Have you ever watched an "artist" at work? An artist takes an idea and uses some material to create a beautiful work of art sometimes out of little grains of sand!

A few years ago we spent a week at a beach house in Destin Florida with some good friends. We enjoyed swimming in the ocean and liked to lay on the beach...maybe read a book or just gaze out at the beautiful blue water...but not Birdo (Steve is his real name). He was all about creating sculptures out of the sand. He would take a small mound of sand and in a couple of hours he had an awesome work of art for all of us to enjoy!

It made me think of how God works with us...creating beautiful experiences or works of art out of something that alone may be just boring ole sand. All by itself a grain of sand is pretty simple and even useless...but by using a bunch of sand with a design in place it can become a thing of beauty! Sometimes I can't see beyond the "sand" in my life...but God has used the small and simple things in my life to show me what a beautiful masterpiece my life can be if I let Him work in me! Maybe we feel like a useless or insignificant grain of sand? God doesn't see us that way. He sees the "work of art" that He's created...you are a Masterpiece!! Let go and let God do His thing!!

We'll miss you John!

About five years ago we didn't know this man really well. He and his wife were looking for a place to live and heard we had a house for rent . They seemed like a nice couple that needed to get their life back in order after some bad choices had landed them in some difficult places. We knew his kids pretty well...they won us over in a short time. Friendly and good hearted people looking to start over in life. John and Bonnie were special to us and we are so thankful we had the opportunity to get to know them. He was always offering to help Joel with fieldwork and loved to fix him an egg sandwich or homemade bread for a treat. "Come on Joel, sit and talk awhile" he'd say...



It's hard to believe that just a couple years ago when they told us it was time to "move to town" that we'd miss them so! Last week Joel was a pall bearer for John's funeral. He was only 55 years old and had fought a tough battle with cancer for six months. He told Joel he felt that living out on our farm was "healing" for them as they came back from a tough financial and personal struggle in their life. At the funeral last week the Pastor mentioned when John had to stay in the Glory House for a short period of time that his correctional officer wanted so badly to find a way to give John a "demerit" or red mark during his stay there. These were marks for bad behavior or ways to punish them for breaking the rules of the "House" but John wasn't getting any. The correctional officer tried to make him "break" by waking him up in the middle of the night to have him vacuum the floors around the House...instead of being angry at the officer John just got up and vacuumed. He just towed the line and obeyed the rules. The Pastor made the comment how many of us think that is what God is like. Is he like that correctional officer "waiting for us to screw up?"...no he isn't! In the Bible he read to us where there is Nothing the can separate us from the LOVE of God! How comforting to know that God is not waiting for us make a mistake so he can punish us like this man did to John! Thankfully, God's love is there for us as a guarantee for those who call on Him!! We will miss you John and all that you taught us! To never give up when we are down...get back up! How God's Grace is a real and wonderful gift for all who know Him!! As John always used to say..."Rock n Roll, Baby...Rock n Roll!"

Have you ever wished you could have a "do over"?

I am not very skilled at playing golf but enjoy the beautifully manicured greens and plush rolling landscapes. I like taking a stroll along the golf course on a lazy summer day with no pressure to reach par at the next hole...just a nice easy game of golf for the underachiever type golfer like me!

Another wonderful aspect of the game of golf is the term mulligan. I love mulligans! How relieved I was to hear that wonderful term while trying to play a round with my classmates a few years ago! Isn't it great to have a "do over" when you make a bad shot? You can (usually on the tee shot only) ask for a mulligan if you have a "bad swing"...cool a do over!! It doesn't count!

How many times in my life to I wish I could have a "do over" a mulligan shot! I didn't mean to say that...I didn't mean to act that way or hurt that person...DO OVER...please??

Yep, life is full of mulligan opportunities...when we "mess up" we can ask God for forgiveness and a "do over" of sorts...He takes the mess up and erases it from our score card...it didn't happen... it's gone. He removes our sin as far as the east is from the west...he loves us unconditionally! God believes in DO OVERS! He asks us to repent and confess from our wrongful ways and start over fresh...thank you God for mulligans and second chances and DO OVERS!!