A MESSAGE IN THE SAND

I'm taking a brief blog break from my "Abundant Keys" theme to share an inspiration my husband and I discovered when we were on vacation in California last week.
Our fabulous, relaxing time on the beach north of San Diego for 5 days....sunning, wading, watching surfers and bogie-boarders... was coming to an end.  On Friday morning we were emotionally ready to board the plane for our return home to Minnesota. . . with one drawback. . . I did not want to leave the ocean.  I wanted to take it with me!  Talk about unreasonable expectations.
So we packed our belongings in the rental car and took one more short stroll down to the beach to say "good-bye. " I do this when I leave beautiful vacation spots; sentimentally is one of my strong traits and my husband, Gary, lovingly puts up with it.  Well, I was a little teary so Gary put his arm around me and, in comforting tones, said "Don't cry."   As though that could stop me!  Then he happened to look down and at his feet lay a heart-shaped stone.  Gary immediately picked it up and gave it to me; we decided that it was a token of God's love to us for giving us this wonderful gift of restoration on the shores of the wild California coast.  It now sits on our kitchen table centerpiece as a constant reminder of God's love.

Then we noticed a few yards down the beach two young people were arranging some sort of display on the sand with driftwood, stones and seaweed.  We walked over to take a look, and saw this scene.  Their  obvious devotion to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ impressed us greatly.
We talked with Danny and Lilia and received their permission to put the picture on my blog.  Their love for Jesus shone in their eyes and their act of dedication seemed to Gary and me to be a special blessing at the close of our trip.  Now both Gary and I were teary!
There is a genuine sense of bonding between followers of Christ that can't be explained.  Our brief meeting on the beach reminds me as it reinforces the fact that believers need each other.  As God's Word tells us, "and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near."  Hebrews 10:24-25  God has adopted believers as His children into the body of Christ which is the church.  His plan is that we gather together regularly to praise God, learn about Him, and encourage each other to live faithfully for Him in this often treacherous world.
Our meeting with Danny and Lilia on the ocean shore gave Gary and I encouragement to continue walking with God and sharing Him with others.  Hopefully, we helped inspire them in some small way as they saw how much their act of love for Jesus touched us.
Thank you, Danny and Lilia!  May God bless you and continue to make you blessings as you journey with Him along the pathway of Abundant Living!

So if you haven't yet found a good Bible-teaching church, I hope that you will make a point to find one soon.  Ask God to show you where He wants you and He will!  He has interesting ways of showing us His will for us when we are willing to do and go whatever and wherever He leads!

And please join me next week for the next Key!

KEY #3: VISUALIZE

Join me for one more walking excursion today, and next week we'll climb into our vehicle of choice and get it moving!

Our key for this week is the 3rd one:  "Visualize."  Now you have the L,I, and V.  Maybe you can guess the first word of the contest phrase?  Remember, you only get one guess for the whole phrase, so make sure you are right!


Bible verse for the week:  "Thy Word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path."  Psalm 119:105
I am one of those pathetic persons who are directionally challenged.  It's true; the root cause for my infirmity is buried deep inside my subconscious store of childhood experiences.  You see, my father could always tell what direction was north.  Even if you planted him in the center of a corn field with 7 foot stalks, he'd find his way out.  Now my mother was a different story.  She, and her best friend, Shirley (although both were very intelligent and capable women), didn't seem to get the concept of North, East, South and West.  Since they were my primary role models as a young girl, I grew up thinking it was unfeminine to know where I was!
Fortunately, my daughter didn't succumb to that unrealistic concept.  She has led me from many restrooms back to our camping spot when we travelled together!
But I'm good with maps.  I can navigate quite well if I have a map.
Fortunately God's Word, the Bible, is a map. It is also a lamp that lights up the roadway that God has laid out for me.
Reading and studying it daily helps me to see where I was. . . lost in sin, 
where I am. . . walking with God clinging tightly to His outstretched hand, 
and what my final destination is. . . heaven.


God's "map" shows me my strengths and the characteristics I need to work on, with the help of His Spirit.  It also encourages me when I see progress I have made.
Talking with Him in prayer helps me to set goals and specific plans to reach them.

God made each of us unique.  For a long time I struggled against envy and jealousy, wishing I was like someone else and even trying to become like her.  Then I came to my senses and realized that God made me the way I am for a specific reason.  God did not want two "Mary Janes"or whomever I admired at the time.  He wanted one "Mary Jane" and one "Linda Ruth."  What a relief!  Now I am free to discover who I am and put those discoveries to use in setting my goals.  I make a much better Linda Ruth than a Mary Jane!  God knew what He was doing when He created me. . . and you!
Let's ask God to help us visualize the road He has prepared for us to explore.

Join me next week and we'll get our motors running!