A Joyful Apple a Day . . .

I sit here with my Bible open, a fragrant cup of tea at my elbow, the sun streaming through the windows, and the soft sounds of The Lord’s Been Good to Me dancing on the harp strings as Lydia practices in the music room.

Those chirpy lyrics from the Disney classic short about Johnny Appleseed dance through my head:

The Lord's Been Good To Me
Lyrics by Kim Gannon and Walter Kent


The Lord is good to me
And so I thank the Lord
For giving me the things I need
The sun and rain and an appleseed
Yes He's been good to me.

I owe the Lord so much
For everything I need
I'm certain if it wasn't for Him
There'd be no apples on this limb
He's been good to me

Oh here I am
'Neath the blue, blue sky
A'doin' as I please
Singing with my feathered friends
Or with the bees

I wake up every day
As happy as can be
Because I know that with His care
My apple trees will still be there
Oh, the Lord is good to me.

He HAS been good to me!

Just the other night Gary and I sat down after a long day and enjoyed watching this on DVD. Yes, the children had all gone to bed and we enjoyed alone time with a Disney DVD. In hard times it just makes sense to nourish hope and discourage gloom. We need to remember sprightly folks like John “Johnny Appleseed” Chapman, strong moral leaders like George Washington, and a historical roll call of others like Daniel-in-the-lion’s-den who chose to rejoice in tough times and celebrate the joy in knowing that God’s blessings have no expiration date or fine print or hidden pork. Plain and simple: He loves us and holds us close.

My time in the Word today gifted me with this confident bit of hope:

Have not I commanded thee?
Be strong and of a good courage;
Be not afraid,
Neither be thou dismayed:
For the LORD thy God is with thee
Whithersoever thou goest.
Joshua 1:9

Withersoever I go . . . what a fantastic bit of encouragement! Withersoever certainly covers just about any place I may be thinking of setting out for. : D

Earlier today I received an email from a dear friend who frets and worries over the state of our world. That fear seems to be creeping into many hearts these days. So many had hopes. So many sought change. But now, so many fear loss. So many fear . . . It does appear that things will change and become lost and all the rest, but we need not lose hope. The earth never supplied it to begin with; no trading floors exist devoted to hope, only counterfeit ideas abound that materials and goods and $$ bring happiness. But I really don’t care much for the quixotic “happy” of the world, I prefer the solid joy of the Lord.

So for today I will smile in the face of a newly budded snowdrop,

Or marvel at the rapid growth of Rachel’s little dish garden of feathery carrot tops and boldly colored beet leaves.

This little bit of growth hints at the bounty to come when Summer will walk along our rows and runners.

Hope

It can be found just about anywhere you look.

* * *

A smile has gently crawled across my face; a tickle has begun in my toes and sets me up to dance. Oh, I need to vacuum and load the dishwasher, wash a few clothes and plan another meal, but for the moment I must simply bask in the joy of knowing that I can go nowhere beyond my Loving Father’s sight. Wherever I go . . . He sees me . . . and encourages me to rejoice. So, rather than look down at my worn out shoes or the weary path beneath them, I shall look up and around at all the beauty freely springing up around me: Gifts from my Father. Withersoever I goest I shall go with a smile.

Have a Splendid Weekend!
: D

*Illustrations from Disney's Johnny Appleseed.