Timeless

One sign of the economic times must be the pitiful letters that I receive in my spam box several times a week. They always originate from obscure locations on the other side of the globe.

They offer me lotsa money--lotsa, lotsa money. Somehow I have been selected by a number of wealthy dying people to receive their entire estates. The lawyers have stumbled upon my email address at the last possible moment and I can receive the entire fortune for a small fee --mailed promptly to a post office box.

I also have apparently been placed on a list of reliable money handlers. I can make money by simply receiving and forwarding money -- for a small initial fee, of course. (Late breaking news: this morning I leaarned that I won the UK lottery. The UN will release the money to me if I send all of my personal information and of course a small fee.)

Are people really gullible enough to fall for these scams? I suppose if people want to believe something bad enough, or they are desperate enough, they will send in their money to receive-- nothing.

There is one inheritance list that I know I am on. In fact, the inheritance is already in my possession. I draw from the rich resources daily.

I pray that the eyes of your heart

may be enlightened in order that

you may know the hope to which he has called you,

the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,

and his incomparably great power for us who believe.

That power is like the working of his mighty strength,

which he exerted in Christ

when he raised him from the dead

and seated him at his right hand

in the heavenly realms,

far above all rule and authority,

power and dominion,

and every title that can be given,

not only in the present age

but also in the one to come.

Ephesians 1:18-21

This inheritance is eternal and free. No investment or wiring fees required. AND no time limit -- it is timeless.

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Dining Alone

Our dining room intrigues my son. We recently moved to this house and for the first time, we have a formal dining room.

Occasionally my son likes to make his lunch of peanut butter and jelly and eat in this room with tall ceilings and a chandelier. He puts the sandwich on a nice plate and pours his milk into a stemmed glass. He always picks out a nice placemat. There he sits by himself at the head of the table, eating quietly.

After a few formal lunches alone in the dining room, I asked my son why he chose to eat there.

"Well," he swallowed the peanut butter and washed it down with the milk. "Usually, I have to sit in here with grown-ups, eat terrible food, and not say anything. I just wanted a few good memories in this room."

Tutus, Tights and Treasures

The dress-up box has always been a favorite in our house. I might have a princess, a nurse, a rabbit or any number of characters arrive in costume at the lunch table.

Our third daughter has red hair and looks just like Madeline. She loved to watch the movie wearing her very own Madeline costume that was made by a friend for her birthday.

Often my children would find creative uses for ordinary costume pieces. One daughter put a pair of pink tights on her head and entertained us as a court jester.

Three daughters in a row led to quite a few "pink" outfits in the dress up box. The day my husband came home from work to find our fourth child-- and only boy-- in a pink tutu, we knew more costumes were needed. Fortunately it was just after Halloween and there were lots of costumes on clearance.

It wasn't long before my son began joining the grand ladies at the lunch table dressed as a pirate or a super hero. I sometimes felt as if I was serving food at the back lot of a movie studio.

I realize now that the dress-up box was really a treasure box. My kids travelled through time in their make believe and I now treasure those memories.

Remember

I love carved wooden angels. I have several around my house and not just at Christmas time. Some are large--several feet high with trumpets. Others are small relief plaques that are on my wall.

One of my pastors suggested that these angels look nothing like the kind in the Bible. Mine are a bit wimpy--not strong warrior messengers. The ones around my home are more on the cute side.

There is a theme throughout scripture. God often asks His people to remember what He has done. Remember who He is. Just the word remember occurs over 160 times in scriptures.

Usually after significant events in the Old Testament, God commanded His people to set up standing stones. These were large rocks set up so generations to come would see and remember His deeds.

So many of the Old Testament feasts were designed to commemorate God's acts and His future plan for drawing His creation into eternal fellowship with Him. The priests' clothing and each detail of the tabernacle were specifically designed by God. Over and over the theme is to commemorate God.

Jesus shared the last supper with His disciples and throughout He encouraged us to do likewise in remembrance of Him. Of course, communion is celebrated in our churches to remember what Christ did on the cross to buy our salvation.

I was particularly excited, recently, to read God's commands in Leviticus. He asked skillful weavers to weave beautiful designs with rich threads into the curtains surrounding the Tabernacle in the wilderness.

And guess what! God told them to weave pictures of angels into the design. So, when I'm praying for my family, I love to catch a glimpse of one my angels. I am reminded of His messengers unseen who are present to carry out His plans. I'll have a lot of questions when I get to heaven about just how exactly angels play a part in our lives. For now, I am satisfied to see them and remember God's incredible power--ever present in our lives.

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Showcase Home

Selling a home is always work but there are particular challenges when small children live in your home.

One house sale lasted several months. We learned to get the house ready to show with one hour's notice. We had a zone defense. Each child straightened their room and cleaned a bathroom. I vacuumed, mopped, dusted, lit candles, sprayed air freshener and turned on gentle music.

We had some nifty tricks. You could hide things in the washer and dryer because they weren't going with the house. You could put things in the dressers - if they weren't built in. AND if absolutely necessary you could fill laundry baskets and trash bags and stick them in the trunk of a car.

After one hurried trip out the door as the realtor arrived at the front curb, all four kids strapped themselves in the car and we backed out of the drive. I ran through our zone defense list:

floors- check
music - check
lights and candles - check and check
bathrooms - check,check, check
bedrooms - check???

The two youngest who shared a room were very proud to announce at this point that they had gathered all of their toys and stuffed animals off of their floor and put them away.... in the bathtub.

I squealed the brakes. Too late. I looked back over my shoulder to see the realtor and the potential buyer go through the front door.

Maybe -just maybe the buyer had kids who liked "bath toys."

Don't Leave Home Without It

Therefore, put on every piece of God's armor

so you will be able to resist the enemy

in the time of evil.

Then after the battle

you will still be standing firm.

Stand your ground,

putting on the belt of truth

and the body armor of God's righteousness.

For shoes, put on the peace

that comes from the Good News

so that you will be fully prepared.

In addition to all of these,

hold up the shield of faith

to stop the fiery arrows

of the devil.

Put on salvation as your helmet,

and take the sword of the Spirit,

which is the Word of God------

Ephesians 6:13-17

I don't think I've ever left the house without my makeup carefully applied and my hair in place. What I wear is important to me. My grandmother once pointed out that I always had to have everything that I wear match - from shoes to jewelery to purse. This is true.

However, I often start my day spiritually unarmed. God's armor is a gift offered to us. I can leave it tucked away in my Bible or recesses of my mind. Or, I can consciously take up each piece and be clothed in all that God offers.

Lord, help me step into your armor each day. Make me conscious of all that you offer to protect me against the schemes of the enemy. Thank you that you provide all that I need to live victoriously.

Wakeup Call

What is the first sound that you hear each morning? Usually, before I open my eyes, I hear dogs whining. Sometimes, if I am very quiet, I can have the luxury of staying in a warm bed for a few stolen moments before I start the daily routine.

I am the pet feeder. Once the two dogs and three cats hear me, there is no rest or peace in the house until they are satisfied.

I follow the same routine each morning. I let the "alpha" dog out of my son's room. That is our oldest dog--a collie. She goes out briefly and then I feed and water her in her cage. The small cocker then goes outside and back in to be fed and watered in the hallway.

While the dogs eat, I feed the cat that is on the back porch. She has been meowing loudly ever since the first dog went out. Water and cat food are placed on top of the picnic table. Why in this order and on top of the table? So that the collie doesn't eat the cat food.

Next the two cats in the garage are fed. They too have been singing a loud grating chorus until I arrive with their cat food. They do not get along with the porch cat so they are fed separately.

There is still no peace. The cocker is never satisfied. She finishes in the hallway and begins searching the floor for more morsels of food. One morning, recently, she wandered to the back door and discovered the cat food canister. She knocked the lid off and stuck her head in--for another snack. She could get her head in, but not back out.

I arrived in the living room to a loud banging noise as the pup careened off the furniture trying to get out of her "food trough". I wanted to take a picture but feared she might run short of air inside this canister. I jerked the canister off as the cat food went all over the carpet.

What did the puppy do next? She scrambled around, devouring the cat food off of the floor. I collapsed with laughter. I would not even have to sweep this up; the food would be gone before I could get the broom.

My twenty minute pet feeding ritual is over. There is no rest for my ears or time for a cup of coffee until all the animals are satisfied. I don't even get the day off on the weekends.

I began to wonder, do I hunger for God as soon as I wake up, like these pets crave their food? What is the first thing God hears from me each morning?

As the deer pants for streams of water,

so my soul pants for you, O God.

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

Psalms 42:1,2

My soul yearns for you in the night;

in the morning my spirit longs for you.

Isaiah 26:9

O LORD, be gracious to us; we long for you.

Be our strength every morning.

Isaiah 33:2

Lord, I want my first thoughts to be about you each morning. Help me to see that true satisfaction comes from seeking you first and no other. Let me see how much I need you. May I not rest until I am fed from your Word each morning.

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