Frog Legs and Photographs
Messages of Encouragement
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
Colors Of The Harvest
As I travelled on the highway, in mid-October near our home here in Nova Scotia, I noticed how quickly God reveals His pallet of fall color. During this time of year, trees will be in the absolute prime of kaleidoscope of color. Look closely, and you will see trees with lush green, vibrant red, orange or yellow, and some are already bare. Each color offers something different to our senses, as we think of the stage of their life cycle for the year. Green signifies a remaining time of growing, the other colors represent a successful harvest, and bare branches are the clearing of the fields, prepared for future growth.
Ponder God’s Kingdom, imagining where each of us fit in His color scale. Regardless of our age, background, or experience, we will always have green leaves if we accept Jesus’ life energy to be nurtured and grow in Him. Stay hungry and thirsty for His presence in our lives. Psalm 107:9 GNT,” He satisfies those who are thirsty and fills the hungry with good things”. The red, orange, and yellow in our lives are the harvesting of endless bounty as we share Jesus with those around us, whenever and wherever we offer to feed the spiritually starving. Bare branches are the prepared fields, ready for fall planting as we reach out to those who have yet to accept Jesus into their lives.
God’s colors promise a better future for all who will come into the fields, inviting Jesus into their hearts and trusting Him to take care of them. Psalm 37:4-5 GNT, “Seek your happiness in the Lord, and He will give you your hearts’ desire. Give yourself to the Lord; trust Him and He will help you.” Most importantly, it is the time to give Him thanks…for everything.
Canopy Of Thorns
On occasion, the word provision, has occupied my spirit. I have seen how God’s provision in our lives became real. I was witness to situations where despair was replaced with relief. During a blinding blowing snow storm in the winter of 2012, I happened to glance outside, and was treated to watching a male pheasant harvesting berries from a rose bush in our back yard. He was very aware of his surroundings as his gaze darted back and forth, ever watching for predators from the safe canopy of thorns. After some time, his mate, the hen, appeared, and together, they enjoyed a banquet. As he kept sentry, she was able to relax and feed, knowing he was her provision of protection. This occurred numerous times over the weekend as the winds continued without end.
I realized how God provides for us. When we are in a storm, He becomes that pheasant, watching out for us, being ever present in our lives, making the way safe for us to come under His protection. It is only when we decide to accept Him and His invitation, will we be able to relax and feed at His banquet. Matthew 22:9 “ So, go to the street corners and invite everyone you can find to come to My feast”.
Come out of your storm and into His banquet. It’s easy to find, just look under the canopy of thorns.
Abby
One Saturday, my wife and son noticed a small kitten on the shoulder of the road, alone in the middle of nowhere. One of God’s defenceless creatures was abandoned, thrown away, just like that. We saw how frightened, alone, cold, and hungry she was. Hunger overcame her fear and after coaxing her with some food, she let us pick her up. To our horror, we found numerous injuries including a badly broken tail. My wife gently put her inside of her fleece jacket, petted her, and with a gentle voice, calmed her shaking body. We immediately decided that she was ours, and named her Abby, as she was surely “abandoned”. We nursed her wounds, fed her, and brought her to a local vet, and she is now in the loving safety of our warm home.
Those who feel, or have been “abandoned” wear the wounds that Abby had. God’s most prized creatures, people, are sometimes thrown away, just like Abby. Injuries may not all be visible, but fear, loneliness, and hunger can, and does leave us out in the cold. Jesus and His love is the warm fleece to wrap us, His gentle hand on our shoulder will calm our shivering. His whisper, a voice of promise, tells us that we are all welcome in His home. Come, and sit at His banquet table, be fed, where He has a chair waiting, and people just like you, once broken, now are healing. Come, where Abba Father gives sanctuary to all the “Abby’s” who let Him.
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About the Book
This book will not contain any dirt or tales of an abused or neglected childhood. There’s no gossip; no angelic tales of being saved from drugs, alcohol, or family violence. In other words, there is no modern day drama. I love my life. It is about discovering and trying new things outside of our comfort zones every day. It is the story of how God has awakened me to view the world and acknowledge His presence like photographic snap shots.
Each offering is from my first hand experiences each week—all true—with no fictitious elements. They were submitted weekly over a three year period to our local newspaper and placed in the church page corner. All were inspired by encounters, conversations, challenges, sermons, and that soft, quiet voice that I recognize as God’s. I have included ninety-nine messages of encouragement that represent the shepherd who would leave his flock in the safety of their pen in order to go and find that one lost sheep.
My hope is that you begin to see Jesus in everything around you. Look closely, you will see Him. I’m so thankful that I opened the door when Jesus knocked, and so will you. He is knocking. Open your door and your heart, invite Him in, and ask Him, “Jesus, have you got a minute? His answer will be, “My child, I have an eternity. Would you like to share it with me?”
About the Author
He was born in 1956 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He is the oldest of four children, having a brother and two sisters. He met his wife, Ardith while vacationing in Thorburn NS, when he was fifteen and she was fourteen. His family had decided to move to New Glasgow ,Nova Scotia in the fall of 1971. Ardith & he were married in 1976, and are proud parents of three adult children and three grandchildren. His father taught him his first three chords on the guitar when he was twelve, and after fronting and playing in a band for many years, the experience has prepared him for the role of Worship Leader for Master's Hand Ministry for the last 5 years. In 2003, he met Jesus for the second time, the first being when he was born when Jesus looked at him through his mother’s eyes and said, "Welcome Michael, I’ve been waiting for you." That day he saw how his wife had never given up on him and neither did Jesus. He recognized that God had a plan for him, just as He has a plan for you. Jeremiah 29:11. Three years ago, his friend and now Pastor, Caroline Barclay, spoke into his life that God wanted him to submit the weekly church article for their Ministry in the local paper's Faith section. Hesitant at first, he Lord gave him inspiration from people and experiences and how He works through it all to give us hope. Those who have read and have given encouragement have requested these writings in a book form and so now he would like to present his first book entitled, "Frog legs and Photographs" He thanks you for letting him visit your quiet space with writings of encouragement. Be blessed and be lifted.