Tough To Swallow. . .

I receive KURT'S DAILY MUSE every day in my mail box and I thoroughly enjoy it. He always has very inspirational messages. I wanted to share this one with you.... a couple times lately, I have come across Matthew 10:29-31... I think God is sending me a message...

Over the weekend, we took some time to go to our hideaway in East Texas. As I went down to uncover our little boat, I noticed a series of bird droppings in one spot on the tarp, so I looked up. And there in the apex of the boathouse was a nest affixed to one of the planks. I was just about to get a long pole and take it down when "mom and dad" came home. As the two barn swallows arrived, four little peeping heads appeared over the edge of the nest. So I watched. Apparently, mom and dad didn't have enough for all four at once, so they'd fly off and come back in less than a minute until all were fed. Then, almost ritualistically, those little swallows would take turns hanging their rear ends over the nest and "depositing" a token of their appreciation on my boat cover!

At first, I could only think of myself and ridding the boathouse of any "pests." But then I wondered if there was a "win-win" situation I could come up with. So, I found a piece of plywood, laid it on the rafters right under their nest, and then listened to the symphonic sound of "plop, plop-plop, plop" after their evening meal. I was happy, they were happy, and my boat cover was spared any more grateful "offerings" of nature.

The real reason I didn't knock down their nest was a Scripture that popped into my mind as I observed their routine: "Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows" (Mt. 10:29-31).

If I, being a sinful man, could even care about those little birds, imagine how much my heavenly Father cares for me? He knows my comings and goings. He numbers my very hairs. He even cleans up my "messes." Even though He has the right to rid the world of a "pest" like me, He came up with a solution. In Jesus Christ, He has made a "win-win" situation where a sinner can enjoy the fellowship and promise of eternal life with a holy God.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Have a wonderful day in the Lord, knowing that you are not a "pest" to our heavenly Father, but have been adopted as a child of God, inscribed with the blood of the Lamb, and sealed by the Spirit of Grace. And even though, much of what you do may be "for the birds," Jesus Christ has saved you, and made it so you are not..."tough to swallow."

P.S. I have been having Server problems, so if you don't receive KURT'S
DAILY MUSE by 8:00 AM (CST - USA) every weekday, you can view the latest one
at: www.StrattonRealtors.com
_____________________________
For your FREE subscription to KURT'S DAILY MUSE, send a blank email to:
KurtsDailyMuse-subscribe@bethesdadesigns.com
You must respond to the confirmation to be added.

God answering prayers...

I think it is so neat the way God answers our prayers without us even realizing it.

I have been praying for a while now for God to help me love someone again. It's a friend who I used to be very close with, but lately, this person has really been getting on my nerves and I have found it harder and harder to be around her. It's like she is always negative, is always yelling about something, always in a bad mood, and just isn't very easy to be around, even though I find myself around her a lot because of common commitments we both have. I find myself making excuses not to be around her....

I've been praying that God would help her find peace and not be so bitter and that He would help me to be more understanding and patient with her...

Anyway, last night, it dawned on me, that the last few times we have been together, she has been very calm, very friendly, and very nice! She didn't yell once... and we had a very nice time when we were together. As I was saying my prayers last night, I realized that God has been working in both of us! And what a great feeling that was!

I'm going to keep on praying for our friendship because it is very important to me....

The Smell of Rain

A cold March wind danced around the dead of night in Dallas as the Doctor walked into the small hospital room of Diana Blessing. Still groggy from surgery, her husband David held her hand as they braced themselves for the latest news. That afternoon of March 10,1991, complications had forced Diana, only 24 weeks pregnant, to Danae Lu Blessing.

At 12 inches long and weighing only one pound and nine ounces, they already knew she was perilously premature. Still, the doctor's soft words dropped like bombs. I don't think she's going to make it, he said, as kindly as he could. "There's only a 10 percent chance she will live through the night, and even then, if by some slim chance she does make it, her future could be a very cruel one." Numb with disbelief, David and Diana listened as the doctor described the devastating problems Danae would likely face if she survived. She would never walk, she would never talk, she would probably be blind, and she would certainly be prone to other catastrophic conditions from cerebral palsy to complete mental retardation, and on and on. "No! No!" was all Diana could say. She and David, with their 5-year-old son Dustin, had long dreamed of the day they would have a daughter to become a family of four. Now, within a matter of hours, that dream was slipping away.

Through the dark hours of morning as Danae held onto life by the thinnest thread, Diana slipped in and out of sleep, growing more and more determined that their tiny daughter would live, and live to be a healthy, happy young girl. But David, fully awake and listening to additional dire details of their daughter's chances of ever leaving the hospital alive, much less healthy, knew he must confront his wife with the inevitable. David walked in and said that we needed to talk about making funeral arrangements. Diana remembers, 'I felt so bad for him because he was doing everything, trying to include me in what was going on, but I just wouldn't listen, I couldn't listen. I said, "No, that is not going to happen, no way! I don't care what the doctors say; Danae is not going to die! One day she will be just fine, and she will be coming home with us!"

As if willed to live by Diana's determination, Danae clung to life hour after hour, with the help of every medical machine and marvel her miniature body could endure. But as those first days passed, a new agony set in for David and Diana. Because Danae's under-developed nervous system was essentially raw, the lightest kiss or caress only intensified her discomfort, so they couldn't even cradle their tiny baby girl against their chests to offer the strength of their love. All they could do, as Danae struggled alone beneath the ultraviolet light in the tangle of tubes and wires, was to pray that God would stay close to their precious little girl. There was never a moment when Danae suddenly grew stronger.

But as the weeks went by, she did slowly gain an ounce of weight here and an ounce of strength there. At last, when Danae turned two months old, her parents were able to hold her in their arms for the very first time. And two months later-though doctors continued to gently but grimly warn that her chances of surviving, much less living any kind of normal life, were next to zero. Danae went home from the hospital, just as her mother had predicted.

Today, five years later, Danae is a petite but feisty young girl with glittering gray eyes and an unquenchable zest for life. She shows no signs, what so ever, of any mental or physical impairment. Simply, she is everything a little girl can be and more-but that happy ending is far from the end of her story.

One blistering afternoon in the summer of 1996 near her home in Irving, Texas, Danae was sitting in her mother's lap in the bleachers of a local ballpark where her brother Dustin's baseball team was practicing. As always, Danae was chattering non-stop with her mother and several other adults sitting nearby when she suddenly fell silent. Hugging her arms across her chest, Danae asked, "Do you smell that?" Smelling the air and detecting the approach of a thunderstorm, Diana replied, "Yes, it smells like rain." Danae closed her eyes and again asked, "Do you smell that?" Once again, her mother replied, "Yes, I think we're about to get wet, it smells like rain. Still caught in the moment, Danae shook her head, patted her thin shoulders with her small hands and loudly announced, "No, it smells like Him. It smells like God when you lay your head on His chest." Tears blurred Diana's eyes as Danae then happily hopped down to play with the other children.

Before the rains came, her daughter's words confirmed what Diana and all the members of the extended Blessing family had known, at least in their hearts, all along. During those long days and nights of her first two months of her life, when her nerves were too sensitive for them to touch her, God was holding Danae on His chest and it is His loving scent that she remembers so well.

It's Blogtipping Day!

Yep, it’s Blogtipping day! The first calendar day of each month is a new Blogtipping Day. I first started this on my Craft Blog, but this month, I'm planning to participate with all 4 of my blogs!

Here’s my list for June. These blogs are all Christian related blogs. Enjoy!

Blogtippee #1: The "What If" Women...

This is a great Christian blog that features the ponderings of five women of the Lord. They begin each day with a simple question: "What If..." Their daily questions really make you stop and think...

Blogtippee #2 Look to the Lord

Wow! This is a brand new blog that already has 335 postings since May! It is filled with stories, poems jokes and scripture. It's definitely going to take me some time to get through all of the posts, but it will be fun!

Blogtippee #3 The Road Not Chosen

What an inspiration blog! It is written by a mom with a teenage son with Down Syndrome. She says that we don't always get to choose the road we're on, but the journey is always interesting! It's a great Christian blog and I enjoyed reading her stories.

That’s it for this month! Take a moment to check out each of these fantastic craft blogs! Come back next month to see who I Blogtipped!

Kids Stories...

DEATH: While walking along the sidewalk in front of his church, our minister heard the intoning of a prayer that nearly made his collar wilt. Apparently, his 5-year-old son and his playmates had found a dead robin. Feeling that proper burial should be performed, they had secured a small box and cotton batting, then dug a hole and made ready for the disposal of the deceased. The minister's son was chosen to say the appropriate prayers and with sonorous dignity intoned his version of what he thought his Father always said: "Glory be unto the Faaaather, and unto the Sonnn ... And into the hole he gooooes."

SCHOOL: A little girl had just finished her first week of school. "I'm just wasting my time," she said to her mother. "I can't read, I can't write and they won't let me talk!"

BIBLE: A little boy opened the big family bible. He was fascinated as he fingered through the old pages. Suddenly, something fell out of the Bible. He picked up the object and looked at it. What he saw was an old leaf that had been pressed in between the pages.

"Mama, look what I found", the boy called out. "What have you got there, dear?"

With astonishment in the young boy's voice, he answered, "I think it's Adam's underwear!"

.

ABC's of Friendship

(A)ccepts you as you are
(B)elieves in "you"
(C)alls you just to say "HI"
(D)oesn't give up on you
(E)nvisions the whole of you (even the unfinished parts)
(F)orgives your mistakes
(G)ives unconditionally
(H)elps you
(I)nvites you over
(J)ust "be" with you
(K)eeps you close at heart
(L)oves you for who you are
(M)akes a difference in your life
(N)ever Judges
(O)ffers support
(P)icks you up
(Q)uiets your fears
(R)aises your spirits
(S)ays nice things about you
(T)ells you the truth when you need to hear it
(U)nderstands you
(V)alues you
(W)alks beside you
(X)-plains things you don't understand
(Y)ells when you won't listen and
(Z)aps you back to reality

Memorial Day

On this day set aside to honor those who have served the United States, oh God, I thank you for those patriotic citizens and a country that chooses to remember them. Also I thank you for those who have served the church by preserving your gospel. I remember the blessings you gave to them and through them. Amen.

Angels, Explained by Children

Sarah, 7
" I only know the names of two angels. Hark and Harold."

Gregory, 5
"Everybody's got it all wrong. Angels don't wear halos anymore.
I forget why, but scientists are working on it."

Olive, 9
"It's not easy to become an angel! First, you die. Then you go to
heaven, then there's still the flight training to go through. And then
you got to agree to wear those angel clothes."

Matthew, 9
"Angels work for God and watch over kids when God has to go do something
else."

Mitchell, 7
"My guardian angel helps me with math, but he's not much good for
science."

Henry, 8
"Angels don't eat, but they drink milk from Holy Cows!!!."

Jack, 6
"Angels talk all the way while they're flying you up to heaven. The main
subject is where you went wrong before you got dead."

Daniel, 9
"When an angel gets mad, he takes a deep breath and counts to ten.
And when he lets out his breath, somewhere there's a tornado."

Reagan, 10
"Angels have a lot to do and they keep very busy. If you lose a tooth,
an angel comes in through your window and leaves money under your
pillow. Then when it gets cold, angels go north for the Winter."

Sara, 6
"Angels live in cloud houses made by God and his son, who's a very good
carpenter."

Jared , 8
"All angels are girls because they gotta wear dresses and boys didn't go
for it."

Antonio, 9
"My angel is my grandma who died last year. She got a big head start on
helping me while she was still down here on earth."

Katelynn, 9
"Some of the angels are in charge of helping heal sick animals and
pets. And if they don't make the animals get better, they help the
child get over it."

Vicki, 8
"What I don't get about angels is why, when someone is in
love, they shoot arrows at them."

Sifted Through The Hands Of The Lord

As a child of the King, you will sometimes face trials far bigger than you think you can bear. At times, they may shock you when you don't see them coming or you think life is simply not fair.

But there is no situation, circumstance or crisis that wasn't first seen by God on His throne. For it was sifted through His hands... previewed by His eyes before the details on earth could be known.

God allows the situations that come into our lives but holds back what He knows we can't take. We are left with a problem... but we're never left alone through any battles or decisions we make.

While it's true at the onset, we may not feel equipped for the difficult, new chapter at hand. If we reach in faith for the Father... He'll equip us daily for all the things that we don't understand.

And we have to realize and truly believe that the crisis was never meant to destroy.

But rather, God allows it, to deepen our dependence and show us truths that will then bring us joy.

The same hands that sift out, to allow what we're facing will give courage & strength to go on.

For God will bless us daily with His sovereignty and grace and in Him we're victorious and strong.

"Kept" Woman

I am a "Kept" Woman

You see, there were a few times when I thought I would lose my mind, but GOD kept me sane. (Isa. 26:3)
The LORD gives perfect peace to those whose faith is firm.

There were times when I thought I could go no longer, but the LORD kept me moving. (Gen 28:15)
Wherever you go, I will watch over you, then later I will bring you back to this land. I won't leave you--I will do all I have promised.

At times, I've wanted to lash out at those whom I felt had done me wrong, but the LORD kept my mouth shut. (Psa. 13)
I trust your love, and I feel like celebrating because you rescued me. You have been good to me, LORD, and I will sing about you.

Sometimes, I think the money just isn't enough, but GOD has helped me to keep the lights on, the water on, the car paid, the house paid, etc.., (Matt. 6:30-33)
Why do you have such little faith? Don't worry and ask yourselves, "Will we have anything to eat? Will we have anything to drink? Will we have any clothes to wear?" Only people who don't know God are always worrying about such things. Your Father in heaven knows that you need all of these. But more than anything else, put God's work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well.

When I thought I would fall, HE kept me up. When I thought I was weak, he kept me strong! (I Pet. 5:7, Matt. 11:28-30)
God cares for you, so turn all your worries over to him.
If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest. Take the yoke I give you. Put it on your shoulders and learn from me. I am gentle and humble, and you will find rest. This yoke is easy to bear, and this burden is light.

I could go on and on and on, but I'm sure you hear me! Praise the Lord --I'm blessed to be "KEPT."

Are you...or do you know a "kept" woman?

If so pass it on to her to let her know she is "Kept".