May 31, 2010 by Cyndee
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Let not today be just another day to "be off work" or "play" at your favorite spot whether it be lakes, oceans, rivers, camping sites, or the backyard party. Let today be the day that you "remember" those that only received a flag for their hard work, a possible ribbon for their uniform, or a pat ont he back when they came home after a stint protecting and serving our country. Grasp that hand that was overseas, in the gulf, on the ground, behind the lines, in the computer room, high in the sky or whereever, doing their country proud, a country that seems to take these men and women and forget them as easily as it was to send them off. Lord, let our citizens REMEMBER that this country could be under dictator rule, could be without the freedoms we use so often, could be a third world country, if it were not for these brave people that you have given us. Lord, I ask that Memorial Day be the day that we remember all that you have given us, through our fallen, our serving and our future generations, not to be taken lightly, but to be thankful for such a Blessing from your holy Kingdom. Bless our country, the United States of America, as we Memorialize all those people, places adn things from the past and present that have made up the wonderful blessing of a great country, a country like no other, with freedoms, like no other, with Men and Women like no other, with only one God, like no other. Thank you Lord, I pray, I ask, in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the first soldier that gave his life so greatness could proceed! Amen
April 11, 2010 by Cyndee
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As I reminisce about the answered prayers from the Lord, I think about how quickly he has answered some of them. Like the wisteria growing in and around an old shanty farmhouse nearby, it is old and icky one day and overnight a rain comes, the sun comes out the next morning and the purple flowers profusely adorn the structure in such beauty that only the Lord can paint. I ask a lot of the Lord God, and he has blessed me with many answers. But, I am his child, so I stay in his arms, waiting for the path he has lead me, to reveal something about what my future might hold. As I try, on my own, to figure out what he might have in store for me, I think back to how he has lead me to where I am. Yes I have given up everything, but is that not what he expects of us? Yes, I am learning new things everyday, even being old as I am. I guess the saying that you "can't teach an old dog new tricks" was obviously said by someone with no wisdom and no patience. I have had to pull myself up and work on my patience, look to my spirit for wisdom, and pray that I have the knowledge to do what God expects of me or at least walk the path in the right direction. It is a beautiful day today in the State of Arkansas. The windy roads, the blooming of the Tulip Magnolias, the pears and cherry trees giving colorful blossoms, the forsythia brilliant in its sun color; ALL, all signs that the Lord is blessing me. The birds hovering overhead looking for dinner, the caw of the ravens, the jumping of the fish in the lake, ALL, all reminding me of how wonderful the Lord is and how majestic he has made this world we live in. Yes, it is Sunday, the Sabbath, the day to rejoice in the Lord, the day to love others for the Lord has blessed us all. It is truly a day for the Lord. May we all have blessed memories to continue the Lord's work tomorrow. May we continue to walk in the light, sowing his seeds for his harvest, his love, his garden of children. Thanks be to God.
February 14, 2010 by Cyndee
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As we line up the cards we are given, one by one; as we set the beautiful blooms before us; as we open the chocolate to share with others, do we remember love? Who gave us the post card beauty around us? Who gave us a greeting card every waking day? Who gives us a season of blooms to set before us? Who gave us the sweetest fruits to taste and share? Have we told him that we love him? Have we asked him for his love? Have we acknowledged that his love is forever? Have we thanked him for his gifts? Today is Valentine's Day, 40 years ago the Catholic Church removed the holiday from their calendar because they could not substantiate who the man was. Perhaps it was our Father, after all. Perhaps the miracle of being able to love someone other than ourselves is the Holiday. The hearts that flow around us today is a symbol of the hearts that are touched by love, not just love for another person. but love from our Father in Heaven. Did you wake up to his greeting card today? Did you taste the fruit of his land? DId someone give you a bloom from the creative hand? The Lord was there in each gift, each moment and each heart. Without him, you have no need to love others, no need to give gifts, no need to taste the fruit of the fields, no need to share a card. For without him, there is no love in the world. With him, all things are possible, even love. May you have a day filled with greeting after greeting from the Lord, may you taste his fruit today, and may you experience love from another. Happy Valentine's Day.
January 31, 2010 by Cyndee
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Oh God, with such beauty around us, how can we doubt that you had a part in it. Today the sun coming through the trees and shining in my window woke me to the glistening snow. I really never realized how snow glistened until I saw the glitter sprinkled from the heavens above reflecting in the sun. I could tell it would only be a matter of hours before the snow started melting away. I needed to get out of the house and see the wonder of it before it was gone. Oh, I lived in Minnesota for years so snow is not new to me. Even there, I would go out for walks in the snow covered lanes, bright moon shining the way, all quiet, yet nature alive in the night. Today, I walked down to the road, marking my way with the boots in the snow. I saw the little tracks of birds, the bigger ones of the cat chasing them and then the puppy's paw prints as she frolicked in the snow. At the end of the driveway, close to the creek was the tracks of a deer, joined by a couple more. I glanced over to make sure the "no hunting" sign was up on the gate. The trees in the shade were still powdered with a few inches of snow. The water in the creek was flowing steadily down toward the lake. Yes, this was definately God's canvas. I walked up the lane a bit and stopped to look before me. I was totally surrounded by evergreens that reached to the sun, their branches flocked like what the City people would find in their Christmas Tree lots. The forest was on each side of me and because of the angel of the lane, it was in front of me too. The brilliant blue shown above and over them. I turned to go back toward the property and before me, where there should be a road, was a blanket of snow reaching from one group of trees to the next and all the way up the hill toward the highway. I am sure this is the way the land looked before man came through with a road. Nothing was touched from the night before except for the scattering of different tracks from the animals that made their home among the trees and along the creek. By the time I got back up the driveway, it was starting to get warm. I thanked God for walking with me this morning, since our church had to cancel services due to the snow. I could hear the song "As I walked through the Garden alone..." but instead of " the dew was still on the roses," it was "the snow still powdered the branches..." The clumps of snow dropped easily to the ground from the tree branches as I got closer to the cars and front door. THe grandkids were now up and clothed in bathrobes, mittens, boots and a hat they made their way down to the snow to make a snowman. Mine was melting on the side by a tree. The giggling and playing from kids hardly dressed yet they were having a great romp in the white stuff, the sun warming them as they bounced around with the puppy, cat and powder. God was looking down and I could almost hear a smile break in the whispers from the trees nearby. Yes, the storm was past, we never lost power, we had plenty to eat, and no where to be. God was looking after us for his enjoyment today. We were giving him a show. Laughter, happiness, thankfulness. It all comes to mind when I see the beauty around me. I pray that your Sunday is a beautiful walk with the Lord like mine.
January 29, 2010 by Cyndee
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Today is a beautiful white wonderland. Last Night everyone went to the store to stock up on the basics in the event they would be stuck without power. But, today, the power is on, the homes are warm, and everyone is home with no reason to leave. The Lord has truly blessed this community.
As I look out the window, I see the tuffs of snowflakes make their way to the earth. Under the blanket that lays about the property is a layer of ice that fell first. The only evidence that it is there is on the handrails going down the steps and that soon will be covered in white also.
As I take the puppy out for his morning constitution, my feet crunch on the grass. The pup has no recollection of the snowflakes for the last time she was in snow she was much younger, just a couple weeks old. She doesn’t remember how her paws got cold and she made her way bake into the house. This time she is jumping in it like a little kangaroo or scampering bunny. The flakes cover her back as she investigates the grass sticking out from beneath the snow here and there. By this afternoon it will all be hidden. She runs, she slides, she is just like she should be; young and innocent of what snow can do in the wrong proportions. She bites at the sky trying to catch a few flakes on her tongue.
I thank God for protecting my community from the possibility of no power from the ice, the possibility of having to go out in this weather, and the fact that, although God has made this a winter wonderland to look at, those normally having to work in it get to have a snow day and stay home. Now I pray that he bless us with warm enough weather to clear the roads for travel by the end of the weekend. Thank you Lord for your blessings upon the people we love and care for and for those sisters and brothers that need this special day in their life to know your are in control, with abundant beauty.
January 20, 2010 by Cyndee
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Is this a trick by the Lord, or is this meant for a reason? Tonight, the evening is warm, well, not cold. The pond, way out behind the property, has melted and tonight we hear the first dawning of "bug season." The frogs are out in force. They must have all hatched today for their voices together croak out a new season for them. The wasps, not seen since the cold set in, are flying around the eves of the house, probably looking for a place to make a nest. The moths are glued to the windows of the storm doors. The tiny misquitos are flying around the cars. Yes, nature has also taken advantage of the warm weather. But, what will happen when the winter weather returns in a few days or in a week? After all, this is January, central winter weather. Will the bugs die, will the wasps go into hibernation once again, and will we loose our frog population? I am sure our bodies are in agreement with loosing the bug population, but what will feed the frogs? I am sure many are thinking we could go without frogs, but what will keep the bugs from eating the harvests and the fruit? Yes, the wasps can go... but do they serve a purpose that we need? IS God going to let the weather affect our life once again with locust, bugs, and animals that normally would help, freeze and disappear? Let us pray that it is just nature waking up to an early spring and not just a flook in the weather to take a toll on the insects that we rely upon all year. God is in control and we will wait to see what happens.
January 18, 2010 by Cyndee
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I was on my way back from town, crossing the bridge over the lake and in the corner I see half a dozen fishing boats. Such a nice day, overcast, but nice so fishing must have been on people's mind around here. They have anywhere from one to three people in a boat and the lines were out waiting for their catch. It was a nice day, no rain, but clouds overhead. Warm, yet no sun. The trees were still barren from the winter and the road had mud along the side showing proof that it had rained recently. Then I thought of those men and women out there on the lake. In Matthew 4:19 and in Mark 1:17 they report Jesus coming upon Simon (Peter) and Andrew and telling them to stop what they were doing and follow him for He would make them "fisher's of men." And, they did just that. No question, no hesitation, nothing. They left everything, family, job and followed Jesus without a goodbye to anyone.
How many of us, today, would do this? How many of us would just up and leave everything to follow a man, not yet proven to be our Savior, not yet proven to be anything special, not yet proven? These men, the apostles, the disciples of Jesus, were truly overcome with such awe and wonderment that they gave up everything to follow an unknown man. A man, yet God. Did they have a revelation from God that this was his Son, that this was the Holy Child? Did they hear of him ahead of time from the visitors to their markets of fish? Put yourself in their place. You are out fishing, you come into shore, start to gather your fishing equipment, and a Man comes to you and tells you to stop what you are doing and follow him. How would you know to believe him?
The word teaches us how we need to get by day to day on God's promises. We learn all we need from the Word of God as it is written, BUT, what we don't read and still manage to learn is the overpowering strength of the Almighty God and his Holy Spirit. What we do not see in these passages is the Holy Spirit directing the lives of these men. What we also do not see is the families left behind, the women and children and what has become of them. It is of no consequence. If we believe that God takes care of all things, then we can believe that God has taken care of the ones left behind. They are not included, because it is a foregone conclusion that the Lord has taken care of them and that now the importance is on the task at hand in the men that are to be trained as "fisher's of men." Are we fisher's of men or meat. Let us pray that we are Fisher's of Men.
January 17, 2010 by Cyndee
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This evening, I am thinking of circles. I will return my posts with the mention of circles. How many circles do we have in our life? When we look at a picture or painting of Jesus or Mary or ELijah or Moses, the painters of old always put a circle or halo around their heads to indicated the anointed one. To this day, pictures of angels have a circle above their heads or halo. If you are part of the team that holds together the spreading of the Word of God, you are holding on without letting darkness take hold, in other words you are in a circle of belief. When we are in this circle, we are with others that help strengthen us. If we choose a prayer partner, we have a circle between two people that gives strength to the prayer. The more people, the stronger the team effort, the stronger the prayer. We talk about our "circle of friends." This is our support system, just like people that hold other people up in prayer are also a support system. The Lord is my support system, so I guess I have a circle of belief that is the Lord. I no longer look at circles as just an "O" shape or round shape, for a circle is now a reminder to me that we are all connected by the Lord, We are all part of the circle of believers, prayer warriors, and others sowing seeds for his harvest. The circles were always key inndicators of God's Holy gift to a person that truly lived a life like Jesus, as much as the human person can. I pray that we all have a lot of circles in our lives, support systems, belief systems that will hold us together with the strength and peace and joy that the Lord graces us with. Thank you to the prayer warriors on this site that form a giant circle for the Lord to support his children in need. All Praise be to God for such a wonderful blessing.
January 15, 2010 by Cyndee
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Lord, tonight, I am praying for the recovery of a country we hear about in the news now more than ever because of the catastrophic earthquake that hit their homeland. Is it American’s that run to help out in disasters? I see on the news the Chinese, the French, the many countries that have come to help.
God, do they know you are with them? I suppose so since we are seeing the disaster relief teams come into the capital, the answer to our prayers.
Please Lord; continue to be with them as they seek answers to their questions, answers to the “whys” and comfort for their personal needs. Let the whole community reunite with the love and faith that the Lord has graced them with. Let the love of the Lord be with them as they continue to give answers to these children, purpose to these families, and guidance to the souls.
I wish I had money to give to help out, but I have nothing. I have no funds to buy water or fuel, buy a meal or pay a utility. Please Lord, the only thing I have to give is prayer. Please Lord, let my prayer be saving grace for all those children seeking you in their lives Bless them with renewed hope in Jesus Christ, renewed spirit for the salvation of this life in the life to come, and salvation from the world, before time has run out for them.
Please Lord, comfort those that have lost their loved ones and friends. Give them the wisdom to understand that in all great tragedies, you are there to carry their sorrows, as you carry their loved ones on their final quest. Bless them with the peace and joy in knowing their loved ones are in their heavenly home, waiting for them to join them one day.
May the Lord renew the spirit that dwells in them with the love and kindness, forgiveness and peace that the Lord blesses all his children with. I ask, in your mercy Father, hear our prayers. Hear our hearts as we talk with you. Hear our love for all God’s children . Be with each and every one of them as they gain strength to endure the days ahead of them, preparing a life once again, in a country that now looks war torn. Please Lord, do not forsake them nor abandon them, as they seek you in their daily lives. Be the light for all of them to follow, the Savior for all of them to know, and the hope for all of them to find.
I ask in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen