Right Of Way

The dirt road which we live on is about 2 miles long. It winds in for about a half mile off the tar road, then makes a big 1 1/2 mile circle. One way in...one way out...a "private road" sign at the end...or the beginning, depending on how you look at it.




The circle itself boarders the coastline. Those who live on the "outside" of the circle have the ocean as their "front lawn"...so to speak. Those who live on the inside...well, they may or may not have a "water view"...and for the most part, have no direct access to the ocean...that is, except for the "right of way".


You see, everyone's deed on our road states that we have a "right of way" to the ocean...and it specifically states where it is and how to find it. This "right of way" is narrow...just a little straight path...but to those who want access to the water...it means so much.





There is a sign marking this "right of way"...small, to be sure, but certainly visible...if you are willing to look for it.




Now, many of the folks who live on the outside of the circle...the ones with "ocean" front lawns...never ever use the "water" for anything...they don't boat, or fish, or swim...they are just content to watch the view from their front porch.

And there are also those who live on the inside who, rather than make the effort to use the "right of way", will just complain that they don't have immediate access to the water. They make statements such as, "Boy, what a waste...I tell you, if I lived right on the coast, I'd be in the water all the time!"

Many who own summer cottages on the "water" side of the circle are retired, elderly folks...and, if you take the time to ask them, would say that they are now too "old" to make use of the water...they wished that they'd had the opportunity when they were younger.



But those who make use of the "right of way" really want access to the water.

And they are willing to "walk the narrow path" to get to the wonderful benefits at the shore.





Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Matthew 7:14

Cast All Your "Cars" Upon Him?

We simply didn't need another vehicle...or so we thought. We are a two vehicle, four (soon to be five) driver family. One of our vehicles is a 1988 truck that my sons use for their lawncare business.




The other is a 1996 toyota Camry, our family car.




This vehicle arrangement seems to suit us...my husband commutes to work on a van...and I do not work outside of the home...so we make out just fine with two vehicles.

So, we did find it a bit strange when "out of the blue" last weekend, one of my brothers called and asked if we would be interested in purchasing his truck. He was planning to buy a new vehicle, and would get almost nothing on a trade-in...so he thought of us. At first, we thought, well, what do we need another vehicle for right now? We are getting by fine and it would raise the price of our car insurance. But then again, my husband had been considering a truck as our next vehicle when the Camry finally gave out (it has 242,000 miles on it)because of our dirt road and the winter weather conditions here in Maine. Also, with one of my sons teaching and coaching in the fall, another vehicle might ease up on the driving situation somewhat. And, of course, the price was in our budget, so, weighing all things, we decided that it would be a good decision.

My brother was planning to come to Maine on Saturday to help my parents with the "storm" issues mentioned in my previous post. He told us that he could bring the truck up with him.

We spent the afternoon Saturday at a local fairground...they were having a "Family Fun Day" to benefit local families in need. We went especially to see the antique cars and hot rods...my youngest son is building his own truck from the ground up with parts he acquires here and there. It was a pleasant afternoon...full of summer fun.


On the way home, we heard a loud "clunk" and then some really serious noises. My husband knew right away...our transmission was gone. Since the Camry is 14 years old...and has almost 250,000 miles on it...at this point, a new transmission probably is not the best decision. We needed another vehicle.




But, as you know, God had already taken care of that.



So today I will be visiting the town office, and the bank, and the garage, and the insurance company...taking care of the paperwork to transfer titles and such on our "new" vehicle.

So, once again, we thank Him for caring for us...for watching over us in all the little details of our lives. And we continue to work on trusting Him in everything...even when at the moment it might not seem to make sense.

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
I Peter 5:7

"Storms" Of Life

The rain started just about the time we were sitting down to eat dinner. After dinner, the boys went down to my parents' (about a half mile down our dirt road) to play dominoes with them. It had been a beautiful, sunny, warm day here in Maine...the kind vacationers dream about. Those of us who live on the coast tend to get pretty used to these quick moving summer thundershowers after a hot summer day...so we really didn't think much about it.

Until the rain started...rain like I've never heard before. And the wind...we watch as trees bent right over to the ground. Then the thunder and lightening...so close, so unbelievably intense.

Of course, I've always felt that "storms" are so much worse at night when it is dark. Fear of the unknown, I guess. We wondered how long the power would be out...we wondered if our sons and my parents were safe...we wondered if we would lose trees...or our garden...or our home.

This morning we woke to calm. The morning weather report claimed that there were isolated tornadoes, quarter size hail, and hurricane winds last night. You'd never believe it this morning...the sun is shining, the sky is blue, the birds are singing. Well, I guess there are still a few signs of last night's tempest...







Many trees down...











Roads washed out...especially our dirt road...








And the corn took quite a beating...


But the biggest shock for us came this morning...when we heard what had happened at my parent's home the night before. I stopped in on my morning walk to wish my dad a "Happy Birthday" (he's 87 today!)only to find that they had suffered major damage from the storm. Half of their driveway was washed away into the cove...along with the hill next to their garage. The raging waters blew a hole through the cellar door, flooded the cellar and burst through the door on the ocean side of the house. Their garage is filled with about 3 inches of "driveway"...and there is a very large deep hole under the kitchen in the cellar. We are waiting on the insurance company to come and assess the damage. My heart cried for my dad...what a birthday present. But his response to the whole situation was..."I thank God that the boys were here with us last night". I soon found out my sons noticed that the driveway was caving in...went out into the "storm" to rescue the truck (which had already started to sink down into the hole) and the other two vehicles in the driveway...moving them to safer ground. They then went around the entire house, putting down storm windows as the rain came pouring in...mopping up huge puddles on the floor...rescuing tools and other items from the garage as the water rushed through...and remaining calm throughout the whole ordeal. My dad told me that he didn't know what they would have done if "his boys" hadn't been there. And my sons never said a word about it when they arrived home safely last night...because they didn't want to worry us.

Why is it that I continue to be amazed when God puts people in certain places at just the right moment? I see this all the time...you would think that by now I would just come to expect it...for isn't that exactly what a Savior does?

Funny thing...you only notice the "storm" this morning if you look down...

if you look up...

the sky is blue...

and the Son is shining.

God is so good.


"He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still..."
Psalm 107:29

Broken...But More Than Useful!

Wednesday...it was a rainy morning in Maine...a time for indoor projects...

"cleaning out" kinds of projects.

I had been waiting for a day to cull out some of our "learning" supplies. In our home we "school" all year round. So...I decided this was a perfect morning to see which supplies we were finished with in order that I might give them away to other "homeschoolers", when I stumbled upon a container full of broken crayons...and I remembered an idea that I had read about some time ago.

So...after sorting through what needed to be sorted...We made "new crayons" out of the broken ones. It was so fun...and so easy!

First, collect your supplies...
~broken, unwrapped crayon pieces
~cupcake liners
~muffin tin

Next, line your tin with the cupcake liners.

Then, (this was the fun part!), place 7 or 8 crayons pieces in each cupcake liner. Place different colors in each so that your new crayons will be multi-colored!

Set you oven at 250 degrees. Place your tin in the oven for about 5 minutes or so...just until the crayons melt!

Take out and let cool completely. Peel off liner...and enjoy your new multi-colored crayon!


While working on our first batch, I was reminded of my "Heart for Jesus" pins (another post, another time) which are based on the "Wordless Book" idea, and my son and I decided to make some crayons with the "Gospel" colors. We are planning to create a simple tract that we can attach to a bag of these crayons and have them available (like my "Heart for Jesus" pins) when we are in stores, or at the doctor's office, or the library, and we encounter little ones who might enjoy some crayons.

So, you see, these "broken" pieces turned out to be more than useful...they will be a tool to help spread the Gospel. I just finished reading a little book by Watchman Nee entitled, "The Release of the Spirit". The theme of his book is that in order for the Holy Spirit to truly use us for God's glory...we must first be "broken".

Some "points to ponder" from Nee's book...

~Let us look to God for His grace to enable us to place ourselves under His light and to be so enlightened as to bow before Him, acknowledging: "Lord, how foolish and blind I have been all these years in mistaking what flows from me as coming from Thee. Lord, be merciful to me!"

~Rather than stressing teaching, let us place more emphasis on what it is that comes forth from us. God is not watching to see if our teaching becomes deeper; He wants to lay hold of us as individuals. If our nature is not properly dealt with, we may give forth so called spiritual teaching, but there is no spiritual impartation.

~In that hour of unveiling (when we realize what it is to be "broken" before God) even noble deeds, performed in His name and in love to Him, will somehow lose their luster. In every highest purpose you will detect the meanest inclination. What you considered as wholly for God now appears to be riddled with self. Alas! self seems to permeate every vestige of your being, robbing God of glory.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. Psalm 51:17

Hey, Little Boy Blue...

I thought it was written..."the cow's in the corn"...








Not the CAT!!!







Actually, neither one should be in the corn, for that matter. So, when I caught a glimpse of "kitty" taking her afternoon nap in the middle of my corn field, while I was hard at work weeding the rest of the garden, I began to ponder the times when I have perhaps been "where I shouldn't be."

Now, mind you, these places weren't inappropriate in and of themselves...but perhaps, just perhaps, they were places where I did not belong. It was not my place to be there.

Imagine, for example, giving advice to someone about their lives or what they should be doing, when it really was none of my concern...or when I really didn't know all the circumstances involved. Even though I may have believed that I was helping...telling them "for their own good"...because I thought that I knew what was best.

Wouldn't it have been better, to just turn the whole situation over to the Lord...for I know that He is more than capable.

Just a thought while in the garden...

"And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?" Matthew 7:3

"Weeding" With the Son!

There are so many things that I love about the summer. One of the most precious, of course, is the gorgeous flowers that grow all around us...a real "bouquet" of God's beauty.




Take, for instance, the lovely hollyhocks that grow so tall...






Or the multicolored petunias...






Or the beautiful bell-shaped foxglove...






Or even, the flowers from our potato plants...





Yes, I love the flowers...but, like most of you, I do not care for the weeds! Several years ago I stumbled across a terrific way to get rid of these nasty buggers...and it is so easy! All you need is some white vinegar, an empty spray bottle, and the sun!





I saved an empty windex bottle and filled it with white vinegar...





Then, on a bright sunny day...go out and spray your weeds! Soak them right down. This is especially great for weeds between the cracks in your walkways and weeds that creep into your dirt driveways. The key ingredient, however, is the sun! This will not work on a cloudy day. Let the vinegar react with the sun's rays and heat, go back several hours later, and your weeds with be DEAD! It's so easy!

And as I am weeding in my garden, I am reminded of the need to "weed" out those things in my life that are unproductive...unproductive for Him, that is. Because, you see, we have some beautiful "weeds" here in Maine, we call them wildflowers. And I have things in my life, that although in and of themselves they are perfectly fine activities, I should be constantly "weeding" them in light of the Son. For just as summer is the season for flowers and weeds, we are all in a different "season" of our lives, and it is important for us the discern what God desires from us in this particular season. As a wife and a mother, I am reminded of the importance that God places on my role to "nurture" our home...and those who live in it.

"She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. Her children arise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her." Proverbs 31: 27-28

Feeding The Brood (Flock)???

Our newest little "ladies" are growing by leaps and bounds! It seems that just a short time ago, they were only day old chicks...




And now, after just a little over a month, look at how big they are!






That is, all except for this little one...


This little girl has been tiny from day one...the runt, you might say. To be honest, we didn't expect her to make it from the beginning. She is only half the size of the other ladies. Whenever we get a new batch of chicks, we usually lose one or two...so, it was to be expected. But she kept growing, only just not as quickly as the others. We began to watch her more closely...to see if the other ladies would pick on her, which is usually the case with a runt. But they don't. In fact, they pretty much ignore her.

So, why does she grow so slowly? Well, we have noticed that she is quite timid...she won't try to get any food or water if the other girls are feeding. She just waits until there is nobody at the feeder...which is almost never! And thus, she doesn't seem to grow as quickly as the rest.

You see, she needs food to grow...but she also needs to take the initiative to get that food for herself. And we are much like this little chick...we need spiritual "food" to grow...we need to "feed" on the Word of the Lord everyday...but this will not happen unless we take the initiative. Without this spiritual "food", we will become weak...like this little chick.

Now, if she does not start catching up soon, we may need to separate her from the brood and take the time to give her some special attention. Much in the same way as we should help our "younger" sisters in Christ...come alongside them...help them to "feed" on the Word of God...so that they may grow.

"As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious." 1 Peter 2-3

One Man's Trash...

We have a charming little spot in our town called "Larry's Swap Shop". It is, by far, one of my youngest son's most favorite places to visit. Larry's Swap Shop is the place where people leave items that they don't want anymore, but really are too good to just toss in the trash. Conveniently it is located right next to our transfer station. So, you can be almost certain, that we visit Larry's each Saturday as we make our weekly trek to the dump.

And so it was, a few weeks ago, as my husband was swapping garden stories with Larry, that my son stumbled across his latest "treasure". It was an old canoe, donated by a local children's summer camp. "We can fix this up and paint it, Dad!" my son explained. "It will be great to paddle around the cove in!" It was in pretty hard shape, and thus the reason that they were able to convince Larry to sell it for practically nothing.


So, they brought it home, took it all apart, and assessed the situation.


It would definitely need some work on the holes. And so the patching began in earnest.


My son thought it would look better painted green, but he wanted to keep the logo on the side.


And so he spent an hour diligently taping off the picture to keep paint from getting on it. And then the painting began.


As he worked away at the project, my husband and I were pleased with his dedication to do a good job, and, after all the hours he had invested in it, we both silently offered up a prayer that the thing would float once it was in the water!


Finally, it was finished! We couldn't wait to try it out!


Of course, the next day rained. But at the next high tide, we were down at the float ready to see if she was "sea-worthy".


And, praise God, she was! As we watched him paddle around, beaming from ear to ear, I was gently reminded that, once again, there is a lesson in the everyday occurrences of our lives. Jesus takes us...sin soaked souls that we are...and sees the possibility in us. He spends time with us...scraping off the "dirt"...fixing the holes...molding us into a "treasure" for Him.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
2 Corinthians 4:7

And then another thought occurred...do I take this same principle and apply it to others that I know of...neighbors, relatives...who perhaps don't know our Lord? Do I see them as possible "treasures" for the Kingdom? Am I willing to be committed...to spend the time with them...to not be "put off" by the way they look...or live...or the "broken parts" of their lives...not to just hand them the "Gospel" message and be gone...but to invest some real time in their lives...for Him...simply because He did that for me?

A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth for evil things." Matthew 12:34

As A Little Child...

Yesterday we made a trip to "The Big City".

I drove my parents down to have a visit with their newest
great-grandchild...and my newest grand-niece!



We had a wonderful day.
The weather was beautiful.
The traffic was light.


And the baby...well...
she was just so...precious!



As you can see...great-grandma was quite taken with little Emma. I finally got my turn. As I held her close to my heart, I realized that it had been some time since I had held someone this tiny. And I thought...

She is so needy...
She is so trusting...
She is totally dependent on someone else...
She only wants to be fed...
and cared for...
and loved.

Should this be the way we are with our Lord???


"And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein." Luke 18:15-17