Puppy Love

Puppy Love

Zephaniah 3:17

I actually wrote this a while back, but I needed the reminder...thought maybe you could use one too!

Good Morning All ~

We got a new puppy last week. You know – a new one as opposed to an old one. It’s been almost a year since we lost Buddy the Wonder Dog, our crazy fun-loving black lab. So it was time, we thought. Our new pup is a chocolate lab named Herschel Walker – (If you understand Georgia football you’ll understand the name) Since I’m home the most; I take care of him the most. I’ve had to get up with him all hours of the night, play with him, and clean up his messes – gross! That first week I was ready to sell him for free! He was all consuming. I was wasting my valuable time on this pooch. Ronnie tried to appease me and compare it to him taking care of his son, Chandler. I stopped him right there. I said, “Uh… no. A child has eternal value, but a dog?” That was not the way to make me feel better.

As aggravated as I’ve been with the pup, I can’t help but be a little attached to him. He thinks I’m amazing. Every time he sees me he wags his tail and his whole body wiggles. He’s convinced my whole purpose in life is to take care of him. Right now I’m beginning to wonder if he’s right…not exactly what I thought I’d be when I grew up. But when I walk by his kennel, I catch myself stopping to watch him as he sleeps. As much as I hate to admit it, he is a darling little thing.

The other day he was outside and he thought he was alone. He was whimpering that - I can’t believe you left me- whimper. He had no idea I was watching him to make sure he was o.k. I saw everything he did. My heart wanted to go out and comfort him, but wisdom said I needed to finish what I was doing first. My strong sense to protect and comfort him took me by surprise. Bottom line - I love the little chocolate thing. I keep telling myself, but he’s just A DOG!!!

If I love Herschel this much, I couldn’t help but wonder how much more our Father in Heaven loves us. He knows our every move. He understands our every whimper. He cares for us in ways we’ll never even comprehend. Even now, He’s looking down on you with tenderness and delight. He is El Roi – the God who sees. If He cares for the sparrows, how much more He cares for you! Read Matthew 6 and Zephaniah 3:17 and believe it!

Hope & Glory! to You ~ Love

Rebecca

An Experiment For You

An Experiment For You

Psalm 12:4

Hi Everybody ~

I have an experiment for you to try. O.K. Here it goes… Open your mouth. Let your jaw fall down separating your lips so that they aren’t touching. Now without moving your lips...say something, like banana. Sounds pretty silly huh? Did you ever realize how important your lips are! There is so much you can do with them!

Imagine holding up a cuddly baby and not being able to kiss its chubby little cheeks, or form the correct sounds so you can communicate to others. Have you ever tried to take a bite of decadent chocolate truffle ice cream without using your lips to swoop in that last bit of chocolate from the spoon?

Honestly this week was the first time I ever told God thank you for my lips. You’ll have to read Psalm 12 to understand. I have read this Psalm many times before and I won’t go into all of it (aren’t you glad!) but verse 4 penetrated my heart when I read, “…our lips are our own, who is lord over us?” The people speaking in verses 4 are bold… and dead wrong.

Frankly I never thought of this before but reading these words it dawned on me… My lips are not my own! I’m simply a steward of these lips on my face. This verse is describing cocky people who have no desire to submit or love God. In fact they have no regard for Him.

I don’t want to be in that group. I’m sorry to say; many times I have used my lips as if they were my own. I don’t want to live like that. It struck me hard this week that I want to live remembering my lips are on loan to me from God and that the LORD is lord over me, in both what I say and - especially during the holiday season - what I eat…I think!

Hope & Glory! to You ~ Love

Rebecca

Not Very Glamorous

Not Very Glamorous

Hebrews 6:10

Hello ~

I love it when Ronnie needs me – “Hey, Honey, I need you to clear your schedule on Tuesday. We’re going to feed the homeless…Hey Babe, I need your thoughts on a speech I’ve got to give next week... I need you to go with me to a fundraiser dinner…etc…. Unfortunately those requests are not the most frequent ones.

Usually the tasks he asks me to do are quite mundane and feel more like an interruption than a privilege. “Are you going to be able to get me some more razors today? Will you please sew this button on my shirt? He loves it when I fix his morning coffee the night before; a chore I dread doing every night…not very glamorous and yet in his eyes, very important.

Ya know, I think I’ve often had the same attitude with God. Who doesn’t love thinking that God has asked them to accomplish some great and mighty feat? It’s easier to work at mock speed with your hair on fire when an important vision is at stake. But we all know that life can be so…routine. What about being faithful in the drudgery of the same ole thing; the seemingly unimportant assignments? Keeping your home in order, being friendly to the new person, being in your ministry week in and week out…anybody with me here?

God promised He…”is not unrighteous to forget your labor of love, which you have showed toward his name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” Hebrews 10:6

There is no hidden thing that will not be revealed. He sees the mundane responsibilities that you faithfully fulfill. Maybe it doesn’t feel very glamorous…yet in His eyes, it’s very significant. Keep up the good work!

Hope & Glory! to You ~ Love

Rebecca

It's A Matter of Perspective

Hebrews 11:6 & Romans 8:28

Hi Everyone!

Try this sometime… Next time you’re outside at night, look up at the moon. Close one eye and hold your thumb up in front of the moon. Do you know what will happen? The moon will seem to disappear. Your little tiny thumb will totally cover the hugantious (I guess that’s not really a word – but I couldn’t think of a word that adequately describes super huge) moon. But we all know there is no way the thumb is bigger than the moon, right? So what happened? It’s all a matter of perspective.

Many times the same thing happens with God. I know that God is big; no…He’s hugantious times a trillion! I know He is El Shaddai, God Almighty. But I have a tendency to let my “thumbs” get in the way. I forget the greatness and the sovereignty of my God; the One who loves me unconditionally. My perception is skewed. All I see is my point of view and El Shaddai seems to disappear.

I guess that’s where faith comes in. Not a blind faith, but a faith based on what we know to be true of God. “Without faith it’s impossible to please Him. For he that cometh to God must believe that He is and that He is the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6 He also said that “… we KNOW that all things work together for the good to them that love God to them who are the called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28

What’s the “thumb” in your life that is blocking out His truth from your viewpoint? We can stay focused on our “thumb” because that is what we see or we can focus on that fact that God is smarter and bigger than us….hugantious in fact! It’s really just a matter of perspective…silly me!

Hope & Glory! to You ~ Love

Rebecca