A new house is going up near where I live. First a lot of trees were removed. Then workers put together a wooden form. I thought it was for the concrete base, but it wasn’t. They had carefully measured and built the wooden form to show how uneven the ground was underneath, so truckloads of fill dirt could come in to level the ground. The fill dirt is not sand, either, like the soil common to our area. All this preliminary work takes time but shows how important a good foundation is to a building. No matter how well the house is built, if the foundation is faulty, the whole structure is at risk. It’s a good reminder.  Spiritual houses, if they are to stand, must be firmly founded on Jesus Christ, the solid Rock of our salvation.

Do you ever wonder why as Christians we still sin? We’re in Christ and he’s in us. We have the Holy Spirit to guide us. Yet, we still sin. Maybe I should ask, why do I still sin. It’s not as if I don’t know right from wrong. When I responded to my Savior’s call to repentance, I expected a transformation in my life. So why do I continue to have to struggle, and sometimes lose the battle, against sin. We can be thankful our merciful Savior recognizes our plight. He’s been there. He was both God and human and struggled powerfully against every temptation to sin. He overcame sin perfectly and he did it for us. He knew we could not of ourselves conquer sin. Though we may not see the transformation in ourselves, in Christ we are totally forgiven and sin free. Thank you, Lord!

Flashing lights ahead, lots of them! Along with the police cars and firetrucks were pickups with horse and cattle trailers attached. As I slowly drove by I saw an overturned cattle truck. Men were working with a couple of cows down in a ditch alongside the truck. Those were the only cows I saw but two saddled horses were tied to a nearby fence so others may have been rounded up. The police probably know who to call when they have a loose cattle problem. Whenever I pass a wreck on the highway, I always pray for those involved and that includes animals as well as humans.

If you could see me, you might wonder about the reddish spots on my face. No, not acne at my age, I’ve made my annual visit to the dermatologist. The doctor asked if I cared if she used her freeze gun on me. I laughed and said, “Yes, I care!” It must have been a rhetorical question, because she zapped me anyway.  I’m paying now for the years of sun damage done when I was young. It made me think of why God has all those warnings in Scripture against sin. Sin, like deep summer tans, may seem fun at the time, but sin has consequences. God hates sin because sin hurts his children! Though our loving, merciful God has forgiven us, we may still have to suffer the consequences of our sins.

In the rural community where I live our water comes from wells. This week, right in the middle of a Texas heat wave, one of the wells had to be shut down for repairs. My neighbors and I received a stern notice that lawn sprinklers had to be shut off immediately. No watering until the well was back in service. Most people will agree cutting back seems reasonable. But those who take pride in the well-kept lawns they invested a lot of money and time in will get nervous if the repair work takes too long. Knowing this, along with the notice came a warning of a stiff fine for those who don’t comply. As with all warnings, fines are necessary because often we humans are hard of hearing and don’t feel rules apply to us.

My neighbor had more tomato plants than he needed so he gave me a couple. I planted them in a large pot on my patio. Almost immediately something started chewing on the leaves so I kept a close eye on the two little plants. I had no idea what type of tomatoes they were but before long it was obvious they were going to be tall. Little blooms came next and then half a dozen green tomatoes. Even growing up on a farm I still marvel at how God designed nature to work. From tiny seeds, new life grows and blossoms. It’s like a miracle. I stuck two little tomato plants in the dirt, watered them and they produced food for me. Whether planted in a large vegetable garden or from a pot on my patio, the result is the same. God is the source of all life, constantly creating and sustaining his creation. And, aren’t we happy about that!

Back in 2018 I described how for years now, I’ve painted a Western scene to be auctioned off at our annual family reunion. These paintings always include horses or cows or both—no surprise there, considering where I live. The auction helps support the next year’s reunion. But the painting I ended up painting in 2018 didn’t go to the next year’s reunion. There was no next year’s reunion or the next or the next. You know why. This year, trying to get ahead of the next wave of COVID, the family gathered for the 2022 family reunion. My painting was finally auctioned to add to our next reunion fund. Sadly, we lost four family members since the last reunion. Let’s not ever lose sight of how important it is to stay close to our families. And, that goes for our friends too. Life is short, folks!

Have you ever been on a jury? Sometimes a jury’s decision can mean life or death for a person. I’ve not been on a jury that had to make such a decision, and I’m thankful. But juries are called to settle many other problems as well, which can involve money, property or personal injury. Not long ago, I sat in on such a trial and watched the jurors’ faces while the prosecution and defense attorneys presented their cases. The judge reminded the jurors several times what their responsibilities were. Stay alert, people, I thought. These are serious life-changing charges for both accuser and defendant. Scary stuff! Going to court reminds me that when I stand in my final judgment, I plan to point to my Savior and say I’m with him!

Several of my neighbors and I share little gifts every Christmas, anything from homemade banana bread, to cookies or jelly or whatever. My neighbor Sue brings her gifts on Christmas china. After noticing I had accumulated a couple of those plates, I tried to return them. But Sue wouldn’t take her plates back. She said they can’t be returned empty. They are for sharing goodies with others. This put me on the spot because I’m out of practice baking desserts. When I bake sweets, I’ve found I also eat them! But I love the idea of returning the plates not empty. It reminds me of Isaiah 55:11, where God’s word is compared to rain that causes crops to grow. When God’s words go out they do not come back to him empty.

When I finished checking out with the girl at the Atwoods register, she said, “Have a goodun’.” She was all business, a pretty girl in jeans and t-shirt, and as a store manager, obviously knew about horse feed, ammunition, veterinary supplies and all the other myriad items Atwoods Farm & Ranch sells. Was she raised on one of the many horse ranches in the area? A lot of young women here work at ranches to help train horses. Was she one of those? Are you ever curious about some of the people you come in contact with and wonder about their background? “Have a goodun’” sounded like something she had heard her dad say, so I’m thinking she grew up on a ranch or farm. I love living in Texas!