The Deadwood Forest

We were so excited about our summer vacation to Yellowstone National Park this year! As we got  ready to go, we researched everything - the geysers, the falls, the lake, the wildlife - we just couldn't wait to see the beauty of the national treasure.
   The first day of the trip we were eager to stand in awe of Old Faithful and the amazing show it would perform just for us. Our expectations were about as high as the mountain tops that create Yellowstone’s landscape.
   But an hour inside the gate, I turned to my husband and had to wonder if he was following the right road. It was silly, of course - there is only one road- but the path we were on, wound through what I quickly labeled The Deadwood Forest. Huge trees, remnants of a fire, stood in stark contrast to the lush vegetation that defined the rest of the park.

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A matter of the heart

I have a heart condition.

I love the Lord with all my heart. I seek the Lord with all my heart. I trust the Lord with all my heart. I have hidden and treasured God’s word in my heart. I invited Jesus to take up residence in my heart. (Deuteronomy 4:29, 6:5, Proverbs 3:5, Psalm 119:11, Romans 10:8-10)

When my life is in tune with these conditions, the peace which surpasses all understanding keeps my heart beating at a steady pace. However, when I love myself more than the Lord, when I seek my own way and trust my own rationale, anxiety rises within me.

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Encourage...yourself.

“And David was greatly distressed: for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters; but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.” -  I Samuel 30:6

King David is perhaps one of the most colorful, vibrant characters in the Old Testament. While keeping sheep he had killed a lion and a bear, and eventually the giant Goliath who was feared by all the fighting men of Israel.
   Choosing words and phrases to describe him would conjure up: fearless, brave, full of faith in God, loved, lauded, hated, hunted, man after God’s heart, anointed, adulterer, murderer, and repentant. Yes, David was a man of godly character and determination, unafraid when he knew God was with him…yet very human and subject to giving in to temptation.

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Can you hear me now?

When I was in the Navy, I worked in satellite communications. It was in the days before satellite cell phones, wireless laptops or even the internet. It was a very exciting field to be in, and it ushered in the many luxuries (some might say 'necessities') that we enjoy today.
   But I was taught a very valuable lesson through my training in the fantastic job of literally speaking to the sky - there is a difference between a transmission and communication.

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Behind the Scenes - RJ Thesman - Purpose of Reverend G

Each week in Behind the Scenes, readers get a little insight into the background of their favorite books. This week RJ Thesman talks about what she hopes readers will take with them after reading, 'The Unraveling of Reverend G.'

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A little TLC

At the end of the summer blooming season, I walked through Wal-Mart’s outdoor flower pavilion. Leftovers of potted plants stood in half-wilted condition, the result of Kansas heat and a shortage of water.
   Although most of the plants seemed beyond help, I noticed a large pot of purple vining geraniums. At the height of the season, this particular pot cost $35 – way over my budget. But the current price tag was stamped only $4.50. I picked it up and claimed it as mine.

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Strawberries and Sundays

Every July, the hills of northern Oakland County, Michigan come alive. The village of Leonard, where one blinking light at Rochester Road and Elmwood Street keeps you from missing this hundred year old town, starts to look more like a city. After more than 40 years of living here, I've never seen a traffic jam on Elmwood — except on that third Saturday in July.
   On that one day, it seems as if a traveling circus came to town. Overnight the street fill with tents, ponies, horses, fire trucks, inflatables and neighbors you haven’t seen since the last festival. There are all kinds of things to see, including my favorites - Spezia’s little bald piglets and the horses in the parade.

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Running with perseverance

This past year, I was blessed with an opportunity to travel to Burundi, Africa. Our purpose was to bring water units to villages that didn't have clean drinking water. These units produce a chlorine that makes water safe to drink. We were there to bless the people.
   Burundi is one of the ten poorest countries in the world, and it shows. As the plane landed, my friends and I were instantly sobered by the living conditions. We viewed crowded, filthy streets framed by door-less mud houses, dirty and half naked children running about unattended, while their shoe-less parents worked hard in their fields. A pastor named Jean Marie met us, and was our host for the week. As we spent time with him, he reminded me of the Apostle Paul. Always thanking God, and always proclaiming blessings from Him.

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The summer of thankfulness

I remember being excited to start first grade. I filled my school box with chunky pencils; made sure every crayon had a sharp tip and wrote my name on the top right corner of my Big Chief tablet.
   Eager to use scissors with a point for the first time I knew I was hot stuff. That is until I was given a note from the school nurse to take home. It said I needed to go to the eye doctor.
   My mother made an appointment and before you knew it; my little body sunk into the huge leather chair in the optometrist office. Fascinated by the funny looking machine that hung from the ceiling I scooted to the edge of the big chair to look through the silly apparatus. It made me dizzy as lenses flipped back and forth. Six-year-old wisdom knew the alphabet was out of order; the doctor chuckled when I told him but he didn’t fix it.

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A little pruning

I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me

That does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears

Fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.

John 15:1, 2 NASB

I was in my flower garden recently deadheading my roses. They were beautiful this year, the three bushes almost solid with clusters of red blooms. Little by little the flowers began to fade, the petals dropped, and all that was left were the unsightly remains. I know before long the shrubs will once again be covered with bright red roses, but first I had to get rid of all the spent ones. With pruning shears in hand I tackled the job. It wasn’t easy, and my back soon began to ache as I leaned over and clipped off all the dead blossoms.

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