Take a Froggy Leap

The conclusion of this book is so beautiful. All the crazy havoc that took place is not going to stop the lovely ending which will still occur. Certainly there are times when you are able to take an easy frog leap to the next lily pad of life, yet there still exists the lonely moments when you don’t move with enough confidence. You can try to leap on your own, however, it would be much simpler if you just wait for the wind to blow it closer. 

Waiting shouldn’t be done begrudgingly or because we are forced to, it should be done with grace. If we truly trust in the Lord’s plans we know He will cause the wind to blow that lily pad towards us. We should just patiently wait, what’s the hurry? We can just stretch out in the sun and know God has it handled. 

So the next time we are impatiently waiting, may the Lord deliver this encouraging viewer. Psalms 27:14’”Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and then He shall strengthen your heart. Wait I say on the Lord”.

Shields, What Are They Good For?

A helmet wouldn't protect your whole body, we need something with more protection like a shield. For when arrows are shot into the air, a helmet will only save your head while a shield will guard the body. Though currently not being used in earthly warfare we do face arrows in the spiritual battle. Temptation, anger, sadness, depression; these are the weapons of choice from our enemy. 

Someone is always on the prowl waiting for the most opportune time to attack, this would be the very cryptic devil. Therefore, we are always in need of a shield, and we have access to the best supplier of this tool, the Lord! As He says in Genesis 15:1, "After this the Lord came to Abram in a vision: 'Do not be afraid Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.'"

This great reward is the new life in heaven and God's protection on this earth. Through this you can inspire people to look to the Lord always during any spiritual battle. 

What a Doggone Mess

This mess you’ve allowed to grow is going to take about three vacuums to clean up. What a mistake it was to let the dogs in after they’ve been gallivanting in the mud, I better have my cleaning shoes on for this one, not my fancy shoes. Since there is so much dirt I don’t want to sacrifice my good pair when my dirty ones are ready for such an event. I have some always ready for every activity, yet the most important shoes (and most stylish) comes from the peace found in God. As it says in Ephesians 6:15, “And with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” I could even call these my holy heels, they help me look good and stand firm through all. And the gospel of peace through Jesus helps vacuum the dirt in life. It’s always nice having my spiritual vacuum ready to help me tackle the multiple piles of dirt in life. 

The Proper Tools

Taking a butter knife to a steak does not do the job, for if you’re cutting into a freshly barbecued piece of meat it would be highly annoying if you decided to use a butter knife. You were all ready to enjoy that steak, and you assumed you would get a tool that could do the job properly, but then find yourself disappointed when you learn it cannot.

We have hope that all these annoyances in life will pass; how sweet it will it be if you’ve given yourself to Jesus Christ making it easy to live this topsy turvy life. Like taking the incorrect knife over to cut your steak, even though it may be the most petite mistake you’ve made, this is simply the prelude to peace in Heaven. No matter what mistakes we’ve make, we know we have the promise that the list of our mistakes will be wiped clean. As it says in 1 Corinthians 15:42 “So also is the resurrection of the dead: it is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption.” Living in this life as the verse says we are born into corruption, yet after we deal with our mishaps, then (if we’ve given ourselves to Christ) we will launch into a space of incorruption.

Give a Hoot, Let’s Pray

Want to be as wise as an owl? Reading Biblical books is always good, but there is a step further to take to attain infinite wisdom, ask God for it. Perhaps He will draw you to a section of the Bible which promotes you to gain wisdom. Or you may run into an old companion who God uses to tell you exactly what you needed to hear.  James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” Once you gain this wisdom if you start hooting like an owl you may get asked to leave wherever your hooting at. So maybe avoid doing that and just become wise with prayer, no hoots are necessary!

The Unbeatable Gift

Giving someone a gift is an act of love, we give gifts so we can see the other person happy.  No one would give someone something thinking that person wouldn’t want or need it. Our Lord gave us a precious gift through His son Jesus Christ, a treasure every human desires. As it says in 1 Peter 1:3, “Praise be to the God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ in His great mercy He has given us a new birth through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” This would be referring to two new births; the first in our current bodies the second in our new. The first means removing the feeling of “its my way or the highway” sense and letting the Holy Spirit come into your heart and change your life. The second new birth is even better, because guess what? We get rid of this flimsy body and we receive a stupendous new body in a new place where I don’t think they’ll have scales or canes in heaven! And it gets better, no allergies! So free Kats everywhere!

With this in mind, have you received God’s gift for you? He only gives the most precious and glorious presents. Though challenges will still arrive, accepting God’s gift makes it possible to thrive during tough times. The Holy Spirit will guide you and give you perseverance.

Soul Salad

Staring at your bruise only emphasizes the size and pressure of it. Even though it hurts, distracting yourself will get your mind away from the ouch. And perhaps even move on to something nourishing for the body like salads. One might even consider enjoying a soul salad, they are even more nourishing! Where might one find these? With Jesus! He died on the cross for you and I so we might have everlasting life. As it says in Hebrews 12:2 “Fixing your eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him he endured the cross, scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Let the Holy Spirit be your physical trainer, build strength by reading the Bible, and gain endurance through Jesus, He will guide your every step. 

The Sword of the Spirit

The devil hides way beneath the shadows, you never expect his sly attack. Whether it be coaxing us to say something horrible, or tempting us to do something mischievous, you never know when he will strike. However, we are given such a stupendous protection, a suit that fits perfectly sent by the Lord called the armor of God. Ephesians 6:12-13 describes why we need the armor of God, “Our fight is not against people on earth. We are fighting against the rulers and authorities and the powers of this world’s darkness. We are fighting against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly places. That is why you need to put on God’s full armor. Then on the day of evil you will be able to stand strong. And when you have finished the whole fight, you will be standing.” This Godly armor will protect you from the various temptations and struggles satan tries to stumble you with. 

Though you may be as weak as a kitten, by using the power of the Lord you can be as fierce as a lion. Praying for God’s strength and reading the Bible will help against the spiritual battles of the world. 

God Will Rescue You

The lawn is nicely mowed but keep your eyes off the despicable things such as the large tin of trash to the side. A well kept lawn in this case represents life. While keeping your eyes on the beautiful lawn and praising God for it, don’t let your eyes become distracted with the negative items that lessen the lawns beauty. But even if some things aren’t very pleasing to look at still praise God for them. Certainly we can face hardships, but if we focus on the good and look continually on the positive there is a road to relief. If you need help finding the bright side of life don’t call Triple A, rather call out to the Holy Trinity. As it says in Psalm 50:15, “Then call on me in day of distress; I will rescue you, and you will honor me.” Call on someone who actually knows all the answers which is only God! And there are various ways God can rescue you, sometimes it’s just by sending a certain Bible verse that a friend tells you to check out or you happen to run across a particular verse as your doing your Bible reading for the day.

Now that the lawn is looking nice its time to go out and enjoy a cup of coffee while you’re reading the Bible searching for the verse the Lord put upon your heart that day.

Figs from Thistles?

Put the pedal to the metal, actions speak louder than words.

Of course it’s simple to talk the talk but go a step further and include the walk. Don’t be like a tree with no leaves or fruit, it would be full of empty branches and cut down due to its worthlessness. As James 2:14 says, “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?” Saying you know God without actions would be like someone who just cut their finger, and after finding bandaids they never put one on. Even though the bandaids are in visual distance they are too preoccupied by something else and they simply do nothing. When a person becomes saved they are encouraged to carry out the deeds of the Holy Spirit, not only in words alone but also in action.

“By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles...A good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit...Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.” Matthew 7:16-17,19-20

I Think I Hear the Phone Ringing

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay, the telephone is ringing! Did you know there is actually someone waiting for your call right now? Our Heavenly Father is waiting for you to call out to Him!

King David made the call after making some mistakes. Though we strive to live a Godly life, occasionally our sinful nature wins. King David made some huge mistakes, but he realized he needed God’s assistance to help clean up the messes he made. As David wrote in a prayer in Psalm 4:1 “Answer me when I call to you, my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; have mercy on me and hear my prayer.” Replace wasting your time whining about how life is rough and instead call on your faithful friend God who is always waiting, eagerly wanting to help.

How does God respond to your call? Sometimes the help comes to you through a Bible verse, other times it’s by sending an old friend to chat with you. Or sometimes you will wait in silence until you hear His peaceful voice. God will never ignore your call.

Made for Another World

Through thick and thin is a lifelong endeavor. Pens run out of ink, seasons change, not a lot can survive through thick and thin. If you want to indulge yourself with finding something that is never going to cease to exist there’s only one thing to do, remove your eyes from items that run out of batteries and look to the unending Lord. As it says in 1 Peter 1:24-25, “For all people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.”

If this concept is hard to grasp let me help you curious cats like myself out there. How does the enduring word of the Lord help me in this chaotic world?  It’s because the Word instills hope, the continual hope of heaven with Christ. This is not a brief visit but a forever one. No more competitions or weight loss challenges, but peace in heaven forevermore. C.S. Lewis said, “If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we are made for another world.”