Hello. My blogs are primarily about my work as a writer, faith as a Christ follower, gardening and my childhood in mid-century England. I hope that something I say will make you smile today and encourage you in your journey.
“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?”
(Psalm 8:3–4, NIV)
The Hebrews were enslaved in Egypt when Moses said God heard their cries. Toiling in the hot desert, they were skeptical. But God did as He said.
In the Servant Songs, Isaiah chapters 42–43, God again hears the people and gives them hope that He will send a Deliverer.
What do we mean to God?
We mean more to Him than we can possibly imagine!
God sent His son to show us, and He pursues us still.
The nations have fallen into the pit they dug for others. Their own feet have been caught in the trap they set. The Lord is known for justice. The wicked are trapped by their own deeds.
(Psalm 9:15-16. NLT)
Things are getting expensive, aren’t they? I’ve found that I have to go without some things I used to buy at the grocery store—the little treats or the specialty items that are not necessary for survival but things I wanted.
I often feel that life is unfair when I have to pass them by. Like a child, I think, “I’ve been a good girl. I deserve this.”
Reflecting on where this selfish way of thinking comes from, I realize I’m not thinking as a child of God at that moment but as someone who’s fallen into a commercial trap. What sparked those selfish thoughts?
A new lifestyle
When my husband retired, he had a good pension from working for the same company. We weren’t rich, but we had what we needed with some to spare for simple pleasures like a day trip, a celebratory dinner in a nice restaurant, or a donation to a worthy cause.
Now, we find that monthly income doesn’t stretch as far, and we must be careful of extraneous spending. But I need to keep in mind that I still have riches.
As my grandad said in his later years–
“We don’t have much, but we have more than most.”
He and my grandma were living on government assistance at the time. But he didn’t compare his life to those around him who had bigger houses and fancy cars and vacationed in Majorca. He saw the people on the news who were displaced by war or homeless because of natural disasters.
He had the love of his family, a roof over his head and fish and chips every Friday. He considered himself rich in blessings. And always found a few pennies to treat his grandkids to a bag of sweeties.
Now it’s my turn
Will I be remembered as an older woman who groaned about not having money for fancy restaurants and two cars in the garage, or will I be the one who sets an example to my grandkids that it’s ok not to have all the things the television and social media tells us we should have?
Will I fall into the trap I’ve allowed around me or follow my grandad’s example and the God he trusted in for all his needs?
Lord, help me to choose the best—the path you have for me and your provisions to help me walk it well and not stumble.
Til next time–remember you are loved by the One who created you in His image.
Four years ago, I broke my dominant arm in two places and shattered my shoulder. Helpless in many ways, I lost my independence, was unsteady on my feet, and could barely type with my other hand.
I had to learn to live with my new limitations and be patient with my body as it healed. But God is forever present and faithful in our trials. He walked with me through it all.
Today, I’m finishing edits on a novel I wrote during that time.
I simply had to wait out the storm.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 (NIV)
~ Lynne
*this devotional was initially published in Koinonia, a Medium online publication.
I learned this today if it quacks like a duck it may just be a Wood Frog
I was intrigued by a new sound coming from the pond. It wasn’t the usual chorus of mating Peeper frogs ensuring the survival of their species. That was always a welcome sound in late March at the shire because it meant spring was surely arriving soon.
This was a more robust sound, like many ducks debating in the House of Commons. Loud opinions and louder rebuttals in a constant vie to be heard.
After searching Google for an hour or so, I found the name of our very vocal lodgers. Who would have thought a frog could quack like a duck?
Lynne Collier 