Monthly Archives: July 2020

Think about Eden

July 27, 2020ANXIETY, DEVOTIONALS, ENCOURAGEMENT, HOPE, TRUSTING GODFreda Farmer

“Think About Eden”

God changes the world, twice, for you each day.

He dims the light

softens the sound

cools the air

and flames heaven with patterned colors,

all to delight your soul, calm your spirit, and give you rest.

As a tender parent, He blankets earth, and you, with soothing peace.

Stop. Still your hands. Let your Maker tell you of His love for you.

Pause in your rush to do. Listen.

He says “Be with Me” as He said to Adam and Eve in Eden.

Honor His love for you.

Pay attention.

Let Him show you how He turns green branches into inky black filigree.

Let Him delight your ear with birdsong and thrumming silence.

Let Him cool your skin with gentle whispers of wind that slide through the sheltering trees.

Breathe deeply. Take in the fragrances floating in cooler air.

Let Him give your body rest.

Simply stop. Open your heart and your eyes to your Maker.

And thank Him.

You will feel His presence.

You will know His love.

In the gloaming. I looked up, tapped my pencil on the slate-board in my lap, and smiled into the sky. Broad bands of carnation pink and dusty blue arched high above from east to west over the play area in the center of Marquis Apartments. From our second-floor balcony, I saw my daughter swinging with the daughter of our next door neighbor. This was my favorite time of day, next to the actual time I picked her up from daycare. We had come home, read two Dr. Seuss books, done homework, had supper and now, in the cool of the evening, in the minutes before the gloaming, I had a few moments to relax and watch her play.

As a believer only months old, I was devouring everything I could about God. Having not seen the light of God’s truth until the age of 29, I had experienced walking in darkness and I desperately wanted to stay close to this wonderful Jesus I had found. Reading a devotional called “God at Eventide” had taught me to stop and practice waiting for God’s presence. And, during that particular eventide, Holy Spirit had given thoughts that formed into words and more words as I wrote.

The poem “Think about Eden” flowed out, in less than ten minutes, with only a few crossed out phrases. Astounded, I stared at the page and reread the words. “Oh! Thank You, Jesus! Thank You, Lord!” I breathed quietly.

Image result for royalty free picture of the garden of eden

“That is so beautiful, Lord! How did You do that?”

How God touches our mind. Well, dear reader, I am still pondering that question and similar questions thirty-plus years later. How does God put such clear thoughts into our minds? How does He give us ideas to solve problems, to do creative work, and to live our daily lives? How does He make His Word speak to us? How does He bring into conscious thought the precise Biblical principle we need in any given situation?

I may never know, but this I know. . . I will not fully understand this side of heaven just how God communicates with us so clearly but I know His Word is one powerful way.

When loneliness attacks, I hear “And behold I am with you and will keep watch over you with care. I will take notice of you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land.” (Genesis 28:15, AMPC) When discouragement seeks to distract me from pressing on in my work for God and in doing all my daily tasks as unto Him, I hear “Wait and hope for and expect the Lord. Be brave and of good courage and let your heart be strong and enduring. Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the Lord.“ (Psalm 27:14, AMPC).

There is a time . . . there is a season. . . As I thought how to wrap up this little devotional (so it would not spin into another little book, which by God’s grace keeps happening lately!), I thought of the verse” God has made everything beautiful in its time.” (Ecclesiates 3:11, NIV). I thought of that because I had lost the “God Calling” poem over the years, one of the few pieces of writing I have ever lost. I tried to rewrite it several times over the 30-plus years since that tender evening with the Lord, watching my daughter play. But I never could get it “right.”

Well, for two weeks I have been working on a piece called “Finding God’s Presence.” So, today, with my mind soaked in thoughts about His presence, it was time to prayerfully attempt to recreate that long-ago “God Calling” poem. This version is not identical, but it is what my heart says now.

This version, at this time, is what I know of the beauty of simply waiting on God, setting aside time just to be in His presence, taking time to appreciate what He is showing me and letting Him have the pleasure of soothing me when I need it, just as I have had the pleasures of soothing my daughter and my grandsons. And just as their choosing to sit with me greatly pleases me, so I know my choosing to sit with my heavenly Father greatly pleases Him. Truly, everything is beautiful in its time.

Won’t you take time, today, to sit with our Heavenly Father and just let Him love you?

When people get sick . . . give happy a chance!

July 11, 2020ANXIETY, DAILY LIFE, ENCOURAGEMENT, HumorFreda Farmer

Note from me to you: Because my family is now quarantining, I decided to write something for my two grandsons. Imagine my surprise and delight when it just kept going and going. This poem is also available as a ten-page printable book you can share with your own children or grandchildren. The pictures print just fine, even if you use a black and white printer. To download your copy, see the Books and More tab on this website.

When People Get Sick . . . Give Happy a Chance!

There once was a time when folks just got sick.
Oh, my gosh! Oh, my golly! Oh, golly! Oh – ickkk!
The Mamas, the Papas, littles ones, too,
the Mimis, the Nanas and Gran Papas – phew!!

Folks had to stay in, to stop all the germs.
I’d just as soon eat a big can of worms!!!!
This staying in thing, this going nowhere,
is a pain in the rear, in the old derriere!

This staying home thing is such a big bore!
Why, it puts me to sleep! Why, it just makes me snore!!!
Why, I’m so tired of this house, that I could just scream,
I just want to go out! Do you know what I mean????

I want to see friends, and to run and to play!
What I really just want is a plain old plain day.
I want all the usual, the cool daily stuff.
Yeah, one day of old usual would be good enough!

Yeah, all the old usual, the things I thought plain
are gone, and old “Boring” – he’s all that remains.

Old Boring
Old “Boring”, you say? Who is that old chap?
Why, the worst of the worst! A big old mean trap.

He’s the trap that could catch you and make you feel bad.
Why, if you are not careful He’ll make you feel sad!
He’ll tell you that good things are over, all done.
He’ll tell you you’ll never, no never have fun. Image result for royalty free clip art of pants on fire

But he’s a big liar! Don’t’ believe him! No way!
His pants are ON FIRE!!! Look! He’s running away!!
. . . because. . .
When you look with good eyes, when you look for the good,
You’ll see as you ought. You’ll see as you should.

So Many Good Things
Why, you’ll see that there’s still so many good things
Good ways to have fun, and the joy that joy brings. Rolling On Floor Laughing Clip Art Free
Why, you can laugh with your brother, your sister, your fish!
You can even cook up your best tasty dish!

Image result for royalty free clip art of child under a tree with a book You can sit in the grass in the shade of a tree.
And count puffy clouds! How happy you’ll be!
You can read the same books that you’ve read before,
and discover new things Yes! New things galore!
. . . because . . .
when you read a good book it makes your heart fly.
See the source image You’re free as a bird, without even a try.

Good Books
Just relax and just read. Hear what the words say,
and the things they are saying will take you away.
You’ll go far away, to some wonderful places,
where people have joy and such smiles on their faces.

You’ll go to the stars, or maybe the moon,
and you’ll get there real fast, why, even by noon!
You may go by rocket, you may go by plane,
your may go the slow way by an old friendly train! Image result for royalty free clip graphics of a rocket to the moon

Your book, your good friend, will take you – it will,
to places you’ll love as you read and sit still.

Yes, sit still and just think of what the words say.
The words are like friends that just want to play,
friends just like Sally, old Fred or old Joe.
Good friends who play with you, who like you, you know?

With a nice couch to sit on, and a book in your hand,
you have such a good life! Oh my! It’s just grand!
And then staying home, will not be so bad.
You’ll think “What a good day! What a good day I had!”

Yes, if you’ll read a good book, or play some board games,
put together a puzzle, or make up fun names. . .
or create a fun house out of blankets and chairs,
why, Happy will find you, yes, quite unawares!

Happy and You
Happy and you will find lots to do,
some things that are old, some things that are new.
And when you’re with Happy, all things are just fun,
and before you can know it, this day will be done.

You’ll tuck into bed, just Happy and you,
and you’ll have a good sleep, you both will, you two!
And then, why tomorrow, just guess who’ll be there,
Waiting and waiting with more fun to share.

Yes, Happy will wait until you awake,
and then you’ll be off as quick as a shake.
Yes, off for more fun and funny things too,
for Happy will help you find new things to do.

And then staying home won’t be such a bore,
for Happy will always have fun things in store.

How to Find Happy
So, “How?” you might ask, “Just how?” you might say,
“Can Happy stay with me, and play every day?”

Well, if you will just put your mind on good things,
Why, Happy, old Happy, will make your heart sing!
Yes, Happy will come and sit beside you,
and play with you, friend, yes, all the day through.

So, just keep your mind fixed on things that are best
and let the old world take care of the rest.

You just decide, yes, make up your mind,
that Happy is something you really can find.
Yes, look for things good Don’t look at things bad.
And you and Old Happy – you’ll both be real glad!

Time to go, but remember this!

Well, my dear child, my best-est book friend,
It’s time for this story to come to an end.
But remember, dear one, don’t ever forget,
that happy is something you always can get.

But “How?” you might say, “Just how?” you might ask,
“Do I make myself happy? That’s a big and huge task.

Well . . .
You always can laugh, you always can smile,
You always can try, a little, a while. . .
then, Happy is there, down deep in your heart!

All you have to do is . . .
give Happy a start

All-Seeing, All-Knowing

July 6, 2020CHRISTIAN VALUES, DEVOTIONALS, ENCOURAGEMENT, HOPE, TRUSTING GODFreda Farmer

This writing thing. Well, fellow pilgrim, I must say this writing thing is an adventure, with many twists and turns along the way. I intended this poem to be an easy blog post because, lately, writing time has been reduced. Then, I found an answer to something I have pondered for years– how to make poetry more useful.

Writing poetry blesses me because Bible truths come to my mind, but I could not see how to ensure readers saw the underlying Bible truths. Today, I saw the obvious, i.e., just add the explanation into the poem. So, here we go. First, the entire poem alone, and then the poem with Bible truths added in.

And would you do me a favor please? Let me know what you think about this format, either in the comment section below this post or by sending me an email (on the “Email me” tab.) God bless you as you read!

“All Seeing, All Knowing”

All seeing, all knowing, how great is Your name!
It wipes out all fear, all guilt, and all shame.
Oh! Thank You, my Dearest, my beloved Sweet One,
for new life in my soul, through Jesus, Your Son.

May He live deep within by the Spirit’s great grace.
May He guide and correct as I run this great race.
He’ll help me press on. In His strength I’m made whole
forgetting the past, made new in my soul!

No more of old me! That person is dead.
I’m risen with new life, Lord, just as You said!

I’m risen with . . .

. . . new life that arises and shines from within,
that shines through the darkness and keeps me from sin,
that reveals the desires of the flesh and the eyes,
that reveals deadly pride and helps me walk wise.

How I thank You, my Jesus, for all that You’ve done,
for abounding new life, for making us one!
No more are we split by sin’s great divide,
We’re one in the blood that flowed from Your side,

Yes, when I walk in Your way,
when I carry Your Name,
all things are made new, yes, nothing’s the same!

“All Seeing, All Knowing” — Bible Truths Included

All seeing, all knowing, how great is Your name!
It wipes out all fear, all guilt, and all shame.
God sees and knows everything. (Isaiah 40:28-29) That is His nature, part of His name or attributes. A name is a word by which we know or describe someone or something. God’s name means His nature. This is helpful to remember when pondering Scriptures with the “name” of God. For example, Psalm 33:22 (“In him our hearts rejoice for we trust in his holy name”) shows that when we trust in the name, or nature of God, in His good qualities, our hearts will be happy.

When we are adopted into His kingdom, when we bear His name, all fear, guilt, and shame are wiped out. (I John 1:7)

Oh! Thank You, my Dearest, my beloved Sweet One,
for new life in my soul, through Jesus, Your Son.
May God, who gave us new life through the blood His only begotten Son Jesus, shed on Calvary (John 3:16), be the “Fairest of Ten Thousand” to our souls, as the 1881 hymn “The Lilly of the Valley” by Charles Fry says.

May He live deep within by the Spirit’s great grace.
May He guide and correct as I run this great race.
Before Jesus left this earth, He told us that if we truly love Him and obey His teachings, He and the Father will love us and make their home in our heart. (John 14:23)

Image result for royalty free clip art of feet running Let us long for Holy Spirit’s guidance as we endeavor, like Paul, “. . . to throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and run with patience the race set before us.” (Hebrews 12:1, NIV)

He’ll help me press on. In His strength I’m made whole
forgetting the past, made new in my soul!
Like Paul, let us remember that although we will never attain perfection on earth, we can “press on” toward maturity, putting all our confidence in Christ as we strive to “. . . take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of” us. (Philippians 3:14)

No more of old me! That person is dead.
I’m risen with new life, Lord, just as You said!
As we learn in Romans 6:1-23, when we were baptized into Christ Jesus, our old self was “. . . crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be done away with in order that “we should no longer be slaves to sin “ (v. 4- 6)

So, we can “count ourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore . . . “ we do not have to let sin reign in our mortal bodies. (v. 11) As we follow Jesus, He frees us from enslavement to sin. We are free from its power. (NLT)

I’m risen with . . .
. . . new life that arises and shines from within,
What a promise 2 Corinthians 5:17 contains. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (NKJV) The AMPC says, “. . . the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away.”

that shines through the darkness and keeps me from sin,
God’s Word cuts through the darkness of our world and lights the way for my next few steps (“Your Word is a lamp to my feet. . . ”) and it also shines light further away, along the path (. . . and a light for my path. Psalm 119:105.) Jesus is the Living Word and when He lives in our hearts – what a bright light we are privileged to have! As I John 1:5b teaches us “. . . God is Light, and there is no darkness in Him [no, not in any way]” AMPC.

that reveals the desires of the flesh and the eyes,
that reveals deadly pride and helps me walk wise
With the light of God–Light that is God–in our hearts, our eyes are enlightened to see sin as sin. And when we use the Sword of God’s Word (Ephesians 6:17), that Living Word penetrates to the deepest part of our hearts and shows us whether the thoughts and purposes of our hearts are good or evil.

“For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and [the immoral] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12, AMPC)

How I thank You, my Jesus, for all that You’ve done,
for abounding new life, for making us one!
Although the enemy of our souls, the devil, always seeks to steal, kill, and destroy, Jesus came to give us a “rich and satisfying life” (John 10:10, ESV) We have that life when we are one with Him. “But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.” (I Corinthians 6:17, ESV)

No more are we split by sin’s great divide,
We’re one in the blood that flowed from Your side,
Sin separates us from God. It is a huge chasm we cannot cross on our own. Isaiah 59:2 tells us that our iniquities have separated us from God; our sins have hidden His face from us, so that He will not hear. But, when we are united in purpose with Jesus, when we are one with Him, when we strive to live like Him and pour out our life for others as He did, our life is united with Him in His life, His blood.

Yes, when I walk in Your way,
when I carry Your Name,
all things are made new, yes, nothing’s the same!
When we strive, with all our heart, soul and mind, to walk, or live, like Jesus did, when we make His purposes the focus of our life, we share in His likeness. We carry His likeness, His nature, His Name, to the world. As God shines His light and love through us, He uses us for the sake of His Kingdom. And His presence in our life overflows us with blessings.

Once we give up our old life of sin, we are new creatures, and nothing is ever the same again. It just gets “sweeter as the days go by”, as James Poyser attested in his famous song. May we strive to be “. . . to God the sweet aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.” (2 Corinthians 2:15, Berean Study Bible).

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Monthly Archives: July 2020

Think about Eden

When people get sick . . . give happy a chance!

All-Seeing, All-Knowing