My Fluffy Alarm Clock

Good evening ya'll. I hope this finds you and yours doing fine for we are. The only problem I have is that is hot as firecrackers lit and ready to explode. Needless to say, I have hibernated in the house where it is cool.

Now you all know I am retired and enjoying it. However, I have a problem. I can sleep until whenever and no one is going to wake me up. It's the no ONE that is the problem for it is not a ONE but an IT. Our fluffy, yellow cat, Bumper who picture is on my blog, seems to think I need to get up about 5:00 and let him out. He sleeps on the foot of our bed and you can just about set your watch by his timing - 4:30 or 5:00 he is going to want out. Now he has a litter box, dry food and water at his disposal at all times but you think this is enough. Nooooooo. He wants out for about 30 minutes and then back in and a pouch of cat food. The dry is only if starving to death.

His method of waking me up is to tap me lightly on the cheek with his paw. The claws are not out and it is a sweet tap and soft purl. If I don't wake up, I get the tap again and there is a meow. Now if am not ready to get up and still will not get up, the tap becomes a claw slapping me on the cheek and a loud MEOW. This will get my attention every time and I slowly get out of the bed. Slowly is about all I can manage at that time of day. He sits on the corner of the bed until I go to the bathroom for he knows that has to come first. As I walk down the hall, he jumps off the bed and comes galloping by me with his fluffy tail up in the air and heads to the door. There are 2 doors from which he can choose and some days it's one and other days it's another one. Just depends on his mood at the moment.

As I open the door, he sticks his head out and looks around and checks the air with a sniff. He then pops his tail up in the air and jumps out of the door and heads for a piece of wood to sharpen his claws where he dulled them trying to wake me up. Only then does he locate a spot of dirt to tend to his morning duties.

We have a problem if it is raining for like all cats, he does not like to get wet. If it's raining, he will stick his head out of the door, see the rain and immediately turn around and pop that tail about 3 times at me. He looks at me d sniffs and snorts and stalks off like it is my fault it is raining and expects me to immediately go and get his pouch of food to pacify his majesty. You can hear the cat litter flying as he scratches it all around when he completed his morning duty.

After all this, I go back to bed. Now do you think I can go back to sleep? Noooooo way. I toss and turn for awhile and try everything I know to go back to sleep and usually just give up and get up. The sun room is a great place to spend the rest of the night and I study my Sunday School lesson, check email and facebook and by the time my sweet, lovely, handsome, LAZY, husband arises, I have had a day. I have watched the sun come up, the cat eat, bathe and go back to sleep, and had 3 cups of coffee and he wonders why I am already tired.

Why am I tired? I've been up for hours, pampered a cat, studied, read email, played Bejeweled Blitz, Farkle and Farmtown. I have looked at every free sample sight on the Internet, read several blogs, and planned my day. Tired? I am worn out. I tell him it is his time to pamper His Majesty, Bumper and like a child, Bumper jumps up in his lap, loves him, and settles down by him and goes back to sleep.

Breakfast? Now? I'm tired I say just drink you coffee and you know where the cereal is. Not really, like a dutiful, loving and submissive wife, I prepare him a smoothie or cheese toast, or some other goodies and do it with a smile. Right? You see, I am the perfect wife and he better know it.

Why can't the cat wake up Roy? Now that I have not figured out except he knows I will eventually wake up and waking up Roy is like waking up the dead. He didn't hear the children when they were home and now he doesn't hear the cat, or so he says. He can sleep through most anything.

Now you understand why I am so tired by the time most other folks begin their day. The other problem is like a lot of other "old folks," I can't go to sleep at night and read or play games on the computer until the wee hours. Sleep deprivation is getting to be a way of life for me and some mornings there is a fluffy, yellow cat you could have. Free!

Nuff said,

The Georgia Peach

God Is Watching

Psalm 33

"13From heaven the LORD looks down
and sees all mankind;14from his dwelling place he watches
all who live on earth—15he who forms the hearts of all,
who considers everything they do."

Does it bother or comfort you that the LORD is watching you? For many of us this is frightening and disturbing for our thoughts and deeds are not always those which would please the LORD.

For others and for most of us, some of the time, it is comforting. Remember when you were a child and your parents watched over you and saw all you did? Most parents watch over their babies every minute with their eyes, their ears and now with a "baby monitor" or a security camera. There are even web cams in some daycare centers which gives you the opportunity to watch your child from any Internet computer. Parents watch over their children to make sure they are safe.

As we grew older we wished our parents would back off and not watch us so closely. We would do things we knew would not please our parents and did not want them to see us. Often we would hide to do our"evil" deeds or if we were caught, lied to our parents. It disturbed us that our mamas seemed to have eyes in the back of their heads and saw all.

Sometimes it was a comfort and made us feel safe to know they were hovering and watching. It allowed us to live in peace and joy knowing someone was watching and waiting to pick us up when we fell, doctor our hurts and comfort us with loving arms. Even if it meant discipline had to be meted out, it was a comfort to know someone loved us enough to help us learn how to make the right decisions.

So it is with the LORD and our Heavenly Father. He formed us and he watches over us from His home in heaven and sees all that we think and do. What a comfort! The God, the I AM, the Creator, our Father watches and cares for us. He is not watching to catch us in sin so He can punish, but is watching His children to protect and love us. We, who are Christians, have been adopted into God's family with all the rights and privileges of being a child of God. He watches us from His throne to lead, guide and protect us until the time we will join Him in our heavenly home.

Is He always pleased with what He sees me do? No, and it causes Him great sorrow and sometimes He has to discipline me but I sing praises to Him and fall to my knees in adoration to my Heavenly Father who knows my heart and loves me anyway.

Praise to our God.

Amen and Amen

Take Hold of Life

1 Timothy 6:18-19

18.Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.
19.In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life

What do you hold close in life? What is truly your life? What is "life that is truly life?"

The world in which we live tells us to grab life and live it with gusto. Experience everything we desire and live it to the fullest. Hold on to what we have and make it grow and grow. Fill up our "barns" and make them multiply.

Does this give us Life? Are we satisfied and at peace? Is any of this "stuff" or experiences everlasting?

In these verses, Paul in talking to Timothy, gives us God's plan for living the "true life." Being rich is the goal for many but rich in material stuff. God says to be good, rich in good deeds and share generously. Good as being Godly and living righteously. If we are living as God's children and living rightly we will want to share generously with all we encounter in our walk through this life.

What do I have to share generously. As God's children, we have all the riches of the world to share for we are children of God, The King, The Creator, the I Am. So why then do I have such a little bit of stuff to share? We have love, compassion, forgiveness, the Water of Life, The Light, and the The Good News. How much more is this than any of the material stuff we accumulate and hold to with all our might?

When we share God's treasures with those around us, we are sharing "treasures" which will never wear out, go out of style, lose interest or disappear. The "true life" is that eternal life with God the Father and His Saints.

Do we have to wait until we die to live the true life? Of course not. True life begins the instant we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We begin a life that is rich, full and is running over with goodness, joy, peace and love. It is a life that has been "trued" or put in line with God's goodness and righteousness. We are living straight and sharing with all we encounter in this "walk."

How much richer can we be? This is "The Life." This can be your life. Live it to the fullest and lay up those eternal riches and enjoy them and embrace them each moment of the day.

Amen and Amen,

Frances

Timing

Lonely Little Jonquil brightening the corner

Esther 4:14 NIV
For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?"

I am studying the book of Esther in a Beth Moore Bible study and this verse has made a major impact on my life. Why was I born at this time in history and what is my place in God's timing? This is not something I ponder a lot, but as I grow older and realize there are fewer years left than lived, I wonder what "footprints" I will leave and why at this particular time.

These times are the times which "trouble men's souls." They are perilous times, hard times economically, but times of great faith. Esther was living in a time where her life and the lives of her people were in danger for they were going to be eradicated from the face of the earth. These are God's chosen people. The nation He chose to be a light to the whole world mirroring His power and love.

During Esther's time, the Jews had been in captivity for many years and Esther's husband, the king, following the bad advice of Haman, had decreed the Jews would be killed - men, women and children, all on the same day. King Artaxerxes did not know Esther, his queen, was a Jew and she was afraid to tell him. Under the guidance of her uncle Mordecai, who had raised her, and after fasting and praying, she saw her duty to her God and her people and answered the question of why was she in the royal position at this time by agreeing to try to save herself and her people.

This was her time and place in God's plan for the Jews. What is our time and place in God's plan? What is our time and place in God's plan for the world He created? Like Esther we need to spend time in fasting and praying and seeking God's leadership. Like Esther we need to encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ to join us in this time of fasting and praying for only by God's strength and power can we shine in this world of darkness and pain.

How can we shine in the darkness? We stay positive and joyful even in a time of negativity and sadness. We encourage our fellow Christians to stand firm in the war against evil and speak out and be heard as we declare God's love for all and His desire to have a personal relationship with every person He created. We remain positive with the knowledge that NOTHING happens to us or in the world which God does not know and is there to guide us through the turmoil. Nothing happens to us that He does not give us His strength to walk through and He is there beside us as we walk the paths.

Most of all, we continue to show God's love in a world that does not know Godly love. This is the love that places others first, loves everyone regardless of race, social position, friend or foe. GOD IS LOVE and we as His children should be Children of Love. We show this by being compassionate, forgiving and courageous in our telling others the Source of our love.

Is this difficult? You know it is but remember, God placed us in His world and this time, in this place to show the world what He can do and who He is to this world He created. Most know the creation but not the creator.

You and I have come to the royal position of being God's child to declare our Father's love to the world and let them know that He can deliver them from the darkness of evil. Eternity with Him is the gift we have, how can we not speak out and tell the world one person at a time.

Stand firm dear sister and brothers and I will join you in fasting and praying for love and courage to speak out to our world.

Amen and amen,

Your sister in Christ

Serving

Matthew 20
25.
Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.
26.
Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,
27.
and whoever wants to be first must be your slave--
28.
just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

How important do we think we are? Do we think the world hinges on our leadership? Do we serve or wait to be served? Do we think we are "Super Christians" and should be given special homage or respect? Do we think the whole world revolves around me, mine and ours? Do we think we are the "greatest?"

Jesus told James and John that the greatest is the servant not the served, the humble not the proud, the ones willing to take up our cross and follow his example of servant hood. Jesus touched the untouchables, the sick, the lame, the leper, the prostitute, the Samaritan woman and so should we. Jesus knelt like a servant and washed the disciples dirty feet, and so should we. Jesus fed the hungry and gave water to the thirsty, and so should we.

As the children of Jesus, who came to die for us, we should remember He came to serve the whole world and if we are His children so should we. We are royal, for we are children of the King, we will reign in glory throughout eternity but in this brief moment of our lives we should be like our LORD and Savior and remember the leader leads by example and when we follow our Leader, we serve. We touch the unclean, we feed the hungry, we share the Living Water with the thirsty.

When I think of being a servant and doing it for love the Lord, I remember a sweet and precious lady, Neenie Stuart. She spent her days taking care of her husband, sister and family in sweetness and humility. She never said anything bad about a single person and she always had time for us as children. The church was one of her places of service, but the people around her were her ministry. Her health was not good and often it was a struggle to make it through the day, but it was spent in service to her Lord and others.

This is how we should be - humble but proud, serving others not asking for service, kind, gentle but strong. Her love was boundless it seemed and we loved her, cherished her and know she is with her Father.

Lord, give us the wisdom to know if we want to be great in your Kingdom, we must be your servant here on earth. Give us your eyes to see our false pride, give us your ears to hear the cries of those around us who need tending in your Name.

Amen and amen

Directions

Proverbs 3
5.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
6.
in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Have you awakened to a day or week which seems more than you can navigate? Does your path looked crooked and overgrown with responsibilities? Are you worried you cannot accomplish everything in your daily planner or your calendar? Does your day or week seem overwhelming?

Many of our days seem to be like this and sometimes our whole week is crooked and tangled with responsibilities, worries, and stress. Often I have wanted to stay in the bed and cover up my head, go back to sleep and ignore the sunlight peeping in the window. What do you do when you don't believe you can face the day?

Proverbs 3 gives us the map to follow. We uncover our heads, look to the LORD with all our hearts, and pray for his instructions. Our understanding of our day will be clouded with our insecurities, our worries our leaning on our own feeble abilities. Don't fear, dear sisters and brothers, we don't have to lean on our abilities for we have the God and Father, the author of The Word to show us how to walk these crooked roads of life. He made us and He gave us the days and we know He will show us the way to walk this road and will carry us when we get too tired to move ahead.

We have to admit we are too feeble in our strength to move ahead, read God's Word, and wait on the LORD to show us how and when to move ahead. He will remove the obstacles or help us walk through them for there is nothing He cannot control - He created everything.

He is also a God of time! He was there in the beginning and has been in our past, is in our present, and knows our future so what are we worried about? Acknowledge He is God and acknowledge He is the Creator, the Father and Helper and He will make our paths straight. A path we can walk and maybe even run but we can move ahead and know that He is our guide and fellow traveler.

Take heart, dear friends and uncover your head, get out of bed, look to the Father and walk the road ahead with joy.

Prayer: "Listen for God's voice in everything I do, everywhere I go; You are the one who will keep me on track. Proverbs 3: 6 (The Message)

Amen and amen