Wall of Quotes Part 3

Time once again to take down the old and make room for the new. Here is what I have posted lately:

"Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips." Psalm 141:3

" 'Nisi Dominus Frustra' - Without the Lord, frustration." Beth Moore

"...I know whom I have believed and am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him for that day." 2 Timothy 1:12

"Abide at the mercy seat." Charles Spurgeon

"Mercy is grace demonstrated in the removal of misery. Peace is grace demonstrated in the bestowal of prosperity and abundance." NT Lexical Aids for the word "eleos"

"The devil has two master tricks: Discouragement and Doubt." Streams in the Desert

"God uses most for His glory those people and things which are most perfectly broken." Streams in the Desert

"Twice or thrice a day, look to see if your heart is not disquieted about something; and if you find that it is, take care forthwith to restore it to calm." Francis De Sales

"Impulsiveness needs to be trained into intuition through discipline." Oswald Chambers

"Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always." Psalm 105:4

Take a moment and leave me a comment on which of the above quotes is your favorite.

Call it weird, but I can't help myself!

Saturday night was a typical night for me....a push to finish a lesson to teach to our early morning, adult "Sunday School" class. I use the quotes because it really is more like a fun, small group of people hungry to hear and study God's Word together. I just happen to have the privilege of leading the group.

This semester I am teaching from the book of Colossians. I am such a novice. The only thing I know is that there are a lot of really smart people who write books and translate languages to make my teaching anything worth listening too. And it helps that I love to study the Word so much. But, there is something that happens every time I study that should be kept a secret for fear of complete rejection. But I am going to tell you. Shhhhhh...don't tell anyone I told you....but, I love to smell book pages. All of them. Every book I pull off my shelf.

I had an especially profound book smelling session this past Saturday though. I needed to read a certain verse in the King James Version so, I pulled down my very first, leather bound, tattered paged Bible I had ever owned. It was zipped up in a cute little case that I can still remember buying when I bought the Bible. As I unzipped the cover, I had the strongest sensation to just smell this wonderful, memory filled, marked and highlighted, delightful, prize of a book I held in my hand. And so, I ever so slowly, fanned the pages and took a strong inhale. Finally, I just laid the open pages right on my face. It was exhilarating!

Can you just smell it? If I could bottle it, I might even wear it I loved it so much.

There is a strong connection with smell and memory. That moment of exhilaration made me realize how deeply I have loved the pages of God's written Word in my life. It wasn't just the smell. It was the provocation of memories unleashed. I found myself looking up certain chapters, reading again with that moment in the past in mind and knowing why it meant so much to me. I turned page after page pondering my markings and scribbles and highlights. It was a beautiful moment in time for me.

Weird as it may be, I wouldn't have wanted to miss out on this experience for anything. But don't worry, I've tucked this memory filled Book back into it's safe, zippered cover. There it shall remain,until next time, scented.

Just thinkin.....

Would life be grander if I could go back and re-do?

Would life be grander if I knew then what I know now?

Would life be grander if mistakes made could be undone?

Would life be grander if I hadn't fretted so much?

Would life be grander if it had not been so challenging?

Where would I be if all that I think should have been would have been?

There is no promise of perfection in the tomorrows. There were no promises of perfection in the yesterdays. There is no promise of perfection in today.

Circumstances come and circumstances go. Hurts come and hurts go. Disappointments come and disappointments go. And even happiness comes and happiness goes. This is the circle of life.

Reflections, ponderings, musings must be left to the One who makes sense of them all. He is after all, the Author and Perfector of my faithwalk.

Yom Kippur- Day of Atonement

Today is the somber Jewish holiday, Yom Kippur or Day of Atonement, one of the seven feasts given by the Lord that they were to remember forever. According to Old Testament law, this was the day the priest would enter the Holy of Holies and atone for the sins of all Jewish people. The chosen priest spent a long and rigourous day washing himself, sacrificing animals and sprinkling the blood over everything required. It meant everything to the Jews. This was the day their sins were atoned for. One day. One time a year.

My respect and love for the tradition and history of the Jewish people could not go deeper. What little I have studied on this subject has only increased my love for them. They are God's chosen nation. Scripture says we are to pray for their peace. But today, my spirit feels heavy for them. I want them to know (and one Day they will) that their sins are once and for all forgiven through the one time atonement of the blood of Jesus. No longer do they need to wait for this one Holy day to arrive to feel freedom, guilteless, pure, cleansed, sinless. They can have it every day of their lives. He was the last blood sacrifice to ever be needed. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins. (I John 2:2) It was finished the day He was hung on the cross.

Oh for the grace this side of the cross. Where would I be without it? To know that daily I can approach the throne of grace in my time of need (Hebrews 4:16) and in the privacy of my own home seek forgiveness that has already been atoned for. For if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Right here. Right now. Every day.

Senior Pics

Joe is our in house senior photographer. And this year we have another senior....Christiana. She and her dad have spent a couple of days together in a photo shoot, looking for just the right place, to create just the right picture. I couldn't help myself. I had to share some of my favorites.

Mums and Onions

Disclaimer: They have nothing to do with each other. I just wanted to blog about both and I don't have a lot of time or a lot to say about each individually.

I am making homemade chicken noodle soup for supper. I went to start boiling the chicken and realized I had no onions...bummer. But, then I remembered...... I have onions in my garden just ten steps away..and free! My little garden saved the day.

On the mum front....can I just say gorgeous! When I planted these in June they were the size of a volleyball AND I had no idea what color they were going to be. Much to my pleasure, I have three different colors - orange, pink and yellow.

There you have it! Mums and onions.

Happy Birthday, Elise!

Saturday, September 20, 1986, around 1:00 pm I experienced for the first time, contractions. I quickly called my mom and sister to tell them, "You better get on the road. I'm going to have a baby!" They were driving from Butte, Montana. I was birthing in Minot, ND. Since the drive was going to be a good 14 hours considering their mode of transportation, a 1960 something Volkswagon camper van, I wanted to give them a good amount of time to get to where I was going....the hospital. After laboring for 7 hours or so, we headed to St. Joseph's labor and delivery. Here is what I looked like......(please excuse the hair. It was the days of bi-levels)

Only much to my disappointment, the Dr sent me home. I was not near ready to deliver this baby. The next day, my mom and sister arrived and much to their disappointment, I was without child. Long story short, after another brief visit to the hospital Sunday night, a sleepless night at home, and a house full of people (we lived in a trailer so the additon of mom, sister, and 9 month old Rachel, my sister's baby, created quite a "snug as a bug in a rug" kind of feeling), we or should I say I, on Monday night, 6:15 pm, September 22, birthed a beautiful, full of hair, 8 lb. 10 oz Princess, named Elise Rachelle. Here is a sweet picture several hours later...

It is funny how much joy I feel each time I look at this picture. Our first born. Everything in life seems just right at that moment.

My mom and sister, Michone, stayed for about a week. They were such a big help. Once they left though, I was so alone. Just Joe, myself and this new baby. I would take Elise into every room I went into. When I showered, I would lay a towel in her little seat, bring her in the shower with me, wash her little body and then lay her in the seat all wrapped up. She would just sit there until I was done showering. Everywhere I went, she went. If I couldn't hold her, I'd put her in her little seat. Here is a picture of her in her seat as she followed me around....

I believe her Aunt Tami gave her this cute little outfit. The slippers were bunnies. I don't think there was a day that went by, in her first 6 years of life, that I did not fix Elise's hair. Even as a newborn, I would do something. Most of the time, I used baby lotion and created a curl on top of her head.

Shortly after Elise was born, we moved from Minot, ND to Cleveland, TN. Joe was in school full time and life was really hard. But Elise was brought so much joy to our lives. Here is one photo of her peering out at life...off the patio of our second story, roach infested, tiny apartment....

I wonder...did God place in her, this day, a desire to share the gospel to 100 nations? Was He already molding and shaping her vision, her ability to see the good in so many hurting people's lives? Was He saying to her young heart and mind as she peered out over the city, "Open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest." (John 4:35) I believe God was. He knew her when she stood there and He knew what He had called her to do.

Shortly after we moved to Cleveland, I was pregnant again with our son, Ross. I can remember thinking, "I will never be able to love another child so much." The good thing is God just doubles your portion of love. You never really share the love, He just gives you more to have for the others. Anyway....here is a picture of Joe and myself, several months pregnant, loving over our little girl...

And another memory of sharing my love of baking with Elise...

Today as I have looked over so many photos to share, I realized something. Elise has been Elise since the day her life was gifted to this earth. Her personality was God's gift. Her smile given to break any language barrier. Her attitude donned to handle life.

Here are some photos of her at a young age that reflect what I mean:

Today I celebrate the birth of my firstborn. She is worth celebrating. Her life has purpose. God knew exactly what He was doing.

Bless Elise today, Lord. Supply all her needs. Equip her with every tool for her life's call. Shine Your light on her. May the Fruit of the Spirit be evident in all she does. May mercy and grace abound in her heart. May she receive discipline from you with a grateful spirit. May she lead many to the throne of grace. May the harvest come.

Happy, happy birthday, my sweet princess. I love you.

Mom