Higher Ground Reflections by the Sea © Betsy Glass August 29, 2012

Wise choices will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe. -Proverbs 2:11 NLT Walking the beach not so long ago I was with my family and we set out to search for sandollars. They are my favorite. Everyone was at the waters edge looking for the one that was riding the tide of seafoam before settling onto the wet sand. There would be one, two and three. Then, more. As more sandollars were found, we began to attract a crowd. I decided to leave the shallows for higher ground. To my surprise, I collected just as many as everyone else, but mine were dry and white as they sat on top of the hard sand. They had been there for days and had gone unnoticed to my delight!  This week I was been given many choices to either take the higher ground in my actions or wade ankle deep in the muck. It is a choice to not enter into discussions that you know are going to end in disagreement. It is a choice to walk away from a person that is argumentative or negative. It is a choice to guard our thoughts when it would be so much easier to gossip or mock someone. Yes, I think God puts us to the test sometimes to remind us that He is always watching us and He knows our heart. We either pass or fail this test. And if we fail, it means we must do better and that if we are truly living in God and He in us, we can make only one choice…to always take the high road…to walk the higher ground with Him. A friend told me this week that our mouth acts as a rudder. The rudder is what steers the direction of a boat. It is very small but very powerful. I thought that was such an accurate statement. There is a saying, “The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live”. So it is up to us which road we take. Temptations will chase us down to pull us back in to the old strongholds like the speed of a rushing tide. But it is the choice that we make in that split moment about how to conduct ourselves and what path we choose to walk that steers our path. God will always meet us on the higher ground.

Great Egret

Great Egret Reflections by the Sea ©  Betsy Glass August 19, 2012

Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king. -1 Peter 2:17 NIV The Great Egret is the largest of the white, wading birds found in this area in the wetlands. Moving about on their long black legs gives them the appearance of doing everything in slow motion. Their pointed bills are yellow and that is what they use to spear small fish, which is a main part of their diet. The Great Egret can either nest in trees or in low shrubs where they live in colonies of up to 100 birds. The word egret is French and it means “ornamental tufts of plumes”. When the Great Egret is in breeding season they will grow a plume. It was the plume that hunters sought after that nearly put the Great Egret into extinction in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Fortunately, they are now protected and can be seen enjoying the Outer Banks in large numbers. When I see a Great Egret, there are certain words that come to mind like graceful, elegant, polite and poised. They behave as though they have impeccable manners to go with their majestic appearance! The Great Egret is in complete contrast to the noisy gull that shows his greed without remorse. I prefer the elegance of the Great Egret! Is our behavior more like the Great Egret or the noisy Gull? How would the people we live and work with describe us? Should we be afraid of the answer! The formality that our grandparents once lived by that promoted respect, kindness, manners and courtesy seems to be fading away in favor of an unrestricted casualness. Gone are the Sunday hats and gloves our grandmothers wore to church. And that may be a welcomed change for some. But more importantly, also gone are some of the basic values we once lived by of being polite, putting others first and showing respect. Is the way we behave and the way we treat others something that would please God? The lady at the grocery checkout counter would appreciate a kind word. So would all of the many people that we come in contact with each day, but don’t think to speak kindly to….if we speak at all! Sometimes there is a tendency to be less than courteous to someone we know we may never see again. God says that everyone deserves our respect, whether it is earned or not. Our actions say a lot about our character. Our children and grandchildren are learning from our example and they will follow our lead. One smile, one random act of kindness, a show of respect can make someone’s day. It can make our day, too.

The Sky's the Limit

The Sky's the Limit Reflections by the Sea ©  Betsy Ore Glass August 16, 2012

Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. -2 Cor. 13: 11 NIV “The sky’s the limit”…..that’s a saying that has been around a long time; probably since before WWI. It was a phrase that was a symbol of optimism and progress. It is used to describe abundance; no limits as to what one can achieve or strive for and no upper boundaries. Haven’t we encouraged one another from time to time and said these very words, “The sky’s the limit”? I know I have.  The other evening at dusk when these beautiful clouds in today’s photo were forming, we had to pull our car over to the side of the road so we wouldn’t miss the moment. It was a spectacular sky. The colors were rich and they reflected over the water and cast a beautiful orange glow in the atmosphere. But in all the beauty, a storm was taking shape. The lightning was sharp and it burst from the center of the clouds in a way that it surprised us. We didn’t expect it. Sometimes the beauty of something is lost because of something bad that comes along and that is exactly what happened to us. We forgot for a moment all the glory in the sky and instead waited for the next bolt of lightening. It is just our nature sometimes to veer off into the negative when all we need is a nudge, an encouragement, a reminder to stay positive. I have come to realize that everyone needs a lift at times. So often, the rigors of coping with each day are overwhelming. Students are starting another school year with anticipation mixed with fear of new beginnings. New parents are trying to cope with so many “firsts” on precious little sleep. Families are trying to balance work schedules to maximize communication with each other. And seniors seek a life that keeps purpose and usefulness in the forefront. We are all simply doing the best we can. And how wonderful it is when someone comes along side of us and notices our efforts, or notices that the struggle is getting the best of us? All we need some days is a hug, a kind word, a telephone call, acknowledgement in a card or letter, or a bit of time for someone to listen over a cup of coffee. Often times that is all it takes to feel “normal” again. Encouragement means something different to each of us. Most often we try to encourage others the same way we wish to be encouraged and that doesn’t always work. When we rely on the Holy Spirit to direct us, we will be given the right words at the right time to help when the need reveals itself divinely. Remind yourself that “the sky’s the limit” for your own hopes and dreams. If you are thinking them, it is a good chance that God has given them to you to hold on to until they manifest. And be an encourager to others. It is a gift and an honor if someone considers you an “encourager”. When given the chance, do it to give someone a much needed bit of hope for their day. We can ask God to give us eyes like His so we can see when someone needs a lift. The “sky’s the limit” to what we can do in His Name.

Pressing Through

Pressing Through

Reflections by the Sea © Betsy Ore Glass
August 09, 2012

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? -Roman 8:31 NIV When I was a little girl playing at the ocean’s edge during our many vacations to the Outer Banks, the big waves would knock me down and I would get back up in time for the next wave to tumble me once more. I wasn’t out far, maybe just up to my knees but the swiftness and force of the water knocked my legs out from under me each time. Many times I’d repeat this over and over until exhaustion set in and I would come ashore and rest before going back out again. Life is like that at times, one wave after another can come against us. We can hardly stand up straight before we get knocked down again with trials, problems, conflicts and demands that won’t go away. If this has happened in your life, you know that the only way to get past these times is to press through. Giving up, “washing our hands of it” or running away won’t give us the victory we seek. Pressing through means to stay with it and never give up. Find another way around the situation. Patience, persistence and determination are all we need to press through to our destiny. God is for us and He is greater than any obstacle or problem we face. Possess a “never give up” attitude. We can reach up to take hold of God’s hand and strength during these times. Having an “overcomer” mentality will keep us on the road to our destiny instead of getting sidetracked by the difficulties we stumble upon on our journey. When the waves of life rise up against us, we must rise up even higher.

Sailing

Sailing Reflections by the Sea © Betsy Glass August 02, 2012

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. –Proverbs 1:7 NIV Sailing… maybe I have gone once or twice in my life. But I do appreciate the sleekness of the vessel and the fact that the wind is the power that pushes the sails. What I liked most about sailing was the sound of the wind and the flapping of the sails. Yes, it is hard work and I do admit that others were doing that. I was a spectator because I had no knowledge of what to do. So I appreciated the wisdom of those surrounding me that did the work and was appreciative and confidant in their understanding. That allowed me to enjoy the beauty of the moment. The wise sailors on board mapped the navigation which helped us to chart our course. They observed the weather and changing winds while staying clear of any obstacles that could harm us. It was amazing to witness the magnificent power of the wind over the water. Isn’t that how life is? If we choose to live a Christian life, we have our Bible as our guide. It is our navigation system and scriptures keep us from hitting the obstacles that life throws at us occasionally. The Holy Spirit is the breath that powers us through the fog, storms and high waves. Oh but if everyone chose to live this way… We were at a little marina last evening. It is specifically for sailboats and a few small ski boats are moored there. Some folks bring their boats in on trailers and drop them in the water. We marveled at the inexperience of one group of people trying to get their boat out of water onto their trailer. They tried and tried and tried. Other people came by to help guide and steer them, but they were not listening. They would do it their way. They blocked traffic and finally someone had to jump in to help and tow the boat, trailer and vehicle off the ramp. A lack of knowledge was their biggest obstacle. Some people get experience the hard way while others listen, look and learn before getting into deep water. The mistakes are often costly. If the tools are readily available to us, why not use them. If wise people seek friendship with us and want to mentor us on our journey, say yes! Seek the better way. We can weather anything if we know we are anchored in God’s love, protection and wisdom.