God Are You There?

I am going to admit that I have been pouring it on when it comes to my praying lately. I know when I go on my knees God is probably thinking here she goes again....what in the world is wrong now. I have felt so overwhelmed lately with Bill having so many health issues. Also the Mema thing...trying to see she has someone with her 24-7. Making sure that not only we have food in the house, but that she has food in her house. We have had family members lose jobs, struggling to make ends meet. Problems within our church family. Me having to have a tooth pulled and facing the expense of a bridge. Children with serious health problems and loss of people in our community to violence and suicide. What is going on God? Here I am again, do you hear me? I feel like God is far away sometimes. I feel like I am so unimportant in the big picture of things. You know God is really busy with our country and other things like, floods, earthquake victims, starving people and the poor and homeless. I know Lord that you are as worried as I am at the state of our country, we need your guidance. I pray that you Lord would help me be stronger, smarter, and more patient. I pray for that every day. It has been so hot and nobody seems to feel worth a darn. We need some rain God. We need you to pick up the yoke, because we are just worn down. I pray that you will help me to surrender the things I can't fix. Maybe that's what you are waiting for. God I surrender all of my problems to you and I surrender everything to you. I know that I am your child and that you know me by name. I know you hear me and my prayers and you answer me everyday. The mornings are a little cooler. Bill felt good enough to make coffee this morning and we sat on the porch. Our squirrel who is just a little to friendly was on our screen waiting for a treat. He heard me this morning when I asked for him to protect Bill on his trip to Gainesville and he came home safe and sound. I had a call from a good friend who asked me to lunch and we laughed about kids and old times. We confirmed a date to go see the leaves in North Carolina with my sister and her husband. The Lord knew we needed to see the beauty of his world and feel the coolness of fall. He knew we needed some time to gather strength to face the next problem and the next. God I ask you to keep us calm in the storms, not that there won't be storms. God I know there will always be problems so help me release them to you. I am weak and you are strong. I love you Lord and I know you love me.

Green Where Are You?

I don't know about anyone else, but I am ready to see green. The rye grass that has stayed green all winter is now turning brown. It is full of brown and yellow oak leaves that are piling up daily. Every annual has burned to the roots and the ferns are an odd shade of black. The freezes this winter took out everything. It is about this time of year that I feel like I have turned a little brown myself. You know what I mean just like I have slowed down, I don't want to go out in the yard, I feel like I have been chilled to the bone and my energy is zapped. Then something amazing happens. The tree across the creek from our house starts to pop out tiny little lime green leaves. Then we rake away the withered dead grass and piles of dry leaves to find shoots of green grass underneath waiting to sprout upward toward the warm spring sunshine. It is then that I can feel my mood start to change. We usually head to Walmart, Lowes, or Home Depot looking for petunias and pansies in bright purples and yellows. I start to feel alive like those little sprouts of grass and can't wait to see my crepe myrtles pop out with their pink blooms. The squirrels start climbing up and down all the oak trees in the yard and the birds come back to the bird bath and the bird feeder. Spring is here and has been long awaited, especially this year. This has to be one of the coldest and gloomiest winters in Florida history. I did enjoy the cool weather, but it is time to move on to the next season. I know that pretty soon I will be complaining about the heat. I will be cranky and sweaty and looking forward to cool weather again. Thank goodness we have seasons, because just about the time you think you can't take one more day of 98 degrees you have that day with just a little crispness in the air. Right now I am just looking forward to some sunshine and some color to come back. I love the smell of cut grass and look forward to climbing on my riding mower and feeling the fresh air around me. God planned it just right, Summer, Spring, Autumn and Winter. I am always glad to see the new season come marching in, whatever season it is.