Monday, March 26, 2012

One of Gods creatures - Strength



Have you ever watched a horse run along a sandy beach, it's muscular legs kicking up the loose sand? What about seeing a herd of wild horses gallop through inches of soft snow? Have you ever stood next to a horse to hear it breath and to feel the soft touch of its muzzle on your shoulder?

     I can't say yes to all these questions, sadly. Horses have been my favorite animal since I was a little girl. I remember watching horse movies one after another. There were times when I would gallop around the house like I was riding a wild steed, that I could supposedly train. (what a dream, right?) 
      Then my dream of riding a real horse came true when I entered third grade. We took riding lessons for about a year and a half. They were some of the most memorable and exciting days of my life. I rode a horse named Presley, a handsome chestnut with a black mane. The riding lesson price soon went up so high, that we stopped our lessons. We've ridden horses on vacations too. We went to Chincoteague to see the ponies there, and we also met the grandson of the owner of Misty. 
     I think that the thing that always drew me to horses was the grace and strength they showed. They run so smoothly, and show no fear. God made them to show us that we should be like them. We should never show fear toward Satan and his plans to lure us away from God. All horses know their owners voice, whether man or just God. We should always heed to our masters call no matter how hard it is for us to get to him. 
 “Do you give the horse its strength or clothe its neck with a flowing mane? Do you make it leap like a locust, striking terror with its proud snorting? It paws fiercely, rejoicing in its strength, and charges into the fray. It laughs at fear, afraid of nothing; it does not shy away from the sword. The quiver rattles against its side, along with the flashing spear and lance. In frenzied excitement it eats up the ground; it cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds."  ~ Job 39:19-24 

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Springtime: An awakening

Lily Of the Valley
Spring is my favorite time of the year! Everything wakes up from the long winter slumber. It is truly a fresh start for everything and everyone. The birds once again start there beautiful relaxing songs that go from the early morning hours till the sun sets in glorious colors. The trees and bushes start to grow their blossoms, some poking their heads out of the thawing ground toward the sun. Blooming cherry blossom trees are my favorite trees to see during the early spring. The sun shines, casting rays of sun through treetops. Those sun rays remind me of God's light on us from heaven. Spring also reminds me of God's promise to Abraham, that he would never completely destroy the earth in a flood ever again. Cardinals move with the colder weather and soon are gone from the trees. Blue jays and various warblers come to adorn our trees once again. 

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Knowing You, Jesus by Graham Kendrick

I was at a retreat this past weekend and I just wanted to share this song that we sang!


VERSE 1: 
All I once held dear, built my life upon,
All this world reveres and wars to own,
All I once thought gain I have counted loss,
Spent and worthless now compared to this.

CHORUS: 
Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You
There is no greater thing.
You're my all, You're the best,
You're my joy, my righteousness,
And I love You Lord

Verse 2:
Now my heart's desire is to know You more,
To be found in You and known as Yours,
To possess by faith what I could not earn,
 All surpassing gift of righteousness.

VERSE 3: 
Oh to know the power of Your risen life 
And to know You in Your sufferings;
To become like You in Your death, my Lord,
So with You to live and never die.


Friday, March 2, 2012

A Father and His Child..

She liked verses 9-11 the best,
 but knew the whole psalm by heart!
Last Friday I was helping, in the hospital where I volunteer and I saw a welcoming and beautiful thing taking place. A father and his young son were inside a hospital room, sitting next to a bed with a frail woman, probably the wife and mother. They were reading a book, and when I went over to ask if they needed anything, it amazed me to see that they were reading the best book in the world, the bible! I ended up talking to them a little and they told me that the woman was indeed the woman belonged to them. She had been the christian and now both son and father had excepted the Lord, just about three months ago. It made me so happy and I smiled, and it made the woman smile too. The little boy likes the stories of 1 and 2 Kings with all the battles and he even liked the story of Job. He kept asking his dad questions, and sometimes they required a simple answer, but the dad was so patient, and would answer them without being frustrated. It made me think of the love God has for us, even when we don't completely understand the things he tells us. They were reading from Psalm 42, the woman's favorite. She recited it, as they read along and what a beautiful harmony it made! The scene made me remember the times when I had sat on my dad's lap and looked on as he read the bible to us. I probably won't see them ever again (the woman was let out earlier in the week), but they did make an impression on me and I wanted to share that with all of you.  


"The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress."
~ Psalm 46: 7 or 11 (they are the same), NIV