Monday, April 27, 2009

After an impromptu blog break I say,

"It has been too long since I have posted here!"

The sun is streaming through my window and there are now tiny leaflets on some of the trees, the grass is up enough to make the ground green and birds are everywhere and a few bugs are out. On the warmer nights I enjoy hearing the chorus of the Spring Peepers and the song of the American Woodcocks. We had our first T-storm of the year go by with thunder and lightning, I was jumping up and down I was so excited! I do so love spring!

We planted some cold weather crops in the garden and they are slowly coming up...spinach, radishes, peas and soon carrots. Last falls planting of garlic is growing strong and the strawberry plants look good. In my "growing room" there are tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, broccoli and several different herbs, growing under lights. How kind our Heavenly Father is to give us such good things, to show forth His glory in little things!

All this new life around us, makes me think of the new life God gives to those whom He saves. He said, if anyone be in Christ, they are new creature, old things are passed away and all things are become new. (2Cor. 5:17) This is so true! The sin which we once loved becomes the thing we hate and the righteous things that we once hated, become the things we love. This is the work of God, no one can make this happen of their own accord. God creates within us a clean heart and a love for Him! Praise the Lord Jesus Christ for His atoning sacrifice and triumph over death!

I finally finished crocheting the gift which I had hoped to give my friends at the birth of their son...he is now four months old. Oh well, at least it wasn't infant clothes!

It was such fun to make this and pray for little Jesaias.
(The pillow is just for contrast.)

Here we are when he was a bit younger.


And more recently. You can see that he is growing fast!



My Dad and I built a compost bin together, he cut the boards and pounded the stakes and I nailed it together. We needed it! Behind me in the picture, you can see the pile which served as a compost pile in the past.

It's not beautiful and is crooked (my fault!), but it is serviceable.


My cat Joyce had five kittens, they are so much fun!

Four weeks old.



And for those of you who are curious....here is a picture of a Spring Peeper!

Tiny little things, but they sure can make a lot of noise!

And here is an American Woodcock!

I think these are about the cutest birds I have ever seen! In the evening the males fly very high, fanning their tails in such a way that it makes an ascending sound like...woowoowoowoowoo.

(Neither of these last two pictures are mine.)

Saturday, April 18, 2009

For the Wanderer

Thou who makest intercession,
Give to us to share
In that holy intercession;
Deepen prayer.

Some have chosen dust and ashes,
Fruit of poison tree;
Let them have nor peace nor pleasure,
Wanting Thee.

Let Thy fiery Law arrest them;
Let Thy love constrain,
Till they turn, repentant, humbly,
Home again.

Keep Thine own alert, courageous;
Strengthen them to stand
Till Thou comest, or we meet them,
In Thy land.
-Amy Carmichael

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Birthday

It is my twenty-first birthday today, it's kind of scary getting so old. :-)
My dear family gave me some beautiful gifts:


I love to collect books for my future children to read. Except for the red one whose title you cannot see, these are all books that I have read and loved as a child, the hidden one is "Jack Archer" by G.A. Henty. I LOVE the rolling pin, it is an older one, which makes me very happy!

Close up of the watch.


My meditation today:

And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation works patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope makes not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who is given unto us. (Romans 5:3-5)

As I read these verses today, the question arose, why does experience give us hope? I think is because, through experience we learn to trust the faithfulness of God. When we go through hard things and He proves Himself faithful, we now know through experience what before was only head knowledge. We then have hope for the future, that He who has called us is faithful and will keep our whole spirit, soul and body preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1Thes. 5:23-24)

From Pilgrims Progress: Christiana... "Our only fear for the future, is that we will forget how God hath led us in the past."

Tea Party

No, I'm not talking about an afternoon tea, but rather "Tax Day Tea Party". Modeled after the Boston Tea Party in 1773, it is the result of concerned citizens raising their voices over the high taxes being imposed on Americans nation wide. We did not throw tea into the sea (or the Lake in our case), but each participant was asked to bring a tea bag to pack in a box to be sent to our representatives. Around 700 of these "Parties" were held across the nation yesterday, with tens of thousands participating.
In Superior Wisconsin where Michael and I went, there were around 70 attendents and in Duluth MN, about 1200! The media only reported seven hundred in Duluth and a few dozen in Superior.
Here are some pictures from Superior where we were.


The flag Michael is holding says: "Justice for the Unborn"
Standing next to him, I held the sign which he is holig in the picture below.


Michael was interviewed by "Fox 21", but because of the Pro-life content of his interview, they did not use it on the news.


Saturday, April 11, 2009

Trials

I have been sick, especially this past weekend. One moment I was feeling fine, the next my throat began to hurt and within thirty minutes I was full blown sick, even starting a fever. Weird.
Thankfully I am doing better now, not quite over it, but much better. Meanwhile, I missed the big day at my Grandma's house. Which turned into two BIG days of moving her things out, while a renter was moving her things in. Wow. My poor family, they came home completely exhausted and spent and very glad to have that over with.

My Grandma is doing better, healing and recovering from the operation. It is hard to have her here, I won't mince words about that. She is not saved and finds it difficult to hear us always singing, praying and talking about the Lord. There are many wonderful opportunities to minister to her and she hears the gospel every day now, in one form or another. We are praying that the Lord will draw her to Himself and save her.

We have been going through an extended trial and just the other day I was praying, asking the Lord why it seemed that He was not answering my prayers. Quietly He spoke to me, showing that indeed He is answering. I had asked for patience - He is teaching that to me. I had told Him that I wanted to be closer to Him, no matter how hard a trial would have to be to get closer - He is answering that prayer as well. These trials drive us to our knees, He becomes our only refuge and we learn to fly to Him. Oh, how sweet is His love, when we look on His face in the midst of trials. He wants us to take our eyes off the waves and place them on Him. Faith IS the victory, praise God for giving us faith.

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. (Proverbs 3:5-7)


Faith is the Victory

Words by John H. Yates
Music by Ira D. Sankey
1891

Encamped along the hills of light,
Ye Christian soldiers, rise.
And press the battle ere the night
Shall veil the glowing skies.
Against the foe in vales below
Let all our strength be hurled.
Faith is the victory, we know,
That overcomes the world.
Refrain
Faith is the victory! Faith is the victory!
O glorious victory, that overcomes the world.
His banner over us is love,
Our sword the Word of God.
We tread the road the saints above
With shouts of triumph trod.
By faith, they like a whirlwind’s breath,
Swept on o’er every field.
The faith by which they conquered death
Is still our shining shield.
Refrain
On every hand the foe we find
Drawn up in dread array.
Let tents of ease be left behind,
And onward to the fray.
Salvation’s helmet on each head,
With truth all girt about,
The earth shall tremble ’neath our tread,
And echo with our shout.
Refrain
To him that overcomes the foe,
White raiment shall be giv’n.
Before the angels he shall know
His name confessed in heaven.
Then onward from the hills of light,
Our hearts with love aflame,
We’ll vanquish all the hosts of night,
In Jesus’ conquering Name.
Refrain


God is so very Good!

By the way, how do you all like this blogs new look?

Friday, April 10, 2009

Blog template changing

I am messing around with the blog template, hopefully it will look better soon!

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Water from the Rock - Days of Praise

Water from the Rock

April 8, 2009

"Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel." (Exodus 17:6)

This amazing provision of drinking water for the Israelites in the midst of a barren wilderness is surely one of the most remarkable miracles of creation recorded in Scripture. Furthermore, it was not a one-time event, but somehow continued to provide water for them during the entire 40 years they spent in the desert. God provided daily water just as He provided their daily bread. "Our fathers . . . did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ" (1 Corinthians 10:1, 3-4).

The provision was an act of pure grace on God's part, for even after God created the manna for them, the people were about to stone Moses (Exodus 17:4). But their complaint was really against God, so God "stood before" Moses as he smote the rock at Horeb, and a great spring of water burst forth.

This is the first mention of the word "rock" in Scripture, and it is surely significant that the apostle Paul calls this rock a type of Christ. Just as Moses smote the rock with the same rod of judgment which he had used to smite the river in Egypt (Exodus 7:20; 17:5), so Christ had to be "smitten of God" (Isaiah 53:4) because of our sins, before He could fulfill His promise: "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink" (John 7:37).

But once our Rock was smitten, the water of everlasting life was made available freely to all who will drink. The very last invitation of the Bible is: "And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely" (Revelation 22:17). Then, "whosoever drinketh . . . shall never thirst" (John 4:14).

Henry M. Morris

Institute for Creation Research

 

Glorious Hope © 2008. Template Design By: SkinCorner