What a Day to Go Walking in the Park

Sometimes our dreams, or thoughts are visual. Sometimes they come through as ideas. Do you see what the man is imagining as he walks??

Proverbs 26: Some gleanings on Proverbs for 31 days.

Don’t give honor to a fool. It won’t work. It doesn’t snow in summer, or rain when you have harvest. Honor is not good for a fool. He won’t know what to do with it, and it will go to his head. A fool uses his own wisdom instead of the Lord’s. In a fool’s heart he says there is no God. This makes him a fool.

God’s ways are higher than our ways. He understands and knows all things. Submission to His plan is key in knowing His wisdom. Seeking His face is good, but submission to His plan is primary in order to find Him. He knows when you have totally given all, everything to Him, and you sit waiting for Him to answer your questions.

When you bind a stone to a sling it is useless. It can not fly out of the sling when it is used. To give honor to a fool is like binding the stone in a sling. The fool can’t do anything right because he has no wisdom from God. He rejects His wisdom and goes about thinking he is fine just the way he is. He doesn’t realize that his wisdom is far lower than God’s. God is willing to give us wisdom, but we have to have the right attitude to get it. The right attitude is bowing our knees to Him. He is Lord. He made you, and you give yourself to Him, and you can have His wisdom.

There are two people basically in Proverbs. There is much said about the fool, and the lazy person. A lazy person is always turning over in bed, never getting up and starting his day on a schedule. He has no routine and he won’t work either to clean his house and yard, or to find a place to work that will furnish income. He falls into depression, because he has no routine. He wants nothing to do with those who love the Lord, or with God.

Whisperers in this passage are gossips. Where the talking stops, the quarreling ceases. An enemy stops speaking, but in his heart is much deceit. He needs to get this out on the table, or he will remain full of lies and deceit. A gracious enemy has seven things inside his heart that are an abomination to the Lord. Hatred and guile try to cover them up, but the things that are an abomination will be revealed in a crowd.

When one digs a pit, he falls in it. Flattery works into ruin, and a lying tongue hates those it lies about. Smooth lips are like a glaze covering a clay vessel. The heart is still wicked even though the words sound good. The proverb says not to answer a fool with folly or you will be considered one also. Fools deserve a whip. Fools deserve not to be listened to, and a fool will not know what to do with a proverb. They have no wisdom.

The comparison is between the fool and the one who seeks wisdom. They are opposite in their approach. Remember, the fool says in his heart that there is no God. Until he recognizes God, and bows his knee, he will remain a fool. We are warned against laziness, lying tongues, the fool, folly, and flattery. This is a good Proverb.

In the cartoon I compared the wise and the foolish person. There are two characters who are continually compared in  Proverbs. The foolish have darkness around them, and in their heart. They won’t receive the wisdom of God. The wise person receives the Lord and His wisdom, and accepts it as something to receive, and welcome. The wise person has God’s light in their heart and all around them. The more Bible you read, and praying you do, the more your spiritual countenance is lit with God’s light. When we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship and the blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin. Those who refuse the Lord have the wisdom of themselves, and they don’t receive the wisdom from God. Therefore the fool says in his heart there is not God. He is a fool and he walks around without the light, stumbling wherever he goes.

 

 

When Everything Around Me Goes Silent

Sometimes everything around me goes silent. The people I usually talk with are not available. The television is available, but I want to find people. Those who I love to talk with are suddenly not there. I call Ed. His phone is in the car, and he is not picking up. I call someone else, and they are not reachable.

I received a phone call via Ed’s phone today. My sister-in-law talked with me for a few minutes before Ed went out the door to the church. I had to give his phone back, so he took up the conversation while he drove to his first appointment. Ed counsels people sometimes. They meet a various times. He is good, but the pay is nothing compared to what he could get if he hung a sign out with his name on it.

I have called two people who I usually eat supper with and they are not available. They are not even answering the phone. One person I have not talked with since Sunday. This is not really what I want, but it looks like I will have to be quiet, and stay nice. I will reflect on what I have done today.

I have written several posts, and now that I look on the dashboard, I see that one blog that was just dead, has come to life. I signed up for Twitter yesterday. I know hardly a thing about it. All I know is that I had one view yesterday all across the page. Now the views are up to 31! What is the percentage on that? I don’t know, but someone is reading.

Everything is gone silent. Isaac is in the next rooms where Sally Cat is resting on top of the television. She likes to enjoy the warmth and to hang her little front paw down. She doesn’t ever fall down from the narrow perch.

I am a person of habit and I really hate that my plans for supper are foiled. Someone had to change his plans, and the meeting has to be tonight instead of early this afternoon. I usually go with Ed to supper on Tuesday night. He will be in a meeting. I will be silent tonight since he can’t have interruptions during the meeting. It will not be every Tuesday, but he must train these people for an important job at the church. They will be our new elders. This will make us more elders. You never want to run out of them. They work hard.

I am encouraged to have more views. I know very little about Twitter, but I suspect that some have been getting Rubies Corner and Wait just a moment on the Twitter. I can hardly believe that this other blog has so many more views now. I am encouraged in the silence.

I just finished Proverbs 25 study. I write one a day, and we will go to the 31 chapter which is in six more writings. I have had a good time with this study. It is nice to have a day of quiet. I will miss going to eat with our friend. Ed will be starving by the time he comes home. He has spoiled me by taking me out to eat. I love his company and now I am available because of retirement.

Ed retires, or has the opportunity in September. Then what will we do? I guess we will find a little church who loves us and continue preaching. Sixty-five is not old, but there are some differences. I notice energy changes. I notice that I awaken in the night, and recently they have taken all blood pressure medication away. I am fine when I find time to walk every day. I will.

It has been rainy here, and not a heavy rain. There has been a little thunder, but the rain has been quietly coming down. The sidewalks, and the patio are wet. The streets are wet, but there is not much traffic that I can hear right now. The morning has passed. It is the middle of the afternoon. I was hoping to go eat fish tonight, but I have plenty here to eat.

I waited a while for Ed to come home last night. I got busy on the internet with my writing, and wrote several posts. Right now another post has more views than this one. I am surprised. I am always surprised when people view this blog or the other ones. I am the only author for 9 blogs, but I have them organized. The cooking posts are in Rubies Recipes. The novels and books are in Rubiedonovels. They are in rough draft form, but I plan to get them ready for E-books.

So what do you expect to accomplish from writing daily and neglecting your home? I don’t neglect it. I get involved in writing, and sometimes I get up and wash clothes and dry others and then get back to writing. Life is short, and the written words that I put down will help sometime. I have come across blogs that were started and stopped. The material is still there as the author left it. I guess it will be there until Word Press dissolves.

I don’t expect that to happen soon. I love the Word Press. com and all the ease with which I can write. I would recommend them to anyone who wants to write and say what they mean. Blogs are interesting, and I say they are a wonderful pass time. I enjoy communicating with whoever comes by, and hopefully they are respectful.

I am a retired school teacher, and respect was one of the things I taught. I learned to respect my parents, and later my teachers were all respected. Some I learned to like. Others were easier to enjoy because they did not bore me. Sitting all day would be so boring. Some of the most hated teachers I have had were actually the most interesting once they started being creative. Smile. Should I say more or stop now?

I do say that you reap what you sow. In life if you bore people, you should jot down some creative ideas and be bold in your presentation. No one likes to listen to a bore. No one likes to read boring writings, but we do in high school and in college. Some of the literature is just so hard to read. It is just not what I would write. Who am I to judge content, but sometimes we need to look at the content. What was the purpose behind the long dissertation? Does learning always have to be so boring? Should writing always be so intellectual? Let’s have some fun with words without the profanity. There goes my background. My father did not like profanity and he used soap to wash my mouth out if I said what I shouldn’t. I didn’t say them. They were not taught.

When I taught my first class as a school teacher, I had the little children……….first graders. They showed me they were taught profanity, and they used it some in the classroom. I was taught the ways of the little people, and my school never said what to do with those who cussed, and wouldn’t stay on task. They never brought in how to handle the wild side’s children. I learned to hug, love them, and keep them working. I was disappointed when these same children did not learn to read. It was late in the year, almost Spring. A lovely, former teacher came by and helped me teach the children phonics. In those days my principal did not think I should use phonics for first graders!

 

Proverbs 25: Gleanings for 31 Days

I thought I had written on this Proverb. If I have, and don’t know it, then you will have a second writing about this special Proverb. Turn to Proverbs 25 and read it carefully. Then look at what I have to say about it.

Kings search out the hidden things of life, and this is their glory. It is God’s glory to conceal things.Sometimes in my praying I ask God to reveal to me what is going on in a situation. I may not be a queen, but I belong to Christ, who is the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. He does give me wisdom.

Don’t put yourself out there for great words to be said over yourself. Instead be faithful in the little things, and God who sees everybody will exalt you in due time, when you don’t expect it. Our exaltation should be for Christ, the Lord.

Argue in private with your neighbor rather than arguing so everyone can hear what you are saying. Go directly to your neighbor instead of talking about him, and what he has done. I pray first, and then if the Holy Spirit guides, I go have a straight talk with someone who has offended me.

Once I was told to come with Ed to the back room of the church. Someone wanted to settle something with me. He sat there and complained, and spoke angrily without much evidence that I had an attitude. I started arguing back. He was contentious.

My words to him were straight on without fear. “You are a prayer intercessor. You know better than to come at me like this. You are angry, and I don’t accept this as from God for that reason.

He would not listen. He said his say, and Ed went out of the room, and back in several times. I had been at the church for twelve hours that day, far longer than anyone else, including Ed. I had no patience for hearing criticism of any attitudes that I carried. I spoke truthfully, and when it was done, the person prayed  with me, but I was angry. I walked out knowing that I would be praying about this confrontation for several days. I was angry that it even happened.

Ed said, “I should have told him it is time to go home, and stopped the whole thing.”

I said, “That would have been good, because I was there a long time and this came after we had our meeting. It was not God’s plan, and he was only in an arguing mood. How can a prayer warrior get so mad at me.?

I prayed through about it, but it took time that could have been devoted to something else………like praying for the church. The intent of the enemy was to discourage, and disrupt the flow of the Holy Spirit in me. I was angry, and full of steam, and though I tried to make the man quit his ranting, he went on, and on, for no reason. He thought I was the type to sit there and take it, because I am quiet, and prayerful. I try to be full of the Holy Spirit before anyone gets to the church. This came at me very strongly.

I would have punched him out, but I am shorter, and that was not what I should do. I said the prayer with him, and then I walked out. Ed took him home, and he has been taking him to the grocery story once a week, because the consequence of coming angrily into my presence was that I told him I would not be available to drive him places.

I have long since forgiven the man, and from my heart. He is an elder in the church.  The only positive thing I can say about this confrontation is that  he did tell me the awful things that were on his mind, and I stood up for myself. There have been times when I would have started crying. I didn’t. I said my peace.

Ed knew I could argue, because I argued so much with my sister when I was growing up. She was full of contention and strife. We didn’t get along at all.

My point is that Christians have it all wrong. They need to SPEAK the truth, not yell it. They need to speak the truth in love, not angrily. Others have come against me also. I have the same reaction. What happened?

Two things happen when you come at against a Christian, who is working hard in the church, and asking forgiveness of their own sins. Satan takes liberties to come at you, since you came against someone who loves the Lord, and is trying to walk in the Spirit. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but powerful to pulling down of strongholds.

It is not good to go speak to your fellow Christian in anger. Your anger gives away the fact that the spirit in which you say it is not of God. We are to speak the truth in love. So when you come against a Christian, God will come against you. Both of you can be Christians, but you come humbly, and without anger. You say it in a spirit of gentleness, and it will go over better.

I stopped dwelling at the church, because I felt I needed to stay away because I had the run in with the one who cleans, and prays for the place daily. I didn’t need any more confrontation.

I have gotten over much the hurt, but it was the devil’s slam. I cannot say this was Christ-like. Why does the church have such a hard time getting along with each other. You can speak the truth, but it is the way you speak it that makes the offense happen. Before you get your nerve to say anything, you need to make sure this idea is God’s idea. Words hurt. They cause wounds, and that causes the body of Christ to get bruised, wounded, and carry some grudges, bruises, and wounds in their spirit.

As a prayer warrior, intercessor type, I worked it out at home, and got free. It was my choice to forgive, but doing it was the problem. I could still see the anger and the evil intent in his eyes. I caught on. It was a spirit of strife, and contention, along with anger that the man was entertaining. He had persuaded himself that he was fine in telling me off. He wasn’t.

I see myself speaking to him now. The confrontation did its damage.  I say that if you want to walk with the Lord, you have to forgive, and forgive, and stop the self pity. You have to have the wisdom of the Lord. We argued directly, and Ed was there, but in this case, it did no good. I argued because I stood up for my right as a soldier of the Lord. This was a spirit of strife and contention coming against me. Yes, it was in the man’s heart, and he thought he could tell me with anger and get away with it because Ed was right there.

A word FITLY SPOKEN is valuable as apples of gold set in silver. A wise rebuke is like a gold ornament, but in this case, the man was angry and his eyes told more. I wouldn’t accept what he had to say. Generally I do accept what he has to say. The challenge for me was to pray, and confess my own sins, and to tell the Lord that I wanted to forgive, but I was having trouble because of the anger in me.

Someone said to me recently, “People need to learn how to communicate.”

I believe that if I had been allowed to argue to the final end with my little sister, I would have forgiven her easily. Instead, we were sent to our rooms and every argument was never finished. We maintained peace in the house, but the bitterness grew, because I could never say my say . My little sister would argue on the phone later when we grew up and had our own homes. She was full of contention and strife. She chose me, because I “wasn’t as smart.” She thought I wasn’t, but in reality her attitude towards me was all my life.

Two sisters who could never really get along were finally separated by a deathly illness. It is still sad, and when she died, I cried more over her than my mother or father. I went to my sister’s home in Georgia to grieve after school was out. We talked through things, and I went back home. My little sister loved me, but she saw me in a condesending way all my life. She was full of strife and contention toward me. My visits with her were found until she started criticizing. I have never been close because these things drove me away.

Yes, I can argue now. Maybe I should have become a lawyer, but I didn’t I followed the leading of the Lord to become a teacher. Because of my background, I have compassion, and love from the heart, because the other things were beat out with the hammer of the Word of God. I drew close to the Lord, and His Presence gave me the joy that I have. I have forgiven her, and I know she is in heaven. I know that she received the Lord after I left home to go to college. I know that I struggled without know that I might have prayed more for her, and she might have found the Lord.

I had a heavy heart, and it is like vinegar on a wound for someone to sing to one with a heavy heart. My joy grew, and eventually it became stronger than anything anyone could say to snuff the joy out. The joy of the Lord comes by confessing your own sins. It comes through meditating on the Word of God for yourself. Others can preach, and that is good. You need to open your own Bible and talk to the Lord about your heart, your ways, and confess what needs to come to the light before God.

Your joy will increase as you find that submission to Christ is the answer. He died for all the bitterness, criticism, and the controlling ways that some of us have with other Christians. Confession of your sins means that God hears, and the blood of Christ is applied to cleanse your heart and you are clean before Him.

I had no idea this would be on the page, and my sister is now in heaven…….the one who I couldn’t get along with. She had more Christ in her when she died. She had cancer of the bone by the time she died. It had spread through her body. I know she is in heaven.

If you have been hurting Christians with your dogma, and bad attitudes, you should think again. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in Christ to the pulling down of strongholds. You need to confess it as sin, and ask God to give you the Love you need for those you can’t stand. All the other fruits will not remain in eternity, but the love of God will be there. God is love and in Him there is no darkness. If you will talk to Him about the darkness, and ask forgiveness, you will find the joy of the Lord, which is your strength. After all, some you can fool, but when you hide your sin, God still sees it.

Why I Love Ice Cream

My parents started me out on ice cream when I was real young. They were in the pastorate, and one summer everyone brought their own churn of ice cream. Ice cream cones were sold for 5 cents. I remember attacking the barrel where the money was, so I could have another ice cream cone. I got on top of it and reached for a nickel. The barrel wobbled, but I got off in time not to topple with it. I put the nickel back in the barrel and got another cone. I don’t forget the good times, do I?

We ate ice cream until we were tired of it one summer. My Granddaddy went to the store with me every day to get a Coke. He would get me a Brown Mule ice cream, and we would walk back to the house. I would eat the ice cream on the way, and he would drink his Coke. I grew tired of the Brown Mules because it was too much to eat them so frequently. I didn’t ask for something else. Granddaddy assumed that I wanted one every day like he wanted his Coke.

My parents didn’t have Sunday night services at our church when I was in high school. Mother loved to serve a simple meal after having a big one Sunday after church. We didn’t have left overs, because the family ate everything in sight. To make it simple, we would have toast and hot milk. The toast could be buttered, but I don’t think it was. Other times, we would have scoops of ice cream, and bananas on that, and some chocolate syrup. We loved the ice cream suppers. We could eat all we wanted, but we were in Middle School and high school. That is a hard time to eat many sweets. I tried to not indulge.

I have been married for forty-two years, and one of my first dates with Ed was to go to Happy Corner on campus and get some ice cream. At first he ate it with me, but when we went back for more ice cream, he wouldn’t eat any. His face would break out, and he didn’t want to put up with that. I became offended and wouldn’t go out with him. He wouldn’t eat ice cream with me. It was three years later that we resumed dating. He didn’t offer ice cream because he knew I was on a diet and needed to stay off the sweets. This way we neither one had the sweet.

Specials times with the family still was time for making ice cream in the summer. I found a recipe that was good, and we loved it. I served this Vanilla Custard recipe every time now. It is light and fluffy, and real white. It has 8 eggs in it, so right now we don’t make it. Ice cream is one of the things a heart patient should not have in their diet. We have air condition to help with the summer heat, so maybe people don’t eat as much ice cream.

I have a container of Blue Bell ice cream in my freezer right now. I awoke in the night with a headache. I still have it, and I thought, “a little bit of ice cream would help.” That is all I needed to persuade myself to have some chocolate chip mint ice cream. This brand is new to me, and the mint is bright green. Otherwise, it is wonderful. I put banana slices on the bottom of the bowl, and mint ice cream on top of those. Isaac said the cherries are still at the church from making the last ice cream pie for Sunday after church.

I have told you how I was raised on ice cream. I don’t know why someone from Pennsylvania would love ice cream so much. My dad encouraged Mom to make it, or to have it on hand. Ice cream and the works to go with it were always a treat. When President John F. Kennedy died, Dad took us to the Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina. We lived near by. We girls had ice cream and talked about the tragedy. Going there was always a special treat.

My dad loved popcorn all my life too, and we still love it at my house. We pop it in a hot-air popper and we don’t have to use popcorn oil. The family loves popcorn…..but I love ice cream. Turn the AC off and I don’t get cold eating it.

In college I would have ice cream when I had a severe headache. I may have needed new glasses. My head hurt two or three times a week. Can you imagine the weight I lost when I stopped eating sweets! My roommate and I would walk a mile for a pint of ice cream. She was from Illinois. I was surprised she like ice cream so much. She would get vanilla, and I would get butter pecan ice cream. I know how to pick them. Swiss Chocolate Almond is wonderful!

Well I have finished eating my bowl of chocolate chip mint ice cream. It has left a sweet taste in my mouth, and I will have to drink 12 glasses of water to get rid of the calories! I may not eat as much ice cream because of being a heart patient, and keeping Ed away from it . We eat custard, baked in the oven. That is a treat, and it is better straight from the oven. It is getting hot early, so I may have to find something that is cold, that is not so full of sugar.

Peaches are wonderful in the summer. I have had a good fill of strawberries. Both of these fruits are great with ice cream. My folks would serve fruit and ice cream to us . The meal might not have been so great as the cup of ice cream we could have after we cleaned our plates. My mother didn’t keep sweets out for us to eat. When my dad received candy in the mail from his Aunt, he would give us a piece and hide the box. Sweets were special…………probably because Mom knew we would gain weight if we indulged like we wanted . I am glad she thought this way now, although it was not good knowing that somewhere in Dad’s study was a box of candy going to waste.

Yes, we did find it one day and we got into the box of candy he had hidden. You can’t eat just one piece.

Sometimes when Ed leaves the house I will leave also for work. I go by the convenience store and fill my car, and buy two candy bars. The last time I bought Peter Paul mounds……….both kinds. They were eaten by the time I came back home. I don’t make a habit of doing this. My sweet tooth is there because I grew up with rationed sweets. That was good, but I treasure a good candy feast every once in a while. I try to control the intake. I don’t think sweets are good for me. I have just told you some of why I love ice cream and sweets. Smile.

Honey, Won’t You Please Come Home.

Honey, Won’t You Please Come Home.-By Ruby J Craft

I’ve been working at the house all day long…….not really.

 I have pork chops,broccoli,

 apples with cinnamon, and sugar, on the stove.

I plan to cream the corn ,after I take if off the cob.

This is the only part of supper that is left over.

I can’t find my potatoes.

 I wouldn’t know where to look for them at the church.

I left so tired that I believe they are there.

I’m not sure.

I call, and you talk.

You act like you are in a hurry,

 Honey, I’m hungry.

I don’t want to eat late again.

Will you please come home, Baby.

Honey, will you please come home.

I don’t dare call again.

I have called with every excuse.

I am a bit nervous.

I want my man to come home.

Don’t know why.

I have a knot in my stomach,

 a nervous twitch in my heart.

I think I must be silly.

Honey, be careful.

Will You Please Come Home!!

A Sweet Kiss on the Forehead

Ah! I never know when it is going to happen. I am a busy pastor’s wife, and I am around people at the church so much. We have lots of dinners and get-together. We love to get into each other’s company. We eat after church every Sunday, and when we get together for covered dishes, we can bring in the food.

One day an old man came into the sanctuary and said, ” Ruby… I want to tell you. I have had it with my wife. I don’t know what to say or do to make her happier. She just goes into these tangents.”

I said, “I haven’t phoned, or talked with her in three or four days. Would it help if I spent some time with her? We are always laughing. We have been busy, but she is a good friend.”

He said, ” Why yes, and it would sure help me if she can be in a better mood.”

He was desperate for someone to talk his wife out of the bad mood she was in with him. I did talk to her, and he never mentioned the conversation again.

I was cooking another time at the church, and someone came into the kitchen. “Come with me,” he said. “I want to show you something I brought with me to church.

I turned off the chili that I was making for the hot dog supper, and went out the back door of the church with my friend.

He said, “I want to take you for a ride in my antique car.”

I didn’t hesitate. It was so cute. I fitted into the tiny, petite sized car, and off we went down the highway, and turned into a neighborhood behind the church. I was quiet. The car was my entertainment. It beeped, honked, “sang” a tune, and it was cute as a button, inside and outside.

I thought, ” I could learn to like this.”

My friend said, “What do you think, Ruby?”

I said, “I love it!”

We rounded the bend, and honked at the houses, and drove on up to the next road. He made sure he honked, and woke the neighborhood. By now, more people had come to the bonfire, and shortly some kids took a ride in the little car. Again, it snorted, and honked loudly, and the kids could be heard giggling. I think Ed was asked if he wanted to go. He declined.

I went back inside, and brought out my chili to go with the hotdogs. Someone else made a batch also. I spent the rest of the evening eating, and sitting near the bonfire. My friend came back to the bonfire area, and sat down with one of his buddies. I was still thinking about the car ride.

I lingered after dark, watching the bonfire, and eating roasted marshmallows, drinking hot cocoa, and laughing with friends. The fire would become hot because several insisted on adding more logs. They were Boy Scout leaders, and they took the fire seriously. I didn’t have to go to work because I am retired. I sat there for hours, talking, laughing some, and watching the fire. Our friends tried to stay as long as we did.

Most of the hot dogs were put on a long, coat hanger, wire. We could cook two at a time. Mine burned every time I hung them over the fire. I love blackened hot dogs. I also love real chili, onions, mustard, potato chips, ketchup, and pickles on my hot dogs.

Marshmallows are a treat that I love when cooked over a fire with a coat hanger wire. The wire bobbles over the fire, and the marshmallow catches on fire if I stick it in the flame. I try not to, but then, it is fun blowing the little fire out. The outer layer comes off, and I eat the whole marshmallow, a little at a time.

There were some wonderful sweets with the desserts. There were whole candy bars, cookies, and my iced cookies. We also had hot cocoa, and plenty of Cokes, and other kinds of sodas. We stayed until morning was just breaking. The fire was checked, and Ed may have put some water on it. He said, “That fire will go until 5:00 A. M. It is really hot.”

When it is time to leave the bonfire, Ed gives me a good hug, and takes the chairs inside. He stirs everyone left to bring in the food, and they help put out the fire. Usually the hot coals burn until early morning. They won’t go anywhere. The fire is built by Boy Scout leader, and he knows how to plan it so it won’t spread. We lock up, and turn the lights off.

Frankly, a kiss on the forehead is unexpected, and it is like someone is taking time to surprise me with a little affection at a busy time. There is something special about the surprise, and the quick kiss. It always makes me think, “Well…….that was nice… “

Outside, after the bonfire, Ed and I stare at the sky for a few moments. We hug, and the  full moon is hanging there in the starry sky. The sky is brighter since we are in the country. We can see them clearly. One of us breaks the silence.

“Well, honey, it was a nice bonfire. Let’s go home.”

I get in my car, Ed checks the doors again, and then he gets into his car. From the road we see the fire is smoking, but safe. We drive our vehicles home in the quiet night, early morning hours. Both of us are thinking how nice it will be to sleep in late. The weekend has been busy, but now we are exhausted.

 

Proverbs 25: More Gleanings for 31 days

When in the King’s Presence, it is better not to call attention to yourself. Wait for Him to notice you.

Now where will you be in the King’s Presence? I know of one king who really loves for Him to come into His Presence. I come singing, and He takes notice. Christ the king is who I mean. He prays for us and sits on the throne in heaven. He came to die for us, and He arose. Now He is seated in heaven. I will say that Psalm 100 is a good one to follow when talking about getting in the presence of a king.

Make a joyful noise,

lift your voice to sing.

Clap your hands people.

Sing to Your Maker,

He will come,

Be your friend,

Your king,

Your God.

Proverbs 24: Gleanings From Proverbs for 31 Days….

Wisdom, understanding and knowledge should be pillars in your home. They should be used frequently. Your rooms will be full of pleasant and precious things.

One is called a mischief-maker when he plans to do evil.  Don’t rejoice when your enemy falls. Poverty comes from lack of motivation, and from laziness….too much sleeping, and not enough getting out the door to find work. These are gleanings. Enjoy the 24 Proverb.

Sometimes I Study the Word as if I Might be Preaching it. Today was no different. What Would I Say About Mother’s Day????

I may play dead on this one and not say what is in my heart,,,,but then it might be good to just go ahead and  speak on the passage. Turn with me to Ephesians 5: Have you read the whole chapter. You need to do that before reading what I have to say. I will express my thoughts, but you need to read the passage that I will be talking about in its context.

The marriage is not addressed enough in church services today. It is true grit, and work, sweat, and sometimes with tears that we learn to find Christ first and then speak to our mates. I mean, find the Lord, and get in your Bible daily before you speak to your mate, and you will see a marked difference in how you perceive life, and living.  Like fixing up an old house,  a good marriage needs some fresh paint, and some spark to it.

First of all, every holiday, and special occasion should be celebrated, because it draws you together as a family ,and as a couple. Make a big day of Mother’s Day, and do it right without hurrying to leave, and go fishing. Your mate has sacrificed for you all year-long. Treat her right even if you have to go to a nice restaurant, and wait in line to eat lunch. What else are you going to do with your Mother’s Day? Mother’s are special, and they need to be celebrated for their wisdom, patience, and work they do all year-long. This is their day. So don’t stand there in apathy. Get a smile on your face, brush your teeth, comb your hair, and clean up. Go see your Mother.

You may live in the same house with your Mother. Then put on a smile. Greet her like she is your best friend, and give her a good hug. Plan the day, and make sure you tell her you Love her, and want to celebrate Mother’s day. If she walks with the Lord, thank her. Don’t let up until you have celebrated her worth, her joy, her ways, her words, and made your Mother feel like a champ.

I sat quietly this morning for over an hour with the Lord. I began to write reflections about my own Mother, because she is in heaven. She led me to the Lord when I was young, and she walked with the Lord. She taught me to pray, love people, and to shop. She taught me to be happy, and to sing to the Lord. She taught me what she could about cleaning my room, and I figured out how to be organized……….some what.

I was different, and my Mother loved me anyway. She saw me struggle with my grades, and she was strict.” Study, Ruby.” she would say.

She drilled me on my math facts, and she was really the best teacher of all the ones I had. We played games together, but they were all educational. My mom loved me from the inside out, and she saw the potential. I floored her one day when I came home from Bible college. I went there thinking I was headed for the mission field.

I said, “Mom, God has called me to teach. The Dean of women sent me home with this message. Find a liberal arts college and get  your teaching degree. Don’t run. This is a calling on your life. “

Mom said, ” I have some college catalogs, and we will write more schools. We studied, wrote, and on each application, I put, “I feel called to go into teaching.”

Mom insisted on applying to a Christian college for the first two years. Then I could transfer. She didn’t say, “Ruby, you are not smart like the other girls. You can’t become a teacher.” Many times I felt this. I was so shy, didn’t talk much, and had few friends. I wondered what was going on with me. I had no shyness about teaching. I was back home from Bible college, and it looked like the mission field was out the window. I had gone the wrong direction. Now I must start college all over.

We found a liberal arts, christian college, and there were many professors with PhD beside their names. Mom recommended this college over another one in the city where I was going.

I excelled by the time I was in the last year of my studies in Elementary Education. I enjoyed all the classes, and yes, because I was called to teach, the gift started kicking in, and my imagination when wild. I could think of more things than one to do with the children. I loved to teach, and it came out my mouth, heart, mind, soul, and eyes. My ears were tuned to the Lord, and I know most of the good ideas just came, because He was right there during the student teaching days. I just blossomed, I became excited about teaching. I saw that the children responded, and I was looking forward to teaching in the Fall after graduation that Spring.

Ephesians 5: Honor your parents. Parents don’t provoke your children to wrath. There is knowledge of who loves you, and who is teaching you until you leave home. Some children won’t allow their parents to correct them, and they won’t listen to them. Children need to honor their parents so it will go well with them. You have so long, and then your parents are gone. What you learned at home is valuable. It is timely to listen, and trust your parents to bring you up in the admonition of the Lord.

A quiet voice says just as much as a loud one. Going too heavy on the spankings is not godly. There is a way to punish without being rash, mean, and angry. Godly parents need all the wisdom from God they can get.

Parents are there for you. They offer good advice, and they appreciate it when you spend time with them. I am talking about Christian parents. Christ is first in their life. Children are blessed when they have godly parents, who pray for them, and lead them God’s way. A parent’s influence goes a long way. Train your child early, and he will never forget your manner, and your ways. Your child is a gift. Pray for him, and lead him to the Lord. He is there for a reason, and God is there to help him like He has helped you. Teach them to respect you. Teach them about God, and lead them to Christ. Pray with them and don’t drop them on their heads spiritually. Guide them, and love them, and they will follow the Lord. It isn’t easy to say no to certain toys, and games, and movies that are not good for them.

Be choosy. Pray ahead for your children, and God will give you keys to open doors. He will give you dreams, and visions, about them. He will help you find the truth, and teach it to them. Pursue the Lord, and they will grow up with the knowledge of the Holy Spirit and the fire of the Lord will catch hold in them. Remember that nothing is impossible with God. Believe and see the Salvation of the Lord.