Today, Not Yesterday

I have no yesterdays,
Time took them away;
Tomorrow may not be--
But I have today.

~ Pearl Yeadon McGinnis

What a reminder. I needed this, and I think perhaps many of you do too. Don't you pray that our Lord will help us to use today wisely, while laying aside any regrets about the yesterdays? Sometimes I reflect on how hungrily time is eating up my yesterdays, but that's not the right approach. In keeping with the apostle Paul, I hope you and I "forget those things which are behind, and reach forth unto those things which are before," continuing to "press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 3:13-14)

I'm hanging in there, trying to press on. Hope you are too, knowing the Lord will take care of tomorrow. I'm working on writing projects, and when I do, you understand that blogging suffers. Did you know I have four blogs? Well, I do. Two are connected with the home business, one of those is for children, and I stubbornly refuse to drop any of them, as they are all much enjoyed, each in a different way.

The above quote was borrowed from a delightful book by Emilie Barnes, entitled 15 Minutes with God for Grandma. You grandmothers might think about picking up a copy. The meditations Mrs. Barnes offers are short and sweet, plus she seems to be a kindred spirit in her love for quotes. A couple of them were just perfect thoughts for two blogs today, and I'll probably find more for the future. Some of you who are quotes lovers would appreciate that as well. I do recommend the book; it's a nice companion to a cup of tea or coffee.

I have a very old click art collection that has loads of flower graphics that are, of course, beautiful. What do you think of this lovely flower? Aren't flowers a wonderful gift from our kind Lord? Enjoy this one and have a blessed day. I hope to do some visiting to see some of you very soon.

Amazon Gift Card Deal

I've emailed some of you, but in case you didn't get one from me, there is a really nice deal going on at this site where you can get a $20 Amazon gift card for half price. Most of us can use an Amazon card in some way, and if you tell three others who use the link you give them, you could get it for free. Please use the link provided here in this post to maybe help me out and then try telling others on your blog or through email so that perhaps you could benefit also. I believe time is of the essence so it's best not to tarry! Thanks.

End of Ozzie and Harriet

Well the last of the Nelsons died today. My daughter and I continue to be fans of the Ozzie & Harriet show and have lots of the episodes here on dvd. We were sorry to hear that David Nelson, the older brother, passed away today at the age of 74. His younger brother Ricky died in a plane crash in 1985; his dad Ozzie was the first to go in 1975; and mom Harriet passed away in 1994. Even though criticized by some to be a family which was unrealistic, we still thoroughly enjoy the episodes which always make us chuckle at the normal everyday situations and conversations. I don't really know why we like it so much, but apparently lots of folks did back then as the show ran for 14 years from 1952 to 1966. It would never make it today, would it?

As I read somewhere, one more person from a "gentler, kinder past" has gone on. Well, thank the Lord for dvds and videos.

Unsearchable Riches of Christ

"The unsearchable riches of Christ." Eph 3:8

NEVER forget that Jesus is our Brother, and that He has devoted all His riches to us, so that the riches of Jesus are the Christian's fortune. "Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for our sakes He became poor, that we through His poverty might be rich." He employed all He possessed for our redemption, sanctification, and salvation; and now, at the right hand of the Majesty on high, He giveth liberally, and upbraideth not. He has riches of grace, riches of mercy, and riches of glory. The residue of the Spirit is with Him. He has promised largely; He has proved His readiness to bestow, in the most wonderful way; let us therefore expect great things from Him, for He has unsearchable riches. O believer, look not at thy poverty, at thy wants, or thy circumstances, but look at Jesus; all things are under His feet, all blessings are at His disposal, and His heart is set upon thee to do thee good! He will supply all thy needs while on earth, and afterwards receive thee to glory. My soul, thy Jesus has all thou needest: therefore look to Him, and Him alone!

Possessing Christ, I all possess,
Strength, wisdom, sanctifying grace,
And righteousness complete:
Bold, in His name, I dare draw nigh,
Before the Ruler of the sky,
And all His justice meet.

(Shared thanks to a recent email from Johnny Farese.)

Hi Friends. I am well, though I'm neglecting this particular blog these days. As usual my plate is full, in more ways than one. I am rich because if I possess Christ, I have all things. Unsearchable riches. This is one of my favorite themes of the gospel. Are you rich? If you don't have the Lord Jesus as your Savior, you are poor indeed. But you don't have to be.

Just wanted to share that. Be blessed all.

God Will Take Care of You

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Isaiah 41:10

Well, well, well. So already we come to a new year. How on earth did 2010 get by us so fast? This will be my first hymn for the year, and yesterday I thought of this one and decided it was perfect to reflect my thoughts for the coming days, weeks, and months. As you know, so many people close to me lost their spouses this past year. I wrote a post about the five widows, but there was also a dear younger woman who I had the pleasure of knowing pretty well who lost her battle with breast cancer this past year. Actually, her home going was on October 1st, the first day of breast cancer awareness month. So I've been thinking much about her husband Ed and her two children this past Christmas season.

This hymn, then, is for all of the above mentioned dear ones and for you and me as well. No matter what 2011 has in store, no matter how difficult a circumstance comes our way, we can be assured that our God will indeed take care of us. His care will sometimes take unusual twists and turns, but He has made a multitude of promises to us in His Word, and we well know that He keeps all of His promises.

Bless all of you dear friends who stop by and even if you've never been here before, I wish you the most blessed 2011.

Be not dismayed whate’er betide,
God will take care of you;
Beneath His wings of love abide,
God will take care of you.

Through days of toil when heart doth fail,
God will take care of you;
When dangers fierce your path assail,
God will take care of you.

All you may need He will provide,
God will take care of you;
Nothing you ask will be denied,
God will take care of you.

No matter what may be the test,
God will take care of you;
Lean, weary one, upon His breast,
God will take care of you.

Refrain
God will take care of you,
Through every day, over all the way;
He will take care of you,
God will take care of you.

~ Civilla D. Martin

Read and Share Bible

My friend Susan is giving away a nice item for children. It's a Read and Share Bible which looks quite interesting. I'm going on over to enter and encourage you to do so also. This would be great for your grandchildren if you have no small ones of your own. And if you have no children at all, what a nice gift this would be for a niece or nephew. Come on over with me!

Extra Special Christmas Gift

Even though the Lord Jesus Himself is the most special gift that has ever been given to us, His children, He chose in His providential goodness to give our family an extra special gift during the Christmas season of 1992. She was born on December 22nd of that year and came to us all wrapped in pink and white on December 26th. She stole our hearts right away. . . can't you see why?

So, every year on this date, in the midst of all the seasonal merriment, we celebrate this special Christmas gift. This year's celebration is a significant one, however. Today is the eighteenth one and you know what that means. Not only are we thankful that the Lord has allowed us to share this day with Neesie as she reaches this milestone, but we're able to rejoice that God has seen fit to draw her to Himself and that as she reaches young adulthood she continues to look to Him to guide and direct her life. We know He will.

Neesie captured the heart of her dad and mom and big sister on that day after Christmas eighteen years ago and continues to do so. Now added to the number of those who love her dearly are a brother-in-law and two doting nieces. And I can honestly say there are quite a few others among family and friends who consider her a truly special gift.

Somewhere in her childhood we began to recite Psalm 121 to her at bedtime, and that tradition continues to this day. Needless to say, that passage is her life verse(s) and we put its reference on every birthday cake and card. So as I say "Happy Birthday, dear Neesie", I say it with a prayer that the reality of these words in the psalm will keep you looking upward all the days allotted to you. We love you very much.

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord which made heaven and earth. . .The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore. From Psalm 121

Just a Coating

See this picture? Just a little bit of snow, right? No problem, right? No, you're wrong. It brought a TON of problems to this area for the rush hour! I know all you folks who are counting the snow in feet are probably chuckling at our little half inch. Well let me tell you: It started snowing late in the afternoon with a rather wet, not powdery, kind of snow which immediately froze on the very cold surface due to the low temps of the past few days. This combination turned out to be murderous for the commuters coming home from work, AND my poor husband trying to get to Neesie's place of work to pick her up. He left a half hour early and was at least a half hour late getting her. A long story, but she and he and I were back and forth on the phone his entire ride. THEN, they had to come home, which took twice the normal time. In some instances, it was taking people an hour to go one mile. Sometimes, going 15 miles per hour was too fast. Five to ten mph was safest.

Unbelievable! The road crews hadn't prepared for this unexpected turn of events, I guess. If it had started earlier in the day as forecast perhaps it wouldn't have frozen so solid, or if it had snowed more than a coating perhaps there would have been some "crunch" for the tire wheels, but wow, this was unreal.

Well, thanks to the Lord, my folks made it safely home without an accident. Unfortunately, there were many who did not make out so well.

So, guys, I think I'd rather have your two or three feet. No I don't mean that.

Just reporting in.

"Silver" Church Anniversary

"For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Matthew 18:20

In September of 1983 my husband and I and our three year old daughter gathered with three other couples and their children for a picnic. Now having a picnic with other families is not an unusual occurrence by any means, but this meeting together was special in nature. You see, this group came together that day to discuss the possibility of establishing a church in our area. We were all like-minded in our theology and in what we believed concerning what God required of His Church in its worship. For a year we met as a Bible Study, with the help and covering of an established congregation which "mothered" us and with continued growth in our number during that year. Then, in September 1984, we had our first worship service, meeting for another year as a fellowship. By God's mercies, in December of 1985 we constituted as an official church body and ordained our pastor, who remains to this day.

Tomorrow, we are having a celebration of our 25th anniversary as a body of believers. We started out in a school, have at times used borrowed facilities graciously lent to us by other congregations, and for the past eighteen years worshipped in a building of our own. The faces of the various people meeting at one time or another have changed over the years. There have been glorious days and painful days. We have been a people with feet of clay, as is the case with every single child of God in every single congregation on the face of the earth. After all, aren't we all sinners in need of daily forgiveness? We have pressed on, however, seeking to serve our Lord and doing our best to honor Him.

But this is not a post about us; it's about the faithfulness of the Lord Jesus Himself who has been kind enough to allow us to see this anniversary, still proclaiming His Person and Work. It's most of all an expression of my gratefulness to a Savior who has promised to meet with His people at each and every gathering in His Name on this earth, wherever that gathering may be and even if they're only two or three of them.

These are the words of my dear Bishop Ryle on Matthew 18:20:

"There is comfort in these words for all who love to meet together for religious purposes. At every assembly for public worship, at every gathering for prayer and praise, at every missionary meeting, at every Bible reading, the King of kings is present, Christ Himself attends. We may be often disheartened by the small number who are present on such occasions, compared with the number of those who meet for worldly ends; we may sometimes find it hard to bear the taunts and ridicule of an illnatured world, which cries like the enemy of old, "What do these feeble people?" (Nehem. iv.2) But we have no reason for despondency: we may boldly fall back on these words of Jesus. At all such meetings we have the company of Christ Himself." ~ J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on Matthew.

Thank you, dear Lord Jesus, for your faithfulness to us these past twenty-five plus years. Help us to "persevere and not be ashamed," as Mr. Ryle further exhorts.

Our church website is here. Also the above picture is a drawing of our building.

Unusual Santas

Is it just me or do people have too much time on their hands these days? And I'm not just talking about us Americans. This event, whatever it was, took place in South Korea. I don't know...maybe they're trying to get their minds off the problems they're having coming from up north. Seems to me they better be concentrating on the folks from the "northern kingdom" as there is nothing funny about them.

Also, as cute as these little penguins may be, and as much as I like animals, I am really bothered by the waste of money that we see going on here and abroad on foolishness when there is so much worldwide hunger. Sorry, but that's my two cents for whatever it's worth. Tell me if I'm wrong--I don't mind.

Tranquility in Sorrow

Between now and this past August, five friends of mine have lost their husbands. These are all ladies whom I have been friends with for many years, and in each instance, the marriage was a solid and long lasting one. Each was a wonderful testimony of the beauty of marriage, and now each of these dear ones will face the holidays for the first time as widows. Today I went to a church to get a good tight hug from the latest widow, shortly before she went to bury her companion of 46 years. I remember going through the whole saga of her dating him and then their marriage those many years ago. . .and now our tears mingling at such a time as this.

I just wanted to remember them now for a few minutes and ask that you'd please take a moment to say a prayer for Carol, Carole, Carolyn, Joan, and Joyce during this first Christmas season without their husbands. God has blessed each of them with children and grandchildren, so we can be thankful for that.

There is something I see in each of these ladies; it's something you see when the years have been many and the relationship has been harmonious and loving. I see tranquility in their sorrow.

Little Decorators

Well, we had the tree sitting in the living room without decorations when my four and two year old granddaughters came over. So, they started it for me. Doesn't it look beautiful?

Happy Thanksgiving

From our house to yours....many blessing for this Thanksgiving season. We have a great God, a wonderful Savior, a marvelous salvation, and a beautiful mansion in glory awaiting us. Why shouldn't we be thankful?

Have a safe and enjoyable holiday tomorrow and don't eat too much!!

White Lie Church Cake

This story was too good for me to pass up passing on to you all. Just be sure not to read ahead to the end and I have no doubt you'll appreciate it.

Have you ever told a white lie? You are going to love this --especially all of the ladies who bake for church events.

Alice Grayson was to bake a cake for the Baptist Church ladies' group bake sale in Tuscaloosa, but she forgot to do it until the last minute.

She remembered it the morning of the bake sale and after rummaging through cabinets she found a dusty old Angel food cake mix in the back of her kitchen cabinet and quickly made it while drying her hair and getting dressed, while helping her son Bryan pack up for Scout camp.

But when Alice took the cake from the oven the center had dropped flat and the cake was horribly disfigured. She said, "Oh dear, there's no time to bake another cake." This cake was so important to Alice because she did so want to fit in at her new church, and in her new community of new friends. So, being inventive and not wanting anyone to think she was not the perfect woman able to handle all things at all times or that, God forbid, she not participate in her church's bazaar, she looked around the house for something to build up the center of the cake.

Alice found it in the bathroom -- a roll of toilet paper. She plunked it in and then covered it with icing. Not only did the finished product look beautiful, it looked perfect! Before she left the house to drop the cake by the church and head off for work, Alice woke her daughter Amanda and gave her some money and specific instructions to be at the bake sale the minute it opened at 9:30, and to buy that cake and bring it home.

When the daughter arrived at the sale, she found that the attractive perfect cake had already been sold. Amanda grabbed her cell phone and called her Mom. Alice was horrified...she was beside herself. Everyone would know ... what would she do, she would be ridiculed. She would have to move or kill herself! All night Alice lay awake in bed thinking about people pointing their fingers at her and talking, What would they think?
"Oh, my goodness; what can I do?" she wailed! She would be ostracized, talked about behind her back.

The next day, Alice promised herself that she would try not to think about the cake and she would attend a fancy luncheon/bridal shower at the home of a friend of a friend and try to have a good time. Alice did not really want to attend because the hostess was a snob who more than once had looked down her nose at the fact that Alice was a single parent and not from the founding families of Tuscaloosa, but having already RSVP she could not think of a believable excuse to stay home.

The meal was elegant, the company was definitely upper crust old South.... and to Alice's horror the CAKE in question was presented for dessert. Alice felt the blood drain from her body when she saw the cake, she started to get out of her chair to rush into the kitchen to tell her hostess all about it, but before she could get to her feet, the Mayor's wife said, "What a beautiful cake!"

Alice who was still stunned and trying to formulate what words she would use to explain the situation, sat back in her chair when she heard the hostess (who was a prominent church member) say, "Thank you, I baked it myself."

Alice smiled and thought to herself "THERE IS A GOD!!!!!!!

*I found this story at Christian Life Stories and thank them for sharing it.*

A Wonderful Savior

Hallelujah. (And my darling sweet cardinal is an added treat.)