Catch Up and The Beauty of Fall

Dear Ones - has it really been almost a month since I have written anything?  I have just completed co-chairing a very large event for our company that I thoroughly enjoyed.  It took all of my waking hours, but it was a success and a lot of fun.  So, that's my excuse.

If that doesn't work, I also thought since I had been "preaching" so much, maybe I needed a sabbatical.  "Now, that right 'thar' is funny.  I don't care who you are."

How are you?  Since God is good all of the time, I hope you are reveling in that fact and giving Him rule and reign in all circumstances. I am saying that to myself as well.  I have missed sharing with you all and have found that there is something missing in my day when I don't at least write something.

I am being careful with my eating and have been walking more consistently.  I find that when I am faithful in eating healthily and exercising, I have greater success in many areas of my life.

Funny how God's faithfulness in our greatest challenges (the proverbial thorn in the flesh) increases our faith, strengthens our confidence in the Lord and truly provides a natural "upper," which those who have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ refer to as the "joy of the Lord."  Hmmm, reckon that's why He allowed "thorns in the flesh"?

I still love Frank and enjoy being with him, "most of the time."  Those of you who know him, know he can be a "buzzard" on occasion.  Of course, living with me is always a lark.

Let's see --- I was thinking if there were any other items I needed to report.  Oh, I know - I went to the eye doctor, and I have Glaucoma.  The good news is that it is completely controllable.  I will need to use  a prescription eye drop in my eyes every night for the rest of my life.  If I don't, I will go blind.

I watched my Mother put those drops in my Daddy's eyes every night that I was home.  So, I think of that every time I put the drops in my eye.  Sweet Memory.  Glad he doesn't need those drops anymore - hasn't for about 10 years.

The real silver lining is - are you ready? - the eye drops are the exact same substance as LATISSE - 2.5 million bottles sold (not covered by insurance) to lengthen and thicken eyelashes.  So, there ya go - I won't go blind and will grow long, thicker eyelashes paid for by insurance.  Is that a silver lining or what?  God loves me - yes He does.

Now, to something my sweet Jesus touched my heart with this morning - dedicated to my sweet husband, mother, suster, and sister-in-law who admonished me to "write."

The weather is perfect.  In fact, this is my favorite time of the year.  Yet, it is the season of death for nature.  What extraordinary beauty there is when leaves turn colors,  die, and fall from the trees - especially when the rain has been plentiful.  

When Georgia went through the awful drought about 3 years ago, when the season of death came, the leaves didn't really turn.  One day they were on the trees, the next day they weren't.  Even now, when strong winds and rains come, some huge trees will blow over, cracked at the roots from brittleness caused by the prolonged drought several years ago. 

You probably already know where I am going with this.  

I have known Jesus in a personal way since I was 6 years old - 55 years.  The older I get, the more real He is, the sweeter He is, the clearer my spiritual eyes see the way He sees events and circumstances (physical eyes have Glaucoma); this is especially true in the seasons of my life when I have faithfully drunk from the spring of water welling up to eternal life (John 4:14).  

That initial dose at 6 years old indeed welled up to eternal life.  My heart just skipped a bit as I thought of the privilege of drinking daily from that crystal clear stream of living water that matures me spiritually, makes me more effective as an ambassador of Christ, and will be the reason for any beauty evident in the season of my physical death.

There have been times in my life when I have not come to the spring of life on a consistent basis and have experienced spiritual drought. When the winds came (and they most certainly will for everyone), I am ashamed to say the brittleness in my heart lashed out, wounded, and almost destroyed me and stole my joy.  I made it easy for the thief.

Oh, how thankful and humbled I am when I realize that crystal stream is never off limits and always satiates the brittle roots and restores health to the spirit when I choose to return and partake.  

However, here is the warning.  While God is good, loving, forgiving and healing, scars from neglecting the "Living Water," remain as a reminder of the damage done.  I might never know the damage I did to others.  

This is my personal challenge and one I want to share with each one of you - especially to those of you who are young.  If you don't already, begin now drinking daily of that crystal clear stream of His Word, strengthen your spiritual lungs through prayer, and in the final season of your life, you will be the most beautiful you have ever been.   

Those who witness it will be in awe just as I was, watching the beautiful leaves fall from the trees this morning.

It is my sincere hope and prayer that because of your faithfulness in this pursuit, you will never experience brittleness and its scars. 

In all of it, most importantly, you will honor the One Who gave all so that the stream remains pure and available.  Oh, how magnificent is He Who died for me.

I love you; I've missed you; I can't wait until we are all together, having a picnic, eating the bread of life along the banks of the river of life in the midst of the City of God.  Won't that be glorious? 

Still approaching this and every day with joy.  Mecca