Verses from Mama

Hearing God speak one Bible verse at a time.

Ice Cold Beer Here … For Free

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Isaiah 55:1 “Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.”

Two enthusiastic baseball fans enjoying a cold Coca Cola for a temporary refreshment. (Nice retro vendor’s hat, Bob!)

“Peanuts! Popcorn! Ice cold beeeer heeere!” The distinctive cries of the refreshment vendors reverberate through every ball stadium. The excitement of the game, blistering heat from the hot sun, and cramped quarters in the packed stadium usually produces the desired response. Fans dig deep into their pockets and produce a wad of cash to purchase the expensive treats. But what if you could get your cravings met for free?

While you would be hard pressed to get any kind of discount on your next stadium hotdog, there is a deeper need that you can have met for free! This desire originates deep inside the heart. At the beginning of time, humanity was created with a longing for a relationship with their Creator. But we lost this right when our original parents chose to disobey God’s rules. From that moment every man, woman, boy, and girl has experienced a gaping void within their soul. Many do not even know what they are missing, but the need for fulfillment gnaws at the deepest places of their being.

Thousands have tried to quench this inner thirst with human lovers, success, fame, material abundance, bigger houses, high paying jobs, rich foods, and the list goes on. They live their lives running from one excitement to the next hoping to ease the ache. But the pressures of life crowd in upon them; the heat of sin melts their guilty hearts with shame and over time hopelessness drains their life of fulfillment.

But in the midst of this despair there is a holy Voice from heaven crying out, “Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.”

This gracious offer of abundant life goes beyond the need for physical food and drink. Those who choose to partake will have their whole being satisfied. Guilt will be removed through forgiveness of sins. Burdens lifted from the shoulders of the weary. Broken hearts mended by the Great Physician. Purpose and hope restored to those who have given up – all of this and more at no cost to anyone who will receive.

But the time is short. This offer will not last forever. “Seek the Lord while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts.”

Hear the voice of the compassionate God crying out and COME! What He offers will satisfy much more than peanuts, popcorn, or cold beer at a ball game! And the abundant life He offers does not require money. It is completely FREE!!

Love,

Mama

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God’s Goodness in the Rain

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Psalm 106:1 “Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting.” 

Photo taken by Ashtyn Bush
http://www.ashtynbrookephoto.com

God is good all the time! We hear this phrase glibly spoken from many a Christian’s lips. How we like to dwell on the thought, and it is especially easy when life is in order and our plans are falling into place. “God is so good,” we exclaim when all is going well. But how do we explain God’s goodness when our world begins to crumble?

It is important to understand what goodness is, and to realize it cannot be defined apart from God Himself. For God is the author of all that is good. He is its source and everything He does meets the standard.

When difficulties intrude on our life God does not change. He loves us and promises to meet our needs in every circumstance. His goodness is manifested through His abundant mercy and grace. When we sin and experience the repercussions, He offers forgiveness. In grace He showers us with blessings we don’t deserve. He provides strength when we are weak, discipline to make us strong, and guidance to light our way. No matter the path we are walking, we can be assured that God is always good! He is able to take all things and work them together for the benefit of those who love Him and are His children.

We do not always understand God’s ways. They are much higher than our own. But when we are assured that God is always good we can trust Him no matter our plight.

Last week we enjoyed Luke and Brianna’s wedding. The temperature was in the 70s. A cooling breeze wafted through the yard creating a natural air conditioning. Fluffy clouds filled the blue sky, and everything was as good as we had hoped it would be. But the days before were nail-biters. Strong winds whipped across the fields, and heavily laden clouds spilled their contents over the earth. We wondered how the special day would pan out.

As we sat enjoying the wedding celebration a good friend mentioned that the gorgeous weather we were experiencing could not have happened without the rain the day before. The perfect conditions were created by the weather patterns of the previous week. I had never thought about that. In the midst of the wind and rain that caused us such angst, God was showering us with His goodness. He used the storms to create the environment for a perfect day!

When life is easy and all is going well let your heart rejoice. Praise and give thanks to the Lord because He is good!” And when things are not going as planned, grasp the truth of God’s goodness even more firmly. Remember, even when the storms of life blow, His lovingkindness is everlasting. God is good all the time . . . even in the rain! 

Love,

Mama

Big Brother Is Watching

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1 Peter 3:12 “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

For the past 60 years or so, many students have been required to read 1984, a book written by George Orwell in 1948. Growing up in the 1970s and 1980s, I was required to read this book twice in different literature classes. While I don’t remember much about the plot or fate of the main character, Winston Smith, I very clearly remember his scary plight. No matter what he did or said, he was always reminded that “Big Brother,” the apparently omniscient ruler of the prevailing government was watching his every move, word, and thought. There was no escaping it – Big Brother was always watching.

Just last week our company installed security cameras at our workplace. Because we host many events including our well-attended auctions, we decided for safety sake to have the technology installed to help ensure the protection of our customers. This step has awakened me to the fact that “Big Brother” really is watching.

Through the use of our smart phones and tablets we are now able to watch what is going on at our office no matter where we are. The all-seeing eye of our lens can pan the interior, the parking lot, and even the nearby park. As many companies employ this type of surveillance, I have now become very careful about even my smallest actions. After all, who wants to be captured on tape while picking your nose?

Security cameras are a relatively recent invention, but there has always been Someone watching over all of humanity. The eyes of the Lord look down upon His creation seeing every movement, hearing every word, and discerning every thought. His ears are attentive to the prayers of the righteous and even the faintest cry for help He detects and answers. But for those who do evil He responds with judgment.

There are two ways to think about this constant accountability. For those who are doing wrong it is a scary thing. Their actions recorded on tape are condemning, but for those who are following the law the security camera holds no fear. They have nothing to hide and their actions are pure.

George Orwell was not far off – “Big Brother” is watching our every move through the prevalent use of security cameras, but all of our movements and motives have always been under surveillance. There is no escaping it – Someone sees all things. Whether this brings fear or security to your heart is up to you!

Love,
Mama

Skunks and Temptation – Time to Run!

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All the skunks in our town recently reminded me of a post I wrote in 2014. A skunk interrupted me while sitting on our porch and I couldn’t help but think of the similarities between handling that situation and handling temptation. In neither case is it a good idea to stick around. Running is the best choice! Read on…

It was 10:18 PM. Everyone was asleep when Uncle Chuck called to talk. I went out onto our side porch and settled into my new Cracker Barrel rocker to catch up on life. After we hung up I remained on the porch to think and pray. The cool breeze caressed my skin as I breathed in the fresh air. Bright pinpoints of light shone in the clear sky giving a sense of peace. Continue Reading

Blast from the Past: Murder in the Hen House

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This week is wedding week as we prepare for Luke & Brianna’s wedding next Saturday, so I will be sharing some favorite posts from the past. I hope you are encouraged! 
1 Peter 5:8. “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (NIV)
There was murder in the hen house this week. Monday evening started out like any other evening. The hens had made their way into the coop and found their roosts as usual. After putting our German Shepherd in the big barn and checking on the goats, Dad perused the chicken run. All seemed peaceful and quiet . . . Continue Reading

Please Don’t Feed The Skunks

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Romans 6:12 “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.”

Our town has a skunk problem!! Numerous people throughout the village have complained about these black and white critters with the fluffy tail and big stink. Recently one of our renters called to inform us that seven offenders had taken up residence under her shed. That same night we found one scuttling his way across our office parking lot. While I have a great love for God’s created creatures, there are certain species that a person does not want taking over her home or place of business.

Where did they all come from? I am not sure, but I have an idea why they are sticking around. The other day while visiting a local shop we watched a skunk run across the grass. Mentioning it to one of the locals, the gentleman informed us that he has been feeding them. In so doing he had even succeeded in enticing one to come right up to his feet. I am thinking this is probably not a wise idea. One day the plan will backfire and everyone will regret it!

The Bible warns us about a similar danger. Sin runs rampant in this world of ours. It is part of every human’s fallen nature and is the cause of all that is wrong on earth. Jesus came to free us from our sin, and we must not allow it to take up residence in our lives anymore. Those who have accepted God’s forgiveness through Jesus Christ have received power to live God’s way. We no longer need to obey our evil desires, but unfortunately many continue to feed their sinful tendencies.

A troublesome thought life should not be fed with worthless pictures or pornography. Hatred should not be nurtured with vicious words and angry bitterness. Envy should not be offered situations where the tendency can grow and lead to unhealthy decisions. When we feed and nurture these sinful vices, they will learn they can creep right up to our feet and take over our whole life. When this happens it is only a matter of time before you and everyone around you will regret it!

I think it’s time to take some action in our small country town. The skunks, along with sin, have no business ruling our lives. They have had their day, but it’s time to stop feeding them. In fact, it’s time to send them packing!

Love,

Mama

 

Reaping What You Sow

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Galatians 6:7 “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.” 

Gardening season is upon us. How I love the days when the sun grows warm drying out our patch. The revving from the barn means the hibernating tractor is waking up ready to prepare the soil. Dad hooks up the rotavator to loosen the hardened ground. He goes over it again with the tiller until it is fine and ready to receive the seeds and plants we have picked out for the intended crop.

In years past planting time was a family project. After Dad furrowed a carefully measured row, each of you kids would get a cup of seeds. Together we would spread out and space the seeds a child’s hand width along each row. More recently Dad has done a lot of the work as you moved on to other endeavors, but this year we had a blast from the past.

This year we had special help from the young cousins as we planted the garden.

The planting occurred during the week when your small cousins were visiting. What a joy it was to show these youngsters the miracle of planting seeds. Instead of hurrying to get the job done we took the time to study each different seed. The bean seeds were white and much larger than the tiny brown lettuce and spinach seeds. We explained how the produce grown would correlate with the type of seed we planted. Beans only grow from bean seeds and lettuce only grows from lettuce seeds. Each seed produces its own fruit!

We can understand this concept so easily when it comes to planting a garden, but so many forget the spiritual aspect of this truth. God tells us not to be deceived. How we live our lives has a great effect on the future. When a person sows seeds according to their sinful nature, then they will reap the corruption that these actions bring. Yet when one sows seeds of godliness resulting from a life lived in the Spirit they will reap eternal life.

Sin always catches up with us. A life of selfishness leads to loneliness and straying from God’s commandments eventually produces grief and sorrow. Yet for those who follow God’s ways and seek His guidance in every thought and action, peace and righteousness are the results.

The garden seeds are planted and we now see bean plants growing in our bean row. In the same way lettuce is flourishing in the lettuce row and spinach in the spinach row. Why? Because you always reap, whether in plants or actions, the seeds that you sow!

Love,

Mama

Great Grandma’s Memory

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Psalm 103:17-18 “But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him and His righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep His covenant and remember His precepts to do them.”

Great Grandma Thomson on her 97th birthday!

The older I get the harder it is to remember things. As the years pass the information filling my brain seems to slip away like sand in a sieve. I grasp a person’s name one minute and the next I am searching every corner of my mind to recall the elusive data. It is truly exasperating! But these are the kinds of things that happen to people with the passing of time.

Your Great Grandma lived into her late nineties. For most of her years she was as sharp as a pin, but as she neared the one hundred year mark she struggled in many ways. Her eyesight grew dim and her hearing was somewhat impaired. She had trouble remembering even the easiest of things and often became confused. Once while attending a gathering of friends and family Luke approached her to ask if she would like some tea. She looked at him inquisitively for a moment and said, “You remind me of my grandson.” Luke responded, “Grandma, I am your grandson!” Faint recollections and fading vision kept her from placing someone who had very close ties with her.

While it is disheartening to experience these kinds of issues with loved ones, we can be assured that our heavenly Father will never forget. Man’s days are like grass and the flowers of the field. They are beautiful for a short time, but eventually fade away. Yet our God never changes. His lovingkindness towards those who fear Him is from everlasting to everlasting, and His righteousness extends to all who keep His commands. Generations come and go, but He never forgets even one of His children. His eye is attentive to every move and His ear open to every cry. He is aware of our frailty and is compassionate towards our needs.

What a comfort to know that even though human memory has glitches and moments of forgetfulness, the Lord will never forget. He always recognizes His children’s faces, remembers their names, and cares about every area of their lives. He will never change and His lovingkindness is everlasting.

Love,
Mama

Move In Day

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Matthew 6:21 “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

This has been an exciting week. Luke and Brianna signed the lease for the apartment they will live in after getting married and all of us helped move their stuff into this new home. Three vehicles and one trailer filled with household goods and furniture transported their belongings from one place to another. We packed and moved box after box. Whew! What a big job. But that’s what you do on move-in day!

All this excitement and flurry took me back to 1989 when Dad and I set up housekeeping at our first little apartment. We rented a small, one-bedroom unit in Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey, where we packed in all our earthly belongings. We didn’t have much at first –wedding gifts and a number of second hand furniture – but it was home for us.

This tiny place was ours for the first four years of our marriage. We enjoyed living there, but always knew it was temporary. We didn’t spend much money to fix things up or even decorate as we were both very frugal and wanted to save our money for when we got our “real home.”

Four years later we packed up our things and moved to Ohio. Here we purchased a small house on Main Street. It was a great starter home, but again we knew it would be temporary and spent only as much money as was needed to make it comfortable and pleasant.

Finally, in 1995, we purchased the home we live in now. This farmhouse was just what Dad and I had always dreamed of owning. It was in great disrepair and over the years we have sunk quite a bit of cash into bringing it back to life. All of you kids have spent your growing up years here and I hope you have enjoyed the freedom and opportunity that a country home can bring.

While we have settled in this place where we wanted to stay, I have come to realize that nothing has really changed. This brick two-story and lovely property is still not our “real home.” As the old country hymn states, “This world is not my home. I’m just a-passin’ through . . .” Our real and final home is way beyond the blue in heaven. All the fixing up and money spent on any home here is only for a short stay. That’s why it is important to keep the right perspective about this life. It is only temporary. Making an eternal investment in our heavenly home a priority is the wisest thing to do.

I am so excited for Luke and Brianna as they set up housekeeping and start their lives together. If they are like us, they will probably live in a number of different places before they reach their “real home.” But even that will not be their final dwelling. For Christians the last move will be the easiest. We will leave our dwellings and stuff here, and settle down in heaven for eternity. And what a move-in day that will be!

Love,

Mama

 

Storm Warning

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Isaiah 31:1 “Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, and trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but they do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek the Lord!”

“Take shelter! Strong and potentially dangerous storms with possible hail damage have been issued for the following counties . . . .”

When the storm clouds roll in, where do you turn?

The alert sounded over the radio the other day while I was driving to a nearby mall. I was now in a dilemma. Should I turn around and go home, or should I continue my shopping trip and hope I could find appropriate cover if the storm actually did hit?

These kinds of weather occurrences regularly arise in our state during the spring season, and it behooves all Ohioans to recognize the signs and be familiar with the best safety procedures for the warning issued. Can you imagine if during a thunderstorm warning everyone took cover under the nearest tree? Or as a twister’s path of destruction drew near a town the residents all scurried to the attic to ride out the storm? These actions would be foolish and very possibly deadly! When faced with imminent disaster, it is important to seek the right kind of shelter and protection.

God’s people were in danger. Over and over they had disobeyed His commands, sought after other gods, and disregarded the warnings of the prophets. These wayward people were soon to suffer the consequences of their unwise decisions. A cruel enemy army was threatening their existence and they were in a quandary as to what to do. Where could they seek shelter from the strong troops that stamped their boots on the threshold of their cities?

There was only one wise thing to do, but the stubborn children of God refused to do it. Despite their history of God’s protection and provision, these rebels rejected the Lord and turned to the foreign nation Egypt for help against the enemy. In their minds the strong horses and horsemen along with the numerous chariots were their best hope for protection.

The prophet Isaiah warned against this foolish decision, but to no avail. Like hiding under a tall tree in a thunderstorm, God’s people put their trust in an ungodly country comprised of sinful humans just like they were. In so doing they brought even more disaster upon themselves. They didn’t understand that this decision would result in both nations’ coming to an end together.

I am afraid we are no different! When difficulties arise we often choose help and protection that sounds logical to us. We run first to friends or family, we rack our brains for a solution, or we try to fight and argue our way out of a dispute. But how many times do we seek help from the Lord as our first resort? In prayer we can lay our circumstances before Him asking for wisdom, protection, and justice. His ear is open to our cries, and He is the perfect shelter in any and every storm.

God’s nation ignored His warnings, but there is a chance for us. Maybe the next time a life storm is brewing we should reconsider hiding in the attic or under the tallest tree. Instead why not do the wise thing – look first to the Holy One of Israel and seek the Lord! In His hands is the safest place to be!!

Love,
Mama