A Pair of Bartletts

Refreshed

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,

 

 
 

What Kind of Pumpkin Are You?

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!

 

 

Memory Monday--Ephesians 3:14-21

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,

 

 

In The Quiet

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

 

 

 

    

 

There Is NO OTHER Way

 

 (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".

 

A Father Found

 

Dad Bartlett doing what he loved best.....working on old VW Bugs 

It was a cool October day as he sat in a quiet house with the phone in his hand.  "I can't do this!", he kept telling himself.  "I'm in my 40's, could he have written me off?", he was still arguing with himself.  It was only  just a couple of weeks ago that he'd finally gotten the last puzzle piece in his hand.  After all of those years, and with just a few pieces of information and some time spent on the internet, his wife had located his long lost father.  But it was up to him now to decide what the next move would be. She wanted him to take the plunge, but it was his decision...it just HAD to be his decision. 

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.

 

Down His Path

Proverbs 3 (New King James Version)

Proverbs 3

       ⁵ Trust in the LORD with all your heart, 

      And lean not on your own understanding; 

       ⁶ In all your ways acknowledge Him, 

      And He shall direct^[a] your paths. 

       ⁷ Do not be wise in your own eyes; 

      Fear the LORD and depart from evil. 

       ⁸ It will be health to your flesh,^[b]

      And strength^[c] to your bones. 

As Friday gets closer, I can't help but ponder on the verses above.  We are back to where we were two years ago, but this time, we are so much wiser.  On Friday, my dear sweet husband will have surgery to replace his left hip.  In 2008 he began the first of two life transforming surgeries when he had his right hip replaced.  As a child, he was tormented with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, which led to adult arthritis issues that flared up severely in 2008.  Fortunately, the Lord led us to an INCREDIBLE physician who did a fantastic job in 2008 with the first surgery.  On Friday, we will finally close the gap when Rob has the left hip replaced, which will rid him of arthritis in his hips for good!  He still has the disease in other joints, but by having prosthetic hips, he will feel like a million dollars.  The first one was a total and complete success.  It was the most amazing thing to watch him wake up pain free in the right hip!! And as of Friday, he will once again wake up and will be HEALED...PRAISE GOD!   

For those of you who went on this journey with us before....we will never be able to thank you enough for all of the prayers and kind things that you did for us during that time.  And now, we will once again covet every single solitary prayer that you offer on Rob's behalf.  We are so blessed to have such incredible family and friends who intervene in prayer for us.  I will keep everyone posted as we once again, head down the path to total recovery.  We send much love and many thanks to all of you....you all know who you are!

Much love and many many thanks,

 

Don't Worry--Be Happy

Luke 12 (New King James Version)

Do Not Worry

²² Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. ²³ Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. ²⁴Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? ²⁵ And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? ²⁶ If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? ²⁷ Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ²⁸ If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith? 

²⁹ “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. ³⁰ For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. ³¹ But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things^[c] shall be added to you. 

³² “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. ³³ Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. ³⁴ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

 

 

Saved Alone

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way....

"Saved Alone".  Those are the words sent back by Mrs. Horatio Spafford in a telegram to her husband in the aftermath of losing her four daughters in a shipwreck when the S. S. Ville du Harve was struck by the English vessel Loch Earn.   I'm sure that as Mr. Spafford read those chilling words that he was immediately overcome with the most horrific grief imaginable.  He was supposed to have been on that trip.  At the last minute, an urgent business matter kept him in Chicago while his family left to vacation in Europe.  Never would he dream that as he waved his goodbyes to his family that only his wife would return.  

But, God was still sovereign.  God still had a plan for the Spaffords.  It was in the midst of the grief that Mr. Spafford penned the words of a song that had one message...."peace".  As a result of this horrible tragedy, one of the greatest songs was anointed by the Lord to rise up out of the grief and despair.  The Lord gives us peace beyond our understanding (Philipians 4:6-7).  It was then that "It Is Well With My Soul"  was penned.  

I don't know why (other that it's just a God thing), but I literally woke up this morning with this song in my mind.  I think it's so incredible how the Lord can gently infuse something into our thoughts so that we wake up with it on our hearts and in our minds.  

I pray that it is "WELL" with your soul this morning!

It Is Well With My Soul

Horatio Spafford

1. 1. 1. When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
       
   
   
   1. 1. When sorrows like sea billows roll;
       
   
   
   1. 1. Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
       
   
   
   1. 1. It is well, it is well, with my soul.
       
   
   

   • 1. • 1. • Refrain:
              
     
     
     1. • 1. • It is well, with my soul,
              
     
     
     1. • 1. • It is well, it is well, with my soul.
              
     
     

2. 1. 1. Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
       
   
   
   1. 1. Let this blest assurance control,
       
   
   
   1. 1. That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
       
   
   
   1. 1. And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
       
   
   

3. 1. 1. My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
       
   
   
   1. 1. My sin, not in part but the whole,
       
   
   
   1. 1. Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
       
   
   
   1. 1. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
       
   
   

4. 1. 1. For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
       
   
   
   1. 1. If Jordan above me shall roll,
       
   
   
   1. 1. No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
       
   
   
   1. 1. Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
       
   
   

5. 1. 1. But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
       
   
   
   1. 1. The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
       
   
   
   1. 1. Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
       
   
   
   1. 1. Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!
       
   
   

6. 1. 1. And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
       
   
   
   1. 1. The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
       
   
   
   1. 1. The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
       
   
   
   1. 1. Even so, it is well with my soul.
       
   
   

   
    
   

 

Blue moon to shine on New Year's Eve - CNN.com

via www.cnn.com

 ³ When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,

         The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,
 ⁴ What is man that You are mindful of him,
         And the son of man that You visit him?
 ⁵ For You have made him a little lower than the angels,
         And You have crowned him with glory and honor.
          (Psalm 8:3-5, New King James Version)

As the blue moon rises for us tomorrow night, let us not forget the One who will be hanging this glorious decoration in the night sky for us to behold.

 

Born This Day

     
⁸ Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. ¹⁰ Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. ¹¹ For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
       ¹⁴ “ Glory to God in the highest,
      And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

¹⁵ So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. ¹⁷ Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. ¹⁸ And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. ¹⁹ But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them. (Luke 2:8-20, New King James Version)

Jesus is the ONLY reason!

 

All Is Calm, All Is Bright

Luke 2 (New King James Version)

Luke 2

Christ Born of Mary

 ¹ And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. ² This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. ³ So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.

⁴ Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, ⁵ to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife,^[a] who was with child. ⁶ So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. ⁷ And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Jesus is the ONLY reason!

  

 

He's Still in the Marriage Business

 

1 Corinthians 7:10-16 (New King James Version)

Keep Your Marriage Vows

   
¹⁰ Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband. ¹¹ But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife. 
¹² But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her. ¹³ And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him. ¹⁴ For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. ¹⁵ But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in suchcases. But God has called us to peace. ¹⁶ For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?

I don't want this post to take away from the charges listed in the scriptures above.  I simply want to tell you that today, I personally witnessed the mighty hand of the Lord Jesus Christ move through a broken marriage that was most certainly on the way to the dark guillotine of divorce.  The last few weeks in the lives of this family have been lives ridden with torment by the Enemy.  But today, the Enemy's head was crushed!  His manipulative plans to destroy a wife, a husband and two children were FOILED by the Lord God almighty!  Since the attack on this family began a few weeks ago, there have been hundreds of prayers lifted to the Lord in intercession.  We have been believing and standing on the truths that our God is sovereign, He is faithful and just to forgive and He is our Advocate!  He is "El Roi", "The God Who Sees Me".  There are no circumstances that escape His supreme awareness of our lives and all that is happening in them.  Praise God for the power of conviction and for the healing salve that He is applying to this couple and their family.  Thank you Lord....You receive all the glory!  

Zephaniah 3:17 (New King James Version)

¹⁷ The LORD your God in your midst, 
      The Mighty One, will save; 
      He will rejoice over you with gladness, 
      He will quiet you with His love, 
      He will rejoice over you with singing.”

 

 

Memory Monday--Zephaniah 3:17

Last week was a "doozie", for lack of a better term.  I had a million and one things to do at work and wouldn't you know....last Monday morning I pulled my back about a minute before I was to walk out the door to go to the office.  Needless to say, Monday and Tuesday I spent most of the days in the bed.  Then Wednesday through Friday, I was cramming five days worth of work into three.  And if that weren't enough, on Thursday, I discovered that the person taking our order over the phone last Monday for pizza had not only taken our order but took our credit card info and proceeded to purchase pre-paid cell phones!  So let's just say that I was "grumbling" in my spirit most of last week.  I kept thinking, "if you hadn't have pulled your back and felt bad, then you would have been cooking instead of ordering pizza, so the guy never would have stolen your information"!  Grumble, grumble, grumble....grrrrrrrrr!  

Well, it could have been much worse.  I could have been in traction and the guy could have wiped us out, but the Lord took care of all of it.  He provided a very helpful detective (can you believe there is actually a "financial crimes" division at the police department these days?) to get to the bottom of our case.  And, He provided a very sweet nurse who knows me and knew that I didn't feel like schlepping into the doctor's office just for him to give me a prescription, so she just cut to the chase and called in a much needed muscle relaxer....relief for my back and saved me a copay!

In the midst of these two very insignificant issues above, I have two very dear friends who are going through MUCH bigger trials and tribulations right now.  My little petty issues don't compare to the heartache that these two women of God are going through.  I know that you're asking by now...what does this have to do with Memory Monday?  Well, in all of these circumstances, I kept hearing the words that God was "singing over me".  I had heard teaching on the verse before but couldn't remember the whole verse and couldn't even begin to think of where it was in the scripture.  Well, it's in Zephaniah 3:17 to be exact.  So that's my memory verse for this week....and it's a verse that I will remember in my prayers for these two sweet sisters in the Lord....you both know who you are....and I love both of you!

Zephaniah 3:17 (New King James Version) 

 17 The LORD your God in your midst, 

 The Mighty One, will save; 

 He will rejoice over you with gladness, 

 He will quiet you with His love, 

 He will rejoice over you with singing.”

Wild Horses Can't Be Broken

As most of you know, we made a last minute trip this week to Beaufort, North Carolina (BOW-fort) to see Rob's Dad who has been suffering from chronic heart failure.  We made many, many  memories this week that will forever be embedded in our hearts and our minds.  

While we were there, Rob and I got out of the house for a bit on Thursday afternoon.  It was a GLORIOUSLY beautiful day...the kind of day that was a postcard...everywhere that you looked. The air was cool, the sun was shining and there didn't seem to be a cloud in the sky.  While we were out, we decided to drive to the waterfront in Beaufort to take a few pictures.  If you don't know about Beaufort, it's the 3rd oldest city in North Carolina and there is history oozing from every corner of Carteret County.  Part of that history has to do with the Wild Horses of Shakleford Banks.  The horses are called "Bankers", for obvious reasons.  These are not just any horses either.  The horses are said to have come over from Spain via Hispanola (between Cuba and Puerto Rico).  The horses swam to shore from the sinking Spanish ships and have, since then, lived on the nine mile stretch of island known as Shakleford Banks.  I tell you all of this not just to give you a history lesson, but for a deeper point.  As Rob and I were driving, the horses just "appeared".  You can't always see then from the Beaufort waterfront, but if you are patient, they will come out at some point.  The minute we saw them, we immediately pulled off so that I could grab some shots.  I'm telling you, when you see them, and when you STOP for a minute to realize the bloodline that these horses have maintained for over 500 years, it's BREATHTAKING.  Think about it.  These beautiful creatures have survived hurricanes and all kinds of other storms.  They have survived on fairly brackish water and not totally fresh water.  And even more amazingly, if they are not near a watering hole at the time, these horses actually have the sense enough to go to the sand and dig holes with their hooves.  Once they dig the hole, the hole begins to fill with water, at which point, they drink.  If you can't see the glory and splendor of the God of the universe in this behavior, then my friend, I could never convey it to you.  That to me is totally and completely amazing and astounding.  These horses, even the tiniest fillies, can even SWIM!  

Like I said, to see this is to witness the Glory of the Lord.   These amazing creatures have sustained themselves on so much less than what a regular member of their breed would.   I hope that you can catch a glimpse of the sheer beauty of these creatures in the few shots that I've loaded to this post.   I was reminded of these scriptures as I watched these beauties graze and gallop next to the shores of Shakleford Banks. 

19 Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him. Genesis 2:19-20

If you would like to read more about these fascinating creatures, you can find their history and MANY more beautiful pictures of them on the website titled, The Wild Horses of Shakleford Banks.  

I'm writing this post from our hotel room in Georgia.  We drove the first leg of the trip today and will be headed home tomorrow, the last 8 hour leg.  Pray for us as we travel tomorrow.  I'll be back to blogging a little more regularly once we get home and settled, so I hope that you'll come back and visit soon.

For now, I wish you many blessings,

What Are You Thankful For?

As I sit here writing this post, I am just overcome with joy and the sweet peace of the Lord.  Rob and I are in Beaufort, North Carolina on a trip that we had to make at a moment's notice.  Rob's Dad has been battling heart failure and up until recently, has been in the hospital.  He is home now and his attitude is as sweet as ever.  The heart failure is at a very serious level right now.  But in all of this, we did not rush from home to go fourteen hours and three states away, only to mope around and have "woe is me" spirits.  We came to celebrate the life that Dad has and that he is the patriarch of this great family.  We came to change tradition.  I'm sure that you celebrate Thanksgiving in November, which is perfectly okay.  However, for us, we decided that it needed to be on a different day this year.  As a matter of fact, it was today.  And it was so sweet, so special and so tender.  As Daddy Bartlett sat in the wheelchair on his oxygen, he offered the most precious prayers to his heavenly Father who lives in his heart.  Dad didn't know his earthly father, but I assure you, he knows his heavenly Father.  He offered sweet and tender thanks for all of his children and grandchildren that were there surrounding him.  And our Momma Toni continued the prayer and thanked God through teary eyes for everything that He has done in this family and will continue to do.  It was a most precious time....one that I will never in my life forget.  My brother-in-law, Woody, and I actually decided that as a matter of fact, we'll celebrate Thanksgiving as many times as we want to all throughout the year.  I understand the story of the pilgrims making their way to this country and all that they were thankful for.  But today, my friends, I regret to say that I was not thinking about the country.  I was thinking about my husband's most precious family and how banding together at this time in Dad's life was the most important thing that I could have ever been a part of.  We thank God and praise HIS HOLY NAME for salvation in Him.  We praise God for the work that He has done in this family and for all the work that there is still to be done.  

Thank you Father God for a truly blessed day.  Thank you Lord for each day this week that we will continue to spend with our precious family.  Praise you Lord!

My Psalm Today

Journeying Into Fall

I love it when my kitchen is filled with the warm candle scent of an inviting Fall filled with warm peaches, apples and berries mixed with yummy spices.  And even better, on a day that is finally letting a cooler spell of weather take it's place over the hot and sticky summer that is finally coming to a close.  This has to be one of the most favorites times of year for me.  I love the rainbows of changing leaves, my front yard littered with pecans from the 100 year old pecan tree and watching the squirrels run around with sheer glee as they scramble for all of the plump pecans...as many as their cute little paws can hold.  And I can't be upset at them in their gathering.....there is plenty for them and for us.   In fact, there are more than enough to serve us humans and as many of the little scampering squirrels as possible.  I have the best time watching those little guys.  Some days they run around as if they can't believe their little eyes.  They almost don't know where to start with their harvest!  God was so generous to us when He created all of the beauty that He did for our sheer enjoyment!  He could have easily made this a black and white dull place to be.  He could have created it any way that He wanted to create it.  But, in His infinite wisdom and because of His great love for his finest creation (that's us!), He created a place that could be enjoyed and treasured by us humans.  I am so thankful that when He created our surroundings that He did give us things like this that could bring such great pleasure.....be it the scents from a simple candle or the squirrel army in my front yard!

As I was sitting here reading and studying, I came across another of the Puritan prayers in The Valley of Vision; Puritan Prayers and Devotions that I enjoyed reading today.  So, I'll leave you with this from The Valley of Vision; Puritan Prayers and Devotions--

JOURNEYING ON

LORD OF THE CLOUD AND FIRE,

I am a stranger, with a stranger's indifference;

   My hands hold a pilgrim's staff,

   My march is Zionward,

   My Eyes are toward the coming of the Lord,

   My heart is in thy hands without reserve.

Thou has created it,

    redeemed it,

    renewed it,

    captured it,

    conquered it.

Keep from it every opposing foe,

     crush it in every rebel lust,

     mortify every treacherous passion,

     annihilate every earthborn desire,

All faculties of my being vibrate to thy touch;

I love thee with soul, mind, body, strength,

     might, spirit, affection, will,

      desire, intellect, understanding.

Thou art the very perfection of all perfections;

All intellect is derived from thee;

My scanty rivulets flow from they unfathomable 

       fountain.

Compared with thee the sun is darkness,

       all beauty deformity,

       all wisdom folly,

       the best goodness faulty.

Thou art worthy of an adoration greater than

        my dull heart can yield;

Invigorate my love that it may rise worthily 

          to thee,

   tightly entwine itself round thee,

   be allured by thee.

Then shall my walk be endless praise.

"Walking" Down Memory Lane

Well, today marked the second time that my husband and I have heard these words..."hip replacement".  As I went with Rob to the orthopaedic doctor today, expecting that his arthritis had simply flared up in his ankle, little did we know that we were going to be told for the second time that Rob's other hip would now need to be replaced.  You see, the arthritis in the ankle was being aggravated by his left hip.  His body has been overcompensating for the degeneration in the hip joint, therefore causing his rheumatoid arthritis to be an issue for him.  If you have followed this blog for any length of time, you'll remember that Rob had to have his right hip replaced last year in May of '08.  And WOW, what a journey that was!  Now, it's a year later, we're a lot wiser as to the "ropes" of this procedure, and for all of you physical therapists out there...we can recite "post op hip precautions" backward and forward.  I'm not saying that we are both excited about this, but, at least this time, we know what to expect and when to expect it.  Thank you so much to all who have been praying for us today and thank you to those who will pray for us after today.  We will covet your prayers over the next few months.  So, as of today, our good doctor has injected Rob's left hip in hopes that this will give him some relief for a little while.  Rob is finishing a degree at Liberty University, and is slated to graduate in May 2010.  Hopefully, the injection(s) will get him though until graduation...so if you are agreeing with us in prayer, this is a huge request for us.  

If you would like to read about our journey from May of 2008, just click on the archives beginning in May 2008 for this blog.  The posts begin there and spill into the next few months after that.  On the lighter side, I've reminded Rob of all that he has to look forward to with pool therapy at the rehab pool....accompanied by all of those cute little old ladies and their inner tubes!

Memory Monday--John 5:24-27

Better late than never...these verses have been on my heart lately because of the father of a friend of ours who is dying of cancer. He is not a believer and up until recently has been very hardened towards the Lord. We are praying that due to some recent events, his heart may be softening. If you are reading this post, please say a prayer for him. Other details are not important here, but just know that he is a husband, a father and a grandfather...and that he desperately needs a relationship with the Lord as his Savior, no matter what the hour of his life.

²⁴"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. ²⁵I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. ²⁶For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself. ²⁷And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man. (John 5:24-27)

PS....please come back for a visit here tomorrow for "Bee My Guest", where I will be welcoming a dear friend of mine as a guest author tomorrow.  And, there will be a great giveaway also!  You don't want to miss it!

The Peace of a Praying Husband--A Marriage Monday Article

When I heard a while back from E-Mom at Chrysalis that the topic for Marriage Monday was going to be open, I thought to myself, "that should be pretty easy", and I shoved it into the proper folder  in the filing cabinet of my brain.  Since I have so many things that I would like to write about but haven't yet, I knew that I would never be lacking on writing material for the post today. 

On June 30th, my doctor told me that I would need to have a laparascopy (surgery using a laparascope, instead of a regular incision) for the severe problems that I was having with what she believed to be endometriosis.   Subsequently, the surgery was scheduled and the big day was this past Friday.  Up until Friday, I had only had very minor procedures in the past (for kidney stones) and never anything that required full "knock you out" anesthesia, much less anything that required burning things out of my abdomen.  I had managed to keep everyone around me relatively calm about the whole thing and I even think I had convinced myself that I was "calm" about the procedure as well.....UNTIL FRIDAY!  Unbeknownst to those around me, I was a BASKET CASE on the inside when I woke up at 5:00AM Friday morning.  Every possible (and grossly misguided) thought that I could possibly have entered my head in a simultaneous flood the minute my eyes opened and the "light switch" in my brain turned on. "What would my husband do without me?  What would happen to my family?  What if I was the million and one that became a vegetable after having some weird adverse reaction to anesthesia?  What would they bury me in?"

 I'M NOT KIDDING.....all of these thoughts ran through my mind and then some.  I was about to have someone chemically"turn off my lights" and then someone else was going to put a camera in my abdomen and then use another instrument to burn out what shouldn't be there.  What was I thinking?

Well, as I was lying on the "not so plush" gurney in the outpatient surgery holding area trying to calm myself down without anyone knowing that I was upset, I couldn't help but notice the look on Rob's face.  It wasn't a look that I had seen on him before.  He was very solemn and serious but overwhelmingly "nervous looking".  It was just a couple of minutes before they were about to come and take me back.  Those big brown eyes looked up at me with even bigger tears in them said, "let me pray for you before you go back".  Now, I know that Rob and I both have extremely regular habits of praying for each other, but it was something about "that" prayer.  The moment he uttered those shaky and tearful words, the most incredible peace just washed over my whole entire mind, body and soul.  I cannot even put it into adequate words.  Up until that point, I had not had any drugs, so I assure you, this was not a Versed (Midazolam) induced peace.  This was nothing more and nothing less than the Holy Spirit Himself.  It was not even measurable in time.  It was less than a nanosecond--and total peace. 

Please do not think for one minute that it was my husband, the human being, that was the "deliverer" of the peace.  IT WAS MY HUSBAND'S OBEDIENCE AND SENSITIVITY to the Holy Spirit that ALLOWED the Holy Spirit to do the work that He set out to do in bringing me peace before the surgery.  If Rob had not have been obedient, then I would most likely still have been very unsettled.  I would have probably also been hounded by the Enemy for days, weeks, months and maybe years afterward as to why my husband had not prayed for me.  "He's a Christian, right?  He's supposed to love you, right"?  Can't you just hear the taunts of the Enemy?  He would have loved nothing better than for Rob to have been disobedient to the Lord.  He would have relished in the disobedient believer's failure to pray.  I'm sure that he had a laundry list already made out of all of the torturous things that he wanted to taunt both Rob and I with for forever and a day.  BUT OUR GOD IS VICTORIOUS over the pitiful attempts of the Enemy! 

• "And WHATEVER things you ask in prayer, believing, you WILL RECEIVE." Matthew 21:22 
• "Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man." Luke 21:36
• "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." John 14:12
• "Now this is the CONFIDENCE that we have IN HIM, that if we ask anything according to His will, HE HEARS US."  1 John 5:14

I could go on forever....the Lord's promises are true.  The Lord's promises are Holy and they are just.  They are our ever present help in time of need.  Thanks be to God for a praying husband.  Praise be to God for his obedience to the prompting of the Holy Spirit.  The Enemy is vanquished!

I pray that this will be a reminder to me and to those reading that we should be obedient to the prompting of the Holy Spirit.  If you don't have a personal relationship with Jesus but would like to know about one, just click here to see if you are ready. He is ready and waiting for you, are you ready for Him? 

Thank you SO MUCH for coming to check out Marriage Monday and thanks SO MUCH to E-Mom and Chrysalis for being our HOSTESS WITH THE MOSTEST!!!  We love you E-Mom!

PLEASE COME BACK TOMORROW TO A PAIR OF BARTLETTS!  Tomorrow will be the inaugural post of "Bee My Guest".  Tomorrow, I will be welcoming a guest author, my friend, Elizabeth "Beth" White and you will NOT be sorry for stopping by!  There will also be a great GIVEAWAY!!  If you want to be a part of "Bee My Guest", then please make sure and stop by each Tuesday in August for a VERY special treat and very special giveaways!  Just leave an encouraging comment for my guest authors on the comment page and you will be entered in the giveaway for that day!  I hope and pray that you will come "Bee My Guest!"  See you tomorrow!   

     

 

The Stone Was Rolled Away! He's ALIVE!

“Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.”- Luke 9:23-24

Labels: The Glory of the Lord

Winter Is Past

Song of Solomon 2:11-13 (NKJV)
11 For lo, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone.
12 The flowers appear on the earth;
The time of singing has come,
And the voice of the turtledove
Is heard in our land.
13 The fig tree puts forth her green figs,
And the vines with the tender grapes
Give a good smell.
Rise up, my love, my fair one,
And come away!

The photo is of Amaryllis from my yard that has been in full bloom the last few days. I believe that the variety is a Royal Dutch.

Labels: The Glory of the Lord