Finding Direction

 FINDING DIRECTION

     Have you ever gotten lost?  Have you ever asked the question, “Where do we go from here?”

     I’d venture to say, if you’ve driven many years, you’ve been lost at some point.  I’ve been lost a number of times, but thankfully, I always found my way back to the correct direction.  Over the centuries, a compass has been used by seafarers and travelers of all sorts to determine the direction they should follow.

     Did you know the compass in the picture above (a piece I picked up at Hobby Lobby) is called a “compass rose?”  I’d never heard that term until last month when our family was together in Florida.  We were all wondering if there was a specific name for what appears to be an amplified compass.  My grandson Storm piped up, “It’s a compass rose.” 
     We all looked at him blankly, “A what?”
     “A compass rose,” he said.  “We learned about it in school.  It’s been around since the 1300s and it shows the cardinal directions on a map.”
     Needless to say, we were all totally impressed by his knowledge of this seemingly obscure information that none of us had ever heard before.  Kudos to you, Storm!

That same day, Storm spotted a compass rose at Disney's Animal Kingdom

     While writing this post, I did an online search and ran across a jewelry company that creates lovely necklaces and earrings featuring the compass rose.  Here’s a quote from their website: “The compass rose holds symbolic meaning for a traveler, whether they are exploring remote destinations or simply navigating life’s journey.  It serves as a tangible reminder to embrace life’s journey with a sense of wonder no matter the destination. Wear the compass rose to help guide you towards your own true north.”

      So, what sort of message can we glean from the compass rose?  The compass rose indicates direction.  What direction is your life taking at this moment?  One thing is for certain, we don’t want to find ourselves lost as we travel through this journey called “life.”  Finding the right direction is vitally important. 

      Sadly, too many people are trudging through life with no idea what road they’re on or what direction they should be taking.  Many are searching for direction in the wrong places, while others are distracted by the scenery and miss their turn.  Hence, we see men and women, teens and children, “living lives of quiet desperation,” as Thoreau said.  They are frantically searching for something as they try to find their way through life.

      The thing is, there is an easy, foolproof way to find the direction (along with peace and purpose) you need to follow in life.  Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father but through me,” John 14:6.

       We began with a question, “Where do we go from here?”  While the compass rose is a tool to show you the direction you are going on a map, the Holy Bible is a tool to show you the direction you need to go in your life.  The Psalmist wrote, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path,” 119:105.  As we travel through this dark world, the light of God’s word will illuminate our paths and help us to take the right direction.

      From ancient times, travelers have known to keep their eyes fixed on a certain star or a certain mountain or other landmark, to help keep them on course.  In life, we need to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and He will help keep us on course.  “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart,” Hebrews 12:2 NIV

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,” Hebrews 12:1 KJV.

 Happy Travels, Dear One!!

 

Words and Numbers

Words & Numbers

 This picture of an old typewriter and calculator seemed like the perfect choice for this post about words and numbers.  They sat on the desk of F.A. Seiberling, co-founder of Goodyear Tires, when we visited his home in Akron, Ohio in October.

Whoever said, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me,” was seriously wrong!  The Bible clearly states, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue,” Proverbs 18:21.  So, care in speaking is of paramount importance.  “Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body,” Proverbs 16:24 ESV

Now, let’s shake off the danger, and have a bit of fun with the English language and some numbers.

 Some quotes about the power of “words:”

 "Colors fade, temples crumble, empires fall, but wise words endure."

  —Edward Thorndike

  "Good words are worth much, and cost little."

   —George Herbert

 Here are some interesting tidbits about the English language:

---There are only two English words that end with “gry.”

---What comes after once, twice, thrice?
                Answers at the end of this post

 “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear,” Ephesians 4:29 ESV

---What is the only English word with three consecutive repeated letters?

---Something that grows in a forest, with 7 letters, a Q and all 5 vowels.

  * * * * *

 Here’s an important point about numbers:  “You have to be odd to be number one.” And, of course, that famous quote, “The numbers speak for themselves.”

--What do the numbers 11 and 88 have in common?
--How many months of the year have 28 days?
--What did the triangle say to the circle?

 Here’s one of those clever, how-do-they-do-it formulas that can reveal your age through seven mathematical steps.  My grandson Declan discovered it online and we all got a kick out of watching it work every time.  Unless you are a math whiz, you’ll probably need a calculator for this one.  Here are the steps to discover both your age and the number you began with:

 --Pick a number between 1 and 10.
--Take your number and multiply by 2.
--Add 5
--Multiply by 50
--Add 1771
--If you already had a birthday this year, add 1
--Subtract the year you were born from the number
--Your answer:  ___ the first number is the one you originally chose
                           ____ the next numbers are your age

When Peter asked Jesus how many times he should forgive a brother, “Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven,” Matthew 18:22.

Hope you enjoyed this Adventure with words and numbers.  What was your favorite puzzle?  I'd love to hear from you in the comment section.  Just click on the "Joyful Writer" above the picture and you'll be connected to the blog site and the comment section.  Have a Happy Day!

“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, 

O Lord, my Strength and my Redeemer,” Psalm 19:14.

 

 
~Word Answers
---Angry and Hungry
--- Nothing! These three are the only words of their type, and no further terms in the series have ever existed
---Bookkeeper

---Sequoia
 
~Number Answers
---They both look alike upside down and backward
---All the months have 28 days
---You’re pointless 

Lobster Attacks & License Plates

Beware of Lobster attacks!!!  It appears that some lobsters are so hungry for more personalized license plates, they will consume the entire car just to get the plate!!  In an effort to curb lobster attacks, I’ve gathered a few dozen more plates for consumption.

                                   Inspirational plates – my favorites

                    BEYEKND         GFT GOD         HEZ REAL         HEZLOV

                                          Descriptions Anyone? 

                  MEMA 7          CRZY LDY         JU CRAZY         LONELE

                 LFTHNDR         IB HYPER         BOAT HDLR     1-SPIFFY  (on a Porsche)        

                 MY SMYL         WORTH IT       GUT GLRY  (on a Ram truck)

                            ZZOOOM  (plate on a surprisingly slow vehicle)

                     This Driver Deserves a Big Congratulations – Way to Go!!

                                        X-SMOKER  (from PA)

                              These Drivers Have a Traveling Spirit

          GONE 2VB  (meaning “Virginia Beach”)            BOSNIAN      JOY RDE

          KITTI HWK  (a town on the Outer Banks)     N2ALOHA          PWR2WLK

                                      Miscellaneous Plates

           GRN LEAF        RIZZOLI            4 BRANCH       VEN M US

           C SQUARE       AW 4 MY2         NEPTUNE          2BCOVRD                   

           SQIRLS             IRS IOU            WE MZMOM       NXT 100

           U DU IT           7SOJRN              TOY4JS              25-YEARS

                   Hungry for a Sandwich?  These Drivers Offer Help!

           GOT MAYO      BBY DLL           BB BNANA       WDELVR2

      One plate read “PSALM 51,” which begins: “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin,” (verses 1-2).

     Two verses I really like are in Psalm 51:  “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me,” verse 10.  And, “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation…” verse 12.

      Another plate read, “LUKE 176,” the apostle writes, “So the Lord said, ‘If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you,’” 17:6.

    Who knew you could learn God’s Word from personalized license plates?  And – help save cars from lobster attacks in the process.

                         Which personalized license plate is your favorite?
         Click the "Joyful Writer" above the title of the post and it will bring you to

           the blog so that you can make a comment.  I'd love to hear from you!!     

Thoughts

THOUGHTS

"The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts"

Marcus Aurelius (Meditations)

    Marcus Aurelius was Roman Emperor from 161 to 180 AD and he was also a Stoic philosopher.  Only a few days ago, I read this quote by him and I was struck by the poetic way he expressed the truth about a person's thoughts.  The Bible expresses it less poetically, but long before Aurelius came on the scene.  Proverbs 23:7 reads, "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he." 

    I chose this picture to represent various colors of thoughts and how some can become muddled and confusing, while others actually make sense.  This is a sample of the walls and ceiling of Red State BBQ near Lexington, Kentucky (delicious BBQ, by the way!).  It is quite colorful and "busy."  I'm sure if someone tried to scrub these white walls, they would continue to be stained with the red, green, blue and black of all the inked words written on them.  There is a definite object lesson comparing these walls to the soul dyed with the color of its thoughts.

    What color are thoughts anyway?  If you think about it, different colors could be used to describe many of the thoughts that fill our minds.  But, I think the author of that message also used the word color to describe the direction and tenor of our thoughts.  Just as God in His Word tells us that what we think becomes who we are.

     What is coloring your thoughts?  An old computer saying is:  garbage in: garbage out.  That's just as true for our thoughts.  So, I ask again, what is coloring (influencing) your thoughts?

     Is it the nightly news?  That can certainly take you down a black hole.  Are the shows you watch and/or the video games you play planting thoughts in your mind that are not uplifting?  Are the circumstances surrounding you coloring your thoughts with fear, depression, hopelessness?  Does bitterness stain your soul with the acid of unforgiveness?  The color of that toxin is deadly and it will eat away your peace and happiness.  Having your soul dyed in these colors is no way to live.                 

     Do your thoughts tend to be positive or negative?  Do your thoughts take you into dark places or cheerful places?  Are your thoughts more selfish or selfless?  Is your soul becoming dyed with the color of fear and anxiety, or with peace and praise?  The color of your soul/thoughts becomes the color of who you are.

     So, what if your soul has been so colored with less than desirable thoughts that you can't seem to scrub away the stain of those damaging colors?  Are you stuck with the stain?  Not at all.  Christ Jesus has promised to take away every ugly stain and make you (and your thoughts) clean again.  Here's what we're told by Almighty God in Isaiah 1:18-19:

"'Come now, and let us reason together,' says the Lord,

'Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white

as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall

be as wool.  If you are willing and obedient, you

shall eat the good of the land.'"

      What a wonderful promise for those of us whose souls have been dyed with ugly-colored thoughts.  Everyone is guilty of wrong thoughts - some more than others, but the stain is still there and needs to be washed clean.  Only Jesus can scrub your soul and make it sparkling clean -- if you ask Him to do so.

      For the Christian, you need only come to the Father and ask forgiveness and cleansing.  Then ask Him to heal your soul and direct your thoughts into directions that please Him. 

      For the person who has never asked Jesus into their heart, He is eager to save you and cleanse you.  Here are a few things you need to know:

      "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," Romans 3:23, and the wages of those sins is death, "but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord," Romans 6:23.

       And how can you receive that wonderful gift of life and cleansing?  Simply by confessing those sins and asking Jesus to save you:  "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved," Acts 16:31.

         These are amazing promises from God's very Words.  A clean soul, unstained with damaging colors is worth more than all the money in the world.  Start fresh in this new year, with a clean soul and a right spirit with Father God who created you.  His love will help color your thoughts with a joy and peace you cannot find anywhere else.

    "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new," 2 Corinthians 5:17.

    "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy - meditate on these things," Philippians 4:18.

        

Who is in Control?

 WHO IS IN CONTROL?

This photo shows a portion of the walled city of Dubrovnik, Croatia.  The walls and towers were built between the 13th and 15th centuries.  It was delightful to walk the path all the way around the walled city.  Note the watchtower poking out over the sea.  Back hundreds of years ago, such cities depended on soldiers to keep watch and sound the alarm if they spotted any form of danger.

I'm reminded of the first verse in Psalm 127:  "Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it;  Unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain."

That verse says it all.  When we ask the question, who is in control?  The answer should always be, "God is in control."  But, how often on a daily basis do we embrace that truth and live as if we believe it?  Sarah Young writes about what we all tend to do when a problem or need arises:  "You tend to go into problem-solving mode all too readily, acting as if you have the capacity to fix everything.  This is a habitual response, so automatic that it bypasses your conscious thinking," from Jesus Calling.

"But, I just want to help," you say.  Of course we do!  And God uses us as His hands and feet to accomplish many tasks here on earth, but it should be on His terms, not ours.  And, there are times when our prayers to God about a situation will change the outcome without so much as a word or action from us.  At such times, we need to leave the situation and people involved in God's hands - after all, He's the One who holds the heart of the king in His hands - not us.  He can change hearts, we cannot.

We can work our fingers to the bone and make ourselves a nervous-wreck - all to no avail if God is not in it.  The soldier keeping watch in the tower can sound the alarm when the enemy approaches, but if God is not keeping that city safe, the soldier's prompt actions won't do any good.

The key to every good work and happy outcome is leaning into God's control of the situation.  I love the way Moses put it when he said to God, "If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here," Exodus 33:15.  Here we have a man who knew the absolute importance of being in God's will and moving only within the circle of Almighty God's loving control.  "If God is for us, who can be against us?" Romans 8:31.

As we begin the new year of 2022, uncertainties swirl around us and we wonder what the future holds.  Rather, we should be thankful that we know Who holds the future and His way is certain.  We are a needy people who are blessed to have a heavenly Father who has promised to meet our every need.  As one singer belted out, "Jesus, take the wheel!" 

Peace and joy will be our portion throughout this new year when we rest within the circle of Almighty God's loving control.