What's Going On, Spring?

It’s been quite bitter out there since your arrival two days ago and I just had someone tell me there may be some kind of coastal storm with some “ahem” snow in the forecast? Don’t you know that Easter is less than ten days away?

Come on now. Get yourself together there. See that picture up above? We expect that is the kind of beauty we’ll be seeing in the near future. You need to be taking the necessary steps towards it and what you’re doing right now is not the way to go.

It is Finished

(Image Credit: http://heycheng.tumblr.com)

For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit. 1 Peter 3:18

Merry Christmas!!

Many blessings to you and your family as we celebrate His first coming!

Thou didst leave thy throne 
And thy kingly crown 
ManyWhen thou camest to earth for me, 
But in Bethlehem's home 
Was there found no room 
For Thy holy nativity: 
O come to my heart Lord Jesus; 
There is room in my heart for thee! 

Heaven's arches rang 
When the angels sang 
Proclaiming Thy royal degree; 
But of lowly birth 
Cam'st Thou, Lord, on earth, 
And in great humility; 
O come to my heart Lord Jesus; 
There is room in my heart for thee! 

The foxes found rest 
And the bird its nest 
In the shade of the forest tree; 
But Thy couch was the sod, 
O Thou Son of God, 
In the deserts of Galilee: 
O come to my heart Lord Jesus; 
There is room in my heart for thee! 

Thou camest, O Lord, 
With the living word, 
That should set Thy people free; 
But, with mocking scorn, 
And with crown of thorn, 
They bore Thee to Calvary: 
O come to my heart Lord Jesus; 
Thy Cross is my only plea! 

When heaven's arches shall ring, 
And her choirs shall sing 
At Thy coming to victory, 
Let they voice call me home, 
Saying, 'Yet there is room- 
There is room at My side for thee!' 
And my heart shall rejoice, Lord Jesus, 
When Thou camest and callest for me.

Giving Thanks

If these darling creatures can give thanks for God's provisions, then surely we can. Hope you are all well and your families blessed of the Lord. We are doing fine.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Mother's Day

To all mothers and those who have a mother's heart. Be blessed. May Christ be honored in your life and the lives of your children through your example.

I am thankful to the Lord for His gift of children. I remember my own dear mother today who has been in heaven now for 16 years.

Sweeties

I hope your Easter was as blessed as mine. We had a nice day at church and as a family. Here are a few of my sweeties. We're having fantastic weather right now. In the seventies to eighties. Perfect. Talk to you soon.

Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed

I received this in a e-newsletter today, and wanted to share it during this Passion week. I always reflect on these beautiful words by Isaac Watts this time of year.

Installation Delay

INSTALLING SPRING...
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33% DONE. Install delayed....please wait.
Installation failed. Please try again.

(Saw this on a friend's Facebook status and couldn't resist copying. Problem is it's so true here.)

Arthur and Gwen

I can't believe myself. I am not one who likes fantasy at all as a choice for reading or entertainment, but for some strange reason, I've been enjoying the BBC TV Merlin series dvd's given to Neesie by a friend. At first, I just sat on the couch doing something else while it was on, but then found myself getting interested in the stories. I always appreciate quality acting and good story development and I saw that first, even though there were strange looking creatures and all that crazy stuff which I usually hate. The long and short of it is, I'm finding it very engaging.

This series is a very loose adaptation of the King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table legend, which I never got into. In many ways, they're not sticking to the legend, which I could care less about. I don't want to go on too much about it, but do want to say what I like best. That is, even as old as I am, I still like fairy tales. I still like to dream a little about such things. And this series very much has a fairy tale woven in.

The time setting is before Arthur became king. He's crown prince and a brave warrior, etc. etc. There is this servant girl named Guinevere. Well, cutting out a lot of detail on the reasons why, in Season 2, Episode 2, the prince goes undercover, hiding out in the home of the servant girl for a couple of days. (He already knew her well, by the way.) She lives alone and was helping out in the particular situation. Well, this and that happened, she had to serve him, of course, and there was much that was amusing, but there was a point at which the young lady became so irritated with her guest that she "boiled over" and told him, in no uncertain terms, a few things about himself. She also told him of the importance of humility in a king, if he's to be a good one. The best part is that he listened. You could tell he did. You could also tell throughout the entire episode that this young future king was falling in love with this servant girl. Oh my. His father would have a heart attack if he knew that.

But here is what I really liked. This was the perfect setting for, at the very least, innuendoes about some sort of "hanky-panky" between the two. There was not the least hint of that. Somehow, in this day and age, they kept it clean. Even when Arthur assumed the only bed was his, not even considering that she would only have one, the focus was on his thinking only of self. Nothing else.

On this day on which romantic love is celebrated, I was thinking about this, and I'm glad the focus was on love, not on, well you know. A later episode confirmed that what had developed between the two of them was true love. I don't know what they'll do in the future with these lovers; I suppose I should expect that passion is coming. In the legend she is the queen (but she had never been a servant). There are many indications it may end up that way here, but the prince and maid will surely have to go through a lot for that to happen! It would be nice if they would keep the focus on love and that it would indeed lead to marriage. That's a lot to expect these days. (No spoilers if you know future happenings!)

Ladies, enjoy and be thankful for your prince today, if you have one. Mine has gotten gray and quite thick around the middle, but he's still my prince! And remember, prince or no prince, God's love is best.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY. Their first kiss near the end of the episode: (Many young ladies wait until marriage for that first kiss and that's so nice when that happens! May the Lord lead each girl to do what is best and right in her situation.)

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

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

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!!

Fall Treats

This is my FAVORITE fall treat. LOVE them! I can't think of anything I'd rather have on a blistery November evening, while sitting on the couch with a throw across the lap. The perfect companion. At least there is some nutrition, right? Especially with the nuts.;)

What's your favorite tasty treat for this time of year?

Havin' a Heat Wave

It's one hundred plus degrees here. We are surely having a heat wave! What's it like where you are? I just got back from the post office and all I can say is "Whew!"

Pledge of Allegiance

I found this on a website (Boy Scouts of America Troop 780-Dunn, NC) and thought it was an appropriate time to copy it:

When you pledge allegiance to the flag, you promise loyalty and devotion to your nation.

I pledge allegiance...
You promise to be true

...to the flag...
to the emblem of your country

... of the United States of America...
a nation made up of fifty states and several territories, each with certain rights of its own

... and to the republic...
a country where the people elect representatives from among themselves to make laws for them

...for which it stands...
the flag represents the United States of America

... one nation under God,...
a country whose people are free to believe in God

... indivisible,...
the nation cannot be split into parts

... with liberty and justice...
with freedom and fairness

...for all. ...
for every person in the country - you and every other American.

May your Fourth of July holiday be blessed of the Lord. May our country be blessed by Him and return to Him. Trusting you'll be joining in prayer with many others that this will be so. It's a good time for the Lord to be bombarded with lots of prayers for this needy nation. I'm sure you'll agree that our financial needs are not the top priority, but the spiritual and moral are.

The Tender Love a Father Has

I just looked at our church bulletin for tomorrow (it's usually posted online at our church website) and I see that we're singing this hymn tomorrow. I thought I'd post it in honor of Father's Day. I am thankful for the father of my children and recognize the importance of what a godly father means to a family. Our sermon tomorrow will be about the need for fathers to know the state of their flocks (from Prov. 27:23ff) and may we pray for our husbands, sons, and earthly fathers who take this task seriously. God bless them.

And remember, the love of our Father in heaven is the best!

The tender love a father has
For all his children dear,
Such love the Lord bestows on them
Who worship him in fear.

The Lord remembers we are dust,
And all our frailty knows;
Man's days are like the tender grass,
And as the flower he grows.

The flower is withered by the wind
That smites with blighting breath;
So man is quickly swept away
Before the blast of death.

Unchanging is the love of God,
From age to age the same,
Displayed to all who do his will
And reverence his Name.

Those who his gracious cov'nant keep
The Lord will ever bless;
Their children's children shall rejoice
To see his righteousness.

Some people may not be familiar with this hymn. It's tune is here.

Memorial Day 2010

I still thank the Lord for our country and especially those who have served in the armed services and some having died for the freedoms that we have.

Hoping each of you have a blessed and safe Memorial Day!

The Vocation of Maternity

"The best convent," I said, "for a woman is the seclusion of her own home. There she may find her vocation and fight her battles, and there she may learn the reality and the earnestness of life."

"Pshaw!" cried she. "Excuse me, however, for saying that; but some of the most brilliant girls I know have settled down into mere married women and spend their whole time nursing babies! Think how belittling!"

"Is it more so than spending it dressing, driving, dancing, and the like?"

"Of course it is. I had a friend once who shone like a star in society. She married and had four children as fast as she could. Well! What was the consequence? She lost her beauty, her spirit and animation, lost her youth, and lost her health. The only earthly things she can talk about are teething, dieting, and measles!"

I laughed at this exaggeration. . ."As you have spoken plainly to me, knowing me to be a wife and mother, you must allow me to speak plainly in return," I began. ". . .You will permit me to say that when you speak contemptuously of the vocation of maternity, you dishonor not only the mother who bore you, but the Lord Jesus Himself, who chose to be born of woman and to be ministered unto by her through a helpless infancy."

. . . I thought of my dear ones . . .and I thought of my love for them and theirs for me. And I thought of Him who alone gives reality to even such joys as these.

~~~from Stepping Heavenward, by Elizabeth Prentiss

Don't you love the way that Katherine put it? "The vocation of maternity." And what a blessed vocation it is, even though there are times it's a painful one.

I am thinking of all the young mothers who are engaged in the years of diapering, nursing, and nurturing; I'm thinking of the ones who are going through the years of teaching their children or helping them to learn, even if it's homework; I'm thinking of those who are plowing through the preteen and teen years and guiding them in the ways of the Lord; I am thinking of the moms of young adults who are holding Christ before them as they plant their feet in manhood and womanhood; and I am thinking of those with hearts sometimes torn, as they give them or see them off in a home of their own through marriage. I'm also thinking of those who are, with delight, welcoming in the next generation after that, with all the joys that grand parenthood has to offer them.

I believe Mother's Day is a fine holiday and it's a good thing that was instituted by our country some years ago; but I usually find it difficult not to think also of those who may find peculiar pain in it. There's one who is seemingly nearing the end of a long battle with breast cancer as she spends the day tomorrow with her husband and two young children; there are a few I know who are caring for very aged mothers in stressful situations; there is one who recently lost her beloved daughter who was also her best friend; there are some who will spend the day by the bedside of a very sick child who may not make it; and there are always those who want to be mothers, but God for His own reasons has withheld it from them. I'll have all these in my thoughts today and tomorrow.

So, for those engaged in this vocation, with all its blessings and challenges, I wish you a blessed Mother's Day. For all of those for whom this calling is yet a dream and hope, I wish you the same, because you have it in your heart. May the Lord Jesus use you all in the work of His kingdom.