Month: February 2025

We are blessed to have a swimming pool. It’s not huge, but it is a wonderful thing to have when the weather gets hot.  It is in a screened enclosure attached to the house which makes it especially enjoyable. 

The morning dew collects on the roof of that enclosure and as the sun rises, those drops of dew fall into the pool.  And each drop makes an expanding circular ripple in the water.  I’m sure you have seen the effect I’m attempting to describe.  As kids, we would toss stones into the lake to make those circles.  I bet you did something similar. 

The other morning, I stood outside for a bit and watched those ripples in the pool.  If it’s not windy and the filter isn’t running, the pool water is as smooth as glass, which it was that morning. But every one of those dewdrops, as tiny as they were, moved the water into that beautiful pattern of circles.    

Those tiny drops had an impact on the pool’s water.  Now, according to the best mathematical calculations I can come up with, there could be around a trillion drops of water in our pool.  Isn’t it amazing that one drop can impact a trillion?  Of course, that one drop doesn’t impact all trillion drops at once, but consider how those circular ripples work. 

(This is quite a layman’s description.)  The water’s surface has a certain amount of molecular tension.  And the force of the drop of dew falling into the pool disturbs the surface tension and causes an empty space at the point of impact.  The surrounding water then rushes in to fill that void.  The force of that rushing water causes a wave which then moves the adjacent water outward in concentric circles.  And those circular waves keep moving out and getting bigger until their energy is expended.  When multiple drops fall in different areas, those circles can even run into each other and cause more ripples.  My point being that a few drops can move a lot of water around. 

And that started me thinking…

First of all, I find those circular ripples to be beautiful.  I like to watch them.  They are so peaceful.  I don’t think of them as a disturbance in the water, I just enjoy the results. 

What this says to me is that we can have a disturbance in our minds but still have peace.  I’m not saying that our peace would be a façade.  I’m saying that we can maintain a positive outlook in spite of what is bothering us.  When we put our trust in God, and allow Him to work in our lives, He can turn our disturbance into a beautiful ripple.  He can change our sadness into joy.  Our disturbance can become a pleasing result.  The ripples in the water can remind us of that. 

Next, as we watch these ripples grow bigger and bigger, we can be reminded of the long-lasting effects that a small action can have.  Something as small as a dewdrop can send ripples across the whole pool.  What about a small action that we might take?  A drop of kindness can have long-lasting results.  How about an ounce of love, or a speck of tenderness?  Any of these could change someone’s life, including our own!

And truly, don’t we all want our lives to be meaningful?  Aren’t we happy when we can make someone smile?  Aren’t we pleased when we can help someone?  And what better help can we give to anyone than God’s help?  Speaking His Word to someone gives them the surety of God’s answers to their problems and introduces them to God’s vast resources.  Showing them God’s love can heal their hearts.  Our actions do affect others, even if our connection is only for a moment.  Because sometimes, that moment can change someone’s life forever. 

In addition, those ripples gliding across the water can remind us that our actions can have far-reaching effects.  Maybe our ounce of love helped someone so much that they want to help someone else, who in turn helps someone, who helps someone, and so on.  We should never underestimate what even an ounce of love or a word of Scripture can accomplish.

Along these lines, I want to include the power of prayer.  Prayer reaches out far past our own understanding and ability. Our small action of praying invokes God’s power and there is no limit to what God can do.  Talk about far-reaching ripples!!

I don’t expect to ever be famous, nor do I want to be!  But if I can help and bless someone, I’m happy.  If I can show the goodness of God to someone, I have joy.  And if my tiny life can send some beautiful ripples that heal someone’s hurt, I am fulfilled. 

So, the next time you see those circular ripples in the water, why not think about the beautiful ripples your life can make?  Why not walk as a son of God and speak The Truth boldly?  Why not give out of the tremendous abundance that God has given you?  Why not love others with the love of God?  Any and all of these can not only set someone free but can also bless you back exponentially.  When we do these things, our actions will send a ripple of light that can spread far and wide over a dark and broken world.    

Matthew 5:16 – Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

The true light of God’s Word can begin as a tiny ripple but can grow into a tsunami if we are faithful to holding forth The Word with all the energy of our conviction. Go, stand and speak… (Acts 5:20)

Note to my readers:  I hope my humble blog has sent some pleasant ripples your way.  I love you. 

I imagine that everyone knows that it snowed in northern Florida last month.  We did not have snow in central Florida, but it was cold.  Now, I know that our cold doesn’t compare to the cold up north, but it still chills us to the bone. 

Isn’t it funny how much people talk about the weather?  When the cold snap spread across the southern part of the country, it was an almost constant topic of conversation for just about everyone!  Weather does play a big role in our lives, well, at least it seems that way.

Certainly, the weather impacts us.  We dress according to the weather.  We make plans according to the weather.  Our attitude is often affected by the weather.  Even scientists recognize the link between the weather and our emotions due to its effect on our hormones.  But maybe the weather controls us more than it should. 

I feel like I am particularly susceptible to the weather, both physically and mentally.  I have trouble breathing when it’s really hot and humid.  I have seasonal allergies.  And my joints hurt when it’s cold.  (That pretty much covers all four seasons!)  But I can handle the physical side.  My attitude, on the other hand, can be harder to deal with.  I don’t want my attitude to be controlled by an outside force, especially by something as changeable as the weather.  And I don’t want my attitude to control me.  So, how do I prevent this from happening?       

I must get my attitude under my control, which usually means that I must change it.  And really, isn’t that what life is all about?  Aren’t we always growing and changing in our minds?  Certainly, we recognize the physical changes we experience as we grow, but what about our attitude changes?  Those aren’t always so evident.  We are schooled to readily respond to changes in our physical bodies, but our attitudes often go unchecked. 

Our attitudes are shaped by things we are taught and by our experiences.  For example, when I was younger through an orchestrated series of events over a period of time, I became convinced that I was not good enough, that I didn’t measure up.  It seemed that I fell short in every category of my life.  And even though I was born again during this time, I felt inferior to other Christians.  I lived with this attitude for many years without ever realizing that I had been tricked. 

Then, through the growing process, I figured out a few things.  Everyone has strengths and everyone has weaknesses.  Everyone has ups and everyone has downs.  Everyone makes mistakes.  We all have successes and failures, good times and bad.  And we all have choices.  We don’t need to give in to negative circumstances.  We don’t need to accept defeat, nor cower in adversity, nor succumb to pressures or pleasures. We can be successful.  We can overcome adversity.  We can resist temptations.  It is up to us how we handle life’s slings and arrows.

I learned that we have an enemy, the devil, who works against us especially in our minds.  He knows how to push our buttons, and he is stealthy.  He works behind the scenes to undermine our thinking and thereby defeat our initiative.  I had a Bible teacher who said regarding the devil, “the secret of his success is the secrecy of his moves”.  We need to be on guard in order to recognize and rebuke his influence. 

I learned that we are all unique.  Obviously, we have physical differences but even more so, we have different attitudes.  What goes on in our minds is completely unique to each one of us.  And each of us can make our own decisions.  And those decisions determine our attitude.  And our attitude can make or break us. 

 We all face situations in our lives, and we all have the ability to make our own decisions in those situations.  But because we are unique, we make unique choices, and the outcomes of those choices set us apart.  We cannot always control our circumstances, but we can control our attitude.  And when we are in control of our attitude, our attitude isn’t in control of us.  Which means, if we don’t like our attitude, we can change it. 

The only way I know to genuinely make long lasting changes in our attitude is by learning and believing the Word of God.  The Bible is truth, and we can stake our lives on It.  Although some people have great willpower and can make attitude changes within themselves, the foundation they build on isn’t firm.  It can crumble under them without warning, or it can wear down over time.  But the Bible gives us a firm foundation that is impervious to those things.  Afterall, It has stood for thousands of years already!

In order to make positive changes in our attitude, we must start with our attitude toward God’s Word.  Do we believe that It is truth?  Do we believe that It is the will of God?  Is It our only rule of faith and practice?  Answering yes to these questions is a good indication that we have the right attitude toward God and His Word.  Step one complete! 

Secondly, we must be sharp to discern good and evil so that we can avoid being tricked by the devil. We must learn to recognize his methods and fortify our defenses against them.  And if we do get tricked, we must know how to get the help we need from God to fix the situation, which we learn from His Word.  I have a friend who says that God is the master-repairman.  He can fix what we cannot. 

Utilizing these keys, we can change our attitude toward our challenges in life so it can be the best it can be.  And we can face challenges successfully because we will have God’s Word as a strong unmovable foundation.  And we will have all the wonderful tools that God’s Word provides to assure our victory. 

Lastly, we must act.  Changing our attitude doesn’t matter if we don’t change our actions.  If I still mope around all day when it’s cloudy, then my attitude hasn’t really changed.  We must take the appropriate action to solidify our positive attitude and then we can achieve the success we desire. 

Here are some verses to consider on the topic:

John 17:17 – Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

1 Peter 5:8,9 – Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:  Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

Ephesians 2:10 – For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

1 Corinthians 15:57 – But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Note to my readers:  Sometimes we have to do a check-up from the neck up to see if we need to make some changes.  And if we do need to change, God is ready, willing and able to help us.  I love you!