HOORAY, IT’S SATURDAY!

Posted on March 2, 2019 by atimetoshare.me

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Hooray, it’s Saturday – another week down in the annals if time – another ink blot on the pages of history.  It should be a time of gratitude that the week is over, but as most weeks lately, it left a lot to be desired. We’ve been witness to more hearings and investigations devised to besmirch our president.  We watched as that president wisely walked away from talks with North Korea.  We heard more and more lies from a convicted liar, which we are expected to believe.  The course for abortion continues and even those children who survived abortion, will not be given sufficient care to keep them alive.

Hooray, it’s Saturday!
We can escape to something other than bad news.  We can hide for a while.  Yet, Monday will come soon enough and it will be deja vu all over again.  Bad news will be with us every day that we inhabit the earth.  Saturday and Sunday give a brief escape, but even those days are filled with news of hatred, violence and division.  Where can we hide?

Hooray, it’s Saturday! Responsibility takes a back seat.  We forget what’s expected of us and turn to what we want.  It’s all about me, comes to mind. For two days we can binge on alcohol, food or other forms of instant pleasure and erase all the ugliness of the world – only to replace it with another problem – selfishness.

Hooray, it’s Saturday!  You don’t have to wake up to a blasted alarm clock. You’re free to sleep as long as you wish – that is if you don’t have a pet that needs letting out, or children who want to crawl into bed with you and play connect the dots with the freckles on your back.  You don’t have to put on makeup, get dressed or answer to anyone.  That is if you live alone.  You look for a project to start and your mind turns to something else, so you go back to bed.   Don’t you just love Saturdays?

Hooray, it’s Saturday!  We could all be like hermits and crawl into our own little worlds for the weekend, but what would that accomplish? We can become so filled with gloom and doom that our energy for anything is sapped.  We may actually suffer from depression due to the state of our world, but how does that solve anything?

Hooray, it’s Saturday!  Use it wisely.  You only have one Saturday a week.  Instead of thinking negatively about everything happening around you – begin to look at the positive.  You have another day to live.  You’re healthy.  You have bills to pay, but you have a job.  You have food to eat.  You have friends.  You have a God that loves you and has promised to take away all your sorrows. You have Sunday to look forward to when you can praise God with fellow believers.  Remember, we cannot move forward if we constantly hang onto the past.

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” Winston Churchill

HOORAY!  IT’S SATURDAY!  HAVE A GREAT ONE!

 

 

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FRIDAY PRAYER

Posted on March 1, 2019 by atimetoshare.me

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(In response to Julie Cook’s call for prayer and Citizen Tom’s answer.)

This has been a week filled with more and more slander, back biting, unethical behavior, the slow but sure death of a country turning further and further away from God.  I believe we all have our own ideas – our own ways of communicating with God – our concerns and passions about various issues.  God knows that too.   He listens to every prayer, no matter how we pray.  The fact that we are able to communicate with Him, with no heavy curtain between us is like the breaking down of a huge barrier.  We’ve been given the opportunity to speak face to face to the Holy One without fear.

Whatever our prayers are – whether general or personal – whether for what may seem insurmountable and impossible or for our daily needs – God hears us.  He evaluates His plan for creation, looks at what fits that plan, how it will bring us closer to Him, how it will keep us close to Him.  He then answers either with a “yes,” “no,” or “not right now.”  Every answer is based on His wisdom and love for all mankind. So with that in mind, I offer my prayer for this day.

Dear, Heavenly, Father:  Every commandment you’ve given us has been broken, because we are a generation of sinners.  Yet, I know that Jesus has paid the price for our sins, making it possible for me to come before you in confidence.  Because of that wonderful, inconceivable gift, I praise and thank you. 

You know our every need before we do.  You have a perfect plan for all people – a plan that will honor you. What seems like an impossible situation for us, is like a fleeting whisper to you.  Nothing is impossible for you.

I come to you now, to plead for my country. We are surrounded by division, hatred, stubbornness, political correctness and a path of sinful behavior that gets wider and wider each day.  I wonder if this is the beginning of the end of our nation as we once knew it. 

I pray for our leaders – especially for our president as he is assaulted on a daily basis.  I pray for our lawmakers as they choose to kill innocent children before they have a chance to live. Enliven their consciences.  I pray for wisdom for those who make decisions that directly effect each of us – decisions that we often have no control over.  I pray that your people – the ones who have given up on you – realize how important you are to them.  I pray for strength for those defending our country.  I pray that your consistent Word and care covers us like a shield against those who would cause us harm in any way.  I pray for future generations who are being fed ideas and philosophies which they know nothing about – those who have never seen the results of Socialism, Facism, Communism.

I pray for myself, that I would not stand in judgment of others, yet be vigilant for the things that are from your Word.  Through your dear, Son, Jesus,, I ask you to help us know what to pray for.

Amen!

I believe in the power of corporate prayer.  If we are joined in faith and trust that God will hear us, we will be heard.  Please feel free to add your own prayers and comments.

 

 

 

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THIS LION DOESN’T SLEEP

Posted on March 1, 2019 by atimetoshare.me

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ORIGINAL ART & POETRY FROM PAUL & KATHY BOECHER©

(This painting was done for one of our grandchildren when he was a little one.)

 

On the days when I feel useless, when I simply cannot move,

When my heart is full of energy, but I can’t get in the groove,

That’s the time I need my Savior, The King of heaven and earth,

His constant care He gives me and grants to me new birth,

He is the Lion of Judah, the great and mighty one,

He makes my life worth living, each day under the sun,

He arms me with protection, He lifts my heart and soul,

And though I may be weary, my life He does control,

Each day that passes from me, is like the setting sun,

I know that it will rise again, God cannot be outdone.

 

 

 

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WALLY’S FRIDAY FRY DADDY FUNNY

Posted on March 1, 2019 by atimetoshare.me

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JULIE’S FRIDAY FUNNY

Posted on March 1, 2019 by atimetoshare.me

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CHOICES

Posted on February 28, 2019 by atimetoshare.me

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Every day we’re confronted with choices.  We decide what we’ll wear, whether or not to eat breakfast, should we shovel the driveway before leaving for work or wait until we get home?  Those are easy choices, except maybe the one about shoveling.  If we wait, we undoubtedly will get stuck in the big berm at the end of the driveway.

The easy choices don’t have to become overwhelming, but sometimes they do.  We bathe ourselves in situations where we believe we’re right about something and we won’t bend.  Other times, we wonder if we’ve made the right choice after the damage has been done and it’s too late to fix it.

The first choice mankind had to make was obeying God.  We all know that Satan is devious and he wants everyone to suffer his fate, so he tempted Eve to eat of the forbidden tree.  Her decision was based on a twisting of God’s Word by the devil, which seems to be his trump card in most situations.

That doesn’t lessen the depth of Eve’s disobedience. Adam was sitting there taking it all in.  He should’ve stopped Eve, but he chose not to.  So both of them sinned which caused separation from God.  That beautiful union which God created was broken.

This problem continues today as each of us has inherited sin from the first humans.  Since we’ve been reunited with God through His Son’s death and resurrection, we have an open door to heaven, if we have faith in Him.  God still demands our obedience and we still fail to obey.  Until we die and pass into the heavenly realms, we are sinners. However what treasure it is to know that our sins have already been forgiven.

In the meantime, while we walk this earth, we will be faced with tough decisions.  If we trust in God and go to Him with all our issues and have faith in His intervention, we can be sure that we’re making the right choice.

If we choose to follow the world – the lopsided, upside down, mess created by man – the words of the well versed, the universities, philosophers and self appointed geniuses – the flashy, intriguing and beguiling – we can count on making wrong choices.

So what’s the answer?

  • Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
        and do not lean on your own understanding.
  • In all your ways acknowledge him,
        and he will make straight your paths.
  • Be not wise in your own eyes;

Fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.  it will be healing to your flesh
    and refreshment to your bones.  Proverbs 3:5-8

 

 

 

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PARENTING IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Posted on February 28, 2019 by atimetoshare.me

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We’re living in a brand new time. No, I’m not going to start a rant on technology, because I use it every day and am probably on the internet as much as my grandchildren.  It’s a magnificent tool.  With technology, we have access to the world of information.  We do actually learn with these devices.  We can find quotes, Bible verses, images and tons of other media which will serve our purposes.

However, as with anything good, there’s also a bad side to it.  The evil that our children are exposed to is frightening.  “How to hang yourself – how to decapitate someone – taking your parent’s drugs and experimenting with them.”

There’s the more prominent threat and danger of cyber bullying. Kids feel they can say something bad about someone because they aren’t face to face.  They have no idea how their comments are being received, or how the recipient will respond.  Hateful words – mean and ugly thoughts – lack of conversational and communication skills – little physical exercise – video game overload.  These are the things parents are facing today.

I have seen little ones who haven’t yet learned to walk, looking at a screen and playing a game to entertain themselves.  Sure it may easier parenting to give a child this kind of toy to keep him occupied, but are parents monitoring their activity?

Recently we heard of a young man we know, who overloaded on video games.  He was on the computer all night, had a seizure and passed out.  He had not left the screen for hours so he was dehydrated as well.

I’ve heard of hurtful, hate filled words spewed on text messages.  There’s interest in pornography, suicide, how to relieve anxiety.  So much information.  So much bad information.

This will sound a bit corny, but I’m going to say it anyway.  Kids are OVERLOADED today.  They must excel in school so they can earn scholarships.  They are involved in band, theater, music, dance, sports and so much more.  Teen brains are still developing and it’s difficult for the growing brain to take everything in at once.

We can start early, by getting kids outdoors and playing.  Like the cartoon above, many don’t even know how to play.  Board games are still good for challenging the memory and anything that brings about face to face communication.  Scavenger hunts, geocaching, camping, anything outdoors is going to bring them to God’s beautiful creation and open the door for lots of knowledge.

Kids also need to know they’re loved by their parents. Often parents become so involved in their own lives – planning for the future – developing a career – that kids are carted to various activities or set in front of a screen to keep them busy.  They really need parents who are involved with them and genuinely care for them.

I’m sure there are ways to block certain things from your child’s eyes.  One way is to limit the amount of screen time.  Also don’t allow devices in the bedroom.  Your kids need to sleep.

I’m very fortunate that I made it through the parenting process.  I thought things were bad in the 70s and 80s.  I worried about my daughters getting too involved with a boy.  I fretted worried my son might try drugs or alcohol.  We can drive ourselves into the ground with worry, but none of that is going to make anything better.

When we ask for God’s guidance, we aren’t guaranteed a perfect child.  God is there for us when we go through the difficult times, but sometimes our children have lessons that can only be learned through experience.  I pray for those raising kids in this century,  but I’m also confident that God is in control – even in our parenting.

 

 

 

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HAPPY TRAILS

Posted on February 27, 2019 by atimetoshare.me

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ART & POETRY BY PAUL & KATHY BOECHER©

Each morning at sunrise, he mounts his grand steed,

Surveying the landscape, at temperate speed,

He stops for a moment and breathes it all in,

This land that he rides on, belongs to just him.

 

The majestic mountains, the soft  morning mist,

The sight of an eagle, just slightly sun kissed,

The air is refreshing, the trails cut and worn,

There’s nothing quite like it, when new days are born.

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WE’RE SCREWED!

Posted on February 27, 2019 by atimetoshare.me

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It seems that the Democrat Party is at it again.  During the depression, FDR came up with a New Deal.  Today the deal is Green.  The Green New Deal, is being promoted by a young congresswoman only a few years older than my grandson.  The champion for the cause is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, (aka-AOC) a twenty nine year old, shining new star in the House of Representatives.

A few years back a man who ran for president, Senator Al Gore, began a crusade against Global Warming – which has since become  Climate Change – I assume to cover his back side.  Al Gore was a year younger than AOC  when he became a member of congress in 1977.  Early in his career he was interested in technology issues and in the beginning stages of the Internet, he went to bat for it, explaining how technology would benefit high speed computing and communication.  He went on to become President Clinton’s Vice President and ran for President himself in the 2000 election, which was won by George Bush.

So this green stuff isn’t new.  It’s been an issue for over 40 years.  Each of those years, we’ve been fed information on how our planet is going to self destruct in twelve years or so. Actually it’s newer than that.  When sin entered the world, so did weeds, unusual weather situations, climate change and the demise of our planet as it was intended to be.

Now I would imagine that Mr. Gore and Ms. AOC believe that the earth is billions of years old.  If it were as old as most environmentalists believe, it should have disintegrated billions of years ago.

AOC has lots of opinions on how we can change things.  Recently, in an interview from her kitchen, on Instagram Live, she said,  “There’s a scientific consensus that the lives of children are going to be very difficult, and it does lead, I think, young people, to have a legitimate question: Is it OK to still have children?  Not just financially because people are graduating with 20, 30, $100,000 worth of student loan debt, and so they can’t even afford to have kids and a house, but also just this basic moral question, like, ‘what do we do?’” she continued. “And even if you don’t have kids, there are still children here in the world and we have a moral obligation to leave a better world for them.”

The Green New Deal would cost up to $94.4 trillion, or over $600,000 per household in the United States, according to a new study.

Ms. Cortez is a millennial, a member of the DSA (Democratic Socialists of America), the youngest female ever to become a member of congress.  Her platforms include Medicare For All, tuition-free higher public education and the Green New Deal.  All stunning tax raising ideas which will further put a burden on the middle class.  She also comes from the state of New York, where full term abortion was recently written into law.

I have opinions on this whole mess, but I’m not a politician. I’m not with the news media.  I’m just an old grandmother who has seen ideas come and go – philosophies rise and fall – and watched as my country has melted into a sea of hatred, political correctness, tolerance for everything, not knowing what gender anyone is anymore, and it’s become unrecognizable.

I’m happy to see young people taking an interest in our future as a nation.  They are the future and it’s really in their hands.  However, I believe we’ve forgotten how to depend on the One who created this place we live.  Job knew all about destruction in his world, yet he continued to hold to the fact that God was in control.

“Dead things are formed from under the waters, and the inhabitants thereof.   Hell is naked before him, and destruction hath no covering. He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing.”  Job 26:5-7

I have one bit of advice for Ms. AOC.  “It’s not easy being green. ”  Kermit, the Frog

 

 

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PLUG IT IN!

Posted on February 26, 2019 by atimetoshare.me

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Remember the commercial for air freshener that tells you to plug it in and everything will smell good again? Or have you ever heard that to get your computer back up and running, pull the plug and reset it?  I wonder how that philosophy would work on us.  I mean, when we’re overloaded, just take a few minutes to recharge and plug us in again.

For the past few years, I’ve been trying to create a novel about the intersecting lives of three women who grew up together.  Each has some secret to bear and the only way to overcome their shame is through each others’ friendship.  I was about half finished when I had to purchase a new computer.  Apparently when they transfer data from one computer it doesn’t always make it to the other.  So my novel got lost in cyber space.

For the past month, due to the encouragement of a group of wonderful ladies I have coffee with each week, I’ve started to rewrite it.  I still had the characters in my mind.  I knew each of their secrets and what their backgrounds were.  I made a backup copy of it to be sure not to lose one word.  So far, so good.

Part of my hesitancy to readdress this work, was due to my fear of finishing it and having it rejected by a publisher.  I have volumes of writings which I’ve never submitted for that very reason.  I don’t like to face rejection.  I’ve always felt I’m not good enough – I’m not worthy – I’m too old and on and on.

Today I found the above quote as I was looking for something to write about and it really hit home for me.  Sometimes we just need to step away from things for a while so that we can recharge and get our focus back.  However, we can’t simply rely on ourselves to rejuvenate.  God is our energy source and always provides for every need we have, when we carry it to Him in prayer.

Isaiah 40:29-31 describes exactly what I’m talking about.

“He gives power to the faint,
    and to him who has no might he increases strength.
Even youths shall faint and be weary,
    and young men shall fall exhausted;
 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
    they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;  they shall walk and not faint.“

These are verses we say at our church at the end of each service.  What a way to begin a week – knowing the God re-energizes us through His Word and Spirit. With Him all things are possible and we don’t even have to fear rejection, because He loves us so much that He gave everything for our salvation.

Today I begin Chapter Five.

 

 

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FAMILY FIX

Posted on February 25, 2019 by atimetoshare.me

FAMILY

This is my family – not a recent photo – but it remains the same today as it was two years ago when this picture was taken.  We were celebrating Christmas and all of us were together for the first time in quite a while.

Yesterday, we had another family day of celebration, but our South Carolina family was not here to join us.  Their family is sort of spread out too right now, with husband/dad, Brian working in Orlando – wife/mother Amy living at the family home in S. Carolina, eldest son, Jordan teaching English in S. Korea and youngest son, Josh, attending Clemson University.  The rest of us were celebrating Paul’s birthday from earlier this month and the engagement of our only son and his future wife.

More than any physical celebration, we were celebrating family.  Family is defined as a group of people related either by birth, by marriage or other relationship. We can’t choose our immediate family – we have to accept each other with all our flaws and abilities and still love each other in spite of that.  As our immediate family grows we move out of the nest and sometimes far away from each other, but when the family is solid, we come together after long periods of time and it’s as if we never were apart.

Family is so much more than a group of people that cohabitate.  It is a bond that stretches through the ages.  As we look back at our heritage we can see a clear pattern of patience, love, persistence, hard work, having each other’s back, working towards the same goals.  When we go way back in our ancestry to our original parents, Adam and Eve, we can see the progression of problems that occurred once paradise was lost.  Still family seems to survive the test of time in spite of the darkness of sin.

As I look at my family, I am proud of their accomplishments.  I think back to their growing up years and what they’ve become and I can’t believe that I actually had a part in that.  They may be nearby or far away, but I’m confident that each of them has been prepared for raising their own families and sharing their lives with them.  They’ve been wise in their choices for those they’ve given their hearts too and we are indeed blessed by our extended family as well.

“In every conceivable manner, the family is link to our past, bridge to our future.”
— Alex Haley

 

 

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LAUGHTER IS GOOD FOR THE SOUL

Posted on February 23, 2019 by atimetoshare.me

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I remember my grandma telling me not to make funny faces or my face would stay that way. She was probably right, because my face has a road map of lines across it. Each of those lines can probably tell a story, but I like to think of them as a result of laughter. I’ve often found laughter to be the best medicine.

Kids are well known for saying things that make us laugh.  For example:

On the topic of Moses:

  • His real name was Charlton Heston.
  • He led the Israel lights out of Egypt because of the bad Pharaoh.
  • God sent ten plagues on the Egyptians. Some of the plagues were mice, frogs, bugs, lice and no cable.
  • Every day in the desert, God fed the Israel lights some manicotti.
  • He gave them His “Top Ten” commandments. They were things like: don’t lie, don’t cheat, don’t dance, don’t smoke, don’t covet your neighbor’s stuff (whatever that means).
  • He also told them to humor their fathers and mothers.”

I still enjoy laughing at my husband’s silly jokes and at the funny things that happen in life. I think God enjoys it when we laugh too. In Proverbs 15:13-15 He says, “A glad heart makes a cheerful face, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed. The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouths of fools feed on folly. All the days of the afflicted are evil, but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast.” Lord, there are so many things in this world that distract us from what is really important; things that bring us down and cause us to feel helpless and even hopeless. Your word tells us that you have given us hope. May we continue to feast on that joyful news.

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WALLY’S FRIDAY FRY DADDY FUNNY

Posted on February 22, 2019 by atimetoshare.me

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JULIE’S FRIDAY FUNNY

Posted on February 22, 2019 by atimetoshare.me

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SILENT FRIDAY

Posted on February 22, 2019 by atimetoshare.me

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ART & INSPIRATION FROM PAUL & KATHY BOECHER©

We all seek a place where we can run and hide from the pressures of daily living, but there is nothing hidden from the One who created us. When we come to Him in prayer, we can do it any time and any place.  He is always available for us.  He is our quiet place- our hope and our peace.

Matthew 6:6 “But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

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FEBRUARY FACE

Posted on February 21, 2019 by atimetoshare.me

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“You have such a February face, so full of frost, of storm and cloudiness.”

William Shakespeare

Well, the meteorologists in Minnesota must be turning cartwheels and flips this morning.  We broke the all time record for snow in the month of February.  I don’t feel particularly excited about it, as you can tell by the last few posts I’ve written.

In this shortest month of the year, we’ve managed to close schools for more days than usually allotted for snow days.  Extreme cold and over average snowfall even caused the post office to close.  Enough already!  This will be my last post complaining about our fate in Minnesota.  I have actually become part of the landscape and am now permanently frozen under a mound of record snow.  Snow angels are not an option and our dog has given up eating so he won’t have to deal with the high snowbanks.

When you’re a child, fresh snow that’s perfect for making snow forts and snowballs is delightful. When you’re beyond 70 it brings added aches and pains, anticipation of the same and sadness that you can’t help in the removal of it. When we reach the winter of our existence, it’s even harder to put on a happy face. For one thing, our faces have been frozen into blank expressions. Our eyes are staring ahead in a daze. Our bodies just can’t keep up anymore. This year I don’t think the elderly are the only ones who feel that way.

It isn’t just the snow.  It’s all the stuff that goes with it.  Thankfully, we don’t have to face a daily commute to work anymore.  We don’t have to drive through blizzard conditions to get our children to school.  Unless we wish to be completely out of touch, however, the driveway must be cleared and snow removed from vehicles.  Wouldn’t it be nice to have a robot to take care of that chore? 

Just as we struggle through the mounds of crud in our lives every single day, we often face obstacles one right after the other.  It’s not easy doing anything alone, but with God as our strength, we can endure just about anything.

Lord, please bring sunshine back to our February faces!

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MANNA FROM HEAVEN

Posted on February 20, 2019 by atimetoshare.me

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“ But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at.”  Numbers 11:6

Ever since I was a little girl and first heard about manna, I related this heavenly food to snow.  Being born in the Midwest, snow has always been in abundance and it often came pouring generously from heaven.  I still live in the Midwest. Don’t ask me why.  Maybe it’s the bounty of snow we have each year.  It might be the glorious change of seasons, which include winter and road construction.  It could be that I like to complain about the weather or that I’m just set in my ways and change at my age could prove fatal.

Anyway, here we are again.  Schools are closed –  again.  The usually efficient snow removal trucks haven’t been able to keep up with the accumulation.   We still can’t get our trash cans out to the curb, because they’re firmly frozen into the ground and I don’t plan on seeing my car until June.  So why on earth would I compare snow to manna?

I’m not trying to be flippant about this. I certainly believe God provided manna to the children of Israel and it didn’t take them long to get sick of it. I’m merely trying to draw a comparison.  God provides for all our needs, even when it looks like we’re not going to make it from paycheck to paycheck – even when we’re faced with illness or death – or we wonder how we’ll support another child.  His provision is always there.

There are days when I don’t always believe that.  I worry.  I fret.  I try to figure things out for myself. I forget that this has happened before and God never let me down.  He always provided a way out of every difficult situation.  He helped me to learn from foolish choices.  He led me on the road to salvation through His Holy Word.  You’d think an old lady like me would keep that in mind when the snow falls.  It’s like manna coming to nurture the earth and make it rich for planting in the spring –  to give refreshment to the wildlife, the birds and other creatures of nature – to create a soft bed for a stray cat – to create cover for an animal which has no place to hide.

We become so focused on the routine things that we rarely see the beauty in them.  This storm is expected to drop another 6 six inches by the time it’s over.  We anticipate another storm on Friday and a few smaller snow events next week.  We get tired of shoveling it, removing it from our cars and the roofs of our houses.  We try hard to think of the positive, but have a hard time finding it.  We look for the easy way out, by closing schools or working from home. We think we deserve better.  We’re entitled to more.  We try to manage what only God can do.

We’re not much different than those Israelites.  We can’t see the forest for the trees.  What is meant for our benefit is often overlooked.  We have trouble giving thanks for things that are keeping life alive.  We forget that God is in control of everything – including the weather.

So, get out the shovel or snow blower.  Dig your way out.  Be joyful that God has again provided manna from heaven.

 

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WHERE TWO OR MORE ARE GATHERED

Posted on February 19, 2019 by atimetoshare.me

PrayerChain2

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Romans 12:12

I belong to a small congregation.  It’s truly a family of Christian believers who care about each other.  I ‘ve been a member of a large church body who was connected in the same way.  To think that we have an extended family, of like faith, who we can pray with, knowing that our corporate prayers will be answered, is really powerful.

We’re planning to revive a prayer chain at this new church.  As we contemplate how to pray, we really need to include all kinds of prayer.  There are prayers for the sick and dying and comfort to those going through those things.  There are prayers for those experiencing financial difficulties or loss of employment.  We pray for those going through marital problems which may lead to the break up of a family.  There are countless reasons that weigh on our hearts for which we pray.

Often prayer seems to be reserved for those experiencing difficulty of some kind.  Even in our own prayer lives, we often forget to pray for the good things – the blessings.  It’s kind of like the ungrateful child, who begs and pleads for something they want, and when they get it, the forget to say “thank you.”  Imagine how God feels when we forget.

Prayers of thanksgiving our as vital as prayers for assistance and healing.  Our very lives are something to be grateful for.  Our salvation – our being permitted another day to share the Gospel – provision and protection – undeserved mercy – God’s precious blessings.  Those prayers are equally important to God.

When we receive a gift, it is customary to thank the giver.  Think about the gifts we have received from God.  Eternal life – forgiveness of sin – the promise of perfect, healthy bodies in eternity – no tears – no pain – no suffering – having enough to get by in this world – often having more than enough – friends, freedom to worship as we please, a country which still allows it.  There are countless reasons to thank God, but like a spoiled child who has been given more than enough, we often continue to ask for more.

There’s another kind of prayer we sometimes forget to bring to God and that is the prayer of praise.  Our God is beyond awesome.  He created the world and all that’s in it with perfection and the use His words – “Let there be,” and there was.  He intricately wove life of all kind to dwell within it.  He separated the waters from the land.  His power is greater than anything we can do.  Lift His holy name in praise every minute of every day.

Today, think about the chain that binds all of us as Christians.  Each link has a purpose.  The connection makes the chain complete.  When we’re united in prayer, God will hear us.  Certainly He will hear the smallest voice, but when we are linked together, with hearts united, our voice becomes stronger and our bond becomes unbreakable.

 

 

 

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TIME FOR LUNCH

Posted on February 19, 2019 by atimetoshare.me

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ART & POETRY BY PAUL & KATHY BOECHER©

Every day we’re set upon by the enemy.  It can be the fear of failure, the angst of pain, the inevitability of death.  Whatever it is that holds us captive is the result of sin and God has a remedy for that.  Even though our enemies surround us, He is there to protect you from harm.  Trust in His unending love.

I walk in danger every day, the evil world surrounds me,

I could take cover from the fray, but still unrest confounds me,

I know that God above, is watching with His love,

And He will intercede, fulfilling every need.

 

No matter what is on my plate, He is my certain advocate,

I’ll take His hand and walk with Him, all fears and pain He’ll suffocate

His strong protection settles in , for Jesus took away my sin,

I walk secure in this true fact, that Jesus always has my back.

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PEEK A BOO

Posted on February 18, 2019 by atimetoshare.me

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ART & POETRY BY PAUL & KATHY BOECHER©

Twisted vines and broken branches, colors matching perfectly,

Make it easy for these critters, to take refuge or to flee,

They fit in to their surroundings, quietly they hold their breath,

Hoping silence and no motion, will prevent an early death,

God created all His creatures, to fit in wherein they lay,

Giving them complete protection, so they live another day.

 

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