Winter's Season

I believe I can learn something new every day if I just put my heart and mind to it. There is always an adventure ahead coming with the change of the seasons in my life. 

Winter’s Season

 

With nothing special to do, I took a mid-afternoon winter walk, away from any buzzing, distracting talk.

I heard only the crunch of my feet across the leaf-ladened ground. That was the only sound.

Looking down, I observed the vibrance of browns and tans in darks and light, all glistening bright.

Raindrops hung upon the sea of leaves which covered the ground like thieves.

No dirt was showing, no grass was seen. 

There was no longer any green.

Summer was past. 

Winter had ushered in with a mighty blast,

Leaving fall behind but not off my mind.

Seasons come and seasons go; 

With winter, there are no yards to mow.

There are no gardens to hoe;

There are no leaves that glow;

The flowers do not grow.

With winter, time seems slow.

There may or may not be snow.

Only God can know.

There are reasons for the seasons, 

And always there is something new to see and learn, 

And there is God in which to turn. 

 

Mary Crisp Jameson 12/17/2024

 

“And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night, and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years. Genesis 1:14 KJV

 

 

The Unchanging!

The Unchanging... 

God tells us we will always have seasons, and I look forward to each one but never know what kind of season it will be or when it will arrive. One thing I do know is that I never have to wonder when God will arrive or what He will be like. He is with me at all times, and Malachi 3:6 tells me, "I, the Lord, do not change."  

     

Scattering in Obedience

We are having a rare month in July this year. The weather which is normally extremely dry is unusually wet. I do not remember ever getting over six inches of rain all at once in July like we did a few nights ago as well as the other July rains in which God has blessed us. The weather may seem strange, but I have no fear of changing seasons because all is in God's mighty hands. He created it all and is in charge of it all. When the world gets ready to end, it will be by God's choice and by His command. 

Scattering in Obedience  

 

The waters of the Red Sea split,

The waves feared and gave way to submit.

In dryness, it left a trail.

Even the wind gave up its gale.

I read, “The Jordan fled”

All because, God’s power dipped its head.

Surly storms dissipated 

Rumbling back and deflated

In fear of God’s mighty word

And the power He stirred.

With the sound of His voice,

The winds calmed; they had no choice.

Mountain walls and flowing waterfalls 

Gave up their charm  

When God reached out His powerful arm.

The simmering sun in all its glory, 

Throughout the territory 

Escapes behind a canopy of gloomy clouds.

There is obedience as the presence of God enshrouds.

Crumbled are the mighty iron-linked chains

As Jesus reigns.

At the sound of His voice there will be no choice;

The graves will give up their dead,

And fear will spread.

At His command, a dying heartbeat will come to life;

No more will be feuds and strife, 

No matter which-

The poor or the rich, 

The minority or those in superiority- 

All will come to know God’s authority.

Let us all repeat,

“Praise the Lord !”

And fall at Jesus’ feet. 

 

Mary Crisp Jameson 7/12/2023 

 

"The sea saw it, and fled; Jordan was given back. The mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like lambs…Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob.“ Psalm 114: 3-4, 7 KJV 

^“But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!” Matthew 8:27 KJV

Seasons

 It's the season for sprucing up the yard, getting it prepared for mowing and removing the weeds. It's a time for planting spring flowers to grow throughout the summer months. 

     There seems to be a season for everything throughout summer, winter, fall, and spring.
     However, there are other seasons as well. Just as we cannot always predict when seasons of weather will come upon us, it is even more difficult to predict when our seasons of happiness, sadness, sorrow, or health will spring forward or fall behind us. Following are my thoughts on the seasons of life.

Seasons 

                                           

 We’ll always have seasons

We know not when or the reasons

I had a season of childhood:

A season when all was good.

Then there was the season of despair

When troubles seemed to float through the air.

I had problems with the season of distrust;

All was not right or just.

Seasons come and go,

Never knowing how I’ll grow

Or how they’ll flow.

They spin on a dime,

Appearing in life’s time;

We can expect seasons in life 

To come with peace or strife.

The season of waiting

Is always frustrating.

When, Lord! When

Will a new season begin?

When will this season pass

As the sand flows through the hour-glass?

“In my time, my child.,” I hear

As God draws near,

Listening to my prayer.

 

Mary Crisp Jameson. 4/27/2023

 

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens… He has made everything beautiful in its time.” 

Ecclesiastes 3:1,11 NIV  

 

 

Global Warming

     There is a lot of talk and, yes, arguments over global warming or, in other words, warming climate change.  Whether this is happening or not, God is still in control.  His words are true, and I believe we will always have seasons. 
Genesis 8:22
“As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.”
Psalm 104:19
"He made the moon to mark the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down."

     Regardless of whether global warming is occuring, it is God who is in complete control of our seasons and weather, and it is not up to me to know the seasons. 

Daniel 2:21a
"He changes times and seasons;..."
Acts 1:7
"And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power."

     Lastly, it is up to me to enjoy what God has given me.  To praise Him for the seasons in my  life.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
 "To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
² A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
³ A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
⁴ A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
⁵ A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
⁶ A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
⁷ A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
⁸ A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace."

     To sum up, although God is in control, it is, however, my responsibility to do what I can to monitor my habits in order to keep my environment as safe and clean as possible. This would include unnecessary emissions as well as littering of our beautiful countryside.   "And God created man...and said.. replenish the earth, and subdue it..."     

13 Days To Thanksgiving

     When I proposed to give something I am thankful for every day until Thanksgiving,  I never realized how much this would effect my life.  This has been so much more rewarding than "shopping with the countdown to Christmas." 
     Today, I am thankful for the blessings of the seasons.  God made the seasons when he created the earth.  Psalm 104:19  He made the moon to mark the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down."  I further believe we will always have seasons although they may not come when expected or issue forth in the same way each year.  Daniel 2:21a "He changes times and seasons;..."   God controls the seasons.  The seasons occur in God's time.  Ecclesiastes 3:1  "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens."
     However, when the seasons do come, there is a purpose.  Acts 14:17 says, "Yet he has not left himself without testimony:  He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy."  Leviticus 26:4 also tell us, "I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees their fruit."
     Regardless of when the seasons do come, I am ready for each one.  I enjoy Spring when  daffodils, tulips, and early flowers shoot up from the ground and burst open with color.  I enjoy the spring rains and cool breezes.  In the summer,  I am ready for gardening and enjoying the fruits of my labor.  By the time summer heat runs me inside to cooler temperatures, I am ready for cool fall weather when I can glory in the beauty of colorful leaves.  Then finally,  as I labor to sweep up fallen leaves, I am ready for the chill of winter blowing in with promises of a few snow flakes to cover the barren land.  During all the seasons, I enjoy walks in the wood, wildlife, and nature.  I enjoy sunrises, sunsets, and rainbows.
     In my thankfulness regarding the seasons, I cannot leave out the verse in 2 Timothy 4:2 which tells me to, "Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage - with great patience and careful instruction."
    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Red Carpet Fashion Police

     It was a hot morning but also the last workday of August, and I was dressed in pastel linen.  As I sat in “A Friendly Shade” drinking my first cup of coffee listening to the sound of some wild turkeys gobbling in the woods beyond, it suddenly dawned on me that next week would be Labor Day and September.  “Hmmm,” I thought, “is it time to purge my closet and put these light colored linens I am wearing away?”  I grabbed my cell phone and sent that question out to my Facebook friends.  These are the answers I got.

        “That rule is a million years old.  Retire it the end of September.”

        “I am going to wear white till it gets cool.”
        “September is usually hotter than August. Keep cool and forget the fashion police.”
        “If it still feels nice while wearing it, and you feel pretty in it, I say wear it.”

     Not completely satisfied that I had the correct answers, I quickly went to the web search and received all kinds of comments, from when to wear light or dark colored clothes, open-toed or closed-toed shoes to even tips on seasonal nail and lip colors with the majority of comments stating, “No whites after Labor Day but can wear white after Easter.”

     Needless to say, there were no truly correct answers.  A lot just depends on the weather and where you live.  Even many fashion designers are rebutting the rules. 
     Considering more about the “fashion police,” I thought, "There has got to be something I can wear year-long that will not subject you to the “red carpet” critics."   
     I hurriedly ran to my closet and selected a colorful dress to match the personality that God gave only to me.  It was simple, yet fashionable, and which adequately covered all the important parts, but yet revealing enough to show a heart filled with the Holy Spirit.  Next, I pulled out a matching pair of shoes which I could walk in comfortable, without stumbling, and heels I could walk in fearlessly, hand in hand, with God.  I ran to the mirror to check my smile.  I wanted one showing happiness, peace, and contentment.  Satisfied, I sprayed on a splash of Euphoria, a fragrant steadfast scent which filled the air, reminding me of the steadfast, dynamic, and powerful love of God who is never changing throughout any season.  But I also had to have accessories!  I was missing my jewels, sparkling with faith and joy.  After adding those, I grabbed a hat embellished with truth and honesty, then a matching purse filled with the fruit of friendliness and good labor for others.  I thought I was, indeed, ready for the "red carpet" walk when I spotted a pair of dress gloves.  Oh yes, I needed those too!  They were my fingers of helpfulness and sharing.  Holding them in my hand next to the strap on my shoulder bag, I again viewed myself in the mirror.  I straightened my pose and thought, "Yes! This ensemble should take me from spring and summer on into fall and winter.  If not, to heck with the fashion police of the day.  Only God is the anchor I must satisfy."   In my way of thinking, "I am properly dressed, glamorous enough, and fearlessly ready to take that successful step, with God by my side, out onto the "red carpet"  of life."