The Train Layout

Colton and I went to the Volusia County Fair a couple of weeks ago to see their HO Train layout. We have been to the fair for at least 5 or 6 years in a row and the highlight for him is their HO layout that is in one of the buildings. We could usually find the building blindfolded, but for some reason that day we could not find it. I have never been so frustrated going to the front of the fair and walking the way it should be and realizing that the building wasn't there. How could an entire building not be where it should be???

Colton and I went back and forth and back and forth and finally walked into a building on the opposite side. There the train layout was behind glass! This was a building I did not remember at all. As we approached the layout, there were photos posted of the building that had previously housed the layout. It had been demolished by the tornado I spoke of early on in my blog in February.

Most of the layout stayed intact, but they had lost a portion that could not be recovered. They were having to start over and rebuild the layout. I was so relieved to know that I wasn't crazy, just misguided in finding a building that did not even exist.

How many times do I try to hold onto something that doesn't even exist anymore? God gives new beginnings every day. Embrace them. Don't go back and try to find something that isn't there anymore. Not only will it make you crazy, but you will miss out on the rebuilding process that only God can direct.

Jeremiah 6:16

" This is what the Lord says: “Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls."

The Box

Every day I pass this box on the side of the road. It has been there for at least two months now. It used to be in a perfect box shape, but after rains and time it now is sagged into a triangle. No one will claim this box. One morning I saw a college-age girl trying to get it into her car, but ended up leaving it there because it would not fit. It has been mowed around and walked around, yet no one will move it.

I find this funny. Somehow I am sure I am not the only one to notice or complain about its existence on the side of the road, obstructing an otherwise beautiful view. Yet, no one will actually dispose of it. I can't help but wonder if it will always remain there until it breaks down and is absorbed into the earth.

It makes me think of responsibility. Responsibility is a task that is taken without a command, or begging. Knowing that something should be done and doing it to help others is showing responsibility. God loves responsibility and has given us the Holy Spirit to encourage us to do the right thing.

Romans 12:8
"If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly."

Happy Thanksgiving

From our table to yours, wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!

Psalm 69:30

"I will praise God's name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving."