Boundary Lines

Boundaries and divine guardrails.

The other day while photographing this beach scene, I knew that the pilings and ropes were placed at the edge of the pathway to protect the sawgrass and sand dunes from unnecessary erosion. To serve as a guardrail against foot traffic.

Likewise, the boundaries established by our heavenly Father are guardrails that help keep us safe. Yet many people feel that such perimeters stifle their freedom and limit them from having a joyful life. That kind of mindset is so far from who God truly is when it comes to protecting His children.

As a comparison, let's consider what Pastor Steven Furtick had to say in regard to the freedom a dog lover gives to his canine. The pet owner installs a fence around his backyard for two reasons: to bless Fido and to keep him safe. The owner can now let his beloved dog run free within the perimeter of the fence without worrying if he will run into the street and get hit by a car. That boundary keeps Fido safe even though he has no clue that the fence is there for his protection. He is just enjoying his romp in the backyard, unaware of what his master has done for him.

The same can be said for the parameters that God places on believers. Our heavenly Father sets boundaries to bless us and keep us safe.

Pastor Furtick explained such boundaries in this way. “When God sets parameters around your life, what He’s really doing is giving you permission to enjoy His promises within the principles of those parameters so you are not destroyed by the very thing that God intended to bless you with.”

The dog owner erected the fence in order for Fido to enjoy the outdoors and to protect him for being run over by a Mack truck. In the same manner, God created the Ten Commandments as a set of parameters to bless and safeguard believers.

A case in point is the seventh commandment. “You shall not commit adultery.” (Exodus 20:14) This law helps guard a marriage from the emotional issues caused by infidelity. It also protects the husband and the wife from contracting a venereal disease. Yes, being faithful cultivates a marriage that is protected and blessed by God. 

Additionally, divine nudges and the leading of the Holy Spirit often protect a believer from evil people as well as harmful situations that might otherwise be unseen. Such godly nudges and prods are gifts given for the safety and wellbeing of those who belong to Christ. 

Have a blessed day.

“The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.” — Psalm 16:6 (NIV)

The Cost of Freedom

September 11th

September 11, 2001. A day that lives in infamy for our generation just as December 7, 1941, does for those who were alive during the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

As this September 11 comes to an end, one couldn’t help but notice the multitude of remembrances posted on social media and televised on flat screens. Many of the images are tagged with the line “We will never forget.”

One image in particular caught my eye. It’s of Lady Liberty with the Twin Towers in the background. That photo jogged my memory of a similar one I took a few years back while on a boat tour in New York Harbor.

My son had invited me to the city to meet his love, an Irish girl from County Mayo. Some of my descendants came from County Donegal in Ireland, and I’ve always envisioned their arrival on American soil by way of Ellis Island. Hence, I wanted to visit that national landmark and the Statue of Liberty.

When I snapped the photo above in the summer of 2015, in all honesty I can say that September 11 never crossed my mind. 

However, once I posted it to social media, a friend replied, “I will never get use to seeing that image without the Twin Towers.” 

And the American people will never forget the loss of those in the Twin Towers, in the Pentagon, and on Flight 93 that crashed in a Pennsylvania field. 

The brave Americans on board that flight thwarted the hijackers’ plan to fly the aircraft into another national treasure. The passengers knew they would die yet fought to regain control of the plane. In essence, they fought for our lives and our freedom.

Their sacrifice is comparable to the one given by our Lord, Jesus Christ. He offered His life as a living sacrifice for us. God gave His only Son so that we would be saved.

Would you give your only son for the freedom of others? The families of those brave men on Flight 93 know their loved ones did just that for us. And for that, I am eternally grateful.

Have a blessed day.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” - John 3:16 

Wisdom of Small Things

Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise.

Finally! After two years, I’m blogging again.
I really didn’t want to stop blogging but knew I had to because my writing didn’t bring glory to whom it was due. Instead, I was doing it to please people.
You see, I had been a people pleaser since the day I was told as a four year old that people wouldn’t like me if I said certain things or acted a certain way. For decades, I literally wore myself out trying to make sure others thought well of me. Eventually, I figured out that there will always be individuals who don’t care for me no matter how helpful, friendly or peaceable I am.
However, I didn’t know how to overcome the desire to please others, but experience told me that God did. So, I asked Him for help. It took many, many years to get to the point where I am today—a person set on pleasing God instead of people. In the process, He has humbled me to be a light to others.
As I relayed earlier, a couple of years ago I discerned that I was to stop posting to my blog. I knew this because of the many divine nudges to do so. Yet, stopping was one of the hardest things to do as a writer.
A lot has happened in the two years since my last blogpost that was written while I lived on a barrier island along the Florida Panhandle. After living there for only two months, I left the island, moved to South Carolina, and worked at a dental college in Charleston. However, eventually I returned to the Sunshine State.
Shortly after coming back to Florida, a friend asked me to housesit when she flew out of state for a family emergency. During the next three-and-a-half months while living in her waterfront home, I had the opportunity to write a book and hone my photography skills.
On top of all of this, God had been healing some deep-seated strongholds within me for the last few years. At times, I’ve taken two steps forward and one step back during the refining process. I know that all of His fine-tuning is for some future purpose that I’m not privy to yet.
Furthermore, through recent trials and my numerous moves to other locales, I’ve naturally gained greater wisdom even in the smallest of things. However, such wisdom did not come easy, especially if I turned my focus away the Lord. Additionally, there has been a lot of uncertainty about what a new career will look like for the remainder of my days here on earth. Nonetheless, I know the Lord wants me to wait patiently on His timing for such a future endeavor.
During the wait, I’ve been taking a lot of photos. Below are some images of Agama lizards taken last month at a local riverside park. The colorful lizards are the male adults of the species while the smaller, more muted-colored ones are its youth.
Knowing that I am now to give glory to God in my blogposts, I wanted to include a scripture in this entry but doubted lizards were even mentioned in the Bible.
Lo and behold, I found a reference for them in the Old Testament. The book of Proverbs lists lizards as one of four things that are small but extremely wise. (Hmm, didn't I just mention that I gained some wisdom in the smallest of things?) Some versions of the Bible use the word spider instead of lizard, so of course I’m using one that mentions a lizard.
Have a blessed day.
“Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise: Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer; hyraxes are creatures of little power, yet they make their home in the crags; locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks; a lizard can be caught with the hand, yet it is found in kings’ palaces.” — Proverbs 30:24-28 (NIV)

adult male Agama lizard

Agama lizard

Agama lizard