THE LORD A TESTNG SHEPHERD!

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.... 

(Psalm 23:4a)

That's TESTING..........

Many threats to a herd with newborns requires Nate, at Darnell Farms, to house newborns in barn to provide security as the elements of weather test them. 

The only reliable source of security comes from the shepherd's presence. A flock cannot be left alone. (Laniak.While Shepherds Watch Their Flocks' p. 109)

Times of testing require the Divine Shepherd's Presence!

*A big thanks to Cathy C. for Laniak's devotional book!

MY SHEPHERD---MY SUPPLIER

The Lord is my Shepherd....
 

I shall not want---

THAT'S SUPPLY! 

May the Lord provide insight into my soul as He provides for my true needs to be found in stillness before Him. An intentional choice!

* Sometimes He uses family to supply closeness in times of need.

COMPLETE COLOR!

Color has been taking on a new perspective for me lately. I am celebrating the hues springtime has begun offering. For too long, I have been fearful of colors invading my dreams/hallucinations from colorful starbursts to blobs of black and white switching when I would open or close my eyes. Eyes open....see black. Eyes closed see white......until I could fall asleep.

I prefer appreciating colors afresh. Yesterday, my son-in-law blessed us with bright red strawberries from Darnell Farms. Not just YUM.....but beautiful from inside to the outside. These sweet ones are red all the way through! (Proof in the Pic)

We would eat them as quickly as we capped them. 

Check them out--no white in Nate's crop. 

Red on the inside as well as the out. Sweetness and color through and through.

More pix would have shown brilliant red on top of our ice cream and this morning's bowl full of granola. God's grace pouring out from red resources picked in a field of strawberries. 

"He made everything beautiful in its time." (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

BLESSINGS!

Blessings from friends quoting others. a great way to start the day.

I have cast myself into the hands of Almighty God who reigns everywhere!

(St. Patrick of Ireland)

Blessings of celebration from the mountain folks who not only find joy ...

but celebrate with dance---clogging with some Irish type steps.

Blessings.....May the Lord bless you and keep you!

ACRONYMS ABOUND!

Acronyms abound----on jars of jam, no less.

T.O.E. Jam made me laugh!!

Eventually, I realized the acronyms let a customer know contents of the jams.

I liked my THOTS better.

T rust                  T hrow                               T urn

O nly                   O ut                                  O n

E lohim                E expectations (of others)      E encouragement

Stick your toe in the positive "waters of words" to encourage others!

F.R.O.G. FOCUS WITH FEELING!

I was going to save this "focus" entry for a Friday but God has me meditating on the these 4 words this morning!

F ully

R ely

O n

G od

Maybe it's because as I've been sharing this declarative statement with others, I realized how much I also need the reminder. "With God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26)

Reliance requires Trust!

F.R.O.G. 

Fully rely on God. Full stop. Period. 

Nothing else needed forever.

Hmmmm----

F orever

R ely

O n

G od

Maybe it's an IMPERATIVE! Completely necessary.

Hmmmmm---or exclamatory because it certainly reflects my feelings as I meditate this Monday.

FULLY RELYING ON GOD FOREVER IS CERTAINLY COMPLETELY NECESSARY IN A CHRISTIAN'S LIFE! 

I know it; I can feel it in my heart!

FEASTING ON GOD'S WORD

8/23/09
Virginia Wolf once said, One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well. Most Americans, especially now that we have the “food channel,” would buy into this notion hook, line and sinker. But there is another food that helps us think well, love well, and sleep well. There is a feast awaiting us. The morsels provided are fodder for the soul. This fare that is more nourishing and without all those empty calories is found in God’s Word.

If I had a Twitter account, yesterday my “tweet” would have read, “Gone to Kroger, only b/c Darnell Farms in NC is too far away, for a watermelon! Many know why. My plan for the day was to feed my soul on John 15 and my body on watermelon. I did both and how SWEET it was! “How sweet are Thy words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth.” (Psalm 119: 103)

1”I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.2Every 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. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.” (John 15:1-3)

I learned that the word prune in verse 2 and clean in verse 3 come from the same GK root word, KATHAROS. There is indeed a cleansing that comes when we are washed (THOT--purged of ungodliness?) by The Word and thus able to bear fruit.

I also learned from some of my marginalia that we are chosen, blessed and broken for the nourishment of the world. But how can we nourish others if we have not been feeding on His Word ourselves?

Now that you’ve dined on this, I hope you sleep well. Goodnight!