Crazy bugs!

Today Riley and I needed to run an errand that took us into New Castle. It was raining slightly as we drove in and still we had a few bugs hit the windshield. I thought that was a little weird but realizing that the corn is tasseling I figured there are a bunch of bugs eating on that and we were driving between two fields of tall corn stalks. So even in the rain the bugs were out there. 

On the way back home the rain had let up. Which we thought was a good thing until we came up to the corn again. First there were a couple of bugs that hit the windshield and then all of a sudden there were hundreds. It got to where I was getting worried that I wouldn't be able to see out and I was afraid to run the wipers for fear that I would smear the bug innards far worse than they were already. 

I could see a little fear in Riley's eyes and I have to admit that it felt like a horror movie to me as well.  I have never seen anything like that. Yes I have driven through bugs before, but these were some crazy bugs. Abundance can be good, but this was not one of those times!

Made me think of the plague in Egypt when the locusts came and then made me even more grateful that this will never happen again according to the scriptures.....

Exodus 10:14

Common English Bible (CEB)

14 The locusts swarmed over the whole land of Egypt and settled on the whole country. Such a huge swarming of locusts had never happened before and would never happen ever again.

I have to admit I said a little prayer that we would get home safe and when I pulled into the garage, and took a breath, I noticed that the area right where I look out, as I drive, was not nearly as covered as the rest of the windshield. 

God is good all the time, even in the midst of crazy, crazy bugs!

Blessings!

Strong Country?

As I am sitting here it is almost July 4th. Our country's birthday. There is so much we can be proud of. Especially the religious freedoms we were founded upon.

At the time of our formation, we understood that God was in control and that He should be respected and followed. We actually understood this scripture....  

Proverbs 14:34
The Message (MSG)
34 God-devotion makes a country strong;
God-avoidance leaves people weak.

It seems as time has rolled on and we have become bigger and stronger, I fear we have forgotten where our strength came, and still comes from. It seems we think that all we have and all we can do comes from our own power. We are so wrong on that. We really need to understand that we still need our God and we need Him even more than ever. Before it is too late for us and we anger the one who created and has allowed for us, everything we have.

Jeremiah 10:10The Message (MSG)
10 But God is the real thing—
the living God, the eternal King.
When he’s angry, Earth shakes.
Yes, and the godless nations quake.

As we celebrate the birthday of our country I hope we all realize that we can keep ourselves safe, growing and strong with this one thing....

Psalm 145:19
The Message (MSG)

19 He does what’s best for those who fear him—
hears them call out, and saves them.

As we all picnic, spend family time and shoot off the fireworks this 4th of July, lets remember to stop and call out to the creator of all countries and get ours back to where we started.

Blessings!!!

Stretching our Abilities

This last weekend I was installed as the treasurer of a local charity that our church supports. Now, I have never really considered myself to be a numbers person. I can add and subtract, of course, but math was just never my favorite subject.

The person whom I am replacing has been the treasure for 15 years and is very organized. When I first started feeling like I should do this job I thought God must be crazy to be laying this on my heart. I just didn't feel adequate for the job. The feeling, however, would not go away. It became stronger and stronger.  

Then one Sunday Rodney preached on this very thing. Well not the actual charity, but on God trying to get us out of our comfort zones and getting us to grow and stretch ourselves in the work that we have been called to do. 

That was the Sunday I couldn't hold back on this anymore.  I mentioned my feelings to the outgoing treasurer and that was all it took. The board jumped on this and before you knew it I was elected. 

Have you ever had something that keeps coming to mind and it just won't go away? What do you think that is? I think it is the Holy Spirit nudging you and getting you ready to step up to the plate for the next thing in your life. Sometimes we are in denial about our feelings, sometimes we can't wait to get started and, like me, sometimes you think that God has gone crazy.

But you know what? God will not call you to something that He won't help you through. I love this passage from Isaiah.....


Isaiah 41:9-10
Common English Bible (CEB)

9b “You are my servant;
I chose you and didn’t reject you”:
10 Don’t fear, because I am with you;
don’t be afraid, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
I will surely help you;
I will hold you
with my righteous strong hand.

Also my favorite verse, of the whole Bible, comes to mind....  

Philippians 4:13

New International Version (NIV)

¹³ I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

These are wonderful reminders that if God calls you to anything, He will not desert you after you get there. He will hold on to you and help you through the challenges of learning new and different things.





I pray that you, and I pray that I, remember these passages as we move ahead into our new adventures. Who knows we might learn something about ourselves and realize that we are stronger and smarter and wiser than we ever knew. 



Of course God has known this all along!!!


Blessings!