Accidental Sunflowers

Thoughts from “The Preacher’s Wife” ——

I wonder how many times in our lifetimes we have said something like, “Wow! What a coincidence!” I’ve come to believe over the last few years that there aren’t nearly as many coincidences in life as we think.

Of course, I’m aware that this isn’t a phenomenon revealed only to me, since there have been books written on this subject, probably the best known being Squire Rushnell’s “God Winks” books. It’s just that when a God-wink happens to me, personally, where it couldn’t be meant for anyone else, it brings it home in a very intimate way.

I’ve had such a “wink” this summer. I’ve been calling them my “accidental sunflowers” but this was no “accident”, and it was no “coincidence” either.

For a number of years I have tried to grow sunflowers. At first I just wanted to grow those great big, huge, sunflowers, but none came up. Then, I didn’t care what kind of sunflowers, just as long as it was a sunflower. From Florida (too wet?) to the desert of Southern California, (ok — too hot), to northwestern Wisconsin, (blamed that on long winters and summers that were too short) to Indiana (are you kidding me? This place is perfect for sunflowers! So, I blamed last year’s failure on myself for planting them too late.)

I gave up –– done. Stick-a-fork-in-me DONE with trying to grow sunflowers. Just wasn’t meant to be. Period. This was very disappointing, to me as it was truly a little “desire of my heart” to have my own sunflowers!

Except, after I planted my little perennial garden, and some perennials and annuals in the front yard, then prepared another bed for some tomato plants, out of that newly dug soil across the full length of the deck and house, sprouted some new little “weeds” I had never seen before. I am NOT a master gardener, but after pulling a few of those little “weeds” I had a feeling I could be wrong. They just didn’t seem like weeds. I decided to give them a few days and maybe I could tell what they were when they got a little bigger.

One morning, standing there looking down from my deck I suddenly said — SUNFLOWERS! I’ve got SUNFLOWERS! At first, I thought, “Of course –– bird feeder on each end of the deck; the birds are dropping them; wait — I thought the birds were EATING the seeds. Anyway, we’ve fed birds sunflower seeds for years now, and this has never happened before.” Every time I stepped out on the deck I would have a dialogue with myself about how that could have happened that way this one time. They were dispersed so evenly the whole length, not just near the two ends of the deck. As they continued to grow, it became clear to me that God was giving me a wink. Amusing me with His sense of humor, giving me something to smile about as I watched them grow. It was as if God was saying, “See, I DO care about even the seemingly insignificant desires of your heart.”

Isn’t that funny. When I let it go; when I decided I was DONE trying to do it myself, God said, “Well –– it’s about time you let me show you what I can do.” Isn’t that how it should be in our lives? We just want to do it ourselves. We don’t want to let go. We don’t want to admit that maybe we can’t do it ourselves. We keep our hands on it while God is just waiting to take over and surprise us with one of our little (and not so little) desires.

Take it from me — there are just times when we need to LET GO AND LET GOD. There is no end to His “winks”! Give Him a chance.

Just a thought ––

Faith

New Year, New You

Thoughts from “The Preacher’s Wife” ——

You may have heard the statement, “New Year, New You” but I hope you will indulge me to look at that phrase from a different perspective than we normally think of it.

By “normally” I mean the way I have usually thought of it ­– in a secular, rather physical way. You know –– it’s a brand new year, so let’s start with that clean slate, and make resolutions that many times include things like: more exercise; weight loss; faithfully flossing; eating more vegetables; staying away from sugar –– oops! Now that’s going TOO far –– OK, eating less sugar. Anyway, you get my drift.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with those things and those are just a few of my list IF I actually made resolutions, which I don’t. I figure I don’t need to add “guilt” to my flaws when I don’t keep them. I’ve decided to take a different approach.

Maybe we don’t need to “watch our weight” as much as we need to Watch and Pray; maybe we don’t need a workout with ballet or jazz as much as we need Jesus and His word made real in our lives; maybe we don’t need to run to the gym as much as we need to run to the Rock. Just sayin’!

Really, I don’t want to come across as “preachy”. Another phrase I’m sure you’ve heard is, “You’re preaching to the choir” meaning, of course, that those reading these words already know what I’m saying so I should take my message elsewhere. But, trust me, if I’m “preaching” here, I’m on the front row!

I never like to over spiritualize things, but as I was thinking of “resolutions” and whether I would go down that road or not, these thoughts just came to me. I’ve never been good with resolutions, and I probably won’t start at this late date. But, what if I concentrate more on my spiritual well being by praying more about the things I do or don’t do, and being faithful in my devotions and reading God’s Word? That’s the kind of new me I want in this new year.

If I believe that Jesus died for my sins and rose again the third day to give me life everlasting, which I do, can’t I believe that He will help me change my unhealthy habits? Is that too hard for the Lord? Will He not give me the strength I need to make some needed changes if I but ask Him?

Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Proverbs 37:3-6

Just a thought ––

Faith

My Thoughts about 4th of July ––

I occasionally write an article I call “Thoughts from a Preacher’s Wife”, for our church newsletters, so I thought I would share some of these on my poor, seemingly forsaken, Blog. The Blog has been on the back-burner so long, I feel as if I’m starting over. I guess that’s the best thing we can do about any of our “forsaken” projects –– if we “fall off the wagon” we need to just hop back on. so here’s my effort to do that with my July “Thoughts From the Preacher’s Wife”, followed by a couple of others I found.

What is it all about, anyway?

Hot dogs, cook-outs, fireworks, picnics, marching bands, red, white and blue paper plates, napkins and cups, T-shirts with slogans, sparklers –– I’m sure you can even think of more symbols of this #1 patriotic holiday in America.

How about the most recognizable Red, White and Blue symbol in the land, probably in the world —— The American Flag, that unmistakable symbol of FREEDOM, symbol of the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.

There was a parade, I believe it was a 4th of July parade but I’m not sure about that, which a prominent American figure attended. A prominent enough figure that cameras were rolling, and happened to catch an extreme closeup of that person when the American flag passed by the grand stand where the person was sitting. In that little clip, the person is clearly saying, “All THIS for a flag!”

YES — ALL THIS for a FLAG! The 4th of July fanfare, hot dogs, red, white and blue table wear and all –– all this for the Flag and ALL it stands for.

Really! “All this for a flag”? A flag for which so many have sacrificed so much: giving up the comforts of home; leaving behind mothers, fathers, wives, husbands, children and extended family; going to a strange land on foreign soil to fight a cruel enemy, risking injury and death, spilling their blood to defend our freedoms, even the freedom that person has to say sarcastically, “All this for a flag.”

Where has respect for this symbol gone? Where has respect gone for the founding fathers who carved out this land on a foundation based on Bible principles and the Rock of Ages? Where has respect gone for what Tom Brokaw called “the Greatest Generation”, and for all the soldier’s, sailors, marines, airmen, coast guard, and national guard that came after them? And, what about the respect for our firemen, and our police officers? They all fight in their own way for our freedom.

What the 4th of July SHOULD be about is REMEMBERING –– the Founders of this great nation; the sacrifice made by millions who have given their lives in wars from the Revolutionary War, on down through the years to the present day as our men and women STILL fight for our freedom in places who hate that Red, White and Blue Flag and all for which it stands.

Yes –– it’s worth all the hullabaloo –– the confetti and hot dogs and red, white and blue EVERYTHING to CELEBRATE the freedom that Red, White and Blue Flag stands for. It’s worth getting excited about; it’s worth the parades and concerts and picnics and fireworks because we’re not celebrating just a piece of cloth. We’re celebrating the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave!

Let us KEEP America “one nation under God” and let freedom ring around the world as we seek God in prayer about our land and our leaders, especially in these coming months.

Just a thought . . .

Faith

And [if] my people, my God-defined people, respond by humbling themselves, praying, seeking my presence, and turning their backs on their wicked lives, I’ll be there ready for you: I’ll listen from heaven, forgive their sins, and restore their land to health. 2 Chronicles 7:14 The Message

New Every Morning

I took this picture one day on my Early Morning Commute in Wisconsin — another “Be Still” time for me, traveling eleven miles watching the sun rise; a doe emerge from the shadow with a little spotted fawn in tow; white blanketed fields in the winter as here; wild turkeys crossing the road, or even a bear sitting by the road, perhaps contemplating what his first meal would be after his long winter’s nap. A familiar drive, after 7 years, yet something new every morning, just as God’s mercies are new every morning. I’m NOT a morning person, but this was my gift for getting up and out, and gave me time for reflection of self, refreshing of spirit, and revival of soul

Speaking of reflection, I hardly know what happened to April –– it folded itself into the months of winter during the first couple of weeks, then the sun emerged; suddenly our grass was green and on our Sunday morning drives to church we watched as the Red Bud began to bud and blossom. The woods are ALIVE ——

And so is our Savior! Easter morning dawned bright with warmer temperatures, a perfect example of “new beginnings”, as were the wobbly legged new calves we also saw on the way to church that day, as well as the bright faces of jonquils and daffodils, not to speak of the flower “blooming” on my Easter bonnet!

Ah, yes, I donned an Easter hat this year, and was, apparently a hero! Ladies who confessed they loved hats and wished they had courage to wear one, marveled at my boldness! Men, who smiled and said, “Oh — you wore a hat!”, said, with a wistfulness to their voice “, . . . my (wife) (mother) used to wear hats all the time!” I found the attention both amusing and uncomfortable, but intend on making it one of my missions to WEAR A HAT more often and work to make hats more common again!

The long-awaited, much anticipated, welcome spring-like weather continued, with a mixture of sunshine, spring rains and March-type winds, until April 30. A chill in the air replaced the warmth for the last few days, but warm days are coming! Soon, the rest of the trees will don their summer greens, gardens will be bursting with color, children’s voices will be heard as they play, again, in the yards around our neighborhood, and I can enjoy my walk to “town” every day to get the mail, see a friend or two, and pop into the library for a quick look. No coffee shop yet –– somebody needs to do something about that!

Truly, life is good, because His mercies are new every morning – with every changing season, with every morning’s sunrise, and with each new day.

Blessings! Have a beautiful spring — and, WEAR A HAT next Sunday! 🙂

 

 

Be Still

My “Big Backyard Garden” in Shell Lake, Wisconsin.

The simple verse in Psalm 46:10 has become my desire –– to “Be still and know that I am God.”

It is HARD for me to be still! That was probably the most frequent reprimand I received from my Mom and Dad growing up. And STILL — I can’t BE STILL! At least I can’t without a lot of self discipline.

I have what I call my “Be Still Places” and I’m in search of a new one. One of my favorites has always been the beach. I’m not really a swim or a sun person, rather a splash-in-the-surf, or sit-on-a-bench-watching the waves kind of person. But for me it is a perfect Be Still Place. When we have a chance to get to a beach, I pack up my long skirt, loose top, sandals, Bible, two or three favorite books, always including Anne Morrow Lindbergh’s “Gifts From the Sea” and I’m ready to go.

Growing up on the Gulf Coast, then living on the West Coast for almost 30 years, it wasn’t difficult to get to a beach, but moving to rural northwestern Wisconsin presented a bit of a problem for splashing waves. We did have a lake, but it just wasn’t the same, so my Be Still Place became my garden. Even if I was digging in the dirt, my heart could be still in the middle of it. Whether I was digging, planting, pulling weeds, or picking the blossoms that resulted from the labor, my heart “took heart” from the stillness of the garden. I could commune with a quieted heart and spirit no matter the trials of the day or what faced me the rest of the day.

Now, with our move to south central Indiana this past autumn, I have to find a new Be Still Place. No oceans, or even lakes very close by, and I haven’t had time to get a garden started yet. So soon, I will be out digging, and planting, making my new Be Still Place and enjoy the “doing” while my heart and spirit become still to concentrate on the awesomeness of God.

Allowing myself to slow down and pull away from the tedious tasks of the day –– the merry-go-round called life –– also helps me focus on what is most important in my life. In the book I mentioned above by Anne Morrow Lindbergh, she says, “But I want first of all . . . to be at peace with myself. I want a singleness of eye, a purity of intention, a central core to my life that will enable me to carry out these obligations and activities as well as I can. I want in fact . . . to live “in grace” as much of the time as possible . . . I would like to achieve a state of inner spiritual grace from which I could function and give as I was meant to in the eye of God.”

Amen and amen.

Hey Ya’ll!

Yes, I’m a southerner –– a true GRITS –– Girl Raised In The South. I don’t try to be southern, but it just pops out sometimes. As the saying goes, “You can take the gal out of the South but you can’t take the South out of the gal”, or somethin’ like that!

Anywho –– This is my second attempt at a blog. I don’t intend it to become a “sermon” blog because even if I am the daughter of a preacher, and the wife of a preacher, a preacher I am not.  I’m not nearly so spiritual to expect that people would drop by my blog to find their inspiration for the day, though I am born of the spirit and enjoy God’s grace and mercy every day.

This blog will probably be “eclectic” –– just like my so-called “design style” –– which kind of means, “anything goes!” So, don’t expect spirituality from me. I probably feel kind of like an author I really enjoy, Susan Buchanan, who wrote a book called “Duh-votions” (great and fun book by the way, a favorite). Whatever I have to offer in the “spiritual” department are only the thoughts and musings of an ordinary “mature” (that’s questionable) girly girl who really, really likes pink!

So, with that eloquent introduction let me just say, “Ya’ll come back, ya hear?”