The 'Life Cycle'

As I opened my Bible this morning, I realized it's been a while since a blog was stirring in my heart. As I began reading, today in the One Year Bible is about the farmer and seed that is planted:

Matthew 13:

Parable of the Farmer Scattering Seed

“Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. 4 As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. 5 Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. 6 But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they did’t have deep roots, they died. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. 8 Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! 9 Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”
10 His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?”

11 He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets[a] of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. 12 To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. 13 That is why I use these parables,

For they look, but they don’t really see.
They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand.

14 This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says,

‘When you hear what I say,
you will not understand.
When you see what I do,
you will not comprehend.
15 For the hearts of these people are hardened,
and their ears cannot hear,
and they have closed their eyes—
so their eyes cannot see,
and their ears cannot hear,
and their hearts cannot understand,
and they cannot turn to me
and let me heal them.’[b]

16 “But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 17 I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but they didn’t see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn’t hear it.

18 “Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds: 19 The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. 20 The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. 21 But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. 22 The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. 23 The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”

Tears began to well up in me as I thought about my own 'life cycle' of my personal testimony of the Word of God (the seed) being planted in my heart in 2005 and how that seed (the Word of God) has gown since then. Again, it was/is the One Year Bible that has disciplined me to read the Word daily and allow 'the seed to grow.' It was then this blog started coming together and my thoughts went to my kitty, Hope Cherish~who we simply call~Kitty.

It seems there is always a movie I've been watching that somehow touches me and becomes part of my blogs and the movie I've been watching lately is, "Facing the Giants." It's about a football coach whose marriage, home and job as a coach are stuck in a rut. He and his wife want to start their family and he finds he can't have babies, his football team can't win a game and the parents of the team try to get him fired. Everything in his home stops working as well as the car he drives is a clunker. He's claims he has a relationship with God as he reached out to him in prayer and doesn't seem to think He(God)is working. One day, he realizes what's missing in his life which is the Word of God. He begans what he calls his new team game plan of which his wife says she thinks it pertains to all parts of life. He starts coaching his team using the Word of God, leading his home with the Word of God and things began to change. I'm not gonna tell you the ending, but if you read the Word of God it's like 'this seed' the Word, becomes real. God's promises are true if you choose to take the time to read, your confidence begins to 'Believe' what the Word says!

As I look at my own 'life cycle', I can remember reading the word and then something would happen in my life where I reacted, got worried and tried to take care of the situation myself. (that would be 'the seed' that heard a message and it didn't have deep roots to grow.)Today, alot of my inner circle still think I'm alittle 'nuts' because I find myself quoting what the Word says for 'today' in the One Year Bible when a situation arises. You see they're 'tattling' on themselves because their 'seed' hasn't been allowed to grow.

A couple months ago, I lost around 20 pds and wasn't sure if there was something going on. Yes, fear tried to set in, however right at that time the Word was about the authority we each have in Jesus if we are Christians. Jesus died for us, by his stripes, We Are Healed! I began saying this to myself. Not he will heal me or he's gonna heal me, he HAS healed me. To be obedient, I scheduled a Dr appt to put everyone at ease. This was tough because how do you go to a MD and tell them your symptoms (which for me were pancreas related) and them not put you thru many tests that could essentially break you financially. So- I prayed and found a MD who is a Believer, actually invited me to her church. I smiled and knew God was in this. All of my tests came back normal. That 'seed' was growing in me with the knowledge of what it means to really 'trust God for All.' Just yesterday, I had some 'life' going on and it's become really sweet as the enemy tries to do 'it's' thing, my thoughts would go to the Word and I would have peace. I continued to be reminded, those how trust in God shall not be disappointed and ALL things work together for His glory-not mine.

When I think back to today's reading, my heart aches for so many and really for our Nation. I know so many people who have disfunction in their home and are unhappy with their job. I pray the 'seed' to be planted in their hearts where they know God is in control, he has them and thier family exactly where he wants them and they would seek him thru his Word. I pray they would seek him not only in prayer like the guy in the movie, but that they would begin living their 'life cycle' by reading the Word, receiving the Word and allowing it to become their game plan. When it comes to our Nation, I can't believe we have allowed God to be taken out of schools, pretty much everywhere. And just today, I heard Rick Perry has dropped out of the Presidential race for the most part due to ugly people pointing out his weakness's instead of his strengths when in reality his 'life cycle'seems to have been modeled by the Word of God. At this point, I'm praying for the 'one' to step out where it is wrong to speak your Faith to SPEAK IT and whose platform (game plan)is based on the Word Of God. Yes-I know how 'off' this sounds. Again,I'm the girl who many still think is 'nuts.'

In closing, as this blog began stirring in my heart, I was sitting on my bed with my Bible on my lap and realized something was missing. You see, the Bible became my comfort as I was blessed to do a job from home from 2006 until last summer where I would spend 2-6 hours a day reading it. In Jan of 2008 after meeting my husband who is a big cat lover, I found out his cat was about to have a liter of kitty's. I wanted a pet but knew I didn't want the responsibility of one. I was a dog lover. The idea soon came that a kitty was much easier. The liter was born, and Hope Cherrish (Kitty) came into my life. We soon became a team-when I was reading my Bible, she was right next to me and when I wasn't reading, she was laying on top of it opened to that day in the One Year Bible. This past year, I knew the season of me working from home was ending. I felt it was time to get out and start what I consider my ministry of sharing what God had been doing in me with his Word and planting 'the seed' (One Year Bible) in the lives of any who would receive it. (after my car was stolen in 2010, it was found and I used part of the proceeds to buy Bibles) I went from being gone every now and then to working 50+ hours a week. Poor Kitty got depressed and wouldn't eat. One day she wanted to be outside. I let her out thinking she would be back soon. She like being outside and always came back. Well, that was August and I haven't seen her. Since then, I kept thinking she would show up. The reality that she might be gone didn't set in until today. I am off which is why I was able to spend some extra time with God and His Word this morning. Again as this blog, The 'life cycle' began stirring in my heart, it was then that I realized what was missing and that was Kitty and the reality she's probably not coming back.

My calling in life is Chaplain. I love the idea of hearing about people's 'life cycle.' I especially love hearing what God is doing in their hearts. I love attending a Funeral and to hear about the individual who has passed. Many call me a funeral crasher. To celebrate the 'life cycle' of the person and share a special memory is everything to me. I can't wait for the day when I get to meet with a Family during their really tough time and get to share 'The Life Cycle' of the loved one they've lost in hopes they know how much I care for them and their loved one and yes I would give them a copy of the One Year Bible in hopes they seek comfort from God in His Word.

For the rest of my day off, I will probably be thinking about Kitty's 'life cycle.' She was so sweet, taught my daughter's to love kitty's and to celebrate the Joy she brought to me. I will also continue to pray for the many people I know who are hurting and for our Nation who desperately needs to be brought back to One Nation Under God...as you know...Trusting God for All.