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“The blessings of the Lord, it maketh rich, and He added no sorrow to it.”  Proverbs 10:22 KJV

The key to understanding this verse is understanding what rich is.  What blessings of God makes us rich? Our riches are those stored in our heart, the unexpected moments that occur in life that take our breath away, those are our riches.  Riches can’t be bought, they can’t be manufactured, they can only be given by God, with them there is no sorrow.

Wisdom is one of God’s riches, that comes with no sorrow.  You never know where you’re going to find tidbits of wisdom.  I found wisdom watching a Netflix original show; the main character is separated from her partner.  In the scene she’s with a group of friends, sharing her anxiety that her partner is going to do something rash and stupid.  One of the friends looks at her and simply says, “Does her partner have a history of doing rash and stupid things?” The heroine didn’t answer as she stopped and thought about this for a moment.  She realized quickly, her partner didn’t have a history of doing rash and stupid things, she did. God revealed two bits of wisdom from this random television scene to me. First, when I become anxious that my husband is going to make a bad decision,  I need to ask myself this question: Is it his style to do rash and stupid? I immediately know it isn’t, I can then allow myself to trust him more as I focus on the truth. Secondly, I realized how easily we project our own issues onto others. As in the case above, she was projecting her own actions onto her partner.  I do the same thing to Ron, there are times I’m afraid he’s going to mishandle a situation because of his emotions, but that’s not Ron. He doesn’t let his emotions rule his decisions, I do. I have to remind myself not to project my issues onto him. Wisdom is one of the blessings of God’s riches, with it comes now sorrow.

Not only does God’s blessings make us rich, with no sorrow added to it, they bring us peace.  There is a situation Ron and I are working through which has brought me angst. I’ve been asking for God’s peace in the situation.  God used this television scene to bring me peace. By helping me remember how level headed and thorough my husband is in his decision making, I find peace.  By reminding me not to project my issues onto Ron, it brings me peace. God also revealed a blind spot to me in my life with this scene. He unveiled to me in a loving way the importance of not letting our emotions control us.  Once I realized I was projecting onto Ron my own emotional response, I can actually deal with the truth: I respond emotionally. I’m learning to identify my emotional responses to situations, and not let my emotions rule me. God’s blessings, maketh one rich, and no sorrow is added to it.  Riches aren’t money, riches are far greater than money.

“But a Samaritan on his journey came to him, and when he saw the man, he had compassion.” Luke 10:33 CSB

Confession time, I found a list of 101 random acts of kindness I’m using as a cheat sheet for ideas.  I found the list on pinterest, then I play little games with the list. Today, I decided whichever random act I landed on with my highlighter, I’d write a devotional on it.  And this is what I landed on: Recycle things you see on the road. I immediately thought of the Good Samaritan, who we will call Sam. Here’s a long story short found in Mathew 10. Jesus used this parable to answer the question: who is my neighbor?  There is a man beaten on the side of the road, the first person to pass him by is the Priest. In other words, the Lead Pastor of the church kept strolling when he saw a man bleeding and dying. Next came the Levite, who also keeps on walking. Levites are God’s chosen people, they’ve been manning the Temple from the beginning of time.  He kept on walking too. But Sam doesn’t, Sam stops and helps him. He goes beyond helping him on the side of the road, he takes him to a hotel and pays the bill. The guy was amazing, but according to the Priests and Levites, the Samaritans were scum of the earth. God didn’t love them. Yet when Jesus wanted to illustratrate the point, “who is your neighbor?”, He used this story.  Your neighbor is everyone.

There’s another point to this story.  My Bible doesn’t say “who” the man was in the ditch.  He very well may have been a Samaritan, maybe that is why Sam helped him, we’ll never know.  But if the first two men who professed to love God so much, men whose lives were spent trying to follow His law, why didn’t they help?  How can you spend all of your time studying God’s word and yet not show love to people? I know, since I started back to school, I’ve studied God’s word more than I ever have before in my life.  His word has changed me. I’m not the same person I was 9 months ago. He has healed me. He has challenged me. He has grown me. And I feel like the journey has just begun. How could these men  walk by a man on the side of the road and not help him? Because they didn’t know Jesus, that’s why. The Priest and the Levite’s hearts weren’t focused on God and others, their hearts were focused on themselves.  They probably didn’t even notice the guy because they were caught up on their phones. I’ve done the same thing. I’ve not noticed people before, I’m ashamed to admit it, but I have. I’ve been too busy to notice someone standing right beside me.  I’ve missed Divine Appointments, because I was too busy thinking about myself. I’m trying to change that, but the journey ahead is long and the road is not easy.

But today, I can recycle things on the road.  Maybe I’ll recycle a tin can, or maybe I’ll help heal a broken heart.  May you do the same! God only knows which way the day will go!

“He will cover you with his feathers; you will take refuge under His wings.  His faithfulness will be a protective shield.” Psalm 91:4 CSB

Today is the five year anniversary of God calling Cody boy back to Him.  He died from the terrible disease of diabetes. The verse above is the one my family and I have clung to since that day. When we find a feather, to us, it is Cody saying hello from heaven.  I’d like to share a little bit of him with you today. His presence in my life, for the brief 20 years we had him, was amazing. He helped me grow and love like I never had before him.  He was not perfect, no one is, but he was perfect to me. Cody had an old soul, he was wiser than I will ever be. There was a period of time where I was fighting with his dad, we weren’t speaking.  Cody was better than both of us, he rose above the family squabble and loved us both. He was an amazing young man.

I recently started therapy, it has helped me immensely, although it was very difficult for me to do. God is taking me on an interesting journey.  My therapist is having me read a book on grief. She gave the book to me two weeks ago, it took me a week and a half before I could pick it up. Once I started reading it, I started identifying with what it was saying. The book, “On Grief and Grieving: Finding the Meaning of Grief through the Five Stages of Loss,” by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, M.D. and David Kessler, was written while Elisabeth was dying.  In fact, she died before the book was completed and David finished the book. My therapist is helping me understand grief is an ongoing process, it doesn’t magically end one day. I’ve begun to realize, I’m still grieving the loss of my Dad over 30 years ago. But it is also teaching me about the circle of life and death. We always want to talk about life, but we don’t like to talk about death.

Life and death are interconnected, neither should be feared when your life is in Christ.  My favorite story from the book so far is about Margaret and Frank, a couple who had been married 50 years. Margaret had a terminal illness, she was petrified of dying because she would leave  Frank. She couldn’t bare the thought of being apart from him. Just hours before she died, Margaret told Frank, it was finally ok to go. When Frank asked, “Why now?”, Margaret responded, “Because God told me you’re already there.”  This puzzled Frank until he realized, God and heaven are outside of time and space. On earth, it may be another 10 years before Frank sees Maragaret again, but where Margaret is going, it will seem like only a couple of seconds have passed.  I’ve also learned, in the last five years, I love Cody more now than ever. He lives on in me, and my family. He touched so many lives, every life he touched carries him with them. We may be physically apart, but we are always spiritually connected. One day, we’ll see each other again, and it will only seem like seconds.

I hope this brings comfort to any broken hearts out there.  Pray for my sister-in-law Jill today as she grieves the loss of her son on this anniversary.

“And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.” Ephesians 4:32 CSB

This is our verse of the month.  You will see this verse on the Scatter Cards we made for you.  We had a 1000 of these cards printed. I’m hoping we will have none left at the end of this month, but if we do, we do.  We can’t out dream God. If you haven’t asked for any yet, haven’t received yours, or just need some, comment below and we’ll get some to you right away.  God gave me the idea to have a Random Acts of Kindness month because of Waters Edge Church’s (WEC) Love Week. I’ve participated in many of these in the past when we attended there, my favorite was the Random Acts of Kindness cards.  Those cards forced me out of my comfort zone to actually help a person. Understand, I was a single woman for 42 years before I got married, I traveled for work, I had a lot of very scary things happen to me in those years. I am afraid of people, because I am aware how much people hurt you.  But I’m working on that with my therapist.

Recently, I learned from my therapist the best form of therapy for me, after having a car accident years ago, is exposure therapy.  Exposure therapy simply means getting back on the horse. When you fall off of a horse, the longer you wait to get back on it, the more likely you never will.  But if you’re able and can, getting right back on the horse will save you from your fear. Random Acts of Kindness is exposure therapy for me. I have been hurt deeply by people, therefore I struggle letting people into my life.  But doing Random Acts of Kindness during Love Week when we were at WEC made me face my fear of people. The other day I bought lunch for one of our country’s Navy men to thank him for his service. Buying him lunch was the highlight of my day with God, there is a time I would have never done such a thing.  Even better, when I told him I was buying his lunch, he said no, he was buying lunch for his wife as well, he couldn’t accept. I said, “I’m buying both.” There is a day my fear of people would have never let me do something like buy a stranger(s) lunch. Praise God, those days of fear are gone. 

Each day we’ll have a new suggestion for a way to scatter kindness.  Some days you’ll be able to do them, some days you won’t. My prayer is that no one will feel pressure to do this.  I’m praying we all have a little fun, scatter kindness wherever we are, and glorify God. Let’s see if we can make it into a lifestyle instead of just a month.  Every person you see today, the Lord loves. You get to represent Him to them. The easiest way to scatter some kindness is with a smile, don’t even have to give them a card.  This month is going to be good!

“How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony.”  Psalm 133:1 CSB

In order to live in harmony with anyone else, we have to be in harmony with ourselves.  I recently purchased some new bras from a place I’ve shopped for years. I always love the end of July, the beginning of August because it is clearance time for them.  Clearance is the only way I shop, God’s clear, we’re not to waste money. This morning, as I was putting on my new piece of clothing, God reminded me of a story I wanted to share with all of you.

When I was in highschool, I loved Home Economics.  I’m not sure this class even exists now, but it is where I learned to cook and sew, neither of them very well, but I learned.  My senior year, I spent a lot of time with the Home Ec teacher, I’m sorry to say I can’t remember her name. But she was extremely skinny, always dieting, very insecure about her looks.  I remember that about her. One day, we were working on costumes for the school play when she told me a story I have never forgotten. When she was in college she had a roommate that had weight issues.  Apparently she was very fat. But she always had a boyfriend and she had lots of friends. This baffled my teacher, because she was skinny and pretty and didn’t have a boyfriend or a lot of friends. My teacher finally asked her what she was doing wrong?  Why didn’t she have a boyfriend or a lot of friends? This is what her roommate told her. She said it was her underwear. She said she always wore matching bras and panties to remind herself, it’s what is on the inside that matters, not what was on the outside.  I have to confess, I’ve worn matching undergarments ever since. Because I realized she was right, I understood the message she was trying to tell me. What is on the inside is more important than what is on the outside.

When we remember this truth, we will be in harmony with ourselves.  When we are in harmony with ourselves, we will be in harmony with other people.  We’ll be able to see the truth and speak the truth in love. We won’t take everything personally and be offended easily.  We’ll understand everyone is struggling in some way, just as we are. Everyone is fighting a battle, sometimes the inner battle comes out in hurtful actions.  If so, it just means they are hurting themselves. When Jesus is what is inside of us, we’ll find the harmony we so desperately need, not only with ourselves, but others.

“Iron sharpens iron, and one person sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17 CSB

Knife sharpening, according to Wikipedia, is the process of making a knife sharp by grinding against a hard, rough surface, typically a stone, or a flexible surface with hard particles, such as sandpaper. In the same way, when iron rubs against iron, the friction it produces sharpens iron, both pieces, not just one.  Sharpening a blade is not easy work, it causes friction, sparks can fly, there is nothing about the process that is smooth sailing. Sharpening takes time, it takes more than one swipe to sharpen iron, the motion has to be repeated over and over again. The same happens with people, sharpening means having difficult conversations over time, done in love, with gentle persistence.

We often read this verse and gloss over it.  We think of it as rubbing up against someone once or twice and it having an effect on us.  There is no doubt, one encounter with a person can change the course of someone’s life, but that isn’t normally how it happens.  When two people sharpen each other, it’s typically a long drawn out process. If we are truly to sharpen each other, it takes persistence in the friendship.  For instance, I’ve known Heather for about three years now. When we first met, we didn’t have the friendship we have today. Our first conversation wasn’t nearly as deep as the conversations we have now.  We have sharpened each other in the time since we met, but it has been a slow sharpening, it’s a continual sharpening that happens every time we’re together. The more honest and transparent we are with each other, the more our friendship deepens and grows, the more we are sharpened.

If you notice in the definition above, sandpaper is used in the process of sharpening the knife.  Over and over again, the rough edges are rubbed against the knife to sharpen it. If you have ever rubbed your hand across sandpaper, you know it’s not a good feeling.  In fact, if you rub your skin long enough with the paper, it will take off the layers of skin and cause you to bleed. But in the end the knife is better for it. In the same way, conversations between friends can be like sandpaper sharpening the knife.  Friendships that sharpen people are not easy, they can definitely rub you the wrong way, they are full of truths you need to hear, but don’t want to hear. When we have conversations like these, done in love, by a persistent, loving friend, they will change us.  These life giving conversations will allow the truth into our lives and uncover areas we need sharpened. We can allow the sharpening because we know it’s done in love, by a friend. These conversations happen over time, not too much at once, just enough, slowly and persistently.  Iron sharpening iron, friends sharpening friends.

“Just as you want others to do for you, do the same for them.” Luke 6:31 CSB

This morning on the news I saw a story about a young Mom in Alabama.  She received an anonymous letter from one of her neighbors. The letter stated her over grown yard needed to be cleaned up.  According to this neighbor, her lack of yard work was decreasing the property value of the neighborhood. This neighbor concluded the letter by saying, “You can do better.  Do better!” The young mom, not knowing what to do or who to address since the letter was anonymous, decided to post it, along with her explanation on social media. Randa Raglan’s three year old son, Jaxen was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma last October.  Since that time he has been in the hospital over 20 times and has had seven surgeries. The cancer is a rare, aggressive type that has attacked his bones. The lives of this family revolve around doctor and hospital visits. A link to their story can be found here.  Randa has had more important things on her mind than mowing the lawn.

This story illustrates a very important point we all need to remember; we never truly know what someone else is going through.  We can only see in part, not in whole (1 Corinthians 13:12 NIV). We, as a society, judge too quickly. We jump to conclusions that are not true, and we think we know what we’re talking about.  What someone meant for harm, God meant for good. As a result of her post, the community has rallied around Randa. Her neighbors have come together and cleaned up her yard. Not only have they cleaned up her yard for her, a Facebook support group has been started as well as a gofundme page.  These neighbors have renewed Randa’s hope: “It literally has helped my entire family’s faith in humanity because when you go through something like this, people are ugly or unkind. You know it just lowers your spirit more you know? It just makes you feel like you’re alone but to see so many people that don’t know me come out and do for my family, it’s beautiful.”

My heart aches not only for Randa, but others who are suffering in silence, facing unthinkable circumstances with no one to help them.  Whoever wrote the note to Randa did her a favor in the end, it forced her to share her story and get the help she needed. I hope and pray we’ll all remember this story when we jump to a conclusion about someone.  I pray we all will remember we don’t have all of the facts, we only see in part. I pray, before we decide on a course of action we’ll take the time to find out more about whatever it is. Everyone on this earth is fighting a battle, most of them unseen.  The harder people try to cover their struggles up, the bigger the battle they are fighting. Let’s become people who look past the exterior and take time to find out what battles are being fought, then let’s come alongside them and help them find victory. Let’s be the kind of friend we want others to be to us.

“Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.”  1 Corinthians 15:33 CSB

If you’re mom was anything like my mom, she was always on you about who you hung out with as a child.  My mom drove me nuts, God forbid I hang out with anyone who might get me into trouble. I would love to tell my mother the truth I have learned, we’re all bad company. I would love to tell her the only person who is not bad company is Jesus.  Every other person on this earth, they are all bad company, including me. One day I will tell her when we meet again in heaven, until then, I’ll tell you. That is literally the point of God’s love for us, He knows that. He knows how corrupt we all are, He sent Jesus to save us from ourselves.  We’re all bad company, Mom; all of us but Jesus.

Have you noticed Heather’s Monday posts?  Every Monday Heather posts a random question.  She does this intentionally to get you guys talking to each other, she wants to  help you get to know one another better. That is why she always makes them fun and light, nothing heavy.  I love them, I think Heather has a unique gift for doing them. Today’s was a favorite movie and why. I posted “Gone with the Wind” because I have always wanted to be Scarlett, yet the scene I mentioned in my post was one of grace.  For those who haven’t seen the movie, it’s set in the old south in the Civil War era. The story revolves around Scarlett O’hara, the most beautiful belle in all of the south, spoiled rotten. She is in love with Ashley, who is married to Melanie.  At one point in the movie, she throws herself shamelessly on Ashley. Now Scarlett is also married, but her husband knows her for exactly who she is. When he finds out, he dresses her in a red dress and takes her to a gathering at Melanie and Ashley’s house.  Picture it, everyone knows what you have done and you’re about to come face to face with the truth. For the first time Scarlett thinks about someone other than herself as she looks in the sweet face of Melanie. And you know what Melanie does? She walks across the room with open arms and welcomes Scarlett into her home.  That my friends, is a true follower of Christ, that is a friend.

Ironically, I had never seen the movie that way before today.  Becky commented on my picture. As I was responding to her, I realized something. I realized, when I was younger I always wanted to be Scarlett, but now that I’m older, I want to be Melanie.  Scarlett was beautiful, all the boys were in love with her, she lived in a mansion with servants all around her. Who wouldn’t want to be her? Melanie was plane jane, her marriage was arranged, she had nothing compared to  Scarlett. Why would you want to be her? I thought the answers to those questions were fairly obvious, but now I realize, they aren’t I wasn’t answering them from a spiritual perspective, I was answering them from a worldly perspective. I didn’t realize until today, I want to be like Melanie because she is most like Christ.  There is nothing about Scarlett’s behavior that is like Christ, but Melanie there is. Melanie’s Christlikeness comes from her actions, not her words. I want my actions to speak louder than my words. I want those actions to be actions of love. I want to be like Melanie.

“Oil and incense bring joy to the heart, and the sweetness of a friend is better than self-counsel.” Proverbs 27:9 CSB

I learned where the term “man’s best friend” originated and I wanted to share it with all of you as we close out the dog days of summer.  George Graham Vest was a lawyer in 1870. He represented a man who had a deep love for his dog, Old Drum. One day a neighbor shot Old Drum because he was trespassing on his land.  Vest’s case against the neighbor was that he had killed more than just a dog, he had killed a member of the family. Vest famously stated, “The one absolute, unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world—the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous—is his dog.”  That is where the term “Man’s best friend” originated. And anyone who has a dog know they truly are our best friend.

There is a lot to learn from dogs about friendship.  They have short memories when it comes to wrongs we have done to them, yet long memories to the love we share.  They are always happy to see us when we walk through the door. When we’re sad, they are sad with us, when we’re happy they’re happy.  They fit our emotions, whatever they may be. Dogs love unconditionally, they always have our back. No one will ever sneak up on us as long as our dogs are around, they always let us know when someone is coming.  They protect us from danger, they will give their life to protect their master. They snuggle with us on cold days, swim with us on hot ones and follow us wherever we go. They mirror God to us in their faithfulness to us, and their acceptance of us.  Dogs enjoy their lives unashamedly, they don’t care what people think about them, they just love being with them. Dogs are joy filled and they bring joy to those they love. If only people were more like dogs, what a wonderful place this would be. As if to prove my point, I just took a quick break from writing this, when I walked out of my office, my dog is sitting at the top of my steps waiting for me to finish working so I can play with him.  And he will be there when I finish, no matter how long it takes.

There are a lot of things in life that bring heartache, but dogs aren’t one of them.  In them we find a reflection of God’s unconditional love for us in its purest form. Simple, uncomplicated, no pretense, just love.  Let’s take a lesson from their book today and just love whoever we’re with, simply, faithfully, unconditionally. Let’s be like man’s best friend.

“For the Lord takes pleasure in His people, He adorns the humble with salvation.” Psalm 149:4

I got to go home this past weekend to Tidal, PA.  My brother invited my husband and I last minute on a golfing trip with him and his lifelong friend, Shawn.  Going back to Tidal, for me, is like going home. I spent the first 12 years of my life there, living in a little house on a hill.  One of our group members’ lives in that house now, she has raised her family there in the past 30 plus years since we left. I know my childhood home is well taken care of and still full of love. I felt like a kid again this weekend, back playing ball with the boys out in the backyard.  I was able to share this precious place with my husband in a way he had never experienced before this.  

Pennsylvania is a beautiful state, they call it the rolling hills of PA.  And they are, I was holding on for dear life as we raced from one golf course to the next in our quest to complete 63 holes in 48 hours.  A glorious weekend filled with the beautiful countryside of PA. We saw a horse and buggy going about his business in the Amish country. The landscape was breathtaking as we stood on top of the hills, waiting to tee off.  But what I loved most was the people. I loved witnessing the friendship between my brother and his best friend. I loved the conversations we had about days gone by, adventures long over, and the stories I hadn’t heard. I loved seeing my life long friend Lori, running into her at breakfast, visiting with her over dinner, priceless.  I loved watching the love between Shawn and his wife, a love so deep it takes my breath away. And I loved visiting Reva and her son Gary, the first time I’ve been able to see them and offer my condolences for the loss of her son, his brother this past spring. All of these people are my family. They have known me my entire life, they know my ups and downs, as I know theirs.  A piece of my heart will always live in Tidal, it will always be home to me.

Being happy with what you have isn’t about things, it’s about people.  The people who you love and who love you. Making them a priority in your life, enjoying their presence will bring you happiness in the moment.  The moments are all we have, none of us knows what tomorrow will bring, but we know what is right in front of us right now. Make the most of your moments with the people you love, let them take your breath away.  Let the moments God gives you with them make you yearn for more. Don’t take today for granted, be happy where you are. Look for God in the midst of your day and you will find Him. You find Him in the knowing glance between friends, in the hug that offers condolences and in the love that is shared silently between people who have lived life together, the good and the bad.  He is always there, in the moments, if you just look for Him. When you find Him, you will find His joy.