Hello! Today I'm thinking about rest and rest without pain. Why? you might ask. A couple weeks ago I must have lifted something that was too heavy and I put my low back out of alignment. I was busy, so I let it go without treatment and now I am paying the consequences. I did recently have it adjusted and it felt so good for a day but today it is telling me that it's not quite well. I really don't like back pain, do you? And to be perfectly honest I'm not very good at taking a rest. How about you? Some of you maybe all about rest and others like myself find it diffucult to slow down. Jesus told His disciples after a time of hard work in the ministry to: "come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while." For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat." Mark 6:31 Many young mothers have difficulty taking breaks when they have household demands, children and outside work to do but it is necessary. Family vacations and times of rest can have lasting benefits and create such good memories. Some families are doing "staycations" Where they stay at home but do daytrips to nearby attractions or historical sites. Staycations can be less expensive than "vacations" since you can stay at home, make picnic lunches etc. to cut costs down. In the O.T. a Sabbath day was set up for rest once a week. Preparations were made in advance so there would be one day a week without the usual work. It gave the family time to be together, to enjoy one another, to enjoy the Lord and to rest. When was the last time your family took a rest together? We live in such a fast paced world, that resting is becoming a lost art. Without rests we can end up hurting ourselves and causing pain. In order for the Sabbath rest, the women worked extra hard in being organized and getting things ready for that day of rest. Might you consider what you could do to schedule a day of rest for yourself and your family? "Oh! how our loving Sheperd knows our neeed of rest and peace! And how we need the quietness- With Him all troubles cease. Then may we value more and more These times with Thee apart, When Thou dost to our souls reveal Thy wise and loving heart.

Hope in the Lord

Good morning, A part of a song is running through my head this morning: "it's a beautiful day." It looks like it will be a beautiful day, since the heat has subsided and a cool breeze is blowing in the window, and I'm thankful! But perhaps it doesn't seem like a beautiful day for you and you are tired and weary. A friend recently gave me these verses that help us with weariness: "Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." When we are tired and weary the Lord isn't. He is there, available to give us strength. He understands our situation and desires to increase our strength by His power. What power? The power of the everlasting God who created the ends of the earth. We might ask ourselves what kind of power would it take to create the earth and all that is in it? To create the sky, stars, moon, sun, the various planets, on and on...now this is power! The verses tells us: "He understands because His understanding no one can fathom". He is beyond brilliant. What is it this verse says about increasing our strength when we are weary? "even the young will grow weary and faint"? Young to old feel weariness from time to time. We must hope in the Lord in order to renew our strength. To trust in Him and His infinite power to handle our situation. Webster defines hope as: Desire with expectation of obtaining what is desired, or belief that it is obtainable." Will we choose to hope in the everlasting God the powerful creator? When we hope in Him, we can soar on wings like eagles, run and not grow weary and walk and not be faint. What situation is dragging you down today and you can't sing: "it's a beautiful day?" Will you not put your hope in the Lord and His creative power to work in that situation? He will help you to soar, run or walk today.