Did you see the sign?

Have you ever had signs to tell you that something was not as it seemed?

One day last week I had a few signs. I had a sinus headache.  It was the beginning of the day and my head hurt like there was a jackhammer on top of it. This headache was the type where when you lean over, it feels like you will explode. "ouch" I whimpered. I needed something or there would be no way that I could teach. Just then I remembered that I had put a new bottle of Advil pain reliever in my purse.  I reached into my purse, opened the bottle, placed two tablets in my hand and thought, "hmm these look different, when did they make them blue"? (sign #1) 

I went about my teaching schedule but  soon I did not feel on top of my game.  "Wow, I really feel woozy", It began to be difficult to keep my eyes open. (sign #2)

I made some coffee and that seemed to help. When school was over I went home and took a nap.  Today I once again I had a headache and reached into my purse to grab the Advil.  This time I took out the bottle and placed it onto my desk.  To my shock and surprise this was my (sign #3).  In front of me was the reason that I was so tired and woozy.  It was Advil PM!

In Numbers 14:11, The LORD said to Moses, "How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed among them?

I wonder how often I am oblivious to the many signs that God is giving me?

Signs to:

• Trust Him
• Move in a certain direction
• Pray
• Encourage
• Read his word
• Stop sinning
• Accept His help
• Be still
• Stop talking
• Grow
• Serve
• Forgive

What signs has God given to you?

Are you paying attention to them?

Father, Help me to be aware of the signs that you have given to me.  I desire to follow you more closely and to go in the direction that you want me to. Jann



Stuck!

This morning we talked about how it feels to be stuck.  I remembered a time when I was literally stuck with a deep feeling that there was no hope for me to get out!

At this time my family had moved to a small town in Riverside county. Pedley, California.  Yes, it was as little as it sounds!  We moved from Orange County to this little, tiny, nothing of a town!  I was not too happy about it!  I felt stuck in my surroundings! 

It was my sophomore year in high school and a friend asked if I wanted to go for a ride on one of her horses.  I was a little nervous, you see I had only been riding twice before and both times were in a group with a guide.  You know the type of riding, slow and poky with horses who knew the route and new when it was time to return back to the barn.  I decided to go and met her at her house. Soon I was on the big, grey horse and we were leisurely riding up in the hills of Pedley.  At first it was great!  We were able to laugh and look out into the valley that was waiting below us. 

With out warning my sweet horse, who I had just been talking to and telling, "you are such a good girl" laid down and then proceeded to roll right into a deep ditch!  I jumped off just in time not to get crushed but, I too landed in the ditch!  My friend stood at the top of this ditch which felt cavernous to me and said, "how did that happen? Did you kick her or something?"

At that moment, besides the deep feelings of anger I felt for my friend I felt stuck!

I was stuck with a horse that did not want to move!  In a few moments I was at the top of the ditch wondering how we were going to get this humongous horse out of the ditch!  We pulled, begged and cried but nothing helped.  The horse just looked at us like we were the ones with a problem. 

You see the horse didn't want to get out of the ditch.  It was cool in the dirt and there were some plants that she was munching on.  She didn't feel stuck even though she clearly was.  Have you been here?

When the horse was ready and only then we began to gently lead her out of the ditch. I walked the horse back to her barn and never rode again!

There was lots of stuckness going on in this story.
I felt stuck in my surroundings,
stuck in the ditch,
stuck in my ability to control a situation. 
The horse was stuck in her desire to be comfortable and in her stubbornness.

Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted. Matthew 5:4

It is only when we realize that we do not have the ability in ourselves to get unstuck and turn to Jesus that we will find relief.

Today is the day to get unstuck!  Ask the only person who can help you to pull you out of that pit that you have been in!

Father,
I am stuck far too often to count.  Today I realize that I am stuck in a habit that has began to control me.  Pull me out of it's control and break the chain that has been attached to it.  I realize that the only hope I have of changing is by giving you the control. Thank you for offering to take this to empower me to be the woman you want me to be.
Jann

This garden needs tending

We planted a garden before summer began. Before I knew it there were bright red plump tomatoes hanging on the vines, long yellow squash gently lying in the dirt as they grew to maturity, hot red peppers sticking out, just begging to be put to use in homemade salsa and green zucchini that seemed to double in size overnight. In addition to these veggies there were oregano, basil and chives that filled in the planting area.

When the garden was planted it seemed like there would be plenty of room, but as the plants grew and grew not only did I have more tomatoes than I could figure out what to do with, but also the vines of the zucchini and squash plants began to intertwine and co-mingle. I didn’t know this was possible. They were in a sense mating! :) We had some interesting looking vegetables this year.

In the beginning of the season both my husband and I would go out to the garden and pull weeds that were close to the vegetables and we would give them additional water in the afternoon. This tender caring continued for quite a long time this summer. That is until we went to Kenya. During the 3 weeks that we were gone the garden wasn’t given as much attention and when we came home there were weeds growing in and through the tomatoes, zucchini and squash. Even though the garden was not as taken care of, the produce is still coming and so are the weeds. Now the zucchini vines have spread across the beach and are looking for new territory. It seems that now I check for the produce, when I feel like it and occasionally I may pull a weed. The truth is that I got out of the habit of tending the garden and now it seems like too large of a task to begin.


This happens to me spiritually as well.


When I get out of sync with Jesus, sometimes I do absolutely nothing!
Just like with the garden I tend to my relationship with Christ, a little here a little there. Sometimes I do nothing because it seems like such an insurmountable task.

I feel frozen,
                  unable to do what it takes to get going.

This usually means that I have to come to Him and apologize for failing again.

Here is the truth of the matter.

No matter how often I go back to the master Gardener (Jesus) He welcomes me home and says. "let’s do this together".

Now, I am not saying that some pruning doesn’t happen and occasionally it may hurt, but I need someone to help me pull the weeds and set my life back into the order that it was meant to be. I cannot do it by myself! Believe me I have tried and tried. I usually succeed for a while but then I realize that I wasn’t meant to live this life alone. I end up back in the arms of Jesus.

I am the true vine, and My Father is the vine dresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away;and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. John 15

 

How about you?

What in your life have you been trying to do alone? Why not ask for the help the He alone can give?


Are there weeds that have crept up and have taken residence in your life?

I know an awesome gardener that wants to take care of them.

Father, Take this mess of a garden and make it beautiful again.  Restore order and fruitfulness.  Make my life what you intended it to be.  Thank you for giving me grace even though I don't deserve it.  I love you.   jann

I thnk you are beautiful!

One day in Kenya I looked up and saw a wondrous sight!

 

Flying across the sky were 3 birds. Do you remember the “sneetches” from Dr. Seuss? These birds so reminded me of them.

 

Their wing span was as large as an eagle’s, yet they looked more like a small black and white ostrich with a type of flopping feather crown that kept bobbing back and forth as they glided across the sky. A haunting melodic squawking followed them through the sky. A mismatch of colors, shapes and sounds yet breathtakingly beautiful! They are called the Brown Crested Crane.

 

Each day I would see them leave their perch high up in a tree and then at dusk they would return. They were never seen on the ground.

 

In their uniqueness was breathtaking. I kept thinking that God took great pleasure in creating them and I was taking pleasure in observing them.

 

Do you ever question why you were created in the way that you were?

 

I question why

• my body is 2 different sizes 
• My hair is so straight and fine
• I have wrinkles 
• My personality isn’t quiet 
• Etc., etc., etc.

Think about how God sees you.

For you created my inmost being;

 

you knit me together in my mother's womb.

 

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

 

your works are wonderful,

 

I know that full well.

 

15 My frame was not hidden from you

 

when I was made in the secret place.

 

When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

 

16 your eyes saw my unformed body.

 

All the days ordained for me

 

were written in your book

 

before one of them came to be.

 

Psalm 139

 

Psalm 139 tells us that God was intimately involved in knitting us together. Knitting takes every stitch into account. You were created exactly how God wanted you to be and He delights in you!

 

He sees everything that he included to make you, you! When he looks at us, I believe He says. You are beautiful!

 

When you look at the next verse in Psalm 139 it may help you in this area.

 

Verse 17 says, “How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!"

 

When you are struggling with self image, think about how God sees you! Flopping head feather and all!

 

Father, Thank you for creating us exactly the way you want us to be!

Jann

 

 

You have not eaten...

Ugali is the national dish of Kenya,  Basically it is a cornmeal mush.  The cornmeal is cooked with water to a thick consistency and poured out onto a board or plate for everyone to eat from. Ugali can be made over an open fire outside, or in a kitchen. It is often served with beef or chicken broth and vegetables.

The taste of ugali is similar to grits or cornbread.  It is pretty bland but absorbs the juices and broth from the food that it is served with.

When we were served ugali, we as a group politely took a small slice and placed it on our plate, approximately 1/2 to 1 cup of it.  The Kenyans took 2 to 3 times the amount that we did.  It was obvious that they loved this dish and were serious about eating it.

Many Kenyans feel they haven't had a meal unless they have eaten Ugali with a sauce or stew ....

Ugali is known also to mean life.  In some ways it is the bread, the staple to Kenyan cuisine.

I am reminded that Jesus is the bread of life.  Our ugali.  I want to start thinking like the Kenyan people that I haven't eaten, haven't had anything until I have partaken of the bread of life..

Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.         John 6:35

Father, help me to crave you and the fullness that you give. I want more than a small slice please.

Jann