dear daughters,
Spring has long ago sprung, and summer has already begun. But today at my house the spring storms are still in the air.
Last night, the storms were so severe I was in the closet for twenty minutes! The tornado and fire truck sirens howled, and my dog Moo eagerly joined the alarming chorus.
The tops of several of our trees were sheared straight off. Huge limbs lay in abundance around our house in both the front and back yards. As my mother used to say about my room, “It looks like a tornado came through.” And it may have.
When the storms quieted down, Papa Jeff and I were left sitting in the dark without any electricity. So we decided to venture out in the car to see what damage had been done. Fortunately, we saw lots of standing water and broken trees, but no displaced people or broken homes. Many storms are far worse.
As we drove around, I looked at the back side of the ferocious storm that had left its mark on our yard. Surprisingly, I saw a beautiful rainbow. It occurred to me the rainbow wasn’t on the front or in the middle of the storm. It came on its heels, following behind after the intensity of the storm had passed.
In Genesis, God promised Noah he would never again destroy “all flesh” of the earth by a flood, and the rainbow was his sign of this promise. But there is an even bigger message in the rainbow. It reminds us that God is in control of every storm. It is a symbol of his power to limit a storm’s impact, to determine its magnitude and decide its end.
We all face storms and many are of another kind – life storms that move in our direction seemingly out of nowhere. Like rain storms, they are dark and scary. They are beyond our control. They can cause damage and even threaten our lives. We wonder if they will ever end.
When you experience life storms like failure, loss and heartache, I pray today you will always remember God is at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end of every storm that comes your way. He is always present and always in control.
Next time you find yourself in a storm, anticipate the rainbow. It will surely come!
living to love, loving to live,
momma b
Showing posts with label God's promises. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God's promises. Show all posts
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Lizards and Leaves
dear daughters,
The other day, Moo came running in the study and jumped up on the sofa next to me, barking her head off and hitting at my hand while I was typing. I thought she had to go outside. So I got up and walked with her in the hallway. There in front of me was this bright green lizard just staring at me. Of course I let out a blood-curdling scream!
I wasn’t going to touch him with my bare hands, so I got a big plastic cup, put a fresh green sprig inside it like bait on a fish hook, and tried to lure him. But I couldn’t tempt him for anything. He kept running away from my trap. Finally, I opened the back door and chased him that way. It worked! Outside he went!
We are a lot like that lizard. Sometimes we find ourselves in places we shouldn’t be. We go through an open door that wasn’t meant for us, and then we have this sense that we are not meant to be there. We run around not knowing what to do. There are choices in this place. There are temptations to try new things – like the cup with the fresh green leaves that look really good for eating. Or we can choose the open door of escape, to get back to where we came from, back where we belong.
This is just like life with God. When we go through the wrong door, we run around in circles; but God always gives us a way out.
This promise is in the Bible in 1Corinthians 10:13. “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.”
In other words, you’ll never be in a situation that others haven’t been in before. And God will never let you be in a situation you can’t get out of, because He’ll always give you a way out of your mess. He wants you living in freedom, not trapped in a plastic cup!
living to love, loving to live,
momma b
The other day, Moo came running in the study and jumped up on the sofa next to me, barking her head off and hitting at my hand while I was typing. I thought she had to go outside. So I got up and walked with her in the hallway. There in front of me was this bright green lizard just staring at me. Of course I let out a blood-curdling scream!
I wasn’t going to touch him with my bare hands, so I got a big plastic cup, put a fresh green sprig inside it like bait on a fish hook, and tried to lure him. But I couldn’t tempt him for anything. He kept running away from my trap. Finally, I opened the back door and chased him that way. It worked! Outside he went!
We are a lot like that lizard. Sometimes we find ourselves in places we shouldn’t be. We go through an open door that wasn’t meant for us, and then we have this sense that we are not meant to be there. We run around not knowing what to do. There are choices in this place. There are temptations to try new things – like the cup with the fresh green leaves that look really good for eating. Or we can choose the open door of escape, to get back to where we came from, back where we belong.
This is just like life with God. When we go through the wrong door, we run around in circles; but God always gives us a way out.
This promise is in the Bible in 1Corinthians 10:13. “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.”
In other words, you’ll never be in a situation that others haven’t been in before. And God will never let you be in a situation you can’t get out of, because He’ll always give you a way out of your mess. He wants you living in freedom, not trapped in a plastic cup!
living to love, loving to live,
momma b
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Beautiful Promises, Brighter Tomorrows
dear daughters,
Do you ever feel like giving up? Like nothing you do is ever going to be good enough or amount to anything? Have you ever been in a tough situation you think you can’t survive? I sure have. But God has taught me this is no way to think! He wants us to think good thoughts, hopeful thoughts, trusting thoughts. He wants us to believe Him and what He has promised.
Trusting God during hard times is difficult. But the Bible teaches that God has everything under control. I believe He knows what choices you will make, both the good and the bad, and already has a plan to work out those choices for good. He knows that sometimes your choices lead to disappointments and even pain. And He knows that sometimes other people’s choices lead to your disappointment and pain, too. But God will use it all to help you grow and mature.
If you look at anything in nature you can see that nothing grows and becomes beautiful without some kind of struggle. And a lot of time the effort is pretty impressive. I've heard some of the most beautiful flowers live on tops of mountains amidst rocky cliffs, and they have to push through the rocks to bloom.
Now I’m not saying I’m beautiful, but I have pushed through a lot of rocks. Sometimes I wanted to give up and just survive life instead of thrive in it. I didn't think I'd amount to much or that my life would ever be enjoyable. Little did I know what God had planned for me, and how He'd turn my hard times into good.
So, hang in there. Perseverance produces beautiful character! Keep trusting God and believing His Word. Rejoice in His beautiful promises for a brighter tomorrow!
living to love, loving to live,
momma b
Do you ever feel like giving up? Like nothing you do is ever going to be good enough or amount to anything? Have you ever been in a tough situation you think you can’t survive? I sure have. But God has taught me this is no way to think! He wants us to think good thoughts, hopeful thoughts, trusting thoughts. He wants us to believe Him and what He has promised.
Trusting God during hard times is difficult. But the Bible teaches that God has everything under control. I believe He knows what choices you will make, both the good and the bad, and already has a plan to work out those choices for good. He knows that sometimes your choices lead to disappointments and even pain. And He knows that sometimes other people’s choices lead to your disappointment and pain, too. But God will use it all to help you grow and mature.
If you look at anything in nature you can see that nothing grows and becomes beautiful without some kind of struggle. And a lot of time the effort is pretty impressive. I've heard some of the most beautiful flowers live on tops of mountains amidst rocky cliffs, and they have to push through the rocks to bloom.
Now I’m not saying I’m beautiful, but I have pushed through a lot of rocks. Sometimes I wanted to give up and just survive life instead of thrive in it. I didn't think I'd amount to much or that my life would ever be enjoyable. Little did I know what God had planned for me, and how He'd turn my hard times into good.
So, hang in there. Perseverance produces beautiful character! Keep trusting God and believing His Word. Rejoice in His beautiful promises for a brighter tomorrow!
living to love, loving to live,
momma b
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
News Flash!
dear daughters,
Do you like roller coasters? I do. I remember riding one at Six Flags when I was in high school seven times in a row. It would have been eight if I hadn’t gotten sick! I love the thrill of going up and down. But going up and down in life is not always fun.
Sometimes we feel we are on top of the world, that we can conquer anything, and that everything is going our way. Other times we feel like we are down in a valley, or even a pit, and may wonder how, when or if we will ever get out.
I read Psalm 23 the other day for the umpteenth time. You know the one, “The Lord is my Shepherd….” We hear it most often at funerals. But its message is more about life than death! It says this, “Even though I walk through the valley…Thou art with me.” It says a bunch more, but I encourage you to go read it for yourself. God knows that we live in a world that is darkened by despair, destruction, disease and death. But He promises us that as we walk through life, even through the valleys and pits along the way, He is with us. He promises to comfort us, to guide us, to provide for us and to protect us. Is that good news, or what?!
living to love, loving to live,
momma b
Do you like roller coasters? I do. I remember riding one at Six Flags when I was in high school seven times in a row. It would have been eight if I hadn’t gotten sick! I love the thrill of going up and down. But going up and down in life is not always fun.
Sometimes we feel we are on top of the world, that we can conquer anything, and that everything is going our way. Other times we feel like we are down in a valley, or even a pit, and may wonder how, when or if we will ever get out.
I read Psalm 23 the other day for the umpteenth time. You know the one, “The Lord is my Shepherd….” We hear it most often at funerals. But its message is more about life than death! It says this, “Even though I walk through the valley…Thou art with me.” It says a bunch more, but I encourage you to go read it for yourself. God knows that we live in a world that is darkened by despair, destruction, disease and death. But He promises us that as we walk through life, even through the valleys and pits along the way, He is with us. He promises to comfort us, to guide us, to provide for us and to protect us. Is that good news, or what?!
living to love, loving to live,
momma b
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