Category: Praise

Posted on in Aging, Amazing Creations, Challenge, Faith, Just do it, Music, Nature, Poetry, Praise, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Thanks, Worship

Height of Summer

Bob and I were eating dinner the other day and I noticed our kitchen counter top was littered with the color of summer! I took only a mental photo. A day or so later a neighbor gifted me with an Athena melon or as they are called locally an Indiana melon. Sweeter than cantaloupe, football shaped, in place of the round shape of the cantaloupe. Its flesh is drippy, lush orange.

When I noticed the bounty on the counter at lunch time the next day I did not get up to straighten the counter, just snapped these photos for the blog.

In the foreground are the zinnias Bob grew from seed. Only one plant came up, but what a beauty. The wind from a thunderstorm had knocked one branch to the ground. I picked that branch and a few other blooms to make a vaseful.

Almost in the background is the uncut Athena melon. The kitchen was redolent with its fragrance.

In the center of the photo are ripe peaches and a small vase with one zinnia and nasturtium blooms.

I stuck some nasturtium seeds in the ground this year hoping for the best! That means hoping for lots of flowers. When we were first married someone planted nasturtiums in the old fashioned driveway that had 2 cement tracks for tires. I have since thought of them as our newly wed flowers. Knowing my physical being is not what it used to be I comforted myself with the thought that as long as I can poke a hole in the ground (with a dandelion digger no less) and stick a seed in the ground, we can have nasturtiums well into our later golden years.

Nasturtiums do not fare well in fertile soil, as much as poor soil. The back hill has poor soil compared to the front flower bed. The nasturtiums I stuck in the ground out front are mostly large leaves, few flowers so far! I do love the round leaves that contrast so well with the feathery ferns! You might remember that my opening photo for the blog shows a snail within the flower of a nasturtium. Ah! treasure in plain sight! The leaves also remind me of the lily poem, “Perhaps I can ask you just to be a lily leaf, stand and tip.” https://wordpress.com/post/treasures-in-plain-sight.org/16894

Mom taught me to take hard peaches and ripen them in a brown paper bag. Wow are they sweet! On my calendar from Joan Chittister the August saying is, “What a gift it is to sit and let the juice of a peach run down your chin.”

So no, I did not straighten these photos or clear the counter, but I wanted to emphasize that each of us have treasures in plain sight. All about us, each day. Maybe you do not have flowers in a garden, but I bet there is something in your house or on your counter that gives you cause to praise.

I cannot sing this song enough. As I wait to see the doctor about “revisionary surgery” I still can praise. At times I just need to get loud with my praise. On film at one church I saw this performed during a worship service with prisoners at a prison in Ohio. If anyone needs to praise I would think, like Paula and Silas (Acts 16:25), those guys did. And praise they did!

In this video look at those young people willing to praise! If you cannot tolerate the tattoos or hairstyles just listen to the words and take them to heart. This is not just a rock concert, this in worship. “Praise is the water my enemies drown in!”

Let everything that has breath
Praise the Lord (You got it), praise the Lord
Let everything, let everything that has breath
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord
(Let everything) Let everything (Hey) that has breath (Hey)

I’ll praise in the valley, praise on the mountain (Yeah)
I’ll praise when I’m sure, praise when I’m doubting
I’ll praise when outnumbered, praise when surrounded
‘Cause praise is the waters my enemies drown in

As long as I’m breathing
I’ve got a reason to
Praise the Lord, oh my soul (C’mon)
Praise the Lord, oh my soul

I’ll praise when I feel it, and I’ll praise when I don’t (Yeah)
I’ll praise ’cause I know You’re still in control
‘Cause my praise is a weapon, it’s more than a sound (More than a sound)
Oh, my praise is the shout that brings Jericho down (Yeah) As long as I’m breathing
I’ve got a reason to
Praise the Lord (C’mon), oh my soul
Praise the Lord, oh my soul
I won’t be quiet, my God is alive
So how could I keep it inside? (I gotta)
Praise the Lord, oh my soul
(Yeah, praise the Lord)

I’ll praise ’cause You’re sovereign, praise ’cause You reign
Praise ’cause You rose and defeated the grave
I’ll praise ’cause You’re faithful, praise ’cause You’re true
Praise ’cause there’s nobody greater than You
I’ll praise ’cause You’re sovereign, praise ’cause You reign (You reign)
Praise ’cause You rose and defeated the grave
I’ll praise ’cause You’re faithful, praise ’cause You’re true
Praise ’cause there’s nobody greater than You


I won’t be quiet, my God is alive
How could I keep it inside? (How could I)
I won’t be quiet, my God is alive
How could I keep it inside? (I won’t keep quiet)
I won’t be quiet, my God is alive
How could I keep it inside? (I gotta)
Praise the Lord, oh my soul Let everything that has breath (Hey, hey)
Praise the Lord (Hey, hey), praise the Lord
Let everything, let everything that has breath
(C’mon, c’mon, c’mon)
Praise the Lord (C’mon, c’mon)
Praise the Lord (C’mon, c’mon)

Praise the Lord, my soul;
    all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Psalm 103:1 NIV

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Psalm 150:6 NIV

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Faith, Nature, Poetry, Praise

Traipsing

She goes traipsing through my garden
Blithely sampling the marigolds, roses and such
(At least she leaves the zinnias alone!)
Unaware of my angst as her large hooves wander
She moves through the brush tasting each one as she goes
Thank you Father for this lovely deer. ©Molly Lin Dutina 24-7-25


I must remember that each sighting and experience of wildlife out my window is a gift from the Father. I am always amazed at those who hold up traffic at Cades Cove in the Smoky Mountains because they see a white-tailed deer. We have them at home I declare! And then I realize that not everyone if that fortunate.

Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, 
Who brings the buck and the doe to flower and field. 
May they find nourishment and Your peace in this place. Amen.
Posted on in Aging, Collection of Quotes, Faith, Illness and Health, Listen, medical treatment, Music, Praise, Prayer, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Trust, Worship, Yield

Yep

Maya Angelou wrote

Let nothing dim the light that shines from within., not even physical ailments!

Yes, I added, not even physical ailments. I cannot seem to catch a break. There is always something with this body! I decided to walk at least one mile a day in dedicated exercise time. I got a few blisters. Wrapped my toes with slip on cushions. Got blisters on top of blisters. Double slip on cushion, no improvement. Added a Band-aid over the great toe and the cushioned sleeves over that. No relief. Orthotics? Shoes? Just my feet?

Returned to the foot surgeon because I was clueless. The toe he put a steel plate in a few years ago (with six lovely screws) seems to be rising up again. Arthritis had made that toe begin to stick up in the first place. He went in during surgery, removed the bone, shaved it down, turned it over. Screwed it down with the plate. He showed me on the current x-ray that it cannot rise up as the bone tissue has grown over the plate now. But respecting how it feels to me, he ordered a CT scan of that toe.

October 2019 after surgery

In the meantime a more expert orthotist the surgeon knows is going to rebuild a pair of orthotics for me in an attempt to correct what the other guy did wrong. We will not order new shoes yet, though that might be in my near future. Blisters need to heal.

Grrr – you must understand I have never been athletic. As a fibromyalgia person I know that the best treatment is exercise, but I do not feel better after I exercise so I shun it when possible. Even with this summer heat, I had FINALLY talked myself into doing this walking and now I am told to only wear open-toed shoes while my toes heal. Told to stop reaching for this mile a day goal. To get in a pool, or try an elliptical, ride a bike, i.e., find some other form of exercise besides walking. He warned me that if I do change this I could be seeing him in the future for toe amputations. NO diabetic wants to hear that, although Bob and the doc do joke that it might be easier to just cut off my feet.

Let nothing dim the light – Oh Lord! I need your help. And just to add injury to blisters, etc. I stepped down off a little foot stool and happened to step onto one of my shoes. As I went down I twisted toe #4 and #5 underneath my foot. Was not certain if I broke them or not. Purple and sore. When doc did the routine x-ray of that foot he could not see a fracture. Said there is a possibility there is a hairline one that the x-ray did not show. He wrapped it with brown stretchy tape (there is a name for that) and told me to check the toes when I got home to make certain there was no redness from the wrap. Then wrap them anytime I would be walking. By the time I got home I took that tape off because of throbbing toes! It has not been put on again.

So what does this mean in terms of the Maya Angelou quote? Let NOTHING dim the light.

 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him JOB 13:15a

God has not kept my toes from blistering or my feet from having troubles. Even now, I will trust Him.

As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:36-39 NIV

Nothing can separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. I wrote a prayer likely in 2020 and it still rings true today.

I have determined that this day, 
each time I am drawn up short by pain, 
I will praise You 
for I love You better than life - 
even better than quality of life.

My mother had in her belongings “A Prayer for Those Growing Old.” One stanza read,

Seal my lips when I am inclined
to tell of my aches and pains.
They are increasing with the years
and my love to speak of them
grows sweeter as time goes by.

I write all of this to say if you are struggling with physical ailments try to keep Christ Jesus in mind. He never promised to heal every one of us during this lifetime. However, we are told in the book of Revelation that in the new heaven and new earth glorious things await us! There will be no more death, mourning, crying or pain (NIV). That is such a glorious thought it is almost inconceivable. I for one am willing to cling to those promises. Help me hang on to the end, Jesus.

Stay with each one of us, I pray. Fix our eyes on You and Your word. You promised You would never leave us or abandon us. Even to old age, and gray hair I will praise You and declare Your deeds (Psalm 71). You are worthy of our praise, all honor, glory and dominion. You have taught us there is so much more than just this physical life we know.

The lyric from “Show me Your Face” says I will make it to the end, If I can just see Your face, I know I will make it to the end, If I can just see Your face.

“Wherever Your glory is best served.” St. Ignatius prayer

Posted on in Aging, Beagle, Faith, Humor, Marriage and Memories, Praise, Thanks

BTW Bob is Fine

How do you feel about the texting shortcuts? Will my grandson even know how to spell?

So, BTW, “By The Way” Bob wanted you to know he is just fine now. I failed to say that in my blog about when he was hospitalized and I learned that if you are going to be crucified you must hold perfectly still. Actually this morning he is out in this awful heat and high humidity taking an 8 mile bike ride on a dedicated bike trail. Hopefully he will drink all of the water he carries with him.

Here is another example of Bob’s indefatigable humor. He cut this out of the New Yorker and could not wait to share it with me! Blower, chain saw, and of course his beloved bagpipes! Me in the window trying to write this blog, or poetry, etc.

The weather has been just awful here in the Ohio River Valley as well as most of the USA. I walked a little over a mile this morning and once inside realized I was totally drenched. Again. I pass my neighbor, another Bob, as he rides his bike in the neighborhood. We are both equally tired of this draining heat.

Meanwhile the silly beagle is basking in the front yard. With all that fur does she not have a thermostat? On that note, she now wants in. Maybe she is smarter than I realize?

Been meaning to ask you, how do you punctuate your day?

Mine is puncture in the evening and puncture in the morning (insulin injections). Lord, I am grateful to have the insulin and other medications that I need. I do get tired of the needles though. So however you punctuate your days and evenings I hope in the routine you can find a reason to give thanks!

Blessings on your day and lots of humor I hope!

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Faith, Nature, Poetry, Praise, Thanks, Traveling

You Tube Videos by r m dutina

I just love when Bob captures some of my favorite subjects on video. Here are two of them. The Great blue Heron, my all time favorite bird for size and grace. And the water lily with “water cupped in center point.”

The Heron is described by Audubon Field Guide as: “39-52” (99-132 cm). W. 5’10 (1.8 m). Huge and gray, with massive bill, black crown stripe on whitish head. https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/great-blue-heron If you have ever seen this bird in flight the description of slow wing beats is apt.

The water lily quote is from my poem “Perhaps I could Ask You” https://wordpress.com/post/treasures-in-plain-sight.org/16894

I hope you enjoy these very short video clips as much as I do! I marvel again and again that our Father made these tremendous creations. Though He does not have to let us witness and experience them, He does. And I am blessed for the seeing.

Posted on in Book quotes, Challenge, Faith, Just do it, Music, Praise, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Yield

So true!

Change will come, whether we wish it to or not. To fight it is like fighting the sunrise. Better to say, “Ah, welcome old friend. Here you are again.”

BRUCE COVILLE

“Change, ah welcome old friend!” That would be a major leap for each of us, I think. I do not think I have EVER met a person who likes change, who craves it. And when change does come, it is usually unlike anything most of us have dreaded!

Maybe we can learn to say, “Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who brings change into our lives.” Does that stretch you too far? Perhaps you can write your own version for adapting to change with the help of the King of the universe?

All this reminds me of a passage from Psalms. To often we think if we follow God he will give us what ever we want. This passage does not dispel that thinking, but I believe that is a very shallow interpretation.

Delight yourself in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4 NIV

To my way of believing it means if I follow God closely, and trust enough to learn to love Him, my desires will become His desires.

Martin Laird writes in A Sunlit Absence, “When we petition God for anything over a long period of time, something else begins to happen; we are brought into the depths of God and are joined with God’s will.”

If change has you faltering and stumbling perhaps it will take some time for you to embrace that change. Jesus eventually embraced the will of the Father concerning the cross. His heart turned to pleasing the Father in every instance. The cross was no different. His greatest goal seemed to be to delight the Father with obedience.

In a rather new song Abandoned by Benjamin William Hastings says ‘my one life endeavor to match your surrender to mirror not my will but yours.’ He goes on to say ‘completely, deeply, sold out completely abandoned, oh I surrender all. ‘ He describes all the ways we express our total relinquishment to the Almighty. Lyrics are below.

Verse 1  Something isn’t adding up
This wild exchange you offer us
I gave my worst, you gave your blood
Seems hard to believe

Verse 2 
You’re telling me you chose the cross?
You’re telling me I’m worth that much?
Well, if that’s the measure of your love
How else would I sing but


Completely, deeply, sold out sincerely, abandoned
I’m completely, freely, hands to the ceiling enamored
Oh, my one life endeavor
To match your surrender
To mirror not my will but yours
Oh I’m completely, deeply, don’t care who sees me abandoned
Oh I surrender all (Oh)

[Verse 3: Brandon Lake
I just can’t get over it
What kind of self control is this
You had angels at your fingertips
But on the cross you remained, yeah

Verse 4: 
And I can’t repay this kind of love
But I can praise with everything I got (Hey)
Since death had all its power robbed
Then just like the grave

Bridge
The whole of my heart
The best of my soul
Each phase of my life
Each breath in my lungs
Consider it yours Lord (Oh, it's yours)
Consider it yours Lord

The failures I hide
The victories I don’t
The battles I fight
Each crown that I hoard
Consider it yours Lord
Consider it yours Lord
All the glory forever
The grave that you won
The praise of the heavens
The kingdom to come
Consider it yours Lord
Oh, I know You'll never leave me abandoned ...
Posted on in Art, Beagle, Faith, Humor, Nature, Praise, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Thanks

For Freedom

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1 NIV

In Hinds Feet on High Places Much-Afraid calls her Shepherd too preposterously absurd, adding “Whatever will you do next?” What has the Shepherd done in your life that is preposterously absurd? Can you look back and see the nail-scarred hand at work in your life adding amazing delight and surprise?

One dominant yoke of slavery right now across all areas of America seems to be anxiety and depression. Are you willing to try, as we celebrate this day of freedom, try to see the good situations or gifts this in life that are all around you and just waiting for your attention?

If you read my posts with any regularity you likely know that one of my favorite sources of joy is our dog, Lucky. When we first adopted her from the shelter someone told we a good way to indicate to her that it was bedtime was to give her a natural hollow bone with a small treat inside. I bought the smallest bones I could find. They usually are sold overstuffed with some inedible looking stuff. Since she had many teeth pulled before she came to us I would dig out the factory stuff and make a treat for her or stuff the bone with a small piece of hot dog (her favorite). This has become a bedtime ritual. I have her sit and wait patiently, (Ha!) She is told to keep the bone on her ‘blankey.’ I do not want treat or hot dog on the carpet every night. She eats her treat and goes to sleep.

When you were a child did you ever wait for the tooth fairy to put a coin under your pillow in exchange for a lost tooth? The other morning I saw the photo below.

I laughed out loud wondering if Lucky was waiting for the dog fairy to refill the bone for her! Obviously she did not keep it on the blankey the night before!

I also laughed when I saw this bachelor button in the garden. These are true blue flowers. Last winter was so mild here that the root survived the freezing season and brought us flowers almost immediately in the spring. The root on top of the ground is about the size of my thumb! The branch below is just a tiny sampling of the plant.

The buttons do not have pink centers, at least until they are very old and almost going to seed. This one was fairly fresh. That is a tiny pink moth or butterfly resting in the center!

In times of peace and in times of war children find ways to play. Poor or wealthy their imaginations are free. Seeing this recently at the art museum just reminded me that children are free in ways that adults forget to be. {After much research Bob was able to help me find the information on the photograph. I usually take a photo of that when we are in a museum. I did not that day. 😦 } In 1933, Seville, Spain Henri Cartier-Bresson took this photo. the website https://www.theartstory.org/artist/cartier-bresson-henri/ says

This photograph captures a group of children playing in the rubble in Seville, Spain. Framed by the empty, bombed-out section of a wall, the children interact joyfully and uninhibitedly among the ruins and desolation, in a space that is profoundly unchildlike. They are completely unaware that they are being observed. The ragged edges of the white, stuccoed wall could just as easily be the very surface of the photograph tearing open and inviting the viewer to look on undiscovered. The ambiguity of the picture space is a testament to Cartier-Bresson’s engagement with Surrealism, of which visual puzzles were a major feature.

There seems to be one adult there, the woman on the right with the basket. She looks like the only one who might not be free among the group.

“It is for freedom that Christ set us free.” Regardless of your politics God wants you free. Give the Holy Trinity your chains and afflictions. There is almighty power among them to set you free.

Posted on in Challenge, Faith, Just do it, Praise, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Thanks, Worship, Yield

Offering Things to God

I have and know others who have offered their suffering to God on behalf of others. At Lent many of us give up or sacrifice certain foods or thoughts patterns to God. We have almost all heard of folks who have prayed “If You will just save my child (let this pass, fill in the blank) I will always serve You from now on.”

I am not the Lord, but I think He certainly honors some of those prayers. He is rather specific about what He wants the most from us. Read the passage below.

Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God,
    and keep the vows you made to the Most High.
15 Then call on me when you are in trouble,
    and I will rescue you,
    and you will give me glory. Psalm 50:14-15 NLT

Is thankfulness your sacrifice to God? Have you ever consciously made a sacrifice of praise to the Almighty One? Have you made vows to God? I do not mean vows like are made in religious institutions, but within your personal relationship with the Almighty.

Traditionally most married folks made vows to one another to remain faithful to their relationship. That does not always work out, but it is logical starting place. There are many hymns about the promises of God but almost none about our vows or promises to Him! Why is that? Because we are ingrates.

In the New Testament Stephen is speaking to the Jews after Jesus had risen, this is just before he was stoned to death.

“You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! 52 Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him— 53 you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.” Acts 7: 51-53 NIV

Lord, I have been a stiff-necked person, too. Help me to fulfill the vows I made to You. Help me to constantly offer the sacrifice of thankfulness to You. You alone are worthy of these things. Help me be faithful and true to You. Amen.

Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. Hebrews 13:15 NLT

Posted on in Aging, Book quotes, Faith, Listen, Memories, Praise, Prayer, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Trust, Worship, Yield

Knitting and Hinds Feet

Just before I left for retreat I decided to pick up the knitting I learned a few years ago. I have crocheted for over 50 years. About the time Bob retired I decided I should learn to knit. After all those years of crochet I was able to knit the continental method, but never very well. So I got out my needles and set to work. First thing you need to do to knit is called casting on. I could not remember how to do that! I watched YouTube videos. Did not get it. Asked at the Journey Together In Stitches group at Transfiguration Convent and voila! It came back to me with a little help from my friend Bonnie! “Slingshot method”

It can be difficult on a week-long silent retreat to stay quiet and listen. I know the Lord has spoken to me before while crocheting and doing hand work. I wondered how to keep my brain from taking off down unnecessary thought paths.

This is the cover of the first copy I purchased.

About 1997 I had read a book entitled Hinds Feet on High Places, A Christian Allegory.

The book impacted me so much that I gave away every paperback copy that I ever purchased. I finally found it in hardback and made my self buy it so I would keep it. The book is so chock full of Scripture and I delighted in finding the references to each one that I recognized. I wrote my notes in the front of the book. A few years after that a group of us were interested in the story as a study. There was no such thing in the Christian resource world. So I wrote a group study based on the text.

On retreat, I went to my computer link to the library wondering, hoping, they might have an audio version of the book? They not only had one, it was available! The recording is about 5-1/2 hours long. I spent some of the retreat knitting and listening to this wonderful book.

I remembered when I first read it and the Lord was teaching me some of the lessons He gave to Much-Afraid. Her first letter of the alphabet “Acceptance with Joy.”

Where the water drops fell one by one, there grew the little golden flower, though where the seed had come from, Much-Afraid could not imagine, for there were no birds anywhere and no other growing things….She asked, “What is your name, little flower, for I never saw one like you before.” The tiny plant answered at once in a tone as golden as itself, “Behold me! My name is Acceptance-with-Joy.” At that Much-Afraid decided, “I, too, will look up in to His face and say, “Behold me! I am thy little handmaiden Acceptance-with-Joy.” from H. Hurnard’s book Hinds Feet on High Places.

Can you declare the same thing to Christ? Regardless of what comes your way or how your body chooses to age, can you declare to the Almighty, “Behold me, Acceptance-with Joy?”

I have mastered casting on (for now). I have knit a couple small washcloths. I have remembered that this is what the Good Shepherd asks of me, that I follow Him with Acceptance and Joy. Are you able to pick up this challenge?

Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? 26 Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

27 “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! 29 And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30 For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. Luke 12:25-31 NIV

Posted on in Challenge, Faith, Just do it, Listen, Praise, Prayer, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Trust, Yield

Say Yes to Our Shepherd

This morning I listened to another wonderful sermon by Jordan Rice from Harlem Renaissance Church. He always gives me food for thought. https://renaissancenyc.com/media/dckm3vp/superficial-spirituality In this sermon he spoke a little bit about a good shepherd saying in effect, “the shepherd does not tell the sheep go up there to the corner, turn left, go about a mile and take 3 more rights… No, the Good Shepherd leads and goes with the sheep.”

Do you know the Shepherd I follow? It is such a comfort to remember that I never travel alone. I am always accompanied. You are also if you follow Him. Did you watch the latest episode of The Chosen? It has a great scene of Jesus identifying and teaching about the Good Shepherd.

 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.” John 10:11-18 NIV

On my recent retreat we were encouraged to say yes to God. Everything that God asks of us, says we should do, to all of it a resounding YES! Cooperation with His will is no small thing. Even if it seems small at the time, obedience is the best path to follow.

But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. 1 Samuel 15:22 NIV

Why should I say yes to God? There is a rather plain explanation in Isaiah.

For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways My ways, declares the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are My ways higher than your ways
    and My thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55: 8-9 ESV

The Holy One always has our best in mind. We usually do not see exactly where obedience will lead us, but we can always trust the Trinity to take us to a better place!

Jordan is one under-shepherd I gladly follow!