I’ve been loving a YouTube channel called Black Opal Direct. I’m a big fan of opals—the way colors play peekaboo with you as the gem moves. When first mined, opals are covered in sand and dull white, black, or gray layers that conceal the brilliance inside. With extreme care, the expert polishes away these outer layers on a spinning wheel. As he grinds down the surface, vivid flecks of orange, red, blue, and green begin to appear. I’m in awe of the exquisite beauty that’s revealed. The point of this? The expert wants the brilliance to shine, and sees what needs to be removed.

As God encourages me, I want to encourage you. God’s intentions toward me and you get lost sometimes in our striving to understand how to behave. His faithfulness really is enough, yet our own efforts, if done out of insecurity, only lead to more confusion. Let Him be free to do the necessary work, and remember our inheritance is already given to us, because the brilliance is inside. He shapes our lives in order to reveal true beauty.

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Being a shepherd really impacted me and has impacted some of you who read my posts on Facebook. I’ve not put all of my encounters with the Lord and with the sheep here on this shepherd’s muse website. I have considered creating a mailing list for those who want to have frequent devotions in their inbox, and will consider doing that if you let me know at my email address or in the comments below.

I could write three different stories of what happened today, but will stick with this one. This beautiful young ewe with twins at her side constantly escaped her paddock. Typically I cannot keep a rebellious sheep as it influences the entire herd. I said to my friend today, I don’t want to shoot her, I’ve got to keep trying. In every pasture I’ve been managing, there are just the tiniest gap or weakness, and she’s been exploiting them. She got moved up the hill away from where I’m living and she escaped from there five times in two days. I drove into her field, and she got up, came down as she recognizes the vehicle, and seemed really glad to see me. Still she didn’t want me to catch her, but trusted me enough that i got close enough to grab her leg. So she is now moved to Waimea, which is the fortress and I’m somewhat risking her health, but my options are quite limited as to where she can live. The above picture is of her in the field she escaped from numerous times, she was already looking for a way out.

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Dixie is truly sweet and loving and has been blessing the people on the way to class and in class. She loves gazing into my eyes and does this to almost anyone. While I’ve been needing her to grow into a reliable sheepdog, she’s definitely reliable when it comes to loving people. I love how she can bring respite to each person who either is missing their own dog, or just demonstrate God’s creative care towards us by giving us companions like this.

Companionship. Is that a word you use when you think of Jesus being with you? It’s a growth process for me. Acknowledging Jesus with me despite internal feelings is important to combat the enemy’s lies. Dixie is a companion, but Jesus’ whole story is inclusion. I belong to him in a way that is beyond any human relationship. He grieves with me, he laughs, he smiles, he is wisdom, he rescues, which I take to mean there’s no chasm between us. I might be messy, weak, scared, confident, get too big for my britches, but He’s with me. Promises are not broken, I grow to trust in the ones yet to be fulfilled, whether here in this age or the one to come.

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Today is USA’s presidential Election day. Lots of feelings going on in this nation, but the basic one is fear. This is not what God would desire for us. I have succumbed to fear as well. I want to know the answers. But no leader at any point can do everything, it is the people around them and in each state that can make or break a nation. If transformation doesn’t occur on an individual level, and upward from there, a nation cannot prosper.

Humility is how Jesus acted, and he saw the person as an individual, knew what was in their heart, and responded accordingly. That’s why I’m really seeking out what are the things in me that he sees and wants to transform. It isn’t by deciphering a code and following it; it is by gazing into his character, the way he treated women and children, and much more. When broken families occur, it comes from not seeing, hearing, treating the person according to what Jesus sees in them. Stubborn hearts are the ones Jesus breaks, not humble and contrite ones.

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Butterflies and geckos. Yesterday on the way to church, I noticed the orange butterfly about to land on nearby shrubbery. I’m whipping my phone out, because I love taking pictures of God’s creatures. After capturing that image, and getting into the car, another species fluttered across the lawn, so that was fun. It really got interesting when the Monarch butterfly appeared as I drove out of my village. Like a whisper from my Father, I love you, so here are three of your favorite creatures.

This morning, the Madagascar Gold-dust gecko appeared right above the large painting in the living room. Grabbed my phone, but he disappeared behind the frames on the wall. This gecko sports a bright blue eye color on his eyelid and it’s a stunning accent to an already beautiful gecko. It created a renewed awareness of how God brings joy via seeing beauty. Amazing isn’t it.

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Listening to the Bible project’s “Building a House on the Rock” was my daily bread this morning. I felt peace come over me. The podcast’s imagery and words built a new frame of reference where I’m with Jesus, and he is alive. His resurrection is the new building I can live within. He is above the coming storm, and this home with him will withstand any storm. Whether America falls down soon or not, I want my daily choices to be building and entering the house on the rock. Seek first his kingdom, and all these things will be added unto you. I examine my mind, and there are castles in the sand. I can stop listening to derisive inner remarks and listen to Jesus’ words to remove those castles in the sand.

Peace is in my heart. I’ve suffered incredible emotional pain this week. I could not sleep and could not shut down a fearful cycle that entered my head. It was my personal storm, but reaching for Jesus means I’m safe within His refuge.

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By listening to Bible Project each day, I find that the richness of God’s Words is so extensive and the parts that elude my understanding need to go through a grid of looking at God’s declarations about himself and the whole story of Jesus. His choices, his emotions, his mysterious teachings, his clear teachings. Nothing is contradictory, he always guides me to a choice. I depend on his help while asking, seeking and responding in righteousness.

From the very beginning, clear choices were established; the ones that lead to life and freedom are always there. The idea that God is not generous is the lie. The tension in the book of Genesis shows up because there was ONE tree denied to us. Ever look at a forest? ONE tree.

So, I want to analyze my anger. Does it arise from being slighted, feeling my idea is better, having my own way, or is it really an anger that Jesus would experience? Wisdom is meant to help me choose. So, if I imitate Christ, my spoken words should reflect his character. Do I speak out the highest and best each day with friends, family, nation, and more? Probably not, but having that desire and focus is how I seek the kingdom of God. When I slip, I receive forgiveness, but my gaze/focus is on Jesus. His character is in me; he’s holding my hand or pointing at the right choices. That is how I imitate what he would do.

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Quite interesting days with being involved with the Truth and Transformation School. Yesterday our speaker Allan Robbins brought rocks, strawberries, uv lights, iodized salt and more. It was hands on science and to see the joy of discovery was a wonder to see. Even a plain tablespoon pressed against dry ice emits an eerie shriek! The metal in the spoon is subjected to extremely cold temperature, and the metal causes a sound when it attempts to shrink. Metal expands or contracts according to how hot or cold it is. So we had a singing/shrieking spoon yesterday. It wasn’t the only time we were awed by the things that were in the boxes Allan brought to the school.

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What a conundrum. God didn’t just create the world and then sit down and observe how we treat it and each other. Take flooding alone; This is occurring on a scale beyond recorded history. How is it these clouds park over a region and dump a whole year’s worth of rain? Why is this occurring? How do we explain this loss of life and property? In a little over one month, Brazil, the USA, Spain, Thailand, and other countries suffered incredible losses.

A familiar verse tells us to humble ourselves, and He will heal our land. There is a growing sense that I need to be in a state of humility, not just stop for one minute and pray, and then all will be well. That kind of humility is foreign, and so I realize again my greatest need is the new life Christ has delivered. We are dependent in a way we’ve never considered. We like the idea of solar panels because then we can lessen the pollution scientists say will completely change the earth’s climate. Yet, in one moment, a volcano can erupt and darken the world’s skies. So, I ponder what choices I can make that will align with God’s will. Stay faithful and declare to myself and others that God’s intention towards us is to increase life. Our hope is that destruction will cease, and perfect humans and earth will emerge.

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They always need a leader. I have an open gate nearby, and this is a good move, they came to me, then they saw what I intended for them to see, the way into their pasture.

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