No Expiration Date on God’s Plans

No Expiration Date on God's Plans

Goodman High School, Goodman, Missouri

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 ESV

In the late ’50s, with no established art or writing classes in our rural school in Goodman, Missouri, I grabbed every opportunity to express my creative self. In addition to the school newspaper and annual, I thrived on creating bulletin boards and posters and working in the school office.

I was clearly at home with a pen and pad and relished each opportunity to exercise my God-given talents. Although I wasn’t sure what all that would entail, I knew God had called me to be a writer.

Sadly, I must admit that God and His plan for me were far from my mind as I left school. Selfish ambition, the lure of the world, bad choices, and circumstances beyond my control pulled me away from my destiny.

But, God is faithful. He never abandons His children! Incredibly, my first book, My Mother My Child was published in my sixties. Later, after I upgraded it to include detailed discussion guides for each chapter, I put the pen down.

Click here for God Has A Plan For You Scriptures.

My loving, patient Heavenly Father used a few days in ICU and a lengthy hospital stay to draw me back to His plan. I now have four books in print.

I intend to publish two books in my eightieth year. The Rebel and Preacher Man will be out this summer. And Patches the Turtle will introduce his new friend this fall in his third book.

So, I have to ask. Have you ever felt God tug on your heart? Do you have gnawing desires in your soul that won’t let go? Could it be that He is still wanting to bless you in that way? Trust me, you are always the winner when you obey God.

And, it is never too late!

I will eagerly look forward to your comments. I challenge you to earnestly pray. There is no greater encouragement and joy than following God’s plan for your life.

hugs,

Nature’s Lessons from The God of Comfort

Nature's Lessons from the Great Comforter

One of Adams’ Acres Blessings

Calico says, “Get me outa here!”

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8-9

Comfort may mean staying put.

Not pictured are three tiny fawns. Upon hearing me on the porch, they froze in place. As other deer approached, they immediately seemed to relax and melt into the soft grasses. Fear was replaced with confidence as they felt the comfort of a mother’s love.

Other times, comfort means to flee.

At the same time, a flock of turkeys in the cow pasture had stopped in their tracks. The sound of a car speeding by the house caused them to quickly turn and wobble down the hillside to safety. Secure in the shadows of thick brush, and no longer filled with fear, they gingerly resumed pecking the ground for tasty morsels.

In the second picture, the young doe followed my cat all the way up the hill. Calico was in no mood to play. Besides, he knew some good cuddling and snacks awaited as he headed for the porch!

Nature Points us to our Comforter.

I learn much from watching the critters on Adams’ Acres. Perhaps I relate all too well to the feelings of fear and doubt that paralyze and hamper good judgment. Especially as I grow older and my situation changes, even the smallest detail can cause stress.

Can you relate? Do you ever stand paralyzed or frozen in your tracks when facing some circumstance in your life? Maybe it isn’t even a big thing, but it seems overwhelming at the moment. Your breath is short and you can’t seem to shake that feeling of hopelessness.

God wants to bring comfort.

We have a Comforter who is waiting to help. He is the Great Caregiver. He knows us; every hair on our head is numbered, and every breath we take is by His command.

“The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.” Psalm 29:11 Click here for 50 more great scriptures on our Faithful Father’s care.

I want to encourage each of you, whatever your circumstance, to make time to lean on Him for rest. His word in Psalm 23 reminds us that He will lead us beside still waters and restore our souls.

Today I pray that you will “cast all your care upon Him because He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7) And you will, like the baby deer, allow yourself to melt down into the soft grasses and allow your loving Father to bring comfort and hope and peace for your journey.

Hugs,

I am looking forward to hearing from you. Let me hear the ways that God has brought comfort and encouragement to your heart.

Do You Have The Ultimate Key?

Do you have the ultimate key?

Searching for the Ultimate Key

“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:19

Keys come in many sizes; we will use more than one size or type of key on any given day. Most every home has a small bag or box filled with keys of all sizes. Many appear new while others may have come over on the Mayflower. Are they important? What do they fit? Who knows! But, you must never, ever throw a key away; it may be the very one needed.

Very large keys remind us of the one Barney Fife used to lock up his “dangerous criminals” in Mayberry’s jail. One large key always hung in plain sight so Otis, the town drunk, could lock himself up when he stumbled in late at night.

The most common keys are medium-sized such as Ward and June Cleaver’s house key. And, who can forget The Fonz waving his small key at the girls when preparing to take his “cool car” out for a spin?

Long before our information was easily stored electronically, young ladies wrote their most secret thoughts in colorful diaries. This book was then securely locked with a tiny key and safely tucked away lest anyone dare peek.

You may be too young to remember many of these keys; or like this writer, so old you’ve forgotten them. There is, however, another key each of us has in our possession and use every day without giving it a thought. This is the “invisible key.”

Think of those you know who seem to enjoy cooking. Do they really like to cook, or do they cook because they like to eat? How about you? Are the things you do every day satisfying? Do you really enjoy what you are doing? The invisible key is in discovering why you do what you do.

Click here for my article on 5 Keys to Building Self-Esteem

At any sporting event, fans will respond differently to the same actions. Some are mournful, grumpy, or downright angry. Others are clapping, shouting, and overjoyed. Reactions depend upon which team is winning. In every circumstance of life, knowing which team you are on is the invisible key.

Some employees may be working hard at their assigned tasks while others are clearly working hard at hardly working. We wonder if they want to keep their jobs or get fired and collect unemployment. The invisible key here is accountability, honesty, and self-respect.

When needing a different car, do we look for a used or a classy new one? How far into debt should we go? Should we make a five-year loan or use money we have saved to purchase a good used one? Certainly, here the invisible key is to recognize our needs over our wants.

The invisible key comes into place as we consider daily habits. Do we smoke or use drugs? Are we willing to deal with the consequences of our bad choices? Here we clearly see the invisible key to knowledge and self-discipline.

Do you get the idea of the invisible key? Every day we make choices that affect ourselves and those around us. The key is to realize the importance of thinking through choices that ultimately affect our lives and others.

The most essential invisible key, the ultimate key, we will all need in this life is the Key to Heaven. We know the Only Key to Heaven is Jesus. Like with all our invisible keys, we have a choice of which to use and which to ignore. Becoming more aware of our invisible keys will lead us to a more fulfilled life.

Click here for amazing keys from the Bible.

Hugs,

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Looking forward to your thoughts on helpful keys in your life.