The Natural State

 I am sure you all are getting a bit tired of me and my raving about Arkansas, but in my mind it is a truly beautiful state. It has about everything a person could want, except the snow for those who love the winter sports. It is wild in its beauty as well as comforting in its scenery. While coming back to our daughter's house the other day, I was lucky enough to snap a picture of 3 doe and their babies near the road. Such a gorgeous picture of God's creatures. And just look at another beautiful day in the country - the cows in a pond, just cooling off in the afternoon heat

                      the mothers are on a high alert as they spot our vehicle

                                        what a moo-ving scene

 A lot of folks,  while travelling through Arkansas complain about the roads - yes we have crazy twisting roads, some are even quirky Following is one of my favorites - please look at each picture and follow the road - love it!!! 

in the distance you can see the road we are traveling on - looks like you just have to go through the hollow and continue on - think again

                      first you make a corner to the left

                                           then to the right

                                    still turning right

                                                  then to the left

             and now you are on the road you saw in the distance - you have just driven AROUND the hollow - crazy isn't it???  I giggle every time we travel this road - it is named Greasy Valley Road. The story behind it is the fact that years ago there were huge apple orchards in the area - the wagons would load up apples and head to the market. Upon going up the high hill, apples would fall off, causing the road to become greasy. Hence the name. One of the roads that branches off from it is called Apple Hill Road. Don't you love history - I sure do.

We will be leaving Arkansas in about two weeks to return to the Valley of S Texas, depending on the Covid virus numbers there. It has been really rampart there, but the numbers have been decreasing, so we will watch carefully and decide to return. Caring Hearts Ministry will be on hold yet until the colonias become virus free - we are praying for a relief so that we can return to serving those in need - those who have not even be able to obtain extra food for their families. We also cannot go to Reynosa, Mexico, to the refuge we work with as there, too, is an outbreak of the virus. Pray that the Lord removes this disease from our country soon. Returning to the park will be interesting, as we will be able to actually see the damage done by the hurricane. 

This is the last week we have watched our twin great granddaughters for a couple of days a week as they will be returning to school next week. Two 7 years old competitive girls are truly a handful for GPop and Great Grandma, but we keep finding new ways to keep them entertained from playing board games, word search puzzles - even to putting makeup on GPop this morning!! (Don't tell him I told you that). 

Sunday was a terrific day as we returned to actual services at our church in Prairie Grove. It was wonderful to see those who were in attendance, practicing social distancing but loving the fellowship of fellow Christians. Vance continued in his sermon series in James, preaching from Chapter 5, verse 7 and forward. James was addressing Christians who were oppressed in those time. It was a tough environment as they continued to wait for Jesus to return, trying to practice patience (which is not one of my strong virtues).  We are not very patient in today's world - we, as we wait for the Lord's hand in selling our place in S Texas so we can to return to live in AR, as we wait for things to return to "normal" after this virus recedes, as we also wait for Jesus' return. The only way to develop patience is to practice it! Our lives today have been on hold for awhile - try to rely on God's plan and not our own version of  it.  Patience is trust. According to the Greek translation, patience actually means sort of taking a long time to boil. Trust in God's timing and agenda and not try to force our own. Believe and rust. Patience is the hope on God's return and His ultimate justice. Patience is another way of saying you trust in God. Making you heart strong in the knowledge that patience will bring a trust in your heart. Stay on task - don't be idle or lazy while you wait on God - it is an opportunity to let God work inside you. Look forward in hope. Without hope there is no patience. If you don't have hope you are lost at sea. Hope gets us through when we need patience. today's world seems to reject Christians, so we must be patient when we are not received well. Be careful about grumbling and complaining - present a patient attitude toward everyone. Not doing so feeds the fire of frustration. We especially need patience when problems are unexplainable. You can trust when  you do not understand. Only with patience can we live a good life and find God. Trust god and be patient - God is in charge. 

Greed

 A really apropos theme in Sunday's sermon that really pertains to the world today!  Have you ever heard the saying "Money talks"?  "He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income. This is also vanity." Ecclesiastes 5:10.   Does money really talk? Money is something everyone always have an affection for. There are 16 parables in the Bible that talk about money. Why do we think that if we have enough money we will have stability? The only stable thing we can put our feet on is the Rock of Jesus Christ. In chapter 5, James was speaking to people who are facing doom because of their love of things of this world. He was  talking to those who misplace their trust in material things and not in people. Who was talking to people who used possessions to show love to people. He was talking to unbelievers who had oppressed Christians. He wanted to give a warning to everyone who had misused possessions. He wanted to give hope to those who were oppressed. He told them to be patient because Jesus was coming back.This is especially true now during this season of uncertainty. What happens to those who misplace their trust in possessions and money? "Your riches will rot and your garments will be moth eaten. You gold and silver will be corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire". James 5:2-3. Never sneer at or ridicule Jesus as the Pharisees did in Luke 16:14-25. We must be sure that we are on the same level as God on this issue. everything is reversed in the afterlife - read Luke 16:19-30. There will be a time when we wil have to answer how we lived our lives on earth. We cannot ignore God's promise or His salvation. Don't wait until it is too late to share the joy of salvation with your family and friends. The way to salvation is accepting Jesus in this life. We have more security in God that the things of this world. Humbly place your trust in God who will take care of you. Use your money and   possessions to bless others and point them to God. Invest in a life that is truly life. Look beyond this world to a greater life. Where are you placing your trust today?

Saturday was another day of cutting and splitting wood. It was a good day weather wise, not too hot, but we were all tired and sweaty when we finished picking up all the wood Our son-in-law had to make two trips home with a truck and trailer load of wood. We just unloaded it in his yard and will work on it slowly!! Another daughter ( whose yard we were cleaning up) prepared a evening meal for us, as well as provided us with cold drinks during the day.

                                             the men getting the wood splitter ready

                                                         starting to split the logs from the huge tree

                                                               loading this huge log

                                                           that was a big tree

                                                               it went safely in the truck

God's creature always fascinate me - from the smallest insect to the largest animas around. Who named the animals? Did Adam, did our early ancestors rename them to suit thie fancy - this has always been a question in my mind. A beautiful cardinal came to the feeder the other day.He and his mate come to the rocks near the patio and eat the seeds we place there for them. There is also a squirrel who sits in the tree above the patio roof and drops acorns on the plastic roof. Sometimes he fires a bunch at a time - I went around the patio to holler at him and I swear he fired one right at me!!! It fell close to my feet!!! Sassy fellow.

so very beautiful

                                                   another beautiful rain day.

Two more naughty ladies of the Bible-

Rachel -the woman who wanted it all. Rachael, the most beloved wife of Jacob, had love, wealth, a promising marriage in front of her. But Rachel did not have any children. In her mind, having children would be her goal of having it all. From the first moment Jacob saw Rachel he loved her, and she became his choice as a wife. But while she alone was in the heart of her lover, “the real choice was not Jacob’s but God’s, and for the first place God had chosen Rachel’s sister, Leah.” In his second marriage, Rachel only received half of Jacob, the other half had been given to her rival sister. Rachel told her husband,” Give me children or die”. Poor, childless Rachel was not forgotten by the Lord for He remembered her and opened her womb. She gave birth to a son. The grateful mother became a prophetess for she called her baby Joseph, which means, “The Lord shall add to me another son”. She then had Benjamin.  We now come to a feature peculiar of Rachel as a mother. Hers is the first recorded instance in the Bible of death in childbirth, as Rachel ended up dying after the birth of her second son. The one thing she believed would bring her fulfillment (having children) ultimately cost her her life. Don’t be a woman so desperate for what you believe will make you fulfilled that you miss the blessings that are right in front of you.

 Delilah – the woman who didn’t care who she hurt. Delilah was a beautiful Philistine woman that Samson fell in love with. She pretended to be in love with Samson in order to sell him out and get rich. The rulers in Philistine came to Delilah and offered her money if she found out what made Samson so strong. She tried to trick Samson many times but he did not tell her the truth. Delilah asked Samson continually about his strength and bugged him so much that he finally told her the secret to his strength - that he got his strength in his hair.  That evening as Samson slept, Delilah cut his hair and called in the Philistines. The Philistine men were able to capture Samson. They barged in, gouged his eyes out and took him to prison in Gaza.   Maybe she liked the idea of being the person who could get or hear about some information that no one else knew. We know some people today like this. Or maybe she lost her morals when tempted by the promises of riches. Some women will do anything to get the scoop and repeat it, no matter who gets hurt. Don’t be like Delilah.

Hope you are enjoying reading about these ladies!!!

Family Work Day

Where has this week gone? We spent the past two days taking care of our twin great granddaughters. One day they were good and played well together. Today was the direct opposite. Guess they got used to us!!  They fought and argued, sat in a time out, I even had to threaten to tell their Dad. (He is the disciplinarian in the family). We are trying to help out until school starts so will have them two days next week. At least it will be Mon and Wed so we have a day to rest up. 😏 They do keep us hopping though and we love them to the moon.

Saturday we celebrated our son-in-law's and Fred's birthdays. 4 of our 5 great grands were here as well as two of the grandchildren. It was a beautiful day without mishaps or arguments between the kids and a good time of binding for us adults. Lots of good food, especially Wausau Hospital brownies, complete with candles.  One of the great grand kids asked if they really came from the hospital in Wisconsin!! Actually, they are almost a family tradition at most get togethers - the recipe came from someone years ago when 3 of our daughters worked at the Wausau, WI hospital. 

the two birthday boys, our youngest daughter, and great grandson (the only great grandson) Jaylen

from the right - twins, Kenzie, Kinley, the twins'older sisters, Shelby and Harmony, in the front are Brielle and only great grandson, Jaylen

the kids having fun with bubble gloves - plastic gloves that you dip in bubbles and wave around

Another daughter, who lives nearby, had some trees felled s they were hollow and starting to lean pretty badly. We, as a family, went over to "make wood", as we called it in WI. Actually, cutting up trees for firewood. We used to do this every fall when we lived in WI, as we heated our cordwood house ( check out cordwood houses on google) with 12 fulls cords a year in a wood stove, made by Fred. It was a family affair, with other neighbors who also heated with wood, and lasted all weekend. Those who could not not work in the woods for some reason or another (allergies, back back, etc.) were assigned to the kitchen at our house. They fixed the homemade lunches (which were large meals- prepared in advance such as homemade tomato soup and dumplings, or meatloaf , or  chicken, home canned pickles, homemade bread and the ladies favorite desserts).   They also did the clean up and kept everyone in water as needed. It was a really fun time, a time for fellowship with neighbors and bonding together. this year was a smaller version - our minds said let's do this, and our bodies said are you kidding???  We still have one more week-end of hard work this coming week-end.

cordwood house we built in Ringle, WI

inside walls

some pieces of the huge tree and a huge brush pile

                                                   grandson Seth attacking a stubborn stump

almost a full load of firewood for the outdoor fireplace - part of the crew taking a much needed break -we went through lots of water that day

                                         son-in-law, Scott, hard at work

                                             now I am sure this could be used for something - a gnome house maybe

 

A few more ladies whom you do not want to be your role model:

Job’s wife – the woman who offered horrible advice. A story of when bad things happen to good people. The devil accused Job of being righteous only because he was prosperous. God allowed the devil to take away everything from Job to see if he remained righteous.  Job was going through a difficult and painful time. She, too, felt the impact of losing all of the flocks, their livelihood, investments, servants, and children. Instead of being supportive and comforting to her husband, or even turning to God in this time of trouble, pain, and confusion, she allowed bitterness to take over and screamed at Job with perhaps the worst advice in all of history. “Curse God and die”. This is exactly what Satan wanted Job to do as a result of all the terrible things that had happened to him. Ladies, we can be the gentle voice of the Holy Spirit to our husbands or we can be the angry voice of Satan. Which one do you choose to be?

Moses’ wife – the woman who did things her way. The main plot of Zipporah's story, which contains a few large holes, is this: Moses, a fugitive from Egypt, where he killed a man for abusing a Hebrew slave, happens upon the seven daughters of Jethro, the Midian priest. The daughters are at a well in the desert, trying to water their sheep. Moses scares off some bullying shepherds who are harassing the girls. A grateful Jethro gives Moses his daughter Zipporah in marriage, despite their religious differences. They marry and have two sons, Gershom and Eliezer.  After God speaks to Moses through a burning bush, Moses sets out with his family to return to Egypt to free his people from slavery. During this journey, a strange incident occurs one night in their tent. God tries to kill Moses. Zipporah, somehow sensing that God is angry that their son isn't circumcised, immediately grabs a stone and cuts her son's foreskin. Cutting away the foreskin is a sign of identification among Hebrews, according to God's covenant with Abraham. Then she flings the bloody foreskin at his feet. Then she says: "Surely, a bridegroom of blood thou art to me'  So, the Lord let Moses alone. Then she said: 'A bridegroom of blood in regard of the circumcision.' When God confronted Moses for his disobedience for not circumcising his son, Moses life was in danger. Although these actions may have saved her husband’s life, she did it with disgust. Zipporah was a Midianite and did not believe in circumcision. There is always drama when we decide on our own way over God’s. Don’t be a drama queen who insists on her own way. 

Are there any of these ladies who mirror your lie today? Strive to become a daughter of the Lord.

Hurricane Season

This is the hurricane season for 2020 and  it certainly came in with a vengeance. A lot of S Texas was hit, as well as our park in Alamo. There were 27 units which were damaged, some worse than others. Ours was not hurt, nor were any of our closet neighbors, but some folks had serious situations Most of these people live up North, so this will put an extra strain on them. Our park manager spent most of Sunday informing those who had damage.We just praise God that no one was injured in our park. We are in Arkansas yet,so we would have to travel to S Texas had we had damage.

Our 7 year old twin great grand daughters somehow convinced GPop and GMom  that we needed to take them to "that Mexican restaurant by the gas station" so they could have bean burritos, chips, and cheese dip. So Saturday we took the plunge and off we went to the Mexican Restaurant. The girls were exceptionally good and well behaved thanks to their parents. They then thought we should "buy them a toy". So we went to a dollar store and that is where the fun began. They went from sweet girls to the enegizer bunny x 2 in 1 second flat!! Each one wanted to take off in a different directionand could not make up their minds whatsoever. After about 45 minutes later we headed for check out, where they spent another 10 minutes deciding which treat to purchase. No wonder we have our children when we our young. Kenzie got the Sorry game, and even convinced GPop to play a game with them!

                                                           Kinley and Kenzie - I think I have it right!

                           another great grand daughter, Harper. Next Saturday there will be two other greats                                                    here, so I will have pics of those two cuties

Some of you who know me, know that I have a passion for women role models. Be it modern day women, women from history, or especially women from the Bible. They all lived in different eras, but many of them possessed the same qualities – ladies who loved God and were faithful to Him. There are many women in the Bible from whom we can learn about faith, obedience, and the heart for God.  These are the ladies whom we strive to pattern our lives around.  Remember Abraham’s wife, Sarah, who believed God ‘s promise that she would bear a child in her old age, and even Rehab, the prostitute, who hid the Hebrew spies because she came to believe in their God – the God who redeems and saves lives. And there is Hannah, who was barren and poured her heart out to God so strongly that Eli thought she was drunk.  Who can ever forget Mary, the Mother of Jesus, Ruth, or Esther? But there are a few who you do not want to be like – perhaps just during certain times of their lives or maybe even all of their lives. These stories show us what not to do, how we should not live – models we certainly do not want to be like. 

Eve – the first women of all who wasn’t satisfied. You know the story- she had everything, married to the perfect man. She had a beautiful garden to call her home which she never needed to weed, no noisy or nosey neighbors. Certainly, no job stress for her or her husband, no debt, absolutely no bills to pay, no in-laws, no noisy whiny children who always seem to be demanding and disobedient. She did not even have laundry to do because they were naked.  Hallelujah!! Her life was just as perfect and complete as she was. No health problems, no monthly mood swings, no hearing or sight problems, addictions, no aches and pains and no extra pounds. It certainly was as heavenly as it sounds. But perfection did not seem enough for her. She was persuaded by Satan that there was more to life than what she had. Satan convinced her that there was something more that she needed. Have you ever in to your life had those thoughts? Some women you know probably acted on them by changing jobs, locations, even the point of upsetting their whole families in search of something better. Don’t be a woman who believes she needs more. Trust the limitations that God has put on you and your life and be content that this is where He wants you to be right now. Otherwise you may become like Eve -she had it all but lost it all because she wanted more. I like to believe that Eve was again happy for the most part by bearing sons and living her life out as Adam’s wife. But look what she lost.

Lot’s wife - the woman who looked back. God commanded Lot and his entire family to flee from the detestable city of Sodom. In the Genesis account, God reveals to Abraham that Sodom and Gomorrah are to be destroyed for their grave sins. Abraham pleads for the lives of any righteous people living there, especially the lives of his nephew, Lot, and his family. God agrees to spare the cities if 10 righteous people can be found. Two angels are sent to Lot in Sodom but are met with a wicked mob who are then struck blind by the angelic guests. Finding only Lot and his family as righteous among the inhabitants, the angels warn Lot to quickly evacuate the city and to not look back. As they flee the destruction, Lot’s wife looks back upon the city and is turned into a pillar of salt. One of the most prevalent sins in Sodom was the homosexuality of the men, engaging in sexual relations with the other men and boys. Then the LORD rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrha.  Thus, He overthrew those cities and the entire plain, destroying all those living in the cities—and also the vegetation in the land. But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. Don’t be a woman who looks back at what she used to have or longs to be in that place. Instead, forget the past and move forward into the future that God has panned for you.

There are a few more ladies I will present to you in upcoming blogs. Check back next week!!

Relax and Reflect

It seems that during thsi time of the peandemic, we find ourselves with a lot of time on our hands. I certainly do - especially as we are on leave for a couple of months. Using this down time is a perfect opportunity to sit back, relax, and reflect on the world's events in reference to God's view of it. We have a mess in our world today, not only with the virus but the expanse of evil in the world today due to the fact that we are living in the world's wisdom. We need to diagnosis the sickness before we can find a cure. We are living our lives by the philosophy of Hedonism - to live for pleasure. As we continue in the Book of James, let us go back to James 4 and realize that there is a better way of life. If we want to live a life of Christ we need to take up the Cross and follow Him. Having a selfish philosophy will destroy relationships. What in life are you pursuing now? Do you pray for just your own pleasure or wants or ask for favors for yourself? Anyone who chooses the world becomes an enemy of God.  God loves you and is jealous when you share your love with the world. What is the cure for this sickness? The cure is God's sustaining grace. "But He gives you more grace. Therefore it says, God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."  James 4:6. There is a saving grace from salvation as an encouraging grace. But He also gives us sustaining grace We are sinners, we fall, we do need His sustaining grace. Because God loves us, He gives us more grace no matter how much we fall by giving into worldly pleasures. The lure of the world is real - we struggle as we try to overcome sin and continue our relationship with God. God wants us to set the sail to allow the Holy Spirit to work in us. "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned and your joy to gloom.Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.". James 4:7-10.We need to apply this if we are to overcome this sickness and let God work in us, We need to be in the right posture to win the battle. Submit yourselves to God. Put Him at the center of your live, Resist the devil and worldly pleasures. Come near to God and He will come near to you. Humble yourselves before God and He will lift you up. As in the story of the Prodigal son, God will come to you. We need to wash our hands in the confession of sin. Do not take your sin lightly because it cost Jesus Christ His life, We have to humble ourselves when we realize we cannot do it on our own. The Father rejoices when we come home. Do not let this season let you drift away from God. 

Upon reflection, it is so relaxing to just sit and look. A person can miss so much of this wonderful world of nature if you do not just sit and wait. We saw some baby robins in the yard, looking for worms or whatever, as Mama and Daddy flew nervously around making sure they were ok. The resident groundhog made his/her appearance then scooted away as soon as it saw us, the deer quietly came in and walked around near the edge of the woods, and the busy hummingbirds were always buzzing. Sitting in the quiet of nature makes us so much aware of the presence of the Lord.

The garden is growing quit well, as we have had fresh veggies almost daily. There was even a caterpillar who we  watched as he made a chrysalis and flew away as a butterfly before we even knew it was gone.The local Arkansas peaches we purchased are as sweet as we remembered them - taking a bite makes the juice run down your chin - the only way to eat them. 

                                                                      Mr. Rooster guarding the garden

                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

                                                        cute mushrooms made from copper salad molds 

This down time allows me to do some quilting - one of the few quilts I have done since the pandemic. I am also putting the binding on two more as presents.

                                                           for our daughter's bear room

We celebrated the 7th birthday of our two great granddaughters last week - two miracle children that God blessed this family with. 

                                                              Kinley and Kensey - I think I have them right

              Our oldest grandson trying to figure out the big car presents the girls received

   

                                                 

                               the twins and their older sister who also celebrated her 13th birthday

God has so blessed us with daughters, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. We thank Him everyday for the safety and health of them. May He also bless you with health and safety everyday.   

                                                             

Mercy

It has been brought to my attention that I do not post as many pictures as before - actually sometimes there are no pictures at all. This is almost due to the Coronavirus - we do not go very many unnecessary places or do any unnecessary things. We are in such a beautiful part of the country right now that I feel blessed to be here, as COVID is running rampart in S Texas right now. So far, we have not heard of any in the colonias where we served which may be affected, but again, many of those folks have no means of communication, or the ability to even see a doctor. We plan on returning to the Valley by the first of September, but again, it all depends on the situation there.

As I said, we are in such a wonderful place right now - whenever we do have to go somewhere, I am still amazed by the beauty that surrounds us. Arkansas is almost a magical place - there other night as we sat on the patio after dark, there were hundreds of fireflies out on the edge of the woods. The area was a constant flickering of light, a wondrous sight to see. The area around here is so natural (I guess that is why it is called the Natural State), in some places it has a wild and free look of a jungle. As you can tell, I do love it here, and look forward to God allowing us to return.

On one of the multiple rainy days we had last week, we decided to have a fire in the outside fireplace on the patio. It was really 80 degrees yet, but the fire felt so cozy and warm. This downtime is really very relaxing, but we need to remember the busyness of the ministry when we return to the Valley.

We have not yet been in church but follow it virtually.  Our youth minister at PGCC presented the continuing sermon following the Book of James. Matt Tibbet is an excellent youth minister as well as a good preacher. When we face issues in life we tend to look outward. If you have conflict, you are probably seeing through the lens of self, and not through God's wisdom. You need to be gentle, fair, submissive, and merciful in the storm of conflict. If you want to do things God's way you need to treat those you are in conflict with mercy. What is mercy? Mercy is the compassion shown towards someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm them. God's way of doing things is sincere. There are two was of handling relationships - the earthly way or God's way. What causes fights and quarrels among you? Jealously, misunderstanding, a difference of opinion? God's Son died in order to give us a good relationship with Him.Where in your life are there smoldering bridges or broken relationships? The enemies goal is to create discord. If there is a broken relationship, how was that relationship hurt because of your own agenda? Have you applied God's wisdom to fix it? The solution is to not avoid those persons but face them through the wisdom of God. While we were sinners, Jesus died for us. We are still sinners, but God's grace redeems us. Show that mercy and grace to your enemies.

Summer Musings

We were sitting on the patio one morning as a roadrunner ran by with a lizard in his mouth totally unconcerned about us just 6 feet away. Love sitting here watching the world go by watching the deer, birds, ground hogs - all of God's wonderful creatures. We have had rain off and on all week, downpours and soft gentle rains. Our daughter's garden just drinks in all the moisture, then sprouts up in the heat of the day. 

                                                                        Arkansas rain

 We did get a chance to visit one of our daughters nearby, although we social distanced outside. She is a personal director at  nursing home where Covid is prevailing, and she took every precaution to protect us. We had a wonderful time, as we had not seen her on a year, but hated the fact that there were no hugs and kisses. Another daughter was coming for the weekend to visit, but she, too, decided to stay away for awhile as her granddaughter could have been exposed to Covid at the day care. Our daughter lives at the same residence. The grand daughter and her mother both tested negative, but as a precaution, again, she decided to to not take any chances exposing us. I cannot imagine those people in a nursing home not being able to see relatives, or their relatives not being able to visit. We all need to remain safe, and to ask God to heal our country from this virus and also for the unrest that abounds.

This past weekend celebrated the Independence of our country. Many traditions were not observed, many activities were canceled, and the world seemed upside down. We celebrate American Independence Day on the Fourth of July every year. We think of July 4, 1776, as a day that represents the Declaration of Independence and the birth of the United States of America as an independent nation.We celebrate the release from the anarchy of England, and proclaim ourselves as a Christian nation. Let us not forget the foundation of our great nation and return to God - He has not left us, we have kicked Him out of schools, our government, and sometimes even our families. 

We were going to physically attend church at Our home church of Prairie Grorve Christian Church, but decided to wait another week perhaps. We were able to watch it again live, on a big screen TV this time instead of on my computer. Pastor Vance continues in the Book of James. God's plans are forever. What He commanded at the beginning of time still stands today. We ask God to bless America, but we as Americans and Christians need to bless God. Our country was ordained to be a light to other nations. We need to keep on with the Christians foundations that formed us. We are presently battling for the soul of our country. What we need now is wisdom from God. " If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach and it will be given Him" James 1:5. This is a verse to go to if you need an answer to life's problems. The most important thing for us to understand is what wisdom is. We can have knowledge but not wisdom. Wisdom is knowing what to do with knowledge. Wisdom is skillful living - taking your knowledge with a Godly view and applying this to your daily lives. There are three types of wisdom. The first is reflective wisdom - to look into a situation and know how to use wisdom in a Godly way. There is also practical wisdom which is common sense. It is how you do life well by putting God's words into practice.Solomon said to seek wisdom, Jesus said to pray for wisdom. James contrasts worldly wisdom to Godly wisdom.If you don't include God in your life, you can call yourself an atheist. The last of these is worldly wisdom. We need to know the origin of worldly wisdom which is not from God. It is inspired by the devil which is rebellion against God. Worldly wisdom operates as a bitter envy and selfish ambitions. This is evident in the protests and riots of today. The outcome of all of this is the thinking that does not include God. It produces disorder - every evil practice which is anarchy. The origin of Godly wisdom comes from above. We need to have a reverence of  the Word of Gd and of God Himself. The operation of Godly wisdom is as a peacemaker - a gentle way of life. We need to be considerate and submissive, sincere, impartial without hypocrisy. 

The out come of this is peace and righteousness. If you put Godly wisdom into practice, you are the person who built his house on a rock. God is the rock.

How wise are you?