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Posted on 07/01/2019 12:03:00 AM PDT by JustAmy
Our leaves are starting to turn, too. It’s a good thing, because EEE is becoming a problem.
Eastern equine encephalitis: I had to look that up!
I know you welcome any mosquito riddance!
Sorry. It’s been in the news for months here. Horses have had to be euthanized and people have died. I haven’t worked in the yard since June or early July.
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LOL!!
Terrible disease!
Summer drought handled mosquito problems here this year.
There are years I have to dress covered head to toe, spray OFF on the coverups! I have to love my birds a lot to keep them in fresh water! Mosquuitos love me!
I can’t do yard work because of my back pain and my “work” is keeping my flower pots that my yard guy planted for me on the patio watered.
Yes! Perfect!!
LOL!
I’ve been keeping some plants on the deck alive. I have two banana plants, a jasmine, three basil plants, a small azalia and three hibiscus plants. It’s limited, but better than no plants. :)
I know you’re feelin’ it too! LOL!
Bible in a Year : Ecclesiastes 10–12; Galatians 1
I can do all this through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13
“You’re going to be an exchange student!” I was seventeen and thrilled to hear I was approved to study in Germany. But it was only three months before my departure, and I had never taken a class in German.
The days that followed found me cramming—studying for hours and even writing words on my hands to memorize them.
Months later I was in a classroom in Germany, discouraged because I didn’t know more of the language. That day a teacher gave me wise advice. “Learning a language is like climbing a sand dune. Sometimes you feel like you’re not getting anywhere. But just keep going and you will.”
Sometimes I reflect on that insight when I consider what it means to grow as a follower of Jesus. The apostle Paul recalled, “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation.” Even for Paul, personal peace didn’t happen overnight. It was something he grew into. Paul shares the secret of his progress: “I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:12–13).
Life has its challenges. But as we turn to the One who has “overcome the world” (John 16:33), we discover not only that He’s faithful to get us through but also that nothing matters more than closeness to Him. He gives us His peace, helps us to trust, and empowers us to go the distance as we walk with Him.
In what ways will you focus on Jesus today? How can you encourage others to draw near to Him?
Thank You for the peace You give me as I turn to You, Jesus. Help me to stay very close to You today!
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Beautiful, left that other site!
Glorious! Thank you, MEG!
:)
Fantastic post Meg! Thank you
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Bible in a Year : Song of Songs 1–3; Galatians 2
But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high. Psalm 3:3
Our church experienced an agonizing loss when Paul, our gifted worship minister, died at the age of thirty-one in a boating accident. Paul and his wife, DuRhonda, were no strangers to pain; they had buried several children who hadn’t made it to term. Now there would be another grave near the small graves of these little ones. The life-crushing crisis this family experienced hit those who loved them like a knockout blow to the head.
David was no stranger to personal and family crises. In Psalm 3, he found himself overwhelmed because of the rebellion of his son Absalom. Rather than stay and fight, he chose to flee his home and throne (2 Samuel 15:13–23). Though “many” considered him forsaken by God (Psalm 3:2), David knew better; he saw the Lord as his protector (v. 3), and he called upon Him accordingly (v. 4). And so did DuRhonda. In the midst of her grief, when hundreds had gathered to remember her husband, she raised her soft, tender voice in a song that expressed confidence in God.
When doctors’ reports are not encouraging, when financial pressures won’t ease up, when efforts to reconcile relationships fail, when death has left those we cherish in its wake—may we too be strengthened to say, “But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high” (v. 3).
How did you respond the last time you found yourself in an overwhelming situation? How does knowing God is a shield around you help?
Heavenly Father, help me to see that though life can be uncomfortable, I can find comfort in You.
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