Seeking to Live Within God's Boundaries of Blessing

The early bleeding heart, we planted into a container so we could
bring it in during the cold nights. In the still gloomy winter, it was such a blessing to tend.

The number 2 is the spiritual, biblical number of blessing. In the spring it is a number that rises high in my thinking. It is the number of doubling something. The number of growth and renewal. It is the number of pairing, of marriage, of reproduction, and in a way, the number of love.  And scripture gives example after example of ways that we can be blessed.

The earliest stories in the Bible indicate that the people realized this truth and built goals in their lives around foundations of this truth. They often focused on how they might double livestock for instance, to gain wealth. They considered having large families to be a blessing. They planted and celebrated great feast days around the harvest. They built systems of investing in one another.

 So many times "religions", including Christian, will take the stance that we must have less to be in line with God's approval, or religious leadership approval. Entire nationalities have adopted "a religion" and misused it to suppress it's populace and take from them their blessings. It has happened many times down through history. These are the opposite of God's blessing. And it was understood by early American leadership, many of whom, had family or ancestors who had fled such nations, religions and posessive kingdoms.  Satan, who is the prince and power of this world, is the author of life that takes away blessings, and when America's early founders wrote freedom into our documents, they intended to protect us from a system that would do as many others have, and suppress the ability of people to seek those blessings. Sadly, I fear, we are quickly on our way to giving over to Satan our great nation which was based on principles of blessing.

The bible tells us that the one true God does not want us to live a life always seeking to live with less, in order to please him. Living with less material things can help us focus on living a life for Christ sometimes. But when Christ condemned the fig tree, it was because it didn't bear fruit. The whole of the uniqueness of earth itself, is that it is able to reproduce, to be fruitful and multiply.

It is the desire of God's heart to bless us, and he does that in a miriad of ways more than just with material things.  But according to scripture, it pleased him to bless those who served him, and he set up from the beginning of the creation of this world a system of things that were intended to bless.

Incorporated within the ability of any system to be fruitful and multiply, there is a pruning, dying off, and resting process. Seeking blessing at a pace that doesn't incorporate pauses, that doesn't allow for rest and renewal to take place, causes a collapse in the blessing and renewal process. The nutrients and vital resources for anything living will become depleted when greed and excess begin to rule. The God given laws of blessing are therefore ruled by boundaries, within which they properly function. Being a lover of more goes in the opposite direction of seeking blessing.  It is important to understand the difference.  We can love the process and the joy it brings, can find sustenance and growth within it's boundaries, and flourish even to a point of wealth. But when we do things that take us out side the boundaries, and focus only on the wealth, we begin to fail. It is no longer blessing. And working for even our daily food takes on a nature of burden, and we loose the joy of seeking to be blessed.

In God's hand, is the key to being fruitful, but both man and Satan seek to be greedy and possessive. Sorting that out on a daily basis, is not the easiest thing. And often we find ourselves at the mercy of the greedy.  Many times we are in a rest period, awaiting the renewal, or Spring of a cycle of things in our life. We grow impatient waiting on the Lord. We see death as something other than a time of blessing and renewal. And we don't see God's big picture.

At my last job, I even said to someone, that the only reason I worked was for the money to pay the bills. Problem was, my bills were tied up on credit cards. A reverse of blessing for sure.  I am at present so glad that God threw a wrench in the cogs of that wheel. I finally, don't feel I am on the treadmill of working to pay the credit card.  It was definitely not leading to blessing in my life.

This morning as I think on these things, I am more focused on how God will bless the things in my life. And to do that, he will take what he has given me, and will double it somehow. Even when I learn to reuse something, or give it away to be reused, I am blessed. And no place on earth reminds me of that than in my garden. Even my compost pile, which Jimmy and I are really focusing on this year, is a part of the cycle of blessing.  The parts that fall away and die, are reorganized biologically to provide the nutrition and foundation for something new to go through the cycle.  And as surely as the sun rises and sets, there will be cycles on this earth that can lead to blessing....or the lack of it. It just depends on which cycle you put your daily energy into nourishing. Give away your blessings, or nurture them.

Father, I see myself in your garden, and listen for you Spirit to show me the proper path to the blessings you have in store. Not out of greed and a desire to have, but a desire to be..a part of your blessing.  Make the elements of my last years on earth be ones of fruitfulness and blessing. Double everything according to your timing and grace. Grant me the joy of being within the boundaries of that special place. Knowing you are a God of Blessing.  In Christ's name, AMEN

Jesus hears our prayers!

I can hardly contain my joy for the blessings the Lord blessed my self and Jimmy with yesterday. He answered some of my prayer requests outright, and gave me one of the desires of my heart to boot. What was even better, is we had money to help someone at the end of their difficult couple of days. We shared friendship through out the day, and were able to be blessed with love of family and friends in very special ways.  We believe that God is able, and that he is willing.  We see his hand of blessing on our lives, and know that no co incidence could ever be so great as to make the details of God's answers fit the prayer requests so well. I know my God is real, and interaction from Him on our neighborhood, strengthens that belief in more than just us. 
I was awakened this morning with distant loved ones on my mind.  May God have as mighty a hand in their situation, for which I was led to pray, by God alone, as He bestowed on us yesterday. It is supposed to storm today. Praying now that God will keep us all safe, through whatever the storms bring. May the rain be just what our new garden plantings need. Praying for my daughter, who will travel today. Looking forward to seeing at least one of my grandsons today. Still healing from the poison ivy attack.  Thank you Lord for healing.
Can't beleive it is snowing still in places like Minesota. I really hope they get a taste of this lovely warm weather soon.
We need to be able to finish a number of things that are in process. I ask God's special intervention to bring a few things to completion. So we may move forward, and not become too disjointed. We sometimes feel we can out plan our finances on any given day. But we certainly can out plan our physical abilities.  We are so thankful to recieve the aid of our wonderful grandson, who is working toward taking his lovely girlfriend to prom.  Praying even now for blessing on that day, and on their time together. May they make good memories. Be safe, and remain holy.
Praying for my grandson's ability to do well at his new job, his first. Lord walk before him and prepare his way, and also his heart and mind. May he go there with joy, but also a sense of responsibility.  May he be a good addition to their work force.
Well, Jimmy is awake, and breakfast is not made. We have begun to appreciate the time we spend together at breakfast. Give us this day our daily bread...for our bodies and our souls.
Much love and praise to an amazing God. AMEN

Just prayer...

One of the verses which blessed me this week,
from my facebook page Prinked Ink ~ Inspiration

I come to the garden this morning as the sun gets just high enough to cast a stream of light into my bedroom window. But I come to simply pray. Since Jimmy has retired, we sleep in and stay up late.  He has worked quite hard lately on a number of projects that needed doing so badly. We have had the help of our beloved grandson, on the yardwork, and I am so thankful he is not alergic to poison ivy and oak as I am, because he has avoided the doctor visits etc that I have incurred. But I am so delighted to use this post to rejoice in a mile marker for him, because he got his first real job. Something he has been working on for sometime. 

I pray for him at his new job.  He likes to do things his own way, Lord. Help him to work at the necessary pace and still be cool headed, and wise in his choices. Help him handle money appropriately, and accurately. Give him the instincts he will need to stay focused and care about the profits for his company. Help him enjoy the customers without becoming overly involved with them that  it distracts him from necessary work.  Help him be cleanliness minded since he is handling food. And above all, may he have a testimony for you.  May he be kind to the children, and respectful of their parents.  Help him be a good employee at all times.
Thank you dear Lord for the new sink fixtures. Having to buy them has cut into our budget for bills. So we need money from an unexpected source.  About $200 for them and weekly food and gas until pay day.  You are our source, more now than ever. Lead us to make wise choices as we depend upon you in this new stage of our lives.  I am trying not to let threats of government's lack of wisdom to cause me to fear. 

Guide our leadership into a more responsible path. Help them figure out this train wreck of too much credit we extended ourselves all across the world. Lord bring balance to our nation, and financial blessing that will help us to repay our bills to other nations. We have forgiven other nations their debt sometimes. But they depend so deeply on us to help them in some nations, that our failure hurts people.

Thank you for the trillium and other wildflowers. Please help them live in my yard for many years to come. Long after I am gone.  They are such a blessing.  If I might ask for one more blessing from the wild, help us find a pitcher plant that can be happy here. Or a couple so they might multiply.
I pray for our neighbors who need thee.  One arriving home from the hospital with stents in his legs, and one due to the ambulance yesterday...what ever their need. 
I pray for myself, for healing from whatever caused the rash and swelling. Help me to remember to take the time to avoid exposure from now on.  I must wear gloves and wash in bleach water like the doctor said. Renew our strength Lord to enjoy our remaining days on this earth, and to do what will be a blessing while we are here. We need to have our physical home painted and dressed in newness. There is old wood, old peeling paint, old carpet and flooring that are in desparate need. Please provide just as you did for the roof.  I am accepting your blessing even before it arrives.
Lord thank you for peace of mind. Peace for our country at this time. Peace in my marriage. Help me to keep peace precious in my life.

Bless the marriages of my children and step grand children. Help Carley get well soon. I pray for the babies on the way. Help those families with their needs, and to take on wise and Godly attitudes for life's ups and downs. You have brought one to a better place, now Lord give the other a heart for your grace.  Give their wives strength and blessings.

Thank you for the flowers.  Help us be able to fill the planters we bought last year with beauty.  It would be such a shame to not be able to use them.  I prefer plants that will come back year after year, and multiply. But according to thy will I look forward to your bounty.
I accept your blessings on me, and pray that someone looking in might also be willing to surrender the out come of something in their life to you, and simply accept your bounty. May they see the love you have for us, as a great plan to truly bless us.  And may great things come their way as well, from the blessed hand of God.

You are worthy of praise, you are a wonder and a friend. You are my strength. My anchor. I love your still small voice. I love the peace you bring. I love walking with you, in assurance and love. I praise you for your mighty hand of protection and security. For your promises, and that you keep them. For the future you have planned for me and my family. For food and necessities which I did not always have. I praise you for good health and restoration from the tole life takes on our bodies.  I ask you for life that is well lived according to your desires for us on this earth.  Thank you for rest, and also for activity. Give us strength to exercise properly. Thank you for a our present state of stability. I needed a rest from life's chaos.

Help Jimmy to adjust to daytime life, and find an ability to sleep well at night. It might be a new thing that he sleep well at all. Please bring healing to that area of his life. We have looked into almost everything the doctors can do. But in their inability is the greater blessing that you are the great physician, and have no lack of ability to act upon his life with the miracle he needs.

"I come to the Garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses, and the voice I hear...."   Thank you for being there Lord.

May I hear your voice, clearly. Lead me now Lord as I stand silently before you. AMEN


Later in this day -------------THANK YOU so much Jesus for your mighty answer to prayer. ANd so fast!!!