Fw: hidden path

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Rob Smith <toanosmith@yahoo.com>
To: Rob Smith <rsmith@mycwa.com>
Sent: Wednesday, May 25, 2016 7:36 AM
Subject: hidden path

The path sometimes seems hidden,

Life's weeds have overgrown...

I cannot find the way out,

I don't know how to go.

- 

Weeds crowd from all directions,

I'm lost within my skin...

Where do I go when all I know

is where I haven't been...

-

Is there a best way from here?

Is there a best from now?

Is there a way to walk this day,

to lead me up and out?

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I need your hand to hold mine,

Your touch to reassure.

I need your light to see now,

I need your words to hear...

-

There is a best way forward,

The best for me this day...

To leave the past behind me,

while learning its mistakes.

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You'll take me through the forest,

You'll guide me on the way,

You'll show me that I'm never lost,

Your presence is my path.

-

Psalm 16:¹¹ You make known to me the path of life;
    in your presence there is fullness of joy;
    at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Fw: the old road

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Rob Smith <toanosmith@yahoo.com>
To: Rob Smith <rsmith@mycwa.com>
Sent: Monday, May 23, 2016 7:30 AM
Subject: the old road

There are places where the old roads that used to connect cities are close to the interstate highway that has replaced them.  In our area, Rochambeau is one of those roads.  You can see the interstate from stretches of Rochambeau.  There are times when the old road is the better way, when traffic is backed up on the highway.  And there are times when it seems like the better way just because you are closer to homes and trees and you don't have to exit to turn into a good place to have lunch.  The old way can be better.  In John chapter 17 Jesus is talking to His Father on our behalf.  He discusses the old road that is the most important road...the road of "knowing the Father" and finding life.  He defines this in verse 3: "Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."  This old road is followed as we hear and believe Jesus' words.  In verse 8 Jesus says, "For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them."  Earlier He says, "...they have obeyed your word.  Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you."  To choose this old road means to leave the interstate highway of popular thought and culture and to follow a more interesting path with more to see and more to do along the way.  It is actually a road of belief...of faith...trusting in the words of the Son and the Father.  It's not about getting somewhere faster...It's about finally getting somewhere that matters.

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blessings,

Rob Smith

Fw: Absolute living in a relative age

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Rob Smith <toanosmith@yahoo.com>
To: Rob Smith <rsmith@mycwa.com>
Sent: Saturday, May 21, 2016 9:23 AM
Subject: Absolute living in a relative age

When you are on the interstate you can't help but notice the behavior of drivers.  One of the common tendencies is to "chase the pack" in the left lane.  The "pack" sets the pace, usually about 10 miles over the speed limit.  Drivers seek to keep up with the pack in the left lane to maximize speed while making it difficult for drivers on the right from entering.  This is an exercise in maximizing "relative" living.  The driver is not nearly as aware of the actual speed difference between right and left lanes but they just "want to get there" as fast as possible...as if driving on the highway is some kind of ongoing race.  Drivers in the right lane may have allowed five minutes cushion to get wherever they're going and are content traveling at some absolute speed, content to let the "relative speed" drivers battle in the other lane.  Now, to be clear, I spend plenty of time chasing the pack in the left lane too!

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We can live our lives in the left lane as well...chasing the cultural pack.  We think the fast crowd is the place to be but if we're not careful we may not allow enough room to think for ourselves or respond and there may be a collision that leaves us damaged.  Left lane drivers have lost sight of the absolute importance of safety and have chosen to take on stress and danger unnecessarily.  If we stay to the right, plan out our trip and allow room to relax we will enjoy the trip and have freedom to think about other things.  As believers in the Lord Jesus we have found the absolute truth that He is with us on the road, leads us better than GPS and would have us move in freedom rather than chasing the crowd.

Food for thought...

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Proverbs 3:¹³ Blessed is the one who finds wisdom,
    and the one who gets understanding,

¹⁷ Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
    and all her paths are peace.

-

blessings,

Rob Smith 

Fw: sky in the pond

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Rob Smith <toanosmith@yahoo.com>
To: Rob Smith <rsmith@mycwa.com>
Sent: Thursday, May 19, 2016 7:12 AM
Subject: sky in the pond

There's sky in the pond this morning;

Looking down also looks up.

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The sun has made water a mirror,

Your glory to magnify.

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There's Heaven on Earth this morning;

Looking in also looks up.

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Your Son has made our hearts mirrors,

Your glorify to magnify.

-

May your light shine bright in this day,

So whether we look up or down,

No escape will we find from your Presence...

In our hearts you will be found.

-

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. ² The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

Fw: flight

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Rob Smith <toanosmith@yahoo.com>
To: Rob Smith <rsmith@mycwa.com>
Sent: Monday, May 16, 2016 7:38 AM
Subject: flight

The downward pull of earth holds me,

planted to the ground.

-

I watch the birds escape that grip,

pulling skyward bound.

-

Osprey, eagle, heron, hawk

from vantage high their breakfast stalk.

-

Power, grace, majestic height,

By their strength achieving flight...

-

Free they seem and riding air

I long to soar, set free from care.

-

Psalm 55:⁶ 
And I say, "Oh, that I had wings like a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest.

-

blessings,

Rob Smith

Fw: turkey vulture

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Rob Smith <toanosmith@yahoo.com>
To: Rob Smith <rsmith@mycwa.com>
Sent: Thursday, May 12, 2016 7:42 AM
Subject: turkey vulture

I spotted this turkey vulture in a tree by the pond this morning.  And then, as he was flushed, I noticed several more in nearby trees.  As they spotted me and left their perches the sound of their powerful wings clawing into the air was impressive.  To be fairly close to these turkey vultures is a little intimidating because of their size.  They are about 2 1/2 feet long with wingspans of 6 feet.  Their purpose seems to be defined by their appetites as they eat freshly dead animals.  They are God's design for a "clean up crew".  This isn't a role that carries a lot of glamor and their black bodies and ugly bald red heads project an image that corresponds to their role.  They are very specialized to succeed.  Highly sensitive senses of smell allow them to detect freshly dead animals from a distance of over a mile.  Their powerful beak enables them to tear into and consume their prey and the bald head is superior to feathers as no tissue sticks to their heads from the eating process.  They also have excellent vision, can dive at speeds up to 60 miles per hour, can rise to elevations up to 20,000 feet and can soar for hours without flapping their wings.

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The thought I have from a spiritual sense is that God's design is complete.  Just as there is a design for life, so there is a design for death.  This earth was planned to support generation after generation of living things and when death comes there must be a "cleaning" to take place to prepare for new generations.  Not all of God's design is pretty at first consideration but, viewed from the standpoint of purpose, we appreciate the designer who takes all things into consideration to carry out His plans.

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 Deuteronomy 14:¹¹ "You may eat all clean birds. ¹² But these are the ones that you shall not eat: the eagle, the bearded vulture, the black vulture, ¹³ the kite, the falcon of any kind;

-

blessings,

Rob Smith

Fw: geese

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Rob Smith <toanosmith@yahoo.com>
To: Rob Smith <rsmith@mycwa.com>
Sent: Wednesday, May 11, 2016 7:36 AM
Subject: geese

Three geese flew overhead this morning at the pond.  I looked up "interesting facts about geese".  They really are remarkable birds.  They mate for life and if one dies the other generally remains single.  The male will sacrifice his life to protect the female, if under attack.  Both parents take an active role in raising the young geese (goslings).  The offspring typically remain close to the parents even after maturing and they return to the place of their birth each year.  When they fly they show great teamwork.  The "V" formations allow following birds to draft behind the lead birds to use less energy and extend their range and they take turns leading these formations.  It's interesting to consider the qualities of loyalty, teamwork and sacrifice that God has built into them.  It's as if geese are natural examples of love captured in a species.

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Romans 1:²⁰ For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.

-

blessings,

Rob Smith

Fw: rain source

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Rob Smith <toanosmith@yahoo.com>
To: Rob Smith <rsmith@mycwa.com>
Sent: Tuesday, May 10, 2016 7:35 AM
Subject: rain source

Heaven's rain felt down below,

connecting God with all He knows.

-

Quench the thirst of earth and man,

Starting from your open hand.

-

Sun may cheer and warm the face,

Without rain this life's erased.

-

Gray skies cause a somber feel, but

Deeper thoughts His truth reveal...

-

Rain comes from the Master's store,

Linking us forevermore.

-

Leviticus 24:⁴ then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.     

-

blessings,

Rob Smith

Fw: covering

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Rob Smith <toanosmith@yahoo.com>
To: Rob Smith <rsmith@mycwa.com>
Sent: Monday, May 9, 2016 7:33 AM
Subject: covering

There is a covering of pollen on the pond this morning.  I was reminded that there is a covering for my sin.  Ever since the Garden of Eden God has fashioned a covering...he covered Adam and Eve in skins.  He covered Noah in the ark.  He covered his people Israel in the parting of the Red Sea (by covering the Egyptians chasing them!).  The law covered His people with a promise of forgiveness coming through obedience to carry out the sacrifices of animals and the tabernacle.  He covered the Israelites even in captivity through the promises of His prophets.  And we are now covered, permanently, through the sacrifice of Jesus, as we understand that His death forever delivers us from the penalty of sin and place our trust in Him.  A covering has come because we are unable to cover ourselves.

-

Genesis 8:¹³ In the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried from off the earth. And Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dry.

-

blessings,

Rob Smith

Fw: instinct

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Rob Smith <toanosmith@yahoo.com>
To: Rob Smith <rsmith@mycwa.com>
Sent: Thursday, May 5, 2016 7:44 AM
Subject: instinct

I've noticed that the wildlife that I love to take pictures of at the pond can sense I'm coming very early.  The herons get flushed and fly away before I can get my camera ready.  I'm sure this is survival instinct.  I was thinking about that word, "instinct".  The first few definitions by Webster of instinct are:

-

• a way of behaving, thinking, or feeling that is not learned 
• a natural desire or tendency that makes you want to act in a particular way
• something you know without learning it or thinking about it

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In God's design, He knew that there were times that the conscious brain could not act quickly enough and the individual creature would not know enough to take necessary actions to survive, so He built in some protection...almost like he "hard wired" the emergency response direct from Heaven.

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As we navigate our way through life, we often don't know enough.  But there is something inside that is "hard wired" to Heaven that seeks to preserve us and protect us.  The Lord knew that our survival, like the wild animals, could not totally rely on the capability of the conscious mind or the scope of our knowledge.  As we recognize that our design is greater than our limitations we are drawn to the One who is greater than we are and who is even more committed to our well being than we can imagine.

-

Job 38:³⁶ Who gives intuition to the heart
    and instinct to the mind?

-

blessings,

Rob Smith

Fw: Fallen tree

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Rob Smith <toanosmith@yahoo.com>
To: Rob Smith <rsmith@mycwa.com>
Sent: Wednesday, May 4, 2016 7:20 AM
Subject: Fallen tree

There is a fallen tree in the pond.  It has been there for years.  Trees were meant to stand tall but this tree fell.  However, it fell into the pond and the surrounding water kept it alive and today it still sprouts branches even as it lies in the water.  We may fall also, but the waters of the Lord will catch us and we can live and even sprout new growth despite some limitations.  We were meant to stand tall and walk freely, but our bodies fail at times and our minds fail at times and our hearts may fail at times.  We may find that we can no longer stand as we once did, but our limitations may provide new and unique ways for the Lord to nourish us, carry us and cause us to flourish.  For He is the author of life.

-

Psalm 37:²³ The steps of a man are established by the Lord,
    when he delights in his way;
²⁴ though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,
    for the Lord upholds his hand.

-

blessings,

Rob Smith

Fw: comfortable in the rain

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Rob Smith <toanosmith@yahoo.com>
To: Rob Smith <rsmith@mycwa.com>
Sent: Tuesday, May 3, 2016 7:35 AM
Subject: comfortable in the rain

It is raining still this morning, as it started raining last night and seems to have continued all night.  A visit to the pond revealed a heron (pictured) who was perfectly at home standing in the rain.  It occurred to me that, while humans flee the rain and seek shelter, wildlife can be completely at home despite the downfall.  In fact, the stirred up pond waters may flush a breakfast fish to the surface for our heron. 

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And as the rain of life's challenges and trials may tend to cause us to run to escape...perhaps we need to remember that we were built to stand in that rain and allow the Lord to meet us in the midst of it all.  It seems the shelter may come at times not from avoiding the rain but from experiencing it with the Lord.

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Psalm 138:⁷ Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
    you preserve my life;
you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
    and your right hand delivers me.

-

blessings,

Rob Smith