God"s good gifts

4:30 p.m. Today's project was to welcome my daughters, Mrs. Heather Love and Mrs. Heidi Ilie, and Heidi's dogs Sammy and Jazzlyn to visit with our Jada.

Our luncheon menu was turkey taco salad, with avocado, tomato, salsa and Sargento three cheese Mexican shredded topping. Heidi had her serving in two taco shells, but Heather and I aren't eating many carbs these days. Just like Daniel and his friends refused to eat King Nebuchadnezzar's delicacies (Daniel 1:8-16), each of us has to prayerfully find out what is best for us to eat!

Heidi had arrived early, so we spent time getting the dogs settled and discussing the Bible studies we are slated to teach this summer. She'll be teaching Ephesians to a young women's group, and I'll be regathering my ladies of all ages on Thursdays for II Samuel.  Exciting, challenging times, but God's calling guaranties His leading and wisdom in preparation for teaching!

When Heather arrived, we talked about her church's send-off to plant a Sandals in Chicago while ministering to a needy neighborhood. Then we went out to the garden, where Heather pointed out all the tiny baby avocados on my tree! I don't know if they will mature this time around, but maybe a few will! Isn't God good to fulfill His promises? Genesis 1:29 tells of His promise to Adam:

And God said, "See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all of the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food."

Families, the food we live on, constructive work inside or outside of the home, creative, exciting ministry endeavors that God chooses for each individual Christian; the fellowship of other believers in a local church to encourage one another in our trials, as well as celebrate our successes--these are gifts of God to us!

Solomon mentioned the temporal pleasures God has provided for us in Ecclesiastes 2:24:

Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God.

But there is a greater gift, the greatest Gift ever given in the entire history of mankind: God's gift of salvation through Jesus' death on the cross, and new life because of His resurrection! We can be saved from eternity in hell and be born again into God's family!

If you want to receive God's gift of salvation, please write me back!