Scatter the flowers

  I'm not sure who will have their life changed today by this news, but they have taken the harmful red dyes and artificial flavors out of Flaming Hot Cheetos.  They are called NKD Cheetos.  I'm sure it was a mistake that they were not placed on the new food pyramid now, because it must mean what is left in them is good for us.  What a time to be alive! Don't we wish the harmful and fake could be taken out of everything?  Could we just deal with the beneficial and authentic in this world?  No "likes" that supposedly measure our influence or worth, or AI that generates fake news stories or homework assignments.   Things are not always as they appear.  Clouds can keep us from seeing the sun shining, and things look dismal and we doubt God knows what's going on down here.   Though all this can, if we let it, ambush our confidence and security in our daily life, it actually is a great time to be alive.  While our world is changin...

  "A little consideration, a little thought for others,  makes all the difference." ~ Eeyore Liars. Deceivers. Murderers. Prostitutes. Cowards. Persecutors. Drunks. Abused.  Adulterers.  The daily headlines?  Nope - just a list of the type of people God chooses to use to accomplish great things for His kingdom.  Their personality tests would definitely reveal insecurity, fear, impulsivity, and feelings of incompetence and doubt.   Sometimes do you think what you do doesn't matter, or it never will?  Yea, me too.  But think for a minute back to people that have impacted your life positively, either through an encouraging word or a kind action.   Maybe a Sunday school teacher or a regular school teach er noticed something about you?   Did a neighbor drop off a bit of food during a challenging time?  How about a coach encouraging you or expecting more from you because you had talent?  A boss that knew you could...

  "A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the crowd." ~Max Lucado ✔ Here we are - the eve of 2026 - 26 years from when we thought the world would come to  a halt causing us to stock up on water and food, while still celebrating like it's 1999 (thank you Prince) because it was.   My guess is January 2 is the actual day all those New Year's Resolutions start because we want to eat all day tomorrow.  But there is definitely a "clean-it-out" vibe we get after the indulging over the holidays.  A desire to simplify our mind's path so we can get to who we are. ✔  If our country ever showed group mentality it's now.  People want you to pick a side and rearrange your life and project your voice to reflect it.  I do think we should pick a side, and it should be that we want to just listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit through God's Word, and align everything to that. It sounds so simple, doesn't it?  And yet it can be one o...

  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...