Saturday... We have been searching for the right trees.

We have gotten the keys and are in the process of moving into our retirement home. With all the situations involved with what our world is going through we decided that building a new house here in the desert of Las Vegas was best for us. Now here in Vegas, we are responsible for the landscape in our backyard and trees are an important choice here in the desert. So we have been doing all we can to figure out the best trees to survive and to thrive. We have loved it.

So as I was reading in Psalm 92 these verses caught my attention. Verse 12 (NLT) says, "But the godly will flourish like palm trees and grow like the cedars of Lebanon."

Now Palm trees in the desert are signs of water, of an oasis. And the cedars were used in so many ways to build great buildings. Craftsmen used then in building the Temple in Jerusalem. Maybe God wants to use us, to help us flourish in this desert of despair and fear and pandemic. And then He wants to use us to build His kingdom, He wants us to flourish in this day in which we live.

And then the Psalmist goes on in verse 13, "For they are transplanted to the Lord's own house. They flourish in the courts of our God." We are where God wants us.

Verse 14, "Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green." I love that. I love that. Even at my age I will remain vital and green. That is my prayer.

Verse 15, "They will declare, 'The Lord is just! He is my rock! There is no evil in him!' "

The MESSAGE Paraphrase puts it this way, "Good people will prosper like palm trees, grow tall like Lebanon cedars; transplanted to God's courtyard, they'll grow tall in the presence of God, lithe and green, virile still in old age." I love it, I love it! Yes, yes! #todaysbegininng

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Friday... Yes, we need them. We really do

Psalm 8:3-4 (NLT), "When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers - the moon and the stars you set in place - what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?" Friday... Yes, we need them. We really do. No, not the fact that I can go out my front door and look out at night at the marvels of the sky. I can do that and it is amazing and it takes my breath away each time I see it. Yes, that is a fact but the reality of who did that and the wisdom and the faith that I have to believe that and to marvel that the one who did that cares about me makes such a difference in how I live my life. Yes, God really does. That is so wonderful for us to believe. And that is why faith and wisdom are so important. Now whatever belief you have at how that marvel happened must also be believed through faith. And the sad thing to me is that more and more people have been taught that there is no God and therefore he did not have a h...

Monday... Three ifs and two thens. They go together!

Monday... Three ifs and two thens. They go together! They really do. And this is what caught my attention this morning as I was reading Proverbs 2. Verse 1 (NRSVUE) says, "My child, if you accept my words and treasure my commands within you." Verse 3 (NIV), "Indeed i f you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, Verse 4, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, Verse 5, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God." And verses 9-11, " Then you will understand what is right and just and fair - every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you." There will always be some effort we must do, some ifs for the thens to be realized in our lives. So many of us want to understand without the ifs. But the thens are so worth, so very worth the effort. Verses 5-6 in the Ampli...

Wednesday... Our unless can turn into useless.

Wednesday... Our unless can turn into useless. It really can. I have found that unless I give the correct email of my wife then I can't get what I wanted. I put an extra i in her email and I have been working for 5 days to get it changed. Unless has been useless. The writer of Psalm 94 uses this word and shows how important it is. Verses 17-19 (NLT) says, "Unless the Lord had helped me, I would have soon settled in the silence of the grave. I cried out, 'I'm slipping!' but your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me. When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer." "Unless the Lord had helped me." So many people go on and on and on striving to live their life on their own but they keep slipping and doubting and living without hope and cheer. Yes the Lord has such unfailing love for us, he really does but unless we have a relationship with him and we turn to him and ask him for help then the unless turns in to useless because h...

Todays Beginning

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