8 The grass withers, the flower fades,
But the word of our God stands forever.”
Pondering this today....He is faithful and true and His word is inherent, infallible and inspired. God's word is true....God's word is TRUE!
I've been meditating on Philippians 2 since our church service on Sunday. One of our associate pastors preached out of this passage and I haven't been able to get away from it. There were so many things in this passage that I needed to be reminded of, so it was hard to pick one section of it for Memory Monday.
Nevertheless, I chose these verses to work on first:
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
The picture that I chose above doesn't have a huge significance to this post, other than to remind me of The Church...the Body of Christ. As I look at the picture, I can't help but meditate on these verses first because as of late, I feel that at every turn, the "world" and its twisted views are being rammed down my throat. It's everywhere, it's on every station, it's on every billboard, it's on every politician's agenda....the sickest of the sick. So, at this point, I take comfort in knowing that one day, it's not going to be a choice...the verses say that "EVERY knee should bow"...notice that it doesn't say "a few knees" or "only the knees of the believers". The scripture says "every", which is finite. It's done. It's been decided. There will be no argument. There will be nothing more than every creature on earth, in heaven and under the earth....in simultaneous bow to the Lord of Hosts, to the King of Kings, to the one King Jesus.
So, for now, I am adding these verses to those that I "hide in my heart". The world may decide one day to take my written copy of the Word of God from my hands, but one thing that they can never do it rip the words from me that have been carefully hidden in my heart. Dearest, I can't urge you enough...the time is now. The Word could one day be "against man's law". God forbid this day ever come, but if it does...what will you have hidden in your heart?
Psalm 119:11 Your word I have hidden in my heart
That I might not sin against You.
I pray that you will find time in your own walk to participate in Memory Monday. This meme was started by my sweet friend Joanne Heim. You can read Joanne's story at The Simple Wife, I promise that you will be blessed by Joanne and the journey that she is on at this time. I will continue to post my Memory Monday posts and will look forward to the sweet day that Joanne is back, writing her own Memory Monday posts. Please continue to pray for Joanne and her sweet family. God has shown His glory in their lives and in Joanne's story. And to Him, be all the glory and honor and praise, forever and ever, AMEN.
.....from "Morning and Evening" for 3/30/11, by Charles Hadden Spurgeon. I found these words today to bring a chill back to my bones, a chill that should never leave when pondering the gruesome death that my Savior suffered....all because of my hideous sin.
"With His stripes we are healed." Isaiah 53:5
PILATE delivered our Lord to the lictors to be scourged. The Roman scourge was a most dreadful instrument of torture. It was made of the sinews of oxen, and sharp bones were intertwisted every here and there among the sinews; so that every time the lash came down these pieces of bone inflicted fearful laceration, and tore off the flesh from the bone. The Saviour was, no doubt, bound to the column, and thus beaten. He had been beaten before; but this of the Roman lictors was probably the most severe of His flagellations. My soul, stand here and weep over his poor stricken body.Believer in Jesus, can you gaze upon Him without tears, as He stands before you the mirror of agonizing love? He is at once fair as the lily for innocence, and red as the rose with the crimson of His own blood. As we feel the sure and blessed healing which His stripes have wrought in us, does not our heart melt at once with love and grief? If ever we have loved our Lord Jesus, surely we must feel that affection glowing now within our bosoms.
"See how the patient Jesus stands, Insulted in His lowest case! Sinners have bound the Almighty's hands, and spit in their Creator's face. With thorns His temples gored and gashed send streams of blood from every part; His back's with knotted scourges lashed. But sharper scourges tear His heart."
We would fain go to our chambers and weep; but, since our business calls us away, we will first pray our Beloved to print the image of His bleeding self upon the tablets of our hearts all the day, and at nightfall we will return to commune with Him, and sorrow that our sins should have cost Him so dear.
I was just sitting here not feeling so well tonight, grumbling to myself about all of the things that I need to be doing, but just don't feel like doing tonight. The Lord just so happens to have a way though of stopping me in my grumbling tracks. He immediately put my sweet friend Joanne on my mind. As most of you know, on January 11th, Joanne (from The Simple Wife) suffered a massive stroke in her home. The fact that Joanne is still with us and doing as well as she is doing is a miracle from God alone. It's even more of a miracle to ponder the fact that Joanne is actually able do things like Twitter or Facebook on her iPad. God is no less than amazing....He is GOD...He is a healer...He is Joanne's healer.
I had just been reminded of her this morning when I saw her cute little bag lying on my bathroom counter. Joanne pays so much attention to detail, as you can see in the picture of the little "zippy purse" she made for me. Joanne especially takes great time and detail in the way she expresses her love of her Lord, Jesus Christ. You could never read a post and not know exactly how Joanne felt about her Lord. You also could not read a post without hearing the wonderful details of her day and how she relishes in each little thing...even if she didn't feel good or if she didn't have the most wonderful day, she always had a way of finding SOMETHING that was special about it....that may have been a fuzzy pair of PJ's at the end of the day, but she found it nonetheless.
She also had such a way of inspiring her friends to "go deeper" with the Lord. One of the ways that she did that was in a little meme that she started several years ago called "Memory Monday". I have always loved participating, but to be honest, I've gotten out of the habit of doing the posts since Joanne's stroke. But today, I'm starting back. The verses I read in my quiet time this morning seemed to resonate Joanne's life. I was in Ephesians today, in the 3rd chapter:
Ephesians 3
1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles— 2 if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, 3 how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, 4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), 5which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: 6 that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel, 7 of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.
I think about Joanne and how she ministers according to the grace that God has given her...working His effective power. These verses just spoke to me and challenge me to persevere, even in my grumbling state. So, I will leave you with these verses....and by all means, the rest of the chapter.
I pray that you will find Memory Monday as a great encouragement that I do. I pray that you'll join us next week with your own Memory Monday post. We would certainly love to have you, so my all means, please stop by!
Have a truly blessed week in the Lord,
Wow, not only is it great to be back to the blogosphere, it's even better to be back with such a great group of ladies at Marriage Monday! And, as always, I send a huge thank you to E-Mom at Chrysalis for being such a gracious hostess.
When pondering the topic for today, I had several thoughts that crossed my mind. After all, the topic was open, so it really could have been about anything under the sun. However, my mind couldn't help but wander back to today's lesson in ABF (Adult Bible Fellowship, aka "Sunday School"). We've been on the topic of "communication" for the last few weeks, which could not be a more vital topic for any marriage, especially in today's society. Today's lesson was specifically about our words and how we use them. Honestly, it's something that I need to make a focus in my marriage at all times. I love my husband beyond measure....I want my words to be encouragement to him...uplifting....blessings to him. Granted, neither of us have ever been without allowing our tongues to get us in trouble but that's when we are reminded of this scripture:
Proverbs 15:4 (New International Version, ©2011)
4 The soothing tongue is a tree of life,
but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.
No one wants to be crushed....no one. But, EVERYONE wants to be soothed. We both know that our words are what we want to be under the control of the Holy Spirit. Aside from our relationships with the Lord and with each other, what can make a marriage a beautiful thing? Harmony....kind words....soothing words....tongues under the control of the Holy Spirit. Who doesn't want that?
Proverbs 15:1 (New International Version, ©2011)
1 A gentle answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger.
Just like the scripture says, the more gentle we are, the more likely we are going to receive a right response. Neither of us like discord or strife. When we speak gently to each other, it's an automatic "win-win" situation. But further than that, and most importantly, it's pleasing to the Lord.
I love the vivid word pictures that the scriptures give us, especially this verse that describes our gracious words to each other:
Proverbs 16:24 (New International Version, ©2011)
24 Gracious words are a honeycomb,
sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.
What I really love about this particular verse is that even aside from the wonderful picture of our words as a honeycomb, it goes a step further. The graciousness of our words even has healing properties to our bodies. I believe this is severely (perversely) lacking in today's society. How many stressed out married couples (or anyone) do you know of that are healthy? Stress brings sickness and deterioration to our bodies and to everything around us. How wonderfully incredible is God's design that He would bring health to us with something so easy as being gracious to each other with our words? That is the tender LOVE of the FATHER. He cares for His creation...and each one of us are His creation and each one of us are likewise created in His image.
Our words in our marriage are so important . They have the power to build up, but they have the power to tear down even faster. I appreciate my husband and his constant effort to speak kind words to me, to build me up, to encourage me...his obedience to the Lord in this area is more than apparent, and I'm so blessed. I heard a quote Sunday that I'll leave you with. When I heard it, I thought of Rob and his constant efforts. I also took an introspective look to see if I'm really living up to this standard. I think that if we call come to this place in our marriage, we have accomplished something great and God honoring. The quote is from author and speaker, Dr. Henry Brandt and it simply states:
"Communication means to overcome the desire to conceal feelings and thoughts and rise to the level of honesty."
Dr. Brandt is so right. The beauty of our marriages is that we don't have to conceal our feelings and thoughts with our spouse. We can be totally honest with them...we should be totally honest with them. There is a freedom in our commitment to our mate because we can (and should be) totally transparent with them. God's design of the covenant marriage and all of the freedom and beauty in these intricacies of the covenant are flawless. They were a total act of love from the Father when He saw fit to create them. As we heard this past Sunday, "When you risk, you can lose. And when the risk involves the impairment of a vital relationship, the loss can be devastating." I praise God for a husband who cherishes our vital relationship and I pray that the Lord would keep me ever mindful of the fact that nothing but death will ever separate us. Thank you Lord....Your blessings are tremendous!
Well, all I can say is, I'm REALLY AND TRULY finally back to the blogging realm. I thought I was going to catch up recently and the Lord just had a different agenda. There has been so much happening....some incredible things that God has done.....all of which I can't wait to share with you. Let's take them little by little...we've got all spring and summer to catch up!
I will say that during my hiatus, the Lord has grown me in ways that I never thought possible, simply because I think that sometimes, we put so many LIMITS on the Lord. In Isaiah 55 it say that His ways are higher than our ways...
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts."
And in Jeremiah 29, we are promised that His thoughts towards us are good...
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
And friends, I can tell you that the Lord is faithful to uphold HIS promises. I have so many instances that I can tell you about that have happened in the last few months...countless examples of God's faithfulness. But, one thing at a time....there's plenty of time for catching you up to speed.
So why don't you come back....grab something ice cold to drink and sit down with me for a little bit. As a matter of fact, I'll get you started. Here's a great little refresher that I put together today after coming in out of the yard...nothing fancy....and just using things that I had at home already.
SPRINGTIME BLUEBERRY ZINGER
1/3 cup semi frozen blueberries
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
crushed ice
unsweet fresh brewed iced tea (or sweet, if you want the sugar)
Muddle the blueberries with some of the crushed ice and lemon juice in a large tumbler like this....
Then add the brewed iced tea and more ice....give it a stir...and enjoy!
Blessings to you....stay tuned for more,
If you would like to join a corporate prayer meeting tomorrow night for Joanne, please visit this website for the details and links on how to register:
Technology is amazing and what an opportunity to join with other hearts to life up this sweet sister and her precious family!
"For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” Matthew 18:20
Wow. It's 2011...where did the last 20 years go? is it me or is time just flying by at warp speed? To those reading this right now, thank you for being a faithful reader of this blog. I will keep this post short since we have to head out the door shortly. But, I wanted to let everyone know that MUCH has been going on and I have LOTS to fill you in on since my last post. There has been so much to happen (good and bad, but all for God's glory). Stick with me...and I'll try and catch you all up to speed over the next couple of weeks. The hiatus from the blog has been good, but OH I HAVE MISSED IT!
If you don't do anything else the rest of the day, I would ask that you do one thing. Please pray for my sweet friend, Joanne Heim from The Simple Wife. Many of you may know her and already know the happenings of the last few days. Joanne suffered a massive stroke a few days ago and is in very serious condition. I cannot begin to tell you how Joanne's life has impacted my life in the last few years, so right now, I beg of you...PRAY for her in earnest! The details of the last few days have been chronicled by her precious husband, Toben, on her blog. You can click the hyperlink above if you would like to visit her blog.
I can't thank you enough for the prayers on her behalf...and I'm sure Toben and her sweet girls are even more appreciative.
I am looking forward to visiting with you in the next few days to "catch up". I hope to see you soon,
In Joanne's honor, I will forever remain
Rob and I have the pleasure of being members of an incredible couples ABF (Adult Bible Fellowship, or for some of you, better known as "Sunday School") at our church. Our class is led by a married couple who boasts 47 years of marriage and who happen to be incredibly Spirit led teachers. Our class is actually called "Home Builders"....and we have been blessed with wonderful anointed teaching that has been a total blessing to our marriage. We do have a memory verse challenge every week, and this week's verse is incredibly appropriate, given the name of our class. This verse just solidifies our belief that Christ is the Solid Rock and is the foundation and basis for everything in our lives and in the lives of all Believers.
We praise God for Christ the Solid Rock!
I regret that there have been so many things going on at one time that I'm just now posting this update.
I recently asked everyone for prayer on behalf of friends Cary and Alisa Lowery and for their little one, "Caleb Luke" who was born on September 24th, and with some serious heart defects. I haven't posted about the outcome, simply because I've been so heavy hearted for this sweet couple and just have been at a loss for words, to say the very least. Caleb Luke went to be with Jesus late in the evening on October 25th. In God's sovereignty, He chose for Caleb to be with Him and in that home going, we fully trust that the Lord will provide immeasurable strength, peace and resolution for Cary, Alisa and their ten year old son, Kyler.
We will never understand in this earthly life all of the nuances of what God has deemed to be His perfect will. But, His will be done, on earth, as it is in Heaven. It is stunning and incredibly exciting to think that one day, those who believe in Christ as their Savior will be reunited with their loved ones in glory and will be in the presence of the Lord Himself. And personally, I will look forward to meeting Caleb there and worshiping at the throne of grace next to him. We praise God, even in the unknown.
I believe that it is only like God to have given meaning to the name "Caleb", long before the earth was even formed. I know that the Lord had Caleb on His mind before time began and that He decided then that "Caleb" would mean "wholehearted". It is also only like our Lord that Caleb Luke is now "wholehearted" in the presence of the Living God. To God be the glory, for GREAT things He has done.
A Pair of Bartletts readers and prayer warriors:
Please be in prayer over a precious little boy named Caleb Luke Lowery. His Daddy (Cary) and I went to school together many years ago. Caleb, who was born in September, came into the world with some very serious heart defects. Within days of his birth, he was flown from our city to a hospital north of here (UAB). Caleb is fighting for his life and NEEDS the prayers of the children of God. As his Mommy and Daddy have said countless times over the last few days...."Prayer Warriors--UNITE"!
Dear friends....please make this sweet little one a serious matter of prayer in your personal prayers, in the prayers of Sunday School classes and in the prayers of the house of God where you worship. We serve a risen Savior who is still in the miracle business! I thank you in advance and on behalf of his precious parents and sweet big brother (Kyler) for every prayer lifted!
The notes below are the most recent and the MOST specific requests from Caleb's Mommy, Alisa.
1. the weaning process for removing Caleb from the heart/lung machine...the specific prayer is that his heart and lungs would be fully restored and function at 100% as they transition and would happen sooner than later!
2. there has been infection evidenced in his body-we are believing the infection is gone in Jesus Name and will not return nor will it be in any of the tubing in the machine, etc.
3. pray for continued control of bleeding and NO bleeding in any area or organ where it should not be. Name it and claim it! And name EACH organ (as God puts in mind) and claim total healing and protection!
4. they have been able to drain quite a bit of fluid off of his body...there is a delicate balance in the fluid department that needs to be maintained -pray for wisdom in that and that Caleb's organs would respond appropriately to that process...
We are asking for more miracles as we are believing Father for completely new heart -fully functioning as it should, fluid draining properly, not infection present, all organs on go and the ability to close Caleb's chest within the 7 day limit. Pray for divine wisdom skilled hands for all who work with Caleb -
This is spiritual warfare so we are standing against the enemy and praying for a holy wind to revolutionize the UAB CICU -for the Father's glory.
Thank you prayer warriors!
God doesn’t need measuring spoons…
It is always amazing to me how the Lord brings scriptures either to our minds or into our lives always JUST at the right time. There is a lot going on for Rob and I at the present time….all very good things, some things that require a lot of prayer, but nonetheless…things that the Lord is there…right in the midst.
Today, our memory verses in Sunday School class were read from Ephesians 3:20-21. WOW….are they EVER relevant for us now.
“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundant above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. AMEN.”
I don’t know about you, but the words “exceedingly abundant above all that we ask”…..that just blows me away. This “thing” that Rob and I are experiencing right at this moment is going to be worked out by the Lord of hosts to a point that we would have never imagined on our very own! How encouraging is that?
I’ll be sharing more with you as the weeks go by, but for now, please pray for us. We are entering into something that we know that the Lord is blessing. We have bathed it in prayer and the pieces have fallen into place as only the Lord could do.
What “exceedingly abundant” things have you asked for lately?
Dear Jesus,
Thank you for my precious husband. Thank you for the blessing that he is in my life and every day of my life. I thank you that before the world was formed by Your mighty hand, You had the sweetest treasure on Your mind for me. In the very core of my being, I could have never in my own strength have thought of, dreamed of or found a soul mate more precious than the one that You created for me!
I humbly pray that you would saturate his every thought with Your precepts. Conform his thoughts to Your thoughts. Teach him Your higher ways. Urge him to make his requests known to You, O Lord. Guard his heart and his mind through You, Christ Jesus. Give him daily courage to fend off the ways of this wretched world. Continue to bless him as the leader of this home.
I ask all of these things in the name of Jesus, my Savior....AMEN
16 But Ruth said:
“ Entreat me not to leave you,
Or to turn back from following after you;
For wherever you go, I will go;
And wherever you lodge, I will lodge;
Your people shall be my people,
And your God, my God.17 Where you die, I will die,
And there will I be buried.
The LORD do so to me, and more also,
If anything but death parts you and me.”
I LOVE FALL! I love EVERYTHING about it! I love the COLORS, I love the SMELLS and the FLAVORS! God was so good to us when He created such richly colored and flavored things like pumpkins. I think pumpkins are beautiful to look at and I love their flavor....in both sweet and savory things. I also love pumpkins because they remind me of the Glory of the Lord. Have you ever seen two pumpkins that look just alike? If you have, then we're ALL going to be rich! You can't show me two pumpkins that are 100% identical to each other...YOU CAN'T DO IT!
Pumpkins are beautiful things...they come in an incredible palette of colors, some have bumps, some have ridges and lines, and sometimes, they are as smooth as silk. Some have knotty stems and some have really beautiful stereotypically formed pumpkin stems. Some might even have a worm hole or two!
God's children are a lot like pumpkins. We have lumps and bumps and we have things that to some, are "not so beautiful", but to others, are just breathtaking. We have lines and ridges...and we can be rigid when we want to be...and at times, we can be as smooth as silk in the outward showing of our personalities. But lumps, bumps or otherwise, God created us uniquely and as incredible individuals...each of us being a total masterpiece in the eyes of the Father. It's hard to remember sometimes that God created the beautiful and the not so beautiful...but to HIM....total perfection. After all, we are created in HIS image!
"So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them."Genesis 1:27
Well, believe it or not, this was what I was pondering today as I made a batch of some really fabulous pumpkin soup. I hope that you will consider it all "food for thought", no pun(kin) intended!
I'll leave you with the recipe that I used, and yes the pictures above were from today's batch of soup. I hope that you'll try it! The recipe is adapted from one that belongs to one of my favorite Food Network chefs, Robin Miller. You can find her exact recipe for this soup by clicking here. I will include my recipe below, since I have a couple of things that I add in addition to Robin's INCREDIBLE recipe. I hope that you enjoy it! And if you are looking for economical...THIS IS YOUR RECIPE! For those of you who are fellow American Frugal Housewives...you'll love it!
SMOKY PUMPKIN SOUP WITH CUMIN
1 can (15 oz.) of canned pumpkin**, ~OR~ 15 oz. of fresh cooked pumpkin
1 ½ cups of reduced sodium chicken broth
1 cup milk (I use Horizon Organic 2%)
1 pinch ground sage
1 pinch ground cinnamon
½ tsp Sun Crystals (or other sugar substitute like Splenda)
15 turns of the peppermill
¼ tsp. sea salt
1 pinch ground bay leaves (or 2 whole bay leaves)
**MAKE SURE that you do NOT buy the pumpkin pie mix! It should be the PLAIN canned pumpkin!
Whisk all of the ingredients together over medium heat. Serve hot! If you like a smoother texture, you can process the soup through either a food mill or a food processor for a smoother puree. If you are not a cumin fan, or if you are not sure if you are, then you may want to start with ¼ tsp. of cumin and then work up from there. I love it, so I use the 1 tsp. that it calls for.
Enjoy!
Ephesians 5:22-33
22Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26to make her holy, cleansing[b] her by the washing with water through the word, 27and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— 30for we are members of his body. 31"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh."[c] 32This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.33However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
I would like to start this post by thanking the Lord for my precious husband, Rob. God blessed me beyond measure when he brought Rob into my life. If I have said it once, I've said it a thousand times....aside from my Bible, Rob is my greatest earthly treasure given to me by the Lord.
As I tossed around which of the topics to choose from for the post, it became quite evident to me which one that I should write about. For me, it was the obvious choice...."A cord of three strands is not quickly broken". I love this. I love the picture of the Trinity, but especially in the biblical picture of marriage. Most think that the husband and the wife are what completes the picture of marriage, but on the contrary. The picture of the Christian marriage is not complete without the third strand in the cord...the Holy Spirit. Without Him, the two of us would be nothing. We would not make it trying to serve each other if we were not serving Him first. There is no way that Rob could love me, nor could I be submissive to Rob's leadership in our home if we did not have Jesus in our hearts. The scripture is very clear in the definition of our roles in this marriage and it's a definition that we fully intend to follow.
The chosen path of love and submission is certainly not one that doesn't involve hard work. We BOTH have to work at it. But more importantly, it should be approached with the greatest of care. And the greatest way to care for our marriages is to bathe them in prayer. I'm not saying that you have to hunch in a dark closet for hours on end in order to be prayerful about your marriage (or anything for that matter). Daily prayer in my quiet times and what I consider a constant prayerful heart (always having prayer on my mind during day to day tasks) are what work the best for me.
Recently, I learned of a book that my sister Julie was reading. Just after reading a few pages, I saw what an incredible tool that this book would be in addition to my own prayers. It was a fantastic guide (and very inexpensive, I might add) to praying scriptures over our husbands. The book is called "Prayers of an Excellent Wife", by Andrew Case. I highly recommend this book...and quite frankly, I have told dozens of people about it since then. There is also a companion book by the same author for husbands called "Water of the Word: Intercession For Her". Rob has a copy of it as well. Case has taken the actual written scriptures and melded them into a specific prayer. Dear Sisters....the GLUE that binds the three cords together (in my humble opinion) is prayer, prayer and more prayer. Petitioning the Father over our marriages could not be any more important. Every need...every thought....every EVERYTHING that is going on in your marriage, from the smallest, most seemingly insignificant thing, to the BIGGEST of the big things in your marriage....they are all worthy of bringing before the Father. Scripture is very clear on this in Paul's letter to the Philippians (Philippians 4) when he says:
4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
Dear Sisters, I pray that the third strand in the cord of your marriage is Jesus Christ. I pray that your marriage will be blessed, that it is complete and that you are the apple of your husband's eye. I thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ before everyone reading this post for my husband...from the top of his head to the soles of his feet. May the strands of the cord of all of our marriages be woven together as tightly as the Lord will hold them.
I thought I would leave you with one of the prayers from the book that I mentioned to you. I wanted you to see the format so that you might consider getting a copy of it for yourself. As a matter of fact, the author has even offered a FREE .pdf copy of this book to you by visiting His Magnificence (how much better can you get...it's FREE!). The author has also granted permission for any part of the text to be shared or reproduced, so long as you don't charge for it or alter it in any way. So, with that said dear sisters....please share it with your friends! It has blessed me beyond belief and I know it will bless you as well.
The prayer below is very special to me and I have read it over and over....and it is especially meaningful to me in light of the topic in this post. I pray it will bless you as well.
May God richly bless you!
*****For more great Marriage Monday articles and otherwise just really good blog content, please visit my DEAREST friend and marriage mentor, E-Mom at Chrysalis Cafe. You will be blessed! Much love to you E-Mom....you and E-Dad ROCK!
I hope to see you back here tomorrow! It's going to be a great Marriage Monday!
The topic here at A Pair of Bartletts will be:
Blessings to you!
8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00 pm - Lunch! My favorite thing!
1:00 pm - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 pm - Milk Bones! My favorite thing!
7:00 pm - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 pm - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!
What are you doing to get ready for the Fall season?
I Chronicles 16:8
Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name;
make known among the nations what he has done.
For more about Memory Monday, please take a minute and visit my sweet friend Joanne Heim at The Simple Wife. You will be blessed!
How do you get still before the Lord?
REVELATION 21:4-5And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.”
My family is in the midst of cancer...the "C" word. My precious sister-in-love has had surgery and is in the midst of 6 months of chemo post op. I don't like cancer. I want cancer to go away from our lives...far far away from our lives. But I know that for now, it's here and all that God wants us to do it lean on Him. He wants to provide grace all sufficient to us. He wants us to experience new mercies every morning. And He is good....and He has given us new mercy in abundance.
Today as I made last minute preparations to leave at 5am with my Mom to go and travel north to be with and care for my sister in love, I could not help but think of the verses of the song "Be Thou My Vision". You see, one of my nephews has been singing this song to the Lord since about age 2. He's 5 now and still loves it. I can't wait to get there and see if he will sing it for me....I love to hear him praise the Lord!
Please pray for our family over the next few days as we take care of my sweet sister. Pray for grace, strength and peace for her. And if you think about this song, think of my sweet little 5 year old nephew singing this to the top of his lungs! Maybe I can get video of it....he'll bless your socks off!
Ancient Irish hymn, possibly from the 8th Century, tr. by Mary E. Byrne
Be Thou My Vision
| Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart; Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art. Thou my best thought, by day or by night, Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light. 2. Be Thou my Wisdom, Thou my true Word; |
3. Be Thou my battle-shield, sword for my fight, Be Thou my dignity, Thou my delight. Thou my soul's shelter, Thou my high tower. Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power. 4. Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise, |
| 5. High King of heaven, my victory won, May I reach heaven's joys, O bright heav'ns Son! Heart of my own heart, whatever befall, Still be my vision, O ruler of all. |
Sorry for not being as prepared with step by step pictures for this recipe as I usually am. We have been in the process of moving and getting settled into a new home, so things have been a little hectic, to say the very least. One thing is for sure though, when Rob said this was the best chicken that I've made the whole time we've been married (and I've made LOTS of chicken), suffice it to say that I had to share enough to give you the method and the ingredients.
Those who follow this blog regularly (if that's you, thank you!) will remember the post that I did regarding the "spatchcock" method of cooking chicken. If you missed that, the posts are in the "categories", so you should be able to find them. At any rate, this is the only method that I use for roasting a chicken now that I've mastered it. I LOVE IT! It's so easy, the cooking time is so much less, and the chicken is SO moist and delicious, no matter what flavor profile that you should choose in the marinade.
When I got busy trying to get us ready for the move, my beautiful herbs at the other house became a victim of the heat and my neglect of watering them. So, for now, I'm starting over. While at the hardware store in our little town this past Saturday, I bought the most beautiful rosemary bush...not a little plant, but a BUSH for $11.99...what a deal! As the young man at the hardware store was putting it in my car, I couldn't help but start to think of what I would marinate for dinner that night. I had just bought a whole chicken the day before...so problem solved!
I usually try and get measurements for you on recipes, but this time, I had so much going and had mixed up the marinade before I could think about noticing what my measurements were (I was not taught to cook by measure but to measure by sight). But, I have a pretty good idea of what to tell you, so here it is...and trust me, the longer this marinates, the better. It has a LOT of rosemary in it, but I love that flavor and I like it strong...so if you want to back off a little, feel free. Make it your own!
ROSEMARY CHICKEN WITH OLIVE OIL
1 cup of very good quality extra virgin olive oil
4 Tbsp. coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
3 large cloves of fresh garlic, finely chopped
2 tsp. coarse Kosher salt
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
1 Tbsp. good quality dijon mustard
4 pound whole chicken, all giblets removed
In a bowl, combine all of the ingredients, except the olive oil. Whisk them together until well combined. While whisking, stream in the olive oil until you have an emulsion. (You can also do this in the blender if you would like, but if you use a blender, add the rosemary AFTER you have blended the ingredients, otherwise, you'll end up with pesto sauce.)
With poultry shears, turn the chicken breast side down. Place the shears on one side of the backbone and cut straight up and away from you. Then repeat on the other side of the backbone. Once you have cut up both sides, then you should have successfully removed the backbone. At this point, it is not necessary to remove the breast bones, but I prefer to do it since it makes the chicken lie flat. It also decreases the cooking time. If you choose to do this, then just flip the chicken over and use your shears to clip around the membranes and clip out the breast bones. Maybe one day I'll do a video tutorial on this...
Place the spatchcocked chicken in a gallon sized zip loc (heavy duty) bag. Pour the marinade into the bag and over the chicken. Seal up the bag and "squish" it all together to ensure that the marinade gets into every part of the chicken. Place in the fridge and marinate over night.
Place the chicken breast side up on a foil lined baking pan that has an edge (to catch the liquid). The chicken should be flat and look like this:
Bake in a preheated 450 degree oven for about 45 minutes, or until the meat is at least 180 degrees on an instant read thermometer. (It is harmful to your health to consume raw or undercooked poultry...please make sure that you test for doneness!)
Your chicken should be golden brown, succulent and beautiful....here's how mine turned out:
I hope that you enjoy it as much as we did! I had leftovers tonight and it was even better the second time around (wrapped in foil and re-heated in the oven at 375 degrees).
Blessings!
....it laughs in the face of apple butter. Heaven in a jar...thanks Mom!
The verses this week were found in John 14:14-15 but I have included the previous verses (12-13) for continuity for myself. The verses simply state:
12 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. 13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
The comfort in these verses to me really hits home through verse 13...WHATEVER you ask in MY NAME...God is so accessible to His children! And how awesome is it that unlike those who are "in the world", His children have access to the Spirit of TRUTH--those who do not know the Lord cannot even receive the Spirit because without that relationship with Him, they cannot truly KNOW Him? And closing the passage, the Lord comforts us further....I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU ORPHANS! By using the word orphan, it really brings home the true sense of what "aloneness" without Christ really is. When I think of a true "orphan", I think that is the strongest sense of being "alone" that a person could experience. No parents....no one. No true nurturing love. WOW. God will not only never leave us, but He will abide with us. I love the word "abide"....to me it's the opposite of the word "orphan", because to "abide with" me means that my Lord is with me...right next to me, within me. Again....WOW!
I really pray that the Lord will speak to you through these verses as well. I believe that this week they just jumped off the page for me....and that is so "like God"!
Abiding with Him,
On August 3rd we lost a very special person in our lives...both for me and for Rob (and certainly a host of others). She stood in the place of my own deceased grandmother at our wedding. She was our "MeMe" and she was a mother and grandmother to many more than her own biological children and grandchildren.
Our "MeMe" was the mother of my best friend, Sue. She went to be with the Lord after what we thought would be a successful open heart surgery that she had undergone in the days before. She was an incredible woman of God with an incredible life story. She loved the Lord her God with all of her heart, mind and soul...and she'd be very quick to ask you if you knew Jesus....and if you weren't sure, she would tell you how you could in a heartbeat. And she wasn't just a witness, MeMe was a worshiper. She adored singing to her God....to the top of her lungs, no matter who was around. She worshiped with true abandon. Not many people can honestly say that they can or do worship like this.
While thinking about her today, an old hymn came to mind that I thought I would share with you. I pray that you have a wonderful day tomorrow in your place of worship. And think of MeMe....with her head thrown back and lifting worship to her Lord.
Missing her,
On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suffering and shame;
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.
Refrain
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.
O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary.
Refrain
In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
A wondrous beauty I see,
For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
To pardon and sanctify me.
Refrain
To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He’ll call me some day to my home far away,
Where His glory forever I’ll share.
Refrain
WE ARE RIGHT SMACK IN THE MIDDLE of the glorious process of shopping for a new lawnmower, which is not really on my top ten of favorite things to do. But, the yard at our new house is HUGE and it calls for the big guns. Even in the midst of the mundane day to day things like lawnmower shopping (I would rather be shopping for a hundred other things), I love finding teaching from the Lord. As I was flipping through the DOZENS of Craftsman mowers on the internet (and trying to get as excited as Rob gets over new Craftsman "anything"), I was reminded of one of the great passages in Psalms that is such an incredibly comforting passage in today's wicked world.
Psalm 37 (New King James Version)
A Psalm of David.
1 Do not fret because of evildoers,
Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.
2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,
And wither as the green herb.
3 Trust in the LORD, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself also in the LORD,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
6 He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
And your justice as the noonday.
7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;
Do not fret—it only causes harm.
9 For evildoers shall be cut off;
But those who wait on the LORD,
They shall inherit the earth.
10 For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more;
Indeed, you will look carefully for his place,
But it shall be no more.
11 But the meek shall inherit the earth,
And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
12 The wicked plots against the just,
And gnashes at him with his teeth.
13 The Lord laughs at him,
For He sees that his day is coming.
14 The wicked have drawn the sword
And have bent their bow,
To cast down the poor and needy,
To slay those who are of upright conduct.
15 Their sword shall enter their own heart,
And their bows shall be broken.
WOW....there is so much to take hold of in these verses! We live in times that unlike those of the past, the evil deeds of those who purpose themselves to stir up strife "seem" to outweigh the just and the upright, who "seem" to be fewer and far between these days. But even though it "appears" that Satan (and his many followers) "seem" to think that they have the last laugh, the Lord, the King of Kings, I AM, the Alpha and the Omega....HE and ONLY HE has the final say. Isn't that comforting?
We have an incredible advocate in Christ. He is there to defend and never leave or forsake those who believe in Him as a personal Lord and Savior. And what a fabulous sense of comfort and security to know that not only will the Lord cut them down like blades of grass, but He laughs at them! I love to read about the character traits of the Lord, especially when the scripture talks about His laughter. Rob and I take great pleasure in laughter....and laughter is a natural healer. It's easy to feel bad when Satan (or his pawns) try and attack your character, your beliefs or just you in general. But our Heavenly Father can give us peace"which surpasses all understanding" and He will "guard your hearts and your minds through Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:7)
God is so good....and having God in our lives makes our lives worth living to the absolute fullest...with heads thrown back, hearts filled with laughter but more than that, hearts filled with the love of Jesus. And like the song says, He is the peace speaker.....and I know Him by name! Praise God!
But knowing all of this is not where the Lord expects us to leave this. He expects us to PRAY for our enemies as well. You heard me.....pray for your enemies. That's pretty hard to do....I find it incredibly difficult to do, but as Philippians 4:13 says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." God did not put the expectation on us as His children to pray for our enemies, if He did not fully intend to give us the strength to carry out that task. And it doesn't say "some things".....but we can do "ALL THINGS"!
Most gentle reader, if you don't know Jesus or you're not sure how to have a relationship with Him as Lord and Savior of your life, I pray that you will not only find a Bible teaching and Bible believing church home, but that you will consider clicking this link to read more about having a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Blessings in Christ,
Well, just to let you know, I am typing this post with semi-blistered hands. I am also typing this post with a body that's aching a little as well...but it is worth every blister, ache and/or pain that I have incurred! There is bliss...even with blisters! My pantry is ALMOST finished! I started painting at 1:00 today and wrapped up about 4:00, with only a little bit left to do....and as soon as I finish it tomorrow night, I will have successfully repainted the pantry in our new house~and a pantry that I'm about to stand on my head to organize and decorate! I ordered the cutest rug that's a picture of an old-timey tomato sign. And, I have some cute aprons to hang up on the wall. Also, reminiscent of Julia Child's kitchen, I have a peg board on the wall (in her honor) that is just waiting to have all kinds of accessories hung about it from the holes-a-plenty.
It's just so satisfying to complete a home project, especially one that is labor intensive. I know that when I go to one of its many shelves, my fingers will feel the smooth semi-gloss paint and I'll remember this afternoon over and over in my mind.
Projects = pride in the accomplishment.
And the picture above was a huge accomplishment for me, considering that the nine shelves of this pantry had been painted in a flat paint that had seen a pretty good amount of wear. But even in the wear, I know that there was a lot of love in those shelves. There was love being put into the items either taken from or re-stocked from it's wooden shelves. There was certainly a HUGE amount of love in just the construction of this pantry by the man of the house. The shelves appear to have been painstakingly hand sanded and the wood until they were smooth as silk....and the wood and molding, well they were chosen from the finest quality. There was a husband and a wife (both now deceased) who poured a lot of love into the details of this house, with the pantry only being one of the many.
(I am painting them a fresh solid white...you'll see some of the green left behind on the shelves that I'll be finishing tomorrow)
As you can see from the pictures, I've still got to finish the bottom half, which I'll be doing tomorrow evening. But I've included the pictures for a different reason. The reason is that I noticed so many details today that the former owner put into the construction of this pantry for his beloved wife. There are sections of the pantry that are different sizes, more than likely because she had items that were special to her that went in different special places. One detail in particular stood out to me more than any of them....and that detail you can really see illustrated above....it's just a simple clothespin, mounted about midway down one of the walls. I was just about to rip it off of the wall to paint over it, and something stopped me. You know, there was a special reason that the woman of the house placed that clothespin there with such purpose (the picture doesn't do it justice...it's mounted on there quite firmly). Something within me just didn't have the heart to take it down...so I'm painting around it. I have no idea what I'll use it for, but I promise, I'll find a use for it.
Why all the rambling about a pantry? Well, first of all, I believe that the Lord wants us to take pride in what we do, especially when it is caring for our home. Secondly, I love learning about utility discovered by others (like the clothespin). And thirdly (and the most important), I'm reminded of the Lord's constant provision in our lives, for every little tiny need....and how He always exceeds our expectations when He meets that need. And the Lord knew (down to the detail) how I would want a pantry constructed.....and He not only gave me that, but He gave me about 5 more shelves than what I ever thought I would find. NINE SHELVES I TELL YOU! And they wrap around not one, but TWO walls! And a pegboard...just like the one that Julia Child had! Julia's kitchen was totally utilitarian. But back to the Lord....He totally and completely exceeded my expectation, as is the usual way of the Lord that I serve.
"And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19
What are the projects that you are working on now and what has the Lord been teaching you through your projects?
Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I need to go find some icy-hot to rub on my sore muscles!
P.S. I'll post more pictures of the finished decorated and organized results! And in the spirit of being an American Frugal Housewife, my project came in at under $20!
It's not often that I'm away from Rob for any length of time, but this week, I have been with my brother and his family as my sweet sister-in-love is recovering from surgery for colon cancer. I know that most people would think that it's just no big deal to be away from your spouse, but I would have to reckon with that. I miss my husband dearly when I'm not with him. I just miss him.
While I've been away I have prayed daily prayers for him, since there is just so much going on for us with our move and lots of other ins and outs of daily life. Last night, I happened to pick up a book that Julie has been reading called "Prayers of an Excellent Wife", by Andrew Case.
I can say in only one day of reading that I would highly recommend not only this book,
but the companion book for husbands entitled "Water of the Word: Intercession For Her". I pray that it will be a rich blessing to you as much as it has been for me since I picked it up yesterday.
I'll leave you with the prayer that I have been studying and praying over since last night....if you download or buy this, you'll see just how rich in the Word each prayer is...it's almost hard to move onto the next one because each individual prayer is just overflowing in content. And just so that you know the disclaimer from the author of both of these books (Andrew Case), you may share these passages based on the following guidelines:
{© 2009 by Andrew Case All rights reserved. Any part of this publication may be shared, provided that you do not charge for or alter the content in any way.}
As for the way that you should use the prayers, here is just a segmentof the instructions from the author advise:
Okay....as promised, I'll leave you with one of the prayers so that you can see for yourself. Have a very blessed (and prayer-FULL) week!These prayers are also not intended to be merely read alone. To the married woman I commend frequent use of these prayers with her husband, praying them over him from her heart, using his name. This should be the rule and not the exception, so that he is regularly reminded that his wife loves and respects him, and that the Word of God abounds with sanctifying power. For this reason a short exhortation or encouragement for him is included in many of the prayers, usually beginning with “O beloved….” Take these as occasions to lift his spirit, to strengthen his soul, to sharpen his mind, to gladden his heart, to put a rock of confidence under his feet, to tenderly and humbly correct, and most of all, to point him to God as his all-satisfying joy.
"O Keeper of Your elect,
It is better to take refuge in You than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in You than to trust in princes. Therefore cause my husband to take refuge in You alone. Be his strength and his song; be his great salvation. Let him lift up the cup of salvation and call on Your Name. Open to him the gates of righteousness, that he may enter through them and give thanks to You. Raise his eyes to the hills to see from where his help comes. For his help comes from You, who made heaven and earth. Do not let his foot be moved; keep him and do not slumber. Please keep him and neither slumber nor sleep. Keep him from all evil; keep his life. Keep his going out and his coming in from this time forth and forevermore. My beloved, do you know who keeps you? The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. LORD, keep my husband. We wait eagerly for Your Son’s appearing. Hasten the wonderful day of His return—the wedding supper of the Lamb. Amen (Psalm 118, 116, 121)."
"Sissy"....to hear that word from four little short people is like Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons" playing in my ears. That word is music to my ears and can melt me into a puddle faster than you can blink your eyes! "Sissy" is the special name that my nieces and nephews call me. And, it's a special name reserved only for them...and when I hear it, well, it's just ear candy. Those four little short people happen to be my brother and sister-in-love's children...1, 3, 5 and 7....definitely a house full of stair-steps!
Lately, their little worlds have been somewhat out of the regular order with their mommy just having had surgery a week ago due to colon cancer. But in the midst of this trial, the Lord has provided and He has met the needs of all four of these precious little souls. 1 and 3 have been with my Mom, who traveled up before the surgery. 5 & 7 have been with their other grandparents all week here in our town and will be joining my husband and I tomorrow for a few days. And then, there's Tuesday....can you say road trip? I'll be headed north for a fabulous road trip with 5 & 7 to take them home to join 1 & 3, and their Mommy and Daddy! Most people would balk at a road trip with a 5 & 7 year old, but not me. These boys are the bomb....and we're going to have an absolute blast! And I know that our little princesses 1 & 3 will be SO happy to see their brothers!
So, I will probably be on a break for a few days. But, I'm sure I'll have some great things to share when the trip is over. I know that there is a Mommy and a Daddy five hours north of here that are going to light up when 5 & 7 make it back home. I pray that everyone has a great weekend and a fabulous week! In the meantime, I thought I'd share our road trip scavenger hunt with you....I know that the boys will love it, and we'll make some really fun memories in the process! This was a great little website that had some really fun stuff...enjoy!
Blessings,
IT'S BEEN SO HECTIC HERE LATELY that I have not participated in Memory Monday for a while. Although I haven't participated, I've been rereading my Memory Monday posts, which I love to do. I like to see what was going on at the time of my posts...like reading old journals. So, while reading over our memory verses (20-21) from our couples Sunday School class for next week, I decided to add the rest of this passage of scripture to those that we're doing for class next week.
I LOVE THIS PASSAGE of scripture and how it talks about the "love of Christ". If you think about the love of Christ and it's width and length and depth....it's just mind blowing. Think about it this way...if you hold an object in your hand, you can cognitively see and feel and know its width and length and depth. But, to know the love of Christ is to know a love that has NO width and NO length and NO depth. IT'S LIMITLESS, BOUNDLESS, INFINITE. There are no fences, there are no lines, there are no doors. Just border-less love....more than would fill the deepest oceans and more than would ever dream of filling up the entire universe. More I tell you. It's incomprehensible to think of the love of the Savior. THAT'S THE KIND OF LOVE that I am so not worthy of. But, even in my unworthiness, He still crawled up on a tree, on a hill, in the broiling sun, with open gaping wounds on His body from being flogged, with nails in His feet and hands, with a sword plunged into His side....and HE DIED, so that I (we) could live for eternity with Him in glory. For me. For you. For my (our) unworthiness. For our sin ridden lives. All He asks from us is that we repent (turn from) our sin and ask His forgiveness and ask for His entrance into our hearts forever. Unlike gifts of this world, it's a gift with absolutely no strings attached. It's free, and I pray that if you haven't done so, that you would reach out and take it. If you would like more information about this gift, just click here my friend.
For more Memory Monday posts, please take a minute and visit my sweet friend, Joanne Heim at The Simple Wife. Joanne is always a blessing!
Christ's Blessings to you,
This was part of my quiet time early this morning. I found some pictures to illustrate the passages that I was studying and thought I would share them. What was in your quiet time today?
Proverbs 22:1-18
(My sweet sister-in-love, Julie and little Will)
As I woke up this morning, I could not get the song out of my head....."Trust and obey, for there's NO OTHER way to be HAPPY in Jesus, but to TRUST and OBEY"! I have listened to that song over and over in my life, with one of my favorite versions being on my iPod from Big Daddy Weave's album "Every Time I Breathe". It's a good thing that you really can't wear out an MP3 like you used to wear out LP's....because if that were possible, I would have worn this one out by now! (If you don't have this album, I HIGHLY recommend it....it has been a HUGE blessing to me)
Today was a big day for our family. As my regular readers know, my sister-in-love, Julie, was diagnosed with colon cancer in March. After her diagnosis, she underwent chemo and radiation, in hopes of shrinking her tumor prior to surgery. As for the surgery, it was today....and WOW, are we all overwhelmed or what with our God? Not only did the tumor shrink to the point that the physicians couldn't see it in the pre-operative testing, but the surgery itself was a total success. I'll have to tell you, for me, it's been really hard totally "trust" God (in my own flesh) to completely see Julie through this trial. But I have had to "obey" and know that "worry" is the opposite of "faith". God promises believers that He will "supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus". (Philppians 4:19)
I fully believe that as a believer, "trusting" and "obeying" should go hand in hand. I don't think that you can "trust" and not "obey". By "trusting" His infallible Word to do the things that He tells us that He will do, it is a requirement that we "obey" Him, in order to receive the promises that we are trusting Him to fulfill. And in the case of my sweet sister-in-love, thousands upon thousands have been obedient to the call of Christ to pray and intercede on her behalf. And for that, God receives the glory. And in the midst of this trial, there have been scores of people who have come in contact with Julie's story who may never have heard of Jesus and how He can save them. And to boot, the amount of trust in our Lord that Julie herself has had to exhibit is just overwhelming. In the midst of a trial of this magnitude in her own life, she has had to trust God to use something as serious as cancer for His glory. And through it all, she has been and example of obedience to all of us by remaining faithful to Him and to His word for the duration of this trial. And the trial is not over...there is still recovery ahead, but I have no doubt that Julie will continue to handle it with the beauty and grace that she has to this point. I wish that everyone could know her...because as beautiful as she is on the outside, she is one hundred fold more beautiful on the inside. She's our sweet Julie and to know her is to deeply love her.
So, in case you don't already know it, our God is GOOD! He is faithful and He is just. And today, tomorrow and forever, we will trust Him for our every need. It will not always be easy, but as the song says...."Trust and obey, for there's NO OTHER WAY to be HAPPY in Jesus...but to trust AND obey".
Enjoy your family, friends, a good meal together and most importantly, remember those who have kept and are still keeping us free.
(from the blog article titled "Sourdough Baking The Basics, by S. John Ross)
Sourdough bread is bread made without added yeast. By making a "starter" in which wild yeast can grow, the sourdough baker can raise bread naturally, as mankind did for thousands and thousands of years before a packet of yeast was an available convenience at the local market. Not all sourdough is sour-tasting; Amish Friendship Bread and other types of live-yeast breads are also sourdough.
via http://www.io.com/~sjohn/sour.htm
Since we are about to be in full swing of the moving process and will be boxing everything under the sun, the least I can do is get my sourdough starter "started". That way, it will be raring to go as soon as we get to the house in the next couple of weeks. I wanted to share this blog because it's about the best on that I've ever seen in regard to breaking out and explaining the sourdough and the sourdough starter process.
Break bakers....UNITE!
Let me know how your starter turns out!
I JUST HAD TO SHARE this precious picture! This is my friend Laurel with the newest additions to her farm in Canada. Couldn't you just smooch their little lamby faces off? I should have been Ellie May Clampett!
Thank you Laurel for sharing all of your new babies with me! One day....I'll get to the farm!
Dad Bartlett doing what he loved best.....working on old VW Bugs
Was he alive? Well, he wouldn't know until he made the call. Would he be accepted? Well, again, he wouldn't know until he made the call. What would he be like? Make the call. "What if he doesn't want me to be his son?" MAKE THE CALL....the Lord was prompting him...."trust in Me, and make the call". "Lord, I can't do this, I just can't do it", he argued with the Lord. "I never gave up on you, so you can't give up on him...what if I had given up on you and had not offered you salvation and redemption through my Son?", the Lord nudged harder.
"Okay Lord. I can't do this without you." It seemed like forever as he dialed the number.....three numbers, he hung up. "Dial again"...the Lord was still prompting Him. "Trust ME", the Lord was insistent. Area code, done. First three digits, done. Last four digits....he did it! The ring was almost piercing in his ear. He could hear his heart beating in his ear. There was a lump the size of Texas in his throat. Was he going to answer? OH NO.....the answering machine picked up. How could he possibly leave a message like this on an answering machine?
It was now or never. He HAD to do it, answering machine or not. "Um, hello, this is Robert Bartlett, Jr. I'm looking for my father, Robert Bartlett, Sr. I believe that this is the correct phone number, please call me back, I would really like to talk to you. I will look forward to your call." He hung up. He sat in the recliner, dazed. Was this really the answering machine located in the house where his father lived? Only time would tell...but the wait! Now it was a waiting game. A million and one thoughts raced at a million and one miles an hour through his mind. "Jennifer, I've got to call Jennifer! She's not going to believe this!" His wife was on the way back from a trip that afternoon, but he couldn't wait.
Her cell phone rang. She was at a gas station in Louisiana, traveling home with her best friend from a trip to visit her friend's dad in the nursing home. "Honey, I've got something to tell you", he cleared the lump in his throat. "I just left a message on my Dad's answering machine and I'm waiting for him to call me back." He could hear her crying on the other end of the phone. Then he heard both she and her best friend crying....and praising the Lord....at a gas station, in the middle of Louisiana. He promised to call her back, the minute he heard anything.
An hour later, her cell phone rang again, and her precious husband is in tears on the other end of the phone. "Jen, I talked to my Dad. Jen, I TALKED TO MY DAD! And he wants a relationship with me! Not only did I talk to him, but today is his birthday, Jen! I just wished my Daddy a 'happy birthday' for the first time in thirty six years!" Her tears came out at fire hydrant speed. She and her best friend were screaming and praising the Lord in the car, and trying not to have a wreck! "Jen, he's coming to see us! He has a few doctor appointments over the next two weeks, but Jen, he and his wife are getting on a plane and they're coming to see us! Jen, I have a Dad, and he loves me. He told me he loved me and I told him that I loved him too. I told him that it didn't matter what had transpired through the years....I wanted him to be my Dad, regardless."
Father~Son~Together
This is the story of my husband and his father, exactly as it transpired over two years ago. The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords was honored that day. And angels rejoiced when the most important earthly restoration occurred that day in October, when father and son wrapped their arms around each other for the first time in thirty six years. Not only did my husband gain an earthly father, but a beautiful and most precious step mother, "Mamma Toni".
And if that weren't enough, Rob's sister also gained a father when we found him, and then we all gained a new brother and sister and nieces and nephews through Mamma Toni's precious family. I remember standing in the kitchen, bathing in the love that was pouring out in abundance over my family. And in that moment, I was brought to attention very quickly by the Lord. He was very clear in reminding me of all of the people who think that "God has written them off", or that they are just not good enough to have a relationship with the King of Kings. They go for years thinking that maybe one day they will have everything in order before they contact Jesus to come and save them. Just like this beautiful reunion that took place, can you imagine the reunion that we are going to have in Heaven? If our Heavenly Father can orchestrate a reunion of this magnitude after thirty six years of separation, HOW MANY MORE lengths will our Father go through to have a relationship with us?
God blessed our family that day. His love was shining all around us. He was in the
room with us....He met us there. And because of that, it was the most joyous and praise filled reunion that could have ever taken place. God was honored then and He continues to be honored now. He has been merciful with Dad Bartlett's health and has gifted us with more time with him, when the doctor's may not have been so hopeful. God is SO good, and our family will proclaim that until the Lord draws our last breath. I'm sorry that you could not have been there as a spectator for the embrace of all embraces. When father and son met and embraced, it was as if the world melted away. God smiled that day. He got the victory. He was the great maestro that day as he led the orchestra to perfection.
Who do you have in your life (or out of your life) that you could stand to reunite with and let those years and hard knocks just melt away in the arms of the Lord? Our family is a living testament to this. We believe in the power of the Lord Jesus Christ and we believe that we were saved by faith in Him through the repentance of our sins. I pray that you have a personal relationship with our sweet Lord.
Dear Lord, on this Father's Day, we thank you for you as our Heavenly Father and the sacrifice that was made through Your Son so that we may have eternal life. Dear Lord, we also thank you that as a married couple, we both have our parents in our lives and on this day, we thank you for the lives of our fathers. In Jesus holy name, Amen.
To see how to make these beauties...you need to check out my friend Tina's site...I can't wait to make these! You can find this yummy post at Cherry Hill Cottage Check out Tina's site when you can...she is a fabulous cook!
WHEN SPEAKING OF ICED TEA, "Truvy" (played by Dolly Parton), in Steel Magnolias, exclaimed "It's the house wine of the South!". Well, she wasn't kidding! If you live in the South, you will find iced tea on every corner. It's probably my favorite drink of all time. Now, most everyone in the Deep South favors sweet tea ("swayt tay"), and that's okay. As a child, however, I drank unsweetened iced tea. So, I have diverted a tiny bit from the traditional Southern preparation, but LOVE a good brewed iced tea, nonetheless.
Today has been quite a scorcher, so all I could think about was a cold glass of iced tea...and then I walked by my mint plant and had a change of plans. Not only did I want iced tea, I WANTED SOME ICED MINT TEA. You do NOT have to spend big bucks to have simple little pleasures like homemade mint tea. And, herbs of any sort are so easy to grow and keep here in the Deep South. (Right now I've got sweet basil, Greek oregano, mint and rosemary. I have some plans to add a few more in the next couple of weeks, so as soon as I'm finished, I'll post some pics of my kitchen garden.)
In the meantime, go grab some mint and serve yourself a big cold glass of mint "tay"--SHUGAH (Lucretia, that was for you sister!)!
The Wife's Mint Tea
2 family sized bags Lipton "Iced Tea Brew" tea bags
6-10 fresh mint leaves (washed and patted dry)
sugar or honey for sweetness (optional)
2 quarts of water
Place tea bags and the mint leaves in the desired pitcher. Bring water to a boil in a kettle or in a pot on the the stove (I use an electric kettle). Once boiling, pour water over the tea bags and the mint leaves and allow to steep for 5 minutes. (Add sugar or honey at this point if you are making sweetened tea. Mix thoroughly to dissolve.) Remove tea bags and allow tea to cool. Remove mint before serving. Garnish iced tea glass with a sprig of fresh mint. Enjoy!
I encourage you to check out her new eBook. You can get your sampling of the down home goodness below and hopefully, you'll head on over to her farmhouse and get a copy for yourself!
Make sure and tell her I sent you! Grab a cup of coffee and be sure to check out all of the rooms in the farmhouse....Aunt Ruthie's place is warm and cozy...you'll definitely want to "sit a spell"!
Watermelon and Fireflies (E Book) SAMPLE
Song of Solomon 2 (New King James Version)
Song of Solomon 2
I am the rose of Sharon,
And the lily of the valleys.THE Beloved
2 Like a lily among thorns,
So is my love among the daughters.THE Shulamite
3 Like an apple tree among the trees of the woods,
So is my beloved among the sons.
I sat down in his shade with great delight,
And his fruit was sweet to my taste.THE Shulamite to the Daughters of Jerusalem
4 He brought me to the banqueting house,
And his banner over me was love.
5 Sustain me with cakes of raisins,
Refresh me with apples,
For I am lovesick.
6 His left hand is under my head,
And his right hand embraces me.
7 I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
By the gazelles or by the does of the field,
Do not stir up nor awaken love
Until it pleases.
I prayed for my husband before I knew his name. I prayed that he would be like the King in Song of Solomon...how could he be any less if he were sent by the Lord? My husband and I were from very different backgrounds, but yet it's come to be a game to see how many ways our lives had been intertwined over the years and we didn't even know it! Before I write anymore, I'll have to tell you a true story. One afternoon, Rob and I were in the car and were driving past the Senior Citizen apartments in our town, where my beloved grandmother "Nanny" had lived for many years. As a matter of fact, not only did she live there, but I spent almost any and every weekend with her there as well....as much as I could. As I was pointing out what balcony had belonged to her, I began to tell Rob of a story from a weekend that I had stayed with Nanny. I remember it like it was yesterday. It was a Saturday night and she and I were watching TV. All of a sudden, we heard this really loud and obnoxious sound out on the lawn. We jumped up and ran to the balcony, only to see this old car doing donuts in the beautiful grass there at the Towers. My Nanny was horrified...."those teenagers....just look at them out there messing up the grass"!
Flash forward, back to Rob and I driving in the car. As I'm telling him how upset my Nanny was and then on top of that, how upset my Dad was to find out about it when I got home, the color is slowly draining out of his face....he looked at me and said "was it an old Nova by chance?" IT WAS HIM (and his cousin) doing donuts in the grass! You will all be happy to know that he has repented and seen the error of his ways--and would have the hide of any kid doing that today ;o)
But, I digress.....back to the topic at hand. God is good....and He had a plan for both of us. He could not have brought me anyone that I could have loved more than the man that I married. Due to the time of year that we got married and the things that were going on in my family at that time (birth of a niece, parents moving, Thanksgiving, etc.), we chose to go on a honeymoon that was a couple of months after our wedding. And it was SO fabulous. I couldn't believe that I had been blessed in the way that the Lord blessed me!! God's promises are true and God is trustworthy to fulfill them (Psalm 37:4).
Rob is my soul mate, my best friend, my champion, the one who has been entrusted to hold onto my heart, which he does so sweetly and so carefully. I sometimes feel that the word "honeymoon" for me has too much finality to it. I like to think that we're newlyweds all the time and that the honeymoon is never over. With that being said, I also live in reality. We are both imperfect people and we do not (nor does anyone) have a perfect marriage. What we do have is the Lord. We are both the bride of Christ and Christ is our bridegroom. Without Christ in our lives and in our marriage, we would have been doomed from day one. I can't imagine a day in our lives right now without the Lord who loves us so dearly and who died on a cross to save us.
Ephesians 5
22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For we are members of His body,[d] of His flesh and of His bones. 31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”[e] 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
Since our honeymoon, we have taken many trips, each of which have been an adventure, in and of themselves. We love each other and we both love to travel....and what better thing to do than to love each other and travel together?! I look forward to many more wonderful trips with my precious husband. I also look forward to all that God has in store for us and am thankful for all that He has done for us. I could never have asked for more!
I have had this song in my playlist for a while, but moved it up to the number one slot, especially for this post. This song characterizes everything about our marriage, inside and out. I hope it will be a blessing to you as well!
When God Made YouIts always been a mystery to me,
How two hearts can come together,
And love can last forever.
But now that I have found you I believe,
That a miracle has come when God sends the perfect one.
So gone are all my questions about why,
And i've never been so sure of anything in my life~chorus~
Oh I wonder what God was thinking,when he created you.
I wonder if He knew everything I would need,
Because he made all my dreams come true.
When God made you, He must have been thinking about me.Ooo ooo,I promise that wherever you may go, wherever life may lead you,
With all my heart I'll be there too.
And from this moment on I want you to know,
I'll let nothing come between us, and I will love the ones you love.
(guy):So gone are all my questions about why (girl echoes):about why
Oh I wonder what God was thinking when he created you,
I wonder if He knew everythin I would need,
Because He made all my dreams come true.
When God made you He must've been thinking about me.Bridge
He made the sun He made the moon,
To harmonize a perfect tune,
One can't do without the other they just have to be together.
And that is how I know its true,
Your for me and i'm for you and my world
Just cant be right without you in my lifeChorus
(guy) He must have heard every prayer I've been praying (girl echo)
I've been praying (both)He must've knew everything I would needWhen God made you, He must've been thinking about me.
For more great Marriage Monday posts, please visit E-Mom's blog at CHRYSALIS you will be blessed!
Directions Combine the sugar, vinegar and water in a large pot, and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Press one or two cloves into each peach, and place into the boiling syrup. Boil for 20 minutes, or until peaches are tender. Spoon peaches into sterile jars and top with liquid to 1/2 inch from the rim. Put one cinnamon stick into each jar. Wipe the rims with a clean dry cloth, and seal with lids and rings. Process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes to seal, or consult times recommended by your local extension.
via allrecipes.com
I cannot wait to get jars of these good ol' standby's on my pantry shelves. It's so funny, these are things that we only had at holidays, funerals and family reunions! I make a motion that we have pickled spiced peaches all year 'round!
What is something that you feel is something that has been more a part of traditional days than regular days and what are you going to do to try and bring in into your home year 'round?
In the midst of grilling some fabulous ribs and making some yummy potato salad, I threw a few jars of these bad boys together. What is summer without cool crisp pickles! I love sparkle-y jars of homemade canned goods! What is your favorite homemade canned good to make?
There has been so much going on lately that I have not had a chance to take the time to participate in Memory Monday over at The Simple Wife but as of today....I'm back!
We touched some in Sunday School today about the yoke that we have in Christ...I love these verses! They are such a reassuring promise from the Lord that He will pick up when we cannot go another step. Just like Elijah told God "I've had enough!", sometimes we want to throw our hands up and say "enough is enough". But in those times, we are so quick to forget that our God is enough for us. He gladly takes the yoke from around our neck. Can't you just hear Him? "Here dear child, let me take that....you rest in Me, and I'll take care of you.
God is so good to us. I also thank Him for what He has done and continues to do for us!
Have you turned over your yoke to our Great God?
Matthew 11:28-3028 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
I believe that my sweet husband was a little "less" than enthusiastic when I told him that I was going to make some zucchini bread with the beautiful golden zucchini that we bought last night. He's really never had a chance to try it, and you know what they say, "don't knock it 'til you try it"! And folks...he's now a believer!
I've had a couple of folks ask me for my recipe, so here it is. I'll be the first to tell you, it's not the conventional recipe, but just try it. There are a couple of special ingredients in it that really put this recipe over the top. First, I use demerara sugar, instead of regular white sugar. The demerara gives it the most beautiful caramel color. I use Florida Crystals Demerara Sugar, but there are plenty of others out there. Just use what you can find.
And secondly, I don't use vegetable oil, which is what is typically used. Instead, I use (heart smart) extra light olive oil. Now I know what you are thinking...olive oil? In a sweet bread? Gentle reader, don't you worry....I know that olive oil is typically used in savory dishes, but by using extra light, it will not compromise the sweet flavor profile AT ALL! Your finished product will taste NOTHING like olives and it will have an incredibly tender texture....and even better, olive oil is SO good for you.
I hope that you will try it....don't let it "bug you" that you're using zucchini in a sweet bread. The zucchini is used simply for the moisture....and if you have little short people in your house, they'll never know that there are veggies in their treat! You can even use this batter for muffins!
Well, without further adieu....I'll leave you with my recipe. Let me know how you like it!
The Wife's Zucchini Bread
3 cups unbleached, all purpose flour*
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp baking powder
1tsp baking soda
3 tsp cinnamon
1 cup *extra light* olive oil
3 large eggs
2 1/2 cups Demerara sugar
3 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini
Sift all dry ingredients together and set aside. Mix eggs, vanilla, sugar & oil thoroughly. Then incorporate the dry ingredients a little at the time until all are mixed. The batter will be very thick, almost like cookie dough. Add the grated zucchini and mix thoroughly. The dough will then turn into a thick batter. Recipe makes 2 loaves, or you can make muffins with it. Enjoy!
*if you do not have unbleached all purpose flour, regular all purpose flour will be fine.
**optional--sprinkle extra demerara sugar on top of the batter prior to baking, which will create a little crunchy topping
I'm SO excited about my great find tonight at my favorite local produce market (I love you Alegri Farms!). Don't these golden zucchini look amazing! The picture almost doesn't do them justice. They are SO bright and SO sunny, they just scream "Summer!". And I have big plans for this sunny bunch....some will find themselves in a sauté, some will find themselves being roasted....and the rest, well there is a fabulous batch of yummy zucchini bread in their little futures!
And those precious little pickling cucumbers? What is their fate you ask? There is definitely a little batch of New Pickle on the horizon. It's so crunchy-sweet-tangy, all in one bite.....my mouth is puckering already!
What are your favorite summer veggies?
We had a ton of great feedback around the Facebook Like button for your blog's sidebar on the Everything TypePad blog post and in tickets. Thank you to everyone who contributed. One of the things we heard loud and clear from many, including David Hooper of Music Marketing and Miguel of Cote Boulevard, was that you wanted to add the "Like" button to each post rather than the full blog. So here it is!
I "liked" it so much that I'm passing on the good news to my fellow Typepad amigos. Enjoy!
Matthew 5
The Beatitudes
1Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him,2and he began to teach them saying:
3"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.11"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
I can just imagine what the day might have been like the day that Jesus went up onto the mountain side the day He spoke of the Beatitudes. I'm sure that it looked differently than this picture, but this looks like an peaceful place, maybe one that He would have chosen as a place to talk to the disciples. It looks cool, it looks peaceful and it appears to be a place that they might find rest after a day of walking. I know that this is my own picture in my own mind, but the Lord created beautiful things, so I like to think that the Lord may have chosen a spot like this!
I was studying the Beatitudes tonight and just praying that the Lord would use me. There are so many things going on right now that I'm just overwhelmed not with the "things" but with all of the opportunities that the Lord has been providing lately for His work to be done. I love the verses of the Beatitudes and I want to exhibit all that Christ wants me to be in Him.
I think about the reader ("Faith") mentioned in the my last post and I thank God that He can find even the platform of a blog to reach someone. Of course, Christians are also humans and Christians are still sinners. I am not perfect by any worldly standard, but thanks be to God that I am perfect in HIS sight. And while I'm thanking Him....thank you Lord for Your grace. Grace is free. Thank you God for free grace. I thank the God that I serve for His grace and that HIS mercies are new EVERY morning. It's great that His mercies are new every morning because in our humanness, we are not as likely to offer our own new mercy each day to ourselves, much less anyone else. But God gives us the opportunity to experience HIS new mercies...and they are good.
I'll leave you with one of my favorite old hymns. I couldn't help but have it on my mind while writing this post. What are you studying right now? Has the Lord been using any scripture in your study lately that was especially moving?
Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!
Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured,
There where the blood of the Lamb was spilled.
Refrain
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin.
Sin and despair, like the sea waves cold,
Threaten the soul with infinite loss;
Grace that is greater, yes, grace untold,
Points to the refuge, the mighty cross.
Refrain
Dark is the stain that we cannot hide.
What can avail to wash it away?
Look! There is flowing a crimson tide,
Brighter than snow you may be today.
Refrain
Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace,
Freely bestowed on all who believe!
You that are longing to see His face,
Will you this moment His grace receive?
Refrain
Words: Julia H. Johnston, in Hymns Tried and True (Chi ca go, Il li nois: The Bi ble In sti tute Col port age As so ci a tion, 1911), num ber 2.
Music: Daniel B. Towner, 1910 (MI DI, score).
As a believer in Jesus Christ as my Savior and that He is omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent, I really do not believe in chance or coincidence. However, I DO believe in Divine appointments and that they are under the total control of the Lord. In light of my personal belief, I'd like to share one such Divine appointment with you that have happened in recent days. I pray that it will in some way give you a glimpse of the great God that I serve and how HE is in total control...every day, in every way and in everything. No matter what is going on in your life, however big or small, I am convinced that our God wants to be a part of it.
A Mother's Prayer
As I was driving home a couple of weeks ago from seeing my brother and his family, I stopped for some lunch and decided to catch up on a few emails. As I sifted through the emails on my Blackberry, I came across an email that appeared to be from someone that I didn't know. As I began to read the email, it became apparent that it was from someone who had read this blog. Before I give it away, I'll let you read the letter first. To protect her anonymity, I'll refer to her as "Faith".
I stumbled across your blog today while searching for something completely different. I now know that I didn't just stumble but the Lord led me right to you. Thank you for your inspirational blogging. It's exactly what I needed today. I am struggling with a 19 year old daughter whom we just found out has been doing drugs. Never in our wildest dreams would we have thought drugs would touch our lives, but they have. I ask that you pray for her of course. But I also ask that you pray for me as I am greatly wounded as a mother of this precious one. I need to remember every moment to look up towards heaven for peace, comfort and covering for our family. I have not been doing that for a few years I confess.
Thank again
Faith
I wept as I read it. My heart just broke for this Mom who was now faced with the reality that her precious child was now involved in the destructive world of drugs. The first thought that popped into my mind was just prayer. I just stopped and prayed for Faith and for her daughter. I prayed that the Lord would first comfort Faith, but also that He would intervene in the path of her daughter by way of a Divine appointment. I prayed that He would put someone or something in her daughter's path that would get her attention and turn her to the Lord. I prayed that her daughter would come to know (if she doesn't already) a saving relationship with Jesus Christ and that He would save her from this life of drugs and restore her to her family.
Since I was in need of getting back on the road, I chose to email back to Faith after I got home. Along with a return letter, some of the scriptures that the Lord put on my heart to share with Faith were these:
Please keep Faith and her daughter (and family) in your prayers. It took so much boldness on her part to ask for prayer for such a painful thing in her life. I know that she will covet your prayers.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-17
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Philippians 4:6-9
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and ifthere is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
And thank you to Faith for having the boldness to make her requests known and I pray that the peace of Christ will guard her heart and mind through Christ Jesus.
