"It's so hot here in Texas that the chickens are laying hard-boiled eggs!"

Just ask my trees...boy, are they stressed.  My tree man once told me I could care for thirsty trees by drilling a few tiny holes in the bottom of five-gallon buckets, then setting them around the root line.

I've been filling those babies up with gallons of water almost every day and I notice the trees aren't dropping as many leaves. 

Now, I've also heard that storms make trees take deeper roots.  Hmm...maybe the rainfall from a series of storms?

All I know is I want to prepare my giants for a Texas-size hurricane that might uproot them, causing a lot of collateral damage.

How do we protect ourselves from being uprooted by the emotional tsunamis life throws at us?  Same thing...we need deep roots.

I've had my share of ravaging ones in the past decade and find myself facing the newest one, perhaps one of the hardest so far.  

I'm learning to soak my roots long and well before the pain and loss hits.

Jeremiah said it well:

"But blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought.  Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit. Jeremiah 17:7-8 NLT

It's not wise to wait for the crisis! I need to drench my soul in the eternal truths of my Creator, my Protector, my Redeemer, soaking in the Scriptures long before the squalls are on the horizon.  I have to believe that He is enough, nothing else satisfies!

My bucket-laden yard isn't the prettiest these dog days of summer and often, neither is my life, but what lies below is hardy and ready for the blows. 

Those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life. Jesus

                                                                                                    John 4:14

Yesterday, in the pew, I almost missed this ray of hope, reminding me the big screens by the altar only compliment the living Truth laid open on my lap.

Those who sow with tears

will reap with songs of joy.

Those who go out weeping, 

carrying seed to sow, 

Will return with songs of joy, 

carrying sheaves with them.  Psalm 126:5-6

Less than 24 hours, God gently reminds me that He always produces harvest for the faithful waiters. 

Sheaves...proof of new dreams, new plans, new purpose.

Seed...there's still something to carry, to sow. 

Tears precede joy.

It happens often; I spill Saturday's honesty and God swiftly plants truth way down in the cavernous places of my weary, broken soul.

Stressed?

Projects piling...homework mounting...college decisions multiplying?
Not enough hours in the day?
STRESS, STRESS and more STRESS!
Did you know that deep breathing will help you cope with all that stress? Next time you feel it mounting, notice your shallow breathing or that you actually hold your breath!
Deep, even breathing relaxes you and is a great stress-buster, but I've found an even better way to reduce all that tension. Have you thought of inhaling
scripture? CPR for the soul!
I'm not suggesting squeezing in a verse or two, but turning off your cell phone (no fair using a Bible App!), your TV and reading God's life-giving Word.
Start with a psalm and slowly read it several times. That's your part! Now close your eyes and let God speak over you.
Scripture reading is a two-way activity!
I know, I know, you're thinking, "I just don't have time for this." God is always a better manager of your time than you are and He makes your "To Do" list a lot easier to handle when you commit time to visit with Him.
God's word is alive and active. Inhale!