Tuesday Thoughts - September 15, 2015

Welcome to another weekly installment of Tuesday Thoughts.  :-)

The weather this week was quite different than one would expect for September in New England.  It was hot and very, very humid!  As I walked to my car after work one day, I noticed leaves gathered around the car on the ground.  The weather may be acting like the dog days of summer, but the trees seem to know fall is coming.  A friend who lives about an hour north of me posted a picture of a tree whose leaves are already turning red.  Regardless of how the weather may be, I always marvel that the trees do just what they are supposed to at the expected time,  producing abundant fruit with leaves showing hints of the glorious display of color that will soon unfold.

Out of the ground the LORD God caused to grow every tree

that is pleasing to the sight and good for food.

Genesis 2:9

We finally had rain after the long hot spell.  It's almost as if you can hear the grass say, "ahhh".  :-)   The house was so dark yesterday morning when the storms rolled through.  My grandpuppy Dakota was my shadow, not liking the claps of thunder.

Let us now fear the LORD our God, Who gives rain in its season, Both the autumn rain and the spring rain, Who keeps for us the appointed weeks of the harvest." 

Jeremiah 5:24

and yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness."  

Acts 14:17

I always take note of corn fields in the early spring when the tender shoots are just popping up, thinking to myself, before you know it, the corn stalks will be tall and ready for harvest.  And sure enough, I drove by a familiar corn field the other day, tall, sturdy stalks bursting with corn sheaths, enveloping crisp, golden kernels of corn, ready for harvest, thinking to myself how fast the summer months seem to go.  But I wonder if the farmer, concerned about bugs or drought, feels the same way as he waits for the fullness of his harvest to come in...

Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains.  

James 5:7

What simple pleasures have I lingered over:

• The back of my granddaughter's sweet, precious little head.

• While the house was dark and still, everyone sound asleep, I stood by an open window, drinking in the night air while listening to crickets, being transported to my childhood family camping days, always loving the smell of the warm night air, and listening to crickets as I fell asleep.  The wonderful scenes from long ago playing through my mind...

• During an evening walk with my husband, smelling fresh mown grass - a smell that always reminds me of my grandfather.  As I savored the aroma, memories of grandpa's backyard came to mind, remembering times I enjoyed sitting in his yard, feeling the cool breezes that blew between my grandparents house and their neighbors, enjoying spending time talking with grandma and grandpa.

What have I pondered?

• As I read chapter 7 in the book of Genesis, I wondered why God had Noah take the animals into the ark two by two to preserve the species when He could have easily just created them again - like He did in the beginning...   I'm thinking there will be a blog post on this in my future.  :-)

Then the Lord said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation. 2 Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals,[a] the male and his mate, and a pair of the animals that are not clean, the male and his mate, 3 and

 seven pairs[b] of the birds of the heavens also, male and female, to keep their offspring alive on the face of all the earth. 4 For in seven days I will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and every living thing[c] that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground.” 5 And Noah did all that the Lord had commanded him.

Genesis 7:1-5

• Walking around the block with my daughter and granddaughter, looking at the houses in our neighborhood, my own included,{a neighborhood that was established in the late 1980's and brand new when we moved in} noticing how much they have aged already and thinking to myself, not only is the mirror showing my aging body, but even inanimate objects show their age with time.  As I reflected on these things, the Holy Spirit brought the following verses to mind:

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal.

Matthew 6:19

For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, 3 if indeed by putting it on[a] we may not be found naked. 4 For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

2 Corinthians 5:1-5

What am I relying on God for?

• Healing of a tooth abscess.  
• Peace as my annual physical in just a week away
• Ability to order my very busy days to make Him a priority
• Writing my blog posts

What am I waiting on God for?

• Continued discernment for God's will concerning possible full-time ministry opportunity for my husband
• Answered prayer for a loved one

I offer these thoughts to my God and Savior in praise of His creation, moments enjoyed, and His great promises, and to the Holy Spirit who helps me to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ...

"May the mind of Christ my Savior,

Live in me from day to day,

By His love and pow'r controlling

All I do and say."

Kate B. Wilkinson

You might find me on these link-ups:

Grace & Truth Link-up, Woman to Woman Ministries,  Growing in Grace Link-up, 3DLessonsLif4e, Livefree Thursday,Everyday Jesus, SDG Gathering, Inspire Me Monday Titus 2 Tuesday, A Wise Women Builds Her Home, A Look at the Book,  Sunday Stillness, The Weekend Brew, Spiritual Sundays, Soul Survival,  Give Me Grace, A Little R&R, Testimony Tuesday, Women with Intention Wednesdays, Still Saturday, Good Morning Mondays, Tell His Story, Blessings Counter Link-up Party,Faith & Fellowship Blog Hop, Motivate and Rejuvenate Mondays, Be Salty, Monday's Musings, The Art of Home-Making Monday, Tuesday Talk, Waiting on Wednesday,Dance with Jesus,Looking Up Link-Up, Reflect His Love and Glory Friend Sharpens Friend Link-Up, Words of Comfort Link-up, Wholehearted Wednesdays. Tell it to Me Tuesday, Faithful at Home Fridays, So Much At Home Link-Up, Literacy Musing Mondays