Are you weary and heavy laden?

What is Jesus’ yoke?



Jesus asks us to take His yoke upon us. The yoke makes it easier to carry the burden. It balances it out, and allows us to shift the load to a more stable place in order to carry on.

Pick up your cross and follow me…

If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. Luke 9:23

What is my cross?

At this point I got the image of Simon helping Jesus carry the weight of the cross the rest of the way to Calvary… (Mat. 27:32)



I stopped this essay in order to ask the Lord to explain…

Are you saying, Lord, that just as Simon helped you bear the cross, I must help you to bear it now?
Jesus showed me that the cross he bore (for my sake) belonged to Simon, and to me, and to you.

I then imagined it to be me who was weary and beaten and heavy laden beneath that heavy cross, that cross of pain and agony and death.

Suddenly, the picture unfolds to a scene where Jesus takes the cross from me, along with my pain and agony and the weight of my sin, and my burden is light, because His yoke makes it so…easier on me. It is all on Him now.



But, I continue to question the Lord:

If the sacrifice was made upon that terrible cross, why must I pick it up now and carry it “daily”. Isn’t what you did for me “finished”?

Then it occurred to me, that the cross that we are asked to carry is not the cross of Calvary.

No, the cross Jesus is referring to is a representation of a life sacrificed to service to the Lord, not our sins. (As those have been dealt with once and for all  by Jesus on Calvary.)

So, in answer to my question “What is my cross?”

My cross is carrying the message of Jesus Christ to all who will hear (or see) it. It means that I must sacrifice my time and my talents to this kind of life instead of pursuing selfish ambitions.
It means, that because Jesus has freed me from the burden of sin, I am free to put His yoke upon myself, and carry HIS BURDEN…and it is light because it is carried in His strength, and not my own.
And *Most importantly, it is because of the cross of Calvary that it is possible for us to have this connection (yoke) with the Lord!



*If you feel the weight of an un-confessed sin bearing down upon you, that is conviction. Something you should ask  Father for forgiveness for immediately, so that He can set you free from it!*



*Now I envisioned the wood from the cross being made into a wooden yoke.*



But what about my own burdens?

Jesus says he will give us rest when we labor under a heavy burden. Since His is a “light” burden, then he must be referring to the burdens that we try to carry upon our shoulders all alone. We must give these things  over to Jesus in order to have rest from them.

Cast your burden upon the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken. Psalm 55:22

Your burdens are too heavy for you to bear alone . The weight of responsibility on you to provide for your family, or care for a loved one, or to deal with an illness, worry about the future, or even memories from the past are all a heavy load which is impossible for you to bear alone! Eventually you will break underneath it.



We must  learn of Him…

He is meek~

"I AM MEEK." This particular word in the Greek means gentle, mild in disposition.

Jesus says he is lowly in heart…

"I AM LOWLY IN HEART." The Greek word lowly means humble...in other words not
having pride.
Source: http://www.disciplesofthemessiah.net/web_documents/he_is_meek_and_lowly_of_heart_devot.pdf

~Father I come before you a weak and weary soul. I haven’t much to offer you…    
but I have time and I have a willing heart and mind..these I devote to the study of you, Lord Jesus…I have a computer and an internet connection, these I dedicate as tools to use for your glory.
And I offer up to you the sacrifice of praise with a heart full of thanksgiving for your many mercies and blessings, and I gladly take your yoke upon myself, as I seek to learn of you more and more.
I pray, Dear Father that you find these offerings acceptable.
In Jesus I am…~NEVER FORSAKEN~
~Amen~

A Peaceful Sunday Hike

Praying for a peaceful and joyful week as you walk with the Lord along the narrow way.
~God bless~
& remember, we are…
~Never Forsaken~

Joyful in His presence

Dear Heavenly Father,
You are so kind to me, so patient and merciful with me!
I am so selfish, and impatient with you , wanting everything “right now” and complaining all the time!

Forgive me my Dearest Father, and help me to see how wonderful you are. Help me to say with a joyful heart: “This is the day that the Lord has made, let me rejoice and be glad in it!” Help me to be more joyful!

Even when the skies are dark and gray, remind me, Oh Lord~ that the Son is always shining!
Help me to always see the Light!

Remind me to not hide your light where others can not see it. Your light in me is your Word in me, your Word is…

   JESUS, The Light of the World!   

                   

God inhabits the praises of His people, and In His presence is …
FULLNESS OF JOY! (Psalm 22:3~Psalm 16:11)

~Amen~

Yearning For Springtime!

Spring...the season of change, renewal, and new hope.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
(2 Thes. 5:17)

This was taken on February 2nd. I don't know what happened with that groundhog,
but I saw my shadow!
And we also saw this gorgeous sunset on the trail:

Well, I have certainly had more than enough of this winter weather! It's been crazy this year.
We are down in the single digits and have had one winter advisery after another all month long.

and this was the next day~



The pine tree in front of the kitchen window.

 

Our street!

 

 The weather report is calling for freezing rain in the morning. Cabin fever is setting in!

All I can do is change the look of my blog in order to escape from all the white stuff until the real flowers bloom.
But I don't want to complain. MEH! Who am I kidding!

I sure hope spring gets here soon.


On that day there will be no light, no cold or frost. It will be a unique day, without daytime or nighttime—a day known to the LORD. When evening comes, there will be light.
Zechariah 14:6-7

 

It's been one week since...

Emma 'Rosa' August 26th 1996~January 31st 2013

 Our beloved little Emma Rosa left us at 6:30 am Thursday morning January 31st.
She was cradled in my husbands arms with me and Sasha close by.

 

I watched a you tube video by a guy who is a professional dog trainer. He said that dogs do not feel sorry for one another so we should not allow our dying dog to see our emotions...He is very wrong.

Sasha stayed up the entire night with Emma as she fought to stay alive.

 

 

The way she put her paw on the blanket, keeping close. She cried often, and when Emma passed away, she climbed into the bed with us and cried very loudly, touching Emma with her snout.

 

When we had carpeting installed, we put the couch in the kitchen where she used it to climb up onto the counter and helped herself to her favorite beverage...Coffee with cream, no sugar, and don't even think about giving it to her black!
(Notice the little 'Emma look alike' in the background?)

 

 

The house has been eerily quiet since she's been gone. Emma may have been tiny, but she snored very loudly...often waking herself up!

I find mornings to be the hardest. It feels strange to make myself a cup of coffee without making her one too. Even Buddy and Sasha refused to take their morning dog biscuit one morning...they were waiting for me to put Emma's bowl of coffee down first, as has been the routine for so many years.

The day Emma died, Buddy started his hound dog singing, but stopped when he realized his back up singer was gone...Emma would throw her head back and howl to accompany him every day. Sasha has never been able to howl except during sleep... (weird).

 

After sixteen years with our family, she had seen all three of our children grow up as well as Sasha and Buddy. We nick-named her 'The senior citizen' of our family.She was even there when I lost my Mom, and then two years later, Jeff's Dad.

 We often joked about how Emma seemed more like a cat than a dog because she had such a mind of her own. She would only come when called if she felt like it.

She never hesitated to put the other dogs in their place. If she had been a bigger dog, she would have been a force to reckon with! (She was a big dog inside a tiny body) She picked fights with bigger dogs from time to time...our cocker spaniel who died in 2003, saved her life once when she was chased by a very large and angry Ridge Back who had come into our yard uninvited.

But she had a tender side as well. We once caught her trying to nurse some kittens that our cat gave birth to about 14 -15 years ago. We ended up having to give her our daughter's stuffed kittens (pound kittens, I think they were called) to sleep with.

When someone she loved visited, she would greet them by falling at their feet wiggling all over on her back while kicking her legs....But it was a no-no to pick her up...she would wait until they sat down, and then she would jump onto their lap~ Except for our daughter Sam...She was the most loved by Emma, therefore she was allowed to pick her up at anytime.

 

Things do work out for the best...Sam had gotten a chihuahua puppy the very same day that Emma died...She had planned for the pup for awhile, and recieved the call that her pup was ready for her to pick up just the night before!

 

 

Meet Molly



Sam will be bringing her when she visits in April. It will be a while before she gets her first cup of coffee though.
So, it's been a whole week since she's been gone. I dreaded making this post, as I knew it would be emotional, but I am glad that I did it. I know many of the folks who read this blog understand the bond we have with our beloved pets...God only allows them to share our lives for a few years, but how boring life would be without them! Although Emma is gone from our home, she will forever live on in our hearts.
Buddy sings solo, and I drink my morning coffee alone now, Sam has a new chihuahua puppy, and life goes on.
And Emma is held safely in God's hand.
~God Bless~

But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee: Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.
 Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this?
In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind. (Job 12:7-10)

Foggy thoughts



Should I blog when I have such a bad headache? Probably not.

The fog outside my kitchen window reflects my current mood quite perfectly today.

Should I blog when I am in such a mood? Probably not.

But then...I was reminded to praise Him. Should I praise Him while feeling so down?
ABSOLUTELY!

Should I blog about it? How can I not blog about it...

 God is the same no matter how we feel. We are to praise Him as long as we are able to!

 If I only share my good days, then people might think I am only praising my Jesus when things are going well, and what would that say about my Christian walk? It would say I am a phoney who only wants to share the sun, but who doesn't understand the 'Son' that is the true light of the world. Our source of true HOPE and JOY!
So I am sitting here in the recliner, yelling at Buddy to 'be quiet!' as he wants to do his hound dog singing.
 (doesn't he know I have a headache?)
Meanwhile, I am listening to the labored breathing of my elderly chihuahua, Emma who may be living out the last of her days upon this earth. I am also worried, I am NOT worried about an elderly Christian friend whom has been a mentor for almost two decades, as she is in the hospital with heart problems. I am not worried, because if the Lord chooses to take her home at this time or not,
 (either way) I will know she is a faithful woman of God, and her life stands as a testimony to that. One can not achieve higher success than that!

I had plans to visit another dear friend today to teach her to blog. She canceled at the last minute, but I can see how that turned out for the best now. When she canceled last night, I made plans to do some de-cluttering and cleaning around the house today instead...that is not going to happen, and I find my frustration growing.
The Lord is telling me that it is good to sit at the feet of the Savior, and I am forced to quell the Martha side of me today in order to do so.

Well, since the hound dog finally decided to trade in his sing time for an afternoon nap, and it is quiet once again. I think I will take a nap too. ~God Bless~

Rom 5:3-5  ... but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.


 

Where I live

Here I sit in the middle of the 'Mitt'
watching the snow turn to rain
One thing I know
is the rain will be snow
and the snow will be rain again!
What's that you say?
wait just a day...
if we find ourselves really 'in it'
But, change will come
in the state with a thumb
if you wait but only a minute!

by: Lisa Stager


I have lived here all of my life. I was born in the
thumb, I’ve lived in the ‘palm’ for nearly twenty years…
and I love the ‘pinkie’ the most!
I love the dense forests where we live now, but I really miss being on the shoreline of
one of the Great Lakes!



Did you know that in 2011 Sleeping Bear Dunes
 (in the pinkie) was named “The most beautiful place in America” by ABC news!
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/beautiful-place-america-revealed-sleeping-bear-dunes-michigan-14323307?tab=9482930&section=1206852&playlist=14322444
I did a post about our visit to this amazing place here: http://www.theheartandhome.blogspot.com/2011/10/winds-and-waves.html
If you plan on visiting the place, you will need a good windbreaker, or at least a jacket with a hood…and if you don’t wear glasses already…sunglasses are advised, since there is a lot of wind and sand and it can really sting!
 (hence the title of my post)

Sailboat in a Port Huron harbor

Me and Sasha on a dock in St. Ignace

Me and Sasha in Ludington
(1 &1/2 hours west of us on Lake Michigan)

Me and Sasha on the shore of Traverse Bay
(Best place to watch a sunset)

 


 I took a hike along this shoreline at E. Tawas (Lake Huron) before attending a seminar for work 4 yrs. ago. I barely had time to change my clothes and drive to the seminar, but I made it on time!


We went back for a second look just this past spring!

~And then this past fall we spent a glorious afternoon here:




Lake Michigan at Point Betsie Lighthouse

Where I was inspired to write this poem:
http://www.theheartandhome.blogspot.com/2012/10/sunday-september-30-2012-breath-of-life.html#links

Point Betsie is said to be one of America's most photographed lighthouses.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_Betsie_Light

~And last, but certainly not least…~MY FAVORITE~

White Fish Pointe (Lake superior)

A little closer to home…




Me at a state park Sunday… Just chillin’
 (quite literally)

Nearby town  (walking trail)

Sasha following a trail on state land near home.
(Notice the crooked tree?)

Keeping the home fires Burning


Camping in the back yard!
 
  …My artwork 
(we sold this camper)


Another favorite location where you may often see me and my husband…regardless the season is in
   Hartwick Pines State Forest: http://www.michigandnr.com/publications/pdfs/wildlife/viewingguide/nlp/59Hartwick/index.htm  
   

Tree Hugger

Which way?

Wilderness chapel

  
~A vanishing wilderness~

I used to hike in the state forest adjacent to our subdivision nearly every day before work for several years rain or shine sleet or hail (not exaggerating)…But for the last year or so, the state decided to sell off much of it’s standing timber throughout the 500 acres or so as well as other areas. The recession has forced many land owners to do the same. Also, because of a lack of DNR patrol officers,(recession) there has been a lot of illegal hunting/shooting back there. (yep, you guessed it, the recession again)
 Therefore, we have been forced to hike in other, better regulated and groomed trails in nearby towns and counties…This is a heartache to me…as I really miss letting Sasha and Buddy off leash to explore.
That's okay,  I am happy living in the middle of the Mitten not too far from everything!



But more often than not, you will find me and the dogs walking around the white cedar swamp looking for wintergreen, or animal tracks along the edge of our yard.


...Unless I am busy at the computer writing, of course!

No matter where you are...You also live in the middle of a hand... if you are a child of the Living God...

And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. John 10:28