Garden Conversations with the Creator - Martin Wiles

When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. 

~Genesis 3:8 NLT

Walking in the garden was a Sunday-afternoon tradition, but it was nothing like garden conversations with the Creator.

Edisto Gardens is located in Orangeburg, South Carolina, the only town the 250-mile-long Edisto River passes through. The river is one of only a few Blackwater rivers—so named because decaying vegetation falls into the river, giving it a black appearance. A smaller pond filled with fish and turtles idles near a rose garden where prize roses show off their sparkling blooms. Several paths meander on either side of the paved road, snaking through the middle of the gardens. Moss-covered oaks keep most of the garden shaded. Several small covered sheds provide a place to rest for those who want to sit and admire the beauty.

When I was a small boy, my paternal grandfather took me there every Sunday afternoon. It was our alone time. We stopped in the sheds so I could read the names of those who had disobeyed park rules and carved their names in the wood. We ambled along the river’s edge to the waterwheel. It served no purpose but continued turning as if it did. And my granddaddy held my hand as I walked along the rock wall, trying to maintain my balance. Spending time in the garden with my grandfather was always enjoyable.

Walking in the cool of the Garden of Eden with God must have been even more enjoyable for Adam and Eve. Wondering how two people could walk with God—or questioning whether he was physically present —misses the point. They had garden conversations with the Creator. How long this continued before the tempter showed up, we can’t be sure. I suppose growing older interrupted my walks with my grandfather. Disobedience did for the first couple.

God wants nothing more than to enjoy these garden walks with us. It begins when we accept what Jesus did on Calvary’s cross, and it continues through the spiritual disciplines of prayer, Bible study, and fellowship with other believers. Sin, misplaced priorities, busyness, and any number of other things can disrupt our garden walks, but they don’t have to.

Although God expelled Adam and Eve from the garden, he still walked with them when they confessed and sought reconciliation. He’ll do the same for us when we copy their behavior.

Don’t let anything interfere with your garden conversations with the Creator.

Father, thank you for your willingness to walk with me daily. 

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

Crockpot Chicken and Dressing

Ingredients 

2 boxes Jiffy Cornbread Mix (cooked)

4 Biscuits (cooked)

2 Eggs

1 Onion

2 cans Chicken Broth or the broth from the chicken

3 Boneless Breasts (Boiled)

2 Tablespoons Sage

2 Tablespoons Butter

Salt/pepper

2 cans of Cream of Chicken soup

Directions 

Mix cornbread, biscuits, eggs, sage, salt/pepper, and butter in a large bowl. Set aside.

Boil chicken and onion together. Once the chicken cools, pull it apart and place it in a separate bowl.

Pour chicken broth into the cornbread mixture and mix. If needed, add the chicken broth.

Grease crockpot and add one can of chicken soup.

 Add half of the dressing mixture, then the chicken, and finally the remaining dressing.

 Top with the other can of Cream of Chicken soup.

Cook on low for 3 to 4 hours. If needed sooner, cook on high for 1 hour.

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

When Losing Sight Helps Us See More Clearly - Martin Wiles

Saul picked himself up off the ground, but when he opened his eyes, he was blind. Acts 9:8 NLT

I’m not blind, but I fear becoming that way one day.

At a young age, I was told my eyesight was poor. I needed glasses. Since then, my eyes have progressively gotten worse. Every four years, the optometrist would tell me I needed stronger lenses. Now, at sixty-five, I suffer from chronic dry eye disease, nearsightedness, and glaucoma risk. Additionally, I must wear bifocals. As a young child, I feared going blind. My fear is greater now than then. I muddle through most days with on-and-off blurred vision, not because I need stronger lenses—the ones I have are new—but because the glands that lubricate my eyes are damaged beyond repair.

Paul’s blindness had nothing to do with poor eyesight—unless this episode led to poor eyesight being his thorn in the flesh, as some have suggested. He was a staunch advocate of Judaism, hated this new sect called The Way, and spent his days hunting down Jesus followers. For him, they deserved persecution, jail, or death. Until God blinded him so he could see. He was like the other religious leaders Jesus rebuked. Jesus told them they needed to be blind (spiritually) so they could see. Unfortunately, most of them wouldn’t trade the legalistic sight they had for the spiritual blindness they needed.

I may have come into the world physically sighted, but I was spiritually blind. God things weren’t on my mind. Although at some point, I recognized there was something or someone greater than I was, I never bothered to search out this Being until he blinded me as he did Paul. Unlike Paul, I didn’t lose my physical sight, but I did have to become blind to my own ambitions and wants so I could see the proper way. Paul did too.

In Paul’s blindness, the risen Christ spoke to him. He believed, and his sight was restored—literally and spiritually. From that moment, he became the greatest proponent of what he once violently opposed.

Believing I was a sinner who needed to see clearly—and then turning to Jesus Christ, who paid for my sins—was how I received my sight. It’s the only way any of us can see.

Be willing to go blind so God can restore your sight.

Father, I praise you for providing for my salvation. Blind me to myself, so I can see your plan and purpose. 

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

Thanking God in the Darkness - Martin Wiles

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT

Ours had been a year where giving thanks in all circumstances challenged us. It required thanking in the darkness.

The storms began in March when Mom fell and broke her wrist. The doctor had warned her not to go outside or bend over, whether inside or outside. We had repeated his warning to her numerous times. She wouldn’t listen. Sure enough, the inevitable finally happened. Knowing my stepfather, who was a small man and who also had Alzheimer’s, could not care for her, we started the process of getting Mom into a skilled nursing facility.

With Mom gone, my stepfather’s cognitive ability rapidly declined. He could no longer care for himself. The doctor informed us that he, too, needed to be in a skilled nursing facility or have round-the-clock care. He couldn’t afford the latter, so we began the process of getting him into the same facility—and perhaps the same room—as Mom. But when we informed his children—most of whom had been disengaged from his life for more than a decade—they disagreed with our decision.

In short order, they hired an attorney to revoke my POA, made accusations against us to the Department of Social Services, and sued to get full inheritance of his and Mom’s house. So Mom had to hire an attorney to defend herself—only she couldn’t take care of any of those legal matters, so it fell upon me as her POA. As of this writing, the legal battle continues.

To add to our struggles, my mother-in-law, who had lived with us for almost two years, had a mini-stroke and fell, hitting her head in the process. By the next day, we had to move her to the Hospice House, and within four days, she was gone.

Amid the challenges, fall arrived—my favorite time of the year. I watched the leaves turn vibrant colors, felt the temperatures fall, and enjoyed the crispness of each morning and evening. One morning, as I filled the bird feeder on the fence at the back of our yard, I noticed a lone doe feeding on the acorns among the leaves. She stared at me, but made no effort to run. I returned to the house to get my phone to take a picture. When I returned, she still stood there. I took several photos as she posed.

Suddenly, my perspective changed. Despite the year’s challenges, I had much to be thankful for. I worshipped the Creator of all the beauty I witnessed. My wife and I experienced a few minor health issues during the year, but nothing major. We had two wonderful children and seven rambunctious grandsons to enjoy. We had a wonderful church family and numerous friends. Our son had given up an unhealthy habit he had indulged in for many years. Our income paid the bills and gave us a little leftover for short vacations. God loved us and accepted us into his family.

The list could go on, but Paul was right. Even if our year’s circumstances had been worse, I could still find myself thanking God in the darkness. The little preposition “in” makes all the difference. God never tells us to thank him “for” all circumstances, just in them. This we can do when we remember that a good and loving God controls those circumstances and will forever work them for our good and his glory.

This Thanksgiving and every day, thank God. Doing so will change your perspective on life.

Father, regardless of how the darkness appears, lead me to thank you in all things. 

 

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

Life After Death: The Comfort Behind Being Absent from the Body - Martin Wiles

Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:8 NLT

Death. Funerals. They’re both a part of life. I don’t enjoy either of them, but they come with the life-on-earth territory. Death respects no age or person. Comforting those who have lost loved ones challenges the best of us. And Bible verses don’t always do the trick. I’ve seen anger, frustration, bitterness, confusion, and relief. However—and whenever—death comes, separation takes place, and separations are never easy. Attempting to comfort, I have made the statement: “You know what the Bible says, ‘To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.’” Still, knowing a loved one is with the Lord doesn’t completely eliminate the sense of loss the one left behind feels.

Paul’s life since trusting Christ had been rough. As he panhandled the gospel over the known world, his enemies hounded his steps. Stonings, beatings, jailings, false accusations, desertions by friends. He faced them all. But comfort came through his belief that if they took his life, he would be at home with his Savior.

The concept of an afterlife—as most Christians now understand it—developed slowly. In the Old Testament, the afterlife was viewed as a shadowy existence. Not until the New Testament was the concept more fully developed. A blissful place called heaven for those who’ve accepted Christ as their Savior, but torment and judgment for those who reject him.

While some believe nothing happens between death and the final resurrection, many, perhaps most, believe we are composed of body, soul, and spirit—or at least body and spirit. Either way, we have a part that lives on after death before the resurrection of our bodies. Believing this is a comforting thought when we lose loved ones, if they know Christ as Savior. We may not have them anymore, but a day will come when we’ll see them again.

Death is not the end of our existence. Life continues. Make sure your and your loved ones’ eternity is secure with God in heaven.

Father, thank you for the hope of an eternity with you when we place our faith in your Son. 

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

Corn Bread Salad

 

Ingredients

       1 BOX JIFFY CORN MUFFIN MIX         

4 TOMATOES (CHOPPED)

12 STRIPS BACON (FRIED BROWN)

1 ONION (CHOPPED)

1 BELL PEPPER (CHOPPED)

             

1 CUP MAYONNAISE

½ CUP SWEET PICKLES (CHOPPED)

        

¼ CUP PICKLE JUICE

Directions

COOK CORN MUFFIN MIX AND LET COOL.

MIX ALL VEGETABLES AND BACON TOGETHER; SET ASIDE.

CRUMBLE CORN BREAD AND SET ASIDE.

MIX MAYONNAISE AND PICKLE JUICE. BLEND WELL.

PUT HALF OF CORN BREAD AND HALF OF VEGETABLES IN DISH; DRIZZLE HALF OF MAYONNAISE OVER IT.

REPEAT LAYER. CHILL OVERNIGHT.

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

The Kindness Finger - Martin Wiles

The people of the island were very kind to us. It was cold and rainy, so they built a fire on the shore to welcome us. Acts 28:2 NLT

While driving down the road, my granddaddy gave the kindness finger to every driver he met.

Down South, we pride ourselves on friendliness. Some parts appear friendlier than others. During a particular time of the year, everyone I pass in their yard will probably be waving frantically. (In reality, they probably aren’t any friendlier. They’re just shooing away gnats.) I’ve had the privilege of talking with many people who have moved from other regions of the United States and had them tell me how friendly we are—a welcome relief.

My granddaddy fell under the category of friendly. He drove first an ice truck, second a milk truck, and finally an ice cream truck for more than forty years. When I was old enough, I spent the entire summer helping him deliver ice cream. Every vehicle he met coming down the road, he gave a kindness finger to—the index finger. In the South, that’s the finger we give. Rarely do we throw up a hand; we merely lift one finger.

Before I knew any better, I often wondered how my granddaddy knew so many people. Then I discovered he hardly knew any of the people he offered a finger to. He was simply being friendly and living out what he had learned from residing in the South.

Paul and those with him on the ship encountered friendliness after their ship ran aground. He was on his way to Rome to stand trial for his faith in Christ. While on this unexpected stopover, he and the crew encountered friendly islanders who gave them a kindness finger. In return, Paul showed them a kindness finger by healing the chief official’s father.

So how do we give kindness? Kindness is not genetic, but it is learned and free. If we want friends, we must be one. Coming from an environment where anger and rudeness were shown is no excuse to act the same way. God considers us his friends when we accept his Son as our Savior. Since he accepts us as friends, he expects us to return the favor. While having more than a few good friends in a lifetime is rare, we can show a finger of kindness to everyone we meet—even our enemies.

Ask God to help you give a finger of kindness to the people in your path.

Father, I accept your friendship through my relationship with Christ and ask you to help me to be friendly to others as well. 

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.