My fellow Christian Blogger, Heather King, graciously asked me to guest post today on her blog, Room To Breathe.
Please take a moment and visit her blog, and after you read my post, visit a while and read some of hers. I enjoy her use of every day life to point us to God.
Room to Breathe – Heather C. King
http://heathercking.wordpress.com/
Onions With Pivot Irrigation
Things change and the process of life moves on.
When we first moved here, to the “middle of nowhere”, the field across the road was just that – a field that was planted each year with varying crops according to the planned rotation. The owners later divided it – leaving one portion for crops and the other as a pasture for cows.
Early this year, the pasture grass was plowed up, a pivot irrigation system was installed, and Sweet Vidalia Onions were planted. The onions have since been replaced with peanuts, which are ready to be turned over for harvesting.
The land right around our house was initially a pasture also. (I’ll have to remember to post at some point about the joys of having cows around your house – especially when they belong to someone else). Most of that pasture was replaced with planted pine trees about 20 years ago and, since then, we were blessed to purchase part of that land.
At the end of last year, we had the pines cut down and now we’re trying to decide what to do with the land. I have set aside about an acre as a new “landscape” area. I had a few hardwood trees planted to get it started, but no long-range plans have been made.
But, whether or not, I make and carry out long range landscape plans, something will happen in that acre. After the harvest across the road, the peanuts may be replaced with onions again, but a different crop may be planted. If left alone, the other part of our planted pine area will re-seed itself from all the remaining pines in the vicinity.
I’ve made this ramble (hopefully a bit interesting) to illustrate the change that happens around us as time passes. Even leaving things alone, results in some type of change.
But, the point I’m heading to is that during this relatively short time described here, and backwards and forwards into eternity, our Lord and Savior has not changed one bit. And, He never will. As things change, and the process of life moves on – often in ways we don’t prefer – that is a wonderful assurance we can hold to.
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8 ESV
Angel Trumpet Plant
As with much in life, God has blessed this blog more than I expected. “I Was Thinking the Other Day About…” reached a couple of milestones over the weekend. It passed 50 followers (now at 53 – the number given in the right top of this screen includes Twitter and Facebook, not just specific blog followers) and has had over 3,000 views (3,039 so far). (Views don’t necessarily mean someone read something, but it does mean they were at least here).
I want to send a special thanks to all of you who follow the blog. It is humbling to think you went out of your way to sign up, and I greatly appreciate your continued support. I thank you all for your comments and input. They’ve helped me learn and think of different things, and from my standpoint I can say I’ve made some good friends. Hope you have too. I hope especially that you have had a few good thoughts about God from the reading.
And I send out those same thanks to all who visit but haven’t followed the blog. The blessings of you being here are true to me, and I hope you are blessed at times in stopping by.
Our God is truly an awesome God. He blesses us in so many ways to learn and grow in Christ. I thank you all for allowing me to be a small part in your life – and I thank our God for the wonderful opportunities.
Thanks and God Bless, Bill
Holy Bible (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Since the July theme for the ChristianWriters.com blog chain is “celebrate”, it’s appropriate that we celebrate words. While there are some “word” celebrations in place, such as the Celebrating Words Festival in Los Angeles, National Writing Day and I Love to Write Day, this will be a smaller scale of just a few minutes.
Words are fun to play with. Such as seeing a sign that says “Giant Tire Sale” and wondering just how big the tires are. Or, thinking of movie titles like “The Sum of All Fears” and imagining what the plot would be for “The Fear of All Sums”?
My favorite personal example came one day at a produce distribution plant. There were rows and rows of boxes stacked to the ceiling. A label on the side of each box indicated its contents. Most were straightforward (tomatoes, peppers, bananas, etc.), however, one box stood out. It’s label read simply: “Squash, Do Not Crush”. I imagine someone was just having fun with words, and it may even be a standard produce plant gag, but, it sure stayed with me. I suppose I celebrate words each time I think of it.
As Christians, our celebration of words must include God’s Word. There are passages that can be fun (remember short Zaccheus climbing up a tree so he could see Jesus (Luke 19), or Balaam’s donkey talking to him (Numbers 22:28)). But, in our celebration, we can move far beyond fun, and we can consider the joy, thankfulness and humility that Scripture brings us.
One of my favorite verses comes when Nehemiah is encouraging the people in Jerusalem to rebuild the wall around the city. He in effect told them “Let me tell you the good things God has done to bring me to this point” – and it worked – their response was “Let us rise up and build!”.
Let’s take that verse and celebrate what God has done for us.
“Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me.” Nehemiah 2:18
“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” Psalms 23:1
“Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me.”
“But Noah (and we) found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” Genesis 6:8
“Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me.”
“And she shall bring forth a Son and thou shall call His name Jesus; for He shall save His people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21
“Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me.”
“.. so He was their Savior. In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the angel of His presence saved them; In His love and in his pity He redeemed them.” Isaiah 63:8-9
“Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me.”
“For when we were yet without strength, in due time, Christ died for the ungodly.” Romans 5:6
“Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me.”
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes..” Romans 1:16
“Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me.”
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1
“Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me.”
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalms 23:6
Those are the true Words we celebrate!
(Read additional blogs this month on the days listed on the right)
I Was Thinking the Other Day About... 