My Time at the Inn

The Worry Box I had a lovely wooden box, and in this box I put my worries one by one. My worry over my sister-in-law's sudden illness; my concern for my brother when she passed away. The box became a little heavy, but I could still bear it. I added my worries over my husband's surgery; the responsibility I had to administer his eleven different medications; my lack of sleep since he must get up every two hours to go to the bathroom, but still I carried the box. I add the worries of blood clots and infections he might get from the surgery. I now had to use two hands to carry this box.  Still it had room, so I added to it my concerns about my own upcoming doctor's appointment; would my cholesterol be lowered, because I refuse to take the drugs, will my doctor refuse take me as a patient?  The box began to take on a new appearance, and the light golden brown turned dark, and not nearly as lovely. Still, I added more worries to this box, but now it became onerous to...

I love Psalm 139; what a marvelous prayer David prayed, and we can pray it too!  In just the first verse alone we learn so very much.  O LORD, thou hast searched me and known me.  It shows the omnimpotence of God.  He is all knowing.  Nothing is hidden from him; he knows us.  It is a personal kind of knowing. God knows us personally; He knows me.  He knows the number of hairs on my head, he knows all the little details about me, and when we read/pray on, we see he knows when we rise, when we sit, and he knows our thoughts.  God knows me!  God knows you too!  Isn't that wonderful and encouraging.  He is a personal God.  He cares for us. Remember the priests of Baal on Mount Carmel, who tried slashing their skin to get the attention of their false god?  Our Heavenly Father knows us and He cares for us; He loves us so much that He sent His son, is only begotten son, Jesus, to die for us in our place.  He seaches u...

Today I found out that the child of a friend has been suffering from cyber bulling.  Cyber Bullying is on the rise.  My heart breaks for those that suffer from such hate.  I have spoken with many people, who as children, had been bullied and managed to overcome it, but these are people from my day long ago before computers.  It is one thing to be made fun of and teased in the classroom, but to have this teasing continue over the internet on sites such as Facebook, is much worse, because it goes way beyond the classroom.  The effects of cyber bullying go beyond the teasing I encountered as a student in school.  When I was teased, the teacher quickly stopped any kind of teasing.  It did not seem to last beyond a a few days at most, or if it did, it meant a visit to the principals office.  What can be done?  I am not a specialist; I am only a mother and grandmother, but here are the steps I would take. Talk to the school.  Visit ...

 I just found out that my number two son, will have his number one son in twenty more weeks!  Now here technology has found a good place.  His text message was full of exclamation points and excitement!  Rightly so, too. It seems like yesterday that I had this number two son. And, really in that short time has technology advanced. Back in the day, we did not know if were having a son or daughter until the doctor told us at delivery. Frankly, I found it quite exciting to find out that way. We called our parents with the news from the labor room.  Of course our little guy's life hung in the balance since, God's timing for him to be born was at 29 or 30 weeks.  I remember the doctor telling me that his little life hung in the balance and he may not survive, and here he is having his first son. Do you ever find yourself amazed at the beautiful cycle of life?  One day, and it will come faster than he thinks, his son will tell him that he will ...

In Psalm 34, the Lord tells us that the Christian will have trouble come his way.  We daily combat the enemy and the only way to defeat him is with the Word of God.  He must flee when we cling to the word.  Our perilous circumstance may or may not change.  The Lord may bring us out of our trouble quickly, or like Job, we may know a lengthy season of affliction, but when we cling to the Word, hold it close and fight to keep it in us, our attitude towards our affliction will change.  That's what so awesome about the Christian faith.  Christ is our all in all.  He will deliver us out of our troubles in due season.  Wait on the Lord.  No matter how difficult your affliction, cling to the Word.  Memorize it, meditate on it, and let it become a part of your very being.  The devil has to flee from the Word.  Wait on the Lord.

I am nearly finished reading Lark Rise to Candleford by Flora Thompson.    Flora relates what is was like to grow up in England during the Victorian days.  She tells her story in third person and Laura represents Flora.  The story flows naturally as a historical account of life for the poor in small town England, represented in the town of Lark Rise.  Candleford, a nearby town, has more well-to-do people inhabiting this village.  Flora brings to life a long forgotten time in history. In Laura's day the children of the poor had to find work once they finished their schooling usually around the ages of 13-14.  The father's small wages and the large families they had, made it difficult to keep a family together.  How to feed the large family on the small wages worried the mothers. So, when a girl turned 13 or 14 and her schooling finished, she would find work outside the home. The girls worked as maids, nursemaids, or household help for wealt...

Winston Churchill once said, "Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never in nothing, great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honor  and good sense."  I thought of this today as I read my devotions.  God wants us to persevere in his Word.  The Word of the Lord is the Sword of the Spirit, and when trials or tribulations come, we often, well, I do, anyway, loosen the grip on our sword, and Satan takes the sword from us, and we have despair.  Hang onto the word of God, cling to it and never let go, never give up on the Lord, for He will bring us through our trials. Reader, whatever you are struggling with, hang onto the Word of the Lord.  Memorize it, and get inside you; have hope.  Hope in the Lord.  This pleases the Lord.  Is it easy to hope when things go wrong, when you struggle?  No, but joy does come even in the midst of the struggle, Christ gives joy. A friend sent me a YouTube vid...