​ Sin causes a Christian’s cup of joy to spring a leak.
I’m thankful for God’s forgiveness. The joy of living life with contentment is a precious gift. But there are times when it feels like I hit a bog, and it can be hard to put one foot in front of the other. I guess that’s when I need to take a serious look at whether this is just Satan trying to defeat me, or if there is something in my life that I need to deal with. I have camped many times and water is a necessity. Carrying it to the site in a bucket is great as long as the bucket doesn’t leak. So this quote is quite symbolic. The bucket is still used, but it certainly loses value if you can’t depend on it to not lose half the water before arriving at the picnic table. So we, as Christians, need to be a fully leak-proof bucket for Christ to use us at our utmost.

​Service: Believe there is nothing too small to do well.
I’m sure we’d all agree that no job is too small, but the reality is it’s hard to follow through on that in real life. It’s easy to want to be “top dog” in some way - I think having the “important” jobs gives us the belief that we are important to society; we contribute in a way that makes us as a human feel valued. I know I’d much rather be a teacher than the garbage man - yet the truth is - if we didn’t have our garbage collected every week, what would happen? That’s a very valuable job. As a teacher I know I tell my students that if they don’t do the small things right, then how will they be trusted with big things. It’s a reminder to me that I need to practice what I preach. When I volunteer somewhere, I do enjoy doing whatever is required of me and I can go home content that I’ve been of service whether I’ve been out front helping the patrons or in the back washing the dishes. I do it to the best of my ability and that’s what matters. (PS: Photo - putting shoes on rack to be neat and out of the way.)

​Salvation is free, but stewardship is costly.
This is such an important quote - I can’t imagine what it would be like to have to try to buy or earn my salvation! Jesus’ death certainly paid a price that no one would have been able to do on their own. I thank God for such an ultimate gift - but the next phase is also important. Our salvation is completely free - but once it has been received, then we can’t just sit holding that gift tightly and refusing to move on. We need to share it with others - and as we grow and mature, sometimes the stewardship of that gift comes with a cost to us. Whether financially, emotionally, or physically, Satan is not happy to have Christians succeeding and spreading the gospel; he will do whatever he can to hinder us. It’s like a farmer’s field; the crop can look so beautiful, then weather can come along and almost destroy it. Don’t let Satan send a tornado through your spiritual field!

​Rewards: In the field of destiny, we reap as we have sown.
I have seen this happen more than once - and often tell my students being kind is its own reward. Not sure they always agree, but even in my own life many times I’ve had someone go out of their way to help me with something. When I don’t know how to thank them, they say “pay it forward.” My mom had the saying, “What goes around, comes around.” I do know that when I take the time to do something extra, I can feel good about myself, whether it gets acknowledged or not. Our  earthly trophies may not always be handed out to us - but we know that God sees our heart and intentions. We are building a trophy in the heavenly realm that is of much more value than any one we can get here on earth.

Regret: You will never regret destroying a letter written in anger.
If you’re not a writer, maybe this quote won’t mean as much to you, but I can certainly identify with the statement. My diaries are my venting source. I’m glad to have them now that I’m writing books; they are a valuable asset in remembering certain times and events. However I wouldn’t want anyone else to read them as that is where I put all my feelings for the day/week, etc. In some ways, though, it is good  to read them again. I think, “why was that such a big deal?” Looking at events in retrospect helps with perspective. Life has gone on and I have survived and what seemed so frustrating at the time, now -?! I can chuckle at the issue that had seemed so overwhelming. No one is the worse for the wear, and I was able to release the issue in a safe way. In my opinion, people need a notebook and pen more than social media! That is the trouble with the social media we see so much of these days. People vent, not on paper, but on a laptop and hit send before thinking it through. I’ve often wondered how many people who send rather unkind remarks later wish they hadn’t? Or how many make comments that, if they were face to face with the person, would never say it? It is a good reminder to me to stop and think before uttering remarks that can never be taken back! Or if I’ve been on the receiving end of of such - to not be like an elephant (which is said to be an animal that never forgets things!) Let go and let God deal with the hurts in your heart. That way you’ll have no regrets.
​ (Photo: Thailand elephant with me accidentally on top of him - long story!)

​Procrastination: God has promised forgiveness today, but He never promised a tomorrow, so don’t procrastinate.
Are you a procrastinator? I didn’t think I used to be, but nowadays I’m not so sure. Or maybe it’s just that life has gotten so full that I don’t have as much time to have everything prepared ahead of time. I don’t like waiting until the last minute to get things done. To me that causes stress. I prefer to have everything done and packed and ready, then I can relax and enjoy the pre-time. However, I know some people work better when they have a deadline and have to get it done under the wire, so to speak.  Sometimes one way is not better than the other; it’s simply a matter of people’s personality. However, when it comes to life and death spiritually, then one certainly doesn’t want to procrastinate. We never know when our last moment on earth will be. I sat by a young man’s side as he slowly died from a brain tumor. He knew the end was coming and was prepared for eternity. I also had my brother (who was only a year older than this young man at the time of death) die in an instant from a car crash. He had no time to prepare. The Bible says, “…now is the day of salvation…” This is certainly one thing you never want to put off until “later” as only God knows how many “laters” we have. I’m so grateful that I had parents who told us the plan of salvation and lived out their faith. I can stop by the cemetery and see their headstone, but I certainly know their eternity was secured a long time before those death dates. I pray that you  can say the same about yours.