Shirlee Abbott

Building Better Gates

Posted on November 9, 2015 by Shirlee Abbott

Do you have a gate?

Keeps the dog and kids out of traffic
Keeps the critters out of the garden
Keeps the creeps out of my community

A wall without a gate is useless.

The wall and gates of Jerusalem were destroyed. Nehemiah rebuilt the wall with rubble from its destruction. The gates were burned. New wood was required.

Nehemiah 2:7-8 (MSG)
Then I said, “If it please the king, provide me with . . . an order to Asaph, keeper of the king’s forest, to supply me with timber for the beams.”

Are gates of your soul approved by the the King of kings?

For more on the topic of godly gates. read Lesson 3 of Rebuilding the Walls.

Posted in other | Tagged gates, Nehemiah, Nehemiah 2:7-8 | Comments Off

Time to Come

Posted on November 6, 2015 by Shirlee Abbott

Posted in other | Tagged Come Lord Jesus, Revelation 22:20, Time | Comments Off

Time After Its Own Kind

Posted on November 5, 2015 by Shirlee Abbott

Genesis 1:11, 14 (NASB)
Then God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind . . . Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons.”

God created the plants; we plan ahead, till the ground and plant the seeds in neat rows. God created time; we plan ahead, establish routines and work our way down our to-do lists.

Just as seeds mysteriously burst into plants after their own kind, seconds mysteriously burst into accomplishments after their own kind.

May your accomplishments be the right kind.

Posted in other | Tagged after its own kind, creation, Genesis 1:11-14, plants, Time | Comments Off

My Favorite Season

Posted on November 4, 2015 by Shirlee Abbott

Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NIV)
There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens.

Autumn has long been my favorite season. It occurs to me that I’m in my personal autumn. Childhood was spring. Motherhood was summer. Grandmotherhood is autumn. And it is a grand season.

Posted in other | Tagged Ecclesiastes 3:1, grandchildren, seasons | 2 Comments

My Troubled Times

Posted on November 3, 2015 by Shirlee Abbott

I’ve been seeing time as my enemy: I race against time, there is never enough time, I resent interruptions to my own plans for my time.

I’ve been telling myself that if I’d been the creator, I’d have arranged things a tad more efficiently.

Seriously?

Time was created for you, Jesus tells me. It is my gift to you.

It’s time for my attitude adjustment.

Posted in other | Tagged Time | 2 Comments

Creating Time

Posted on November 2, 2015 by Shirlee Abbott

We fell back. One hour. Do you care?

It’s great—I like morning light
No matter to me
It’s the only extra hour in my life

Try as we might, humans can’t create time.

Genesis 1:14, 18-19 (NASB)
Then God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years . . . and God saw that it was good. There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.

God, who is beyond time, created time. On day 4. For us.

I’m curious. How were days 1-3 measured?

Posted in other | Tagged creation, Daylight Savings Time, Genesis 1:14, Time | 2 Comments

Praise God from Whom Sabbath Blessings Flow

Posted on October 30, 2015 by Shirlee Abbott

Posted in other | Tagged Doxology, Hebrews 4:9, Sabbath | Comments Off

Sabbath Previews of Coming Attractions

Posted on October 29, 2015 by Shirlee Abbott

Hebrews 4:9-10 (CEV)
But God has promised us a Sabbath when we will rest, even though it has not yet come. On that day God’s people will rest from their work, just as God rested from his work.

The earthly Sabbath is a foreshadow of our celestial future. Heaven will be radiant and exhilarating. Thus our Sabbath days mustn’t be drab and tedious.

Oh joy!

Posted in other | Tagged Hebrews 4:9-10, Sabbath, Sabbath rest | 2 Comments

What About “Remember the Sabbath” Don’t You Understand?

Posted on October 28, 2015 by Shirlee Abbott

Not so long ago, God and I had quite a talk about the Sabbath Day.

God: What about “Remember the Sabbath” don’t you understand?

Me: I’ve just got too much to do. There’s never enough time.

God: There’s always enough time.

Me: I need more hours in the day.

God: You have enough hours. What you need is more rest. As in every seventh day.

I stopped arguing and started embracing the Sabbath. Cleaning and shopping undone by supper on Saturday wait till after supper on Sunday. Truth be told, my house is no dirtier and my cupboards no emptier.

Posted in other | Tagged Remember the Sabbath day, Sabbath | 2 Comments

And God Said, “Don’t Work”

Posted on October 27, 2015 by Shirlee Abbott

Exodus 20:9-11 (CEV)
You have six days when you can do your work, but the seventh day of each week belongs to me, your God. No one is to work on that day.

Some of our ancestors were strict about Sabbath work. Stock was fed, but fields weren’t plowed. Meals were prepared Saturday night and slow-cooked in the wood stove. No sewing. No gardening. Church and rest were the order of their Sundays.

Perhaps they went overboard with their rules. Might we be drowning in disobedience?

Posted in other | Tagged Exodus 20:9-10, Remember the Sabbath day, Sabbath | 8 Comments