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I love the old Andy Griffith Show. A gentler time...then.

In one of the first season episodes with the new regular star Elinor Donahue, Ellie, Andy, Opie, and Aunt Bee are enjoying a picnic out in the woods. Opie and Aunt Bee decide to go for a walk, while Ellie cleans up and Andy lies back on the blanket, covering himself with the local newspaper.

An article catches Ellie’s eye: those running for city council. Ellie wonders why there are no women running. She gets huffy trying to defend womanhood as Andy tells her she’s taking it too personal.

“That’s a silly attitude!” he tells her.

“Silly?” she retorts.

“Ooh...ooh...I didn’t mean to say that. No, I didn’t mean to say that a bit. It just slipped right out of my mouth. Here, give it right back to me. (pretends to put it back in his mouth) (slurp!) It’s back. And it had a ba-a-a-ad taste. A whole lot of times, we do things and say things even though deep down we know they’re just plain silly.”

Ellie glares at him.

“Ooh, did that bad tastin’ word slip out again?”

How often do we let those bad tastin’ words slip out of our mouths?

Sometimes, we speak negatively, spewing out empty, worthless words, like death, fear, doubt, unbelief, defeat, hate, depression, and discouragement when we should be speaking Life-giving words, like peace, faith, hope, love, encouragement, and blessings?

Jesus said, “On the day of judgment men will have to give account for every idle (inoperative, nonworking) word they speak…Your words now reflect your fate then: either you will be justified by them or you will be condemned.” (Matt. 12:36 Amp, Matt. 12:37 TLB)

Whew! That’s a lot to think about!

He also said, “Whatever is in the heart overflows into speech.” (Luke 6:45b TLB)

What overflows your heart into speech? Do you have to say, “Ooh...did I say that?”



Linking up with...

Saint Patrick was the national apostle and patron saint of Ireland. He was born in Roman Britain sometime in the latter part of the fourth century A.D. The dates of his birth and death are fuzzy.

When he was about sixteen years old, he was captured by Irish raiders and taken as a slave to Ireland, where he lived for six years before escaping and returning to his family. He entered the church, as his father and grandfather had before him, becoming a deacon and a bishop. He later went back to Ireland as a Christian missionary.

Legend says that Patrick taught the Irish about the concept of the three-in-one of the Trinity by using the three-leafed shamrock to explain the concept of the Trinity.

So, why is it celebrated on March 17th? One theory is that that is the day that St. Patrick died. The biggest observance around the world is, of course, in Ireland. With the exception of restaurants and pubs, almost all businesses close on March 17th.

Many Irish attend mass on this day as it is a religious holiday as well, where prayers are offered for missionaries worldwide before the serious celebrating begins.

I love the Irish blessings and thought I’d pass some of them onto you.











~~Happy St. Patrick's Day...Lynn~~

As all of you readers are precious to me, this is my New Year’s prayer and blessing for each of you...

I pray health and peace will greet you and your family at every turn of the New Year. May blessings overtake you, as God’s servants Goodness and Mercy pursue you throughout the days to come.

May the Lord’s shadow of forgiveness be thrown over the disappointments and troubles of the year now closed, while His Light is cast as a beacon of guidance to His safe haven of the days yet to be explored.

May you lean more upon your Beloved’s breast to seek His presence, just to be near Him, than to seek His handouts.

May you know the presence of the great Immanuel, God with you, every second of every day.

May the answers to your prayers be swift and understood. May your obedience to the Holy Spirit be greater than the year closing.

May the Lord “make you have a surplus of prosperity” and “open to you His good treasury.” (Deut. 28:11a, 12a Amp) May He “bless you in all the work of your hands.” (Deut. 24:19b Amp)

May His eyes be upon your household from the beginning of the year until the end of the year. And may the sounds of joy fill every room of your house.

May you know your Beloved Lord better at the end of this new year than you did at the end of last year.

Each of you is a special instrument that is being fine-tuned for great service - to play beautiful music for the Master Conductor. You must first learn to be through much practice before you can learn to do that which He strikes at the cords of your heart to do for Him.

He uses only those instruments that are in tune with His great purposes. His harmony is the sweetest when played on the instruments that lay closest to His feet. And I know that you sit adoringly at His precious feet - in true devotion and affection, in true worship and praise. All will be well. He loves you.

“Did I not tell you and promise you that if you would believe and rely on Me, you would see the glory of God?” (John 11:40 Amp)

May you see great glory in your household in the New Year!

From my heart to yours...

~~Link to Part 1~~
When the wise men came to Bethlehem, they came bearing gifts, first out of their hearts’ fullness, for they fell down to worship the Christ-child, and then, out of their treasure bags’ fullness of precious things, for they offered gifts of sacrifice.

When the wise men came to Bethlehem, they brought gold, one of the purest and most valuable of all metals. It serves to remind us of that which is of genuine worth and value, as it was lavishly used to cover the articles of the temple and the temple itself. It reminds us, too, of the pure worth and value of Christ, and that He fashions our hearts into the pure gold for His temple, the home of His holiness and pureness.

When the wise men came to Bethlehem, they brought frankincense, a sweet, aromatic perfume, burned as incense, and, among other things, was an ingredient in the anointing oil.

It serves to show us the precious Holy Spirit, anointing us to be in the presence of the Father, as the incense mingles with the sweet-smelling sacrifice of prayer, rises to the throne room and lingers at the Father’s feet.

When the wise men came to Bethlehem, they brought myrrh, a fragrant, costly perfume, used in purification rites and for cleansing, also as an ingredient in the anointing oil, and used for preservation in death.

It represents the costly perfume of Christ as His blood purifies and cleanses us, preserving us in death.

The wise men found their way into Bethlehem and Bethlehem found its way into their hearts.

Have you found Bethlehem?

* Do you bring the sacrificial gifts out of your heart’s treasury to the Christ-child? The purity of holiness? The costly fragrance of continual prayer? A cleansed soul, preserved from eternal death?
* Do you offer Him your heart as His manger, as the vessel of His resting place? Or is it full of jealousy, envy, hatred, unforgiveness, self-pity, lust, anger, or prejudice? Is there any room left for Him to come and “lay down His sweet head”? Have you said, “Sorry, there is no room for You in this inn”?
* Does He plead, “But where will I be born; where will I find My resting place? Your manger is full, full of unforgiveness, full of your own self. I see no room for Me. I’ve been turned away from inn after inn; where do you wish Me to go?”

The only way you will find Bethlehem is when you remember to kneel in worship to the Christ Who loved you so much that He came in a tiny, human form.

And where will Bethlehem find you?

* In the car sitting in snarling traffic, snarling back at it?
* On the way to Grandma’s house, Aunt Sophie’s, or Mom and Dad’s?
* On a plane, or a bus?
* Or perhaps at the mall, rushing to find that last minute gift? Will it really find you there?

How does it come?

* Does it come rolling in as with chariot wheels rumbling?
* Or does it come silently, as with a gentle whisper?
* Does it come in a season, or in a moment, as in the twinkling of an eye?
* Does it come decorated in beautiful wrappings, resting under the tree?
* Or does it come in the sacrifice of your heart’s gift?

Wise men give Christ room to dwell. Will you be a wise man (or woman) this year? Will you visit Bethlehem this Christmas? Will its Visitor visit you? Will Bethlehem come and leave again, finding you not because your heart’s inn is full?

Make room for the Christ-child; make room for the Christ-Man. Give Him the lodging place He deserves. Be as the wise men when they came to Bethlehem: worshiping on bended knee, grateful, and bringing gifts.

“O come all ye faithful…O come ye to Bethlehem…Come and behold Him, born the King of angels! O come, let us adore Him…Christ the Lord!”

When wise, men (and women) come to Bethlehem!

I pray abundant blessings for you and your family, for a Christmas filled with the presence of the Christ-child and the Christ-Man. May you find Bethlehem and may it find you.

Ebenezer? Who is that? No, not Scrooge. This Ebenezer was a what, not a who. In the Bible, Ebenezer means stone of help. It’s purpose? Let’s see…

At one time in Israel’s history, when they faced the Philistines, Samuel and Israel fasted, prayed, repented, and offered a sacrifice. God answered their plea by confusing and defeating the enemy that pursued them. To commemorate the fact that Israel was victorious and recovered all the territory the enemy had taken, Samuel set up a stone as a marker of remembrance.

When he did this, he exclaimed, “Up to this point the LORD has helped us!” (1 Samuel 7:12 NLT) Samuel, whose name meant heard of God, knew the Lord would hear them and be on their side in the future.

The Lord’s hand remained against the Philistines as peace reigned throughout the land. The enemy never came into the territory of Israel again all the days of Samuel.

Did the enemy pursue you this past year as he did me? In the midst of all the raging storms against my life, God’s hand was evident to me. Did you experience the Lord’s presence with you? I felt His canopy of caring covering me. Were you aware of it over you? Did He provide shelter and sustenance, even if in quantities less than desired? Yes, He did for me.

Through all the contrary times, through sickness, through loss, through poverty, through grief, through trials, through temptations…the Lord has provided up to this point.

May we not halt or destroy God’s plans for the future, for, out of the old, a newness arises through His regenerating grace, creating all things afresh, as God said through Isaiah, “Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” (Is. 43:19 NKJV)

Will there be room in the New Year for the Lord to do a new thing in our lives, or will we be filled with last year’s leftovers? Therefore, let us not carry into the New Year the baggage of regrets, unforgiveness, resentments, failures, ungrateful hearts, or disappointments in others or in ourselves, all of which weigh down our usefulness.

As He stands in the present, He is poised, firmly fixed between the years, His presence casting a shadow over the past year, concealing its troubles, sorrows, and disappointments and transforming all the old…the old attitudes, the old habits, and the old ways, into something new.

As the light of His guidance beams across the New Year, illuminating the passage into the land of the unknown, His road will take you through each dry wilderness to streams of fresh, flowing water.

Will you stand bravely at its threshold, ready, willing, and obedient to follow the Lord, no matter where He may lead? Will your attitude be to enter His portal with thanksgiving, remembering His goodness over the past year, and to ask His blessings over the coming year?

Instead of resolutions, set goals and ask yourself these questions:

* How many lacking souls can I replenish?
* How many heavy-ladened spirits can I encourage?
* How many grieving hearts can I console this year?
* How many lost ones can I introduce to salvation?

To commemorate your year of the Lord’s goodness and your victory and recovery of all the territory the enemy has tried to take from you, set up an Ebenezer stone…the Lord, “The Stone of Israel,” the Rock of your salvation.

May the Lord’s shadow of forgiveness conceal the disappointments and troubles of your year now past, while His light is cast as a beacon of guidance to His safe haven of the days yet to be explored. May His hand be against your enemy and His peace reign all your days.

As “the LORD Himself watches over you,” I pray that the His hand will be upon your household “from the beginning of the year to the very end of the year,” that His comfort and blessings fill every room of your home so that the sounds of joy can be “heard far in the distance,” and that He will “preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.”

May His servants Goodness and Mercy pursue you throughout the days to come.

Have a very happy New Year!

~~Blessings, Lynn~~

To all my sweet readers...

I pray health and peace will greet you and your family at every turn of the New Year. May blessings overtake you, as God’s servants Goodness and Mercy pursue you throughout the days to come.

May the Lord’s shadow of forgiveness be thrown over the disappointments and troubles of the year now past, while His Light is cast as a beacon of guidance to His safe haven of the days yet to be explored.

May the Lord “make you have a surplus of prosperity” and “bless all the work of your hands.” May His eyes be upon your household “from the beginning of the year to the end of the year.”

May blessings fill every room of your house and the sounds of joy be “heard for a great distance.”

~~Blessings, Lynn~~

Years ago, our preacher at the time gave a sermon about a married couple. I don’t remember the details, only the basics. A wife had served her husband a great meal, and as she cleared away the dishes, she announced to her husband her usual comment, “Hold onto your fork. The best is yet to be.”

After the sermon, that saying stuck with me. As we were suffering financial difficulties, I took an old fork, tied a red ribbon around it, and hung it on my refrigerator in hopes of God’s promise of the best is yet to be. I never removed it. It’s been there for years. It reminds me that, no matter what the trial, heartache, or pain surrounding my life, God is still faithful to the promises in His Word.

First Kings 8:56b says, “There has not failed one word of all His good promise.” (NKJV) Abraham knew this. He never doubted, for scripture says he was “fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.” (Rom. 4:21 NKJV) He held on and God fulfilled His promise to him of the best that was yet to be.

Even with great faith attached to it, a promise of God sometimes stalls in its appearance because of God’s time schedule. What happens when inactivity occurs, when a promise seems to drift farther and farther away, when circumstances linger incessantly and patience wears thin? Are we more concerned about the problem or God’s promise?

If we hold onto that Word, as that scarlet cord of promise, God will always be faithful to keep it, for the One Who breathes His promises into our hearts will not fail to serve up the sweet ending.

Whatever your trials might be this day, hang on to God’s promises. Go now, find a fork, tie it up with a pretty bow, and hang it on your refrigerator, for...

YOUR BEST IS YET TO BE!!!

~~Blessings, Lynn~~

It’s the little things that seem to bless my heart the most…or maybe it’s because I really don’t get the big things in life, so the little things mean that much more to me.

I saw a commercial for one of my favorite chocolate treats in all the world - Ghiradelli’s dark chocolate squares with raspberry filling.

My six year-old granddaughter loves them almost as much as I do, and, a few weeks ago, she finished off the last two I had, which had been a gift from my daughter. This is a treat I don’t often get, so, as they all had disappeared, I have been wanting to entangle my taste buds and wrap my tongue around one of these tempting delicacies.

When I saw the commercial, I said one of those off-hand things to the Lord that we all do once in a while…Lord, Olivia ate the last of my chocolate. I sure wish I had some more. Then, I just sighed, thinking it would be quite a while before my next delectable chocolate fix.

I have fibromyalgia and this day was not a particularly good day. As I sat in the afternoon on the couch, with my laptop in front of me, my sweet husband came in the door, rattling something in his hands behind his back.

“Close your eyes,” he said. To which I obeyed. “Stick out your hands,” also in obedience. “Surprise!”

Oh, my! A whole bag of raspberry-filled chocolate squares! Yummo! What a joyous surprise. In our financial situation, surprises are few and far between, so this was, indeed, a true surprise.

Then, it hit me…and the tears began to stream down my cheeks and I heard the Lord whisper, “They’re for you because I love you.” Oh, Lord, You really do care about my heart’s desires, even the most insignificant ones. What an awesome God You are!

God does reward us, with even the little things in life, when we make Him the love of our lives.

So, I made a cup of coffee, took my little sweet treat, and thoroughly delighted myself in my chocolate raspberry surprise.

May the Lord surprise you with a sweet, delectable treat. “May He grant you according to your heart’s desire.” (Ps. 20:4 NKJV)

~~Blessings, Lynn~~