Cloak of Jesus

Good morning, Lord. Huge flakes of wet snow fall to the street and stick. Branches frosted with snow take on new looks of loveliness in the midst of the wintery day. I love it and can hardly wait to get out and walk in it.
Lord, You are so beautiful. You are filled with glory, majesty and splendor. You are the One Who flings this coat of white over everything, obliterating the ugly and unpleasant. Your beauty is not just superficial, but through and through. There is no ugliness in You. You are the personification of loveliness and perfection. I love You so very much. Blessed is Your holy name.
I love You so much Lord. Let me be a blessing to someone today, in Your name. Amen.
Listening:
“Child, I love you so very much. Even as the snow covers the ugly, I cover you with the cloak of Jesus. Yet, it is much more than a covering. It doesn’t just hide the ugly, but roots it out and cleanses and heals and brings hope and a future. Go in that strength, for I love you with an unending love.”
Blessed Lord, how I love You.

GIMMEE!GIMMEE!GIMMEE!

Short story for children

GIMMEE, GIMMEE, GIMMEE!
(Dusty Doesn’t Want to Share)


"Why are my people bringing that tree in the house?" Dusty didn’t understand as he sniffed the sharp tang of a fir tree. I always thought trees belonged in a forest.
It was the Christmas season and Dusty watched all the activity in bewilderment. What he hated the most about this time was how the furniture got moved around. He had all his little rabbit-trails memorized and then they got blocked by chairs or some other thing. It made him so annoyed that he thumped his hind foot and then he felt better.
Lovely songs played (although to bunny ears they were a trifle loud), as Dusty hopped down hall to see what was happening. He had just settled down for a nice snooze when all the commotion happened out in the living room. Being a bunny, he was very curious and needed to see what they were doing.

Dusty stopped in his tracks. His people set out a big basket of hay and they were putting all sorts of animal toys around it. I hope those animals don’t eat too much hay. I want it and it’s mine! What’s she doing anyway?
He hopped over to the basket, pushed some of the animals away and sat down. He sat frowning but felt better since now he could watch how much they ate. Come to think of it, I’m pretty hungry myself. Mmmm. That hay tastes good. He nibbled some that hung over the edge.
He felt the need to investigate further. It was definitely a mystery. He became tired after all the activity, so he decided to take another nap. That’s something else bunny rabbits are good at. Bunnies are very happy when they have lots of food and take lots of naps.
When he woke up, he looked around and realized where he was. Dusty was not happy about this whole situation. There were entirely too many critters very close to his hay. And the worst was, someone was on top of the hay! What’s this? Why, it’s a little person. What’s he doing in my hay? He didn’t know about Baby Jesus.
He was insulted that someone would sit on his food. In the animal world, many animals sit, stand or lie on their food to tell others that the food belongs to them. And here was this little person wrapped in white on top of his hay! Who does he think he is?

Dusty Guards His Hay photo by Crystal J. Ortmann


Well, he couldn’t allow this other guy to take his hay, so he butted his way through the animals and nudged baby Jesus right out of the basket. Then Dusty climbed into the basket and took another nap. He wasn’t a selfish bunny—it’s just what rabbits do to protect their own things.
“Ahh,” he thought, “it’s all mine. Gimmee, Gimmee, Gimmee.”
He was happy because he kept all of his hay and pushed Jesus aside to do it.
Sometimes, though, children and grown-ups do the same thing. We want lots of things at Christmas and either push Baby Jesus aside or forget we are celebrating Jesus’ birthday as we receive our presents. God wants us to share and be willing to give others things that will make them happy.

Dusty Takes Over the Manger Scene Photo by Crystal J. Ortmann©

You can read more about giving and receiving in Luke 6:38 . Although Dusty doesn’t understand about Baby Jesus, we can and we can make room for Him in our hearts.

Life's Blasts

Daily I praised God for the beauty of Autumn. The maple tree outside my window was like a lamp shining into the darkened room. Everywhere I looked, the glory of Autumn shouted for my attention. I took pictures and mentally tried to memorize the different shades of red, orange, yellow, brown and green. Sometimes, it took my breath away.

I noticed the air getting nippier and the birds are flocking to our feeders. Winter is on its way.

Then, with one storm, the leaves were blasted away. This is the same tree as at the beginning, but now this is the view from my window.

Sometimes, when life seems most lovely, we can encounter a storm that rips the beauty right out of our lives. The shock is enormous and we feel bare and stripped of life's joys. That is the time to remember that though a tree looks dead after a storm, it is very much in the process of becoming an even more beautiful tree in the Spring. So it is with any storms that come into our lives--God is doing something unseen that will cause us to be more productive and more lovely after a while. Take heart, He is the Master Artist and we can trust Him with the worst storms of our lives.

Morning Thoughts

Journal—October 26, 2011
Good morning, Lord. The sun shines through the yellow maple leaves outside my office window. The sunrise was spectacular. I’m so glad I was able to grab the camera quickly. Thank You for such beauty to greet the newborn day.
I love You, Lord. Why is it so difficult for our finite minds to grasp Who You are? I suppose for that reason—our minds are finite and Yours is infinite. But, in the little bit of understanding that I possess, I praise You. You could take all the sunrises, every beautiful and majestic mountain, the glory of the sea and they would only be a poor showing for Who You really are. If we could grasp that, how different our lives would be. Help us, Lord to know You better and appreciate You more.

Do You Ever Have Days Like These?

The past months have been grueling. There is no other word to describe them. Mentally, you can reason out that all of this is good for you, that you are growing in the Lord, and all the cliche`s ad infintum. Those words may be true but when you are in the midst of the storm, it's easy to be blown this way and that, emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually. The last thing you want to hear is how God is doing great things in you. What you want is a hug or a hand clasp and the words I love you. I care about you and am praying for you.

I have been the perpetrator of cliche's at times, wanting to encourage and fix the problems of those hurting around me. However loving and valid those feelings are, I need to be aware that this is perhaps the last thing someone wants to hear. I want to be sensitive to the needs of others and that includes listening to them and really hearing what is being said.

Forgive me, Lord, for the times I have flounced into someone's life and rattled off some words or "comfort" and flounced back out. Attune my heart to Yours and allow me to be the conduit of the love You have for each person.

Storing Up Provisions

It's autumn and time to think about storing up things for the winter months. Barns are chucked full of hay and other grains. Domestic animals are assured of warmth, shelter and food within those walls, no matter what the weather. They are protected from predators as well.

Wild animals, especially the furry kinds are busy storing up their own goodies to ward off hunger during the lean months.

They instinctively provide for the long winter by storing food and making snug shelters. Balled up in the nests in trees, squirrels stay warm and snug.

During this time just past harvest, I store up spiritual food and shelter through God's promises to last me through the wintry months of life. I know I am in safe hands when I listen to the Word of God. He provides for me, covers me, keeps me safe, fattens me on the precious, life-giving promises and brings me through hard times.

Cloudy Skies

Have you ever had days when enormous clouds obliterate the sun? Everything seems to go wrong. You are in pain that seems to never stop. You have emotional baggage that is sapping you of every ounce of strength you possess. Disappointments cause you pain and anguish. That longed-for dream ends in disappointment. I have. Some times it is so cloudy that it feels more like fog than a cloud. Or the cloud is so huge and filled with rain, it seems it will never go away.

But, even in the clouds there is beauty. Even when the troubles multiply and the body doesn't work without pain, glorious beauty can come out of it.

God will always use the clouds in our life for our good and His glory. Though they may bring anguish and pain, His healing hand will make the scars of body and soul into things of beauty. Reach out to Jesus, let Him have all that misery. His sun shines also. Sunrises and sunsets are made glorious when clouds are present. The gray and forbidding clouds turn white and fluffy and life goes on.