Horse Sense

James 3:3

Behold we put bits in the horses' mouths,

that they may obey us;

and we turn about their whole body.

Horses are the most beautiful and majestic creatures God ever created - just ask my daughter, Anita.  But then again, she's never been thrown from the back of a runaway brute and spent six weeks with one arm in a cast and the other manipulating a crutch.  I'm a witness that no matter how loudly you scream, "Whoa, Jesus help me!" a horse is unmoved.  I guess they just aren't spiritual creatures who are moved by the name of Jesus.  Add to the chaos a cinch that breaks during the wild ride, and you can probably see me catapaulting through the air and rolling through the stubble of a freshly hayed field.  Ouch!

The bit is the key to controlling a horse with a mind of its own.  This particular horse (new to my family) had a bad habit of getting the bit in his teeth and running.  An inexperienced horseman, like me, didn't know what was going on and that horse just did whatever he pleased even if it involved throwing a sweet, innocent and helpless woman off his back.  You see the rider's power over the horse was in his ability to control it's mouth.

Ah..... the mouth is such a powerful thing.  Ever have trouble controlling yours?  I do! Sometimes I take the bit between my teeth and say just what I want to say, and do just what I want to do.  The problem is that somebody always gets hurt or broken when I do. 

My prayer....

Let the words of my mouth bring healing, peace and joy to those who hear me.

Let me bring words of hope to the hopeless, encouragement to the downcast strength to the weak, and laughter to those who mourn.

May they be pleasing to the One who created all who hear my voice.

Buggy Traditions

On most mornings I cross paths with two Amish boys on their way... somewhere.  The horse is trotting along on the berm of the highway, and most often there's a black piece of plastic tacked across the front of the open buggy.  Two pairs of eyes from under the brims of two straw hats peer above the black tarp in an attempt to stay out of the weather and still see where they are going.  I always slow down to watch and I wonder...

Why?  I've known many Amish in my life.  For seventeen years, most of my neighbors were Amish, and I discovered that the dark clothes and adherence to the old ways are not about religion.  It's solely tradition that keeps them from adapting to modern society.  I guess I could understand if they believed that abstaining from progress was their ticket to heaven... if somehow being set apart from the common man was going to make God smile.  But that's simply not what it's about.  In fact, their church services have little to do with building a relationship with God and are more of a social event. The services are performed in High German, a language that few but the elders know, then a huge feast and fellowship time fills most of the day.  The majority of Amish rules are simply intent on keeping Amish tradition.

I'm reminded of a conversation between Jesus and religious men in Matthew 5:2-3....

 2.  Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when   they eat bread.

3.  But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandments of God by your tradition?

Later in verse six, Jesus reprimands them again by saying, "Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition."  That's a pretty strong statement!  What would it feel like for my Savior to look at me and say, "Your traditions are more important to you than pleasing me!"  Ouch! 

The two great commandments are: 

1.  Love the Lord with all thy soul, heart and strength

2.  Love your neighbor as thyself

Do I get caught up in my own religious traditions?  God help me to never get so immersed in them that they become more important than my relationship with God or my fellow man!

 

Friendship Pack

Proverbs 27:17

Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man

sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

Photo: courtesy of my daughter, Anita

Please visit her photo blog at

http://www.capturedreflectionz.blogspot.com/

Rudyard Kipling said,

"For the strength of the pack is the wolf,

and the strength of the wolf is the pack."



Do you ever get lonely?  I'm not often still long enough to even notice if I am, but occassionally it really hits home to me how vital my friends are.  Not many of us are truly loners. Just like a pack of wolves, we all need someone to look out for us, to share a meal, to join us in howling, and sometimes even to challenge us to a good old-fashioned tooth-baring tussel. 

My problem is that when I actually do get lonely, I tend to skulk off quietly away from my friends and sit silently in the shadows.  Then I feel sorry for myself because no one is noticing.  Isn't human nature perverse at times? lol  But over the years I've come to recognize that if I need a hug, sometimes I need to give a hug.  If I need an ear to listen, well then.... maybe I need to talk.  Sitting on my haunches out of sight usually leaves me alone in the cold.

So if you're feeling lonely today, try moving out of the shadows and into the pack where you belong.  Nip an ear or howl at the moon if you need to.  Someone will notice and join you :0) Go leave your mark!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Need an idea for Christmas?  This book is an adorable gift for a friend. 

 My friend Stefanie bought it for me as a gift and I absolutely love it :0)





Marked

I Peter 2:9

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood,

an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should

shew forth the praises of him who hath called

you out of darkness into his marvellous light.

© Angela Beatty 10/10

I've walked by this tree many times over the last few years.  I've often puzzled over the big red mark left by some timberman.  I've kind of thought that the red orb meant it was marked to be cut down, but since it's still standing I have to assume that I was wrong.  Regardless, the tree has been chosen for some purpose unknown to me.

I can identify with the tree.  I've been chosen... chosen by my Creator for a special purpose.  But am I marked?  Can the people around me see that I've been chosen by God?  Does my life bring praise to the One who chose me?

Does Your Heart Have Roots?

Hebrews 12:15

Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God;

lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you,

thereby many be defiled.

Mom and Dad came for breakfast a few weeks ago.  As usual, Dad had a story to tell - only this story turned into a sermon.  Dad's legally disabled, but loves a beautiful lawn.  So when a weed poked its ugly head up in his flower garden after he carefully laid down black plastic and mulch, he wasn't too thrilled to think about getting down and digging it out.  The next time he got his little weed whacker out he simply whacked it off.  End of story!

Well, until a week later.  This time he saw the weed and it was as big as the plants he had planted.  Again, he whacked the offender off at ground level.  Then again he was trimming and spotted the weed - only this time it was even bigger than the flowers nearby.  He realized he was going to have to get down on his knees and dig the offender up.

Then came the sermon...

That weed is just like bitterness in a heart.  We spot it.  We whack it off.  It looks like it's been taken care of.  It seems like it's gone.  We go about life, then suddenly...  there it is again.  Only this time it's bigger than before. 

A little word of advice from Dad

......if you still get angry when you remember a wrong done to you

.....if you find yourself angry all over again when someone reoffends 

.....if you get a feeling of pleasure out of hearing bad news about someone who has done you wrong

There's bitterness rooted in your heart.  It's time to get down on your knees and dig out the roots.

Speaking Shadows

II Samuel 1:18

Also he bade them teach the children...

the use of the bow...

© Angela Beatty 10/10

As I was walking this trail along Oil Creek, my shadow preceded me and I recalled a sermon I heard many years ago, "What kind of Shadow are you Casting?"  All of us leave a shadow in the lives of those close to us - sometimes even on those not so close to us.  Probably the shadows that will live the longest are those we cast on our children's lives. 

In the Scripture today, Samuel was telling the Israelites to teach the children the use of the bow.  In essence, he was commanding them to pass down the skills they had to their children.  It seems "apprenticeship" is a thing of the past.  No longer do we see generations of tradesmen who grew up under the tutorage of a father, grandfather, or uncle.  The sad thing is that along with skill, we teach character and build relationships when we invest that much time in helping someone develop a skill.

I wonder what skills I have that I've neglected to take the time to teach my own children.... When I'm gone, will the shadow I leave in their lives be short-lived?  Or will I leave my children with values and skills that will stay with them all their lives, values and skills that they in turn will pass on to their children? 

What Chilled the Warm Day?

Ecclesiastes 7:2

It is better to go to the house of mourning,

than to go to the house of feasting:

for that is the end of all men;

and the living will lay it to his heart.

© Angela Beatty 10/10

It was a bit goulish to come across the remains of an unfortunate creature on such a beautiful day.  An eye socket, a piece of jawbone and another bone I can only guess at were all that remained of a once vividly alive animal.  I hate the thoughts of death and destruction.  I wish I could close my eyes and will all of it away, but I can't.  It's a fact of life that someday we'll all be reduced to bone fragments and dust.  What then? 


I know, I know!  I don't like to think about it either!  But sometimes it puts things into perspective to stop and take a look at those things that leave us chilled and chafing inside. It made me stop and reprioritize!


I promise a more cheerful blog next time :0)

My Zaccheus Moment

Psalm 30:1

I will extol thee, oh Lord;

For thou hast lifted me up...

© 10/10 Angela Beatty

 

Okay, it's a Black Willow tree not a Sycamore and I'm sure I'm not as nimble as Zaccheus, but I miraculously managed to get up into this tree.  It's amazing how different things look that far off the ground (note the amazing heights I climbed too! lol). 

 

There have been times in life when I've had to pull myself up by sheer willpower.  But the view after the climb was so much better!  When a cloud of despair is keeping us enclosed in the negative, the only answer is to climb above it and look for Jesus.  He'll always have time to stop by our house a visit a while.  It's amazing how life can change after spending time with the master!

Who's Hand?

Psalm 37:24

Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down:

for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.

© 9/10 Angela Beatty

This little guy was not happy about being held, regardless of how gently it was. He kept jumping down and refused to pose for his picture. I really don't think he had a clue to what was going on, and that we meant him no harm.

I kind of act like this little creature when life doesn't make sense.... jumping around, heart pounding in my throat, madly trying to get back to my own little world of comfort and sameness. I forget that I'm in God's hand!

The Friendship Bridge

Proverbs 17:17

A friend loveth at all times,

and a brother is born for adversity.

© 9/10 Angela Beatty

It had been a while since I walked this trail... much longer than I thought. I was totally surprised to find this dilapidated contraption standing among debris, dry rocks, and a slight trickle of water where a bubbling stream hand once meandered under a freshly painted and sturdy bridge. The shock literally stopped me in my tracks and confused me. I had to pause and try to figure out exactly when I had last been there. My best guess was eight years ago.

It's amazing that things can change so drastically in less than a decade. I tend to forget that time is eating away at everything and expect it to remain just as I last saw it. At least.... time wears away things that aren't kept in good repair. I can't imagine letting a bridge just waste away after all the hard work that went into building it! It seems like such a waste!!

But maybe I do that too. Like the stream, relationships dry up and the need for a bridge to connect two people just doesn't seem as important anymore. Does it? But when the spring rains come again, and the brook is bubbling, a broken bridge is useless in making a connection. All of the years spent together... all of the laughter.... the tears.... the learning about each other.... where does it all go? There's something heartrending about recognizing the shell of a once strong friendship and yet being helpless to span the gap that now separates you.

Whether it's a friend or family member, it's worth the time to make sure our bridges are still serviceable and can be crossed when the need arises.

My Mansion's Under Construction

John 14:2

In my father's house are many mansions:

if it were not so, I would have told you.

I go away to prepare a place for you.

© 9/10 Angela Beatty

Caterpillar Smart

Proverbs 24:3

Through wisdom is an house builded;

and by understanding it is established.

© 9/10 Angela Beatty

Things aren't always as they seem at first glance. When my daughter was small I took a black and orange woolly caterpillar and put it in a jar. Anita and I had been watching monarch butterflies in the yard, and I told her all about how the caterpillar would spin a chrysalis and come out ready to fly away. Sure enough, the little guy got busy and spun himself a cocoon. And we waited expectantly. I'm not sure who was more disappointed when the creature emerging from the cocoon was an ugly brown moth!

How many times in life do we just look at the people around us and assume we know. We interpret their actions and gauge the motives and feelings behind the actions or attempt to predict how others should respond in certain circumstances. But we fail to actually do the research and are misinterpreting the whole time! It takes time and energy to build relationships and assuming often leads to hurt feelings and walls.

I won't tell you about the time seven or eight years later that I put an orange and black woolly caterpillar in a jar for my son. lol Ah.... how soon we forget some things and repeat the mistakes of yesterday! Sometimes it just takes an ugly brown moth to remind us ;0)

The Fight for Flight

© Angela Beatty 9/10

Romans 8:28

And we know that all things work together for good

to them that love God, to them that are

called according to His purpose

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm a butterfly-aholic. To me they are not only beautiful, but fascinating creatures. The metamorphic process that turns a creepy crawling creature into a soaring masterpiece is a story of hope and redemption. The amazing strength of such a beautiful and dainty creature whose wings can be damaged by the touch of a finger and yet strong enough to fly across a continent defies explanation. Maybe that's why this story has stuck with me....

At a Christian Educator's Convention, a speaker relayed the story of a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis. I apologize that I can't give appropriate credit for the story. But here it is as it was told.

The Butterfly Story

A man found the cocoon of a butterfly.One day a small opening appeared.He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole.Then it seemed to stop making any progress.It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and could go no further.

So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings.

The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time. Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly.

What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were God's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Maybe that's why God allows us to struggle through the hard times we face instead of making life easy for us. Maybe we need the strength we'll gain from the fight.

Automatic Focus

© Angela Beatty 9/10

Philippians 4:8

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true,

whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are

just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever

things are lovely, whatsoever things are of

good report; if there be any virtue, if there

be any praise, think on these things.

~~~~~~~~~~~

My digital camera has a mind of it's own, and I've never quite figured out how to change it. The automatic focus is great most of the time. I can just point the camera and it does the work. But there are times when one object is closer than the rest of the picture and the automatic focus becomes obsessed with it - it perfectly focuses on that object and blurs the rest of the picture.

I guess I can be a little bit like my digital camera at times. Have you ever been there? One annoyance is in your face and that's all you can see for the rest of the day. The beauty of the scenery, the smile of a cashier, your health and vitality.... it all becomes faded background as that one annoyance takes on center stage clarity.

Maybe it's time to get out the old style camera's where we do the focusing, adjust the light settings and take control of what we're focusing on.

The Seasons of Hope

© Angela Beatty 9/10

Jeremiah 17:7-8

Blessed is the man who trusteth in the Lord,

and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as

a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth

forth her roots by the river, and shall not see when

the heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and

she shall not be careful in the year of drought

neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hope is a gift from God

and an integral part of the soul

that follows us through the seasons of our lives.

In Spring

Hope's flame burns bright when the birds joyously shout their songs from the trees. It grows within us everytime we spy flowers pushing their heads from the earth, when we inhale the smell of rain, and with the soft sound of the ground drinking in the water. When all of our tomorrows look promising, hope is close and easy to hold on to.

"The day the Lord created hope was probably the same day he created Spring." Bern Williams

In Summer

Green fields and blue summer skies fan the flames of hope. Even the heat doesn't stifle the feeling that our dreams are ripening and a season of harvest and plenty is near.

"Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tune without words and never stops." Emily Dickenson

In Autumn

The migrating birds seem to gather hope on their wings as they take flight for the winter. And yet a small flame still lingers in the knowledge that they will return. Hope flickers gently, poised and waiting.

"All human wisdom is summed up in two words - wait and hope. Alexander Dumas

In Winter

The season of death and cold does it's best to extinguish the flame of hope - sucking from the soul of mankind it's reason for existence. The long, frigid and gray days steal the light from eyes, and darken the world. And yet, somewhere deep within a small flame still smolders waiting for a tiny wisp of fresh air to rekindle the flame.

"In the night of death, hope sees a star, and listening love can hear the rustle of a wing." Robert Ingersoll

"Grape" Expectations!

Galations 6:9

And let us not be weary in well doing: for

in dueseason we shall reap, if we faint not.

Finally! The grapes I discovered growing in my back yard early this spring have ripened to a perfect purple. When I get home today, I'm planning to pick them and proudly display them in the fruit bowl on my kitchen table. Maybe it's a little silly, but I'm really proud of them. I've spent all summer watching them grow and anticipating the day I could pick them and taste their sweetness.

You know, it can seem like forever between the time something is planted until it reaches its potential. My grapes have only taken the summer to ripen, but I've invested in things in life that have taken decades to blossom and ripen. Raising children can be like that. Finding financial success can be like that. And personal development can be like that. But the good news is that one day you'll take another look at your "vineyard" and suddenly all of your efforts and waiting will have paid off, and you'll be getting your own fruitbowl out to set on the table.

Nature vs. Nurture

© 8/10 Angela Beatty

Proverbs 27:17

As iron sharpeneth iron, so a man

sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

Have you ever noticed the difference between wild apples and those picked from an orchard? As I was walking through Oil Creek State Park I noticed quite a few wild apple trees growing and didn't spot one perfectly apple shaped apple. Just like the apples in the wild trees that grew behind my house for 17 years, each of these were misshapen or blighted in some way.

In an orchard, trees are planted an exact distance apart so that they receive the correct amount of sunlight. They are pruned of dead branches that block the sunlight. Their leaves are dusted to kill the bugs that would destroy the fruit. A lot of effort is made so that the tree can put all of it's strength into producing good fruit.

In the wild an apple tree doesn't have nice straight branches. They are often twisted in their quest to reach for the sunlight because nearby trees or dead branches often block sunlight. The tree endures blights and is invaded by insects. Instead of nice perfectly round fruit, it produces knobby and wormy apples.

What about us? Does our environment matter? Child psychologists have long debated the effect environment plays on the development of a child. I'm convinced that it has an impact. That's why I chose Christian school for my children. And it's why I need to carefully consider my own environment. Do my friends encourage me to be fruitful or do they blight my attempts to grow? Am I growing in my place of employment, or have I become stunted? What about my Christian walk? Do I attend a church where sinful branches are pruned out of my life to give me freedom to grow straight and tall spiritually?

Sometimes it pays to walk through my personal orchard and see how things are growing there.

Delicacy or Poison

© 8/10 Angela Beatty

Proverbs 18:21

The tongue has the power of life and death,

and those who love it will eat the fruit.

Yesterday I walked around a nearby college campus and was surprised to see this crop of mushrooms that had seemingly grown overnight. There's something both beautiful and repelling about a mushroom to me. It fascinates me that they can be both a delicacy and a poison. Only one who has a good handle on "mushroom knowledge" can tell the difference.

It kind of reminds me, of our tongues. Such good and such evil comes from the mouths of mankind. There are those who just blurt out whatever frivolous thoughts pop into their head, while others carefully weigh each word.

I recall reading a story about a young boy who had a terrible habit of spouting unkindness when he was angry. His father took him out to the fence post and had him drive dozens of nails into a rail. He then instructed him to remove the nails. When the boy had finished, he commanded him to remove the nail holes.

Of course that is impossible! And it's just as impossible to take back a carelessly spoken word! My prayer today is that every word I speak is used to build hope, love, joy and peace and that there are no nail holes left to haunt me!

The Cycle of Nature

© 8/10 Angela Beatty

Ecclesiastes 1:5

The sun also riseth, and the sun goeth down

and hasteth to his place where he arose.

I recall a sermon my father preached years ago called, "The Cycle of Nature." He talked about how everything in nature has a tendency to return to its original state...

• The sun rises and sets, to rise and set again
• Rain falls, finds its way to the rivers, is swept to sea to evaporate and become rain again
• Spring, summer, fall, and winter repeat again and again.
• As humans from dust we were created and to dust we will return

Sometimes we find ourselves trapped in that cycle of returning to our originally state. Have you ever worked to overcome a flaw (procrastination for me), to think you have it all worked out and then one day you notice you're right back where you started or close to it? That can be a great source of frustration - especially when you worked really hard to make progress.

But another side of the whole scenario is that there are times when we our world seems to be frigid and unyeilding... things just aren't easy and aren't going well for us. Just remember, Spring always comes. The flowers will bloom again, gentle rains will fall, and the gardens will grow. It's just a matter of time.

True Love

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NLT)

4. Love is patient and kind.

5. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not

demand its own way. It is not irritable and it keeps no

record of being wronged.

6. It does not rejoice about injustices, but rejoices

whenever the truth wins out.

7. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is

always hopeful, and endures through

every circumstance.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Whenever a relationship goes sour in my life and I'm feeling smugly in the right..... one look at this Scripture usually wipes the smugness off my face. It's a mirror that shows my flaws, my real flaws way down inside where nobody but Jesus and I can see.

But on the other side of the mirror, isn't it good to know Jesus loves us like this Scripture? His love is true and unflawed. Sometimes when we've been spurned in love for a real or imagined flaw we project that type of love on our Saviour. But when I remember that He knew every mistake and fault I'd have long before He chose to love me I realize I don't have to fear that He'll walk away from me when I am not perfect!

If only we could love like Jesus!