Joyful! Joyful!

“The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.” – Psalm 28:7

In my closet I have an amazing number and variety of shoes that I have acquired over the years. Some of them are for use in the yard. Some are very specific for riding the motorcycle. Some are everyday work shoes. But some of them have a very special meaning and place in my heart – these are my party shoes! Whenever I put them on, whenever I look upon them, I am filled with good – even great! – memories and my spirit leaps with joy.

During this time of year, I can’t help but wonder if Mary felt that way when she found out she would be the mother of God? I don’t think so. Although we read in the first chapter of Luke, “And Mary said, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,” I think her head recognized the difficulties that lay before her. I also believe she was able to find the strength of her faith in the faithfulness of God.

Have you ever been in that place where something seems insurmountable and yet, you are certain that God has determined your place in His greater plan? Several times in my life circumstances have threatened to overwhelm me and given me doubts that have crippled my spirit for a period of time. One of those times came when I was only twenty-two years old and just weeks away from getting married.

My husband-to-be and I had just spent a fun-filled weekend with his family at Disneyworld and were driving home when we fell asleep and crashed into a tree. I woke up with blood and glass in my eyes and my legs crushed under the collapsed dash of the car. As the paramedics worked to get us out of the car they realized that one of my legs was impaled and the ankle of my other leg was definitely broken. After x-rays and several other tests in the hospital I found out I had seven breaks in the right ankle and my left knee would need reconstructive surgery at a later date. (So much for me being able to dance at my own wedding!) The week after the cast came off I had further complications from the accident and spent another few days in the hospital. Finally, we were married and beginning our life together.

Life together for us started out full of the excitement of being newlyweds and the adventure of moving to a new home together. But we also found ourselves dealing with our share of problems, especially when my knee reconstruction surgery was completed only four months later. Plans for romantic dinners and dancing in nice clubs were put on hold as I learned how to walk again. Two years after this ordeal began, my hubby and I realized that the dreams we thought we wanted for our lives had been replaced by a sense of satisfaction in simpler things and new dreams were being born.

What in the world does all of this have to do with party shoes? Well, God shared a sign with me one afternoon shortly before my surgery and it has helped me so many times since then. While I was shopping that particular afternoon I came across a little porcelain figurine of a boy pulling a wagon with a little girl riding atop their belongings piled in the cart. She was holding a Bible and the title of that figurine was “Walking By Faith”. Wow! That piece so captured what had been happening in my life up to that point, and in the days since then.

So, now when I look on those party shoes – or any of my shoes, I can not help but be reminded of a young woman who held on to the faithfulness of her God and joyously surrendered herself to his plans for her life. And I pray that I can also walk with faith in the plans God has for my life, always being thankful for what He has given each of us. My heart can not help but dance for joy!

~ Rev. Pat

Our Hope in Jesus

“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.” - Psalm 130:5

Hope is defined to desire something with the confident expectation of its fulfillment. When we stop to think about it, having hope in our lives, a future to look forward to, gives us a feeling of contentment, sometimes excitement, and peace. There are times that feeling is lost to us for any number of reasons: illness, loss of a loved one, job loss, divorce, just to name a few. Each of us at some time in our lives will have a feeling of hopelessness, and the holiday season can be especially hard for many.

As children of our Lord Jesus, how wonderful it is that no matter the circumstances we find ourselves in, we can be assured of His love and constant presence with us. He is with us when we celebrate our victories and He is with us during our times of sorrow. Whether on the mountain top, or in the valley, He walks right along beside us.

The following quote by Roy Lessin is a favorite of mine and I carry it with me as a reminder that God is on the throne, and always watching over each one of us.
“We never need to be without hope. For as we look into the future with the eyes of faith, we will see that God is already there.”

~ Shannon

This is the day ...

Have you ever noticed that every day you seem to encounter someone that has something to say about the weather? Maybe your spouse said to you this morning, "Looks like it's gonna be cold today." Or maybe a co-worker said, "Can you believe how hot it is out there?" Or how about your comment to the grocery store checkout clerk, "I am so tired of all this rain!"

I know that for most of us this is all idle chit-chat, designed to make conversation and connect us with the people and the world around us. But underlying the comments seems to be a hidden agenda. Hidden even from our own minds and hearts. There oftentimes seems to be a sense of discontent with the our present state of being, as if we awakened in the morning and something in our world wasn't ... quite ... right. How difficult we make things out to be when we forget to simply say thank you for THIS day!

We are reminded in scripture that God created the heavens and the earth , night and day, and said, "It is good." We are also reminded in scripture to offer up our prayers and praises unceasingly and in all circumstances. And we are reminded in scripture that God's love and mercies for us are unfailing and new every morning.

So, let's all think about each of our days and remember to thank God for this day which He has made. Rain, sun, cold, warmth - THIS is the day that the Lord has made and I will be glad in it!


"This is the day the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it." ~ Psalm 118:24

Hymns vs. Choruses

Gotta laugh at this one! Hope you enjoy :)

Old farmer Joe went to the city one weekend and attended the big city church. He came home and his wife asked him how it was.

"Well," said the farmer, "it was good. They did something different,
however. They sang praise choruses instead of hymns."

"Praise choruses?" said his wife. "What are those?"

"Oh, they're okay. They are sort of like hymns, only different," said the farmer.

"Well, what's the difference?" asked his wife.

Joe said, "Well, it's like this - if I were to say to you, 'Martha, the cows are in the corn' - well, that would be a hymn. If on the other hand, I were to say to you:

"Martha, Martha, Martha,
Oh Martha, MARTHA, MARTHA,
the cows, the big cows, the brown cows, the black cows
the white cows,
the black and white cows,
the COWS, COWS, COWS
are in the corn,
are in the corn, are in the corn, are in the corn,
the CORN, CORN, CORN.

"Then, if I were to repeat the whole thing two or three times, well, that would be a praise chorus."

The next weekend, his nephew, a young, new Christian from the city came to visit his Uncle Joe and Aunt Martha. He attended their local church in the small town. When he went home his mother asked him how it was.

"Well," said the young man, "it was good. They did something different however. They sang hymns instead of praise choruses."

"Hymns?" asked his mother. "What are those?"

"Oh, they're okay. They are sort of like praise choruses, only different," said the young man.

"Well, what's the difference?" asked his mother.

The young man said, "Well, it's like this - if Uncle Joe were to say to his wife, 'Martha, the cows are in the corn' - well, that would be a praise chorus. If on the other hand, he were to say to her:

"Oh Martha, dear Martha, hear thou my cry
Inclinest thine ear to the words of my mouth
Turn thou thy whole wondrous ear by and by
To the righteous, inimitable, glorious truth.

"For the way of the animals who can explain
There in their heads is no shadow of sense
Harkenest they in God's sun or His rain
Unless from the mild, tempting corn they are fenced.

"Yea those cows in glad bovine, rebellious delight
Have broke free their shackles, their warm pens eschewed
Then goaded by minions of darkness and night
They all my mild Chilliwack sweet corn have chewed.

"So look to the bright shining day by and by
Where all foul corruptions of earth are reborn
Where no vicious animals make my soul cry
And I no longer see those foul cows in the corn.'

"Then if he were to do only verses one, three and four and do a key change on the last verse, well that would be a hymn."

Isn't it such a blessing to be a part of the body of Christ, to be together in all our differences and our familiarity? Praise God!

"Sing to the LORD, you saints of his;
praise his holy name." ~ Psalm 30:4

A need for prayer

"God only requires of his adult children, that their hearts be truly purified, and that they offer him continually the wishes and vows that naturally spring from perfect love. For these desires, being the genuine fruits of love, are the most perfect prayers that can spring from it." ~[from "A Plain Account of Christian Perfection by John Wesley (1703-1791)]

Prayer for forgiveness:
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast goodness; in your abundant mercy blot out my offences. Wash me thoroughly from my sin. For I acknowledge my rebelliousness, And my sin is always before me. Against you only have I sinned, And done what is evil in your eyes. Purge me with hyssop and I shall be whiter than snow. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. ~ Psalm 51

These Shoes were made for Walking!

I've been thinking a lot about shoes lately, more specifically the way I walk in my shoes. I've especially found a lot of comfort in my well-worn slippers with fleece lining even though the temperatures outside have been in the high 80's and low 90's. Don't know why this is, just needing the familiar for some reason. Also I've been remembering those other shoes I have in the piles and closets stashed around the house.

Tucked away in a closet I still have my baby shoes and I am reminded of 1 Peter 2:2-3, "Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good." Just as I was nourished by milk as a human infant, as a newborn Christian I was nourished by the Word of God and by other Christians, and encouraged to grow in my faith.

I have a pair of "Earth" shoes from college days. These shoes have been restitched, reglued and resoled, but they still fit and have served me well for almost 30 years. They bring to my memory the words in 1 Peter 4: 11, "If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen." These shoes have served me well and are a reminder that I am called to do the same as I seek to praise and glorify God.

Some of my favorite shoes are high heels, the ones that say "Let’s have a celebration!" Blue ones with a bow on the back, black ones with a ruffle, clear ones with tiny straps. Each time I put on a pair of these shoes I can’t help but smile and think of Psalm 149:3, "Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp," and then I just want to dance for joy!

I have lots of other types of shoes in my closet, shoes for working in the yard and for riding the motorcycle. I have sandals for the beach and for the times I get a pedicure. There are well-worn and hardly-worn shoes. There are special occasion and everyday shoes. But what I've often realized is that each pair has a purpose and when I look them over there is a pattern which emerges and mirrors the various seasons of my Christian walk. I see places where heels are worn, toes scuffed, and dirt has worn its way into the fabric. But what I see beyond all of that is the faithfulness of Christ, as he calls to me each day and says, "Follow me."

What kind of shoes are you wearing?

"for we walk by faith, not by sight--" ~ 2 Corinthians 5:7

What a Day!

Did you know that today is a recognized holiday? It is "Cow Appreciation Day". Can you believe this? I found snippets online such as this:

"Yes, there really is a Cow Appreciation Day! There are even greeting cards for it and soon, if the planets align properly and musicians everywhere find their muse, there will be songs to fill the air. People everywhere holding hands and singing of their creamy goodness and buttery charms. But no hamburgers on this day -- no, no, no! Chicken and veggie burgers all around please! It's a celebration of cow eyes, warm noses, spots of black, white, brown, orange and gray -- and don't forget them udders! Calves everywhere swear by 'em, thank you!"

And then there was this:

"The humble Cow, a very unassuming animal, who instead of choosing an annoying sound to make, such as the "Cock-a-doodle-doo" of the common rooster or the "Get outta da way, you moron" of the Newyoahka, has chosen a soft, simple "Moo." In the far east, in ancient times, the Cow's moo was taken as the preferred mantra for meditating. Over the years, however, as people recited the mantra over and over, it ran together, so the younger students, instead of saying "Moo Moo Moo" were saying "oom oom oom.The simple Cow has even infiltrated our every-day language. How many times have you heard the phrase "What a cow!" or "Get a load of the heifer!" Two of the most popular sports in America are Cow Chip Tossing and Cow Tipping. The Cows *love* to participate in the sport of tipping. They know, of course, what is going on and enjoy every minute of it."

As I read these articles (and quite a few more!) I found myself chuckling at the lengths we go to find a reason to celebrate and rejoice. What a selfish people we can be! Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could find a way to just rest in the moment that God has created for us? This day? This week? This moment? I pray we can all find that place of peace.

In the meantime, I'm looking forward to "National Raspberry Cream Pie Day"!:)

"This is the day the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it." - Psalm 118:24