REFLECTIONS

Posted on by michellethurman2344

Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things.

It is good to take time to reflect on things and events in our lives that have a deep and abiding affect on us; but in this day in which we live so much that has happened is evil, upsetting and very disturbing. While it is not good to try to hide from events unfolding around us, it is also not good to let those things fill our thoughts or overwhelm our emotions. To do so leads to depression, hopelessness, anger and unreasoning behaviors that can be devastating, not only to us personally, but also to those around us.

Instead, we should think on the good things that we see and experience. The ‘pandemic’ has turned out to be less deadly than we were told it would be…..so let’s rejoice for all those who recovered and who did not die; and for those who were never sick. Let’s count the blessings of food on our tables, a bed to sleep in, and a house to shelter us. These are always things that we can think on and be grateful for. When my eldest son was born he had trouble breathing and the doctors were not optimistic about his survival. On one visit to the hospital I looked upward and enjoyed the beauty of the sky and the wonder of little birds flying joyfully about. It kept me from falling into despair and unbelief. Today my son is strong and healthy, 51 years old and living a good life. Some days, when I am not feeling overjoyed with life, I go out and just enjoy the beauty of my roses, or the sound of the water making happy sounds in my fountain. I laugh at the silly antics of my pets and enjoy my freedom from punching a time clock (I am retired). I rejoice over my grandchildren and think about how wonderful they are.

Life isn’t always easy or trouble free; but it always good. I can think of a thousand different things that have made my life richer and better. And when it feels like life takes a downward spiral I can find things that please me, things I like to look at, think about. Today I saw a video of a whale swimming under and around a woman on a paddle boat in a harbor in Argentina. The whale was very large, and could have been dangerous to the woman; but he was curious about her and he was gentle in his interaction with her….nudging her little boat ever so gently, and swimming in careful circles, never doing anything to harm her. What a marvel! Such a great creature stopping by to say hello. What a world God has created! And how marvelous that we can actually witness such an encounter! Amazing!

In the darkness of the world we live in, there is light and it is wondrous to behold. And, if you have eyes to see and ears to hear, you will witness God pushing back the darkness, pulling back the ugly layers of the evil that has taken over our government and the media that supports it, exposing that ugliness and shining His light into that darkness. Thousands of people are coming to the Lord. Healings, signs, miracles and wonders are on the increase. These are not only good things, but they are wonderfully marvelous things. People are being set free and delivered from all kinds of darkness. Our nation is turning around and being healed. But you have to look, to open your eyes and truly see what God is doing to see what is happening. If you can’t see it, then ask God to show you; and get prepared for a major change in your perspective.

God is on the move and He will not be stopped. So rejoice! For the Lord is Good! And think on those things that are good, pure and of a good reputation.

  • I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; from whence shall my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. Ps. 121:1-2
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Published by michellethurman2344

I was born in California, but both my parents were born in different areas of rural Oklahoma. My father grew up on a small cattle ranch and my mother grew up in the hills of eastern Oklahoma near the Ozark Mts. Both were born in the 1920's when Oklahoma was still more a part of the 1800's than the twentieth century so I like to say I was born of parents who were the last generation born during the old west. Their old west roots had a huge impact on my childhood. I spent the first three years of my life on my Granny's chicken farm. She was my father's grandmother and she owned 60 acres of alfalfa which she rented out and lived on three acres of barnyard where she raised chickens. There was some electricity, but no indoor plumbing outside of a faucet in the kitchen. The toilet was down the boardwalk in a small shed...in other words...an outhouse. The shower was a room under the water tank in the pumphouse. Granny's little three room house was the only painted building on the property. Everything else was raw, unpainted wood including the two room house my parents lived in. And I loved living on that little farm where I pretty much had free run of the barnyard and sometimes even wandered into the fields surrounding it. The town where I was born is along the Colorado River in the middle of the California desert and across the river from the Arizona desert and while we did live there for the first 12 years of my life, we moved a lot due to my father's employment. He was a big equipment operator and we moved to where the work took him, but usually only six months of the year then we moved back to our hometown. We moved to Northern California in 1958 and I have lived here ever since. I am a mother, a grandmother, have one great-grandchild and recently retired. I am divorced and now live with my youngest sister. My sisters and I like to cruise and take road trips. I am enjoying my life.

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