Restless Legs Syndrome

RLS...It's what some people suffer with, especially at night. Once in awhile I do, too, but it used to be more often, not a pleasant thing to experience. Simply put, it's bad circulation in your legs that makes you feel the need to move them. In fact, moving them is the only relief you can usually get. Lest you think that I consider this to be a blessing, let me assure you that I haven't arrived yet at that point. But today I was thinking about this and comparing it to how we can feel restless in emotional, mental or even spiritual ways. 

I know that there have been times when I have felt so restless that I knew I HAD to move myself out of the house and go find someone to witness to or at least give a Gospel tract to. Sometimes the need is just for a change of scenery to clear my heart and mind, to breathe fresh air, to get a new perspective on things. To get some circulation going, if you will.

I believe that God puts spiritual restlessness in us when He wants us to get moving, when He has something He wants us to do. There's only one cure for such restlessness and that's OBEDIENCE. When we obey Him we will start moving. The relief is wonderful, I can assure you. In this sense, restless legs (or hands or mind or heart...) can be a blessing!

I wonder if this bird has RLS? :)

But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you. (Jeremiah 7:23)

On His Wings

A recent return plane trip was uneventful (we love "uneventful"!) except for our landing. As we neared our destination, the pilot came on and said the normal, giving the general weather report about where we were about to land..."58 degrees and cloud-covered", not at all unusual for our fair city. As we gradually lost altitude, I could see kind of a whitish glow through the clouds up ahead and surmised that it was our city. But the clouds below the plane just looked like they were getting thicker and thicker, it was like a carpet of darkish cotton (it was 11:30 p.m.).  As we descended down into that carpet, it was white swirling around outside, then in a couple minutes it was black swirls and we could see nothing. After another minute or so I strained my eyes and began to faintly see a couple of lights glowing below us and then, all of a sudden we realized that those were the lights of the runway! In a few seconds we had landed and I saw that the fog was quite thick there at the airport, visibility looked to be no more than two blocks. 

What I don't understand, is why they could land then, but on other occasions (2 times) they couldn't land because of fog and we had to go back! Anyway, as I thought about this experience the next day, I was kind of shaking my head at the wonder of it all. I was also imagining the pilots...Were they high-fiving it when they landed, saying something like "Yes! we did it! a bit risky but, hey, such is flying." Hopefully, they were totally confident about going ahead and landing. I'd hate to think that they did it taking a risk!

As I thought about this experience the next day, I had grateful tears as the Lord showed me, not only that He (not the pilots) was the one protecting us but that circumstances in our lives are often like this. As the dark swirls of difficulties surround us the Lord says "Trust Me. I will carry you on My wings and we will arrive at the planned destination."  I am one very blessed and grateful child to have such a God and Father!

"As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings,

taketh them, beareth them on her wings:

So the LORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him."

 (Deuteronomy 32:11,12)

                                                                 

Eternity In Their Heart

I read a book by this title once and recently this phrase, found in some of the translations of Ecclesiastes 3:11, has been coming back to mind. It tells me that God has put into the heart of every human being a hunger for spiritual and eternal things-for Him, His Word, His love, His salvation...those things that only HE can provide.

Recently we have entered into some of the grief of people losing loved ones or going through some other painful life experince. I believe that the main purpose of many of these is so that people will turn their hearts toward Him. HE is the one who puts "eternity in their heart"! However, sometimes He speaks to us with a softer voice...such as when we see the crazy, little, intricate design of an orchid, such as this one that I saw this week. How can one look at it and not think, "Wow, what a Creator to make something like this!"

Why don't we listen when God turns our hearts to Him and speaks to us through these? What a blessing to have these prods from Him! They all cause us to "stop, look and listen" to Him. We need to do that...whether He speaks with a soft or a loud voice.

"He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart..." (Ecclesiastes 3:11)-NASB

"O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is." (Psalm 63:1)

 "...and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth." (I Samuel 3:9)

Reach Out And Touch

Most of us remember the line from a phone company commercial of several years ago..."Reach out and touch someone". They probably didn't realize how important that line really is...


Several years ago I received a gift. My husband brought it back from one of his speaking trips. It has always been our laugh that I'M the one who usually gets a gift for HIS preaching! Well, that hasn't happened in a long time so...I guess those lovely days are over.

Anyway, what was I writing about? Oh yes, a gift. My gift on this occasion was one of those lovely touch-lamps. You know the kind, right? You touch it once to turn on the light...

touch it a second time to make the light brighter...

                                   ...and a third time to make it even brighter!

It was only a year or so ago that I realized only the touch of human skin would make the light come on. I tried to turn it on when I had gloves on and it just wouldn't work. So I got curious and touched it with a warm cloth and it still wouldn't work! Only the touch of my skin would do the trick.


I don't think I need to explain much here to tell you the beautiful illustration this brought to me: the importance of the human touch. It is an amazing thing. The love and affection, importance, respect and "you're worth something" message it transmits is not something we should take lightly...whether we're giving or receiving this beautiful gift. A hug, a handclasp, a pat on the back...these and many more are message-bearers to those around us that we care about them.


"Reach out and touch someone" is not just a classic commercial line for a phone company, it should be one of our daily goals!


"And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid."
  (Matthew 17:7)
"Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another."
  (Romans 12:1)

My Alabaster Box

I love the Bible story (Mark 14:3-9) of the woman who broke her alabaster box and poured out her expensive perfume on Jesus. Whether it was Mary of Bethany, Mary Magdalene or some other woman doesn't matter.  The change that Jesus brought about in her life was worthy of the love and worship she unabandonly gave to Him.

I have a little alabaster box that a friend once gave to me and every time I see it I am reminded of this story. Thus I am reminded of the need that I have to give to Him the love, praise and worship that He deserves and desires from me.

What is in your alabaster box? What is in mine? What gift can we bring this Christmas to Jesus Who gave His all, His best, for us? Whatever it is, give it to Him with abandon, with love, with worship...as this woman did.

There is a beautiful song about this story, here are the words...

Alabaster Box

The room grew still
As she made her way to Jesus

She stumbled through the tears that made her blind

She felt such pain
Some spoke in anger
Heard folks whisper
There's no place here for her kind
Still on she came
Through the shame that flushed her face
Until at last, she knelt before his feet
And though she spoke no words
Everything she said was heard
As she poured her love for the Master
From her box of alabaster


And I've come to pour
My praise on Him
Like oil from Mary's alabaster box
Don't be angry if I wash his feet with my tears
And I dry them with my hair
You weren't there the night He found me

You did not feel what I felt

When he wrapped his love all around me and

You don't know the cost of the oil

In my alabaster box

I can't forget the way life used to be

I was a prisoner to the sin that had me bound

And I spent my days
Poured my life without measure
Into a little treasure box

I'd thought I'd found

Until the day when Jesus came to me

And healed my soul

With the wonder of His touch

So now I'm giving back to Him

All the praise He's worthy of

I've been forgiven

And that's why

I love Him so much

 And I've come to pour

My praise on Him

Like oil from Mary's alabaster box

Don't be angry if I wash his feet with my tears

And dry them with my hair

You weren't there the night Jesus found me

You did not feel what I felt

When He wrapped his loving arms around me and

You don't know the cost of the oil
Oh, you don't know the cost of my praise

You don't know the cost of the oil

In my alabaster box.

                              -Cece Winans

God's Two Sides

For several years now I've been attracted to a study of "God's 2 sides": the strong and the soft, I call it. His strong side would include His holiness, justice and power. In His soft side is seen His love, gentleness and provision. The study of Scripture shows us so much more about both of these aspects of God and they have been a great blessing to me.

We can look around us and see more than one thing that

illustrates this.

The ocean with its calm waters that softly lap on the shore...

...or with its powerful, impressive waves that crash against the rocks.

There's another illustration that may be even better-that of a father holding his newborn baby. What strength are in those arms to protect his little one but what softness to handle it with gentleness and love!

"Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him: behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him.
He shall feed His flock like a shepherd: He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young." (Isaiah 40:10,11)
(1st & 3rd photo: internet)

Scene Through An Open Door

It caught my attention every time I glanced that way...the pot of sunflowers that I could see from where I sat in church. At that morning hour the sun was usually shining through the window, so it enhanced the beauty of the flowers...
Seeing them through the slightly opened door seemed to add to their beauty. It was as if the Lord was saying "Look through those open doors of opportunity, I have beautiful things waiting for you. Trust Me."

"Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him. But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit..." (I Corinthians 2:10,11)
"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1)

God Hears Our Desires

God hears our verbal prayers, our spoken-in-the-heart prayers and our thoughts. But he also knows and, yes, hears our desires-those feelings in us that sometimes can't be expressed in words and that sometimes we're even hesitant to express in our hearts and minds.

I am convinced of this because I had a "desire answered" several years ago. I did not have the courage to ask the Lord for it because I thought that maybe I would be asking too much, that maybe it was too much of a luxury. But obviously the Lord didn't think so, as I suddenly found myself flying a couple thousand miles to see the birth of our first grandchild! It was only after I returned home that I found the wonderful verse in Psalm 10:17 that says "Lord, Thou hast heard the desire of the humble: Thou wilt prepare their heart, Thou wilt cause thine ear to hear." And then I knew why I had been granted my desire. He heard it as clearly as if I had shouted it from the housetop!

Don't be afraid to express the desires of your heart to Him. He already knows and hears them anyway.

Pruning

This morning I decided that it was a good time, with the blue sky and sunshine, to prune a couple of my plants, especially the Rose of Sharon, which had gotten a little too tall and out of shape for her own good. With pruning shears in hand, I clipped the tip, and sometimes alot more, of every big and little branch, not worried at all that perhaps I was being too drastic. Must've learned that from my pruning-happy husband...although I've been known to fuss at him for pruning (what I thought was) way too much! Anyway...I know that, come Spring in 3 or 4 months, she will begin to reward me with all of her beauty! I'll try to remember to send you a photo of that later on.

 I don't know whether pruning is painful to a plant but I do know that it leaves it quite ugly...but only for a short time. Pruning in the form of discipline from God in our lives is definitely painful and, temporarily, is an ugly thing-from our point of view. But wait awhile and we will certainly see the beauty that results from the drastic measures He has to sometimes take. He cuts off branches and buds that are dead, useless, way too big for our own good and detrimental to our health, growth and development. But He does it in love, knowing the beauty that will unfold, a beauty that will bring glory to Him and make Him smile for joy. All because He loves us!

 "Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless, afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby." (Hebrews 12:11)

Time

I refuse to believe that it has already been a week since I posted my last blog! But 'tis true. These roses in different stages remind me of time. So often we hear people say things like "Time slows down for no one", "Oh, how time flies!", "Where did the week go?", or "I don't have time". Aha! That last one just is not true. We all have time and we all have the same amount of time. Learning to organize our time is the problem. And that's where priorities come in...but that's another subject! " We all have time to do what we want to do. Period. God gives us all the precious gift of time but He also says to "redeem the time because the days are evil". That's not just a witty saying, but truth from His Word (Eph. 5:16). Speaking about time reminds me of a little poem that's familiar to some people: Only one life, 'twill soon be past, Only what's done for Christ will last. I have a little wooden plaque that belonged to my Grandma Odem with that poem on it. It impressed me as a young person and it still does. Our lives go by so quickly. That's difficult for a child or young person to comprehend. To them it perhaps doesn't go by fast enough! I want to make sure I don't waste my time, my days, my life...but make it all count for Him!

"See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

redeeming the time, because the days are evil."
(Ephesians 5:15,16)

Rain

Rain is certainly a good thing-a perfect gift from Him. He created it to meet some of our most basic of needs and also that of the earth. It refreshes, nourishes, cleans...who can complain about that?! It even makes music-beautiful music! Have you ever paid attention to that music? There's a poem which is entitled "The Music of the Rain", from which come these lines: "...It seems a mighty symphony at times, when down it pours, As it splashes and it crashes as the oceans on their shores. The trumpets, drums and cymbals of the rain together play To make loud, harmonious music and a lovely melody. Then enter the sweet instruments of flute and harp and strings, As the raindrops sprinkle, then they tinkle like the birds that sing...." There is a lovely little phrase that comes from a certain song. It says "into each life some rain must fall". We can't say that it's Scripture, but we can certainly say that it's true. No life, no marriage, no family, no generation can escape the rain that will inevitably fall. But remember that rain is a good thing. Admittidly, at times we think there is an overabundance as we look at the destruction and pain and (what we think is) permanent damage. But whether our rain is literal or symbolic, the truth applies that God is in control. He will not allow more than we can handle. The umbrella of His love and care will be over us at all times, protecting us from the elements..."til the storm passes by".