Seeing Through the Fog

Do you ever feel like your life is in a fog?

There are decisions that need to be made but you just can't seem to find  a clear, confident path to follow.

My prayer is that I, and you, will see clearly the things we need to see, that we will discern the direction our daily walk should take, that we will know His will and, most importantly, that we will follow where He leads.

Once more Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes.

Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored,

and he saw everything clearly.

Mark 8: 25

Which Path To Take?

He restores my soul;

He guides me in the paths of righteousness

For His name's sake.

Psalms 23: 3

In life there are many paths.  Times come frequently when we must choose.  Do I go this way or do I go that way.

Often the world will be crowding around us, pushing or pulling, trying to influence our choice of paths.  Situations, circumstances, even friends, will be urging us to move in a certain direction.  The choices the world suggests are not always the best ones.

As a photographer I often make an image that has the subject in clear focus.  The rest of the image is blurred.  That makes the subject stand out clearly for the viewer.

If we always listen to God when we make our choices the paths will always be according to His will. Unfortunately, I often don't listen to Him, or at least my listening is influenced by the world.

My prayer today - Lord I long to let You be my guide.  I want You to make the right choices in focus. Help me to blur the world's choices and see only the path that You would have me walk. Amen.

It's All About Me!

Make me know Your ways, O Lord;

Teach me Your Paths.

Psalms 25:4

I hope everyone who reads this understands clearly that the thoughts expressed in this blog are thoughts that the Lord gives to me to help ME.  

I share them not to impart something wonderful to you, the reader, but rather to simply share with you what God is trying to teach me.  Sometimes, okay, many times, I am slow to grasp. So, God teaches me over and over. Thank you Lord!

I pray that you can draw from these thoughts ways to move yourself closer to His word and His will.

We are Pilgrims On a Journey

Where are you going?

One of the great joys of our retirement has been the opportunities to travel and see this great land we call home. 

We don't just get up and decide one day that we will take a two week trip to the New England area. 

When we are going somewhere we spend much time beforehand making preparations.  There is the shopping for supplies, the reservations for sleeping, the research about what to see and do.  And, of course, there is the financial planning.  

Long before the journey there is the preparation for the journey.

We would never leave on a long journey without preparation.

But what if God asks?  Are we prepared, do we prepare, for those journeys that He might ask us to take?

Where are you going? How will you get there? What difference will it make in your life? What difference will it make in the lives of others?

These are the journeys of the sons of Israel,

by which they came out from the land of Egypt

by their armies, under the leadership of Moses and Aaron.

Numbers 33:1

What Lies Behind or What Lies Ahead?

I recently visited the Elkmont area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

At one time, before the park was established, there was a logging community there.  In the late part of the 19th century a group of wealthy folks from Knoxville began to build summer "cabins" in the area.  They even had a railroad to take them there.  The families would spend summers in the cabins to avoid the heat of Knoxville.

Some of the cabins, though abandoned, still remain today.  It is always fun to visit and wonder what it must have been like to spend the summer there.

I like old things.  I like to photograph abandoned things.  But, I live for the future!

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself 

yet to have taken hold of it.

But one thing I do: 

Forgetting what is behind and straining

toward  what is ahead,

I press on toward the goal

to win the prize for which

God has called me heavenward

in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3: 13, 14

Love One Another

By this the love of God was manifested in us,

that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world

so that we might live through Him.

In this is love, not that we loved God,

but that He loved us and sent His Son

to be the propitiation for our sins. 

Beloved, if God so loved us,

we also ought to love one another.

1 John 4:9-11

I woke up in the night singing "God so loved the world,".  My first thought was, "Why don't I love Him back the same way?"

As I read posts on Facebook, see stories on the news, hear people talk, I am struck by how we don't really love each other.  We have become so polarized and self-centered. If someone holds different political, religious, or social views from us they are "stupid", "bigoted", "worthless", "ignorant" individuals.  And, we don't hesitate to share our ill feelings toward them.

There is so much in this world to be thankful and appreciative of.  I should not spend my days being negative about others.

A lot of people talk about tolerance.  But, I have learned they are really only willing to be tolerant of those who agree with their beliefs.

My prayer today is, "Lord, teach me to love those who disagree with me.  Show me how to live in this world for You.  Help me to see those who need to be loved. Amen."

Stick With What You Do Best

One of the lessons I have heard over and over again as a photographer is, "Develop your own style, your own niche in photography.  Don't try to be a generalist."

I spent the past weekend with some amazingly talented photographers.  Many of them are excellent at making images of the streams and rapids found in the Smokies.  And, you can tell that they love making those images.  They can spend an entire day going from river to river.

I spent some time with them on the river.  However, my photography style just doesn't lend itself to that genre.  I made some pictures which I like (above is one example), but most of the time I found myself shooting away from the water.  I found other smaller scenes to be of more interest to me.

It is good that we are not all exactly alike.

The same is true of our spiritual gifts.  One of my friends and I talked about that this weekend.  As an educator I saw many people in the classroom who knew that teaching was what they were called to do.  Those men and women were excellent teachers.  They loved what they were doing.  There was a contentment in their lives.  I also saw a few teachers who were always miserable!  They had not yet figured out that they were not called to be a teacher. Theirs was a life of discontent and often a lot of grumbling.

Life is going to be better for us if we find the career, the service opportunities, the situations that fit who we are.

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.

1 Corinthians 12:4

See the Glory

Then Moses said,

"I pray You, show me Your glory!"

Exodus 33:18

Moses' prayer was simple.  And, I long to make it my prayer too.  I want to see the glory that is always on display in front of me. 

I know it is always there.  I just let myself get too busy to see it.  Or, I let myself get caught up in looking at things that don't matter.

In Whom Do We Place Our Trust?

The spider puts its trust in the web.  The web is home, safety, and provider. A pest control man once told me, "If you want to get rid of spiders, get rid of their webs."  Without the web a spider will surely perish.

We must put our trust somewhere too.  There are times in our lives when we must face things that can cause us to fear.  We walk in situations which are unknown to us, places where we have never been before, life experiences which are uncomfortable. At those times we need someone to trust!

Three of my five grandchildren began the school year in new schools this year. They did not know the teachers, they did not know the buildings, and two of them did not know a single student attending that new school.  My prayer for them was, and is, that they will know whom to trust in those days ahead.

Where do we put our trust?

When I am afraid,

I will put my trust in You.

Psalms 56:3

A New Day

Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed,

for His compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;

great is Your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22, 23

 

 

 

 

There is just something fresh about the start of a new day.  We haven't made any mistakes yet.  We have no regrets. We have everything ahead of us

 

 

 

 

Take time at the beginning of each day to commit yourself, and that day, to the Lord.  It will make it go better.

 

 



Friends

The righteous choose their friends carefully,

but the way of the wicked leads them astray.

Proverbs 12:26

This week we get to spend some times with friends.  That is one of the most gratifying things I think someone can do.

 

All of our life is a patchwork of interactions with other people.  Some of them become special parts that are like fine linen or silk.  They bring richness and vitality into our lives.

 

Special friends fit together with you like pieces of stained glass.  Together they create for us a life that is full and rich.

 

Those are the kind of people we will be with soon.  Can't wait!

Being Still Is Hard

He says, "Be still and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth."

Psalms 46:10

 



I have spent some time with my grandchildren in the last few days.  I watched as they played with their friends.  I was astounded at how they seemed to never be still.  It seemed like they were constantly up and down the stairs, in and out the door, back and forth between neighborhood homes.  It wore me out just watching.

As I reflected on their energy and their unstopping activity I thought about how many times we do the same thing in our lives.  We scramble and scurry from activity to activity.  We run here and there trying to "get it done".

 

Perhaps what we should really do is just be still!  There is comfort in simply letting God be God. 

 

Why do we never seem to fully grasp that?

A Safe Place

There is just something about sleeping in your own bed.

You always feels safe, secure, and comfortable at home.

 



 

That's the way it is with resting in God.

 

 



In peace I will both lie down and sleep,

For You alone, O Lord, make me to dwell in safety.

Psalms 4:8

'Tis the Season

This weekend felt different.  There was a break in the humidity and even a slight coolness in the air.  It was welcomed.

 

 

Next weekend brings about a new season.  No, it is not quite Autumn yet, but I think football season begins!  For many that is a most important season.

I heard a wonderful sermon yesterday morning.  The pastor talked about being "sent by God".  We all are sent!  We are sent to our jobs, our neighborhoods, our family.  Are we accepting that responsibility? 

He asked the piercing question, "Do your neighbors know that you are a follower of Christ?"

Then he followed it up with, "Do they know which team you support?" "Do they know your favorite lake to fish?" "Do they know what happened on your favorite TV show?"  Do they . . .? There are many other questions that each of us must ask ourselves.  If something is important to us, others will know about it!

OUCH!

You observe days and months and seasons and years.

Galatians 4:10

 

 

What is most important to each of us?