Lesson on my Daily Walk~

 I love taking walks and many times it will be then that God shows 

me something in my life where I need to learn a lesson.

I'm a thinker ~ My mind has a way of going places,

good places of course, with God as my focus.

He walks with me and He talks with me,

something I look forward to on a daily basis.

Not that He doesn't talk with me otherwise, its just that my walks
are a special God and I time alone, well, of course Donatella too.
I couldn't be more thankful for the beauty that surrounds our home
making my walks all the more enjoyable.
The snow surrounding the creek is like soft marshmallow 
or fluffy white pillows, just gorgeous!
When the earth is blanketed with snow there is a beautiful quietness,
a hush in the air as even the winter birds sing softly and sweetly. 
The ice crystals on the branches of the growth near the creek
are reminders that Jack frost is still in the air. 

After I rescued Donatella her and I took a private obedience training course

together and I must say, I learned a lot about a dog's behavior.

We do not know the story of Donatella's previous owners or her life,

 our trainer said "maybe it's better that we don't."

Donatella was running from something when I found her

and it took a good year for her to stop running.

She is now at peace in our home and happy with her surroundings

and the love that she gets from other family members.

She is a real JOY in my life! 

I believe God knew that she would find a special place in my heart

and that she has!

With Donatella being a Beagle, she is happiest sniffing rather than walking,

but her tummy needs more than what her nose can give her.

I have always leashed Donatella as my bad knees could never reach her

should she decide to run and take off, which she did once

and thankfully a lady walking on our road was able to get to her.

I was in tears ~ I thought for sure I had lost my new best friend.

While I was out on one of our latest walks the Lord began to show me something

through Donatella's leash.

In the winter month's there is a shortage for Donatella to sniff

due to all the snow we have where we live ~

high in the Colorado Rocky Mountains.

I have always walked on a certain side of our quiet dirt road

and it's been that way since Donatella made her way into my life.

But...lately She has decided that she is going to fight me and walk on the 

opposite side of the road thinking there is more over there to sniff!

WRONG!!

As we walk I am constantly tugging at her leash and telling her

"no, this side please."

Oh she obediently listens and responds to my command,

but it's a constant tugging and commanding.

As I gently tugged at Donatella's leash and commanded her to return to my side,

the Holy Spirit was tugging at my own heart.
I could hear those gentle words going through my mind ~

How many times does the Lord gently remind you, Debbie, to obey His commands?

A lot!

There are things in my life where just one tug doesn't quite do it.

But God, in His love and concern for my life continues to work

ever so gently, molding and making me into the lovely vessel 

He has chosen for me to be.
I am reminded of  1Peter 1: 13-16  ~ living before God, our Holy and Righteous God. 
"Therefore gird up the loins of your mind,
be sober, and rest your hope fully upon grace that is to be
brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts 
as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is Holy, 
you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, 
"Be ye holy for I am holy."
The desire of my heart is to obey my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, 
in every area of my life with one tug to my heart, not many. 
Teach me Lord, and make me more like You.

"That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, 
being fruitful in every good work
and increasing in the knowledge of God. 
Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, 
into all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness."
 ~ Colossians 1:10&11 ~

Take Joy!
Debbie
♡

Jesus ~ The True Vine

Hello dear friends!

Take a moment with me, grab a cup of your favorite hot drink,
maybe even a cookie or two 
relax, and drink in the goodness found in God's Word.

**~~~**

My husband has enjoyed a small garden over the past three years

but unfortunately where we live, up in the high country,

not much will grow due to the short season.

Our success has been potatoes,

and I must admit that they have been quite enjoyable to grow,

especially when the time comes to digging them up.

With pitch fork in hand, we make our way to the garden

looking for buried treasure. 

This year he tried growing zucchini, and as we all know,

zucchini will grow just about anywhere! 

We learned something beautiful as our zucchini began to blossom.

The flower or bloom is on one end of the zucchini

while the other end of the zucchini is connected to the plant.

But what was enjoyable to watch day after day

was that blooming flower.

At certain times of the day that flower would open big and wide

in all it's splendor and beauty, but then, it would

close tightly before the day would come to an end. 

**~~~**

The amazing thing was how that flower closed,

it was like a cloth being rung out tightly,

twisted you might say, and ever so tight!

Once the zucchini would get large in size

the flower would die off but the zucchini would remain connected to the 

plant until we would cut it off from it's growing source, the plant.

I couldn't help but think of the Scriptures where Jesus talks of being the Vine

and we are the branches, and how we are to "abide" in Christ.

Our zucchini is weak and useless and will not grow

without the plant that it is connected to.

It will not produce it's own life,

 it must draw it's life from the plant. 

That is the way it is with us and Christ.

We must draw life from the Vine.

It is our communion with Christ through the Spirit 

that makes possible the bearing of fruit.

John chapter 15 speaks to us about Jesus being the True vine ~

I would recommend  reading the whole chapter ~ but I'd like

to focus on verses 4&5 .

~~~

"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself,

except it abide in the Vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

I am the Vine, ye are the branches; He that abideth in me,

and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit,

for without me ye can do nothing."

**~~~**

To "abide" means to keep in fellowship with Christ

so that His life can work in and through us to produce fruit.

How beautiful is this picture...we can be glorious women,

in sweet fellowship, bearing good ~ not rotten ~ fruit. 

We must let nothing hinder us from this precious communion with Christ.

Verse 3 tells us to be "clean through the Word which Christ

has spoken to us." We are to be washed and holy, confessing our sin.

This precious communion also involves obeying Christ because we love Him.

In verse 9&10 Jesus tells us "as the Father hath loved me,

so have I loved you, continue ye in my love.

If  ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love,

even as I have kept my Father's commandments,

and abide in his love."

WOW! That is to the point!

I did some cross referencing and look what 1 John 2:3-6 has for us.

~~~

"Now by this we know that we know Him,

if we keep His commandments. He who says, "I know Him"

and does not keep His commandments, is a lier, and the truth

is not in him. But whosoever keeps His Word, truly the love of God

is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.

He who says he abides in Him ought himself

also to walk just as He walked."

**~~~**

The test of "knowing" Him ~ To know God does not depend on our good works

but instead demonstrated by them.

When believers are born into God's family, they are united with Him

in an eternal relationship that cannot be broken ~ praise the Lord!

But fellowship with God, however ~ communion with Him ~ can 

be disrupted by our sin.

Obedience is a sign of relationship and fellowship with Him.

~~~

We demonstrate our love for God with life service not just lip service,

and our desire should be to do what God has said in His word.

Verse 6 ~ obedience ~ Jesus "walked" in total dependence

upon His Father, and He was fully submissive to God's will.

We too, should walk as Christ walked.

May we graciously walk and seek God with our whole heart,

for there is joy and blessing in following in Christ's footsteps.

Oh the wonderful love of our Jesus!

We have a living relationship to Christ and belong to Him ~ But our

relationship must be cultivated, it does not come automatically.

~ It would be glorious if it did ~ but it does not.

Abiding in Christ demands worship ~ meditation on God's Word ~

prayer ~ sacrifice and service ~ but what a joyful experience it is!

~~~

Oh ladies ~ once we have begun to cultivate a deeper communion

with Christ, we will have no desire to live a shallow life as a Christian.

**~~~**

"And he that sent me is with me;

the Father hath not left me alone;

for I do always those things that please Him."

(John 8:29)

What a beautiful verse we can claim for our own lives.

Even Jesus did those things which PLEASED His father.

May we follow after Him in our walk of faith.

Does your heart long for and desire to do those things which please God?

"God is faithful"

Our Precious Heavenly Father,

we have a future hope because we know You are faithful to Your promises.

As we seek to follow after You, 

we humbly ask that You would draw us ever so close to Your side.

Teach us through Your Word and Spirit

to live graciously as we abide in You.

Amen. 
 

 Be Gracious

~ Debbie ~ 

I am joining Stephanie's party at
Roses of Inspiration