SLOW US DOWN LORD

Photo taken from photobucket

The musty smell of harvest dust filters into the breeze. Farming families eat in fields; wives and children become errand boys and hired hands. The grain market and the weather report develop into the major news. The geese fly south again. Leaves fade into brilliant reds and golds and the harvest moon rises in the October sky. Fall festivals are rampant, school is in full swing and the high school football season dwindles to one game and the play-offs. Autumn in the Midwest-if only our lives could slow down to appreciate it.

Little chipmunks and bushy tailed squirrels invade my lawn. One little fellow struggles defiantly with the acorns falling among the leaves on our patio. As I step out quietly for my walk, I stop to watch his struggle. He finds them much more appealing than we do. Apparently these little creatures have been here all summer, but I have hardly noticed them until now.

On across the way, the geese are strutting around the edge of Eads Lake, staking their claim to our neighbors’ yards. Soon they will huddle, honk to one another and begin their journey across the sky. I pause to watch and listen as they rise into the blue October sky. Soon they will be gone.

As I walk on around the circle, I notice that the neighbor on the corner has planted several mums-the full-blown bushes are swathed in blooms glowing in the light of the afternoon sun. I vaguely remember he planted them several weeks ago, but I became fully aware of them today.

I return to our house and notice how my pots of mums are beginning to fade into rusty brown blossoms. It is time to remove them from the pots and plant them for next season. In other autumns, I have been too busy to even notice the dry foliage until the time had passed for replanting. I have time today. I pull up the lawn chair to rest after my journey around the neighborhood. Sitting with the sun soaking my shoulders, I begin to reflect on the spiritual side of our life. Maybe we need to sometimes just slow down there also. Sometimes we get so busy with our church work that we don’t stop to notice the little things around us.

Sunday morning our auditorium was beautifully decorated, but I didn’t take time to find out who had done it. I was too busy making plans for lunch after church, and discussing a meeting that I wanted to go to on Wednesday night. Someone would surely have appreciated recognition for their efforts, but I needed to hurry on for lunch.

We go to a committee meeting and make big decisions, but fail to take note of an absent member. No one bothers to find out why there aren’t in attendance. We are just are in a hurry to get this over with and get on to our next meeting. Someone may have needed us.

Perhaps we need to stop being so religiously busy and just slow down for more prayer time during the day, be more aware of the people who are missing at our gatherings, and study the Word more diligently rather than a cursory reading to fill the allotted time we give to reading the Bible. Somewhat like the little creatures storing their nuts, the brown leaves on my plants and the geese that will soon be gone, we may be missing a spiritual blessing and unless we slow down we may never realize what we have missed.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY: Lord, slow me down as I walk with you through this life. Help me to realize I need to take time to notice the small things you have prepared for me to do and not become so involved in “ busyness” that I neglect the little things of life that are so important. In Jesus’ name Amen

LAURA'S PEARL

 

LAURA   LEE GROVES NEW PROJECT

My Kindred Heart Writer friend has a new project. Below is her story.I know you will enjoy reading this story of hope and love as much as I did.

 

Laura's Story  

 

I took the first three chapters of Mei’s story, Pearl, to a writer’s conference and was strongly encouraged to continue. Once I finished the novel, a couple of major Christian publishers showed interest. I polished it up and sent it off, but they felt its length was a drawback as well as the fact that, although present day, most of it was set outside the United States.

I thought about finding a way to lengthen the story and add a stronger American component, and I spent a lot of time saying, “Lord, do with this story what You will.” I never felt prompted to add to the plot, so Pearl sat on a shelf here at home. I knew I had written it for a reason; I had learned so much through the whole process that I knew it wasn’t for nothing. It was a story I felt compelled to write, so write I did. I stretched and grew as I wrote, so I knew the Lord had already used Pearl.

But He had another idea. As my son and his sweet wife began to walk down the path to international adoption, we all talked of the financial cost. My son is the pastor of a little rural Kentucky church that averages a hundred in attendance, so you can imagine that he’s not in it for the money. My husband and I talked about how we could help them, and the Lord brought Pearl to mind.

“It’s a story of international adoption. Why not publish it and use the proceeds to benefit the adoption fund?” I said. My husband readily agreed, and I started researching the best way to accomplish this. We settled on CreateSpace, who designed the cover, set up the print book, converted the files for Kindle, and placed it both in their online bookstore and on Amazon.

This story has been a blessing in so many ways. Through this story and Jonathan and Kristen’s adoption journey, I’ve met new friends and reconnected with others on the same path. I’ve gained a deeper understanding of adoption as a picture of Gospel hope.

Tucked inside the Old and New Testaments are stories we know well, but we don’t always see how they brim with hope. Hope for those born in the wrong place, to the wrong group.

From David to Ruth to Rahab, we see the hope of the Gospel. This is a kingdom turned upside down. Matthew, the disciple who had lived the life of an outcast as a despised tax collector, writes the genealogy that shows us the Saviour’s earthly path. He names even who fell or who had lived less than pristine lives. As he includes them, he reminds us that our inclusion in God’s family depends upon God—not on our birth, our status, or our performance.

Adoption is a picture of the hope of the Gospel.

God welcomes home the foreigner, the outcast, the alien.

Blessed to be a part of the Gospel hope, how can we do less?

PROCRASTINATION

As I was killing time (I really don't like that phrase at all) I found this old article lurking in my documents.  Some things never change. I am procrastinating this summer!  I have this book I want to write. Well actually I have two, maybe three, in my head, but they stay there in my head. Each time I face my empty screen I click on Facebook, or g-mail or Solitare Blitz or Candy Crush. Why is that? So today I was going to start.

And here is the article I didn't need to rewrite...obviously I am procrastinating


First, I took a nap. Then I took a walk to energize my brain. By the time I returned home, it was time to think about dinner. Once again my writing time was gone.

Experts tell us to write about “what we know.” Novice writers are encouraged to select topics that are familiar I feel quite confident about my topic for this article. With more than sixty years of experience, I am an expert on procrastination.

PROCRASTINATION: is a transitive verb (according to the Webster on-line dictionary) which means to put off habitually and intentionally. The key word here is intentionally. I rationalize by telling people I do my best work under pressure. Who knows what might have happened had I written this article last week instead of last night after choir practice at 10:00.

Mentors advise us to make lists in our articles or our side bars. Those “in the know” people advocate using bullets or some similar method to draw attention to our point… thus, as the procrastination expert I offer my list.


10 BEST WAYS TO PROCRASTINATE
(In no order of importance. Some will become more important as you use them and you will soon learn which best fit your situation and personality. These methods can be used separately or combined to become more effective. Personally, I have often combined #1, #8 and #9 very effectively.)

· 1. Tell yourself you have plenty of time to finish your daily writing schedule. Particularly effective early in the morning. In my experience this is most successful between 6:00 a.m. and lunch

· 2. Make phone calls to friends you haven’t talked to for weeks. They will be so happy to hear from you that you can feel good about using this time so wisely, And during the conversation you can share your writing plans with them. Sharing is so important when you are planning to write. It also allows for encouraging or discouraging remarks from those who aren’t writers.

· 3. Clean your house. (garage, workshop) Any place that you just cleaned last week. After all, once you have it clean, you should maintain it. Self-righteousness should follow this action and you can tell yourself it was necessary.

· 4. Talk about all you plan to do with your best friend who is not a writer. (She/He probably won’t hold you accountable because this friend thinks everything you write is good.)

· 5. Organize your computer folders. Begin deleting every article that you have saved more than three copies to work at rewriting. This job should take at least two or three days and move you closer to your deadline.

· 6. Sit down for just a “few” minutes to finish a chapter in the writing book or the latest fiction that you started last night. It is so important to read what others have written particularly if it is about the craft of writing.

· 7. Check your e-mail. Follow all the links your friends suggest. Make sure you go to Facebook and Twitter. A person can spend an entire afternoon in this endeavor.

· 8. Call your mother or one of your children. This should encourage you that you really are a writer because they will want to know what you are doing and you can go into great detail about your plan. This will impress upon the family member how hard you work at writing (If you are writing a book this is even more impressive. I don’t know why.).

· 9. Make a list of your GOALS. Now this is one I am just learning which works quite well for me. Since I am new at this particular method of procrastination I often think I have finished my list until I check it over and realize I have confused myself and need to begin again. I can spend several hours working on GOALS.

· 10. Organize in several different methods. Outlines, note cards and little sticky notes are all good methods. This is trial and error. It may take several times before you find which method is best for killing time.

Please understand that this list is not written in stone. I would appreciate it if you would share any of your methods. I continue to add to my list when I find the time.

GUEST POST

Check out my most treasured moment on my friend Johnnie Donley's blog. Johnnie is the author of WHERE TREASURE HIDES which is  available as an e-book on Amazon and other web sites.

Purchase at    Amazon

AND THEN CAME THE MORNING

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I have been trying to go over in my mind how the followers of Jesus might have felt on that Saturday after the cross. They have no hope. No joy. No future. Nothing to encourage them. Just a day without Jesus.  How sad they must have been.  What would it be?-a day without Jesus. And so many in our world today living lives of hopeless despair because they don't have Jesus. During this week before we celebrate the resurrection my prayer is for those whose lives reflect the day without Jesus. 

AND THEN CAME THE MORNING.

I'm not sure we can fully comprehend the joy they must have known. Even in our darkest hour we have Jesus. And as we celebrate that morning I pray those living in the Saturdays of life may know the joy of Jesus and his promise and see the dawn of the morning joy.

"Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning" Psalms 30:5



Each time I see the morning light on the horizon and the promise of a new day, I feel some  of the joy the people must have felt when the morning came and the darkness of death was gone and the tomb was empty forever. JOY COMES IN THE MORNING FOR ALL OF US!

MAY YOU KNOW THE JOY OF EASTER THIS SPRING AND ALWAYS!

CELEBRATING THE MORNING

Clella

Pictures by Mitch Camp