The Father's Plan for your Day

It is the plan and purpose of God this day to bring into your life people and circumstances that will make you more like Jesus.  Today you have awakened to His classroom.  He has prepared lessons for you to learn and work for you to do.

 His plans for you today are good and perfect.  You can trust His heart.  He loves you.  You can trust His Mighty power.  He is able to accomplish His lofty, and seemingly unattainable goals.  He has already seen this day.  Nothing will surprise Him.

He will bring to you today wonderful opportunities to see Him at work in your life, opportunities to join Him His beautiful work and opportunities for you to grow.  Often these opportunities come in the form of annoyances, inconveniences, unexpected interruptions, delays, pain and heartache.  They also come in the form of laughter, exciting surprises and enjoyable moments.  And yet it is also the plan of God to use the mundane, ordinary, experiences of life as well.  They, too, are a part of His perfect plan.  All of these things have been carefully chosen for you to experience  and masterfully woven into your life by our loving and perfectly wise, Supremely powerful Father so that you might experience His highest good.

 If you fully cooperate with our Heavenly Father, not fighting and resisting Him, not complaining and not trying to avoid the things you don't like, you will experience blessings in such HUGE MEASURE that you won't be able to hold it all!

Protection
Provision of every need
Power
Peace
Healing
Joy
Wisdom
Freedom
and every good gift

Or you can spend your day choosing the path that is most comfortable for you.  You can complain, whine, argue and resist our Father's PERFECT PLAN.

It's up to you.

He hasn't left you to go through life alone.  He's given all of His children a priceless,  gift--His Spirit.

I'm praying that you will choose the path that the Father has prepared for you today.

His plans for you today are perfect and good!

Have a wonderful day!

My Best Friend is the King

My best friend is the King

Not just a King

but the King

the Absolute Ruler

the Mighty One

the Blessed One

the Beautiful One

He is my friend

And I am His

He is tender with me

He loves me

He blesses me

With good things

He reveals secret things to me

I am in His inner circle

And He has given me great authority

His authority

I can speak in His name

Act in His name

On His behalf

Not out of my own selfish ambition

But to honor my king

His name has weight

Power

It's Mighty

His enemies tremble at the 

mention of His name

But his name also brings Healing

Beauty

goodness

truth

freedom 

peace

every good and perfect gift

He is tender to those in His Kingdom

He cares for His subjects so well

He  protects them

And lavishly provides every good gift for their enjoyment

He will not let them harm themselves

or each other

He's the perfect King,

perfect

Yet those who oppose Him

or seed to harm His loyal subjects

will be DEFEATED

All must bow before this righteous King

And those who bow,

live under His constant care and love

And they too become a part of 

His inner circle,

Not simply servants

But servants that are friends of the King

this King is my best friend

Oh how He loves Me

Oh how He love you

He's a King that sacrificed greatly

so that you might live in His glorious kingdom

He gave His life

He left His glory and splendor behind

HE became weak and poor

He was insulted

spat upon

hungry

He submit himself to His enemies

He did this for one purpose:

To free us!

from the clutches of his enemy 

We were His captives

And Jesus

our mighty King

set us free!

And now we can walk from our prison and chains

into the glorious kingdom of God

where Jesus

our Mighty King

Rules and Reigns Supreme

No One

No One

No One

Can snatch us from His hands

My best friend is the King.

Day Retreat

My husband and I have begun to make it a tradition to have a "day retreat" right before school starts in August in order to refresh ourselves and to have time alone with God.  I cannot begin to describe the many blessings that we receive from this one day.  God always has such wonderful gifts in store for us.  He's such a  personal God, and He loves special time alone with each of His children. Not only does He want us to hear His voice, he wants us to simply enjoy Him.  He wants us to rest in His presence.

I'd like to share some of the sights that I was able to enjoy on my day retreat.  These are photos I took at Mayfield park in Austin Texas.  It's the perfect place for a day retreat.

Perhaps you'll inspired to have your own "Day Retreat".

The Little Pebble and the Majestic Waterfall Part 4

After the Water Fall's grand and majestic entrance, it spoke to all who were gathered there to meet it.  As it spoke, every creature stood in solemn silence each hanging on its every word and feeling a personal intimate connection with the Water Fall.  This was because the Water Fall spoke to each creature tenderly in its own heart's language.

This is what the pebble heard.

"I am so glad that you are here.  It has been my heart's desire to have you here with me forever.  You will live with me enjoying my protection and the glorious riches of my gifts.  All that you desire is yours. You have done well, Little Pebble.  I am pleased with you.  Now you will live in this glorious paradise with me forever along with all who have lived obediently before me.  I will be your King and you will be my servants, ruling in my glorious kingdom forever.  This is your reward."

Every creature bowed in humble adoration to the King, with hearts that were filled with thanksgiving.  Then with one voice every creature began to sing a song to the Great Water Fall.  It was a song sung with such earnestness, with such joy, with complete and utter abandonment.  Each creature was compelled to give the best that it had to offer, singing with every available instrument, and in complete harmony and unity with one another.  There was no competition among them.  Each one willingly stepped aside in order to allow the other to express its own uniquely beautiful offering of love and devotion to the Water Fall.    And the Water Fall was worthy of hearing each distinct expression of gratitude.  Every single note. Oh what a glorious sound it was!  This new song had a myriad of languages, melodies, styles, rhythms, parts, harmonies and melodies that human ears have yet to hear.  There are no earthly comparisons, except to say that there was a small part of every song ever sung in that one song.

And there they lived forever, completely loved, completely satisfied and in  perfect peace in the Glorious presence of the Majestic Water Fall.

The End.

The Pebble and the Majestic Water Fall part 3

Finally, one day the pebble saw it.  It was a most glorious sight.  It was a grand and glorious palace.  A palace fit for one of great majesty and power.  A dwelling place for a Great King!  There was only one problem.  The palace wasn't complete.

The pebble wondered about this.  How could a palace so grand as this be started and not completed?  The pebble decided to ask the Great Water Fall about this.

"Oh Great Water Fall, who is this beautiful Palace for?"

"It is my Palace."

This disheartened the pebble very much, since the palace was not complete.

"Do not be downcast my little  pebble.  You will help me complete my palace.  Remember I promised you that you would do something beautiful for me.?"

Of course, the pebble thought that was an impossible task, but this was the Great Water Fall speaking. It was this same Water Fall that had taken a rough, ugly, seemingly useless pebble and made it into a sight to behold.  Actually, the pebble didn't really know how beautiful it had become.

While the pebble was giving itsself a headache trying to figure out how it could help complete the castle, one of the Great Water Fall's servants picked it up.

"This is just what we need over  here."  And with one quick and fluid movement, the  pebble was  placed along side of other brilliantly shimmering  jewels in the palace itself.

"Oh, no!"  The pebble thought.  "I cannot be here.  I am too ugly.  This palace is for the Majestic Water Fall.  He should only have the best."

His servant replied, "That is why you've been chosen.  You are among the  pure, radiant stones that have been made beautiful by the Great Water Fall Himself.   He prepared you to be a living stone in His dwelling place.  And because the Great Water Fall has crafted you Himself, you are a sight to behold, like these other living stones."

The pebble was confused and speechless--again.  But then the pebble remembered the Great Water Fall's promise.

"I will make you a beautiful gift--a worthy offering that I may enjoy forever."

So the little pebble pondered this.  It thought about all that it had endured, even remembering the day it discovered that it was beautiful.  It looked all around itself at the other stones--jewels actually.  Each one was glistening in the sun.  Each one was a small part of the Great Water Fall's Marvelous palace.  As the pebble, absorbed all of these sights, it began to wonder.  Could I too be like these other jewels?  Just as this thought had entered its mind, one of the Water Falls's servants approached it with a mirror. And it saw itself.  Actually it did not recognize itself for it had never seen anything so uniquely brilliant.  It was as if it saw a glimpse of the Great Water Fall itself.  The pebble gasped.

This was far better than it could have ever imagined.  Oh, what joy filled the little pebble!  Oh, how proud it was to have a gift to give the Great Water Fall.  Oh, how elated it was to do something beautiful for the One it loved!

It was about that time that something extra wonderful happened.  The pebble began to hear every melodious harmony of what sounded like thousands of birds.  It could see little water creatures gleefully dancing through the water towards the Palace.  It could hear the echo throughout the Palace, "The King is arriving!  The King is coming!"

The winds began to swirl all around the palace, with joyous laughter, "He's here! He's here!  Behold the King!"

Then all at once, the water surged into that palace like a Great Tidal wave,  terribly frightening but simultaneously more beautiful and glorious than anything the pebble had beheld.  It was the Majestic Water Fall, but somehow the Water Fall was different.  I mean... the pebble recognized the Water Fall, but it was as if it was seeing the Water Fall clearly for the first time.  The little pebble, now a radiant jewel, never knew that it had only seen a faint reflection of the Majestic Water Fall before.  Now it saw the Water Fall face to face in the FULLNESS  of its glory!

This is where words fall miserably short, for there are no words to describe what the  pebble saw.  It was as if all that was good, glorious, brilliant, radiant, pure and marvelous had come to rest in one place, only with an intensity that was actually unbearable, yet at the same time completely satisfying.  The pebble felt complete, whole, and in a perfect sate of contentment.  It was as if it had waited for this moment its entire life.  In fact, it had waited for this moment its entire life, yet it did not know it was waiting for this moment..

One more part left:  The conclusion of the story coming soon!

The Little Pebble and the Majestic Water Fall Part 2

Suddenly, a mighty wave lunged from the river, towards the little pebble.  The first instinct of the pebble was to cringe with fear at this great wave, but then it remembered that the Water Fall loved it.  So it took a deep breath and let the wave take it into the river.  The pebble found the wave was surprisingly gentle.

That little pebble was filled with so many emotions.  Fear, exhilaration, surprise... These experiences were all so new and unknown to the pebble that it really had no idea what to expect next.  It didn't know what to do, and every time fear seized it and threatened to take it under, the little waves would tickle its cracks and crevices whispering, "Cooperate with me.  Do not fight me.  I will make you into something beautiful."  And so the pebble would finally relax, letting the currents take it to all sorts of strange places.  As it did, it enjoyed a myriad of delights.

Now I must not mislead you into thinking that all of the pebbles experiences were delightful.  Oh no!  There were many difficulties along the way.  A few times the pebble was way-laid by little islands in the river, leaving it feeling impatient and disappointed at its lack of progress.  Other times forceful rapids threw the pebble here and there, bruising and beating the little pebble senseless.  It was during those times that the pebble thought it would never survive this adventure in the river.  There was even a time when an evil bird tried to snatch that pebble right out of the river, but the Great Water Fall rescued it with its mighty waves, sending the bird away disgusted for not being able to pick up such a seemingly easy little prize. 

I guess now seems like a good time to tell you that this pebble was changing.  All of the plights that the pebble endured during the  journey were changing the pebble.  It's rugged edges were becoming smooth.  It's dirt, of course, was washed away and it was being reshaped.  It even gleamed in the sun, which was why the bird tried to snatch it from the river.

The pebble also experienced lazy, restful days when the water danced around it playfully.  The pebble loved days like this.  It enjoyed the view around it and even took time to look at the water creatures, marveling in their beauty.  It was on one of these days that the pebble discovered its change.  As the little riplets of water danced around it, they began to sing.

"Look into the water little pebble.  See your reflection."

That seemed like a puzzling request, yet the pebble did as it was told.  Lo and behold!  What a surprising view met it! It did not recognize itsself.  It was beautiful!  The Great Water Fall had done what it had promised.  It had made it into something beautiful.  Yes, now it was becoming a worthy offering for the Water Fall.

There was still much more the pebble had to endure, for the Great WaterFall had not finished with the pebble, but now that the pebble had seen the Water Fall's work, it gladly submitted itsself to the Water Fall's power.  (Most of the time)  The Water Fall could be trusted.  It loved the little pebble more than even the pebble realized.

Stay tuned for more.  Please read the story to your kids, or grand kids.  I'd love to get feedback.  Does the story make sense?  Is anything confusing?   What do you or your children enjoy about the story? 

The Little Pebble and the Majestic Waterfall part 1

This is the first of several posts of a story I've written, inspired by the Holy Spirit, tentatively called The Little Pebble and the Majestic Waterfall.  This may end up being my next book.  Stay tuned.

There was once a little pebble, simple and ordinary and rough around the edges.  It was a tiny pebble and actually quite ugly.  This pebble lived beside a Great Majestic Waterfall.  Oh what a beautiful, and magnificient waterfall it was.  That waterfall thundered day and night singing its glorious song.  Oh, how the pebble marveled in hearing that sublime melody.  Oh how that pebble loved that glorious Water Fall.  So one day that little pebble decided it wanted to do something beautiful for the waterfall to show its love and devotion.  But what could it do?It could not sing and if it could, its tiny voice would never be heard over the thunderous voice of the Mighty WaterFall.  This little pebble thought and thought and thought until it hurt all over.  It couldn't come up with even  idea on how it could  show its love and devotion to the waterfall.  So it began to weep pitifully.  Suddenly through its sobbing cries it heard the Mighty Waterfall ask a question as it sang.

"Why are you crying?"

The pebble stopped immediately.  Was the WaterFall talking to it--the little pebble?  Couldn't be.  So the pebble didn't reply.  Again the Water Fall replied,

"Why are you crying?"

The pebble froze.  Its heart began to race.  It looked left, and then right.  The waterfall had spoken to--it.  "What do I do now?" the pebble thought.  A wise and noble bird sitting in a nearby tree responded, "Answer Him.  Answer to Great Water Fall, little pebble."

So it did.

"Oh, Great Water Fall, I am crying because I have nothing to give you.  I want to show  you my love and devotion, but what can I give one so great as you?"  The Great Water Fall laughed  thunderously with such joy and glee that it actually frightened and shamed the little pebble.   "I knew it," thought the pebble to itsself.  I was foolish to think I could ever give the Great Water Fall anything worthy of Him.

"Nonsense!" the Water Fall bellowed.  The pebble was startled.  "I have been deeply desiring a gift from you little pebble.  You have something beautiful to give."

"Me?"  said the Pebble completely puzzled.  "What do I have?"

"I want you little pebble.  You are my prized possession."

The pebble was speechless.  After thinking to ittself, for what seemed like hours (but it was actually only a few minutes), the little pebble replied.  "So.... you want me?" the pebbled asked timidly.

"Yes."

"You want me?" the pebble asked again, this time feeling a bit more confident.

"Absolutely!"

"You want me!"  the pebble shouted with joy and gladness of heart.  He had something to give the Great Water Fall.  Oh how the little pebble beamed with happiness.  The Great Water Fall had seen it and even desired it.

Then unexpectedly the Great Water Fall quieted down to a faint whisper.  "Little Pebble, would you give yourself to me, for you are a gift I greatly desire?"  I love you, little pebble and I want to do great and wonderful things with you--things which you could never imagine."

In that moment of quietness, the pebble deeply connected with the Water Fall in a new way.  It had experienced the love of the Water Fall.  It had not known that it could be loved.  It was only a pebble.  It have never known love.  It had seen what it thought was love, but it had never experienced it--until now.  Well, I really cannot fully explain how the pebble felt at that moment, but I will try.   That pebble felt, whole, brand new and more alive.  Yes, that pebble felt--ALIVE!

"Oh, yes, Great Water Fall!  I want to give myself to you!"

"Jump in the river" whispered the Water Fall.

Well, you've never seen a pebble more determined to get to the river.  That pebble had really never moved very much.  I mean...it moved a bit here and there, but it was usually because the wind had blown it or some creature had dislodged it from its position.  That poor pebble tried with all of its might to move itself to the river, which was only  a few feet away.  It struggled and strained, and managed to barely move.  It persisted, trying and trying and trying until it was utterly exhausted.   The little pebble began to slip into utter despair.  It felt completely helpless and hopeless.

"Little pebble," said the Water Fall tenderly, "will you give yourself completely to  me..."

The pebbled interrupted, "I've already tried, and I can't!"  Oh what sorrow the pebble felt.   To be so close to experiencing life's greatest joy, only to have it snatched from its grasp was more than the pebble could bear.

"Little pebble, I wasn't finished.  If you will cease striving, I will help you.  I, myself, will bring you to the water, and I will do something beautiful for you.  I will make you a beautiful gift--a worthy offering that I may enjoy forever."

"Ok,"  the pebble replied unassuredly.  " I don't understand what you ask of me, but I will give myself to you.  It is obvious that I cannot do this without help."

Suddenly, the Water Fall rumbled, laughing a deep hearty laugh with such joy that it tickled the pebble.

"Be still and watch what I will do!"

An Oasis in the Desert

 Isaiah 58:11 The LORD will guide you always;
    he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
    and will strengthen your frame.
  You will be like a well-watered garden,
    like a spring whose waters never fail.
With the recent drought in Texas, I've found myself blessed to enjoy more flowers this year than I ever have.  God has given me an "Oasis in the Desert".  Don't get me wrong, all my grass is brown, and my poor little veggie garden has struggled to survive, but my flowers are flourishing.  I thought you might enjoy some of my photographic art featuring my flowers.

I pray that God Himself will satisfy your needs in this recession, and drought.  May He make you an Oasis in the desert-- a place where many will be refreshed, and healed.

Lessons from My Plants

Spring is my favorite season of the year.  I love being outside enjoying the plants.   I love breathing the fresh, cool air in the morning and evenings.  I love feeling the cool breeze blow against my skin.  I feel the breath of God in the wind, whispering His love to me.  I call those breezes His kisses.  So I often spend time out of doors, meditating, praying, listening, and studying His word.  And I've found that God teaches me so much through His creation.  I want to share a few lessons I've learned.

In the area where I live Crepe Myrtles are everywhere.  Their flowers are in full bloom  during the spring, creating a beautiful painting of little blossoms in various colors--mostly pink and white in my area.  We have 4 crepe myrtles in our yard.  So as I sat in my yard last spring, I realized that all the crepe myrtles in my neighborhood, and pretty much everywhere I went, were blooming.  But mine weren't. That was so disappointing to me.  You know if you've read my posts before that I LOVE flowers.  So I wondered why my trees weren't blooming.  Well, a couple of weeks later my trees started to bloom profusely like everyone else's.  As I was pondering why our trees bloomed so late, I heard this whisper from God, "I bring forth blooms at my time."  We are never to compare ourselves with others.  Though my trees looked like they wouldn't have flowers, they bloomed right on schedule--God's schedule.  God's timing for you to bloom is probably very different from others.  But it's right on schedule.

I was also reminded by my plants that God often has to restore life in us before we can begin to grow.  Last memorial day, I bought several plants that were dying from a home improvement store.  I spent many weeks watering them, nursing them back to health.  (For those of you who know me, you know that's a miracle.  I love plants and want to grow them, I'm just not very good at it.)  Those plants did survive and in fact flourished.  God must often do this in our lives.  When we are willing to die to our own desires, God can breathe new life in us.

Last summer I tried to grow a vegetable garden.  I planted tomatoes, cucumbers, basil and water melon.  It was a pitiful little garden with barely any harvest.  I worked and worked, and had very little to show for it.  It was quite disappointing.  And yet, I had one little basil plant that grew like crazy.  That plant just flourished while everything else struggled.  I still have basil from that plant from a year ago.  That's just how much that one plant grew.  The lesson my garden taught me is that often we pour our energies into work, with very little results to show for it.  But God may bring forth an abundant harvest in an unexpected place.  Keep your eyes open to see where He is bringing forth an abundant harvest, and praise Him for it.

I'm growing a small vegetable garden again.  This year I spent a bit more time preparing the soil for the plants.  If the soil isn't ready to receive the plants, the plants won't grow.  If the soil doesn't have the right nutrients, there won't be much of a harvest.  I experienced that last year. So I added fertilizer to the soil, and added extra soil to the garden.  I'm already seeing a huge difference!  I'll let you know how well the garden produces in a couple of months.  In spiritual matters, the same principles apply.  Our hearts must be prepared to receive all that God wants us to have.  If it isn't ready, there will be no harvest.  I must be reminded of this as I seek to encourage and bless others.  I often think that if I speak words of life and truth to someone that they should receive it, and immediately begin to grow.  If frustrates me when I see a person going through the same struggles and yet refusing to make the needed changes.  But the truth is, if a  person isn't ready to receive God words, they won't change.  God knows how to add fertilizer to our lives, in order to get us ready.  By the way, it usually comes in the form of pain and suffering.

So I encourage you to go outside and enjoy your plants!  While you're enjoying them, see what lessons God teaches you through the works of His hands.

Reminders of the Father's love

Every spring I am reminded of how much the Father loves me.  Several years ago, we were blessed with our third child, Michael.  Yet we never had the opportunity to see nor hold Michael for he entered the Presence of God when he was still in my womb.  What a heart-wrenching loss that was!  Soon after my miscarriage, the ladies in my bible study group gave me a magnolia tree to commemorate our little one.  We called this little tree our "Michael tree".  That tree was precious to me.  Not only did it remind me of my precious little one, but it also reminded of my childhood.  We had a huge magnolia tree in our yard which my sister and I loved to climb and play under.  And I've always loved magnolia flowers.  Well, for years I watered, fertilized and cared for this little tree.  It grew and grew, but it never produced any flowers or fruit.  That made me a bit sad because I LOVE flowers.

The last spring that we were in our previous home, God did something for me so beautiful and unexpected.  It still overwhelms me with joy.  For the first time, our Michael tree produced flowers.  Lots of flowers. Beautiful flowers.  What joy it brought to me!  What a wonderful gift from the Father.   It was God's reminder to me that He loves me and cares about the smallest desires of my heart.

The next year we moved into our current home.  Before moving, I had the desire to plant rose bushes in our previous home.  Because I knew we would be moving, I delayed planting any rose bushes, but I was planning to  plant roses in our new home.   You will never guess what God did for me?  He had the previous owner of our current home to plant rose bushes in the front yard.  So when we moved in this house, my rose bushes were already here.  Another sweet reminder of the Father's love for me.  So every spring, I walk out my front door and I'm greeted with a bouquet of beautiful roses straight from the hands of the Father.  Now that's Love.

May our Father bless you with sweet reminders of His love.  They often come in the smallest ways.

Painting of Magnolia flower from our Michael tree

Alecia