Linville Caverns & Humpback Mountain.

Standing outside Humpback Mountain, you see a mountain that never moves. Unless you have already been inside the mountain, you cannot begin to imagine what exists inside Humpback Mountain: an always growing, always changing Linville Caverns and a constant running stream. The caverns are no less real when you are standing on the outside of the mountain than they are when you are standing inside the mountain. While there is much beauty on the outside of Humpback Mountain, if you only look at the obvious on the outside of the mountain and walked away feeling you understood it completely – you would have missed the most glorious part of all.

When I look at the outside of Humpback Mountain, I am reminded of God’s faithfulness, how BIG He is, how dependable He is. But just like the mountain, if all I ever knew about God was his faithfulness and how BIG He is, it would not begin to describe all of who He is.

God is speaking to us today – to search for more of Him. Knowing God from the outside is not enough. Jesus invites us to have a personal relationship with Him. Get to know Him “on the inside”. Knowing God means knowing more than who He is and what He does – it is spending time to develop a deep relationship with Him.

Don’t accept that you know God because of what you see in the world, what you have been taught by others, or what you have experienced. Get to know God from the inside. Open the door to your “mountain” and let Him speak to your heart.

Seek God with all of your heart….

Psalms 139:17 - 18 it says that the thoughts God thinks towards us are more than there are grains of sand. Not just sand on one seashore, one riverbank, one “swimming hole”.

More than all the grains of every shore, every sand dune, every desert – that is how often God thinks of us.

In Jeremiah 29:11 He says, “For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome." (Amplified Bible).

How good to know He thinks so many good thoughts towards us.

Waterfalls

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: You can't pull yourself up by your own bootstraps without falling on your face.

Have you ever noticed that though a waterfall looks the same, it is always changing? Though it looks like it simply "is" there is so much more going on. The waterfall may look the same, but the water flowing over the rocks is never the same water. There is no recycling pump. Each wash of the water over the rocks is water that has never been there before. It could be water fed from another river, water from melting snow in the spring or refreshing water of the many spring and summer showers we have here in North Carolina. And while the falls never seem to relocate, they are constantly bringing change. Don't believe me? Next time you go to a creek or a river, find those little "falls" and rub the rock under the "falls". You will find that they are worn smooth with the constant flowing of the falls.

Life is like that too. It may seem that a year is just a constant flow of days and things don't change much, but the events of our lives are just like the water - ever changing, ever new, ever fresh. And we like the rocks change with them. The question is, how are we changing? Are we becoming smoother or just falling apart?

In recent months I have been experiencing a constant "flow" of events among my family and friends. I tried to "hold my own", survive the emotional torrent and pull myself together on my own, but found myself breaking apart under the pressure. My heavenly Father spoke sweetly to me and reminded me: "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love."

What a word! I so needed it. It is true that apart from God we can do nothing. I am the prime example of stubborn pride and the "I can do it myself" mentality. Thank God for His grace that reminds me that I was not created to live apart from Him. I have since repented and now with great joy and peace I fall back on His broad shoulders and loving embrace and allow Him to carry me through these troubled waters and I float along rather than wearing myself out swimming against the current.

My prayer today is that as you go through life and experience "turbulence" in your life, that you bring yourself to the feet of Jesus and let Him guide you and take care of you. In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus says: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." I am living proof that what He says is true. If you find yourself weary, come to Jesus - He will carry you through every time!

Tornado Trust

For those of you who aren't aware, my yard was recently visited by a tornado while my husband was at home. Thanks to my heavenly Father, my husband, our pets and all of our belongings were safe - no destruction other than some sunflowers blown down. We didn't even lose power! Thank you Lord for your blessings.


The week before this tornado hit, we felt like we'd been hit by a financial tornado. As you know John and I are children's entertainer. For at least the last year, we have also been training young people to entertain with balloons (table to table) in restaurants. About 6 or 8 months ago, I showed up to Bob Evans restaurant on Wendover for my "gig" as a balloon artist - only to find that there was no more Bob Evans. The chain closed the location with no notice. I was greeted by wire nuts sticking out of the ground where the Bob Evans sign had been and windows boarded up and doors chained shut. Due to the local economy, the store had closed. The week before the tornado, 2 more restaurants discontinued the entertainment and more "promised" restaurants declined new contracts based on the economy. Suddenly, we lost 25% of our income. The challenges of booking more restaurants seemed impossible and daunting. Bills kept coming in, but no more restaurants at the moment.


The day after the tornado, I was reading my Bible and praying. I was thanking God for His protection and praying for His provision. He let me know that His protection from the tornado was a sign to us that He would protect us from destruction of any kind. He reminded me of the school children who were in the hallways at school, curled up against the wall for protection from the storm. He said, when storms come (physical, financial, emotional, etc.), that we are to trust in His protection. Just like the children who went to the hallways and curled up close to the wall in the storm, we are to pull in close to Him when danger comes. He gave me this verse:

Psalm 91

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. ^[a]

2 I will say ^[b] of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."

3 Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare
and from the deadly pestilence.

4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,

6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.

8 You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.

9 If you make the Most High your dwelling—
even the LORD, who is my refuge-

10 then no harm will befall you,
no disaster will come near your tent.

11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;

12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

14 "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.

16 With long life will I satisfy him
and show him my salvation."

So now, when worries settle in, I think of the tornado and the school children and I go to my Heavenly Father in prayer. As I pray, I can feel His strength and His love. I know that I love Him and that I am His child. I know that He cares for me and will protect me and keep me safe. Even if things around me were to be destroyed, I know that His presence is with me - I am not alone. My husband, my family - all are in His care. Who better to care for me than the maker of heaven and earth? Who else would I go to in the storms of life than the one who commanded the wind and sea to be still and it obeyed? Who else would I trust besides then one who gave His life for me? No one. Jesus is the only one for me!

If you are going through a "tornado" today, try putting your trust in Him. Pray and ask Him for guidance and to reveal His presence in your life. You will not be disappointed!

Leaf Change

Right now in the Piedmont the trees are parading their beautiful fall gowns. The drive to work every morning is breathtaking. It is still one of the truly magical things that happen every year. In our instant society, it is one of the things we cannot make happen faster, or to our liking. I love it! Have you ever wondered what makes leaves change colors? Well, if you ask my four-year-old niece, she will tell you that they are putting on their Halloween costumes. LOL. However, I was able to enjoy several articles on www.visitnc.com this fall from Howard Neufeld, the "Fall Color Guy". He explained the science behind how the color changes take place. He also gave links to other articles which include an index of which trees change to which colors. Here is a list of trees and their colors that you may see on your drive in to work today: Red, brown or russet = Oaks Golden bronze = Hickories Golden yellow = Aspen and Yellow Poplar Purplish red = Dogwood Crimson = Sourwood Brilliant Scarlet = Red Maple Orange-red = Sugar Maple Glowing yellow = Black Maple There has always been one part of leaf change that has sparked my curiosity. Have you ever noticed that the whole tree doesn't change colors all at once? Many things affect leaf change including: temperature, moisture, length of night and more, but they affect the whole tree the same way. The only variable in how the leaves on the same tree change differently is - sunlight. If you look at trees along the woodline, or for that matter, on the side of the road as you drive in to work today, you'll notice that if a tree has not completely changed color, the part of the tree most exposed to the sun will change colors first. Along the edge of the highway, the side facing the highway will turn first while the back side of the tree will turn last. That is because there is nothing in the highway that blocks the sun. If you look at trees farther into the woods, you'll notice the tops of the trees turn first, while the bottom of the trees turn last. That is because the tops of the trees get the most exposure to the sun while the bottoms of the trees get less sunlight. Romans 1:20 says "...since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse". When I look at natural wonders, like the changing of the leaves, I am indeed aware of God's eternal power and divine nature. No one other than God could display His power and presence in such an awesome and breath-taking way - and that is only what He has created! The splendor of who He is far surpasses what He has made. We are like the trees - we respond to God just as the trees respond to the sun. We go through seasons of change, just like the trees - growth in the spring, strength in the summer, change in the fall and cleansing in the winter. However, just like those trees that are not yet completely changed, only the parts of us that we expose to the Son will change into a greater glory for His glory. We are also the "trees" of our world that "proclaim the existence of God". Whether you are aware or not, the world is watching for the change from glory to glory that we as Christians show in our daily lives. So my question today is, are you fully exposed to the Son? Are you stepping out of the shadows of your every day life and placing yourself in the full light of the Son? Are you allowing God to change you on a daily basis? Are you a saint that is being perfected? Are you being changed, from glory to glory? I admit I get comfortable where I'm planted - my routine, my reputation, my self-perspective. But I need to cut away those things that keep me shadowed from full exposure to the Son. My prayer today is from Psalm 139:23-24: Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Lord, I pray today, that You shine your light on the shadows of my life. Show me the things that must change so that I can become more like You. Show me how to let go of the things that stand between me and your Son so that I can release them and stand closer to You. Likewise, help me to be more aware of the changes you make in me from day to day that I may glorify You with all that is within me. Let my life shout Your existence that others may be drawn to You. Amen. Happy fall y'all!

Same sun, same stars, same God…

Growing up in a Pastor’s home gave me a great education on God’s faithfulness through Sunday School lessons and other church services. I learned of the heroes of faith and the faithfulness of God to those heroes as they lived their lives in surrender to the Lord and their calling. There were so many amazing stories – so many miracles. Close your eyes and try to remember the amazement the first time you heard these stories:

Do you remember the first time you heard, “And God said, ‘Let there be light’.” The wonder of how God created the sun, moon, stars, plants, animals and us – simply because He loved us?

Do you remember the story of Noah building the ark? About the very first flood on earth? How about the rainbow of God’s promise?

Do you remember how Moses faced the evil king? Do you remember the miraculous plagues that came as a result of the king’s disobedience? What about when God opened the sea wide enough to allow an entire nation to pass through unharmed on dry sand, then closed in time to engulf the enemy that was hot on their heels?

What about Samuel? God spoke to him and called his name out loud!

Do you remember when Elijah was afraid and running for his life? God provided food delivered on raven’s wings and water from an angel to keep him from starving.

Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, sentenced and imprisoned unjustly. But then he became the king of Egypt’s right-hand man through the wisdom and favor given to Him by God.

Do you remember Abraham? He and Sarah longed to have a child. God brought Abraham out under the open sky and said “Look up”. “Do you see those stars?” “Can you count them?” As many stars as there are in the sky – that’s how many heirs you will have. Generations will call you father. And then, when all hope seemed lost – when they were too old to have children, Sarah became pregnant and their son was born!

Do you remember the warrior Joshua? Fighting in a battle against his enemies, he prayed to the Lord to stop the sun and the moon from going down for a full day. And God stopped the sun and the moon from going down and the battle was won.

Wow! How amazing! But sometimes those moments in history seem so far away – just stories. When our everyday life becomes our focus – our routines and responsibilities, we lose sight of how amazing our God is. We forget that as Creator of all that exists, He can literally move heaven and earth to help us.

I was having one of those moments, okay more truthfully, one of those months. Responsibilities and routines had my gaze fastened at the floor and my mind a million miles away from thoughts of miracles. I kept saying to myself…

“How am I going to pay this bill?”

“How am I going to meet this deadline?”

“How will I work this relationship out?”

It seemed as though God tapped me on the shoulder. And I heard Him whisper in my heart, “Look up”. On a day that my mind was clouded and dark I suddenly saw the bright sunshine. I felt it’s warmth and smiled. Quietly, the Lord said to me, “Gina – this is the same sun that I held still for Joshua. And when you go home tonight and look up at the night sky, you will see the same stars I showed to Abraham when I promised to make His dreams come true. It is the same sun, the same moon, the same stars and I am the same God today that I was then. There is nothing too difficult for me and nothing I would not do for you.”

Wow! What peace! What joy! What confidence! So today, if your feet are dragging along and your eyes are fixed on the ground, look up! Over your head is the same sun, the same moon, the same stars and God is still the same God. And He will take care of you just as He took care of all those who have gone before you.

Snowflakes

I found this great site: www.snowcrystals.com. A professor at Caltech has made a study of snowflakes (crystals) and physics. There are amazing pictures and even movies where you can watch a snowflake grow! Here is a little trivia I have learned about snowflakes from his site and one of his gift books:

1. You can see snowflakes better with a magnifying glass - they are more than just flat dots!

2. Snowflakes come in all shapes: needles, columns, plates, stars and more...

3. It takes 15 minutes for a snowflake to form.

4. A symmetrical snowflake is not a frozen raindrop - it grows from water vapor in the air. Snowflakes are frozen clouds.

5. Snowflakes are not white, they are clear.

6. No two snowflakes are alike. As a snowflake falls from the sky, the way it falls causes its shape to change as it falls (including other snowflakes, etc. that it bumps into on it's journey to becoming a snowflake)

My favorite quote from this little gift book is "Simply moving from place to place within a cloud is sufficient to produce a near-infinite variety of different snowflake patterns." As nature always does for me, it turns my thoughts to my Creator and the Creator of all that surrounds me. If God made snowflakes to be so unique, so particular, so spectacular and they last only a little while - just think how amazing He is - so unique, so particular so spectacular. After looking at a snowflake, worship is not an exercise, it is an awesome pleasure.

-- Gina

Easter

Easter lily green

Living, growing, waiting

Quiet in the darkest night

Struggling for freedom

Easter lily white
Bursting forth trumpet-like

Shouting in the morning light

Resurrection hope!

Waiting and Wondering

Good morning fellow "waiters" and other friends. I just thought I'd share a word of encouragement that the Lord gave me while I am "waiting" for promises to come to pass...

I had become really frustrated with the waiting process recently. I had been getting up early every morning to spend time in the Word and in prayer. I did good for a few weeks, but as waiting turned to more waiting I got really discouraged. I tried to pray, but I told the Lord "I don't even know what to say. I'm so tired and there are no words that I can offer that would be a good gift of worship". Discouraged in praying, I turned to catching up chores in the morning hours. But every night this week as I took the dogs out, I was struck with the breath-taking view of the brilliant stars on a crisp and crystal clear velvet sky. I would stand under them and say to myself "some day this week, I really need to sit out here and enjoy the stars". But each day, I seemed too busy. But even in the busy times, the Lord would take those outside opportunities to turn my gaze heavenward to the stars. He began to speak.

The first day He said, "Gina, I am here". I thought, "yeah, I know".

The second day He said, "Gina I am here." I said "I know God, but sometimes it doesn't seem like it".

The third day He said, "I will never forsake you". And I cried. That was the feeling I had been feeling that I couldn't put my finger on…forsaken. Forsaken because I felt He had forgotten His promises or was unconcerned that it was so hard for me to have faith. Although often reminded of Abraham and Sarah and many others, I wondered, if miracles like that, or faith that persevering still comes today. I have never heard of a wait that has been so long for a promise so personal in anyone I've known in years and years and years. I didn't understand. Maybe I was being foolish in believing. Maybe I was waiting, when I should be moving on. Maybe God had forsaken me. Yes, I felt forsaken, until He spoke. And you know, when He speaks, He shines the light of truth abroad in the hearts of men and I knew He had not forsaken me. What peace. I was not forsaken, and there was great peace in that. But I still did not understand.

This morning, I saw the stars again. This time, I put on my flip flops, pulled my coat around my pajamas and dragged a kitchen chair to the middle of the backyard. (Good thing it was dark, huh). And I just enjoyed the stars. I thought about how beautiful they were and how much we know about them and then I thought about how much we don't know. And how even if we searched as far as we can go, there will always be more to discover. What God has created, how He created it and the purpose He gave His creation, is something we could spend eons studying, and yet, there would never be an end to our questions. Because in His INFINITE knowledge, He created enough signposts in nature that will always turn our eyes to Him, the one who is our comfort.

He spoke again. He said, "Enjoy the wonder."

Immediately I thought of the verse "your works are wonderful, I know that full well". He reminded me that when I don't understand His timeline, His activities or perceived inactivities, His purpose, etc. - not to doubt, but to wonder - to be in awe of the work He is doing, even if I don't understand it or can't see it. To remember that the Lord who spoke the stars into existence, the one who colors the trees every season, is working, and though I cannot understand the working, I can be confident that the promise had not been forgotten, I have not been forsaken and the Lord is actively working wonders, to bring the promise to pass in due time.

So if you are a lady "in waiting" like me, turn the waiting into "wonder"ing. Be in awe of the wonders God is working on your behalf. Be confident that you are not forsaken nor forgotten. Look up at the stars tonight and say to yourself, the same God who made the stars and hung them in this velvet sky is working the same kind of wonder to bring His promises to come in my life. I give you permission to get excited, to anticipate the promised gift (like the child anticipating birthdays and Christmas, who hopes for some promised gifts and awakes to find them and besides, a load of other gifts never even asked for).

Happy wondering!