Last Sunday the wind was blowing and it was getting dark. A young couple had just left with a precious little furry kitten--the last of the litter to be adopted out. I looked out and Christopher's little black kitten (8 wks old) was scampering over the edge of the deck and Freckles (the teenage kitten) was following him. Mama cat was watching me, waiting to see if I had any treats. I shut off the lights and went to bed. The next morning I went out to feed the dogs and cats and found NO CATS. All were gone. I called and called but no cats came. I waited all day. I found the fields glasses and scoured the fields--it would be hard to miss Freckles, he is so big. Even the big black dots on his back don't diminish the expanse of his white fur. His colorings make him look like a huge domino!
Night came and still no cats. The next morning Kathleen called to see if they had returned. I looked out and here comes mama cat from their little house! But no kittens. She had brought home a couple of rabbit legs, but there were no kittens to share it with. That afternoon I made up cards of the missing kittens, with my name and number on it, and delivered them to all the neighbors. So far there has been no response.
Tonight I looked out. The dark had just set in and already mama cat was gone. Back tracking to see if she can find her lost kittens, I'm sure. Its dark out there, the wind is blowing and there are all kinds of predators waiting for a kitten--badgers, coyotes, hawks, stray dogs. Tonight mama cat and her babies are in my prayers.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
Giving Credit Where Credit is Due
God's ways just are hard to understand at times. He sends people into your lives -- people who care and need you, when you need them.
Tim had a gift. He was a kind and gentle person; but more than that, he cared about people. Many times a situation would be created, such as someone making a mistake and installing something wrong, selling us the wrong thing, and other things of that nature. Tim would go to the people and talk to them. He wouldn't get angry, but be respectful and work it out with them. Although, I have seen him get tough with people, I don't remember him ever calling people names. He would just tell them the truth, sometime quite forcifully, and give them a lecture.
He had his own mountains to climb, but he was at heart, a good man. He brought a lot of kindness into my life, and I love him for that.
Tim had a gift. He was a kind and gentle person; but more than that, he cared about people. Many times a situation would be created, such as someone making a mistake and installing something wrong, selling us the wrong thing, and other things of that nature. Tim would go to the people and talk to them. He wouldn't get angry, but be respectful and work it out with them. Although, I have seen him get tough with people, I don't remember him ever calling people names. He would just tell them the truth, sometime quite forcifully, and give them a lecture.
He had his own mountains to climb, but he was at heart, a good man. He brought a lot of kindness into my life, and I love him for that.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Forgiveness
Anita has been very ungracious! She sent that wind back up to us. (tch, tch, tch) It has a bite to it, so this has been a good day to bake cookies. I found a partial package of chocolate chips that Kathleen had in the cupboard. I don’t know how many years old it was. The chips had that flakey, chalky look and were somehow melted into a big clump. I was able to whack the bag and chip off about half of the chips, but there remained a huge solid hunk of melted chocolate chips. However, a little pounding with the rolling pin took care of that. I now had little shreds of chocolate chips to go with the ones I had retrieved earlier. Threw some whole walnuts in the batch, too, and had some really tasty cookies to go with my ice tea!! (Ahhh. A good days work!)
I went to a couple of Bible studies these last couple of days. Have you ever noticed that when you listen to a sermon—whether in Church or on the radio or the tv—that the message seems to be pointed directly to YOU. I figure that is God’s way of keeping me straight. It is awesome the way He does that.
The Bible studies covered the topic of forgiveness. When Peter asked Jesus, how often he should forgive his brother, Jesus answered in Matthew 18:22 ….“I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.”
Forgiveness is very important. Jesus tells us in Matthew 5 “22But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire. 23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” (“Raca” meaning vain, empty, worthless)
We are to forgive, as Christ forgave us. As David so eloquently says, of our sins, in Psalm 103:12, “As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.” The Lord wants us to forgive others, and to ask others to forgive us when we do wrong against them.
Now, there is another thing we are told to do. In Luke 17:3 Jesus says “ Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.” The word “rebuke” means chastise or correct. I personally learned the meaning of this Bible verse. As a kid, I hadn’t learned any social skills to speak of and was quite unready for the world. I was 18, on my own, and was very argumentive when anyone had a differing opinion. I didn’t have a lot of opinions, not knowing much, so I didn’t get into trouble, I was just hard to live with at times. Years later, Tim and I married. We didn’t have a lot of battles. Tim was smart and was good at decision-making. However, when there was a difference of opinions, I found out that I almost always won. It really surprised me, as I quite often shouldn’t have won.
Many years later, I was talking to a friend, at work, about—of all things —religion. He said I was contentious and wouldn’t talk to me about it. Well, that was a shock. No one had said I was “contentious” before. So I went and looked it up. It meant “quarrelsome and argumentative.” I didn’t think that was bad, but apparently it is.
In Proverbs 21:19 David tells us, “Better to dwell in the wilderness, Than with a contentious and angry woman.” This doesn’t sound good.
Searching further I find, Galatians 5 “19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” So, here my eyes are opened and I see myself through the eyes of the Lord. NOW, I do strive for kindness and respect for others. I know I don’t always overcome, however, it is my heart’s desire to always do so.
If someone had not told me that what I was doing, was wrong, I would just have thought it was a character trait. When the Lord asks us to rebuke, or correct, others, it is not to punish them. It is to give them awareness of the wrongdoing, so that they have the opportunity to find forgiveness with the Lord and be saved. Telling someone they are sinning is not easy — especially when it is something the world sees as a strength or something to be desired.
I went to a couple of Bible studies these last couple of days. Have you ever noticed that when you listen to a sermon—whether in Church or on the radio or the tv—that the message seems to be pointed directly to YOU. I figure that is God’s way of keeping me straight. It is awesome the way He does that.
The Bible studies covered the topic of forgiveness. When Peter asked Jesus, how often he should forgive his brother, Jesus answered in Matthew 18:22 ….“I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.”
Forgiveness is very important. Jesus tells us in Matthew 5 “22But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire. 23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” (“Raca” meaning vain, empty, worthless)
We are to forgive, as Christ forgave us. As David so eloquently says, of our sins, in Psalm 103:12, “As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.” The Lord wants us to forgive others, and to ask others to forgive us when we do wrong against them.
Now, there is another thing we are told to do. In Luke 17:3 Jesus says “ Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.” The word “rebuke” means chastise or correct. I personally learned the meaning of this Bible verse. As a kid, I hadn’t learned any social skills to speak of and was quite unready for the world. I was 18, on my own, and was very argumentive when anyone had a differing opinion. I didn’t have a lot of opinions, not knowing much, so I didn’t get into trouble, I was just hard to live with at times. Years later, Tim and I married. We didn’t have a lot of battles. Tim was smart and was good at decision-making. However, when there was a difference of opinions, I found out that I almost always won. It really surprised me, as I quite often shouldn’t have won.
Many years later, I was talking to a friend, at work, about—of all things —religion. He said I was contentious and wouldn’t talk to me about it. Well, that was a shock. No one had said I was “contentious” before. So I went and looked it up. It meant “quarrelsome and argumentative.” I didn’t think that was bad, but apparently it is.
In Proverbs 21:19 David tells us, “Better to dwell in the wilderness, Than with a contentious and angry woman.” This doesn’t sound good.
Searching further I find, Galatians 5 “19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” So, here my eyes are opened and I see myself through the eyes of the Lord. NOW, I do strive for kindness and respect for others. I know I don’t always overcome, however, it is my heart’s desire to always do so.
If someone had not told me that what I was doing, was wrong, I would just have thought it was a character trait. When the Lord asks us to rebuke, or correct, others, it is not to punish them. It is to give them awareness of the wrongdoing, so that they have the opportunity to find forgiveness with the Lord and be saved. Telling someone they are sinning is not easy — especially when it is something the world sees as a strength or something to be desired.
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