Scatter the flowers

  hymnsandverses.com image "Do all the good you can,  by all the means you can,  in all the ways you can,  in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can,   as long as ever you can."   ~ John Wesley, theologian One of my favorite childhood memories around Christmas is watching "The Little Drummer  Boy",  about a poor boy who felt he had nothing to offer the newborn King, Jesus, as he watched others bring the finest of gifts to Him.  He wanted to give something to Jesus, and realized he could use his talent of playing the drums to honor Him. Ever feel like you have nothing to offer Jesus that is worthy?  Like doing your best isn't quite enough?  Maybe it's not received the way it was intended, or it wasn't quite as sufficient as we designed it to be.  When we feel like that, it's because we are basing our lives on us  and our efforts.  We  need to remind ourselves that what Jes...

  "Mrs. Howell, don't worry about the wild animals.  They usually fall in the quicksand."   ~ Gilligan, Gilligan's Island Remember the old show "Gilligan's Island" (possibly pre-dated dinosaurs), where their biggest peril was quicksand?  C ontrary to the frequent elusion to it on this show,  I had never seen or heard of it until recently a hiker in Utah was stuck in it.  However, it developed a paralyzing fear in me as a child, right along with spiders. And snakes.  My friend and I recently engaged in a heroic battle with a snake in her basement (it was more her than me, as I stood there screaming).  We successfully got it in a trash can and put it outside, only to find out it was a fake one.  (No names will be mentioned about how it got there, Karen.) Fear of real things is real.  What if there's math? But what about the fears of imagined possibilities?  What if we don't have enough money?  What if I'm rejected?  What if ...

  "Know that darkness is merely the absence of light.  You can be the small candle that defeats the vast darkness."  ~ Jonathan Lockwood Huie ❄ I'm not sure if good King Wenceslas let it snow, but baby, it's cold outside.  It was 10 degrees here a couple days ago.  So after watching it snow all day, this picture of the city lights shining through the Arctic chill kind of made me think of Christ's words when He said we were the light of the world that can't be hidden ( Matthew 5:14-16 ). Jesus taught with such incredibly powerful word pictures - there's something so inviting about a light amidst darkness.  It emits warmth and coziness, promising a welcome as we get closer.  It's a sign of life among a lifeless darkness; beckoning people to draw near.   ❄ I wonder if that is what Jesus meant by telling us to  'shine like bright lights'.  (Phil 2:15) How can we shine this week?  Can we bring a bit of joy to someone who needs cheer...

  "When Jesus said 'Love your neighbor', He knew your neighbor would act, look, believe and love  differently than you.  It's kinda the whole point." ~ Toby Mac, Christian artist Ever have a day?  Like, I mean,  A. DAY .  Somebody slammed on their brakes and my beautifully engineered ever-so-safe car slammed on its' brakes automatically and my pot of soup I was taking to someone went flying off the front seat and all over my car.  Of course it was the best vegetable soup I'd ever made too.  Argh. Isn't that just the way it goes? Our best efforts get s abotaged, or at least our attitudes and joy do.  Sometimes our intentions are so noble, and yet it goes so badly.  I kind of look at that as Satan just trying to kill my joy and get me to grow weary of doing good.  Not today, Satan.   "Let us not become weary of doing what is good.  At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we do not give up." Gal 6:9 ...

  "Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal." ~ Troy Ramey, artist My mom knocked on heaven's door this week, and was let in.  She had lived 94 years on this earth- through the Great Depression, tragedy, and a host of health issues- but plodded on with feistiness and a sense of humor. My mourning wasn't the only woe being experienced this week- miscarriages, mental illness, broken family relationships, fear of uncertainty - all woes this broken world has handed out to people I love.  And the prince of this world loves to throw them at us relentlessly.  Lord, how do we endure? How do we fight back the tendency to grow tired of it and let it rob us of our  joy? We ask God to give us the fruit of self-control and guard our minds.    "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things."...

  "Darkness cannot drive out darkness.   Only light can do that."  ~ Martin Luther King Jr. The divisiveness.  The lies and accusations.  The insults hurled.  Just another day of news and politics and online social media conversations.  So much darkness. It leaves us with daily decisions of if, how and when to participate in these interactions.  It can bog us down, or we can look at it as an opportunity to bring some light into the dark. But we can't manufacture the light - as Christ followers we already have "it" inside of us.  Jesus specifically left us with a gift that sheds light in a world that doesn't see Him or know Him.  It is so inviting and comes completely out of love. "And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another advocate to  help you and be with you forever-the Spirit of truth.  The world cannot  accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him.  But you know  Him, for He lives w...