Words of Life

The Waters Saw Thee

2012-02-05T05:53:00.000-08:00

See full post over at the new Words of Life blog... :)

Unglazed ~ Sage

2011-12-26T11:56:00.000-08:00

UNGLAZED

A small terra cotta pot sits on the shelf. Imperfect. Amateur. Unglazed.

I cradle it in my hands, feeling the rough ridges of the clay, placing my thumb over the impression of a misplaced fingerprint, wondering why it is unfinished.

I visualize the strong, thick hands of the man I never met, but whose eyes I have stared into, soaking up the twinkle that I see in the the old black and white photographs from the years before I was born.

He was handsome. Strong. Laughing. Loving.

He had a space between his teeth…and he left that to me. I never heard his voice, felt his hug, smelt his aftershave. He died too young, a few months before I was born…

His life seems unfinished. Unglazed.

Turning the pot over, I use my finger to trace the initials on the bottom…R.H. Robert Holland. My grandfather. I wonder why I never met him. And how life would be different if I had. But that is the past. And those questions are futile.

I form a pot…the wet clay molding to my fingers as the wheel turns. I am also a vessel. Being molded and formed and fired. I want to be used…to be loved…to fulfill the purpose The Potter has…

For now, I am imperfect. Amateur. Unglazed.

From Something Sage

Photos by Tera

A Fortress Amid the Foe

2011-12-05T12:38:00.001-08:00

New post "A Fortress Amid the Foe"

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Change...

2011-11-14T14:54:00.001-08:00

I'm changing this blog to wordpress...

Please follow me there... http://shadowlilies.wordpress.com/

A Strong Tower

2011-11-08T13:18:00.000-08:00

"The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe." Proverbs 18:10

My daughters just visited the Grand Canyon and brought home some incredible pictures of The Desert View Watchtower. I have to say here that I am fascinated with archaeology, and I am aware of the fact that there are ancient watchtowers not only in the Old World, but here in North America as well. This particular watchtower at the Grand Canyon was modeled after the towers in Mesa Verde, Colorado and Hovenweep near Aneth, Utah. These amazing rock structures were thought to be built by the ancient Anasazi Indians.

The Ruins of Hovenweep

The structures shown above in Hovenweep National Park were used as living quarters, storage areas, and defense towers.

In Mesa Verde National park the towers are square and round...

Round Tower by Ansel Adams, 1941

Click on this link Desert View Watchtower to see a video explaining about the design and building of the watchtower at the Grand Canyon.

Photos of Desert View Watchtower by Sage and Tera

In the Old World strong towers were built for protection...

"These towers - built by individual families to safeguard valuable plots of farmland – were once a common sight along the hills of ancient Galilee, Samaria, and Judea." ~ Nazareth Village

Here is a stunning lithograph of an ancient strong tower in Petra by artist David Roberts...

Ancient Watchtower

So, we see that strong towers were built to protect and defend from enemies, to give comfort and aid, to store valuable crops, and to have a view for miles around, so as to be prepared for whatever may happen.

My daughters said it was freezing cold outside when they were at the Grand Canyon. It had just snowed the previous night and the wind was blowing intensely. When they entered the tower, it protected and shielded them from the strong winds and the bitter cold.

Back to the scripture..."The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe."

"The metaphor suggests a righteous man running into an immensely fortified tower being elevated high above the surrounding danger." John J. Parsons

The Name of the Lord is a Strong Tower...that means it is protection and defense from enemies. It is comfort and aid. It is a valuble storehouse of spiritual food. It gives us eyes to see all around us and enables us to be prepared for whatever may befall us. It is the Rock, and our Shield and Defense. Let's run to it and take hold of this truth.

"And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved." Acts 2:21

You can read more about the Name of the Lord at Hebrew for Christians

Shadows of Things to Come ~ Gratitude

2011-10-24T05:35:00.000-07:00

I have really been intrigued with shadows of late...

In my paintings they stream across pathways and under bushes...

I've also realized that when I'm out walking in the early morning with the sun behind me, I am never alone, because there before me or beside me is my shadow. I like my shadow. It looks healthy and vibrant as it bounces along beside me.

It reminds me too that I really, truly am never alone, because Yahshua is always with me.

Walking at the lake this morning was so absolutely gorgeous. It was early just before sunrise, and there was a mist enshrouding the water...

A flock of Canadian geese were leisurely floating atop the water through the mist...further on down the shore as the sun began to glow above the horizon, small white beaked ducks were huddled together along the shoreline. I thought at first that they were Canadian gosslings, but looking closer I noticed their white beaks and come to find out they are possibly American coots...

What's That Small White Duck with the White Bill?

Now the sun has risen higher and an orange glow gleams across the water. The sunlight streams through the trees with a golden sheen lighting up the dew on the grass like diamonds scattered in all directions. The shadows darken, in contrast to the brightening hues of light.

A lone Heron sitting on a rock out at the distant point that juts into the lake is waiting... watching over the light blue water that reflects the color of the sky.

Two fishermen in a small boat are also watching and waiting, silouetted against the glowing orange, now turning yellow, of the rising sun.

I praise God for the gift of seeing all this beauty before me, for the gift of hearing the beautiful sounds of the birds twittering their songs of the morning... of the geese honking and taking off in flight...

And then a wonderful scent wafts towards me...ginger? I immediately think of ginger bagels and hot coffee...And again I praise Yahweh for the gift of smell and the gift of taste.

Shadows of things to come...this morning was so heavenly and yet we are promised an eternal life so much more magnificent than anything we can experience here...this morning was just a shadow of things to come...

Photo of sunrise by Anna

Gratitude 901-915

"He Shall Gather the Lambs with His Arm" ~ Isaiah 40:11

2011-10-17T07:41:00.000-07:00

Here is a beautiful depiction of our Great Shepherd by Spurgeon and a beautiful painting to go along with it. I just love the comfort and encouragement that these words bring...

"He shall gather the lambs with His arm."-Isaiah 40:11

Our good Shepherd has in His flock a variety of experiences, some are strong in the Lord, and others are weak in faith, but He is impartial in His care for all His sheep, and the weakest lamb is as dear to Him as the most advanced of the flock.

Lambs are wont to lag behind, prone to wander, and apt to grow weary, but from all the danger of these infirmities the Shepherd protects them with His arm of power. He finds new-born souls, like young lambs, ready to perish-He nourishes them till life becomes vigorous; He finds weak minds ready to faint and die-He consoles them and renews their strength. All the little ones He gathers, for it is not the will of our heavenly Father that one of them should perish.

What a quick eye He must have to see them all! What a tender heart to care for them all! What a far- reaching and potent arm, to gather them all!

In His lifetime on earth He was a great gatherer of the weaker sort, and now that He dwells in heaven, His loving heart yearns towards the meek and contrite, the timid and feeble, the fearful and fainting here below. How gently did He gather me to Himself, to His truth, to His blood, to His love, to His church! With what effectual grace did He compel me to come to Himself! Since my first conversion, how frequently has He restored me from my wanderings, and once again folded me within the circle of His everlasting arm!

The best of all is, that He does it all Himself personally, not delegating the task of love, but condescending Himself to rescue and preserve His most unworthy servant. How shall I love Him enough or serve Him worthily? I would fain make His name great unto the ends of the earth, but what can my feebleness do for Him? Great Shepherd, add to Thy mercies this one other, a heart to love Thee more truly as I ought.

The Lost Lamb Painting by Del Parson

New Mercies Every Morning ~ Gratitude

2011-09-19T07:32:00.000-07:00

Walking by the lake with my incredible daughter...the quietness of an early Sunday morning, such a blessing to be there...with her...she's such an encouragement to me...such an inspiration...

She told me her list of 1,000 gifts and I took some of hers combined with mine to reach 900...

Puddles reflecting the blue sky.

Great Blue Herons...

Rippled water that with blurred reflection just like life.

Sun fringing the clouds with white glory...

Cricket crossing.

Sunflowers basking in the light if the sun...

Warm up and cool down with Mom...and me with her...

Gift of prayer.

Beautiful Sunday mornings.

A prodigal return.

A new baby born.

New mercies...

"It is of YHWH's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness." Lamentations 3: 22-23

Trading Phrases has wall decals like the one above.

The faithfulness of our Father...

His compassions that never fail...

"This is the day that Yahweh has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!" Psalms 118:24

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Photo of a Great Blue Heron by John White

Texas Sky by Rachel Aldous

2011-09-08T10:57:00.000-07:00

I found myself mesmerized by the gorgeous Texas Sky one night as I was traveling through the Texas hill country. It made me feel so small to look up into that enormous, star filled void and though I am tiny and often feel insignificant, I know that my creator knows me by name. He has created me for a particular purpose and knows well what my thoughts and actions will be long before they happen. Psalm 139 is one of my favorites.

~ Rachel Aldous

For God Is For Me ~ Gratitude

2011-07-18T13:19:00.000-07:00

"When I cry unto Thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me."-Psalm 56:9

It seems today that we are surrounded by enemies on every side, but knowing that the God of all Creation is our defender, our deliverer, and if we cry unto Him our enemies will turn back…

How I praise Him with thankfulness!!!

He is for us, not against us…what glory, what honor!

I am His and He is mine, and I praise Him with thanksgiving!

A long journey, my youngest son setting off for the first time alone, I am thankful for his safety.

I remember we would go on family ski trips in the winter with the amazing grandfather who skied majestically on one leg, the other one having been shorn off in a train accident when he was 19. He had difficulty walking, but when he got on skis, he was free…

My little ones would begin to ski shortly after they could walk and I would watch them go up the ski lift for the first time, terrified that they would fall off. It was always the first time… after that, the fear and apprehension seemed to go away.

And the feeling is so similar the first time they venture off for awhile alone. And this youngest one is the last one in my life…the last first…and I am thankful that he is safe. That Yahweh has been merciful to him and to me.

My praying friend sent me a video link yesterday about the effect youth ministries have had on families. I am thankful for those men who are speaking out as truth is revealed to them and those who are willing to move on and confess when they have heeded to man rather than scripture.

Watch Divided the Movie here…DIVIDED

Also for these young film makers who are trying to make a difference…thank you!

Sweet little tiny precious hands, holding, grasping, clenching together…

Do they make you smile?

My daughter loves crayons…has always loved crayons…and blessed me with this link...COLOURlovers

Aren’t the colors marvelous?

Speaking of colors, my other daughter has been doing collages with photos she has taken, if you haven’t seen them yet, go to her blog... Something Sage

Here is one she did for me…

Thankful for all the God-given talent and creativity I see all around me.

The heat is outrageous here in the south these past five weeks… almost every day 3 digit temperatures… trying to keep the garden alive as everything is wilting around us. Even the leaves in the trees are turning yellow prematurely…and I will find thankfulness in knowing that someday there will be no heat…

"They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat." Revelation 7:16

Also, I’m so thankful for Young Living Thieves Oil. It actually suppresses the itching and torment of chigger and tick bites.

But I confess that I have not found a place of thankfulness for these tormenting pests… I just hate them!

They are my enemies …

No beautifully quiet and calm evening walks in the hollyhocks for me, as I read on another blog post. I will cry out to God as I walk in my garden and perhaps these evil creatures will turn away from me! It is true that I haven’t tried this yet, perhaps it will work.

Also much, much gratitude for open doors...after many years of waiting for an open door, and a whisper from the Holy Spirit..."This is the way for you to go"... my daughter Sarah is off on a new journey. Hopefully she will be blogging about it!

Beautiful smiles...dreams fulfilled.... Rejoicing!!!

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Hollow of the Hand

2011-06-26T08:01:00.000-07:00

There is such beauty in the meanings of the letters in the Hebrew alphabet.

Kaph, for instance is the eleventh letter and denotes the palm or hollow of the hand.

“She stretcheth out her hand (kaph) to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.”
~ Proverbs 31: 20

“Kaph is the symbol of the open/giving hand extended to the poor .” ~ The Bible Wheel

It also represents receiving, as in lifting your hands open to the Father in prayer and worship…

Solomon Praying ~ Bonito

"I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting."
~ I Timothy 2:8

God's Hands

Today is in God's hands and so are you.

His hands are strong and will uphold you;

His hands are great and will enfold you;

His hands are gentle and will embrace you;

His hands are protective and will cover you;

His hands are reassuring and will quiet you;

His hands are powerful and will defend you;

His hands are parental and will train you;

His hands are masterful and will conform you;

His hands are compassionate and will care for you;

His hands are healing and will renew you;

His hands are calming and will comfort you;

His hands are giving and will bless you.

The hands that hold you will never let you down.

~ Roy Lessin

Thankful for the People in my Life ~ 1000 gifts

2011-06-23T13:21:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I've posted, but I'm so close to 1000, and I can't give up now...so here goes...

Thankful for the little people…memories and the way things used to be...

New ones…

Old ones turning 20…never to be little any more...

Blowing dandelions...

Making huge bubbles...

Blowing trumpets...

Brothers and sisters...playing...

Sharing...caring ...

Cooking...

Painting...

A new friend and a book she loaned me…

Transforming life…

This book freed me to love in Christ outside of institutional churchianity. I know the scripture, “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there in the midst of them.” I also know that we believers are the temple of the Holy Spirit…we are the Church…not the building …not the organization…not all the multitudes of programs, bells and whistles, lights and music… read this book, it may change the way you look at Christianity today.

Experiencing true grace…

There is no other way to look at it…it is His grace that has overtaken me. When someone does something that in the past would have hurt me and caused me to be bitter, and I have such a peace and joy and forgiveness inside that nothing bothers me…it is incredible, it is He, the great I AM, only He can do this miracle in me.

My beautiful grand-daughter...what a sweetie...and what fun she has with her aunts and uncles...

My hero son on the slack line…

Thank you for all you have done for me…you are an awesome son!

And isn’t she beautiful…an awesome daughter!

Thank you Anna for encouraging me to walk another mile… :)

Thankful for awesome friendships made by God alone…

Thankful for my praying friend…she is wonderful…a beautiful treasure

And thankful for the new addition to our family…

Did you know that the gestation time for a donkey is over a year, 12-14 months.
Wow! We wondered if he would ever come.
A baby donkey is called a foal…

Thankful for volunteers to clean up after the tornado...

So thankful for all the people that God has put in my life...

A beautiful song by our dear friends the Uptons...

Their new CD...It's Written in the Sky

And much older ones like my mom who will be 92 this month. Isn't she beautiful?

And there are so many more...
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What Kind of Plant Are You?

2011-04-10T10:37:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine was asked this question , and as she related her story to me visions of dandelions burst into my mind…

What kind of plant am I? Why would I think of dandelions? Does anyone want to be thought of as a dandelion? Why not a rose…or a daffodil…or a daylily…I don't know why this particular plant came to mind, but my first thoughts were of a withered weed...which sad to say I've been feeling a little like lately. But then as I pondered this marvelous plant I realized it is so much more.

Dandelions are one of the first flowers to bloom in the spring, bright and beautiful yellow flowers, trumpeting the coming of new life. We celebrate the death and resurrection of our Savior in the spring, the time of Passover, the beginning of Yahweh's year. As Christians we proclaim this truth, our feet shod with the gospel of peace.

Have you ever seen a beautiful field of golden dandelions breaking forth after the dreary melt of snow?

And how are the dandelions treated? They are hated as a noxious weed...and Jesus said we would be hated for His name sake...

Then what happens when the bloom fades? Up pops a fluffy seed head. I wonder how many seeds are contained in each plant? The wind comes a long, and shakes the fluffy ball and hundreds of seeds are scattered in the wind...

How magnificent, for as followers of Christ we are to plant the seeds of the Word in the words we speak and in our actions...And that is not all...

"Dandelion is a rich source of vitamins A, B complex, C, and D, as well as minerals such as iron, potassium, and zinc. Its leaves are often used to add flavor to salads, sandwiches, and teas. The roots can be found in some coffee substitutes, and the flowers are used to make certain wines.

In traditional medicine, dandelion roots and leaves were used to treat liver problems. Native Americans also used dandelion concoctions (liquid made by boiling down the herb in water) to treat kidney disease, swelling, skin problems, heartburn, and stomach upset. Chinese medicinal practitioners traditionally used dandelion to treat digestive disorders, appendicitis, and breast problems (such as inflammation or lack of milk flow). In Europe, herbalists incorporated it into remedies for fever, boils, eye problems, diabetes, and diarrhea."

How excellent are Thy ways, Oh God in all the earth!

There you go...not so bad to be a dandelion... Oh, and are we not to be "as bold as a lion?"

Do you remember as a young child gathering bouquets of dandelions and presenting them to your mother? What was her reaction? What was she really thinking on the inside? Yet, a little child relishes in the beauty of dandelions and lovingly presents them as gifts to please their mothers.

And how sweet is this...

A story set in pioneer days, and the loving bundle of dandelions given by a child that gave hope...

So what kind of plant are you? :)

Pray Without Ceasing

2011-04-06T18:18:00.000-07:00

This is such a sweet story that my husband read in our morning Bible time some months ago. You can tell it was written long ago...I don't know who the author is, but I hope in reading it you are encouraged to pray without ceasing...

A number of ministers were assembled for the discussion of difficult questions, and among others it was asked, "How the command to pray with ceasing could be complied with? Various suppositions were stated; and at length, one of the number was appointed to write an essay upon it, and read it at the next meeting; which being overheard by a plain sensible girl, she exclaimed, "what! a whole month wanted to tell the meaning of that text? It is one of the easiest, and best texts in the Bible."

"Well," said an old minister, "Mary, what can you say about it? Let us know how you understand it. Can you pray all the time?"

"O yes sir."

"What! when you have so many things to do?"

"Why sir, the more I have to do, the more I can pray."

"Indeed! well Mary, do let us know how it is, for most people think otherwise."

"Well, sir," said the girl, "when I open my eyes in the morning, I pray, 'Lord, open the eyes of my understanding;' and while I am dressing, I pray that I may be clothed with the robe of righteousness; and when I have washed me, I ask for the washing of regeneration; and as I begin my work, I pray that I may have strength equal to my day.

When I begin to kindle up the fire, I pray that God's work may revive in my soul; and as I sweep out the house, I pray that my heart may be cleansed from all its impurities; and while preparing and partaking of breakfast, I desire to be fed with the hidden manna and the sincere milk of the Word; and while I am busy with the little children, I look up to God as my Father, and pray for the spirit of adoption, that I may be His child, and so on all day. Everything I do furnishes me with a thought for prayer."

"Enough, enough," cried the old divine, "these things are revealed to babes, and often hidden from the wise and prudent. Go on Mary, pray without ceasing. And as for us, my brethren, let us bless the Lord for this exposition, and remember that He has said the meek will He guide in judgment."

The essay, as a matter of course, was not considered necessary, after this little event occurred.

Paintings are from two of my favorite artists...
Eloise Wilkin and Carl Larsson...

Oh, that we might praise God in everything we do...and pray without ceasing....

The Potter's House by T. Austin-Sparks

2011-03-21T10:56:00.000-07:00

I wrote back in December a post called Arise, Get Up and Go to the Potter's House. Like I said in my post, I love this story found in Jeremiah, and when I read T. Austin Sparks' view of this parable, I wanted to share his perspective with whoever reads it here, as it encouraged me greatly and I think it will encourage you, too.

"The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. Then I went down to the potter's house, and behold, he wrought his work on the wheels. And when the vessel that he made of the clay was marred in the hand of the potter, he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it." (Jeremiah 18:1-4)

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God afore prepared that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10)

As we read this so well-known illustration of God's workmanship seen in the house of the potter, to which the prophet was told to go, there are three possible effects that it can have upon us, depending upon which word we underline, where we stop, where we put the emphasis. There are three words which sum up this paragraph, and which of those words we choose and resolve into the message will decide a very great thing for us. It may affect our whole life.

*Three Possibilities *

There is the word 'marred'. "The vessel that he made... was marred in the hand of the potter". If we make that the word, then something of a spirit of hopelessness will come over us. We shall begin to find an inward sinking; we shall begin to say, 'Yes, I made a mess of things, I spoiled it all. There is not much hope for me—my life is marred, spoiled.' If you take that word and make it the message, it will have one effect upon your life. Thank God, that is not the message; but there may be someone reading who has got there. Looking back on your life, you do so with very little gratification or pleasure; rather with regret, perhaps remorse. Maybe you fall into this mood, if you think of yourself as the clay. You feel there has been a breakdown; you have perhaps made a mess of things, or you have not fulfilled all the promise, all the possibilities. And that sense of failure, of lost opportunity, and much more in that direction, creates a shadow over your life. It makes you feel, 'Well, that is that. Now it is up to me to try and get through in some way and finish up as decently as I can.' That is a despairing outlook on life, and that will most surely be the result of putting your circle round this word, variously translated 'marred' or 'spoiled'.

There is another word here: "he made it again 'another' vessel". If we put our line under that word and make it the message, that, too, will open the door to gloomy thoughts and considerations. We shall at once begin to say, 'Well, God has not been able to fulfill His original intentions where I am concerned. I have to be content with being His second-best; something other, something different, something that He really did not mean me to be. He is making the most and the best of a bad job. He is just working with me on an alternative line. So—well, that reduces me to being something of a misfit, not what I was intended to be.' You see the possibilities of putting your circle round that word 'another' vessel.

But then there is another phrase here: "as seemed 'good' to the potter to make it." That introduces an altogether new possibility. If, after all, it is possible for Him to say, 'It is good, My work is good'; to find His own pleasure and His own satisfaction in it, that will certainly be far better and greater and higher than my greatest satisfaction could possibly be. His standard is so much higher than my best. If He can say, 'It is good', that surely opens up a new outlook and prospect, does it not? That introduces the triumph of His grace, in spite of everything. In spite of what we are and of all our failure and of all His difficulty with us, His grace triumphs. His wisdom triumphs over all the problems in us—yes, over all the setback that He may have encountered in us; His love overcomes all the difficulties that He has with us. If the end is that it is good in His sight—"as seemed good"—I say, that brings into view an altogether new situation.

These are the three possibilities that arise out of these words. We choose the third. That is the message that I want to bring to you.

Thank you T. Austin Sparks for this beautiful message of encouragement and hope. "In spite of what we are and of all our failure and of all His difficulty with us, His grace triumphs!" I love this!

Being Thankful for Thorns

2011-02-22T03:57:00.000-08:00

This story by an anonymous writer was recently shared in an email. It especially spoke to me as I am now in the School of Rejoicing in Trials. This class on Being Thankful for Thorns is a tough one, but very needful for all of us to learn. Here is the story...

Sandra felt as low as the heels of her Birkenstocks as she pushed against a November gust and the florist shop door. Her life had been easy, like spring breeze. Then in the fourth month of her second pregnancy, a minor automobile accident stole her ease.

During this Thanksgiving week she would have delivered a son. She grieved over her loss. As if that weren't enough, her husband's company threatened a transfer. Then her sister, whose holiday visit she coveted, called saying she could not come. What's worse, Sandra's friend infuriated her by suggesting her grief was a God-given path to maturity that would allow her to empathize with others who suffer.

"She has no idea what I'm feeling," thought Sandra with a shudder.

Thanksgiving? Thankful for what? She wondered. For a careless driver whose truck was hardly scratched when he rear-ended her? For an air bag that saved her life but took that of her child?

"Good afternoon, may I help you?" The shop clerk's approach startled her.

"I....I need an arrangement," stammered Sandra.

"For Thanksgiving? Do you want beautiful but ordinary, or would you like to challenge the day with a customer favorite I call the Thanksgiving "Special?" asked the shop clerk. "I'm convinced that flowers tell stories," she continued. "Are you looking for something that conveys 'gratitude' this Thanksgiving?"

"Not exactly!" Sandra blurted out. "In the last five months, everything that could go wrong has gone wrong."

Sandra regretted her outburst, and was surprised when the shop clerk said, "I have the perfect arrangement for you."

Then the door's small bell rang, and the shop clerk said, "Hi, Barbara...let me get your order."

She politely excused herself and walked toward a small workroom, then quickly reappeared, carrying an arrangement of greenery, bows, and long-stemmed thorny roses; Except the ends of the rose stems were neatly snipped: there were no flowers.

"Want this in a box?" asked the clerk.

Sandra watched for the customer's response. Was this a joke? Who would want rose stems with no flowers! She waited for laughter, but neither woman laughed.

"Yes, please," Barbara replied with an appreciative smile. "You'd think after three years of getting the special, I wouldn't be so moved by its significance, but I can feel it right here, all over again," she said as she gently tapped her chest.

"Uh," stammered Sandra, "that lady just left with, uh....she just left with no flowers!"

"Right, said the clerk, "I cut off the flowers. That's the Special. I call it the Thanksgiving Thorns Bouquet."

"Oh, come on, you can't tell me someone is willing to pay for that!" exclaimed Sandra.

"Barbara came into the shop three years ago feeling much like you feel today," explained the clerk. "She thought she had very little to be thankful for. She had lost her father to cancer, the family business was failing, her son was into drugs, and she was facing major surgery."

"That same year I had lost my husband," continued the clerk, "and for the first time in my life, had just spent the holidays alone. I had no children, no husband, no family nearby, and too great a debt to allow any travel."

"So what did you do?" asked Sandra.

"I learned to be thankful for thorns," answered the clerk quietly. "I've always thanked God for good things in life and never to ask Him why those good things happened to me, but when bad stuff hit, did I ever ask! It took time for me to learn that dark times are important. I have always enjoyed the 'flowers' of life, but it took thorns to show me the beauty of God's comfort. You know, the Bible says that God comforts us when we're afflicted, and from His consolation we learn to comfort others."

Sandra sucked in her breath as she thought about the very thing her friend had tried to tell her. "I guess the truth is I don't want comfort. I've lost a baby and I'm angry with God."

Just then someone else walked in the shop.

"Hey, Phil!" shouted the clerk to the balding, rotund man.

"My wife sent me in to get our usual Thanksgiving arrangement...twelve thorny, long-stemmed stems," laughed Phil as the clerk handed him a tissue-wrapped arrangement from the refrigerator.

"Those are for your wife?" asked Sandra incredulously. "Do you mind me asking why she wants something that looks like that?"

"No...I'm glad you asked," Phil replied. "Four years ago my wife and I nearly divorced. After forty years, we were in a real mess, but with the Lord's grace and guidance, we slogged through problem after problem. He rescued our marriage. Jenny here (the clerk) told me she kept a vase of rose stems to remind her of what she learned from "thorny" times, and that was good enough for me. I took home some of those stems. My wife and I decided to label each one for a specific "problem" and give thanks for what that problem taught us."

As Phil paid the clerk, he said to Sandra, "I highly recommend the Special."

I don't know if I can be thankful for the thorns in my life," Sandra said to the clerk. "It's all too...fresh."

"Well," the clerk replied carefully, "my experience has shown me that thorns make roses more precious. We treasure God's providential care more during trouble than at any other time. Remember, it was a crown of thorns that Jesus wore so we might know His love. Don't resent the thorns."

Tears rolled down Sandra's cheeks. For the first time since the accident, she loosened her grip on resentment.

"I'll take those twelve long-stemmed thorns, please," she managed to choke out.

"I hoped you would," said the clerk gently. "I'll have them ready in a minute."

"Thank you. What do I owe you?" Sarah asked.

"Nothing; nothing but a promise to allow God to heal your heart. The first year's arrangement is always on me." The clerk smiled and handed a card to Sandra. "I'll attach this card to your arrangement, but maybe you would like to read it first."

It read:

"My God, I have never thanked You for my thorns. I have thanked You a thousand times for my roses, but never once for my thorns. Teach me the glory of the life I bear; teach me the value of my thorns. Show me that I have climbed closer to You along the path of pain. Show me that, through my tears, the colors of Your rainbow look much more brilliant."

Praise Him for your roses, thank him for your thorns.

My unspoken thorn bouquet...821-834

How many stems are in your bouquet?

Sixty-Six Clouds

2011-02-19T13:52:00.000-08:00

Sixty-Six Clouds: Visualizing Word Frequency in the Bible is a labor of love created by graphic designer Brad Thomas.

To learn more about this see... Sixty-Six Clouds

A Hero Seen and More Unseen… Gratitude

2011-02-03T11:42:00.000-08:00

This is several days of posts combined into one long gratitude…

Day 1 ~

Reading Ann Voskamp’s book this morning. This woman has such an incredible way with words. I sense a bit of a revival here in her book that will carry over into the blog sphere, and it's all about giving thanks in all circumstances.

I can feel the beauty of thankfulness when she says something like… warm toes under white sheets.

But how do we be thankful for…

My 19 year old having the chicken pox?

Or standing on the scale and weighing 5 pounds more than last week? :0

All my life I have battled this weight. I have always had to watch what I eat. I’ve always been so thankful when I could put on a pair of pants that don’t fit tight. But now in my older years it seems that anything but fasting puts the pounds on...even the air I breathe. I’m tired of always having to think about this and at the same time I don’t want to buy clothes the next size up.

I am thankful for all the wonderful foods that Yahweh provides.

I wish I could enjoy them more without always having to say “No, thank you.”

I’m thankful for being an easy keeper. It doesn’t take much to keep me plump.

I’m thankful that the Bible says He will make our bones fat. This is a blessing. In the old days artists acclaimed a woman’s beauty with lots of voluptuous rolls. It isn’t that way now. Why do so many of us fit into the old school. If it was considered beautiful now would that change the way we think about ourselves?

The Holy Women at the Sepulcher by Paul Rubens

I strive to overcome my self-criticism by saying to myself that God created me this way and I should accept being that plump grandmotherly type…the cute little round gray-haired grandmother that so many children adore. But that is not me...I’m tall and my hair isn’t even gray yet.

Fifteen years ago, twenty-five pounds thinner I had written in my Bible…"Please Father help me to keep my weight down."

Ann would say the answer is in gratitude…

Margaret Clarkson would say the answer is in acceptance...

Paul would say the answer would be in contentment...

About the chicken pox…this too shall pass. I am thankful for long soaks in oatmeal baths and a sighing of contentment in the midst of intense itching.

Day 2 ~

The early morning sun glistens on silvery snow;

Diamonds scattered near and far...

Like manna of old it feeds my soul;

The early morning dew from heaven.

From the song Manna...by me. :)

Can there be anything quite like the beauty of the sun pouring forth through the trees on fresh snow? The day before, a blizzard raged cold and fierce, blinding the eyes of the traveler ~ danger lurking at every turn. But joy comes in the morning, and God gives good gifts once again.

My son delighting in an opportunity to help others gets acknowledged…

Dozens of Cars Stuck On Britton Road KOCO Channel 5

We are all so proud of him.

But I am proud of all my young people because there is so much going on behind the scenes that will never be acknowledged, but is just as profound...

The hero sister making waffles for him before he sets off for another day shoveling people out of the snow.

The hero brother recovering from the chicken pox, not able to venture out in the cold, but instead cleaning up the messy room that the hero brother left behind. Servant heart in someone speaks volumes to the heavens above…

Another hero brother, also not feeling well, feverish and achy, but seeing the beauty of the snowflakes falling gets out the old dusty microscope and begins to bring the microcosm to life with his camera…

The hero father who trained up his sons goes along with the hero son. He’s the one that taught him to travel in the snow, taught him to be strong, taught him to help the stranded and the weak.

The hero sister who last year braved the ice and storms to feed and take care of horses that no one could get to.

The hero daughter who picked me up when I was weary and worn and turned me into a guinea pig in her precision nutrition streamline program. Maybe there is hope for me yet…

And my hero martian child daughter and our "nice talks".

And there are so many more, but today I am thankful for these.

Day 3 ~

This morning we wake up to -7 degrees, the water stops flowing. Dad goes out early in the cold frigid air to heat the well house. Hopefully nothing is broken.

Dads are such heroes. Venturing out to fend for their families, to rescue, to provide, to support , to teach the good things…how thankful we are for them.

We had a long Bible this morning. No one is in a hurry to go out into the frozen world until it warms up a bit. After talking about time wasters like TV and DVDs (we haven’t had a TV for over 25 years, but we have been watching way too many movies on our computer screen), we all are in unity that we want to limit watching "time wasting movies". Dad, who has not been enforcing so many restrictions, because all the children are grown adults and need to develop their own convictions says, “So as far as the rules and standards I do have, is there anything you would like to see changed?”

And hero son looks over with tears in his eyes, and says, “Dad, I think you are awesome!” And they all agree that they are glad that they grew up without TV and movies. And I feel the warmth of blessing wash over me…

Christian parents ~ you are going to feel persecution. Your own children and your families will persecute you. But mothers, always remember the promise, “Her children will rise up and call her blessed.” Proverbs 31:28. I think this goes for dads as well, who are seeking God with all their heart. When you are feeling weary and persecuted never forget the promise..."Train up your children in the way they should go and when they are old they will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:5

I remember so well when our children were little and there were those days...tiring days, the days where everything seemed to go wrong and when the crying went on and on, whether it was from getting hurt, or being disciplined and we being weary of being faithful in disciplining and often questioning what we were doing, always praying. And then our child looks up into our eyes and gives us the smile that melts away all the weariness and frustration, and the blessing flows down and melts all the tension and stress...and we smile.

It is blessing washing over and over.

And the storms always come before the stillness of the dawning of a new day…and here the snow glistens in the morning sun like diamonds…

And there is gratitude...

One happy Mac in the snow. :)

801 - 820

Jesus In All the Books of the Bible ~ Gratitude

2011-01-23T11:18:00.000-08:00

I was so impressed with this young man, and the way he delivered this oratory of the books of the Bible and how Christ is typified in each book. Truly I have never really thought of it this way...Some of you may have already viewed this, but for those who haven't you are in for a treat...

I am thankful for the young people who proclaim the gospel...there is nothing quite like it that reaches the depths of the heart...

And I am thankful for each book of the Bible and the message and life that they bring...

Most of all I am thankful for the Word of Life, the Great Shepherd, the King of Kings!

* Genesis: The Seed of The Woman
* Exodus: The Passover Lamb
* Leviticus: The High Priest
* Numbers: The Cloud and The Fire
* Deuteronomy: The Prophet Like Moses
* Joshua: The Captain of Our Salvation
* Judges: The Judge And Lawgiver
* Ruth: The Kinsman Redeemer
* 1 & 2 Samuel: The Prophet of The Lord
* 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles: The Reigning King
* Ezra: The Faithful Scribe
* Nehemiah: The Rebuilder of The Broken Down Walls
* Esther: Mordecai
* Job: The Dayspring From on High
* Psalms: The Lord Who Is Our Shepherd
* Proverbs & Ecclesiastes: Wisdom
* The Song of Solomon: The Lover & Bridegroom
* Isaiah: The Prince of Peace
* Jeremiah & Lamentations: The Weeping Prophet
* Ezekiel: The Wheel Turning
* Daniel: The 4th Man in The Fiery Furnace
* Hosea: The Bridegroom Married to The Backslidden Woman
* Joel: Baptized With The Holy Spirit And Fire
* Amos: The Burden Bearer
* Obadiah: The Mighty Savior
* Jonah: The Forgiving God
* Micah: The Messenger With Beautiful Feet
* Nahum: The Avenger of God's Elect
* Habakkuk: The Great Evangelist, Crying For Revival
* Zephaniah: The Restorer of God's Lost Heritage
* Haggai: The Cleansing Fountain
* Zechariah: The Merciful Father
* Malachi: The Son of Righteousness, Rising with Healing in His Wings

* Matthew: The Messiah
* Mark: The Wonder Worker
* Luke: The Son of Man
* John: The Son of God
* Acts: The Ascended Lord
* Romans: The Justifier
* 1 & 2 Corinthians: The Gifts of The Spirit
* Galatians: The One Who Sets Us Free
* Ephesians: The Christ of Riches
* Philippians: The God Who Meets Our Every Need
* Colossians: The Fullness of The Godhead
* 1 & 2 Thessalonians: The Soon Coming King
* 1 & 2 Timothy: The Mediator Between God And Man
* Titus: The Faithful Pastor
* Philemon: The Friend That Sticks Closer Than a Brother
* Hebrews: The Blood That Washes Away My Sins
* James: The Great Physician
* 1 & 2 Peter: The Chief Shepherd
* 1 & 2 & 3 John: Everlasting Love
* Jude: The Lord Who Came Down with 10,000 Saints
* Revelation: The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords!

Look here for Scripture references...
Jesus in all the books of the Bible

734~800

5 Things Every Christian Should Have...

2011-01-15T19:56:00.000-08:00

I was listening to a Christian radio station while traveling in the car the other day and heard someone say this and I wish could have written it down, because I can’t remember all of it…But it was something like 5 things every Christian should have…

Dust on your shoes

Holes in the knees of your pants

Hands that reach out

Arms spread wide open

And I can’t remember the last one…???

What do you think it would be?

Let’s get some comments going here…I would love to hear your thoughts and you can comment more than once… :)

"Nice Talk."

2011-01-10T22:02:00.000-08:00

I’ve been thinking too much about the world and all the terrible things that are happening in it, and I found myself feeling somewhat distressed…when my lovely daughter reminded me ever so gently that I should think of 10 things to be thankful for and blog it…

So here goes…

I went downstairs and the aroma from the kitchen was amazing…Sage had made (1) Ginger Cake with (2) Rum Sauce…

Now, please don’t draw any false conclusions…I mean about the rum sauce…we learned a long time ago that any alcohol evaporates when it is cooked and just leaves the flavor…

So, (3) Ginger…

What an incredible rhizome!

This spice is not only (4) tasty, but also (5) medicinal…

A teaspoon of freshly grated ginger mixed with a dollop of honey can cure nausea and motion sickness. It is terrific for sore throats and because it is anti-inflammatory it also helps relieve pain.

Here are some beautiful Thai ladies harvesting ginger from a field…and I'm sure they are having some "Nice Talk" as they fellowship together while they work...

Along with my wonderful Ginger Cake topped with Rum Sauce I had freshly brewed (6) Chai, made by a friend of ours who is visiting for the week. Traditionally Chai is made with black tea, milk, a sweetener and spices, such as cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, fennel seeds, peppercorn and cloves. A fantastic hot drink on a cold winter’s night!

I also found (7) Chai as a Hebrew word for “living” made up of the letters Chet and Yod…just had to add this as I am intrigued of late with the meaning of Hebrew letters...

The (8) laughter and (9) talking of young people sharing their thoughts and experiences in fellowship together. all gathered around the living room... They are definitely here having a "Nice Talk" about everything under the sun... : )

And last, but not least (10) the incredible daughter of mine… my sweet 'alien' companion who prompted me to do this in the first place…

We have an understanding… :) We are strangers (aliens) and pilgrims in this land and sometimes we really feel that way... our song ;)

724 -734 "Nice talk!" Thanks, Tera...

Epistles of Christ

2011-01-08T08:09:00.000-08:00

"Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart."
2 Corinthians 3:3

The Apostle Paul ~ Rembrandt

In my previous post I discovered in amazement how in the book of Exodus, God so carefully instructs His people how to build a temple, a holy place for Him to dwell, every detail, every jot and tittle was accounted for. And Yahweh did dwell among them…a cloud by day and a fire by night…

Then in Jeremiah the temple made with hands that Solomon built was totally destroyed and every instrument made with hands was carried away…

And in the New Testament how through the blood of Christ we are given eternal life, salvation from our sins that separate us from God, and we are filled with His Holy Spirit and we become the temple not made with hands.

Once we are born again of the Spirit, He dwells with us…

Emmanuel ~ El (God) with us…

Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36: 25-26

He takes away the stony heart and gives a heart of flesh.

He wrote the Ten Commandments on two tablets of stone with His finger…

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: Hebrews 8:10

He writes His laws into our hearts and minds and He is our God and we are His people...

Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Psalms 100:3

Then as it says in 1 Corinthians we are manifestly declared to be epistles of Christ.

Each one of us letters of our Savior written by His hand as He manifests His life through us…

Think on these things…

And He still is concerned with the details…

For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:18-20

How are we manifesting our Savior in our lives?

We are His epistles...

The Temple of God

2011-01-02T22:01:00.000-08:00

In an older post I mentioned a book called...
The Bible Wheel ~

I have been reading Exodus, Jeremiah and I Corinthians simultaneously, to try and discover for myself if there are any correlations in these books as proclaimed in The Bible Wheel, and this morning as I finished Exodus I was astounded with my discovery.

But let me go back to the book of Jeremiah…

Slowly, but surely, I have been making my way through the book of Jeremiah, about 4 chapters at a time, and I find myself weeping…The similarities between what was happening to Israel then, and what is happening in the world now are so close to home, that when I would read I could sense Yahweh speaking to us today…But as you know if you have read Jeremiah, judgment is pronounced on Judah. The king of Judah at the time was Zedekiah, and he refused to heed to Jeremiah and repent and surrender to the King of Babylon.

He was taken captive; his sons were all killed before his eyes, and then his eyes were put out... The temple in Jerusalem was destroyed and all the fine pieces of brass and gold were taken or broken… The chapter ends in total desolation for Jerusalem.

Then I proceeded to read the last chapters of Exodus…Here Yahweh had given people the wisdom understanding and knowledge to build and form all the beautiful vessels and instruments of the temple.

“And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship…,” Exodus 31:3

At the end of the book of Exodus the temple of Yahweh is beautifully built and furnished…

At the end of the book of Jeremiah the temple and all its furnishings are destroyed…

I found myself weeping…how sad that what was once built so lovingly and so holy was destroyed...And then a scripture from Corinthians came flooding into my mind…”Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you.”
1 Corinthians 3:16

There it is…the correlation of those three chapters…

But there is more…There is also a correlation with the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet with these three books… The second letter of the Hebrew alphabet is Bet meaning house, dwelling, tabernacle…and God mentions His Tabernacle as the House of the Lord (Bet YHVH ) for the first time in Exodus 23:19.

There is also the amazing correlation of Moses and Jeremiah. When Yahweh called them they both answered that they were slow of tongue, or could not speak. They both expressed the same objections. God told Moses He would be with his mouth and Jeremiah that He would put words in his mouth.

How beautiful it is that the Word is all interwoven with symbols that were a shadow of things to come and are fulfilled in our High Priest and King ~ Jesus the Christ, Yahshua the Messiah, the King of King and Lord of Lords. Hallelulyah! To Him be the Glory!

A Snowflake Party

2010-12-26T09:07:00.000-08:00

It's time for a snowflake party…

I know there has been snow dumped every where, but here in Oklahoma we have not had one snowflake yet…

I love snow and when my children were little we made paper snowflakes and hung them up on the window every winter hoping that it would snow…

So… it’s time for making snowflakes….and hopefully we'll get a little snow... ; )

I found this cute blog here’s looking at me kid and she has a great post
The Art of Making a Paper Snowflake…

Now for our party we need a game and something yummy to eat…

Speed Scrabble has been a hit since John learned it and taught us...

Here's a link on...
How to Play Speed Scrabble

And... how cute are these scrabble cookies at
Bake at 350…

Now a little candle light...

A warm cozy fire and a cup of hot cocoa...

There you go…all set for a snowflake party!!!

one thousand gifts ~ Ann Voskamp

2010-12-20T07:34:00.000-08:00

Every morning…almost every morning... for more than 25 years now... my husband wakes everyone up and gives us 15 minutes to get ready and come to Bible Study…In our house we decided a long time ago to take the scripture, “Seek ye first the kingdom and His righteousness…” literally, so our time with our Savior comes first. This morning in Bible my youngest son shared scriptures on being thankful which reminded me that I have been remiss in my Gratitude posts ~ onward to 1000… :)

701 I am thankful to Ann at a holy experience for making this suggestion ~ a beautiful and talented believer reaching out to so many with her incredible gift of expression. It really is a spiritual discipline to keep in remembrance thankfulness and one that our heavenly Father is pleased with. She has written a beautiful book ~

one thousand gifts

702 Thankful for my son sharing about thankfulness...

Here are some of the scriptures he shared from Psalms interspersed with my thanksgiving ~

703 “Offer unto Elohim thanksgiving…” 50:14

704 “I will praise the name of Elohim with a song and will magnify Him with thanksgiving.” 69:30

705 Thankful for all the musicians and singers, songwriters ~ praise and worship leaders.

706 “O, come, let us sing unto YHWH; let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation.” 95:2

707 “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise; be ye thankful unto Him and bless His name.” 100:4

708 So very thankful for the beauty of His Holiness, for His Majesty on High, for the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, for His Holy Temple and His Heavenly Throne.

709 “Sing unto YHWH, O ye saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His Holiness.” 30:4

710 “Sing unto YHWH with thanksgiving ; sing praise upon the harp unto our Elohim.”

711 Higher and higher our thoughts expand as we praise Him with thanksgiving and think of His glory and honor and power and that it is forever and ever…

712 Thankful for the singing and praise I hear around the house coming from the voices of humble believers as they go about their daily work.

713 The talking…the laughter…

714 My precious friend who walks and talks with me…

715 For the remembrance of people throughout the day who need prayer…

716 For those quiet times with my Savior Yahshua…

717 When He is with me facing any fear or anxiety…

718 When He is with me counseling others through me…

719 When His is with me working out seemingly impossible things

720 When His love shines through and I know it is not me, but Him…that He is loving through me…

721 “So we Thy people and the sheep of Thy pasture will give Thee thanks forever… we will show forth Thy praise to all generations.” 99:13

722 So thankful for a miracle ~ a friend of a friend who miraculously came out of an accident that could have been fatal ~ and glorified our heavenly Father...

What do you think of that? Isn't that amazing?

The news station did a wonderful job covering this miracle of God, don't you think?

Arise, Get Up and Go To the Potter's House...

2010-12-13T18:33:00.000-08:00

I have a great lesson to teach you there…

I went down to the potter’s house…in the center stood a large wheel and all around there were shelves with clay pots …some were drying…some were already finished glazed and decorated with the finest designs and hues of glazes. Near the wheel stood a large container filled with water and a small table laden with the tools that the potter used to create his masterpieces…

The potter sat with a peaceful, but intense look on his face as he molded the clay on the wheel before him. Round and round the wheel spun guided by the foot of the potter as he pressed on the lever below…spinning the wheel at the exact momentum to attain his desired result…

But as skilled as he was the pot was marred…Down came his strong hand upon the top of the imperfect vessel…smashing it back into a lump of formless clay on the wheel and again he began the process of centering the clay in the middle of the wheel and forming a new vessel that would please his eye...

I love this story from Jeremiah ...I love visualizing the potter, his wheel, the clay, the pots all around, the smell of earth...Oh, how God loves us... Oh, how He formed each one of us... Oh, how He wants the very best for us...and we would not...

Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter?” saith the LORD. “Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel. At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them. Now therefore go to, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you: return ye now everyone from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good.

And they said, “There is no hope: but we will walk after our own devices, and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart.”

We may think that it was just Israel of old that refused to obey Yahweh, but if we are honest with ourselves each one of us is stubborn and hard-hearted, like a lump of clay refusing to be formed by the Master’s hand.

But what our Father is saying here is that a potter can make a new vessel…the clay does not fight with him and refuse to be formed, but we do, and therefore our Father’s recourse is to bring us into submission by chastisement. He chastises us because He loves us.

But how much better it is to submit…

Not My Will

by Sarah Naylor

A hard lump of clay, as cold as a stone

Lay upon a Potter’s wheel

It wouldn’t yield, it wouldn’t mold,

Just sat there with stubborn will.

But the patient hands worked without pause

Wetting the clay with water,

And slowly, so slowly, it began to break down

Giving into the Potter.

From that moment on a shape took form

Not just a lump of clay,

And if that mud could talk to you

You would have heard it say…

Chorus –

Not my will, but yours alone

I surrender my life to you.

Not my will but yours be done

Mold me for your use.

That hard lump of clay so stubborn was me

Yet the potter never let me go.

He softened me with his kindness and grace

Molding me with his love

And by the time he was finished

I said with all my heart…

Chorus –

Not my will, but yours alone

I surrender my life to you.

Not my will but yours be done

Mold me for your use.

Quoting Ray Stedman here from The Potter and the Clay..."And this is true of our individual lives. If some hard circumstance comes into your life -- and it may be there right now, or it may be just around the corner, or you may just have passed through it -- that circumstance is the wheel of God, to bring you against the pressure of the Potter's hand. If you do not resist, if your will does not spoil the work by murmuring, grumbling, or complaining, or feeling resentful and bitter, but you accept the working of the Potter, then the pressure is relieved, and the vessel takes shape. But if there is resistance, if the human will, like some imperfection in the clay, chooses something other than the Potter has in mind, then the Potter can do nothing else but crush it down to a lump once again and, beginning with the same lump, make it over into a vessel which suits his heart and mind. The great lesson Jeremiah learned at the potter's house was that of the sovereign control of God. He is the potter, and we are the clay."

John produced an inspiring video "Molded By the Master's Hand". To see the trailer on Vimeo click here. To order the video you may contact John Naylor. Sarah's song "Not My Will" posted above is on the video as well, featuring Sarah's beautiful voice accompanied by the...

Naylor Family Band.

Feeble Folk

2010-11-20T22:26:00.000-08:00

"The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks."-Proverbs 30:26

Conscious of their own natural defenselessness, the conies resort to burrows in the rocks, and are secure from their enemies. My heart, be willing to gather a lesson from these feeble folk. Thou art as weak and as exposed to peril as the timid cony, be as wise to seek a shelter. My best security is within the munitions of an immutable Jehovah, where His unalterable promises stand like giant walls of rock. It will be well with thee, my heart, if thou canst always hide thyself in the bulwarks of His glorious attributes, all of which are guarantees of safety for those who put their trust in Him. Blessed be the name of the Lord, I have so done, and have found myself like David in Adullam, safe from the cruelty of my enemy; I have not now to find out the blessedness of the man who puts his trust in the Lord, for long ago, when Satan and my sins pursued me, I fled to the cleft of the rock Christ Jesus, and in His riven side I found a delightful resting-place. My heart, run to Him anew to-night, whatever thy present grief may be; Jesus feels for thee; Jesus consoles thee; Jesus will help thee. No monarch in his impregnable fortress is more secure than the cony in his rocky burrow. The master of ten thousand chariots is not one whit better protected than the little dweller in the mountain's cleft. In Jesus the weak are strong, and the defenseless safe; they could not be more strong if they were giants, or more safe if they were in heaven. Faith gives to men on earth the protection of the God of heaven. More they cannot need, and need not wish. The conies cannot build a castle, but they avail themselves of what is there already: I cannot make myself a refuge, but Jesus has provided it, His Father has given it, His Spirit has revealed it, and lo, again to-night I enter it, and am safe from every foe. ~ Charles Spurgeon

I love the way Chris Rice sings the hymn "Rock of Ages" ~ when he repeats "let me hide myself in thee..."

Feeble Folk, wherever you are, hide yourself in the cleft of the Rock...the Rock is Christ! He is our resting place...a place of comfort and safety...

"...From the end of the earth will I cry unto Thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the Rock that is higher than I. For Thou has been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy." Psalms 61: 2-3

Out of the Mouth of Babes

2010-11-12T04:59:00.000-08:00

And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise? Matthew 21:16

The story of Jonah from Corinth Baptist Church on Vimeo.

Yesterday's Grief ~ Continuing Thankfulness

2010-11-09T09:03:00.000-08:00

I love the way poets and writers are able to paint pictures with words. A dear friend of mine wrote these words in an email the other day...

"I am going now to a nearby lake to pray and study The Word of God! I love the golden carpet (leaves on the ground) the LORD has laid out for me to sit on as I learn from Him today!"

I could just visualize this beautiful scene...the lake...a carpet of golden aspen leaves freshly fallen from the trees...the figure of a child of God sitting in prayer with the Bible opened in her lap...how exquisite...

Which brings me to this beautiful poem I read this morning...

Yesterday's Grief ~ Katherine Lee Bates

The rain that fell a-yesterday is ruby on the roses,

Silver on the poplar leaf, and gold on willow stem;

The grief that chanced a-yesterday is silence that incloses

Holy loves when time and change shall never trouble them.

The rain that fell a-yesterday makes all the hillsides glisten,

Coral on the laurel and beryl on the grass;

The grief that chanced a-yesterday as taught the soul to listen

For whispers of eternity in all the winds that pass.

O faint-of-heart, storm-beaten, this rain will gleam tomorrow,

Flame within the columbine and jewels on the thorn,

Heaven is the forget-me-not; though sorrow now be sorrow,

Yet sorrow shall be beauty in the magic of the morn.

691 Dear friends

692 Expressing beauty

693 Yesterday's grief

694 Words painting pictures in our minds

695 Glistening raindrop magnifying colors

696 Sorrow turning to beauty

697 Beauty from ashes

698 All the brilliant colors from God's paintbrush

699 Creativity ~ a gift from the Creator

700 Newness every morning

"Get in, Get in, Get in, Get in..."

2010-11-01T15:43:00.000-07:00

"And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away: so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." Matthew 24:39

Think about this for a minute…

Noah's Ark, oil on canvas painting by Edward Hicks, 1846 Philadelphia Museum of Art

The Jostie’s song "Noah" by Lisa has been reverberating in my mind for a week now…

Many years after the first day of creation

All the world was filled with man’s abomination.

There was evil, evil all around.

Not a good man anywhere to be found...

The world is like this today! Getting worse and worse every day.

Sodom and Gomorrah is right outside our front doors…maybe even inside our homes if we have TV…

Charles Spurgeon…

"Universal was the doom, neither rich nor poor escaped: the learned and the illiterate, the admired and the abhorred, the religious and the profane, the old and the young, all sank in one common ruin. Some had doubtless ridiculed the patriarch-where now their merry jests? Others had threatened him for his zeal which they counted madness-where now their boastings and hard speeches? The critic who judged the old man's work is drowned in the same sea which covers his sneering companions. Those who spoke patronizingly of the good man's fidelity to his convictions, but shared not in them, have sunk to rise no more, and the workers who for pay helped to build the wondrous ark, are all lost also. The flood swept them all away, and made no single exception. Even so, out of Christ, final destruction is sure to every man of woman born; no rank, possession, or character, shall suffice to save a single soul who has not believed in the Lord Jesus. My soul, behold this wide-spread judgment and tremble at it.

How marvellous the general apathy! they were all eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, till the awful morning dawned. There was not one wise man upon earth out of the ark. Folly duped the whole race, folly as to self-preservation-the most foolish of all follies. Folly in doubting the most true God-the most malignant of fooleries. Strange, my soul, is it not? All men are negligent of their souls till grace gives them reason, then they leave their madness and act like rational beings, but not till then."

So shall also the coming of the Son of man be…

But wait! There was Noah, he loved Jehovah

God would save him and his sons from the deluge yet to come.

God told Noah, “Build an ark!

Here’s the plans now go and start.

Build it wide and make it long, build a roof and make it strong.

For I’m wiping out the sin, and the evil of all man.

Oh, it’s gonna’ rain and pour: Get in the ark and shut the door.”

Here again I hear the male harmonies of the Jost family… those strong deep vocal harmonies repeating in my mind...

Get in…get in… get in …get in…

Spurgeon continues..."All, blessed be God, were safe in the ark, no ruin entered there. From the huge elephant down to the tiny mouse all were safe. The timid hare was equally secure with the courageous lion, the helpless cony as safe as the laborious ox. All are safe in Jesus. My soul, art thou in Him?"

Get in the ark. The ark is Jesus. Get in the ark. His blood will save us…

But wait! Do you love Jesus? Do you believe that He died on the cross and shed His blood for you? Have you repented? Are you washed in blood of the Lamb?…Are you seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness? Do you love Him and keep his commandments?

Get in the ark before it’s too late…

The ark is Jesus!

681 For the mercies of YHWH

682 That He so loved the world

683 That He gave His only begotten Son

684 That whosoever believes on Him will have eternal life

685 YHshua is the ark

686 He is our salvation!

687 His promises are TRUE!

688 We can trust in His Word.

689 He will never leave us or forsake us!

690 He is the great I AM! Hallelulyah!

Here are some interesting discoveries about Noah's Ark...

I'm Yours and You're mine!

2010-10-25T13:27:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful time we had with the Jost family. The concert was amazing...

There we were, expecting them on our outdoor stage, it had rained the day before, there was rain in the forecast...

The kitchen was full of the wonderful smell of Sage's delectable chocolate chip cookies, Grandma had already sent over her famous Hello Dollies, everything was prepared...

Rain?... Was it raining? No, certainly not, but those sure looked like raindrops...

The rain stopped the wind picked up, and evening came... a beautiful night, full moon, quiet stillness, coolness in the air...a perfect night for a concert!

The Jostie's blessed us over and over again, the laryngitis that Lisa (mother extraordinaire), and daughter Emily were struggling with couldn't possibly overpower the beauty of their voices. Dale (father extraordinaire) and son Josiah had wonderful things to say about Jesus, faith, marriage, purity, family, children, happiness, the good things, the true things, the things we need to keep our minds focused on.

Lisa writes and composes all their music, and what struck me, being a mom and a song writer myself, was her relationship with Jesus. Her words, "You are the story of my life. I'm nothing without you...It's Your blood in the pen, and Your love in my heart...I'm Yours and You're mine!"

I know the feeling when I wrote... "It's You, You are the master of my life, It's You that I desire, in adoration I come before you... It's You, Who fills me with Your love, It's You that lights the way, in humbleness I kneel before You..." For more of the words of "It's You" click here.

Andrew Murray said, "Oh, the thought to have God all alone to myself, and to know that God has me all alone to Himself!"

And George Matheson, "My soul, practice being alone with Christ!...Hast thou ever pictured thyself the one remaining creature in all the starry worlds? In such a universe thine every thought would be " God and I! God and I!" And yet He is as near to thee as that ~ as near as if in the boundless spaces there throbbed no heart but His and thine."

I could go on and on about the gifts and talents and love of this family, but I better stop here and just say thank you...

Thank you for the encouragement

Thank you for being faithful

Thank you for all your hard work

Thank you for sharing your lives

Thank you for being honest

Thank you for being humble

Thank you for sharing messages that are not popular

Thank you for focusing on Jesus

Thank you for singing even though you were sick

Thank you for being overcomers

Thank you for giving

Thank you for shining the light of Christ

Thank you for not complaining

Thank you for the example you are setting for others

Thank you for making us laugh

Thank you for making us cry

Thank you for the love...

Thank you...Dale, Lisa, Josiah, Joel, Emily, Jeremiah, Joseph, Josh, Amy Joy, Hannah Grace, and Judas. You are all wonderful and amazing and real!

Visit their website here...The Josties
For more Photos by Jeremy click here.
Gratitude 651- 680

Expression of Grief

2010-10-18T21:15:00.000-07:00

We all experience grief in our lives…death of a loved one, a prodigal child, separation from a friend, divorce, loss of a job etc. The list goes on and on. It changes our lives. Our lives will never be the same.

“Those who have studied the grieving process recognize that the entire first year after a loss can be a roller coaster ride that deeply affects one’s daily living. And we need to get this straight—people never “get over it.” That phrase ought to be banned from our vocabulary. It makes no sense when talking about losing a loved one. Grieving people learn to adjust to a new way of living, they don’t “get over” their loss. Who would want that anyway?” ~ Chaplain Mike

William Wetmore Story (1819-1895) was a sculptor, an artist, a poet and poured out his grief into a beautiful tombstone for his beloved wife. There it sits in Rome in a Protestant cemetery- the very expression of grief. What he was feeling emanates from the block of stone and when we look at it, we can say, ”That’s what I feel like”. We are comforted knowing that we are not alone. Grief is part of life and "joy cometh in the morning".

We don’t get over it, it changes us, and it visits us again and again. But it is part of God’s plan for us and one day He promises to wipe away all of our tears.

Another Mourning With Tozer

2010-09-27T21:37:00.000-07:00

No, I did not misspell that word... :)

I’ve been having a tough time this last week trying to resolve some issues in myself that I keep stuffing down inside, and then busily go about my life trying hard to “let go” and push it all away from me. But when I close my eyes to pray, here it comes creeping up …a deep sadness…welling up within me that forces that tear to run down my cheek…

Some of you can probably relate...

So this morning I pick up Tozer and read yesterday’s devotion, because when I opened the book the words just glared out at me…

ROOT OF BITTERNESS…Ouch!

“Looking diligently…lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you.” Hebrews 12:15

Tozer says…”It is on record that Charles Spurgeon made this comment about a man who was well-known for his bitter and resentful spirit: ”May the grass grow green on his grave when he dies, for nothing ever grew around him while he lived!”

The sad and depressing bitter soul will compile a list of slights at which it takes offense and will watch over itself like a mother bear over her cubs, and the figure is apt, for the resentful heart is always surly and suspicious like a she-bear!

In our Christian fellowship, what can be more depressing than to find a professed Christian defending his or her supposed rights and bitterly resisting any attempt to violate them? Such a Christian has never accepted the way of the cross. The sweet graces of meekness and humility are unknown to that person. Everyday he or she grows harder and more acrimonious, trying to defend reputation, right, ministry, against imagined foes.

Is there a cure for this? Yes!

The cure is to die to self and rise with Christ into newness of life!”

So, am I letting a little root of bitterness grow once again?

I know I’ve been feeling battle worn and weary…

Prayers that have been delayed for years and years…a little weary in faith and hope for things that seem impossible…

Then I was blessed by iMonk…

Interestingly enough the post started out with a tree with roots…

Here in the recent article called Spiritual Formation: The Plain, Hard Truth By Chaplain Mike my questions were answered...

"In the final analysis, there is only one thing that enables us to grow in Christ.

Suffering. It’s the one thing that will enable you and me to grow.

Kudos if your church has a program for that! I’m serious. The Bible is replete with examples and teachings that verify this. Read the stories of the patriarchs in Genesis. What deepened their faith? What energized their obedience? What brought change and transformation to their lives so that they became for us the fathers and mothers of our faith? They grew through the sufferings and challenges that met them in the course of their lives. The patriarchal narratives are stories of conflict, struggle, pain, betrayal, disappointment, opposition, sins and their consequences, grief and loss, unfulfilled hopes, and seemingly impossible situations. And a God who guides them through all this mess. And people who learn to trust him in the midst of it all.

It is suffering by which we grow."

"The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him." Romans 8:16-17

Yes, this is so true! It is by suffering that we grow…so I am so thankful for suffering!

For all those circumstances that make me feel small and humble…used and abused…

and persecuted…Halleluljah!

"Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you." Matthew 5: 10-12

So don't feel sorry for yourselves, or let a root of bitterness start to grow, get rid of all those little resentments that pile up...

...and instead let suffering do it's good work in you and REJOICE!

You know there is always JOY that comes after the mourning! :)

We have a lot to rejoice about!

Just have to quote Spurgeon here...

Why go I mourning? Psalm 42:9

"Canst thou answer this, believer? Canst thou find any reason why thou art so often mourning instead of rejoicing? Why yield to gloomy anticipations? Who told thee that the winter of thy discontent would proceed from frost to frost, from snow to ice, and hail, to deeper snow, and yet more heavy tempest of despair? Knowest thou not that day follows night, that flood comes after ebb, that spring and summer succeed winter? Hope thou then! Hope thou ever! for God fails thee not."

Thank you Tozer, Spurgeon, Chaplain Mike, Peter, Paul, John and all you worthies who have written encouragement.

Thank you most of all to Jesus, for You are worthy to be praised forever and ever. Amen.

635 -650 Gratitude Count Photos by Tera

Words ~ What DoThey Really Mean?

2010-09-25T19:34:00.000-07:00

Originally I started this blog to gain a greater understanding of words, especially in Scripture…hence Words of Life. So to get back to my original intent…we have had an eye-opening week as we have been studying some commonly used words and their hidden meanings…from a little known booklet called ~ The Words of the Kingdom and the words of the world ~ Compared ~ The Importance of the Words We Speak

I am a mother. This morning I found out there is a motherboard in a computer...

...and if anyone has ever used Bragg’s vinegar you know about the mother in the vinegar…I think Kombucha has a mother as well, or is that the big mushroom blob that grows in the jar in the refrigerator?

Neither one of these looks anything like me…

So, back to my point…

Are you nice?

Origin of nice ~ Middle English, foolish, wanton, from Anglo-French, silly, simple, from Latin nescius ignorant, from nescire not to know

Word History ~ Five hundred years ago, when nice was first used in English, it meant "foolish or stupid". This is not as surprising as it may seem, since it came through early French from the Latin nescius, meaning "ignorant". By the 16th century, the sense of being "very particular" or "finicky" had developed. In the 19th century, nice came to mean "pleasant or agreeable" and then "respectable", a sense quite unlike its original meaning.

Merriam-Webster's Student Dictionary

Main Entry: nice
Pronunciation: \ˈnīs\
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English, foolish, wanton, from Anglo-French, silly, simple, from Latin nescius ignorant, from nescire not to know —
Date: 14th century

1 obsolete
a : wanton, dissolute
b : coy, reticent

2 a : showing fastidious or finicky tastes : particular
b : exacting in requirements or standards : punctilious

3 : possessing, marked by, or demanding great or excessive precision and delicacy

4 obsolete : trivial

5 a : pleasing, agreeable
b : well-executed
c : appropriate, fitting

6 a : socially acceptable : well-bred
b : virtuous, respectable

7 : polite, kind

Isn’t it incredible that a word through the ages can come to mean the opposite of what it originally meant?

So do you still think you are nice?

I find this fascinating and the next post will be …

Who are you a person, an individual, or a human being? This may really surprise you. :)

Dancing in the Minefields ~ Andrew Peterson

2010-09-20T10:28:00.000-07:00

My daughters went to an Andrew Peterson concert last night and came home just brimming over with good things to say about the performance! They cried and laughed and loved every minute of it.

Here is a video of one of their songs...so sweet...

Some of the words...

"I do" are the two famous last words
The beginning of the end
But to lose your life for another I've heard
Is a good place to begin.

621 So thankful for the one I said "I do" too.

And yes, as Andrew sings "This is harder than we dreamed"

622 Thankful for losing my life for another

623 Thankful for seeing the fruits of the Holy Spirit
growing within us and changing us

624 Thankful for that one dance we had together

Because he doesn't dance and that makes that one time so special...

625 He did it because he loves me
626 For the hard times
627 For the good times
628 For beautiful children
629 Even for the prodigals...we love them all, even if they reject us.
630 Love bears all things
631 Love believes all things
632 Love hopes all things
633 God is love

"At the end of all my faith, till the end of all my days
When I forget my name, remind me."

634 Someone to remind me...

635 And, yes, we're dancing in the minefields...

You'll enjoy their new album... Counting Stars

The Voice of the LORD ~ Thankfulness

2010-09-15T12:47:00.000-07:00

I am so thankful for the Holy Name of our Father ~
"Our Father Who art in heaven hallowed be Thy Name..." Matthew 6:9

Our Father’s Name consists of 4 letters called the TETRAGRAMATON. It is read from right to left and it represents YHWH or YHVH in ancient Aramaic.

It is revealed in the Old Testament in the shortened form in Psalms...
Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name YAH יה, and rejoice before him. Psalms 68:4

And also in the Hebrew word so often used ...HalleluYah! הללו יה Praise the LORD!

I am restoring the Holy Name YHWH to these verses, because it is His voice and His Name...

Psalms 29:3-11

The voice of יהוה is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: יהוה is upon many waters.

The voice of יהוה is powerful;

The voice of יהוה is full of majesty.

The voice of יהוה breaketh the cedars...

The voice of יהוהdivideth the flames of fire...

The voice of יהוה shaketh the wilderness...

The voice of יהוה maketh the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests: and in his temple doth every one speak of his glory.

יהוהsitteth upon the flood; yea, יהוה sitteth King for ever.
יהוה will give strength unto his people; יהוה will bless his people with peace.

O magnify יהוה with me, and let us exalt His Name together.Psalms 34:3
601 ~ 620 I love His Holy Name... and His Voice...

Picture of tetragramaton and more explanation of the name here...
Photos by Jeremy

I brought the river home with me...

2010-09-14T11:19:00.000-07:00

: )

Gratitude ~ The Best of Summer

2010-08-30T05:34:00.000-07:00

581 A circumhorizontal arc

582 Shadows of light making a heart on an aspen

583 A huge rock jutting out of a mountainside holding up a tree

584 My favorite river place

585 The little white bridge

586 Rocks : )

587 Mount of the Holy Cross

588 Sitting in mountain meadows full of wildflowers listening to quiet
589 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures...

590 He leadeth me beside the still waters...

591 He restoreth my soul

592 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death

593 I will fear no evil...

594 For Thou art with me...
595 Giving us hind's feet in high places...

596 Some of us anyway... : )

597 Farmer's market flowers

598 Wild flowers

599 Rocks with smiley faces in the high places

600 Praise the Almighty God from Whom all blessings flow!
Photos taken in the High Places by various members of the family. : )

A Celebration of the Life of an Incredible Man ~ Buff Rutherford

2010-08-28T11:06:00.000-07:00

Photo by Matthew Jonas

"A pine casket with horse shoe handles lovingly built by son and son-in-law. An old wagon that belonged to his grandfather long years ago. A horse with an empty saddle tied behind. Hundreds of people following after through the main street of town as all the bells in all the towers rang out. Perfect send off for such a man. You will be missed, Buff Rutherford" ~ Sage

It still brings tears to my eyes as I sit here writing…

An incredible man admired and loved by many…

The pastor said that Buff’s last words gasped out to him were ~ My suffering is nothing compared to the suffering of my Lord…

Last year I remember Buff being so excited about having all the bells in the little town of Georgetown ringing for New Year’s. He remembered them tolling when he was young…

For more of the story click here.

"One of my favorite people had such a beautiful goodbye today. In a simple coffin built by his sons.....after the service we walked behind the horse drawn wagon carrying him through the little town he has called home all his life while the bells tolled." ~Tera

As we walked with hundreds of other people behind the wagon that was bought by his father in 1945 and has been restored by the residents of Georgetown, all the bells were ringing throughout the town. It was his last ride through town as he and his wife Mary Lou used to take people on horse drawn tours through town sharing with them the wonderful history of this old mining town. Buff’s horse Andy was tied behind the wagon, saddle empty…lead by his son Bruce…

Summit Lake by Jeremy JDNPIX

Years ago Bruce and and his wife Patty took me and my husband on the hike of a lifetime. To them it was as natural as any old hike ~ for us it was the experience of a lifetime…Starting at Summit Lake we hiked six miles high up in the mount Evans wilderness to a hunting camp right below tree line. Buff and Mary Lou both in their 70’s met us at camp that evening. They had ridden up on horseback with all the tents and supplies and an incredible meal cooked over the campfire. As we slept under the stars, I marveled at this beautiful way of life…The next day we walked another 6 miles and when I got home I was exhausted. After a shower I lay under a blanket shivering, and telling my family what an absolutely incredible hike we had ~ it definitely was one of the highlights of my life, thanks to Buff and Mary Lou and Bruce and Patty.

Bruce grew up in the mountains with his dad ~ to him it is a way of life…to Buff it was a way of life, simple hardy rugged and good…the way life should be…

Although I know that just as everyone else they have had their trials and sorrows… Buff and Mary Lou lost their daughter in an accident when she was young… but they poured out their love to an adopted daughter Mary and Mary’s son and daughter spoke highly of their wonderful grandpa at the service ~ I doubt an eye was dry.

One of Buff’s hobbies was making horseshoe figures. He was quite the artist…recycling the materials from the life he loved. His brother Bill said he was an excellent farrier. When we visited them a couple of months ago Buff was shoeing his horse at 81 years old with the oxygen along that he always needed to keep breathing, he actually was still shoeing his own horse. I was amazed.

He lived a good life, a full life…we will all miss him… Georgetown will not be the same without him…his very unique voice as he told stories of the history of the town; his incredible memory and his way of reciting cowboy poetry that kept you spell bound.

Buff’s sister Jean who preceded him in death by only two and a half months wrote a great book about their lives as children, The Colorado Whoopenhollars, telling the story of life during the Depression in the little mining town of Georgetown, Colorado. If you are interested in purchasing the book you can find it here.

More important than anything Buff loved people, and you could feel it… and we will miss that love that he gave…I’m glad that I could be one of the many who knew and loved him and walked behind the wagon on his last ride.

Happy Trails, Buff, ‘til we meet again…

Rainbows and Epistles ~ Sent by God

2010-08-12T08:42:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning to the wind blowing through my open windows and the door swinging open and then banging shut…I looked out the second story window to behold a beautiful rainbow arched over the mountains…

Grabbing the camera I took several photos knowing that those still asleep would miss out on this beautiful sign from God…

Picking up my devotional for the day by Spurgeon…I was further amazed and praiseful…

"The bow shall be seen in the cloud."-Genesis 9:14

The rainbow, the symbol of the covenant with Noah, is typical of our Lord Jesus, who is the Lord's witness to the people. When may we expect to see the token of the covenant? The rainbow is only to be seen painted upon a cloud. When the sinner's conscience is dark with clouds, when he remembers his past sin, and mourneth and lamenteth before God, Jesus Christ is revealed to him as the covenant Rainbow, displaying all the glorious hues of the divine character and betokening peace. To the believer, when his trials and temptations surround him, it is sweet to behold the person of our Lord Jesus Christ-to see Him bleeding, living, rising, and pleading for us. God's rainbow is hung over the cloud of our sins, our sorrows, and our woes, to prophesy deliverance. Nor does a cloud alone give a rainbow, there must be the crystal drops to reflect the light of the sun. So, our sorrows must not only threaten, but they must really fall upon us. There had been no Christ for us if the vengeance of God had been merely a threatening cloud: punishment must fall in terrible drops upon the Surety. Until there is a real anguish in the sinner's conscience, there is no Christ for him; until the chastisement which he feels becomes grievous, he cannot see Jesus. But there must also be a sun; for clouds and drops of rain make not rainbows unless the sun shineth. Beloved, our God, who is as the sun to us, always shines, but we do not always see Him-clouds hide His face; but no matter what drops may be falling, or what clouds may be threatening, if He does but shine there will be a rainbow at once. It is said that when we see the rainbow the shower is over. Certain it is, that when Christ comes, our troubles remove; when we behold Jesus, our sins vanish, and our doubts and fears subside. When Jesus walks the waters of the sea, how profound the calm!

As a side note…I’m reading this incredible book online called The Bible Wheel…I want to share more out of this book later on, but this morning this sentence popped out at me… the author is writing about the structure of the New Testament…

"The word "epistle" comes directly from the Greek επιστολη (epistole) which denotes a letter as "something sent." It is from the same root as "apostle" which appears in the opening salutation of exactly one-half of the books in this group, such as the first verse of the first Epistle, "Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God" (Rom 1:1)."

I have always rejoiced in knowing that each believer is like an epistle, a letter sent by God, into a dark and dying world. He has called us out and we die to ourselves and live for Him and then He sends us back as a testimony, a letter, an epistle to others…yes, apostles…separated unto the gospel. How wonderful is this!

I just sense the awesomeness of our amazing Father all over, when I think about it. Share your thoughts… : )

Mosaic of Christ seated in glory from the ceiling of the San Giovanni (St. John's) Baptistery, Florence, Italy.

More From the High Places

2010-08-09T07:47:00.000-07:00

The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. Habakuk 3:19

561 I didn't exactly have hinds' feet hiking up to about 11,000 feet, but I did have the encouragement from my family and I reached our destination, a beautiful old cabin built long ago high in the mountains...

562 Looking up to the ridge above the tree line...

563 Looking down into the beautiful valley below...

564 Looking under the beautiful fir trees...

565 Taking it all in...

566 Enjoying the stream flowing from the high elevations...

567 Peaceful contemplation...

568 Happy times in the high places...

569 Restful times... He makes me to lie down in green pastures : )

Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice? She standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths. Proverbs 8:1-2

I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, and the pine, and the box tree together: That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the LORD hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it. Isaiah 41:18-20

Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. Isaiah 58:14-59:1

570 Yahweh is my strength!
571 He makes me to walk in the high places!
572 He leads me beside the still waters!
573 He restores my soul!
574 He teaches me with wisdom!
575 He has created all things!
576 He causes me to ride on the high places of the earth!
577 I delight in Him!
578 He is my Shepherd!
579 He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake!
580 For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it!

I love to collect rocks from the beautiful places I have been as a remembrance... heart rocks I brought down from the high places...

May you delight in the blessings of our Almighty God today and walk in the high places with Him with joy and thanksgiving!

Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high, who hast done great things: O God, who is like unto thee!
Psalms 71:19

Thankful for the High Places

2010-08-02T06:59:00.000-07:00

Up here in the mountains ~ in the high places ~ there is a refreshing for the mind and the body...

...but what I really long for is the high places with my Savior...

That is where we find the true refreshing...the living water...

Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. John 4:13-14

...and that refreshing can come in the deepest darkest prison, in chains, in suffering, in hunger, in poverty, in the lowest places of the earth because He gives the water of life...

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

Thankful for:
551 the high places
552 refreshing mountain air
553 the smell of pine
554 clear clean water tumbling over rocks and boulders
555 clear blue skies
556 cool temperatures
557 mountain wild flowers
558 chipmunks darting here and there and hiding in the rocks
559 mountain lakes
560 drawing close to Yahweh and His beautiful creation ~ His High Places

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Psalms 91:1

For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. Isaiah 57:15

Beautiful photos by Jeremy :)

Thankful for Daughters!!!!

2010-07-19T15:12:00.000-07:00

I have four of the most wonderfully beautiful and talented daughters ever! I am so thankful for each of them and I know that I do not show my appreciation for them nearly enough.

See their blog here

So I'm going to be thankful for each of the many talents they have right here for everyone to read...
501 Sage

502 Her love for people.
503 The sunshine she brings into our live.
504 Her "sage" wisdom to counsel.
505 Her talent in writing...see her journal here
506 Singing harmonies that make our praise and worship time heavenly.
507 She's a great MC ~ we couldn't have done the band without her many talents in speaking...and reaching out to others.
508 She's a hard and willing worker.
509 Willingness to do kind things for others no matter how uncomfortable it is for her.
510 Talents in directing and filmmaking...

511 Tera

512 Her servant heart!
513 Her cheerful countenance!
514 Her beautiful laugh!
515 She's also a hard and willing worker.
516 Artistic in photography and painting.
517 An eye for beauty and color.
518 Diligent in her perseverance of perfection in her studies.
519 Deep spiritual insight and the talent to put it into words. Read an example her beautiful posts here
520 A loyal friend!
521 Sensitive and sincere!
522 I miss her beautiful cello playing!
523 Always willing to listen and give excellent counsel.

524 Sarah

525 What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Sarah...she's an amazing gourmet cook!
See her Stir It Up blog here.
526 She's obviously also gifted with words and can write great posts.
527 Not only great posts, but incredible spiritual insight...here's an example
528 She's not afraid of controversy!
529 An artist...See her art blog here
530 She has one of the most beautiful voices and we are blessed to hear it often as she hums and sings going about her daily chores.
531 A gift of organization.
532 A love for children...
533 A beautiful song writer...look here for an example of her lyrics.

535 Anna

536 The sweetest girl you'd ever hope to meet.
537 Works hard in the garden and yard and also in the ranch work God has blessed her with.
538 Loves children...
539 Sporty
540 Also an incredible writer and photographer...
541 Caring and sensitive...
542 I hear her mandolin occasionally ...the melodies floating down the staircase...
543 Her beautiful voice singing "In Christ Alone"
544 Honest
545 and Helpful
546 and Wholesome
547 and Lovely
548 Also has deep spiritual insight and a talented writer ...but I can't find an example online???

And this is not all ...but this is my tribute to the 4 jewels that adorn our household with their beauty and grace and giving...

549 How blessed we are to know them...how blessed I am by them...
550 Thank You Father for daughters : )

<3 <3 <3 <3

Coffee ~ Thankfulness 500 Things ~Half Way to 1000

2010-07-12T08:47:00.000-07:00

492 That morning cup of coffee...

493 Coffee is one of the major sources of earnings for many people in developing countries...

"Coffee's importance in the global economy cannot be overstressed. As one of the most valuable primary commodities in world trade, coffee in many years has been second only to oil as a source of foreign exchange to developing countries. Its cultivation, processing, trading, transportation and marketing provide millions of people with employment worldwide. Coffee is vital to the economies and politics of many developing countries and accounts for a substantial portion of many of the world's Least Developed Countries’ foreign exchange earnings, in some cases even over 80%." ~ From a study done by students at Duke University

494 Coffee beans

495 The wonderful aroma of roasted coffee beans ~ I just received a gift of freshly roasted beans ~I mean roasted at home from green coffee beans~ from a dear friend...they made the absolutely best brew I've ever had!!!
Thank you, Mike!:)

496 Coffee beans on the vine

497 Great people of all ages who pick coffee

498 Baskets of freshly picked coffee beans

499 Beautiful designs

500 Hearts...

There is so much to know about coffee...it can be mind-bloggling...

I'm just thankful for my morning cup of coffee. :)

Thankful for Heritage ~1,000 Gifts

2010-06-28T17:58:00.000-07:00

Midsommardans by Anders Zorn 1897

My mother is Swedish and in Sweden they celebrate Midsommar. This celebration usually heralds the longest day, or the summer solstice, as the earth passes closest to the sun on its continual elliptical orbit. Swedish dancers will dress in their traditional garb and dance around a flowered bedecked Maypole, now why they call it a Maypole in June, I don’t know…

Notice all the blue and yellow flowers...For those of you who do not know, the colors of Sweden are blue and yellow...

We were invited to attend the 4Oth annual meeting of the Georgetown Colorado Historical Society and the event was celebrated Scandinavian Midsommar style replete with Swedish flag, Maypole bedecked with Swedish colors of blue and yellow and most fabulous of all traditional Scandinavian food. And it took place at the famous Hamill House lawn.

When I grew up my mother kept us in touch with Swedish traditions, but when we visited our grandparents in Sweden we experienced real Swedish hospitality and real Swedish food.

Filling our plates with red new potatoes, herring and sour cream, my grandfather showed us how to pick up the potato with our fork in our left hand, put a slice of herring on top of that, and a dollop of sour cream and then European style lift the fork up to your mouth, still in the left hand, and place the combo in your mouth. The flavors meld and the experience is unforgettable, and I guess if you have Swedish blood in you...it becomes a very favorite food.

No Swedish meal is complete without knäckebröd (hard crisp bread) and lots of butter and cheese…

465 Whispers of the life of our ancestors
466 Sweden~ a great country ~a great people
467 Sky blue
468 Bright yellow
469 Blue and yellow flowers
470 Swedish fiddlers
471 Swedish dancers
472 Swedish costumes
473 Celebrations
474 Cheese
475 Knäckebröd
476 Butter
477 Herring
478 Salmon
479 Sour cream
480 Deviled eggs
481 Dill all over everything
482 Cucumber salad
483 Swedish Decorations
484 The hands that prepared the smorgasbord ~Kirsten, Wendy, Patti and I'm sure many more...
485 The Georgetown Historical Society
486 People preserving the past for the generations to come
487 The wonderful little historic mining town of Georgetown
488 The incredible people who live there
489 Swedish music
490 Swedish Beverages...

The beverage table...

The flower arrangements were gorgeous...

Can't forget the little people... filling the cooler with ice...

This is a painting of the old farmhouse of my ancestors in Sweden and you can see some of them standing there...

And today is my mother's 91st birthday...

Happy Birthday, Mom!

491 Thankful for my mom :)

To Turn the Hearts of the Fathers to the Children

2010-06-24T14:59:00.000-07:00

Speaking of John the Baptist in Luke 1:15-17...

For he shall be great in the sight of the YHWH, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to YHWH their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for YHWH.

The spirit of Elijah did come before the coming of the Messiah and I believe will come again, or perhaps has come already before His return. The hearts of fathers are truly turning to the children. We see that in homeschooling. How many Christian fathers are taking the time to teach their children, and desiring to spend more time at home with their families?

Yes, I have seen this happening now for quite a few years.

Luke also says that the disobedient will turn to the wisdom of the just. The arbitrary “wisdom of the world” that can change at a whim or with the vote of a few people is not the wisdom of the just. True wisdom is just as the Scripture says,

For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. Proverbs 2:6

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. Proverbs 9:10

And how do we find that wisdom? By studying the Word of God.

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15

The disobedient are the ones who have turned from God’s Truth and believe lies, but once they repent and believe in the salvation of Jesus, the only begotten son of the Father, then a whole new life opens up to them and they can turn from disobedience to true justice.

Furthermore, the spirit of Elijah makes ready a people prepared for YHWH. If we are freed from the shackles of sin and the world, we can live in the freedom of Christ.

If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. John 8:36

For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant. Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men. 1 Corinthians 7:22-23

How many of us are truly bondservants of Christ? John had the spirit of Elijah. Scripture says he was filled with the Holy Spirit from His birth. He definitely wasn’t attached to the “world”. He didn’t care about what he ate or drank or what kind of clothes he wore. And he was imprisoned and beheaded for speaking the Truth; for telling Herod that he was living in sin.

Are we willing to go to prison for the truth? Are we willing to be persecuted for righteousness sake?

During World War II, Germany had taken over Denmark. I am privileged to have met a man who was a dear friend of my mothers and was in the Danish resistance. His name is Knut Dyby and a book has been written about him called “Boats in the Night”. He and his fellow country men not only saved 8,000 Jews from the concentration camps, but 11,000 other people who resisted German tyranny.

You can read more about Knud Dyby here...

Here are a couple of quotes taken out of the book…

“Knut Dyby was a helper. He was proud of his Danish Heritage and angry at having to live under the thumb of the hated Germans. As a Christian he was not personally acquainted with many Jews, but he knew right from wrong and was aware that any Jew who was rounded up and deported would certainly end up in one of the infamous German concentration camps, about which members of the underground were just beginning to learn.” Page 38

“Dyby was in constant danger and knew that he would have been sent to a concentration camp or executed if his work in the underground had been discovered. But despite the risks, he took pride in what he was doing – a free spirit helping wherever he was needed.” Page 95

Are we willing to be this courageous? What is happening to our once Christian country – the home of the free and the brave? Are we still free or are we slaves of an increasing controlling government that is bent on calling evil good and good evil. Have we lost our courage, our bravery to stand against tyranny?

Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Isaiah 5:20

As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths. Isaiah 3:12

Isn’t it interesting that a woman is very close to being the President, and look how many women are governors and in leadership roles in the country and it is increasing, and many of these are conservative Christians.

We are in trouble…

In the early days of our country preachers such as Jonathan Mayhew taught the truth about tyrants...

"It is blasphemy to call tyrants and oppressors God's ministers. They are more Properly "The Messengers of Satan to buffet us." No rulers are Properly God's ministers, but such as are "just, ruling in the fear of God." When once magistrates act contrary to their office, and the end of their institutions, - when they rob and ruin the public, instead of being guardians of its peace and welfare, - they immediately cease to be the ordinance and ministers of God, and no more deserve that glorious character than common pirates and highwaymen."

My next post is called Bullies and Bloodhounds and Bandits! Oh, No! or “Lions and Tigers and Bears! Oh, My!”

If you would like to purchase the book Boats in the Night go here...

The Great Deeps of God

2010-06-13T17:38:00.000-07:00

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. James 1:5

I cried out for wisdom…

O ye simple, understand wisdom: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart. Proverbs 8:5

I longed to understand…

I prayed long and my prayer was answered …

The great I AM…He speaks gently ever so softly, slowly at first and then as you begin to hear, His wisdom comes flowing over as a river of life giving you strength and peace and understanding.

His wisdom has trickled into my life and as I grew from fear and anxiety, to trust and peace, the trickle grew as well... into an overflowing river…

...
A long time ago when my first child was an infant…Papa would take us out sailing. I had never gone sailing before, so to me this was stepping out into uncharted waters. Carefully I stepped into the boat with baby in arms and trusted that Papa would get us out and back safely. I remember him sitting at the tiller, so peaceful and confident no matter what storms or winds or choppy water. You could always look into his deep blue eyes and be assured that everything was fine. He was in control, he knew what he was about and he could handle every situation.

And so it is, my friends, with our Savior. He says to us, “Come, follow me, I will take you out into the storm, this is where you live the life I have for you. This is where you will grow, this is where I will make you strong. I am in control, trust Me.”

He is in control, He knows what He is about and He can handle every situation. Furthermore, He has promised to never leave us, or forsake us.

..."for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me." Hebrews 13:5-6

Safe Harbor by Paul Lindquist

I have been tied up in the safe harbor. And now it is time to go out into the ocean…to launch out in the deep...

There is no going back…my peace is in the boat with the great Captain…

I don’t know what storms lie ahead, but I need to keep my eyes on Him and trust…

My own peace I give to you. John 14: 27

"Two painters each painted a picture to illustrate his conception of rest. The first chose for his scene a still, lone lake among the far-off mountains.

Lake and Mountain by Andrew Hartmann

The second threw on his canvas a thundering waterfall, with a fragile birch tree bending over the foam, and at the fork of the branch, almost wet with the cataracts spray, sat a robin on its nest.
The first was only stagnation, the last was rest.
Christ’s life outwardly was one of the most troubled lives that ever lived; tempest and tumult, the waves breaking over it all the time until the worn body was laid in the grave. But the inner life was a sea of glass. The great calm was always there.
At any moment you might have gone to Him and found rest. And even when the human bloodhounds were dragging Him in the streets of Jerusalem, He turned to His disciples and offered them, as His legacy, “My peace.”
Rest is not a hallowed feeling that comes over as us as in church, it is the repose of a heart set deep in God."
~ Drummond

“Dipper by the Waterfall” by Robert Bateman

An interesting note from the artist..."I put this dipper into this picture because dippers are almost the spirit of little woodland rivers and streams. They are completely at home in, around and under the waterfalls. They dash into areas where one would expect them to be swept to their deaths in search of insect larvae." ~R.B.

"A ship in the harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for."
~ John A. Shedd

The above quote is from an article by Jeff Dunn called “Sailing in Deep Waters”

It is well worth the read and really encouraged me in what God was speaking to me. Following is a small excerpt from his post:

"Deep waters are very scary. It is where you are miles–maybe hundreds of miles–from the nearest shore. The waves in the deep are huge, taller than buildings, taller than the ship you are riding in. The waves here are violent beyond description, hurling water like a landslide down upon you in your boat. It makes no sense to travel into the deep. It is not safe. Everything you have ever learned or heard or thought was right will scream at you that you are nuts to be away from the safe harbor."

Am I nuts to be away from the safe harbor? My children love this quote and often remind me of it..."Tomorrow’s mighty oak is just today’s nut that held its ground."~Unknown

Another word of wisdom… this time from Oswald Chambers

"Determine to know more than others. If you do not cut the moorings, God will have to break them by a storm and send you out. Launch all on God, go out on the great swelling tide of His purpose, and you will get your eyes open. If you believe in Jesus, you are not to spend all your time in the smooth waters just inside the harbor bar, full of delight, but always moored; you have to get out through the harbor bar into the great deeps of God and begin to know for yourself, begin to have spiritual discernment."

Come out and be a nut with me and let's bury ourselves in the great deeps of God. Let's surrender our lives completely to our Savior…allow Him to take you through the storm. No holding back...Look deeply into His eyes and see the calm and peace, and keep your focus on Him for He is in control and He stands at the helm.

The Man at the Tiller 1892 by Theo Van Rysselberghe

Think of your trials as tempests out at sea and know that the great I AM has the tiller and He is calm and He is in control!

Gratitude in Suffering

2010-06-07T06:55:00.000-07:00

"Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend." Proverbs 27:17

“ Let us never profane the sacred sacrifice of our King by seeking the benefits of Christ without the cross! Just as He gave up His life,so we are called to give up ours. It doesn’t matter what makes us happy or what makes us feel good. Yes, the way is narrow and rocky and causes us pain, but that’s the very road Jesus walked…and may it be our greatest privilege and joy to follow His steps.” Leslie Ludy

451 Grateful for a heavenly Father who loves us so much that He will chasten us…
452 Chastening that doesn’t seem joyous, but grievous…

“Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.” Hebrews 12:11

453 The peaceable fruit of righteousness
454 How much the Father loves us
455 That He calls us sons and daughters
456 The promises in the Word to give us hope
457 Following His steps

458 Through trials
459 Alone, but knowing He is with us
459 Narrow and rocky roads
460 The counsel of fellow Christians
461 The love and understanding of those who comfort us because they have been there

462 Stepping stones…

453 No matter where he takes us...

464 “Joy awaits us on the other side of suffering.” LL

"The strength of the vessel can be demonstrated only by the hurricane, and the power of the gospel can be fully shown only when the Christian is subjected to some fiery trial. If God would make manifest the fact that "He giveth songs in the night." Job 35:10
~William Taylor

What Can I Say?

2010-05-31T09:36:00.000-07:00

These past two weeks I have witnessed such a remarkable outpouring of love and blessing. One of the most profound blessings in a life with Christ is fellowship with the saints, and when that fellowship carries a rare unity of heart, soul and mind, it is precious beyond compare. After experiencing a long famine of that thriving, living community of believers, the flood-gate opened and love came pouring in and washed over our famished souls and filled us with abundant vibrant joy.

And, come to think of it, this was the time of Pentecost, the feast time in scripture of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the believers present in that room of old, that still reverberates through time to the present.

421 I am thankful for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit…
422 Love
423 Joy
424 Peace
425 Longsuffering
426 Gentleness
427 Goodness
428 Faith
429 Meekness
430 Temperance

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23

431 Comforter
432 Teacher

We were so blessed to have several beautiful families assembling with us and after we prayed together one very precious child asked to sing “Jesus Loves Me”. As we all sang this song ,so dear to children, I was reminded of childlike faith and how pleasing that is to our Father. Then this precious young son said, “I know a fun one we can sing…”B-I-B-L-E”. So he lead and we all joined the chorus and we were all so very blessed. From there the Holy Spirit touched each heart and we spoke about the Bible, the Scriptures that are so important in our walk…to show us right from wrong…the sword of the Spirit.

433 Assembling with the believers
434 Singing together songs of praise and worship
435 Child-like faith

“And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings Thou hast perfected praise?” Matthew 21:16

“O YHWH our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth! Who hast set Thy glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast Thou ordained strength because of Thine enemies, that Thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger." Psalms 8:1-2

436 An evening concert on our outdoor stage

437 Free Flow ~ Your music is wonderful, enchanting, and edifying and your lives an incredible testimony of the great Truth that nothing is impossible with the God we serve…
“For with God nothing shall be impossible.” Luke 1:37

438 Lanterns
439 Floating candlelight

440 Children laughing and playing…running and jumping
441 Old friends
442 New friends

443 A young man with a song in his heart that turns into a masterpiece of music and a message to all of us that no matter how helpless we feel in impossible situations ~ we can pray. Thank you Braden…

444 The sound of the most incredible male voice I have ever heard and the man behind it that I have been privileged to know, singing out with the fervor of every bone and sinew in his being about true freedom and the incredible crescendo that leaves tears in your eyes and takes the very breathe away as he belts out …THE GREAT I AM… What can I say? Thank you Brian...

446 The faithfulness of God to deliver us from prison and bondage…

“And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.” Acts 16:25-26

447 Singing praises in the midst of trials
448 Seeing the peaceable fruit of righteousness through the chastening of our Father

“Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.” Hebrews 12:11

449 Astonished reverence ~ ”…I believe that the reverential fear of God, mixed with love and fascination and astonishment and adoration, is the most enjoyable state and the most purifying emotion the human soul can know. A true fear of God is a beautiful thing, for it is worship, it is love, it is veneration. It is high moral happiness because God is!” ~Tozer

What can I say? Because God is the great I AM.

450 Love that binds :)

Pentecost

2010-05-29T18:27:00.000-07:00

Giotto di Bondone 1290

Considering a quote from Tozer:

“The miraculous events wrought in Jerusalem by the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost
indicated to the disciples that Jesus Christ, the Messiah Savior, had indeed taken His place at the right hand of the majesty on high.

With Jewish critics all around, Peter lifted up his voice and said that all who were in Jerusalem on that day were seeing the fulfillment of prophecy- the words of Jesus that He would send the Holy Spirit after His death and resurrection and exaltation.

“Therefore,” Peter cried, “let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom he have crucified, both Lord and Christ” Acts 2:36

Many, many have failed to note Peter’s Pentecostal emphasis: The important thing in God’s plan was the fact that Jesus had been exalted in heaven, and that His glorification there had been the signal for the coming of the promised Holy Spirit. What a lesson! The Spirit does not have to be begged-He comes when the Savior is honored and exalted!”

End of quote...

Many times I have read in Acts about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, about the sound from heaven as of a rushing wind filling the house where the believers were sitting, about the tongues like as of fire resting on each one of them, about the Holy Spirit giving them all utterance to speak with other tongues. But I have never considered until reading this quote from Tozer what was happening in the heavens.

Jesus said that He would send the comforter. Imagine the exaltation before the throne of God as Yahshua took His place on the right hand of Yahweh victoriously...

“Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.” 1 Peter 3:22

“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2

…imagine the joy and rejoicing as if heaven would burst out in a great brilliant flash of light. And that light rushed down to earth and flashed in the minds of the disciples, a heavenly communication that Yahshua had indeed fulfilled His promise. Oh, that we had eyes to see… what glory we would behold.

We, in these earthen clay vessels hold the light of life, the Holy Spirit. We are the temples of the glory from on high. We are the wheat, the first-fruits. Pentecost was at the time of the wheat harvest…the Feast of the First Fruits.

Look around you…look at the sweet faces of your fellow believers…the earthen vessels that sit amongst you. These are temples of the Light of heaven. Halleluyah!

Gathering Wheat by Daniel Ridgeway Knight www.danielridgewayknight.org

Time With the Little People

2010-05-10T14:36:00.000-07:00

I was visited by the little people and their sweetness left a host of love and and child-like grace in this place...

They fed my fish and took little black tadpoles out of the ponds with the net. They laughed and talked and played and had the best time...

And left sweet remembrances ... and touched our hearts with intertwining love...

And in the greenhouse...

The tendrils of the peas reach out and grasp each other... intertwining...

I harvested peas today...

And what other incredible things are growing in the greenhouse...

Looking at these floating white flower balls from a child's perspective would seem like a fairyland indeed...

Thankfulness...
404 For the Little People
405 Childlikeness
406 Laughing
407 Talking
408 Playing
409 Intertwining
410 Tendrils
411 Peas
412 Greenhouses
413 Onion Flowers
414 Internet ~ ours is not working well...
it has something to do with all the green leaves on the trees...
415 Green
416 Marigolds ~ wonderful companions to my all time favorite vegetable or is it a fruit?
417 ~ Tomatoes
418 Orange
419 Yellow
420 Purple ~ as in orchids and little people's hair clips...:)

Take a Moment to Leave a Treasure

2010-05-05T08:41:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking a lot about mothers lately and what an opportunity we have to cultivate lives that desire God. I have had the joy of connecting with my third cousin. A wonderful woman who I have never met in person, but through her emails her love emanates like the sun shining through a window ...

…she brightens and warms and rejoices my heart. I hope to be able to meet her sometime this year.

She shared with me a beautiful poem her mom wrote expressing her faith in Jesus Christ...

What a treasure she left to her children! What good advice is spoken in these few verses...to remember what our Savior did for us, to surrender our lives to Him, to give over our burdens to Him, and to quickly go to Him in prayer...and that He will follow through...

I think it would be good to take Donna’s example and write something down that tells the generations to come of our love for our Savior. Take a moment to leave a treasure for your children, grandchildren, great-grand children and who knows who else… : )

Thank you, Barbara, for sharing your love and your wonderful mother!<3

"Her children arise up, and call her blessed..." Proverbs 31:28

My son gave some advice to the homeschool graduates this year... “Wow, there has been no other year than this year that I know so many people graduating. I probably know at least 20 homeschool seniors graduating this year just locally, and I just want to share a word with you all! If your parents spent the last 18 years, feeding you, giving you a home to live in, taking care of you... there for you when you needed them, then spend the next 18 years doing the same for them! Make them proud, don't take them for granted, and never forget what they have done for you!“

It warms and rejoices my heart!

Let's Make Some Headway on Gratitude :)

2010-05-03T18:31:00.000-07:00

OK, I’m going to get serious about gratitude and try to make some headway and get to 400…

351 Chocolate chips

Anna is in the kitchen at this very moment making peanut butter/chocolate chip cookies and after a hard day at work they all deserve a treat…

352 Peanut Butter…not just any kind, but our favorite is Smucker’s Natural Crunchy Peanut Butter, and it has to be crunchy.
353 peanuts

354 The invention of peanut butter ~ what was that man’s name? He’s a hero of ours, cause we love peanut butter…

355 “Oh, yeah”, says Anna from the kitchen after asking Sarah…George Washington Carver …we really appreciate him!

356 Hugs…Anna just told me about the little boy she did Reading-Riders with today. It was the first time she had worked with him and he ran up and gave her a big hug!

357 The sound of feet coming down the stairs… do you know that everyone has a different rhythm of coming down the stairs?

358 The sound “WHEW!”...It's Caleb coming in the door after shoveling dirt out of a trailer.

359 Something we really take for granted ~ water running out of the faucet into the sink…washing dirty hands.

360 Sweat..another comment from Caleb…he sweat more today unloading the trailer than at work. Sweat is a really good thing, but something we don’t usually like to talk about. Do you know that some people can’t sweat? I know 2 personally…

361 A’s on tests…Tera just told me she got an A…Yay!

362 She also showed me the design of their new business card ~ Business cards…a really helpful way of getting work.

363 Design ~ some people are so gifted in this area ~ Tera being one of them, but I have seen such beautiful blog designs online…

364 Beautiful blogs…I never thought blogging could be so fun …sharing thoughts and pics with lovely people.

365 My husband coming up behind me and giving me a hug…

366 Today I took pictures of my gardens ~ everything is coming out so beautifully.

367 Irises

368 Hostas

369 Ferns

370 Faux strawberries…I forget what they are called …little yellow flowers that bring forth little red berries… so sweet, but not to eat...

371 Impatience ~ I love this plant because it is color in shade and I have so much shade.

372 Fergus MacDoogal ~ have you met him yet? He loves gardening, especially grabbing hold of the rakes and shovels, digging in the ground, biting my braid when I’m kneeling down to plant something, and his newest thing is to get right in front of the camera…

373 Jeremy just came around the corner as Anna was taking the cookies out of the oven and she yelled, “Don’t Look!” They have this ongoing thing of not eating sugar … I wonder if he will give in?

374 Jeremy making popping noises , cause he’s tired? They did work hard today…

375 I’m half way there, maybe I’ll make it…Scrabble

376 Sage and I have an ongoing Scrabble game going… 4 at one time…Someday I hope I can beat her…

377 Was that a hint of competitiveness in me? That can’t be all bad…: )

378 She just popped up in a chat saying YT…that means …Your Turn

379 Just watched a video of the flood in Tennessee…what can I say but I’m thankful it is not flooding here.

380 Our wonderful friends who live in Tennessee and are coming to visit us in a few weeks! I’m so excited!

381 And at the same time some wonderful friends from Washington will be coming by~ it will be quite the party.

382 The Stage ~ hopefully we will have a concert on the Stage…it has been too long…

383 All the bands we met when we were playing music~ what great people!

384 Music ~ my favorite to listen to right now is a CD that Sage and Tera brought back from Hawaii called Makana. ..beautiful instrumentals.

385 The harmonies during praise and worship...

386 Mother’s Day ~ this day is special to me because I have so many children and because I love my mother and because I know so many beautiful mothers…Happy Mother’s Day all you moms!

387 Recipes~ Sarah, our gourmet cook, came home from Europe wanting to try some of the recipes that she tasted over there and guess who gets to taste them…us!

388 I’ll never lose weight…how can I be thankful for that? Well, as I get older and it is harder to lose anything,except my glasses. I think I’m reaching a point of maybe acceptance? Because I can’t do anything about it?

389 I sure don’t need to buy new clothes…I’m getting very content in my old ones and I don’t enjoy shopping, because I’m such a strange shape now, so nothing fits anyway…

390 So, Kerststol , a bread that Sarah and Anna had for breakfast in the Netherlands we found this cute blog here with the recipe.

See Sarah's recipe here...
391 Begium Waffles ~ Sarah made these for us with strawberries and whipping cream

392 Strawberries
393 Whipping cream

394 One thing I always told my husband that I didn’t want my yard to turn into was a mechanic’s car lot…well, guess what ? My adorable son John did this to me…

395 It doesn’t seem to matter so much anymore. I guess that comes with getting older…

396 Caleb growls coming down the stairs

397 My daughter Tera rooting me on in my blog post …can you believe it I only have 3 to go…

398 Interior Painters ~Making the world more colorful one wall at a time ~ Motto By Sage

399 “We come as painters, and leave as friends.”…another one by Sage

400 Yay! I made it ! Did you read all the way through this? Congratulations! You are a wonderful person!

401…One more by Caleb, “Mom’s hugs are the best!”

402 Anonymous said, “I could eat all these cookies, there are 13 left, but we must always practice self-control , so I’ll only eat half.” I bet you can’t guess who said that?

403 Dad grilled steak tonight...yummmmm!

404 Mac says, "Bye, for now!"

Thankfulness~1000 Gifts

2010-04-26T12:32:00.000-07:00

345 I am thankful for all the ways that our heavenly Father speaks to us...
346 For the Holy Spirit that teaches us all things...

I am not a Catholic, but at one point in my walk with Christ, He used a Catholic Church to bring me into a closer walk with Him. It was back in 1977, and I had first met Jesus in 1975. In a backslidden state a friend of mine asked me if I would like to go to church with her on Good Friday and I said, "Yes."

Like Christian in Pilgrim’s Progress with a huge burden on his back, I trudged with the weight of guilt and sin over the bridge and across the river with my friend to St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Annapolis, Maryland.

We sat in one of the pews and the priest began to talk about the Stations of the Cross. All around the room were painted reliefs depicting the Passion of Christ, fourteen of them, and the priest talked about each one.

From Wikipedia: The Stations themselves are usually a series of 14 pictures or sculptures depicting the following scenes:

1. Jesus is condemned to death
2. Jesus is given his cross
3. Jesus falls the first time
4. Jesus meets His Mother
5. Simon of Cyrene carries the cross
6. Veronica wipes the face of Jesus
7. Jesus falls the second time
8. Jesus meets the daughters of Jerusalem
9. Jesus falls the third time
10. Jesus is stripped of His garments
11. Crucifixion: Jesus is nailed to the cross
12. Jesus dies on the cross
13. Jesus’ body is removed from the cross (Deposition or Lamentation)
14. Jesus is laid in the tomb and covered in incense.

Here is a close up look for those of you who have never seen one of these...this represents #12. I think in the days when people couldn't read these were visual depictions of the gospel.

I sat there quietly taking it all in. At the end of the service, we lingered awhile in the large room that was the entryway of the beautiful old church. My friend was talking to some women she knew. I walked over to a large wooden cross and as I stood there I felt as if I was transported to Calvary. In my thoughts I was on my face before the crucifixion, before Christ who died for me… I repented for my sins. When I walked out of that church I no longer was carrying a burden. When I walked out of that church I began my journey anew. I still had a long, long way to go, but true to His word the Holy Spirit would teach me all things.

“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” John 14:26

I had to leave all of the old life behind me…

“He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.” Psalms 40:2-3

347 Forgiveness
348 A new life

349 I love the book Pilgrim’s Progress and I have many different versions, but there is a new one out and the artist who painted the beautiful illustrations is from Oklahoma.

To see more about the artist Michael Wimmer click here.

350 Thank you Sage and Tera for the Cafelatte…I love you both more than I can say!

The Highländlers

2010-04-20T11:15:00.000-07:00

Oh, for the old paths...

The Highländlers is a performing team of dancers and musicians from the United States, keeping alive the folk traditions of our European heritage.

The Highländlers — International Folk Dance Competition from The Highländlers on Vimeo.

They also have a mission to persecuted homeschoolers in Germany.

Enjoy a visit with them...http://thehighlandlers.com/

Thankfulness~1000 Gifts

2010-04-19T18:44:00.000-07:00

For two days last week I struggled...

Should I? Should I not? Should I? Should I not?

Checking my motivation in a very complicated circumstance...

336 My conscience

"Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:"1 Timothy 1:5

337 Prayers of brothers and sisters in Christ

"Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." James 5:16

338 Peace that comes when He silences the storm

339 Learning to "Be Still"

"Be still, and know that I am God:" Psalm 46:10

340 Answers to prayer

341 I'm thankful that Anna and Sarah are safe in Switzerland!

342 An angel that helped them ~ can't wait to hear the story.

343 Being able to trust in a God that watches over my loved ones.

344 My 29th wedding anniversary ~ yesterday :)

Ashes ~ Repentance

2010-04-19T07:45:00.000-07:00

This may seem like a strange post, but we are living in strange times, perilous times according to Paul in his letter to Timothy…

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.” 2 Timothy 3:1

This aerial image shows the crater at the summit of the volcano in southern Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull glacier, 17 April 2010.

On Wednesday April 14, 2010 A huge meteorite was seen over 5 states and landed in Wisconsin.

The meteor in Wisconsin seen Wednesday night appeared as a fireball in the sky, shaking the ground with its accompanying sonic boom.

News report..."Northern European skies were clear of most commercial planes Saturday. The European air traffic agency said Iceland's volcanic eruption, which began on Wednesday, will continue to impact European aviation until at least Sunday morning. Thick clouds of ash continue to blow across the continent."

The celebration of Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent for some denominations this year was on February 17. When I realized that the volcano erupted, spewing ashes over Europe on Wednesday, I thought about the significance of Ash Wednesday and what it symbolizes and what ashes symbolize in the Bible and I became curious to know what some Christians celebrate on Ash Wednesday.

Following is an article about Ash Wednesday:

"In Western Christianity, Ash Wednesday marks the first day, or the start of the season of Lent, which begins 40 days prior to Easter (Sundays are not included in the count).

Lent is a time when many Christians prepare for Easter by observing a period of fasting, repentance, moderation and spiritual discipline. During some Ash Wednesday services, the minister will lightly rub the sign of the cross with ashes onto the foreheads of worshipers.

Not all Christian churches observe Ash Wednesday or Lent. They are mostly observed by the Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian and Anglican denominations, and also by Roman Catholics. Eastern Orthodox churches observe Lent or Great Lent, during the 6 weeks or 40 days preceding Palm Sunday with fasting continuing during the Holy Week of Easter. Lent for Eastern Orthodox churches begins on Monday and Ash Wednesday is not observed.

The Bible does not mention Ash Wednesday or the custom of Lent, however, the practice of repentance and mourning in ashes is found in 2 Samuel 13:19; Esther 4:1; Job 2:8; Daniel 9:3; and Matthew 11:21."

I also found this description of the word Ashes found in Scripture:

ASHES

ash'-iz: Among the ancient Hebrews and other Orientals, to sprinkle with or sit in ashes was a mark or token of grief, humiliation, or penitence. Ashes on the head was one of the ordinary signs of mourning for the dead, as when "Tamar put ashes on her head .... and went on crying" (2 Sam 13:19 the King James Version), and of national humiliation, as when the children of Israel were assembled under Nehemiah "with fasting, and with sackcloth, and earth (ashes) upon them" (Neh 9:1), and when the people of Nineveh repented in sackcloth and ashes at the preaching of Jonah (Jon 3:5,6; compare 1 Macc 3:47). The afflicted or penitent often sat in ashes (compare Job 2:8; 42:6: "I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes"), or even wallowed in ashes, as Jeremiah exhorted sinning Israel to do: "O daughter of my people .... wallow thyself in ashes" (Jer 6:26), or as Ezekiel in his lamentation for Tyre pictures her mariners as doing, crying bitterly and `casting up dust upon their heads' and `wallowing themselves in the ashes' (in their weeping for her whose head was lifted up and become corrupted because of her beauty), "in bitterness of soul with bitter mourning" (Ezek 27:30,31).
However, these and various other modes of expressing grief, repentance, and humiliation among the Hebrews, such as rending the garments, tearing the hair and the like, were not of Divine appointment, but were simply the natural outbursts of the impassioned oriental temperament, and are still customary among eastern peoples.

Figurative: The term "ashes" is often used to signify worthlessness, insignificance or evanescence (Gen 18:27; Job 30:19). "Proverbs of ashes," for instance, in Job 13:12, is Job's equivalent, says one writer, for our modern "rot." For the ritual use of the ashes of the Red Heifer by the priests, see RED HEIFER.
by George B. Eager

In the New Testament, Jesus refers to the use of sackcloth and ashes as signs of repentance: "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes." Matthew 11:21, Luke 10:13.

The following prophecy was written in 2002 and poetically is very beautiful, whether it is truly prophetic remains to be seen. The moon spoken of on the horizon reminded me of the picture of the Meteor in the night sky. The people standing in the green meadow reminded me of the green of Ireland in the United Kingdom as they look up to see the ash in the sky coming from Iceland.

This gorgeous photo by http://www.coppercoastworkshops.com/minimalistics/irish-landscapes/emerald-green-fields-and-dark-mountains

The prophecy by S. Miller:

Ashes From the Sky

...It was an extremely clear, calm night during
the Spring or Summer months.
The vision occurred within the foreground
of a green meadow, but there was no sound.
It was completely and utterly calm. The sound of nothing.
The tree leaves remained completely still - motionless -
in front of a giant Moon suspended over the treetops.
The Moon appeared quite strange in its size
in stark comparison to the Earth.

The Moon appeared so close to the Earth
it was as if it were resting, just sitting, on the horizon.
Dark craters could be seen in its luminescent face.
This was unusual because the stars appeared to be the
proper distance as seen from Earth.
They were far off glittering in the night.
Through the stillness...the only movement
and/or contrast between the Earth and Moon
were thousands upon thousands of
ASHES
falling softly to the ground.
The ashes were light, airy, noticeably grayish in color
with a thin, black trim around uneven edges,
and a reddish tint that faded as they fell to the ground.
Except for the color, the ashes reminded me of snow falling
on a cold winter night, and instead of cold snow,
the ashes heated the ground as they touched.
A group of people stood in the green meadow
looking up into the sky
when suddenly the ashes began to fall on them.
The ashes glazed their faces causing red measle-like splotches
to appear all over the skin before bouncing off.
In the background, against the Moon,
the horizon was aglow with a fiery-red color.

S. Miller
Lampholder Publications
May 15, 2002

Of course the ashes do produce a red color as the sun sets…

Moody: Birmingham was bathed in crimson light last night as the sun set

Here is an article that speaks about some of the damage ashes can do to animals:

SKOGAR, Iceland — In Europe, the volcanic ash danger travels at high altitudes, but for Iceland's farmers the problem is very much on the ground.
Farmers across the region where the volcano erupted this week under the Eyjafjallajokull glacier have been scrambling to protect their herds from inhaling or ingesting the ash, which can cause internal bleeding, long-term bone damage and teeth loss.

The fluoride in the ash creates acid in the animals' stomachs, corroding the intestines and causing hemorrhages. It also binds with calcium in the blood stream, and after heavy exposure over a period of days makes bones frail, even causing teeth to crumble.

http://www.comcast.net/articles/news...lcano.Farmers/

Wednesday April 14, 2010 marked by a huge meteorite in the sky, when ashes began to pour out of an Icelandic volcano and cover Europe… count 40 days including the 14th, it falls on May 23rd… Pentecost...interesting...

I just find this interesting and time will tell…

Is this a strong message to us for our desperate need of repentance? Will people heed to it?

A rarity: Saturday morning air traffic usually crisscrosses the skies above the Swiss Alps. Not a single streak in the sky 17 April!

Share your thoughts?

Chocolate Pudding

2010-04-16T12:23:00.000-07:00

Sarah and Anna are in Brugge, Belgium famous for CHOCOLATE….

So, as they are spending their day walking through the beautiful vintage town of Brugge in Europe,

The Chocolate Corner Brugge, Belgium
Oil painting by John Vander johnvander.com

I’m home thinking about them, and what they are smelling, and what they are eating… and if perchance they might send a little home …

I found a recipe for Brown Rice Chocolate Pudding, and since I have taken over Sarah’s kitchen, I thought I’d try to do something with the left over brown rice we had for dinner last night.

So, Here’s the recipe… I always have to double it as there are twice as many people in our house … :)

½ cup sugar
This takes me back to Hawaii again …those sugar cane fields…

Sugar Cane field in Lahaina,Maui

You always want to use pure cane sugar, not GMO beet sugar! Or you can use turbinado, or honey, or agave, or something healthier than cane sugar, but not GMO... :)

2 tablespoons corn starch
pinch of salt
1 ½ cups milk
½ cup cream

We get our milk raw from a wonderful man who delivers it every Monday. Not to our doorstep…but we meet him at Rodeo Corner. I remember as a little girl, living in a little house in a little town in California, the milkman would deliver our milk in glass bottles…

2 eggs

We’ve also been getting our eggs from the same farmer and every once in awhile there is a beautiful Aracauna egg…

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate melted
1 ½ cup brown rice, cooked

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt, followed by milk and cream. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens. Remove from heat.

In a small bowl, beat eggs, adding in about ¼ cup of the hot mixture. Add this back to the saucepan, whisking together over medium heat, Bring mixture to a gentle boil, stirring constantly until thickened. Remove from heat and pour through a strainer into a bowl, then stir in vanilla, melted chocolate and cooked brown rice. Serve warm or chilled.

Tip: Top each serving with your favorite fresh berries and a dollop of whipped cream, or try chocolate shavings and orange zest.

I miss you, Sarah and Anna!!! Hope you are having a wonderfully, delicious time!
Yuuuuuummmmmm! <3

After eating the pudding we all think it would be much better without the brown rice, unless of course you wanted healthy fiber, or someway to use up your leftover rice... :)

Gratitude~1000 Gifts

2010-04-12T18:13:00.000-07:00

My two beautiful daughters #3 and #4 are leaving for 2 weeks to go to Europe tomorrow. The three of us just spent some time helping #4 pack.

324 Special times with my daughters

#3 is very organized...Her suitcase which converts to a backpack is so efficient. I'm so impressed. Everything down to the very last detail, her one dilemma was her bag seemed a little too heavy.

325 The gift of organization

#4 has been working hard all day and had just kind of thrown a few things together on top of her pack, but the thought of putting it all together seemed overwhelming, so we gathered upstairs in her room to help her...

326 The gift of helping

I'm so excited for them. They have planned this for months. Yahweh has worked out all the details and even a little extra money for them through work and generosity.

327 The gift of giving

328 The blessing of receiving

329 Knowing that God has them in the palm of Hand :)

I took this photo of #3 daughter 10 years ago. She used to love horses and kind of got away from that, but it's interesting that she is grooming horses now of late...

Playing guitar...

330 The gift of music
331 The gift of a beautiful voice
332 The gift of playing an instrument
333 The gift of composing music
334 The gift of writing lyrics

335 Sarah <3