We have been getting a lot of rain here in Denmark. I love to take pictures, and there are not always sunny day opportunities.  So one rainy day we headed out to see what we could find.

An overcast day can give a softness to pictures, so it is interesting to work with. One thing about Denmark is that it is very green. I guess that is because it is so well-watered! Rain does bring a sense of renewal. Without moisture, nothing could live. In the Bible, rain is often compared to the Holy Spirit who brings renewal to our lives.

(Isaiah 58:11 NIV)  The LORD will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

I liked these daisies in the rain, lifting their little heads up. Daisies are so common, but so lovely!

(Psalm119:40 NLT)  I long to obey Your commandments! Renew my life with Your goodness.

(Psalm 51:10 AMP)  Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right, persevering, and steadfast spirit within me.

(Deut.28:12 NIV) The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of His bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none.

Standing in a quiet forest listening to the water drip from the trees is kind of peaceful! It smells nice, too!

(Deut.32:2 NIV)  Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants.

(Psalm 72:6 NIV)  May he be like rain falling on a mown field, like showers watering the earth.

(Psalm 147:8 NIV) He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills.

(Isaiah 55:10 -11 NLT) "The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with My word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.

(Psalm 68:9 NLT)  You sent abundant rain, O God, to refresh the weary land.

(Song of Sol. 8:7 NLT)  Many waters cannot quench love, nor can rivers drown it. If a man tried to buy love with all his wealth, his offer would be utterly scorned.

Did you enjoy my rainy day? Hope you all are having a good weekend!

(Psalm 37:3 NLT)  Trust in the LORD and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.

Do good. Seems pretty simple. Just two words.

(Psalm 34:14 NLT)  Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it.

Do good. Have you ever had one of those moments when you realized how something you said or did started a reaction that was anything BUT good? Have you ever traced your actions back to the place where.... OH! That's where this all started! Oh! If only I had not said that! If only I had not done that!

Maybe we need to take time to examine our actions and words and ask ourselves, "Is what I am going to do or say going to produce something GOOD? Will it encourage a sense of peace? Is it merciful? Is it even true? Is my motivation for saying/doing it GOOD?"

The Bible says Jesus "went about doing good.." (Acts 10:38) Doesn't it make sense that those of us who love and follow Him should do the same? Yet, it seems like there is no end of conflict, competition and disagreement swirling around in the Body of Christ. Oh! It makes me sad.

(Luke 6:27 NLT)  "But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you.

If Jesus tells us to love our enemies, and do good to them surely, we should treat our brothers and sisters as well!

(Luke 6:36 NLT)  You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.

Get out there today and DO GOOD!

I am a doer! I just like to be busy. This is not really a bad thing, because there are always things that need to be done, Mail to answer. Phone calls to make. Laundry. Counseling. Meals to prepare. Dishes to do. People I need to see. Writing. Making beds and washing windows. Yes. The list is endless. I can really identify with Martha in the Bible. (You know, she was the one that got a bit frustrated with her sister because she was sitting with Jesus instead of helping Martha in the kitchen.)

God has found ways to slow me down. Ways I have not liked at all. Maybe it is because I am so stubborn. I don't know. But you know what I have discovered? I have discovered a relationship with God that I never could have had if I kept buzzing around being busy.

I am amazed at the number of people who serve God their whole lives --- good people. Sincere people. But, they do not have an intimate relationship with Him. Oh, I know, when you use the word "Intimate" some people blush and get funny ideas. But listen! What I am talking about is more than church-- more than religion. I am talking about coming so close to Him that you forget about your "to do" list, and get lost in His presence. I am talking about sitting quietly, with your heart so full of love, you feel like you might burst! I am talking about moments shared with Him which are so precious and private that no one else could ever understand. Usually I don't talk about these things. They are too intimate -- too close to my heart to share. But they happen. And they have drawn me so close to my Savior.

My life has changed since I really fell in love with Him! I would do anything for Him. But, the funny thing is, He often does not ask me to DO ANYTHING! He just wants me to BE -- to enjoy His presence. To let Him love me, heal me, teach me and fill me up.

Do you remember how Moses went to the mountain to be with God? The Bible says, when he came down to the people, his face was shining, and it scared the Israelites. They did not understand that glow. They had not experienced God's presence, and they were afraid. They even ask Moses to cover his face! You can read about it in Exodus 34, if you want to.

Sometimes I feel like I shine when I have spent time with God. Oh I know, you are probably rolling your eyes and muttering to yourself that the Danish Doll  has "gone off the deep end." But really. I love spending time with Him. It energizes me. When I have been with Him, people notice. I have had people say to me, "I can tell you really love God!" Tell me how do they know that? If we really love Him, it SHOULD show. Don't you think? Our lives should reflect His love.

Do you want to shine? Do you want deep joy and wonderful peace? Let God come closer. He wants to have a relationship with you. He is crazy about you! He wants to get you alone so you can listen to Him without distractions. He wants to tell you things. Wonderful things. He wants you to know Him. Really know Him. He calls you "Beloved." Who doesn't want to BE LOVED?

Have you ever thought about some of  the terms used in the Bible to describe us? We are called "sheep." We are called "branches." We are called "clay vessels."

(Psalm 95:7 KJV)  "For He is our God; and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand...." Sheep have no way to defend themselves. They can't run very fast. They do not have claws or sharp teeth. They need to be protected.

(John15:5 NLT) "Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in Me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing."  A branch? It just hangs there. It can be easily broken. 

(2Cor 4:7 NLT) "We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves." A clay pot? Doesn't take much to smash one of those to smithereens!

Not so glamorous, is it? It makes us sound weak, defenseless and vulnerable. Sometimes (probably due to pride!) we don't like to admit that we are those things. We prefer words like "strong, self sufficient and smart." So often we plaster a smile on our face, when inside, we are scared to death. Many times we say we are "fine" when we are not fine at all. We like APPEARING self-sufficient and strong, but God knows better!

You know what is very freeing? To admit that we ARE weak. We are easily broken. To do that is to admit how much we need God. We need Him desperately! He is that treasure within. He puts His strength in us. He surrounds us and protects us. He understands our vulnerabilities. When we allow Him into our lives, we are not weak anymore.

(2Cor 12:9 NLT) Each time He said, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.

A small child has no problem asking for help. He will put his little arms up and say, "Pick me up, Daddy! Help me!" When he falls down he runs to Mommy for comfort. He does not try to pretend to be something he is not. He knows where his help comes from.

As we grow, we start exerting our independence. Of course, in some areas, this is a good thing. We can't mooch off mom and dad forever! We do have to grow up! But growing up does not make us any less vulnerable. Growing up does not change the fact that we don't have all the answers. While gaining knowledge and experience is a good thing, there are no guarantees that it will comfort us or protect us from harm. The person who thinks he has no need for God is in a dangerous place. He has to rely on his own  limited intellect, strength and understanding. He denies himself the comfort and help of his wise, loving heavenly Father. I do not want to be that person. I do not want to be a sheep without a shepherd. I do not want to be a fragile, clay vessel that is empty inside. I do not want to be a vulnerable, brittle branch.

(Psalm 28:7 NLT)  The LORD is my strength and shield. I trust Him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.

There are those who choose to deny God. They claim He does not exist. They say they have no need of Him. I can't do it. Am I weak? You bet! Am I stupid? I think I am, because I am a fool for Christ. I need Him more every day. I am not ashamed to admit that. 

Most of us know that purposefully deceiving someone is wrong. We know God wants His people to be people of integrity. We all know that one of the Ten Commandments says we should not "testify falsely" against another. Yep. We know.

But, have you noticed how easy it is to deceive ourselves? Have you observed how easily we reject the truth because it is hard, or we just do not want to believe it?

When I taught school, there was a little girl who exhibited some seriously concerning behavior which I felt to bring to the attention of her parents. They did not receive it at all. They totally disagreed with my observations. Well, the problem with "turning a blind eye" to wrong behaviors, is that it doesn't change anything. Since this family attending our church,  I watched this child grow more and more wayward through the years. I still feel if they had dealt with certain issues when their daughter was small, she would have turned out differently. She ended up getting herself into a heap of  trouble, and causing her mom and dad a lot of heartache.

Many of us do not enjoy confrontation. I know I don't like it! But there are times when it is necessary. Ignoring a problem seldom causes it to go away. We can say we don't see it, so it isn't there, but this just isn't realistic.

We often have trouble being honest about our own feelings. A story is told of a couple who were passed over for a position of leadership in the church. They were so hurt. Their pride was hit hard. But, could they admit this? Could they honestly go to the pastor and pour out this pain so they could be healed of it? No.Instead they gave him a story about how they felt "God was calling them to move on." They left, and they took the hurt with them. How much better it would have been if they could have just honestly said, "We don't understand. We are hurt! Help us!"

Sometimes we can have trouble being honest about our strengths and weaknesses. We worry that if we admit we are good at something, others might think we are prideful. So, we play this false humility card. Oh, come on now! You know what I am talking about!  Instead of giving glory to God because He blessed us with a gift or talent, we act lowly. When we receive a compliment, why can't we just say a simple, "Thank you!"?

(Proverbs 20:10 NLT) False weights and unequal measures—the LORD detests double standards of every kind.

Other times (usually because of our pride) we have trouble admitting when we need help. We say yes to things we know we will not be able to do well, because it's hard to say, "No, I don't think I could do a good job with that." Yes, there is a lot more to living honestly than not telling whoppers, isn't there?

(Psalm 51:6 AMP.)  "Behold, You desire truth in the inner being; make me therefore to know wisdom in my inmost heart." God wants us to be REAL. To be real, we need to be honest about who we are. We need to pray often and fervently that we will not be deceived, and that we will never be guilty of deceiving another.

In a world of people being who they are not, be the person that you are. Let's be honest. Let's be REAL!

I have been on Xanga a long time! I think seven years! A lot of people I started with have fallen away from blogging here, but others have become good friends. It is funny how we can be friends when we have never met, but we know so much about one another! I pray for you, and I know many of you pray for me, too. It is so wonderful how I can sit here in front of my computer in Denmark and reach out across the world with my words! I have people who read my posts from the Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Russia, Peru, Malaysia, Canada, the U.S., S. Africa and many other places. It is pretty amazing.

Anyway, today I thought I would try something a little different. Others have done it on their pages, but I don't think I ever have. What I am proposing is that you can ask me questions. Genuine, nice questions, please! I will try to answer them as best I can. So... if you are out there and want to know more about the Doll, ask away. I am willing to let you know me better, if you want to.

Now, of course, I have more to say. You know me! I have to leave you with something to ponder.

You know that the devil is a liar and a cheat, right? Stop and think a minute. What has he stolen from you? How has he tried to lie to you? Don't fall for it! God says our future is bright when we obey Him. He said He would not withhold any good thing from those who walk uprightly.

(Psalm 84:11 NLT) For the LORD God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The LORD will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.

This is a promise you can depend on! Reach out and believe that God means what He says and does what He promises.

Now, about those questions........ 

A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin, 5 and Ryan, 3. The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake. Their mother saw the opportunity for a spiritual lesson. She said, "If Jesus were here, He would say, Let my brother have the first pancake. I can wait."  Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, "Ryan, you be Jesus!"

Yes. We all see the importance of being more like Jesus, but we tend to expect this behavior more from others than from ourselves. It's so much easier to tell other people what they should be doing and how they should be acting than it is to work on our own behavior, isn't it? Every religious person I know can give me a list of "rules" for how we should treat others. But, knowing isn't doing, is it?

In the counseling room, people have no trouble at all telling me about who in their life is not treating them right. We are all good at getting offended when we feel we have been treated unfairly. We all know what is right.

But, we have to remember that the only person we have any hope of changing is ourselves. We cannot MAKE anyone do anything. All the complaining in the world will not change anyone. Perhaps the better way to go it to ask God what WE can work on in our OWN life.

It has been said that your life may be all the "Jesus" some people will ever experience. If you call yourself a Christian, that word means "Christ one" --- one who is like Christ. WWJD was popular some time ago, and it is still a valid and important question to ask ourselves. What would Jesus do in this situation? What would He say? If we are ambassadors for Him, we need to know how to represent Him accurately, right?

I need help to be more like Jesus. I do not have it in me to love like He did. It is not my first reaction to respond in love when I feel I have been wronged by another. I tend to get defensive. Being a "turn the other cheek" kind of person is not easy for me. But, I think the more time I spend with Him -- the more I learn of His character and heart, the more like Him I will become.

(1 John 3:2 NLT) Dear friends, we are already God's children, but He has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He really is.

Oh! To be like Jesus!

Sometimes I just need to PRAISE HIM! You know? God is so good -- so amazing! I love being in love with Him. I love that He holds me! So, for this post, I am going to thank and praise Him for His blessings and His goodness.

(Psalm 30:12 NLT) ... that I might sing praises to You and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give You thanks forever!

* I believe in God, and amazingly, He believes in ME! I love being loved by Him! I love knowing that He is on my side!

* I love closing my eyes at night knowing that He watches over me. When I open my eyes in the morning, I say, "Good morning, Lord!"

* I am thankful for prayer and that God answers prayer. It is not just some religious exercise or the repetition of the same words over and over. It is a personal conversation with the One who loves me, and knows what is best for me!

(Psalm 36:5-7 NIV)  Your love, LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep. You, LORD, preserve both people and animals. How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

* I am so blessed by Him being ever-present in my life. He is not some cold, distant entity but ABBA, Father. He touches my life with love every day. I can bring all my concerns to Him, and He is never too busy to listen.

* I am thankful that both my children and their husbands love and serve God. I know they can always depend on Him. Though I may be far away, He is close. They can look to Him for  help, wisdom, protection and strength. That brings such peace to my heart!

* It is a joy to be doing something with my life that I feel will have eternal benefit. I love people, and I love serving and investing in them!

(Psalm 34:1 KJV)  I will bless the LORD at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

* I am grateful for every year God gives me to enjoy life. I CHOOSE to enjoy it. I am glad He makes me glad! I will look for the positive in everything. I will focus my thoughts on the good and the lovely.

* I am grateful for all the good people who help support us in our work. I know for some, it is a sacrifice. We could not be here doing what we do without them, so I pray that God will bless them and prosper them.

(Psalm 37:3-5 NIV)  Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this:

* I praise and thank my Father for the simple things -- the blue of the sky, sunlight flickering through the trees, the laughter of children, an embrace from a friend, hot soup and bread, intricate flower petals, butterflies, a smooth pretty stone, dew drops like diamonds on the grass, birdsong, a cool breeze on a warm day, promises kept, love shared.

* I am thankful that every day is a fresh start with new mercies, forgiveness, strength, joy --- everything I need.  I just need to reach out and take it.

* I think God's faithfulness is incredible! People let me down. That's life, but God never has. Never.

What are YOU thankful for?

When I was young, I used to try to make deals with God. -- "God! If you get me out of this mess, I PROMISE I will never do it again!" Many of us have done that. We do stupid stuff and then ask God to protect us from the consequences. Hmmm....  Do we really think we can treat God like our personal public servant whose job it is to clean up after us?

Sometimes, God in His awesome mercy and love covers our bad choices. But only sometimes! You see, God put certain laws firmly in place when He created us. He says WHAT YOU SOW; YOU REAP.  If you plant lies and dishonest behavior, in the soil of your life, you should not be surprised if people do not treat you with integrity. We set something in motion with wrong choices, and eventually, it will come back and bite us in the behind!

I don't know if many of you watched the video clip of the kids who were bullying their bus monitor. It is unspeakably cruel. The video went global, and caused quite a reaction all over the world. People were outraged by the behavior of these young people. The kids who did the bullying have now received some bullying of their own. They have received all kinds of threats, and their parents are worried about the backlash this video of their nasty children has caused. You reap what you sow. The bullies are being bullied.

Sometimes consequences are nearly immediate. Like, sticking your hand in the fire, or picking the cat up by his tail. Sometimes the consequences hold off a while. But they WILL come. God is just. He said He would repay, and He will.

(Rom 12:17-19 NLT)  Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, "I will take revenge; I will pay them back," says the LORD.

God is just, loving and absolutely fair. There is no need for us to plot revenge or dream of getting even when we have been wronged. God says to love our enemies and leave the end results to Him. You reap what you sow. People who are unkind will reap a harvest of unkindness in their own lives. People who are dishonest will be cheated. We should have compassion for them.

Just as in the natural, planting and harvesting have a cycle, so it is with the spiritual life. If we don't like what is happening in our lives, we need to think about "planting" something different! Ask yourself, "What am I sowing?" You know that old saying: WHAT GOES AROUND, COMES AROUND? Yep.

(Hosea 10:12 NLT)  I said, 'Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the LORD, that He may come and shower righteousness upon you.'

If you want to be blessed, obey God and bless others. If you want to be treated with kindness, be kind. If you need mercy, (and who doesn't?) be merciful.  (Mat 5:7 NLT) "God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy."

What are we sowing?

Often, we think of love as an emotion. Of course, our emotions are involved, but there is actually more to it than that. We see in the Bible that love is a COMMANDMENT. We are commanded to love God with all that is within us, and we are also told to love others and ourselves.  God expects us to love. Whether we feel like it or not!  It's nice, when that warm, fuzzy feeling is a part of it, but even if it isn't there, we must choose to walk, talk and act in love.

One of my roommates in college taught me a lot about loving when the feeling isn't there. We were so different, and we had to work to get along sometimes. I had to MAKE myself choose the loving thing -- the right thing -- even when that lovely emotion was not there. I think most of us married folks can understand the commitment to love, even in the times when you are so mad at your spouse you could chew nails and spit rust!  The amazing thing I have found is that when you make that choice, often, the feeling follows it. Not always, but often.

I have learned to love people who honestly did not WANT to be loved. Sometimes to love can be such a struggle. Some of those God has given me to love have been suffering with many problems. Loving them was a challenge, because they were convinced they were unlovable, and they rejected me hundreds of times to prove they were right. But love -- God's love -- is a powerful thing! His love conquered death! His love is soft, but strong. What a pleasure it is to see people begin to respond to it.

Love never gives up on people. Sometimes we do, but God's love is always reaching out -- always waiting. Always there.

(1Co 13:4-7 MESSAGE)  Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn't want what it doesn't have. Love doesn't strut, Doesn't have a swelled head, doesn't force itself on others, isn't always "me first," Doesn't fly off the handle, Doesn't keep score of the sins of others. Love doesn't revel when others grovel, It takes pleasure in the flowering of truth. Love puts up with anything, trusts God always, Always looks for the best, Never looks back, But keeps going to the end.

I am amazed every day by this kind of love. I love the words to this song by Jeremy Riddle. You can listen to it here. 

His love is deep, His love is wide
And it covers us
His love is fierce, His love is strong
It is furious
His love is sweet, His love is wild
And it's waking hearts to life.

Can you imagine what this world would be like if God's people really loved with this kind of love?