Do you ever get a song stuck in your head? I have had this song stuck in my head for a long time. Recently a friend posted a portion of the song on her Facebook page and that got me going. Just what does the future hold?
The Bible tells us that God has plans for us. Plans that will not harm us, but will be good for us. I truly believe that. The Lord has been very good to me. For years my favorite Bible verse was Psalm 27: 14. “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”
I waited patiently. He saw me through the death of my first husband. He saw me through cancer treatments. I waited seventeen years until he paired me with Don. Then, he saw me through his death as well. Now I wait patiently for his direction.
If you ask me now, I would have to say my favorite verse from the Bible is Jeremiah29:11. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”. If you look up this verse, I urge you to continue reading for there is a whole lot more to this passage. As I continue to age, my trust is in him.
The song I referred to is “I Know Who Holds the Future”. The portion my friend posted was from one of the verses to this song. I remember Dick and I sang this song in church one Easter Sunday. I probably remember because my voice was scratchy from all of the flowers on the altar. When I got to church, I popped a Benadryl to take care of what was happening with the flowers.
The verse I especially like says, “I don’t worry o’er the future, for I know what Jesus said. And today I’ll walk beside him for he knows what is ahead.” What an assuring verse this is!
I have often said that I do not worry. My reason is that worrying robs me of time I could spend on something else. When my daughter married, she was living out of town and planned everything from there. She was to wear my wedding gown so that was not an issue. All we had to do was visit a seamstress to have it shortened for her. I attended a workshop the week before the wedding. Everyone asked me if I was worried. I told them I was not because I did not have time to worry.
Part of the reason I did not worry was because of this song. The chorus says, “Many things about tomorrow I don’t seem to understand but I know who holds the tomorrow and I know who holds my hand.”
As we make our way through the Lenten season, we focus on what it means to us. Some people give up something. Some add a duty to their list of things to do. Whatever you do, focus on the saving grace of Jesus.
SOMETHING
INTERESTING
Another thing that crossed my desk was an article about olive trees. I love olives and enjoy them with sandwiches. I especially like calamata olives with my egg salad.
Olives grow around the Mediterranean Region. If you remember it was an olive branch that was brought back to Noah to let him know it was safe to come out of the ark. Olives begin to grow when the blossoms fall off the tree. They are initially green, but then turn to the darker colors. I have never been particularly fond of the black variety. I can tolerate them on pizza and in pasta salad, but I never eat them plain although I remember my children and their cousins putting them on all of their fingers and enjoying them.
It is believed that an olive tree was a gift from Athena that was planted on the north side of the Acropolis. This tree is believed to be alive today. If it withers, they take a piece of it and replant it so that it continues. From biblical times the olive was a symbol of sacredness, peace, and unity. Remember the saying of extending the olive branch!
It is amazing to me that an olive tree can last as long as that one. They are a part of Greek cuisine. I also found multiple scriptural references to the olive. It was a source of food (Nehemiah 9:25). It is used for lamp oil (Exodus 27:20. They are used as a medicine (Isaiah 1:6 and Luke 10:34). It is an anointing oil (2 Kings 9:13). The wood is used to make furniture (1 Kings 6:23, 31-33). Olives grow in the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives. As you probably recall that is where Jesus went to pray.
As to current statistics: California is now the major producer of olives in the U. S. with three-fourth of the olives in the U. S. coming from there. Ninety per cent of the olives produced go into olive oil which is touted as a healthy oil.
Just thought this was interesting. The next time you eat an olive, thank an olive grower.
Ann Swanson writes from her home in Russell, Pa. Contact at hickoryheights1@verizon.net.
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