It'll all work out in eternity....

We were discussing worry versus faith in a Christian group I belong to, and it made me think of a devotional I had read this month in In Touch, by Charles Stanley.

"What can be taken from someone who owns nothing? If he acknowledges God as the owner of all his possessions, then he can't ever suffer loss."
(is that not too cool, when you really, really think about it??? :) We can NEVER, EVER, EVER suffer loss because nothing is truly OURS to begin with!)

He goes on to say, "But when people yield everything in their lives to Jesus Christ and acknowledge His total control, they don't worry about what is in His hands. They trust that God will see them through both the blessings and hardships that come their way."
(definitely a matter of always trusting Him to be in total control, which if we were to think about it logically, is FAR better than US being in control, anyway!)

He then clinches it with: "Nothing we own on earth can go through the gates of heaven with us."
(Ah, now that's a resting thought...keeping our eyes on HOME.)

When worry is all boiled down, and honestly examined...it truly comes down to whom or what you  are trusting in. If we acknowledge our lives are in HIS hands...(and they are!)...then we should simply be about His business, and leave the rest to Him. After all, we know we're of infinitely more worth than the sparrows, and how He cherishes those sweet little winged friends!

“Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows." ~Luke 12:6-7

("I don't know...I'm a little concerned Mabel, that this drought this year has done us in...I mean, just look how dry it is here...nothing but weeds are coming up!"
"Ah Hazel, don't you know that 5 sparrows are sold for 2 copper coins and are not forgotten before God? He's even numbered all our wings! Let's just hop around in the field, and lift our voices to God...after all, this field may be awfully dry, but our eternal home is not. Have some faith my friend...it'll all work out in eternity.")

Hail, guest...we love because He first loved us

This was on my flip calender for today:

WELCOME OVER THE DOOR OF AN OLD INN

Hail, Guest! We ask not what thou art;

If Friend, we greet thee, hand and heart;

If Stranger, such no longer be;

If Foe, our love shall conquer thee.

-----

What a wonderful greeting! I especially like the "we ask not what thou art"! How much ado the world makes of that, and how little the Lord does. For pleasantries' sake, it is fine, but it should never have a bearing on the scale of how much we love or give respect to another. May we always remember to love and greet one another as He did:

^"Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.  For the commandments, 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' You shall not covet,' and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'  Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." ~Romans 13:8-10

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another." ~John 13:34

"Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;" ~Romans 12:10

"...with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,...." ~Ephesians 4:2

"And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all...." ~I Thess. 3:12

L'Abri through the Generations

One of my all-time favorite books is L'Abri by Edith Schaeffer, wife of Francis Schaeffer. When I was in 7th grade, my dear mom introduced me to this lovely couple and their ministry, through encouraging me to read this book. Through the years, I have read this numerous times, and still never tire of it...every time I read it, I come away with more and more nuggets of truth.

When I was 26, God called my dear momma home, and how I miss her so much, even to this day. I sometimes feel like the little bird in the children's book, going around thinking "Are you My Mother?", lol...somehow hoping there will be some older, Godly woman, willing to step in and be those Titus 2 type shoes. But the foundation my sweet momma laid has never left me, and has only grown through the years. Because of her faithfulness to share the Gospel with me while I was growing up, I know we will one day be reunited, once again fellowshipping together. I cannot read this book, though, without feeling a little bit closer for now...somehow nearer to my Lord, heaven, and of course, Momma. :)

"Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations." ~Psalm 90:1
"But thou, O Lord, shall endure for ever; and thy remembrance unto all generations." ~Psalm 102:12
"For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations." ~Psalm 100:5
"I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations." ~Psalm 89:1

Miserable Mouthing

"Nor let us...complain, as some of them also complained." (1 Cor. 10:8,10)

Have you ever known a miserable mouther? Have you ever been one? You know, the kind that complains about all the troubles that come their way, including the blessings...yes, the blessings! Oh how much we are like the Egyptian-freed Israelites, whom the Lord has given SO much to, and done SO much for...yet prone to still complain when events aren't all that we thought, or all that we wished, or all that we wanted. Oh, Father, forgive our grumbling, complaining lips...when we expect Heaven here on earth, and in so doing, fail to see all the overwhelmingly numerous gifts you have lavished on us!

Has the Lord blessed you with eyes to see the rich hues of murals He has painted in the day and evening skies? Has He offered you a bright, warm spring-like day in the midst of the coldness of winter? Or has He sent you instead, a pristine white snowscape that glistens as a newlywed's diamond? Were there birds singing their merry little tunes outside your window as you awakened? Could you hear their various trills, and did you sleep with a roof over your head? Did your heater gently hum all through the night? Were you greeted this morning by the sound of little feet and your spouse's sweet kiss? Were you met with the exuberance of your dog's happy-wag tail, or the rumbling motor of your cat? Were you able to smell the coffee that was brewing, and savor the homemade bread? Was there warm water for your shower? Were you able to sing your heart out as that blessing cascaded over you? Do you have a job awaiting you on Monday, when so many are without? Do you have a book and blanket to curl up with at the end of a long and arduous day? Are you able to read your Bible, knowing no one is going to come pounding on your door to imprison you for it? If not, was He not with you when you awakened, reassuring you He is there, no matter what the day may bring? That the body can be killed, yet the spirit cannot? (Matthew 10:28; Luke 12:4) Has not the Lord blessed us with immeasurble joy and reassurance that this is not our true home...that He has gone on to prepare a magnificient place that eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, the things which He has prepared for us?! (1 Cor. 2:9) Are you saved by the living God? Oh praise God for that... for "what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us" that we should be called His children!! (1 John 3:1)

He has sent all the seasons, and all the blessings, and He, and He alone, determines what and when they are (oh is that sometimes hard to accept!)...but He says "what is that to you?" (John 21:22-23) He is our GOOD Father...and no matter yours or your neighbors, those near or in lands unknown...His gifts are always far too many to be counted, for each of us. 

Oh Lord, may no miserable mouthing ever come from our mouths...instead, let us always praise Your holy name in all that You do. Yes, indeed, what is anything to us; open our eyes that we might see not what Your hand hasn't, but all that Your hand has provided...for Your very glorious reasons and purposes...out of Your incredibly vast love and care for us! Oh thank you, my God and my King.

Psalm 145

"¹ I will exalt you, my God the King;
I will praise your name for ever and ever.
² Every day I will praise you
and extol your name for ever and ever.

³ Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
his greatness no one can fathom.
⁴ One generation commends your works to another;
they tell of your mighty acts.
⁵ They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty—
and I will meditate on your wonderful works.
⁶ They tell of the power of your awesome works—
and I will proclaim your great deeds.
⁷ They celebrate your abundant goodness
and joyfully sing of your righteousness.
⁸ The Lord is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in love.
⁹ The Lord is good to all;
he has compassion on all he has made.
¹⁰ All your works praise you, Lord;
your faithful people extol you.
¹¹ They tell of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might,
¹² so that all people may know of your mighty acts
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
¹³ Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures through all generations.

The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises
and faithful in all he does.
¹⁴ The Lord upholds all who fall
and lifts up all who are bowed down.
¹⁵ The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food at the proper time.
¹⁶ You open your hand
and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

¹⁷ The Lord is righteous in all his ways
and faithful in all he does.
¹⁸ The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
¹⁹ He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cry and saves them.
²⁰ The Lord watches over all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.

²¹ My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord.
Let every creature praise his holy name
for ever and ever."

The Servant Who Still Speaks

As we enter this new year, I am reminded that we serve a Saviour who is the reason for all seasons...how I pray that this new year find us more and more HIS servants. Where there's any pride in our hearts, may He remind us to be humble...knowing that the last shall be first, and the first shall be last (Matthew 20:16). How He cherishes the last! May we always remember that anything we have is not of ourselves, but simply gifts from His gracious hand. And may He use us for all those that are last, for HIS glory, and HIS purposes. The world tells us to use our days for ourselves, yet He created us to use them for HIM.

I pray in this new year that where there is loneliness, we readily embrace with warm, caring arms; where there's exhaustion, He give us deeply encouraging words; and where there's poverty, He give us a life-changing concern. The world mocks and looks down at those who are lonely, and downtrodden, and poor. Yet we are not of this world. May we always remember what is truly of value...and hold others' gaze with a twinkle in our eye, a warm smile on our face, and a hand that firmly grasps. May He show us how to give the gift of ourselves, in both word and deed, in reaching out to others...and in so doing, we give of our Lord who was King, yet came as the greatest servant of all.

"I’d like to suggest that we remind ourselves he still comes.

He comes to those as small as Mary’s baby and as poor as a carpenter’s boy.

He comes to those as young as a Nazarene teenager and as forgotten as an unnoticed kid in an obscure village.

He comes to those as busy as the oldest son of a large family, to those as stressed as the leader of restless disciples, to those as tired as one with no pillow for his head.

He comes and gives us the gift of himself.

He still comes. He still speaks."

~excerpted from Christmas Stories, by Max Lucado

"...and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” ~Matthew 28:20

In this new year, may our lives "speak" of Him in all we do.

You Are Our Hiding Place

If you live long enough, you will have those days where you wish you could just crawl back in bed and pull the covers over your head...and come out when the problem that chased you there in the first place...well, is gone. Yes, even as a Christian, (especially as a Christian, as this is not our real home!)...there will be days you will feel that way...we still live in a broken and scarred world resulting from the fall. There were times that David and Paul and many others felt overwhelmed with situations that came up in their lives. And yet, we know we have a hope to cling to...a hope that for all of us Christ-followers that enables us to pull back the covers from our head...even when the problem is still there. We know we can bow our head...to Him who is able to do all things well..and that He will do all things well. No matter what your situation: when He takes you to the Red Sea, He will deliver you; when those you trusted in toss you in a well, He will deliver you; when those that know Him not, seem like they're winning, He will deliver you. He will always deliver, although it may not be in your time or your way. His answers are from an eternal perspective; He is working out His plan for all eternity...for His greater glory and purposes.

Oh Lord, may we each learn to truly rest in Your greater glory and purposes that are being worked out in us, in everything You bring our way; may we always remember to keep our eye on the eternal view, and most of all, on You, our eternal Creator. Encourage our hearts to always trust You to see us through a day outside the covers. When we feel like pulling those covers over our head, remind us that:

You shall cover us with Your feathers, and under Your wings we shall take refuge (Psalm 91:4), for You, and you alone, are our hiding place. (Psalm 32:7; 119:114)

The One Who Holds All My Days

"Sovereign God, I praise You that You work all things for the good of those who love you. Each problem, each trial I face today fits into Your marvelous plan for my life. Forgive me when I complain about my struggles. I'm sorry that I often fail to remember that You are in control, that You hold in Your powerful hand all things in my life.
      I want to...trust You that the inconveniences and problems that I will encounter are by no means mistakes. Thank you for the assurance that You will work today's events into a life plan for my good and Your glory." (~excerpted from Diamonds in the Dust, devotional 12/2, by Joni Eareckson Tada)

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." ~Romans 8:28

Be Still, and Know He Knows Your Strength Is Spent

"Dear Child, God does not say today, 'Be strong;'
He knows your strength is spent; He knows how long
The road has been, how weary you have grown,
For He who walked the earthly roads alone,
Each bogging lowland, and each rugged hill,
Can understand, and so He says, 'Be still,
And know that I am God.' The hour is late,
And you must rest awhile, and you must wait
Until life's empty reservoirs fill up
As slow rain fills an empty upturned cup.
Hold up your cup, dear child for God to fill,
He only asks today that you be still."
(~poem by Grace Noll Crowell, cited in
Springs in the Valley devotional by Mrs. Charles Cowman)

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

"Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, 'Peace, be still!' And the wind ceased and there was a great calm." ~Mark 4:39

Loving Your Neighbor As Yourself

This is such an incredible, lovely, inspiring story! Be sure and watch the video at this link:
http://pages.simonandschuster.com/kissesfromkatie?mcd=z_110914_CLP_Kisses-From-Katie_Crosswalk

And here's her blog:
http://kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com/

May the Lord use each of us, for His purposes, and His glory.

^"Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit,  in faith, in purity." ~1 Timothy 4:12

He is Building a Palace, Praise God!

“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.” ~C.S. Lewis

"He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock." ~Luke 6:48

The Shoulder Put Down

["Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." ~Galatians 6:2
"...God promises to help carry your burdens. (Psalm 55:22; 1 Peter 5:7). One way He does that is by encouraging another believer to come alongside you and put their shoulder down so you can put part of your burden on them, and you can walk together. Bearing one another's burdens honors and glorifies God." (Sept. 5, 2011 devotion Turning Points, David Jeremiah)]

What a wonderful way of putting it...oh that I might always be that put-down shoulder for others! (Yes, even when I'm tired...especially when I'm tired and don't feel like going that one more mile.) Are you that shoulder put down, or simply a head full of doctrinal knowledge? Are you putting your faith into action, for:

^"14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? ¹⁵ If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, ¹⁶ and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? ¹⁷ Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
¹⁸ But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. ¹⁹ You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! ²⁰ But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? ²¹ Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? ²² Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? ²³ And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. ²⁴ You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
²⁵ Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?
²⁶ For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." ~James 2:14-26

Make no mistake, we are definitely not saved by our works...salvation comes through Christ alone...yet works are a by-product of one's true salvation. Pray to be more and more that shoulder for others...that Christ's unselfishness reign increasingly through your life. He was the ultimate Servant. Pray for more increase in being that put-down shoulder for your spouse, your children, your neighbor, your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, the stranger(s) you encounter today. Sometimes that put-down shoulder can even be something as simple as a very warm smile and "hi" to that stranger you pass in the store, encouraging him onward...the world is watching to see how we are different. They are watching to see Jesus in us. Are you showing them you...or your Lord and Saviour?

 Encourage...bear one another's burdens...therefore fulfilling the law of Christ....

"Keep going...we're here and will help be God's wings for you!"

"The Lord repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.” ~Ruth 2:12

This Is Nothing Compared to Eternity in Hell!

TOO hot, even for the smallest of critters.

(actual REAL temp, Farenheit, in the SHADE; I have no idea what the heat index is!)

Outside, even the critters are wilting...it is almost impossible to breath out there. I can't remember a time when I've ever seen temps like this before...actual temps...and I'm NOT a hot weather person, so this is even more incredulous, as far as I'm concerned. :) But it brings to mind eternity. I know that eventually, the Lord will give us some reprieve from this heat...here on earth. But for eternity, for those that have not accepted Christ as their personal Saviour, these temps will actually seem like a cool winter season compared to what's coming!

^"And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.  Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’" ~Luke 16:23-24

For those that die without accepting Christ, there is no release once death has come. Makes me think even more how important it is that I am always, always, always sharing Christ with others. For that someone, today might be the day of salvation. Are you sharing Jesus with those around you, knowing it's truly a matter of life or death...a matter of unbearable heat?

One year anniversary at our new residence

The 1st of Aug. marked the year anniversary of my husband driving out of our driveway, to move 3 hours away to his new town and job, while I stayed behind until we found a house to purchase there. It would be 3 months...not until Nov...that we would be back together over here in our new home...with only seeing each other every other weekend until that time. How very, very long it seemed! We remember so clearly the day he had to leave...we both cried as he pulled out of the driveway, never having been apart like that before. But God was so gracious to us, and comforted and held us throughout that time, as He always does...and by mid-November, we were back together again as a family, in our beautiful home that He more than generously blessed us with. We are thankful for a job found quickly (3 1/2 months); a miracle in and of itself, considering the horrendous economic upheavels and unemployment our country is experiencing. I don't know why He chose to make our experience as short-lived as it was...His ways are always His own, for His own reasons and purposes. I'm just grateful that we had a faithful God to walk by our side through those what-seemed-at-the-time such very incredibly long days and nights...days of aching and missing the other...clinging to God...knowing that only He could close that distance of miles, and only He could see us through that time. Of course, as Christians, we know it is only truly God that can see us through *any* time.

One of the things I was so going to miss, though, were all the critters...especially the many and varied birds that we had at our prior home. Yet God knew even this...how kind and fatherly is my Heavenly Papa to care about such a small detail...especially for such an avid bird-lover as I. Not only that, but bluebirds (outside of loons), are my very favorite bird, and we have *lots* of them here! Below are a few snapshots of some of our various residents at our new home (definitely not all-inclusive!)...it looks like a few of them are singing His praises, as well! :)

"Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?" ~ Matthew 6:26

(checking out the church..."hello in there!")

(praise God from whom all blessings flow...praise Him all creatures here below...)

    

(can we say TOO hot out???, but another season will come...)

"O LORD, our Lord,  how excellent is Your name in all the earth! ~Psalm 8:9

One nation under God...

"But where says some is the King of America? I'll tell you Friend, he reigns above...." ~Thomas Paine, Common Sense, 1776

"It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible." ~George Washington

"Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD...." ~Psalm 33:12

Do Not So Entertain...

"We are in this life, as it were, in another man's home, and the world is our Inn; do not so entertain thyself in the Inn of this world for a day as to have thy mind withdrawn from longing after thy heavenly home." ~ Gerhard

Make a joyful noise unto the Lord!

Our 10 month old grandson, Cathan, on Mother's Day, at our piano:

READY??

 TADA!

"...And Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read, 'Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise’?” ~Matthew 21:16

Heavenly watering...

I was sitting outside with our Yorkies a couple of days ago, and noticed this little flower...the first one up, in one of our flower beds near the front of our house. Up out of the dirt in such glorious form, it was...watered by His tender, loving care which brought it forth.

"Look up to-day, O parched plant, and open thy leaves and flowers for a heavenly watering." ~ Charles H. Spurgeon

"Awake, thou wintry earth...! Fair vernal flowers, laugh forth Your ancient gladness! Christ is risen." ~ Thomas Blackburn

Indeed He is.

Tranfiguring all the moments of our lives....

This quote came in my email today, and I found it so appropriate, as I woke up feeling rather lonely, being new to this area and not knowing anyone yet, while still trying to recover from being sick and in the hospital.

"Loneliness comes over us sometimes as a sudden tide. It is one of the terms of our humanness, and, in a sense, therefore, incurable. Yet I have found peace in my loneliest times not only through acceptance of the situation, but through making it an offering to God, who can transfigure it into something for the good of others." ~ Elisabeth Elliot

I'm sure many of you know the incredible paths of loneliness God called Elisabeth to.

One of the highlights of my day, is how my husband has always left me a note to awaken to every morning.  Although my husband had no idea I would awaken feeling a bit lonely today...God knew...and I love how He moved my husband's heart to share just the right verse with me:

"This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:24, KJV)

And so I'm left praying that I might always learn to deeply and richly rejoice...truly rejoice in my very depths...in every day's events the Lord has put before me. And may I always make whatever He places before me, an offering to Him, who is the miracle worker who *can* transfigure *all* things into something for the good of others. Praise be to God!

Hearts for Him

"Give us, O Lord, steadfast hearts that cannot be dragged down by false loves; give us courageous hearts that cannot be worn down by trouble; give us righteous hearts that cannot be sidetracked by unholy or unworthy goals. Give to us also, our Lord and God, understanding to know You, wisdom to recognize You, and a faithfulness that will bring us to see You face to face." ~Thomas a Kempis

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me." ~ Psalm 51:10

Pilgrims and Strangers Made for Another World...

"If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world...Probably earthly pleasures were never made to satisfy it, but only to arouse it, to suggest the real thing. If that is so, I must take care, on the one hand, never to despise, or be unthankful for, these blessings, and on the other, never to mistake them for something else of which they are only a kind of copy, or echo, or mirage. I must keep alive in myself the desire for my true country, which I shall not find till after death; I must never let it get snowed under or turned aside; I must make it the main object of life to press on to that other country and to help others do the same." ~ C. S. Lewis (emphasis mine)

 "These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them." ~ Hebrews 11:13-16

And a real man is...

"'Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,

Let not the mighty man glory in his might,

Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;

But let him who glories glory in this,

That he understands and knows Me,

That I am the Lord...For in these I delight,' says the Lord." ~ Jeremiah 9:23-24

My name is graven on His hands....

Before the Throne of God

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong, a perfect plea
A great High Priest whose name is Love
Who ever lives and pleads for me.

When Satan tempts me to despair
and tells me of the guilt within
Upward I look and see Him there,
Who made an end to all my sin.

Because the sinless Savior died
my sinful soul is counted free
For God the Just is satisfied
to look on Him and pardon me
To look on Him and pardon me.

Before the throne of God, I come
Before the throne of God, I come

Behold Him there, the risen Lamb
my perfect spotless righteousness
The great unchangeable I Am,
the King of glory and of grace.

My name is graven on His hands
My name is written on His heart
I know that while in Heaven, He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart.

One with Himself I cannot die
My soul is purchased with His blood
My life is hid with Christ on high
With Christ my Savior and my God
With Christ my Savior and my God.

"See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands...." ~Isaiah 49:16

The Irish acorn doesn't fall far from the tree! :)

"Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands." ~Psalm 119:73

(the tree) :)

I only know He is my Saviour....

As some of you know, there was a very kind person who warned us that the house we had a contract on, had a long history of flooding. So at present, we are still looking for another home in the country to put another offer in on. This has been one of those seasons that we all experience in this broken world, as life will never be pain-free until Heaven. First my husband lost his job in April, due to the funeral home being sold and them bringing in all their own staff. He then started a new job on Aug. 2nd, and we were to have closed on our house on Sept. 10th, yet had to withdraw from our contract due to the above reasons. As of yesterday, my husband's truck had the gear shift break, and we are looking at a big price tag getting it fixed. It is currently in the shop. Yet there are many wonderful things written through all of this!

First off, my husband has a job, ptL!!, in a time when it is becoming increasily more and more difficult for individuals to find work. Secondly, we were protected (!!) from buying a house that has a history of flooding...this fact being made known to us within only a few days of closing. Thirdly, because my husband does now have a job, we have the money to fix the truck!! So many blessings in the midst of all this turmoil!! Everything is very fluid right now (but isn't life, anyway??)...the only unmoveable in our life IS God. I don't know what all else awaits us, but I DO know that God has us well in His loving care. As Aaron Shust says in his song, My Savior, My God:

"I am not skilled to understand

What God has willed, what God has planned

I only know at His right hand

Stands one who is my Saviour."

May you have a blessed day, knowing that God, who ALWAYS remains a constant...reigns supreme above all, and that nothing touches a hair on your head, but that which He has allowed for HIS purposes, and HIS reasons. As my Tabletalk devotional said last night:

"Thirteen years passed from the time Joseph entered slavery at age seventeen until he became the pharoah's right-hand man in Egypt at thirty years of age." (Can you imagine...13 years?!!) "God, of course, had the greater good in view the whole time, eventually putting Joseph in a place where he would save many people. This truth applies to us today. God providentially directs all things - even pain - toward His greater good. Even when we cannot see how, the Lord is working all things to the ends of our good and His glory....our Father is sovereign, and He is working for our ultimate good and for the advance of His kingdom even when things seem darkest to us." (emphasis and pink wording mine)

Yet, "...we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." ~ Romans 8:28, KJV

Now...

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit [!]" ~ Romans 15:13, KJV

Persevere...Father does know best!

"We must not measure the reality of love by feelings, but by results. Feelings are very delusive. They often depend on mere natural temperament, and the devil wrests them to our hurt. But if you are earnest in striving to serve and endure for God's sake, if you persevere amid temptation, dryness, weariness, and desolation, you may rest assured that your love is real." ~Jean Nicolas Grou

"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." ~James 1:12

"As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy." ~James 5:11

"Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers." ~ I Timothy 4:16

"You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised." ~ Hebrews 10:36

"By faith he left Egypt....; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible." ~ Hebrews 11:27

"(Love) always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." ~ I Corinthians 13:7

The Essence of Faith...

"A saint is to put forth his faith in prayer, and afterwards follow his prayer with faith."   
~Vavasor Powell

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." ~Hebrews 11:1

"And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit...." ~Romans 5:5

God's Plan and The Wonderful Surprises It Brings!

"Rejoice in knowing that you belong to God and that He is conforming you to the image of His Son. See every event of this day as part of that process. Yield to the Spirit's prompting, and take heart that God will accomplish His will." ~ John MacArthur

"Did you ever run for shelter in a storm, and find fruit which you expected not? Did you never go to God for safeguard, driven by outward storms, and there find unexpected fruit?" ~ John Owen

"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." ~ I Corinthians 2:9

Leading Us Safely Onward

"It would have been easy for God to show us the plan for this period, as He had it all fixed up...But then again we would not have learned that most valuable lesson, so He left us in the dark and gave us only one thing at a time." ~ Maria Augusta Von Trapp (In reference to the real journey her family experienced that was depicted in the "Sound of Music")

"I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them." ~ Isaiah 42:16

Made to glorify God

"Man, made in the image of God, has a purpose - to be in relationship to God, who is there. Man forgets his purpose and thus he forgets who he is and what life means." ~ Francis Schaeffer

"Let us be exhorted to exalt God Alone, and to ascribe to him all the glory of redemption. Let us endeavor to obtain and increase in, a sensibleness of our great dependence on God… to mortify a self-dependant and self-righteous disposition. Man is naturally exceeding, prone to exalt himself, and depend on his own power or goodness… But this doctrine should teach us to exalt God alone; as by trust and reliance, so by praise. Let him that glorieth, glory in the Lord. Hath any man hope that he is converted and sanctified.. that his sins are forgiven, and he received into God’s favour, and exalted to the honour and blessedness of being his child, and an heir to eternal life? Let him give God all the glory; who alone makes him to differ from the worst of men in this world, or the most miserable of the damned in hell ...Is any man eminent in holiness, and abundant in good works, let him take nothing of the glory of it to himself, but ascribe it unto him whose 'workmanship we are, created in Christ Jesus unto good works'." ~Jonathan Edwards

Even "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." ~Psalm 19:1

Sola gratia...in grace alone...

"It is grace at the beginning, and grace at the end. So that when you and I come to lie upon our death beds, the one thing that should comfort and help and strengthen us there is the thing that helped us in the beginning. Not what we have been, not what we have done, but the Grace of God in Jesus Christ our Lord. The Christian life starts with grace, it must continue with grace, it ends with grace. Grace wondrous grace. By the grace of God I am what I am. Yet not I, but the Grace of God which was with me." ~Martyn Lloyd-Jones

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast." ~ Ephesians 2:8-9

Our newest grandson (5 1/2 weeks old)...what joy he spreads around!!

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well!" ~Psalm 139:14

"A cheerful look brings joy to the heart..." ~Proverbs 15:30

"A happy heart makes the face cheerful...." ~ Proverbs 15:13

Trusting in God's Will for Our Lives

Have you ever had a plan for your life, and yet find that, at least for the time being, God has a different one? How hard it is to lay aside where we would want to be,

knowing God is taking us where HE has planned for us. May we rest in His sovereign hand, trusting that He knows the desires of our heart...but with that, He knows what is best for us, for HIS purposes, and HIS glory. When I read these two quotes this week, how I felt they so spoke to what I want most of all...GOD's wisdom and HIS plan for our lives. May we joyfully go where He has planned, resting in HIS perfect will for our lives.

"Not until we have become humble and teachable, standing in awe of God's holiness and sovereignty...acknowledging our own littleness, distrusting our own thoughts, and willing to have our minds turned upside down, can divine wisdom become ours." ~ J. I. Packer

"I want Thy plan, O God, for my life. May I be happy and contented whether in the homeland or on the foreign field; whether married or alone, in happiness or sorrow, health or sickness, prosperity or adversity - I want Thy plan, O God, for my life. I want it; oh, I want it." ~ Oswald J. Smith

"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails." ~ Proverbs 19:21