Greetings and Salutations,

We are experiencing another grey day in our neck of the woods, temperature is mild, snow has all but disappeared as some still sits in the shady spots. 

This is not the winter I thought we were going to have, and a concerning one for our farmers, ranchers and orchardist, and for those, like Carla, who enjoy raising their own vegetables in their own garden.

I have very little mechanical ability.  My Dad and one of my brothers were/are very good with their hands and ability to figure things out.  That gene lies dormant somewhere deep inside me and absolutely refuses to show itself.

Yesterday, Steven helped me change the battery in one of the rigs, not a big thing, but I had forgotten how heavy those things are and right now I still have difficulty using my right arm.  We got it taken care of; course the guy had recent experience when Celinda’s folks were stranded with a dead battery and he replaced it for them.

Then, just about an hour before she was to go to work, Carla finds that the plumbing under the sink is leaking and we had water all over.

Now, not only am I not a plumber, but this fat older body has difficulty working at odd angles – who am I kidding, any angle that requires being on my knees.

I found the problem, one of the drain pipes had come loose.  I got it fixed as my knees and back kept screaming at me.

That leak was stopped.  But, two Tylenols later, another one soon developed, small but a leak none-the-less.  My body and mind rebelled at having to get back down under there.

I sent out a call for help to two of my daughters – not quite a bat signal but similar.  Yes, daughters.  These ladies have that gene I passed down from my Dad in full operation.  They are far handier than I ever was and one of them always comes to the rescue.

Both Deed (and her husband Josh) and Teresa have been life (and money) savers for us for a number of years.

This time it was Teresa.  She came up after getting off day five of a two week twelve hour graveyard shift.

The dog growled, at 0630, but didn’t continue it and while it woke me, I went back to sleep.

We got up just before 0800 to find that Teresa had just finished fixing the plumbing problem – the trap had a very small pin hole, but the metal was so weak, it was crumbling, it would have given away more and more as time would go on.

After diagnosing the problem, she went down to Freddie's’ and got a replacement, finishing up as we got up.

Since it was Teresa, the dog didn’t continue alerting us, and she got it done with neither Carla nor me aware of her visit.

I appreciate the fact my kids take mercy on their Dad.  AND they don’t laugh at my inabilities – at least not in front of me.

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Hebrew 12:11  KJV  “ Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

“Every person should see to it that he is fully cleansed from all sin, entirely surrendered to the whole will of God and filled with the Holy Spirit. Then he will not be known as what he does, but as what he is. He will be a man of God first and anything else second.”  Tozer

EVERY Single one of us, that profess to follow Jesus, has a calling.  It may not be into full-time ministry, it may not be as a teacher or some other ‘recognized’ leader in the church, but God has something He wants us to do.

Most parents work hard to help their child become good citizens.  If they stray from the rules they correct them, it may be gently – at first – but if better behavior doesn’t occur they must use more significant measures.

The correction isn’t pleasant for the child, it isn’t what they want to hear or do; and it can be very trying on the parents but the parents realize that if the behavior isn’t corrected the child will become worse in their conduct as time goes on.

When the child’s conduct is improved, then it is less stressful on everyone – not only in the family, but those who have contact with them.

When we start a new job we are told/shown what to do.  If we don’t do it correctly then the trainer has to help us correct the work.

If we choose not to follow those directions we may find ourselves suspended for a bit, placed in a lesser position or if we still don’t correct our work, we will lose the job.

The correction processes are not designed to embarrass the employee (or shouldn’t be) but to make them better at their job so they can be depended upon.  As they improve and perform their tasks well, they may be given more tasks and an opportunity to climb the business ladder.

This pattern is what God has been doing from the formation of man.  He wants us to be holy.  We cannot do it without knowing what is required of us – and He has given that in His Word, guidance by the Holy Spirit and in the wisdom of those He has placed over us.

If we falter or stray, He will correct us.  Usually, depending on the offense, it will be gentle at first, but if it isn’t corrected the discipline will be more difficult for us.

As we grow in Him, we can look back and see that His discipline was guidance for us to make us holier and more acceptable to the calling He has made on us.

No one likes to be disciplined, whether deserved or not, but to grow we must not only accept it, but learn to adjust our behavior so that God can use us more effectively.

The calling of God on our life might change as the years go on.

I know of one elderly lady who used to be extremely active in her church, visiting members of the congregation and being a real role model.  As she grew older she wasn’t able to continue in that ministry, but did what she could.

Eventually she moved to a Nursing Home.  There she ministered to those who also resided there, and when she became bed ridden, her prayer life became her ministry.

God wants to use us.  It is up to us to listen to Him and to follow His Holy Spirit as He teaches and trains us for the calling God has upon our lives.

Later, Art (-: