The construction worker waved a red flag for us to stop as a line of cars proceeded from the opposite direction. Waiting for the traffic to pass, we noticed new steel telephone poles lined up along the side of the road and the massive equipment that would be used to replace them.      

The old wooden poles, some barely standing, appeared weathered and splintered.  As I looked at the connecting telephone wires that crossed into a tangled conglomeration, two words came to mind: It's complicated. 
 
Finally, the flagman waved us on, and we continued our journey up the mountain. In a reflective mood, I thought of the years that had passed since our children were small. We used to make that same trip to visit my parents at their summer home. Memories flooded my heart as bittersweet tears trickled down my cheeks. Wasn't it just yesterday that we sat with my parents on the porch while our children played beneath their feet? 

The memories didn't stop there, but cascaded into a long list of other things in the past that made me cry.   

Losses: big and small. They can interfere with the present, causing us to feel sad or worry about the future. However, one thing we can do is focus on God's Word, for there are many verses in the Bible that tell us not to worry.    

After prayers about the sadness, one morning as I awoke the following thought came to my heart: 
The past is complicated. You must move on. 

Yes, indeed, the past is complicated! Trying to figure it out would be like attempting to straighten out  that messy conglomeration of twisted telephone wires.

It's not worth our time to untangle the complexities of the past, but instead, put our faith in God, who knows our every need and has a plan for our future.  
                                                                                         #
 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:6-7 NIV

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." -  Jeremiah 29:11 NIV 

Photo courtesy of Vecteezy.com





​

​       

I sprinkled Clorox liberally over the dirty grayish ring  surrounding the drain of our old fiberglass shower. Adding  water to make a paste, I scrubbed as hard as I could, but the stain wasn't coming out of the textured flooring. 
  
Frustrated and searching for answers, I found a recommendation for using a combination of baking soda, dish detergent, and rubbing alcohol. I followed the directions and waited for the prescribed time. After a final scrub, I was surprised and delighted. The shower had never looked so clean and bright.     

Whew. Its was a lot of work to remove those stains. 

Then, I thought about the stain of sin, which isn’t always visible on the outside and is hidden on the inside. I didn't want to think about my own flaws. But I wasn't alone. As mortal beings, we're all subject to sin and its stains.   
 
But there is good news! There is a miracle cleaner for our souls—Jesus Christ. He gave his life on the cross to save us from the sin of humankind. When we believe in Him and profess our wrongdoing, we are forgiven.

The Bible verse from Isaiah 1:18 says, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”  What a beautiful image. Now, that is something to celebrate!

Whenever I’m down on the shower floor scrubbing at the dirty stains I created, I am reminded of the “scrubbing bubbles” of God's forgiveness. And while I'm on my knees, I say a prayer of thanks for the Salvation that comes through His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.             
                                                                                         #
 Photo courtesy of Vecteezy

A few weeks ago, two doves began flying in and out of the entryway to our house. We soon discovered they were making a home in a  branch-like wreath on the wall next to our front door. As the male bird brought nesting material to the female, she diligently started building a nest in the top of the wreath.  

When nest was complete, the female stayed there. The nest was up high, so we couldn't see the eggs, but we were certain they were there, due to her presence.          

Initially, the mama Dove was afraid of us, but she soon became accustomed to our presence. Then, it was only when strangers approached that she'd fly into the front yard until the "danger" passed.

We have been watching the dove every day. We learned that the male dove is supposed to relieve the female bird at night. We haven't seen the "changing of the guard," so to speak, but perhaps the birds have exchanged places while we were unaware. Still, it it amazing how the mother bird stays on the nest all day. Occasionally she changes position, facing either the street--or our front window.     

It is amazing, isn't it, how God provides for His creation? He gives the birds an innate understanding of what to do, for no one teaches them how to build a nest, how long to sit on the eggs, or how to teach the babies to fly.      

The Dove's eggs will hatch within fourteen days, which should be any day now. We can't wait to hear the peep of the newborn "squabs" (as my husband says they are called), and see their tiny open beaks, beckoning for food. Then, in the two weeks that follow, they will grow big enough for Mama Dove to teach them to fly. If all goes well, they will succeed in departing the nest as intended.    

The Dove's presence has been a lesson in patience. If the mother dove didn't remain on the nest, the eggs wouldn't hatch. They need her presence--and warmth--to do so. Then, once hatched, she must have the patience to feed each one, and the patience to teach them to fly.   

Good things take time--and can't be rushed. Its a reminder for the things that apply to our lives, too. 

Thanks be to God for His awesome, stunning, and miraculous creation--and that includes you and me! 
                                                                                   #
"Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?" - Matthew 6:26-27 

"But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or ask the birds  in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind. - Job 12:7-10

Photo: N. Johnson
 
​



​
 
​   
       

"Just a minute!" (Pause). Okay, I'm back. Thanks for waiting. Whew. I'm always behind. Do you ever feel that way?  

If yes, join the club. Life is busy. (Two four-letter words. Feeling silly; pun intended).   

When I think about it, hardly a day goes by that I don't say "Just a Minute" or hear someone else say it. Personally, it doesn't help that I'm chronically late for....uh...well...life.  Is there something I need to do? Yes...but, can you wait a minute? Or, when my husband asks if I'm ready to go somewhere, I reply,  "Just a minute!" (Then, he waits patiently in the car while my "minute" lapses into several sixty-second segments).      

Time. It's one of our most valuable assets--but also one of the most abused. We feel good when we use it wisely, don't we? But not so good if we waste it; that is, when we're supposed to be doing something productive.          

We'd like to make up for time, but we can't. There's no adding to it. And it can't be bought; the wealthy and famous have no advantage. We're all allotted the same twenty-four hours in a day. (I think God's math is pretty fair).      

Years ago, as a busy mom, I wanted to set aside time to pray every day, but wasn't succeeding. Mornings were too busy and if I waited until bedtime, I'd fall asleep in the middle of the prayer.       

I made everything too complicated. Prayers didn't need to be long. So I simplified. What if I took just one minute out of my day to pray? Would that work? It did work, and I called it "The Quiet Minute."  It was do-able. It was simple. And it was enough.   

Soon, the one-minute prayer became a habit. Mornings too busy? No problem. Too tired at night? Not an issue. I'd fit prayer into the in-between times: while waiting to pick up the kids from school, when  taking a shower, or while driving to work.       

Soon, I didn't have to say "Just a Minute" to prayer. Instead, I could use that minute to say the prayer.   

I haven't completely quit using the phrase "Just a Minute;" however, I learned to put other tasks into perspective. Big project or to-do list? Break it down into smaller parts. Take one step at a time, and before you know it, you'll have completed "miles" of steps.       

The phrase, "Just a Minute," doesn't have to be a cry for extra time. It can take on a new meaning if you are using that minute for a good purpose! 

God is patient and kind--and always ready to listen to your prayer--no matter the length! 
                                                                                   #
"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end." - Ecclesiastes 3:11

Photos courtesy of Vecteezy.com

​​

I lifted the purse from the rack at the craft fair, held it in my hands, marveling at the beauty and quality of the craftsmanship. 

"It's handmade," the artisan said with a smile. It was obvious she'd created the items with a joyful heart, anticipating that whoever purchased her wares would enjoy them as much as she did. I felt certain they'd been created with love. The care and compassion she put into her work reminded me of the beautiful hand-knit and crocheted prayer shawls made by the women at our church, or the dresses my mother used to sew for me for school.     

Yet, how many things do we own that are made with that kind of love and affection? Perhaps not a lot. When I think of hand-made items, I usually think of those which are painstakingly crafted without the use of machines (think manufacturing). However, even factory-made goods require a human touch to run the machines on the production line.       
 
The quality of a product depends upon the maker's skill and intention. Did they intend to create the best product possible? (We all know about poorly created products that don't work or fall apart). But for the individuals, business owners, or artisans who take pride in their work, they will feel good about putting their name on the products they create. It's all about intention.  

The Maker's Intent. I can't help but reflect and think of THE Maker, our Lord God, who set His Almighty Hands in motion to create the universe, and His Divine, loving and compassionate intention to intricately fashion and mold us in His image. 

"And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."  - Genesis 1:27 

From Psalm 139:    
"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know full well your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." 

God's love for us: 
"In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him. In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins." - 1 John 4:9-10.

Smile and be glad, for your have been wonderfully made! God has set His stamp of approval on you.    There is no one else on earth exactly like you. (If you had an identical twin, do you know that your fingerprints would be different?)    

You were lovingly "hand-made" by the Master Creator, the Lord of All, the One who created Love, who  gave us the capacity to know what Love is--all because of Him.       

                                                                                      #
Photo courtesy of Vecteezy.com 
 

​