THE BLACK HILLS WILD HORSE SANCTUARY

February 12, 2019February 11, 2019 | lindamowles

While visiting Tampa, Florida, we had lunch at a restaurant named Ulele. The focal point of the décor inside the restaurant is a magnificent bronze statue named “The Laughing Horse” created by Victor Delfin. The size and musculature of the figure is breath-taking.

The statue was beautiful, but it cannot compare with what we saw when we visited The Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary in Hot Springs, South Dakota. It was raining during our visit but nothing could dampen our wonder at these magnificent animals. Wild mustangs created by God and living in thousands of acres of beautiful terrain.

mustangs 4 — The Sanctuary has over 11,000 acres of incredible terrain for these horses to roam. What a beautiful sight!

The inquisitive nature of the horse is evident, even in these wild mustangs, none of whom have ever been ridden nor have they had saddles, bit or bridles on them. But they did like to come up and see what was going on!

mustangs 3 — One of the herds gathering together.

mustangs 5 — Please pardon my hair, it’s wet from the rain. But, I look great anyway!

We were told that the Native Americans did not have a word for horse, so they called them Big Dogs and this video shows that the characterization is pretty accurate.

We felt like we were at home because we have seen our little MinPins do this same thing on the family room carpet, as well as in the backyard grass. Same thing, other than the size difference, of course!

Scripture contains many references to horses. One that I dearly love is found in the book of Job where God is responding to the demand for answers that Job propounded to Him:

“Do you give the horse his might? Do you clothe his neck with a mane? Do you make him leap like the locust? His majestic snorting is terrifying. He paws in the valley and exults in his strength; he goes out to meet the weapons. He laughs at fear and is not dismayed; he does not turn back from the sword. Upon him rattle the quiver, the flashing spear, and the javelin. With fierceness and rage he swallows the ground; he cannot stand still at the sound of the trumpet. When the trumpet sounds, he says ‘Aha!’ He smells the battle from afar, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.”

This description of the horse grips me with awe for the strength, courage and resilience of this mighty animal. But we are warned in Proverbs to give credit where credit is due:

“The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the LORD.”

Proverbs 21:31

When we have battled a temptation and won, we must not boast in the victory – rather, we give God the glory for the victory because He enabled us to be victorious.

Further, we read in Psalm 147 that while God created both the horse and man, their strength does not bring God delight:

“His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man, but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.”

Psalm 147:10-11

Just think of the privilege we have — we can bring pleasure to the Creator of the universe! When we reverence the Lord, when we cling to His steadfast love, it is in those times that we bring the Lord pleasure! Do you ever think of bringing pleasure to the Almighty God?

We praised the Lord for the beautiful horses that we saw and we gave thanks that He led people to create the sanctuary so that these animals would not be destroyed, people who would demonstrate His steadfast love to this small segment of His creation.

What a blessing we would receive if we remembered to do that which pleases Him throughout our day. May praise to our Lord be the “default position” of our life!

Father, I praise Your name for sending Jesus Christ to be our atoning sacrifice on the cross. Thank You, Lord and Savior, for Your obedience and willingness to come to save us from our sin. Thank You, Holy Spirit, for quickening the hearts of Your children so that we can believe on the name of the Lord and be saved. May I praise You for all that You created and may I remember Your steadfast love throughout my days.

SPANISH MOSS

October 27, 2017October 17, 2017 | lindamowles

Bellingrath Gardens, moss covered trees (C) — Moss covered trees in Bellingrath Gardens

One of the beautiful creations of our Lord, at least in my humble opinion, is the Spanish moss that covers trees in the Southeast United States. I love to look at it, to walk beneath it, to savor the peace that it seems to bring to the trees from which it hangs.

Ulele - Tampa6 — Garden and grounds outside Ulele Restaurant in Tampa, Florida

Actually, what we call Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides) is really not a moss. It is a bromeliad, from the same family as succulent house plants and pineapples.

Also, it is not a parasite that takes nutrients away from the host tree. Rather, the plant lives on rain and fog, sunlight and airborne or waterborne dust and debris. (If that was my diet, well … I digress!)

The plant further has a name that is really irrelevant to its character since it is not from Spain. It actually is native to Central and South America, as well as the Southeastern United States and the Caribbean. It grows wherever there is a healthy tree in a tropical swampland.

The fable of the origin of Spanish Moss tells the story like this:

Gorez Goz was a bearded brute who bought a beautiful Indian maiden for a yard of braid and a mere bar of soap. The mere sight of the Spaniard so frightened the girl that she ran away from him. Gorez Goz chased right behind her, until at last he climbed up after her to the top of a tree. The maiden dove into the water and escaped, but Gorez Goz’s beard got hopelessly entangled in the tree’s branches. There he died, but we can still see his “greybeard” on trees throughout the Lowcountry—as the Spanish moss out on the limbs.

[This information was found at http://mentalfloss.com/article/67807/10-things-you-should-know-about-spanish-moss accessed October 9, 2017]

Spanish moss, to me, is beautiful in its silent adornment of the branches of the host trees.

Beauty is a characteristic that is hard to define. What one person believes is beautiful, another person would pass by without even a notice. So, not everyone would agree with my opinion that Spanish Moss is beautiful. But, external beauty is not the paramount criterion for a finding of beauty.

Scripture talks about beauty on multiple occasions, and, when speaking of mankind, it always involves not only physical beauty but spiritual beauty. For example, Peter writes to the women in the church:

“Do not let your adorning be external–the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear — but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.”

1 Peter 3:3-4 ESV

Appreciate beauty. Be in awe of how God supplies the needs of even the insignificant Spanish moss as it grows without harming its host tree, decorating and adorning it with beauty. Be thankful for the beauty of the earth, of music, of nature and its ways.

Here is John Rudder’s beautiful version of “For the Beauty of the Earth” on the album Gloria, Sacred Music of John Rudder. It is my prayer that it would speak to your spirit and brighten your day.

Now praise our God that He is the Creator and Sustainer of all things. Let your soul swell and your spirit sing as you consider our Mighty, Loving and Saving God.

Father, Thank You for Your creation that speaks so eloquently of Your grace, might, provision and wonder. I praise Your Holy Name for all your marvelous ways.

THE PERFECTION OF GOD

May 26, 2017May 22, 2017 | lindamowles

Perfection. What a glorious word. When it is said, we know that a high standard has been met, the pinnacle of achievement was accomplished, and we have witnessed work which cannot be improved upon. Perfect.

Diver at hotel pool in Florida perfect — A perfect dive in Florida!

Perhaps you have achieved perfection in a sporting activity, like diving. Or, perhaps you have achieved perfection in a hobby, maybe a picture that people have said is “picture perfect”.

Oregon picture perfect mountains — Picture perfect scene in Oregon.

Or perhaps it is the sleeping newborn infant, while family members look at the child and marvel and say “Perfect!” as they look at the little fingers with tiny fingernails!

Newborn baby girl (C) — Newborn baby daughter, alive with all sorts of possibilities ahead of her.

While each of these examples do show what could, in human terms, be considered perfect, they come nowhere close to the perfection that is the standard of our God.

Medieval theologians used the Latin phrase ens perfectissimus to refer to God. The phrase may be translated by the words “the most perfect being.” … [They wanted to] underscore the reality of God’s perfection so clearly that they would eliminate any possibility of suggesting the slightest lack of perfection in God’s character.

Dr. Sproul continues:

God’s perfection applies to all of His attributes. His power is perfect; it has no weaknesses or any possibility of weakness. His knowledge is not only omniscient but reflects perfect omniscience. There is nothing that God does not know or that He could possibly learn. … God’s love, His wrath, His mercy – all that He is — is perfect. Not only is He perfect, but He is eternally and immutably so. There never was a time when God was less than perfect and there is no possibility that in the future He may slip into any kind of imperfection. What has been with God will be so forever. His perfection is immutable. It cannot change.

Ibid., p. 198 (Emphasis is mine)

The very consideration of the scope of God’s perfection makes it hard to comprehend. How extensive it is … how overwhelming it would be for us to see … how unlike us it makes our Creator God.

When God delivered him from the hand of King Saul, David extolled the Lord and gave praise to Him, including the following description of the monumental difference between God and man by saying, in part:

“For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.”

Psalm 103:19 ESV.

“As for man … BUT God.” The chasm between God and man is so great that it cannot be truly fathomed. Those who think that God is unnecessary because we can handle things for ourselves, “thank you very much”, are simply – well, wrong. The very fact that we exist, the fact that we have air to breath or that rain comes for nourishing our planet so food will grow, and the fact that the earth keeps spinning is in God’s providence and in His good pleasure.

“This God–his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God? This God is my strong refuge and has made my way blameless.”

2 Samuel 22:31-33 ESV

Jesus, the incarnation of God, said:

“You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Matthew 5:48 ESV. Of course this is an impossible goal, but we are called by our Savior to strive for perfection.

God’s perfection is one of the attributes of His nature. Praise His holy name that His perfection extends to all His attributes. He is the same today as He was before the creation of the world and He will be the same perfect powerful God when this creation is transformed into the new heaven and new earth.

God’s perfection – hard to comprehend in its fullness, He is the “most perfect being”. God’s perfection – difficult to fathom, but easy to hold on to as we rest in the perfect love of our Savior and God.

Father, You are perfect, You are the most perfect being and You have been such since before You spoke the world into existence. Perfect in power, in love, in wisdom. I praise Your name and bow in humble gratitude as I think of Your perfection touching my heart which is so full of imperfection and sin. Father, enable me to live my life as a testimony to Your perfect character, and I ask this through the power of the Holy Spirit.

A STRAWBERRY AND ITS CORE

May 2, 2017April 26, 2017 | lindamowles

We were in Florida recently during the Strawberry Festival. We were not intending to go during a festival time, rather we were visiting family. But strawberries were everywhere!

Strawberry - with top — A strawberry — sweetness in one small package!

According to Wikipedia, the garden strawberry is a hybrid species of the genus Fragaria. It is cultivated worldwide for its fruit. The fruit, which scientifically speaking is not a botanical berry but an “aggregate accessory fruit”, is known and loved for its characteristic aroma, bright red color, juicy texture and sweetness. The article continues to say that the strawberry is consumed in large quantities, either fresh or in such prepared foods such as preserves, fruit juice, pies, ice creams, milkshakes and chocolates.

All this is true, but the little berry is so much more than a typewritten description presents. It quite simply is … yummy!

USED Chocolate covered strawberries — We enjoyed these chocolate covered strawberries while on a Royal Caribbean cruise.

We brought two flats of strawberries home so that I could make strawberry preserves and perhaps a pie or two. In preparing the berries for their intended use, I discovered a number of things.

First, cutting the cap of the strawberry off and discarding the green leaves, results in having a great tasting berry, and it is fast. But, you lose some of the “meat” of the berry.

Second, as an alternative, you can pull the leaves off, which then leaves the stem.

Strawberry with stem and core — Strawberry with stem

Third. Take your fingers and pull the stem out, which will then pull the core out. Voila, you have the strawberry virtually intact!

Fourth. I found that this was much easier said than done. The stem simply does not want to be pulled and the core really does not want to come out. (I suppose there is some tool that you can use to “de-core” the strawberry, but I didn’t have one so I just pulled and twisted, etc.)

Fifth. Once the core is removed, you are left with a tender strawberry — you can tell the core is gone because there is a hole in the center of the berry. (In the picture below, I must confess that I did not pull the stem out, I opted for cutting the top off to remove the core.)

Strawberry without core — Strawberry without the core.

As I looked at the strawberry with the hole where its core had been, my mind went to the story Jesus told of the man who was freed from demon possession. The story is presented shortly after the Lord’s Prayer was given to the disciples and when the Jewish leaders were questioning Jesus’ ability to cast out demons.

“When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that person is worse than the first.”

Luke 11:24-26

How many times have I been going about my life ignoring the sins that I commit on a daily basis? It may be pride, or gossip, or malice, or lies, or coveting, or all sorts of other things that I know are against God’s law and His will for my life. I walk around as if I am fine – my life is full, I have my strawberry cap over my core, my heart – if asked about my spiritual life, I would say “Fine – I’m good.”

Then, one day, I hear a sermon or read some scripture that the Holy Spirit uses to prick my heart to convict me of my sin. I am ashamed and I ask the Lord to free me from that sin and I know that He will forgive. 1 John 1:9

Therefore, I repent and declare that I will no longer do this sin. The sin is removed and my core, my heart, is clean through Jesus’ blood. My core that was filled with sin was clean and ready to be filled with spiritual food for power in a life with Christ.

But I leave the core empty. I don’t fill my heart with God’s Word; I don’t fill my heart with worship; I don’t fill my heart with fellowship with other believers; I don’t fill my heart with prayer. I don’t replace sinful habits with godly ones; and, I forget that an empty core must be filled with something! So it gradually fills up with the same sin that I had confessed … no difference.

One day God uses something to, once again, prick my conscience and I realize that not only have I committed the same sin over again, I now have other sins that have accompanied the former one … just like the man in Jesus’ story.

Strawberry - three contrasting stem and without — Strawberry Stages!

I wrote this post in the first person because I have experienced this cycle. And, I can testify that He will cleanse you of the besetting sin. Then He will point to the next sin that you need to repent of so that you can be free from that one as well. For me, there are quite a few that He is pointing to – He is still working on me. But I must be diligent to fill my core/heart with His Word and prayer, with His communion and fellowship with other believers, with relationships with godly men and women who will hold me accountable as I strive to grow in Christ.

Do you see yourself in this little strawberry story? Look to the Lord. Don’t let your heart be empty or available for sin to come back. Fill the core of your being with God, with the graces that He gives to His children, with His Word and His love for others. Avail yourself of the church, fellowship with other believers, spiritual mentors who can guide you in your spiritual growth.

Then be the clean strawberry, full of the fragrant aroma of a loving spirit, sweet to the taste from the sugar of the Lord’s love, beautiful in appearance because of the Spirit shining through your countenance.

Father, I thank You for the gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. I thank You for the Spirit who convicts of sin and who enables me to be strong to resist falling back into sin. I pray that I would be a sweet strawberry to those I meet and that interaction with me would point people to my Lord and Savior, in whose name I pray.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

March 20, 2017 | lindamowles

We have just returned home from a trip through 5 different states – Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida and Georgia. We did not “tour” throughout all these states, we did drive through them on the interstate highways. It is easy to see the incredible variety of landscape that our country exhibits:

Mountains in Tennessee and North Carolina make the driving scenic and sometimes scary.

fall-colors-in-east-tennessee — The mountains of East Tennessee.

Florida is significantly flatter than the mountains but there are beautiful beaches and palm trees, and fruit stands with fresh fruit even in March (we were there during the Strawberry Festival, yum!)

Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden, Coral Gables, Florida Intricate detail in palm tree — A beautiful palm tree in Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden, Coral Gables, Florida.

Whether or not the terrain was hilly or flat, there was one feature that was the same throughout all the states. It was pervasive. It was ubiquitous! It is the orange road construction barrel.

Orange road construction barrel — Orange highway construction barrel. Some say it is our state flower, but I think it is all over our country!

Construction – it is good for the highways.

We know that there are potholes, uneven lanes, torn up pavement, all sorts of problems with the roadways and construction to repair such problems is good. You simply cannot get away from the barrels. They are put up when no construction is in sight, yet. They are put up when the grading equipment is alongside the lane of travel. They give evidence of the upcoming improvement in road conditions, which is good even if they cause some congestion and delay at the present time.

USED Crane visible from interstate in Nashville — Crane hovering over construction in downtown Nashville.

Construction – it is good for the cities.

When there is construction, there is growth. There is change and there is development. Sometimes people differ on how or where construction should occur, but there can be no dispute that construction changes things.

christ-of-the-ozarks-missouri-1968-3 — Christ of the Ozarks, Missouri, USA (circa 1965)

Construction – it is good for US.

Seeing the construction in each of the states we traveled reminded me of the construction that is going on in each one of us, every moment of every day. We don’t have red barrels to tell others of the ongoing construction in our lives, but we are “under construction” nonetheless.

Scripture teaches us that God loves us and that He gave His Son for us as an atonement for our sin. This enables us to have confidence that we will be with Him now and forever if we have faith in Jesus Christ and trust Him alone for our salvation.

“Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.”

Romans 5:9-10 ESV

“[I]f you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”

Romans 10:9-10 ESV

But, salvation is not the end of the story. Once we have received Jesus Christ into our heart through faith, we then become “under construction” as the Holy Spirit does His work in transforming us into the image of our Lord. I have heard it said “God loves us as we are, but he doesn’t want us to stay this way!” In other words, He desires that we be changed into the image of His Son.

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Romans 12:2 ESV

“For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”

Romans 8:29 ESV

“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV

Praise the Lord that we are “under construction”. We are lovingly being transformed by God from our sinful, earthly desires, impulses, thoughts, actions and words into the image of our Lord. But it takes time! While we are justified with God immediately upon our receiving the Lord Jesus as our Savior, the transformation into the image of the Lord is not an instantaneous occurrence.

A song written by Sim Wilson entitled “Please be patient with me” captures the concept well:

Chorus:

Please be patient with me, God is not through with me yet.

When God gets through with me, when God gets through with me,

I shall come forth, I shall come forth like pure gold.

Verse:

If you should see me and I’m not walking right,

And if you should hear me and I’m not talking right;

Please remember what God has done for me,

When He gets through with me, I’ll be what He wants me to be.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yjsTLpo_vQ

This transformation does not occur through our own efforts. It does not come about through our own strength by struggling to keep all the commandments or by trying to copy good things that we see others doing.

This construction comes from the Holy Spirit’s work inside of us. It is an inward change. It is a change of our heart and of our will. In fact it is a total surrender of our own will to that of our Father.

Praise the Lord that He is transforming us as we live our life in grace through the Holy Spirit. Rest in Him and He will perform His good work in you.

Please be patient with me!

When He gets through with me, I’ll be what He wants me to be!

Father, I thank You for sending the Holy Spirit into our world so that He would work in the life of each of Your children, transforming them into the image of Your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.