Spring Time - Again

by Lillian Humphries

Here we are again, Spring time is here. Well not on the calendar, but it is in my neck of the woods. The sun is shining, birds are chirping and my bees are buzzing about. Spring time is such a time of renewal and rebirth. It is a beautiful time of the year. Flowers just make you happy don’t they, kind of put a smile on your face to watch them bloom. I enjoy watching those videos that are time lapsed and

show flowers opening up. They are so remarkable to watch and you certainly see God’s beauty in action.

Spring is a time for the ever popular “spring cleaning”, refreshing everything around us after the dark of winter, renewing ourselves. God calls us to be renewed also. Watching God’s handy work is always soothing to my soul. To be able to sit on my deck on a nice spring afternoon listening to the birds and watching my little world change around me is a blessing. I thank God always for this time in my life that He has given me.

http://yhoo.it/1ASZzGR

Romans 12:2
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

This verse in Romans calls us to do that. As Christians we are to stand out among the crowd. We live in this world but should not be of the world.

I am sure you have seen a flower bed that is full of beautiful flowers. Imagine them to be all white daisies. Then you notice a single bloom that is different, maybe a black eyed susan. Its bright yellow with the dark center stands out among the crowed of daisies.

As spring approaches us what kind of beauty will be blooming in your garden? Will you take this opportunity to stand out in your crowd and be the shinning glory for God? I like to think of myself as a sunflower, tall, strong and always turning my head to the Son, Jesus.

Share with me what kind of flower you will be and why you like that flower.


May God Bless,
Lillian Humphries

How are those goals coming?

by Lillian Humphries

Two months ago, 8.5 weeks ago, 63 days ago I made some goals. Like Dr. Phil says “how’s that working for you”? Well for me not so well. How about you?

I love goals, the organizing the thinking, the feeling of new beginnings, it all makes me feel good. Then I lose steam. If only I could keep up that momentum but after a few days it dwindles. Either I get hungry and eat something that is not on my good food list, or I am sore so I quit exercising, or my get up and go – got up and went.

So here I am two months later and not very far on the ladder of success regarding my goals. Sometimes it
gets very defeating, those little voices start nagging at you. My husband says I am my worst enemy, I think most of us are pretty hard on ourselves. But he is right, (did I really say that in print), I am my worst enemy.

No I have not lost 20 lbs. yet this year. No, I have not exercised as many times as I promised myself I would. No, I haven’t kept away from the cookies like I said I would. Who brought those Girl Scout cookies in this house anyway?

Let’s focus on the positive. I have written more as I had promised myself. My Bible has been open and read more than before. Closets are organized and unused items have been thrown out or given away. My goal of blogging once a week was only missed twice so far. I’m really happy how that goal is progressing.

So I guess I am making progress. Maybe it is only one step forward and two steps back but it least I can see that I am moving in the correct direction – forward and up.

God wants us to continue to grow; if we are not growing we have become stagnant. Picture a stagnant pond with algae lying on the top and mucky waters below. Does that image look appealing to you? Not to me. I wouldn’t want to lie down near that pond and have a picnic – mosquitoes are probably swarming all around. That pond might even have an unpleasant odor to it. Probably not pleasing to any of your senses.
However, draw an image in your mind of a beautiful pond, maybe it has a spring bubbling up in the middle. Clear water reveals minnows swimming around the beautiful lily pads that are floating on top. There is crispness to the water that is inviting and the slight breeze would keep the bugs away, perfect for a picnic beside the pond.

That is the way I want to look, feel and act. Like a fresh bubbling pond with my words being flowers, my attitude being the fresh water for people around me to drink up and feel rejuvenated. My arms should be a place of comfort and peace where they can find rest.

Only by me drinking the word of God and filling myself with Jesus will I be able to accomplish the goals I have set for myself. But I always must remember, my goals are exactly that – my goals. God has His own set of goals for me. Unless I am open to Him and His word I won’t be able to see His goals.

Philippians 3:14
I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

So, do you need to stop and rethink your goals from earlier in the year? Maybe quarterly revisit those to see how you are doing and if these are still the goals to be met or has God shown you some new ones?

Always be open.

Changing Yourself?

by Lillian Humphries

If you could change your personality, how would you change it? I tend to over think just about everything in my life.
So what would I like to change about my personality? I wish I was more humble.
Let’s look at what humble means:

Adjective
1. Not proud or arrogant; modest.
2. Having a feeling of insignificance, inferiority, subservience.
3. Courteously respectful.
Verb
1. To lower in condition, importance, or dignity; abase.
2. To destroy the independence, power, or will of.
3. To make meek: to humble one's heart.

The Bible speaks about being humble:
Matthew 23:12
And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
Luke 18:14
I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Romans 12:16
Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.
James 4:10
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

Also when I read the Bible about being submissive, I picture a meek and humble woman. Soft spoken, always a smile on her face and a kind word for all. A woman who never raises her voice or gets flustered in any circumstance. When the children spill their milk or drop something and it breaks, she gently tells them it is OK and not to worry. My imaginary woman also looks different than I do. She is just few pounds overweight, not heavy and she is medium build and medium height. She isn’t loud and boisterous.
The description in my head is not the one I see in the mirror or hear when I speak. My voice is a lower pitch than I would like it to be. I am heavier than I should be. I am louder than I should be and say things that a humbler woman wouldn’t say. When something drops and breaks or spills, you will find me getting angry and I raise my voice.

But then I read the virtuous woman in Proverbs 31:13-27
13 She seeks wool and flax, And willingly works with her hands. 14 She is like the merchant ships, She brings her food from afar. 15 She also rises while it is yet night, And provides food for her household, And a portion for her maidservants. 16 She considers a field and buys it; From her profits she plants a vineyard. 17 She girds herself with strength, And strengthens her arms. 18 She perceives that her merchandise is good, And her lamp does not go out by night. 19 She stretches out her hands to the distaff, And her hand holds the spindle. 20 She extends her hand to the poor, Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy. 21 She is not afraid of snow for her household, For all her household is clothed with scarlet. 22 She makes tapestry for herself; Her clothing is fine linen and purple. 23 Her husband is known in the gates, When he sits among the elders of the land. 24 She makes linen garments and sells them, And supplies sashes for the merchants. 25 Strength and honor are her clothing; She shall rejoice in time to come. 26 She opens her mouth with wisdom, And on her tongue is the law of kindness. 27 She watches over the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness.


I can’t picture this women being quiet and soft spoken. She may be humble, but she is also a person to be reckoned with. She takes care of her own business while taking care of her family and her household. This woman has a strong mind, understands how to negotiate and evidently has great time management skills.
God made me the way I am. Yes, there are things I can change. How I respond to people and situations I find myself in are within my control. But do I really want to be like “so and so”? Then I wouldn’t be me!

Older Women

Wow is all I can say. I have recently had the opportunity to spend three days with some amazing women. They happen to be sisters one is 86 and the other is 89. There are several reasons why I found them amazing but the most powerful reason is that they survived. Neither one of them have had easy lives. There are several things in their lives that hope I never have to live through, but it has made them who they are today.

I heard some of their stories several times during those three days and I wanted to say, you told me that already, but I didn’t. I realized it must have been very important to them if they kept telling me about it and tried to see what they were trying to tell me.

We were there to help one of them go through some things and move items around in the house to make it easier for her to get around after a fall that has put her in a walker. As we were going through piles of papers and magazines, I saw her getting more and more agitated. Then she blurted out “stop trying to take away my life”. It struck me what was happening. We were holding her life in our hands and asking her to throw it away.

She had lived in this same home for 61 years, and every piece of paper reminded her of a good time or a not so good time in her life. Each time she looked at a book, a magazine with a page turned down she relived that moment in her life again. She was an avid crafter and seamstress, most of those things she enjoyed she is no longer going to be able to participate in again. Tubs of material and yarn that she won’t be able to use, but hopes that she will someday be productive again.

Titus 2 New King James Version (NKJV)

2 But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: ² that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience; ³ the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things— ⁴ that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, ⁵ to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.

          The Bible teaches us how to be older women and how to teach the younger women. If the Bible is telling us to teach younger women, doesn’t that indicate that the younger women should be listening to the older women? I consider myself an older woman; however, there are women who are older than me that I can learn life lessons from, and younger women that I teach.

        I learned this weekend some very important lessons:

•   We all have a story.
•   Don’t be full of yourself.
•   Don’t be ashamed of where you are life it is a journey.
•   Smile, laugh and speak kindly.
•   Always help someone else as much as you can.

Try and remember that whatever situation you are in, you can learn something from someone else.

Be kind everyone, someone you meet is hurting.