Thought for August 15, 2024

•  1620: Mayflower leaves England with 102 Pilgrims
• 1635: First recorded North American hurricane hits Plymouth Colony
• 1911: P&G unveils Crisco shortening
• 1914: Panama Canal opens
• 1939: "The Wizard of Oz" premiers. What a great year at the movies: "Gone with the Wind,""Wuthering Heights," "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," "Hunchback of Notre Dame," "Stagecoach", "Intermezzo", "The Little Princess". "Drums Along the Mohawk", "Dark Victory"
• 1969: Woodstock begins
• Born: Napoleon, Julia Child, Oscar Peterson [jazz], Melinda Gates, Phyllis Schlafly, Ethel Barrymore, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lawrence
• Died: MacBeth [killed in battle although Shakespeare says otherwise], Will Rogers, Wiley Post

Thought:

Reading Mark 10: 13-16 this morning. Here is what I am learning from these verses:

• Children are precious to the Lord. People are having fewer children. Couples are deciding not to have children--don't want the cost, don't want the responsibility, don't want the inconvenience. Or some people are having children that they cannot care for. Children are hungry--but not just for food, for love, attention, direction, example, affirmation, encouragement. Jesus always had time for children. Many of His miracles involved children. Here, He welcomes the children over the objection of the disciples. He wants to bless the children, Verse 16 challenges me--if Jesus had time to stop and bless the children, what am I doing that is more important? Bless them by being there, telling them about Jesus and His love for them. Disciplining them and directing them. Encouraging them and supporting them. 
• Children believe in the impossible and see the "real" world. Coming to Jesus like little children means I come believing Him even when I cannot see or understand how. Children have the capacity to live in an unseen land--invisible friends, invisible food and drink, invisible opponents. I need to be able to do that to--I have an invisible friend in the Holy Spirit. I have an invisible enemy in satan. I have invisible food and drink provided by Jesus--the living water and the bread of life. And my struggle is against the forces of evil in heavenly places.
• Children trust. Children will jump into a pool although they cannot swim if daddy says, "I'll catch you." Children lose their fear when they hear mommy's voice or take her hand. Children can sleep through storms if they know their parents are with them. Lord, help me be like them, knowing that my Father will catch me, protect me, provide for me. 
• Think about a kingdom where we believe in the impossible because God said its true and we trust Him for everything. That's a child of the kingdom.

Blessings

Larry