Isn't it odd how some phrases stay with you through life? One phrase frequently heard in my childhood was from my Mother. When we needed to straighten up our house, she would say, "Red up the house."
As a child I gave no thought to this phrase. I knew what Mom meant. In raising my child I questioned the wording and origination of this phrase. Did Mom mean red like the color red, read like I read a book, or ready like you need to get ready for school?
My curiosity of the phrase still wondered me. I questioned my sister Jan. Together we did research and discovered the word is redd.
The definition is: to clear, to tidy.
The terms redd and redd up came to the American Midlands from the many Scottish immigrants who settled there. Redd is still used in Scotland and Northern Ireland. In the United States it is especially common in Pennsylvania as the phrase, "redd up."
Entering into a personal relationship with the Lord, gave new meaning to RED, READ, READY AND REDD.
Jesus shed His RED blood so everyone's soul could be saved.
God gave us His word, the bible. This book of instructions
all through the ages, people have READ.
When we put our faith in God, trust Him explicitly and give Him complete control of our lives, we stand READY. Ready to leave this world and go to our eternal home in Heaven.
What joy and peace we receive when we let God REDD us up. He clears away the sin and tidies up our lives. Thank You Lord Jesus for the blessings of RED, READ, READY AND REDD.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
"Conflicts, Ridicle and Differences"
To a non-Christian, the things a Christian does seems frivolous and foolish. Things Christans do are most times of God and do not follow the status quo of the normal world view.
11 Corinthians 4:5-10
It took me some time but, I have learned not to criticize or ridicule what others do for at least three reasons:
First, it might be something God has urged or told that person to do for his reasons. It might be to accomplish that persons desires or to improve upon their desires. If God tells us something, it usually does not make sense at the time, it usually is strange in the world's eyes. In Proverbs 3:5 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not upon your own understanding," God is saying, allow me.
Second, God might want a person to learn something from the experience, or for someone else to learn from that persons experiences. God sometimes engineers circumstances that does not at the time make sense to us. Other times God allows the decisions a person makes to continue, for a reason. After all he did give us a choice to make the final decision, good or bad.
Thrid, this is a biggy, if I criticize or ridicle someone, I learned that I will be criticized or ridicled equal to my offence. We are encouraged strongly to speak up and defend our faith and share the gospel, but it often draws criticism from non believers. We as believers, are called to be peacemakers,that does not mean to hide from those that oppose our beliefs. Romans 5:3-5
These are my experiences and beliefs. Learn from my mistakes or my good decisions, save yourself some troubles. I have enough to share with all.
God Bless!
11 Corinthians 4:5-10
It took me some time but, I have learned not to criticize or ridicule what others do for at least three reasons:
First, it might be something God has urged or told that person to do for his reasons. It might be to accomplish that persons desires or to improve upon their desires. If God tells us something, it usually does not make sense at the time, it usually is strange in the world's eyes. In Proverbs 3:5 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not upon your own understanding," God is saying, allow me.
Second, God might want a person to learn something from the experience, or for someone else to learn from that persons experiences. God sometimes engineers circumstances that does not at the time make sense to us. Other times God allows the decisions a person makes to continue, for a reason. After all he did give us a choice to make the final decision, good or bad.
Thrid, this is a biggy, if I criticize or ridicle someone, I learned that I will be criticized or ridicled equal to my offence. We are encouraged strongly to speak up and defend our faith and share the gospel, but it often draws criticism from non believers. We as believers, are called to be peacemakers,that does not mean to hide from those that oppose our beliefs. Romans 5:3-5
These are my experiences and beliefs. Learn from my mistakes or my good decisions, save yourself some troubles. I have enough to share with all.
God Bless!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Father's and Children
Father's honor your children, for without them you would not be a dad. In Colossians 3:21--"Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged". Barring any physical problems, any young man can produce a child, but not every man will become a father. To become a father means; a man will have to want to raise up that child and take responsibility to teach him, to train him, and will need to be a shining example for that child. The child did not ask to be born or to be brought into this world. However it happened, a man is to be a man and take his responsibility to love and care for that child.
On the other hand, God says in many places of the Bible; Mark, Matthew, and others places, that Children are to Honor there parents and not to say evil about them for there will be consequences. Remember you would not be here without your parents having given birth for you. God allowed that birth to happen for a reason and your job is to honor them even though you do not agree on how they raised you. Perhaps they did you a favor and you still do not know it. There are reasons for every thing that happens and we are to accept what happened and learn lessons from it. If we were in our parents shoes we might have done as they did. Keep in mind, we older folks can tell you that no matter how good a child has it or has had it, they always think it should be different. The child thinks they can/could do better, and we hope they do. Perhaps you can do what you think they should have done with your children.
In any case, there will come a time when you will see that your father did what he could do, and how he had to do it. We can criticise all we want, but it does not change the past. The past is history and it is gone. Ask God to help you to accept the past and forgive your parents for what you think or thought was not right. You will be empowered for it. God will see to it. God Bless!
On the other hand, God says in many places of the Bible; Mark, Matthew, and others places, that Children are to Honor there parents and not to say evil about them for there will be consequences. Remember you would not be here without your parents having given birth for you. God allowed that birth to happen for a reason and your job is to honor them even though you do not agree on how they raised you. Perhaps they did you a favor and you still do not know it. There are reasons for every thing that happens and we are to accept what happened and learn lessons from it. If we were in our parents shoes we might have done as they did. Keep in mind, we older folks can tell you that no matter how good a child has it or has had it, they always think it should be different. The child thinks they can/could do better, and we hope they do. Perhaps you can do what you think they should have done with your children.
In any case, there will come a time when you will see that your father did what he could do, and how he had to do it. We can criticise all we want, but it does not change the past. The past is history and it is gone. Ask God to help you to accept the past and forgive your parents for what you think or thought was not right. You will be empowered for it. God will see to it. God Bless!
Monday, June 15, 2009
"Sharpening The Tools"
When I was young we lived on a farm, near my grandparents and later I worked five years on a farm. I remember that the farmer or helper was never idle. I always heard it said that idle hands is the devils workshop. If the weather was bad the farmer could not work outside, so they would work in the barn, stables or in the tool shed. All good farmers had a tool shed in the barn or very near the barn where they hung their tools or kept their tools neat and organized and ready. The farmer would go there and sharpen, oil or repair the tools that needed this done. The farmer was always prepared.
If the farmer did not tend to his tools, they would not be ready when he needed them and many times they would need somehthing in a hurry. The tools had to be in good working order at all times. Most all farmers had a large wet stone which was shaped in a wheel and it would go around by the person sitting on the seat and peddling like a bike. The round wet stone would go around and around and the person would then sharpen the tools.
We too should always be sharpening our tools. In life, we have to be ready for the unforseen obstacles or for Satan to be trying to get us to do something or say something we are not to say. It is what Satan does, we must always be prepared by sharpening our mental tools to be ready for the attack. We can do this by reading good materials, watching good TV programs, or by hanging out with good people and simply thinking good thoughts, we can not be idle.
If the farmer did not tend to his tools, they would not be ready when he needed them and many times they would need somehthing in a hurry. The tools had to be in good working order at all times. Most all farmers had a large wet stone which was shaped in a wheel and it would go around by the person sitting on the seat and peddling like a bike. The round wet stone would go around and around and the person would then sharpen the tools.
We too should always be sharpening our tools. In life, we have to be ready for the unforseen obstacles or for Satan to be trying to get us to do something or say something we are not to say. It is what Satan does, we must always be prepared by sharpening our mental tools to be ready for the attack. We can do this by reading good materials, watching good TV programs, or by hanging out with good people and simply thinking good thoughts, we can not be idle.
Friday, June 12, 2009
"Pop, Pop, Pop?"
I started to cook some barley, brown rice and couscous to make a salad. I knew it would take some time to cook, so I got my laptop and sat down to work. I eventually heard a very subtle pop, pop, pop and I related it to water dripping. When it got more persistent, I looked at the faucet, it does not drip I thought, then with the next pop I looked again, it is not dripping. Then it occurred to me, OH! I forget the food cooking and it was already an hour, I checked it and it went almost dry. I caught it in time and now it can cool for my salad.
That is how the Holy Spirit contacts us, we get a very subtle voice, sound or awakening and if we do not listen or get in touch with the our contact we may lose out on the very massage that is being sent to us. The Spirit was given to us when Jesus ascended into heaven when he left he gave a promise, it was gavento us as spoken to the apostles in the upper room before he died. He said, you will be given a helper to guide you, to direct you and to be with you all the time. The key is to ask Jesus into your heart and then he is there for you all the time but you must obey.
Do you have him with you? Do you listen when he speaks or notifies you that you need to do something, say something or to alert you to something? Just ask and you will receive. Then study and practice hearing him.
Bless You
That is how the Holy Spirit contacts us, we get a very subtle voice, sound or awakening and if we do not listen or get in touch with the our contact we may lose out on the very massage that is being sent to us. The Spirit was given to us when Jesus ascended into heaven when he left he gave a promise, it was gavento us as spoken to the apostles in the upper room before he died. He said, you will be given a helper to guide you, to direct you and to be with you all the time. The key is to ask Jesus into your heart and then he is there for you all the time but you must obey.
Do you have him with you? Do you listen when he speaks or notifies you that you need to do something, say something or to alert you to something? Just ask and you will receive. Then study and practice hearing him.
Bless You
Thursday, June 11, 2009
"Grandma and Grandpa"
Last week on TV they were celebrating "Donut Day", and all of a sudden I remembered something from my little girl days. I had not thought this in 40/50 years. I am not sure how old I was but, several times my grandpa "M", took me to town with him to deliver, I think eggs. This would have to have been during the Second World War. Grandpa had the first car in our area, grandma had inherited a few dollars from her family that had passed on. She bought grandpa the car, boy was he proud. I found this a real privilege to be invited to go, for grandpa rarely invited me to go along with him, maybe my brother but not me, he was a bit older and the first grand boy. I was the third granddaughter, the first two lived in Akron, Ohio, we were in the country and lived near to our grandparents. I can not remember many of the details as to why I was along, and/or whether I even got out of the car (a Ford Model A/T) being a girl I really did not know cars and really did not care.
Grandpa did his delivery/shopping, and then we stopped at a Donut Shop. I think I went with him two times and each time he did the same thing. He brought back an Eclair for me each time. Boy was that good, I still today like the Eclair the best of all donuts.
That reminded me of my grandma Jenny too! She hid sugar cookies in a five gallon can in her bedroom. You see during the war and shortly after, sugar was rationed so there was not many sweets for anyone. But I remember on a few occasions grandma would motion for me to follow her into her bedroom, no one was allowed to go in there. She would open the can lid and say take one, only one! OH that was a good cookie even though it had just a tad of sugar in it.
Grandpa did his delivery/shopping, and then we stopped at a Donut Shop. I think I went with him two times and each time he did the same thing. He brought back an Eclair for me each time. Boy was that good, I still today like the Eclair the best of all donuts.
That reminded me of my grandma Jenny too! She hid sugar cookies in a five gallon can in her bedroom. You see during the war and shortly after, sugar was rationed so there was not many sweets for anyone. But I remember on a few occasions grandma would motion for me to follow her into her bedroom, no one was allowed to go in there. She would open the can lid and say take one, only one! OH that was a good cookie even though it had just a tad of sugar in it.
"Flowers are like Friends"
Flowers come in all shapes, sizes, some real colorful, some dull, some loyal and hang around for ever and some just for the moment.
Some flowers are in your life for a season, or a reason, usually to teach you something or to be a temporary helper.
Some flowers are there in the garden just to hide under or around the pretty ones and they are not noticed much but they find shelter there for a time.
Some flowers are beautiful and smell wonderful and they cheer you for the moment but are soon gone.
There are the flowers that come into your life and together you make a beautiful bouquet but separate most are ugly.
There are flowers that come back year after year and light up the landscape with brilliance when clustered together.
There are wildflowers that just lite where ever their seeds land and are helter skelter.
Some flowers smell with such fragrance they drive you insane, like the star jasmine.
Flowers like people have thorns and stickers that hurt you and cause you infections, those you enjoy from a distance and stay away from.
Yes, I think flowers are like friends, I like the constant ones that are loyal and dependable and the ones that can accept you for who you are and appreciate what you can bring to them and they can bring to you.
God has made all kinds we have to be discriminating and chose the right ones for us.
What flowers do you allow in your yard/life?
Some flowers are in your life for a season, or a reason, usually to teach you something or to be a temporary helper.
Some flowers are there in the garden just to hide under or around the pretty ones and they are not noticed much but they find shelter there for a time.
Some flowers are beautiful and smell wonderful and they cheer you for the moment but are soon gone.
There are the flowers that come into your life and together you make a beautiful bouquet but separate most are ugly.
There are flowers that come back year after year and light up the landscape with brilliance when clustered together.
There are wildflowers that just lite where ever their seeds land and are helter skelter.
Some flowers smell with such fragrance they drive you insane, like the star jasmine.
Flowers like people have thorns and stickers that hurt you and cause you infections, those you enjoy from a distance and stay away from.
Yes, I think flowers are like friends, I like the constant ones that are loyal and dependable and the ones that can accept you for who you are and appreciate what you can bring to them and they can bring to you.
God has made all kinds we have to be discriminating and chose the right ones for us.
What flowers do you allow in your yard/life?
"The Rotating Sprinkler"
We have a sprinkler that is to rotate. Unfortunately it sticks. It will get started and then rotate until I get back in the house and then sticks again, I get so frustrated.
I can not help thinking that is what many of us do where God is concerned. We ask forgiveness for what we have done or not done,and then we get busy for a few days or weeks working hard for him and then we get stuck, and stop reading, studying, or praying. We get stuck until we get all shook up about something and then we start rotation again, then we make promises to the Lord and start working again but then we get stuck again.
Why can't we get ourselves disciplined so we do not get stuck like that sprinkler? It is not hard to follow what is expected of us if we practice, discipline ourselves and listen to the Holy Spirit.
God Bless
I can not help thinking that is what many of us do where God is concerned. We ask forgiveness for what we have done or not done,and then we get busy for a few days or weeks working hard for him and then we get stuck, and stop reading, studying, or praying. We get stuck until we get all shook up about something and then we start rotation again, then we make promises to the Lord and start working again but then we get stuck again.
Why can't we get ourselves disciplined so we do not get stuck like that sprinkler? It is not hard to follow what is expected of us if we practice, discipline ourselves and listen to the Holy Spirit.
God Bless
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
"Our Thought Life"
We have many areas of our life which we do not share with others, at least we think not. But infact we share quit a bit, not all but, we do share our thoughts and feelings. Our thoughts show through in our attitudes, our body actions and what we say. Our feelings are governed by our thought life too! We think that the thoughts and feelings are own, but indeed what shows through are like a reflections of what we are thinking.
God calls us to live a Godly Holy life (1Peter. 1:15-16), he was our example. To become as much like him as we can, which takes time and practice. We are to be reflections of him or the evil one. It does not happen over night. Who we were in our youth and middle years is not who we are in the winter of our years. That is, if we have taken the time to reflect and study ourselves and our thought life.
First, our thoughts control our actions and since that is the case we should prepare our day with positive clean thoughts. Ridding our mind of: selfishness, anger, hate, thoughts that demean ourselves and others, simply put, ugly negative thinking, some call it stinken thinkin.
Every day as we awake we need to prepare our mind and our day (2 Cor.13: 5). Get rid of any unpure thoughts, thoughts just show to others and make life very unpleasant for everyone around us. This will happen if we have accepted Jesus as our savior and then the Holy Spirit will be in our thoughts and will guide us, that is if we choose for that to happen. We have a helper the Holy Spirit, but we have been given the choice to make the decisions oursleves and then pay the consequences of those bad actions (boy have I paid). If we choose wisely time will renew our mind to a clean and pure mind (Rom 12:2), with good thoughts.
Clean thoughts lend to a pure and clean day. My grandmother Jenny most always had good thoughts, so she sang to renew her mind. I think it worked. I can still hear her singing, in the kitchen, in the garden, on the way to church, "The Old Rugged Cross" and many more. She was a good woman.
I wish everyone who reads this a pure heart, pure mind and clean daily thoughts.
God calls us to live a Godly Holy life (1Peter. 1:15-16), he was our example. To become as much like him as we can, which takes time and practice. We are to be reflections of him or the evil one. It does not happen over night. Who we were in our youth and middle years is not who we are in the winter of our years. That is, if we have taken the time to reflect and study ourselves and our thought life.
First, our thoughts control our actions and since that is the case we should prepare our day with positive clean thoughts. Ridding our mind of: selfishness, anger, hate, thoughts that demean ourselves and others, simply put, ugly negative thinking, some call it stinken thinkin.
Every day as we awake we need to prepare our mind and our day (2 Cor.13: 5). Get rid of any unpure thoughts, thoughts just show to others and make life very unpleasant for everyone around us. This will happen if we have accepted Jesus as our savior and then the Holy Spirit will be in our thoughts and will guide us, that is if we choose for that to happen. We have a helper the Holy Spirit, but we have been given the choice to make the decisions oursleves and then pay the consequences of those bad actions (boy have I paid). If we choose wisely time will renew our mind to a clean and pure mind (Rom 12:2), with good thoughts.
Clean thoughts lend to a pure and clean day. My grandmother Jenny most always had good thoughts, so she sang to renew her mind. I think it worked. I can still hear her singing, in the kitchen, in the garden, on the way to church, "The Old Rugged Cross" and many more. She was a good woman.
I wish everyone who reads this a pure heart, pure mind and clean daily thoughts.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
God's Glow
It is 6:00 AM. I just woke up. I am looking out my window at the beautiful sunrise. I see clouds of different colors. Beautiful. Some dark and gray, orange, white and some holes where the blue is showing through. The formations keep changing as they move through the atmosphere from the force of the wind. The clouds are fluffy, some with the touches of light on them. The touches are from the sun peering through and touching the dark clouds. The sun is touching the clouds from the East and mostly at the sides or edges. It is a wonderful sight and they keep changing as they move the sun hits them. Right now the sun pushed through and it is shining in my window. It is warming the area. It is so bright and a warm feeling is all around. It is so great to have this strong blinding light coming to me. How special I feel for it just does it all by itself. I do not have to do anything, just accept it.
It makes me think how we have dark clouds in our lives off and on. But, if we allow God's light to shine through, His light touches us and it helps us to look and feel so beautiful. We just have to be in the right position with him. When we are in the right place with our Maker, looking in His direction, we receive that illuminating glow and a new perspective of what is going around us just happens. It is so fabulous!! and exciting. God Bless those that are reading this!
It makes me think how we have dark clouds in our lives off and on. But, if we allow God's light to shine through, His light touches us and it helps us to look and feel so beautiful. We just have to be in the right position with him. When we are in the right place with our Maker, looking in His direction, we receive that illuminating glow and a new perspective of what is going around us just happens. It is so fabulous!! and exciting. God Bless those that are reading this!
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