Every Season has a Purpose

This past weekend we enjoyed a short trip to Birmingham to celebrate my grandson’s 2^ndbirthday. As we sat in the backyard watching the kids play, I couldn’t help but notice the beauty in the changing foliage as the red, yellow, and orange leaves shimmered against the blue sky. Every new season brings with it a sense of awe. In Ecclesiastes 3:1, we are reminded of the changing seasons of life: “For everything, there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven.”  

Just as the leaves fall to the ground, autumn invites us to let go of some  of the things of our past,  so we can move  on to the next season of life.  In this unusual year where much has been lost—let’s ask God to fill us with all joy and peace as we trust him—so that we overflow with hope—regardless of what the next season brings.

Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

In this season, where we are mourning so much loss—of loved ones, of jobs, of our way of life—we must  become a voice of hope in this world of hopelessness. Let’s turn the page and embrace the beauty of a new season.

 

Lagniappe

 

Kindness and love are closely related, but  I often think of love as an “unexpected bonus” or a “Lagniappe.” This is a term we often heard in  the year we lived in Louisiana. Lagniappe is an unexpected bonus that comes with something else—it is the extra that makes kindness special. 

 

A teacher asked her pupils to tell the meaning of loving-kindness. A little boy jumped up and said, “Well, if I was hungry and someone gave me a piece of bread that would be kindness. But if they put a little jelly on it, that would be loving-kindness”  (God’s Little Devotional Book for Women). Kindness provides a home, but love makes a home. Kindness packs a satisfactory lunch, but love puts an inspirational note inside. Kindness sends a child to bed for the night, but love tucks the covers around their neck and gives a goodnight hug and kiss. Kindness keeps an orderly house, but love adds a fresh bouquet of flowers. 

 

Love is taking the extra step to make life truly meaningful. Love is he 13^th doughnut added to a dozen or the whipped cream added to a beautiful bowl of berries—it is a lagniappe! Let’s top off kindness with love!

         “Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in

          truth.” (1 John 3:18)

Learning from All

                                      Thoughts for the Day November 5, 2020

 

A few months ago, I was about to go somewhere with my grandson who was 5 years old at the time.  As we were about to leave I verbalized my frustration in figuring out something on my phone. Cam said, “Minnie,  let me see it I  may be able to fix it,” I thought with much hesitation, right? In no  time he figured it out, handed me the phone and said, “See Minnie here it is.” That experience made me think of this old saying, “I am defeated, and know it, if I meet any human being from whom I find myself unable to learn anything.”

 

Every person has something to teach us, not only those who are experts in their fields. Each person is a living encyclopedia of ideas, insights, facts, experiences, and opinions. Today let's listen and learn from others around us.

 

         “A wise man will hear and will increase learning, and a man of

         understanding shall attain with wise counsels.” (Proverbs 1:5) 

Attachments area

 

The Bible tells us again and again to remember the importance of our words. We should think carefully before we say whatever’s on our mind. Pastor’s often open their message with this passage:

 

Psalm 19:14 NASB
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.

 

These are great words for each  of us to use at the beginning of every day.  We are  in difficult times where people often spout out at the restrictions and changes being put in place. People are tired of the pandemic, hurricanes, unrest, and a heated political election. What they need are words of encouragement and we are the people to offer them. Let’s be different by inspiring others in a time of uncertainty—for we have hope—let’s share it. Have a blessed week!

 

Proverbs 16:24 NIV
Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

Without Him We Can Do Nothing

 

We often take off for the day fully loaded—dressed and prepared, car filled with gas, organized and ready to take on the world—we think.  But  many times we fail to remember that without God in our midst we are limited by mere human resources. In John we hear these words:

 

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit, apart from me you can do nothing.”

(John 15: 4-5)

 

I love the mindset of Abraham Lincoln as he leaves Springfield to take on his new role as President of the United States. Standing on the rear platform of his railroad car, he bid the townspeople farewell. He closed his remarks with these words: “Today I leave you. I go to assume a task more difficult than that which devolved upon General Washington. The great God which guided him must help me. Without that assistance I shall surely fail; with it, I cannot fail.”

 

The same is true for us, regardless of the task we face. Without God’s guidance, we cannot succeed. We may get a lot done without any mishaps, but without Him leading the way we are nothing more than a  confused mess. Today let’s put God in the driver’s seat and let Him lead our every step!

Living with Self-Control

 

 

Today, we move on to self-control in our list of the fruits of the Spirit from Galatians 5:22-23. Self-control is steadiness. This is the last fruit of the Spirit in our list.  

In Proverbs 25:28 we are told  “A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls.” In other words, without self-control we have lost our safeguard.  Lack of self-control can destroy relationships, one’s health, finances and more. Beth Moore says, “The key to self-control is the refusal to allow our enemies (the flesh, the world, or Satan) to rule or hold us captive in any way. Self-control is our way of protection. Our lack of self-control makes us vulnerable to attacks from the enemy.”

Sometimes people see self-control as restrictive, but it is really a means of protecting us from out-of-control-living. Self-control is a discipline that God grows in us when we continually choose to die to our flesh and live in Him. It is key to our Christian walk and as we abide in Jesus and live out the fruit of self-control, the other fruits will steadily increase!

Always Gentleness

 

As with all of the fruit of the Spirit, we look to Jesus for how we can live out gentleness which is the eight fruit of the spirit found in Galatians 5:22.

Jesus himself invites us into this ministry of gentleness:

28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (Matthew 11:28-29 ESV)

 When life becomes overwhelming and the kid’s won’t stop screaming, you get cut off in traffic, you're treated in a rude manner by a sales clerk, or  political opinions flare,  respond like Christ…with gentleness. When life is throwing  curve balls, people expect us to respond in an abrasive way but instead let’s be meek and gentle in our approach and give them a glimpse of  the Savior we represent.

Let's  spread gentleness today