:. my joy and crown .:

:. pleasant places .:

I have to say, one of my pet peeves is negative people. You know the kind: always complaining, never happy about anything, always seeing the bad side of things. I realize that sometimes life hands us desperate situations, and the silver lining can seem elusive or non-existent. I'm not talking about times such as those.
I'm talking about people who are really in a very good place in life, yet always find the nit to pick. Always see that dang half-empty glass.
Oh, you say, have some compassion. You just need to walk a mile in their shoes.
That's a good idea.
Because then I'd be a mile away and I'd have their shoes.
(Cha-bum)

But seriously, in my mind, it boils down to plain old ingratitude. You can't find ONE good thing in your life to thank God for? Really? There is NOTHING you can set your mind on that doesn't involve complaining?

Here's a passage that moves my soul:

"Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup;

you have made my lot secure.

The boundary lines have fallen for me

in pleasant places;

surely I have a delightful inheritance."

Psalm 16:5-6

Here's my current list of "pleasant places":

• healthy, loving, close-knit family
• cozy roof overhead
• opportunities to use my gifts for the Kingdom
• spare-time pursuits that are gratifying
• children who are following God
• grandchildren who are a delight and a joy
• the promise of spring in mere weeks
• morning coffee
• books
• friends
• high-speed internet
• new spring shoes
• family pictures!
• faith

I don't think most of us have to look very far to find the pleasant gifts that God has given.

What are yours?

:. which spy am I? .:

As you can probably guess from recent posts, I'm currently reading through the Old Testament. Nothing like a few chapters of Deuteronomy and a hot cup of joe to jump-start the day!
So without further ado, here is my most recent rumination:

I'm sure the story is familiar to you. The nation of Israel was poised to enter Canaan. At God's command, Moses sent 12 men on ahead to explore the land: what are the people like? are they few or many? what kind of towns do they live in? how is the soil? etc etc.
I picture God sitting on high, giddy with excitement as His children for the first time set eyes on the wonderful gift He is about to give them. After all, the whole exodus has been building to this very moment.

The spies spent 40 days in the land flowing with milk and honey. They were astounded by the richness and fertility of the land.
They were also in awe of the inhabitants.

When they returned and reported to Moses, 10 of the 12 men advised against trying to enter the land. They said, "We can't attack those people; they are stronger than we are."
Only two of the 12 thought it was a go. Joshua and Caleb said, "If the Lord is pleased with us, He will lead us into that land."

Let me simplify:
10 of 12 said, "We can't".
Only two said, "He will".

And to make matters worse, the ten nay-sayers spread their negativity among all the people. Ten men caused the entire nation of Israel to weep, lament, and refuse to follow God's leading. The end result? They were doomed to wander in the desert one year for every day the spies had spent in Canaan. And that entire generation would not be allowed to set foot in the Promised Land. 40 years of wandering, and banned from receiving what God had promised. All because 10 men said, "We can't".

Am I someone who only sees obstacles? Have I been guilty of saying something can't be done? Has my lack of faith prevented someone else from receiving a blessing from God?
Or do I know that with God, everything is possible? Do I believe that what He has promised, He is well able to do . . . regardless of the odds?

Oh, and just for the record, at the end of the 40 years of wandering, Joshua and Caleb were allowed to enter the Promised Land.
God keeps perfect score.

:. grumbling .:

When reading the account of the exodus of Israel out of Egypt and into the Promised Land, it's hard not to notice all the complaining. Sure, they were afraid, and thirsty, and hungry, but they were being led by the God who had just shown His might by parting the waters of the Red Sea. He had just delivered His people from their oppressors miraculously and completely.
This Almighty God provided water out of rocks, and bread from heaven, for goodness' sake!

And yet they grumbled.

And as they grumbled, they actually longed for the ‘good old days’:
“If only we had died in Egypt! There we ate all the food we wanted.”
“We were better off in Egypt!”
Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place?”
“Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?”

The sad part is, back in Egypt, they were slaves.

I'm not ragging on the Israelites. Quite the contrary. We do the very same thing.
How many times have I said, "If only . . ."?
How many times have we panicked when we have a need, rather than trusting the God who has brought us so far?

How many times do we prefer some sort of slavery to our present circumstances?

Let's learn to enjoy the manna we have, rather than long for the fish we left behind.

:. hand over your heart! .:

As has been reported elsewhere, something BIG is happening Friday:
Mr. Gavin has been chosen to lead the entire downtown school in the Pledge of Allegiance! His mellifluous voice will be carried live over the intercom. Not bad for a 4-year old!
I imagine next he will want to run for student council . . .

" . . . with liderty and justice for ALL!"

We're proud of you, Mr. G!!