Thistles, dandelions, and clover, oh my!

"Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown." --Jesus Matthew 13:7-8

We moved to Idaho 5 years ago. While we were in California we were trying to buy a house next to our church in Idaho from a man in Texas. We had seen the house in the Spring and now it was summer. He accepted our bid before we left for Idaho and so we were homeless for our first 3 weeks here in Idaho. Well, not really homeless. Our new friends at church graciously let us stay with them.

Sometime the water had been turned off and not turned back on. The beautiful lawn that we had seen in the Spring now was dry and full of weeds. The most noticible one was the thistle. It was most noticible because it was the tallest and it hurt!

I don't know how many thistles that I have pulled. Dave is allergic to them and they don't bother me too much. I have pretty much gotten rid of most of them from coming back in most of my flower beds, but the lawn is another story. Just yesterday I spent another day pulling thistles from the lawn before it was mowed. Once mowed the thistles still hurt your bare feet. We've tried poison....it just made yellow splotches on the lawn and they still came back. Really they need to be completely pulled out with the entire root. We've mowed, poisoned and yanked them out. I do have a large patch of lawn that is thistle free! Removing thistles takes a lot of determination and stubborness. To be honest I haven't been too consistent on all of that. But since they are such a pain, literally, I keep working on it.

Thistles remind me of stuff in my life that cause me pain. Sometimes I deal with it when it is little and so the pain is little. But when I let it grow, getting rid of it causes a lot of pain.

We had dandylions in California. I remember having so much fun blowing the seeds and watching them fly. Now when I see them I think of all the plants I'll end up pulling up so I try to quickly get rid of the plant before it even flowers. I worked hard in CA to get my lawn dandylion free. I was very determined and quick at pulling these weeds out of my lawn. Here though, since I have been really concentrating on the thistles I have unfortunatly slipped into a bad habit of just letting the dandylions stay. They don't look too bad and they don't hurt when you step on them.

Dandylions remind me of the stuff in my life that I know I should get rid of, but it doesn't really hurt me too much. It just doesn't look as nice. They are my bad habits. They don't really hurt anyone. But they do hurt me.

Last year I noticed some clover growing in my lawn. It was a rather new addtion to my list of lawn foes. I pulled up some of it...but again, because of the thistle and growing dandylion population I kind of put it on hold and didn't deal with it too much. Clover looks kind of cool. But it is choking out my lawn. I discovered this yesterday when I noticed that it sent shoots along the soil, at the base of the grass. Mowing didn't really take care of anything, but most of the flowers.

Clover reminds me of the hinderances of my life that way my life down and entangle me. It's stuff that I choose to get involved in that chokes out the really important things.

"The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."--Jesus Matthew 13:22-23

I want to make sure that I read God's word and allow it to work in my life. I want to be teachable and humble. I want to work through conflict to work towards love. (1 Corinthians 13)I want to deal with the bad habits in my life and make new habits. (1 John 1:9) I want to not have my life choked up with things that hinder my main goals. (Hebrews 12:1-3)

The Good Shepherd

"The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice..."I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me""—Jesus John 10: 2-5, 14

A shepherd takes care of his sheep. He leads them to good places for nourashment and besides still water to drink from. He guards them, protects them. He always has their best interest in mind. Sometimes that means making sheep do what they do not want to do.

When a shepherd shears the sheep he has to get under all the wool to the flesh to make sure he does not cut the sheep in the process. A good shepherd will really know his sheep.

Jesus promises me that he is a good shepherd.

King David wrote in Psalm 23 "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want."

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." --Jesus Matthew 6:25-34

I am so glad that I have a shepherd who is interested in me...

but not just me, those around me as well!

TRUST...

....is not a matter of me or my faith, it's a matter of what or who I trust in.

On a coin it says, "In God We Trust."

King David put it this way, "Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed; he answers him from his holy heaven with the saving power of his right hand. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm.

Psalm 20:6-8 (New International Version)

The Miriam-Webster dictionary has this, "1trust
Pronunciation: \ˈtrəst\ Function: noun Etymology: Middle English, probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse traust trust; akin to Old English trēowe faithful — more at true
Date: 13th century
1 a: assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something b: one in which confidence is placed2 a: dependence on something future or contingent : hope b: reliance on future payment for property (as merchandise) delivered : credit 3 a: a property interest held by one person for the benefit of another b: a combination of firms or corporations formed by a legal agreement ; especially : one that reduces or threatens to reduce competition4archaic : trustworthiness5 a (1): a charge or duty imposed in faith or confidence or as a condition of some relationship (2): something committed or entrusted to one to be used or cared for in the interest of another b: responsible charge or office c: care, custody — in trust : in the care or possession of a trustee"

I'm talking about #1. assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something.

1way2God.net states God's character as, "God is independent, unchangeable, eternal and omnipresent. He exists as a spiritual being, having no form or dimensions, and is omniscient (all-knowing), wise, truthful, faithful, good, loving, merciful, graceful, patient, holy, at peace, righteous and just, jealous for His own honour, wrathful towards sin, perfect in every way, beautiful beyond comprehension, and is glorified through the revelation of Himself."

John says in 1 John that God is love. God is love and He loves me (John 3:16 "For God so loved the world (that's me!) that He gave His only begotten Son (that's Jesus) that whoever believes in Him might not perish, but have eternal life (that's why Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave)". Powerful stuff for me that's for sure!

Since God is love and He loves me I can trust in Him. He is completely trustworthy.

Now I know that it is easy to trust when all is well. Might I also suggest that it is easy to trust when all is not well when you have history, when you know the character of the one in whom you trust.

All this to say....my transmission is blown. It will not work any longer. UGH! My God is able to do more than I could ever imagine. My God loves me more than I will ever really know. My God is trustworthy even when my transmission blows (not just in the car, but blows a huge hole in my budget).

Some trust in chariots (like a certain Honda Pilot) and some in horses, but I will trust in the name of the Lord!

Home, Sweet Home

Home is where the heart is....so they say....well, whoever "they" are. But isn't that a little true? I can feel at home just about anywhere and I can be "home" but not feel at home.

I just got back from a long family vacation. We went from the bottom of California to the top of Oregon. We mostly stayed at the beach.

I feel at home at the beach. I like the sand. I like the sun (well, this year the lack of sun :) ). I like the rythmn of the waves. I like the ocean. I like the vastness of the ocean. I like it's depth. I like the amount of sand. I like watching the dolphins, the sand crabs, the pelicans and the seal gulls. I like finding shells and cool rocks. I like the beach. I feel at home at the beach.

It soothes my soul, the beach. I get lost in the rythmn and the lack of time. The beach is refreshing to me. Like salt water heals a wound, the beach heals my tiredness. It is a place where I can rest and laugh and think.

I've been home almost 24 hours. It is actually 23 hours and some minutes, but who is counting. I had a long day today. I took my Kirsten to a leadership retreat at 8, took care of some business for church at 9, then met up with a Bible study/prayer group a little after 9, drank coffee with some great friends who are moving tomorrow morning (don't know when I'll see them again),at 10 got back to church and finished some camp stuff, 11 ish found out the transmission is shot and a new one is on it's way (ugh), 12 ish finally got over to counselor training across town for the rest of the day. Now I'm home.

As I walked up the driveway I told my Bethany that it felt like we were coming home to a new home. The week before we left we had planted a lot of flowers for her graduation party. All my other flowers were also just coming up that week. Tonight it looked like a jungle of plants. A friend had graciously mowed the lawn while we were gone or that would look like a jungle also. But I am home again.

"He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake." -King David

Psalm 23:2-3 (New International Version)