Saturday, October 30, 2021

Cloudy days and Perspective...

 



Someone just reminded me that the aurora borealis can be seen tonight if the sky is clear.  That reminder came perfectly as I wrote todays thoughts…


This was my view yesterday before the pouring rain came back last night.  



The view was a bit cloudy and foreboding, or was that my spirit knowing the rain was on its way?  I was reminded of the blog I wrote about change and Ecclesiastes 3.  Change has been my mantra lately whether I wanted it or not.  I have to laugh, because I like change as much as I like cleaning the bathrooms. However, change comes whether we want it to or not.   We need change to grow.  I often fight change because I fall in love with a season in my life and want it to stay forever.  Can you relate?  Remember when your children were little and so amazing?  You wanted to stop time.  How about when a great event occurred, and you wanted to live in that moment forever?  A wedding, a party, a moment…

 

This was the view I wanted to see here in Rochester New York…

 


However, we do live in the Upstate in November and colder weather is coming.  The trees are beautiful as the colors become more vibrant in the rain. 

 


My Heavenly Father was stirring something within me this morning.  It was not about the change.  But instead, my perspective.  I see a cloudy sky and the rain today.  He wants me to reach higher and see above the clouds.  That is where the sunshine is and where He sees everything.  Remember, God sees the beginning from the end?  This is the viewpoint He wants us to focus on.  Not the season of change.  His view is beyond our comprehension, but we can see a glimpse when the sky parts.  The sun was always there.  It never left. 



I read a meme about riding a train going through a tunnel.  We don’t jump off because we are in darkness.  But we trust the conductor that we are going to get through the tunnel and there is light in the end.  How is that we can trust a conductor, but often we don’t trust The Conductor of our life? 


Perspective...



Pause for a moment and rest in Him.  Think about His view.  Look up on this cloudy day and remember the Sun is above.  Perhaps you will be blessed with a cloudless sky tonight to see the aurora borealis. Keep His perspective in your heart.  The Son walks with us in all change.

 

Genesis 1:1-5

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

Copyright © 2022 Peggy A. Priest. All Rights Reserved.

Friday, October 29, 2021

Zacchaeus’s tree

 


I love to see the back of a woven tapestry because it reminds me of how Jesus is working in me daily.  It looks messy but when you turn it around you can see the beauty He is creating.  When I look at events and things around me, I try to see them in a different perspective as well.  I want to see the deeper meaning.  What is God sharing with me through the ordinary items?  That brings me to today’s story.

So many people have heard the story of Zacchaeus and his encounter with Jesus.  How awesome was it that Jesus spoke directly to Zacchaeus and announced that He was heading to the tax collectors’ home?  That statement alone causes me to pause and reflect on the awesomeness of Jesus who sees everything around as He walks into Jericho.  Zacchaeus had an appointment with the Living God, and nothing was going to deter it that day.




As I reflected on the event, I was once told to look at the tree Zacchaeus climbed to get a glimpse of Jesus.  It was an ordinary sycamore-fig tree.  Zacchaeus was smaller in stature and needed a lift.  So, the tree seemed to be the best solution. 

What is amazing is that our God, who knows the beginning from the end, knew that encounter was going to take place centuries before it occurred.  So, in preparation, He allowed the seed to be planted and nurtured in the spot where the tree grew.  Sun, rain, and hardships occurred over many years to nourish and strengthen the tree until it was strong enough to hold Zacchaeus.  He placed the tree in the path of Zacchaeus so that he could climb upon it on that specific day to meet Jesus.




God puts things in our path every day that have been prepared and planned for many years.  What are we overlooking that have been a blessing in disguise from our Heavenly Father?  Look around you today and marvel at His works and His timing. <><

 

Luke 19:1-6 (NIV)

1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.  5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.”6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

Revelation 22:13 (NIV)

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.


Copyright © 2022 Peggy A. Priest. All Rights Reserved.


Thursday, October 28, 2021

Change and the Coffee Maker

 


Every morning my husband makes coffee for us as part of his daily routine.  I am blessed with a cup of coffee each day as one of the ways he shows his love to me.  As we get ready for the day, I often make him a second cup of coffee while he works with our team to plan the day.  I understand his love language is acts of service, so making coffee and cooking a warm meal at night is considered a blessing to him.



Recently I was making coffee for my husband as he got ready to go to work and our day changed.  I put the pod into the coffee maker like I do every day and hit the brew button.  The coffee maker then made a noise I had not heard before and then shut down.  I felt perplexed staring at the machine.  My perplexed feeling was like opening some mail addressed to me and finding the contents missing. 

Did I do something wrong?  I tried again.  Nothing.  I unplugged the machine and gave it a time out.  I waited a minute and plugged it in again and pushed the button.  Same results. 



At that moment you would think I gave up.  But no, I am too stubborn for that.  I unplugged the obstinate machine and waited five minutes.  Surely it would understand its time was growing short?  I plugged the machine back in and hit the button.  It made the same strange noise and then turned off.

I reluctantly informed my husband he wouldn’t have his warm brew to go and then made plans to purchase another machine.  I tried to look at the bright side.  At least we received our morning cup of coffee before the machine decided to quit on us.

I made some changes to my day and set out to replace the old machine.  When I arrived to the local store with a newly found coupon, I discovered the coffee machines have changed a lot since we last purchased one.  Change.  They looked different in every way and I knew this change was going to be a challenge to both my husband and myself.  Neither one of us liked change.  I made my choice and purchased a new coffee maker.



I brought the new machine home and took it out of the box.  The new machine was so fancy.  There was an app for your phone to brew from a distance if one chose to do so.  This new machine was smaller than our original one and the water reservoir seemed smaller as well.   Even though I read the box, I had to pour water from the new reservoir to the old coffee makers one.  Looks are deceiving because the new one actually held more water.  I was satisfied with my trial and set the new coffee maker in its spot.  After reading all the instructions and setting up an app on my phone, it happily made a hot cup of coffee without any complaints. 


Later that night my husband came home from work and in passing noticed the new coffee maker.
  “What the heck is this?” He asked.  I laughed from the other room because I knew what he was looking at.  “How do you like our new coffee machine? I asked.  He wasn’t amused and mentioned how much he loved change.  I smiled and agreed with his frustration.  I showed him how to use the new machine and mentioned how great it was compared to our last one.  Eventually, after a few days he agreed.  Having warm coffee each morning helped the sting of change.

Both of us have been struggling with many changes in our lives lately.  The many business changes, and now home changes with the coffee maker.  I felt a quiet reminder of Ecclesiastes 3.  Everything is going to change.  As much as we both would like things to stay the same, our Heavenly Father knows these changes are often best for our growth.  Change does sting at first.  I fight the sting and try to stay stagnant sometimes.  God gently reminds me each time that the change is necessary. 

How has change been for you today?  Are you fighting the sting as I did?  Let our Heavenly Father gently work in you to accept the changes as a positive thing and bringing you closer to Him.

 


Ecclesiastes 3

A Time for Everything

1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:

2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, 3 a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, 4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, 5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, 6 a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, 7 a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, 8a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.

Copyright © 2022 Peggy A. Priest. All Rights Reserved.

Wednesday, October 27, 2021

Holy = Set Apart

 


I was reading a devotional the other day and stopped when it stated I was to be Holy.
  Holy sounded like such a monumental task.  What the devotional shared next was, Holy means set apart.  We are set apart by God when He calls us to Him.  Breaking it down to that level made more sense to me and I wanted to share it with you here.



When I accepted Christ into my life, I was called to be Holy because Jesus now dwelt inside of me.  I was being set apart for His will and His glory.  Set apart doesn’t mean that I am perfect or above anyone else.  That is not possible because I am human.  I am flawed.  I will make mistakes until the day I see Him face to face.  However, I am sanctified and justified by the blood of Christ.  Justified means - because of Christ, it is Just As If I have never sinned so I can come to the throne of God through the blood of Christ.  Christ died for my sins, and I became sanctified through Him.



Each day I wake up is a blessing as I remember I have been set apart by God to do His will for the day.  What a great way to wake up, right?  He woke me up today to lean into Him, and then plan my day with Christ in the forefront of my mind.  Does that mean I should not think about anything else?  No, that would be foolishness because I must work to eat and live. 

We can lean into Him each morning and mentally prepare ourselves for His will.  That is the ongoing process that brings us closer to our Heavenly Father and helps to conform our will to His.



It is a daily struggle.  But the more we press into him, the closer we will reach that state of being ‘set apart’.  When you wake up tomorrow, take a moment and lean into Christ.  Listen for His will for your day.  And then watch what He can do with a willing servant.  <><

Leviticus 20:26

You are to be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own.


Copyright © 2022 Peggy A. Priest. All Rights Reserved.

Friday, October 22, 2021

Hawk opportunities...

 


Once during a retreat, I was asked what my bird name was.  I found it amusing because I don’t take representations of animals or otherwise very seriously.  However, a friend spoke up quickly and said, “Her bird name is Hawk, because she doesn’t miss a thing!”  I was not amused with that remark and put it aside.  Over the years, I have noticed the name had more significance that I originally realized.  As a bird of prey, a hawk sees everything from a distance to capture dinner or stay away from danger.  Without the powerful sight, the hawk can miss an opportunity for a meal, or worse fall to another predator hunting for their dinner.

I have noticed throughout my short term on this blue planet that I also see more than the average person does.  That doesn’t mean my eyesight is better.  I just seem to catch all the tiny details.  It can be exhausting when I walk into a room.  I see things that need to be fixed, moved, or adjusted.  I also notice people around me.  I can sense their struggles sometimes and use that moment to pray for them. 

Again, it can be exhausting because it never turns off.  I see everything, all the time.  Recently I was thinking about my dilemma and God showed me someone that needed attention in an airport restaurant.  I prayed for her and then felt strongly to reach out to her.  So, right before she left her table, I stepped over and wished her well and said I would keep her in my prayers.  She almost started to cry and thanked me.  As I walked away, I realized He wanted me to see her.  She was feeling alone, and He wanted me to remind her she was not.

I then heard; this is why you see everything.  I could pray for that person no one else saw.  That is my gift.  He gave me the gift of sight, to observe all the tiny details and take them to Him for prayer.  I am just the conduit for Him. 



How cool is that?  I thought it was a curse, but He created it in me to be a blessing.  How many things have you felt are a curse in your life?  Maybe they are really the blessings He intended for His purpose.  Pray today that He will reveal these blessings to you!


Copyright © 2022 Peggy A. Priest. All Rights Reserved.

Monday, October 11, 2021

Where is your heart?

Over the weekend I was struck by the many things that catch my attention every day.  Our business was at the top of my list due to emergencies and other tasks that had to be completed before the week was over.  As the work ebbed and flowed each day, I could take my focus off of the tasks and refocus on what was really important in my life. 

This scripture came to mind as the noise settled down around me. 

A still quiet voice asked me, “Where was my heart?”  I justified the voice by saying, “You Lord, are my focus.”  But was I being truthful to myself, or to Him? 


Where is my heart?  Where is my focus?  A driving force that moves us towards someone or something.  That is the tell-tale sign of where my treasure is.  The consuming drive to own something be around someone, or even collecting knowledge, can become my idols.  Anything that takes the place of God can be a deterrent to my walk with Him.

Some people are driven to sports or a particular team.  They will not let anything get in the way of watching their favorite individual play. 

Others it is politics that drives them to action.  A ‘news junkie’ so to speak.  That person can’t get away from any political event or person.  Their focus is daily on what is going on in the world and who is running it and why.

Possessions can be someone’s treasure as well.  That person collects items and sometimes hordes them to the point there is no more room in their home.

Now, work, sports, politics, or possessions are not bad by themselves.  However, when they become all-consuming above our Heavenly Father, then those things become the idols in our lives.  We need work to live and survive.  But when work takes over our lives where there is no room for God, then it becomes our idol.  Putting God first in our lives, help direct our paths in work and our hobbies.  He gives us the guidance to go the right way each day.


Where is your heart today?  Be consumed by His everlasting love for you.  How awesome is that the God of all creation created you and chose a purpose for you before you were even born?  Sit and reflect on that for a moment.   Then refocus and put Him first.  It is a daily mindset.  It takes work because the world will do whatever it takes to deter us.  The noise can be consuming.  We can stay focused on God and His will for us if we start and finish our days with His love for us in our minds.  

Dig deeper and seek His face and love for you.



Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV)

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Psalm 139:16 (NIV)

Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.


Copyright © 2022 Peggy A. Priest. All Rights Reserved.

Saturday, October 9, 2021

Wrestling with God


Have you ever wrestled with God over a calling or direction He has given you?  Or, have you walked away from what you knew you were supposed to do because it seemed too hard on the surface? 

I think back to my kids when they were little.  How many times they tried to force their will in a situation that I knew would be bad or dangerous for them.  They had their mind made up that what ever they wanted at the time was right. 

Sometimes the things children desire are not necessarily bad.  The timing may not be right at the moment though.  Like wanting ice cream right before dinner.  Ice cream in itself is not a bad thing.  Unless you are like me and have issues with dairy.  Another story for another time... However, spoiling dinner with early ice cream is not a good thing for a child’s diet.    

When I was a younger, I was told not to pick up things off the street, or anywhere else because of germs or possibly something worse.  However, I was a very curious child.  I remember seeing something shiny one day and picking it up in a car dealership while my parents were talking.  

Knowing my parents would not want me to have it, I closed my tiny fist around it and carried it secretly for a while.  When it started to bite into my skin, I let it go and saw the blood coming from my hand. I had picked up a razor blade.  I thought it was cool and shiny.  I wanted to protect my newest treasure from my parents lest they took it away from me.  The lesson I learned was not only a painful one, but a lasting one.  We should not always have what we desire.  It can be dangerous for me.  Even though I thought it was a great find as a child, the blade showed its true color to me the harder I gripped it.  I won’t forget that lesson.


There have been many times in my life I have figuratively wrestled with God.  I either thought I knew what was right in my life or didn’t want to go through the pain of change.   Without realizing it, I was delaying the blessing God had planned for me.  After wrestling, and then stepping into His will, I could see the end picture of what He was doing.   Now that doesn’t always happen.  That is why it is called steps of faith.  We need to accept His will, understanding He knows the beginning from the end.  He sees the bigger picture like we did with our children.   He also knows when we step out if faith, our relationship with Him deepens. 

I wrestled with God over writing again.  I didn’t feel I was ready.  That is when He called me to pick up my pen and start again after many years.  He wanted me to share His thoughts and in turn bring me closer to Him in the process.


What are you wrestling with God over today?  Has He asked you to do something, or change direction?  Remember, He knows the beginning from the end of your life.  He knows what is best for you and those you need to reach out to.  The harvest is ready.  The workers are few.  Now may be your time.  Seek Him and see what He can do with one willing servant.  Step out and receive the blessing today.

Isaiah 6:8 (NIV)

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

Genesis 32:22-28 (NIV)

22 That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. 24 So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. 25When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. 26 Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27 The man asked him, “What is your name?” “Jacob,” he answered. 28 Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”

Revelation 22:13 (ESV)

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.ready.  The workers are few.  Now may be your time.  Seek Him and see what He can do with one willing servant.  Step out and receive the blessing today.


Copyright © 2022 Peggy A. Priest. All Rights Reserved.


Friday, October 8, 2021

Love & Commitment...

 


This picture may seem unremarkable to the viewer, but it is far from ordinary.  Please excuse the graininess of the photo.  It was taken early this morning while my husband stood outside with our puppies on their morning routine.  Each day my love gets up when the alarm goes off and proceeds to take the puppies out to do their business.  One has been accustomed to going out with Dad as they enjoy the morning air.  The second puppy goes after because he is more of the loner and would like more privacy. 

After the morning routine has been completed, my husband lovingly brings me coffee as I start my daily devotions and we discuss the affairs for the day.  As he completed getting ready for the morning, this second picture was taken.  He takes the puppies out one more time to get their special treat as they do their duty for the morning.  I captured this moment, though he didn’t know it, because I was struck by the daily commitment, he shows to not only me, but to everything around him. 

This man works hard for his family and for the Lord.  He is a daily model of love and dedication to our marriage as he goes to work in our business and comes home to me each night and helps around the house with the puppies and surprises me with flowers on occasion.  We work hard together to make our marriage foundation solid.  Are there arguments?  Yes, we are human. But we strive daily to push through and make each other a priority after God.  With God in the middle of our marriage, we are more understanding and forgiving because He first forgave us.

Last night, I spent an hour on the phone with a dear friend pulling together details of their loving marriage and life for my next book.  What struck me while we were talking is that same daily commitment they showed to each other.  She works diligently each day to bring joy to her husband and family as he struggles with a new illness.  He was there for her during their many years of marriage, and now she is his strength as they face this new obstacle together.  They are stronger together with our Heavenly Father’s help.


Are either of the two couples I mentioned above perfect?
  No, they are not, and never would claim to be.  There is only one perfect One.  We strive daily to be the example He has shown us.  We need to remind ourselves that we are a daily reminder to the world of Christ and His church.  As we live our married lives, we are that example of how a Godly marriage should be.  That is a daunting and humbling task we take seriously.  But again, we are so grateful for His grace and mercy as we fail regular because we are human.

Another thing we need to keep in mind is that there are only so many days we are given to spend with each other.  Someday, one of us will be gone and we will not have these precious moments together, only memories.  Take the time to say I love you today to your significant other.  The time is short.  The time is now.  Reach out to each other and press into Him as you continue to build your foundation together.

 

Ecclesiastes 4:12 NIV

Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Ephesians 5: 25-32

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.


Copyright © 2022 Peggy A. Priest. All Rights Reserved.


Thursday, October 7, 2021

Planting seeds...

 



I have been known as the ‘plant lady’ over the years because of my love for plants and I tend to collect them like some people collect cats.  No offence to the cat collecting lovers here, but you understand my point.  I have a well-loved shirt that says, “I thought eco-friendly meant talking to my plants!?”  Everyone around me at the time I wore that shirt knew it represented me with my hands in the dirt often and plants surrounding my home.  I have constantly felt comfort having plants around me because they signify life as well as bring oxygen into my home.  I receive joy watching a plant grow and mature over the years.  However, I am not as patient planting seeds to create the plants I have.  A well-known fact that I sometimes ignore is that each plant starts with a seed being planted into the ground.  I love having the work completed for me and picking up the finished plant at the store.  



Planting seeds is such a deep subject.  Sorry for the pun but hang with me for a moment.  Whenever we plant seeds into fertile ground, they can bring joy through beautiful plants, and sometimes food to nourish our bodies.  Spiritually planting seeds for Christ can bring a harvest to the Kingdom of God.  However, planting seeds do not always mean there will be a harvest.  As the parable of the Sower stated in Luke, some seeds do not germinate due to the environment around or in them. We just need to plant them in faith.



Planting seeds is also not a guarantee that we are the ones who see the harvest.  Sometimes we are the planter of the seed, and sometimes we are the ones we see the harvest like my experience with the plants around my house.  Remember speaking to a loved one about Christ and seeing no results?  That was a seed.  The harvest may take days, weeks, or sometimes years.  But have faith the seed was planted. 



Seeds are also very powerful.  Remember the mustard seed of faith in Luke 17?  Imagine the power of moving mountains with the faith of a mustard seed?  What a word picture that is.  Let that sink in for a minute.  We can plant seeds for Christ which is the noblest goal.  We can plant seeds of love or hate into others.  My point is that we are always planting seeds even when we don’t realize it.  It is a matter of what kind of seeds are we planting.  Are they seeds of joy and encouragement, or are they seeds of discourse? 

What kind of seeds are you planting today? 

By the way, I still have the plant shirt… 


Luke 17:6 (NIV)

He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.

2 Corinthians 9:6 (NIV)

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.

Luke 8:5-15 (NIV)

5 “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up. 6 Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture.7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants.8Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.” When he said this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

9 His disciples asked him what this parable meant. 10 He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, “ ‘though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.”

11  “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. 12 Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13 Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. 14 The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. 15 But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

Copyright © 2022 Peggy A. Priest. All Rights Reserved. 


Wednesday, October 6, 2021

Looking in the mirror...

 


If you read my previous story about puppy distractions, you would know that mirrors are not my friend this past week.  Every time I look into a mirror my face reminds me of the ‘puppy incident’.  I am grateful that the cut and bruises are not as bad as they could have been.   A broken bone would have taken much longer to heal.  In actuality my pride was bruised more than my cheek. But I digress.

This past week I woke up and started my daily routine which included washing my face and brushing my teeth.  As I looked into the mirror I was reminded of the ‘incident’ as the mirror reflected my image.  At first, I didn’t want to look at the ugly cut and bruise on my cheek.  But I had to so that I could tend to the wound and it wouldn’t get infected.  As the days went by, I began to realize that the more I paid attention to the wound while adding healing salve to it, the better it started to look.  Not make up ready, but better than day one.

Then it hit me.  Not literally, that was last week…  God was speaking to me and quietly reminding me to look into the mirror of my soul.  If I paid attention to my soul and my actions as closely as I did the wound on my face, how much more would I ‘heal’ internally?  My Heavenly Father wanted me to examine myself internally daily as I did my face.  I needed to dig deeper.  The surface wounds and distractions were not as important as the things I needed to resolve internally to become closer to Him.  We need to daily examine ourselves to ‘clean house’ so to speak and get right with God.  Clean out the things that are not of Him.  Anger, jealousy, and pride are just a few.

Now I can totally go down the rabbit hole and try to do all of this in my own strength.  I would fail miserably because I am weak and only human.  We are a work in progress and will be so until we see Him face to face.  When I discover the things that need to be removed from me, I need to come to the cross and ask for His help.  I can’t do this on my own.  My Heavenly Father sees the end from the beginning.  So because of that, He can see what we will become with His help.  He loves us just where we are and gently works on us daily to become what He has planned for us.  How awesome is that?


I am thankful for His Grace and Mercy as He helps me become more like Him each day.
  Don’t forget to look in the mirror and then thank Him for daily working on and in us.

James 1:23-25

 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.  But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

Philippians 1:6  

being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.


Copyright © 2022 Peggy A. Priest. All Rights Reserved.

Saturday, October 2, 2021

Who is painting your posts?


We are working on the final steps of a pole barn and painting the posts attached to the lean to.  It would be easy to slap some paint on the posts and call it a day.  They would look great for a while, until the rain and moisture got into the cracks of the posts.  Then the posts would become weak from within.  So, we began the lengthy process knowing it would be worth it in the end. 

First, we had to get the calk gun out and methodically seal up every nook and cranny in each pole.  This was tedious work and every time I thought I had all the cracks covered, I would find another one.  At about the second pole it, I wondered why we had chosen such a large barn.  There were so many cracks in the poles.  The molding around the poles needed to be sealed as well.  Water looks for any vulnerable spot and seeps into the wood and splits it after time.

Next, we had to paint the poles to give them a fighting chance against the elements.  Two coats later and some paint in my hair, the poles started to look ready for the upcoming winter.  


The final step was to add a bit of color to match the pole barn.  It sounded easy at first, but with the coats of white paint underneath, the burgundy would just slide off.  It took two major coats for the burgundy to look the way I wanted them.  Mental note, do the burgundy first then the white around the pole next time. 

As I was going through this process, I heard my Heavenly Father speak to me.  Who is painting my post?  I am an impatient person and would like to slap on the paint and call it a day.  However, when I try to ‘look’ good on the outside by my efforts, the water seeps into me and causes damage.  The water in my life are the things that affect me every day.  Worry, doubt, self-deprecation, anger, and fear are just some of the things that get to our posts.

God instead, quietly works on us fortifying our posts, which is our lives, by caulking up the weak points and then painting them over with His mercy and grace.  We are then stronger with His handiwork than ours. 

How many of us are trying to paint our own posts instead of letting our Heavenly Father work in us instead?  Trust His process...

Isaiah 29:16 (NIV)

You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, “You did not make me”? Can the pot say to the potter, “You know nothing”?

Philippians 1:6 (NIV)

being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.



Copyright © 2022 Peggy A. Priest. All Rights Reserved.

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