heavy when I see people deceive, cheat, and manipulate others to move themselves farther ahead in life or in a game.

The goodness of God radiated from two individuals who played the game of survivor, Matt and Mike. They helped others, loved, and competed with the utmost integrity and pure heart. Their words matched their actions and many counted them weak and ambushed them. They chose the high road and wrestled with fatigue, doubt, disappointment, hurt, and exile from their tribes. When they were down, they looked to God for strength and answers and left the end result up to Him.

Meanwhile, the rest of the players put their trust in Rob or each other only to be hurt, deceived, and cut away. Their focus was on imperfect humans. Their words were snide and cutting, arrogant, and venomous on occasion. The consistent theme was I, me, and my.

Rob won the money and title of survivor in the end. The title and money can never buy back the integrity, goodness, love, and friendships he lost. These can’t be won or purchased. They are earned from a pure heart.

I believe how we do the little things in our lives is how we do everything. Our actions reveal and reflect what’s in our heart. In my opinion there is never a reason to be mean, ever. The true test of a good person is to have the power to do bad and refuse.

 To anyone who doesn’t know a different life than one of self focus, I encourage you to examine where you are. If the imperfect you is all you have, can you ever be enough? What price have you paid, are currently paying, and will pay in the future? What good is it to gain the whole world and lose your soul for eternity?

Mysterious Pain

Mothers Day ended with intense pain in my stomach and kidneys that lasted through the night. I asked my husband to take me to the Emergency Room for the pain at 6:00 a.m. I underwent blood and urine tests and a CT scan. During my seven hour stay, the doctors gave me two doses of morphine for my pain. In the end they found no reason for the pain or problems and sent me home. I began to wonder if this was all in my head or if I had made a big thing out of a small thing. I know the pain was real and from the looks of my pasty green reflection I was ill, but there was no answer. I went home and went to bed.

This morning I reflected on the times in my life when I’ve had pain inside without being able to give it a name or to cure it. Like yesterday, the unexplained pain affected the trust I had in myself and set me on a path of doubt. I believe Satan did his best to get me to doubt myself and tried and affect my belief in God. When I look to others for answers and there are none I start asking why and I have doubts about myself or what’s going on.

Jesus said it best.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart  and lean not on your own understanding;   in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5, 6 NIV

I have come to the conclusion I was not meant to understand my painful experience. God knows and sees everything and sometimes He tells us or lets others tell us.  Sometimes it remains a mystery. I will praise Him and thank Him in all situations and circumstances, and I will continue to inspire and encourage others. I will do my best to take care of myself and others and let God do the rest. 

What do you do with your unexplainable experiences?

Miracle Seed

I was eight years old when I had my first experience with planting a garden. My family moved to a farm house with a large area ready for a garden and my Dad couldn’t wait to get the seeds in the ground. One warm spring Saturday morning Dad stood at the barn door beside his collection of seeds, shovels, rakes, garden hoses, and sprinklers and said,  “It’s time to plant our miracle garden.”

“Why is it a miracle?” I watched him as he opened a packet of seeds.

“You see these seeds?” Dad held the dried seeds in his hand. “These seeds are dead. Once we plant them and care for them and the sun warms them, they will live again and take care of us.”

“How can that happen if they're dead?”

“It’s one of His miracles,” Dad pointed heavenward. “Just like when Jesus died and then came back to a new life and gave hope, strength, and provision for people’s futures.”

Dad was right. It is a miracle that God our creator sent his only son and our King Jesus to pay the ultimate price and die for our sins so that we can be made new. We are dead seeds walking around without Christ and we don’t even know it. Only until we are planted in his fertile soil by accepting Him do we receive a new life. Our new life is just the start. We need to be watered by His Spirit and warmed by the Son’s heat and fed by His word. As we begin to grow, grounded in Him, we have to fight to grow upward and break free from the crust of our past lives to reach the future the Son has prepared.

I had to break free from the crust of believing I was not loved or lovable, of calling myself stupid, ugly, fat, dumb, or feeling I wasn’t deserving of anything good to allow my inner self to reach the Son. Because of my human nature and the outer lures and deceptions that constantly pull and attack me, this process continues daily.  I have committed to use the Miracle Grow of God’s Word to help me develop deep roots to withstand the inner and outer attacks of Satan.  Satan doesn’t’ need to cut my leaves off to injure my faith; he only needs to wilt me through doubt and attempts to get under my skin by encouraging me to question my ability to be good, to think good, and believe I am loved by Him.

Look at the garden of your life. Do you need to transplant yourself into the fertile soil of His word? Do you need to weed? Do you need a constant Miracle Grow word each day? Tend your garden so you can produce good fruits that lead others to the Son light and love them along the way. This was Jesus’ example and sacrifice on the cross that led to the ultimate breakthrough of death’s crust.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 2 Corinthians 5:17

What do you need to do in your garden today?