The Brightest Sky

 ¹ In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, ² but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. ³ The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. ⁴ So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs. Hebrew 1:1-4


If you've every watched a sunrise when the fog was thick or there were a few clouds hazing up the sky, you know exactly where the sun is by virtue of the brightest area in the sky. I love that He speaks through His creation. I love that He has provided us with His Word to confirm the life-lessons He speaks to our hearts.

As I was enjoying my time with Him this day and being very thankful for the many ways He chooses to reveal Himself to us, I couldn't see the sun, but I could see where the sun was coming up at because it was brightest in that area. That got me to thinking...(see I have MBA...Measurable Brain Activity that early)..."It's always brightest right around the sun." No brainer, right?

If I were to look at Bible studies like Anne Graham Lotz "Just Give Me Jesus" or "Pursuing More of Jesus", I think I would see that she "got it." I mean the closer we get to Jesus the more we shine His light. When Jesus said in John 8:12 "¹² When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'" That's pretty self-explanatory. He tells us in John 15:4-5 that if we abide in Him, He will abide in us and apart from Him we can do nothing. Staying close to Jesus keeps our light bright in a darkened, fallen, and sinful world.


So, today I encourage you to enjoy the Sonshine! Thanksgiving is a great time to be thankful for His presence in the form of His Holy Spirit. Can you imagine our world without His presence? Let's not take Him for granted. We are His light, so let's be the brightest "sky" that we can!

Broken "Bread": Bitter or Better

6 And He directed the people to sit down on the ground; and taking the seven loaves, He gave thanks and broke them, and started giving them to His disciples to serve to them, and they served them to the people. 7 They also had a few small fish; and after He had blessed them, He ordered these to be served as well. 8 And they ate and were satisfied; and they picked up seven large baskets full of what was left over of the broken pieces.

 Mark 8:6-8 (NASB)

I love gardening and find it very relaxing. In my yard, I have a stone that reads "An hour in the garden puts life's problems in perspective." I particularly like flowering plants because of the vibrant colors that are displayed in one single flower. My mother passed along her love of gardening to me and it is my hope that my daughter finds enjoyment in planting flowers someday. It takes tons of hard work and water, but the payoff is worth it.

Bulbs are one of my favorites. I find it interesting how the bulbs clump together and multiply. If they are taken care of by breaking the bulbs apart, they just make more and more plants. At first, they may not look so healthy, but given time they rebound and make more bulbs.

This is true in our lives as well. When we are broken, (and we are ALL broken) we can become bitter. Or, we can become better. After Jesus gave thanks for the bread, He broke it. Out of the broken bread came abundance. If we stay in the hands of Jesus during times of brokenness, abundance will flow out of that obedience. But if we don't, bitterness can creep in and like an untended garden where bulbs can be choked out and die.

Brokenness is a fundamental part of living in abundance! Jesus told us that apart from Him, we can do nothing. That means we can't live an abundant life either. Your perspective of the broken life can and will determine your future. Yes, His grace is sufficient. Yes, He will carry you through tough times. And yes, there is a life of abundance in brokenness. So...embrace the basket full's of broken bread and become better, not bitter. Being broken is inevitable, but you determine the outcome by staying focused on God's grace.

*Edited moved to Wordpress file March 5, 2019