Additions

I added a new spot...a blog for my devotions.

Seemed like a good accountability thing (I borrowed the idea from someone with more initiative than me.)



Seems like writing is going to become my greater past-time. You'll have to let me know if I should stop :)



check out my links

Divine Possibilites

I've been doing some soul searching - something everyone should do on a regular basis, I've determined. I found something of such power, I have to share it.
This is from Streams in the Desert by Charles E. Cowman

"Nothing shall be impossible unto you" (Matt.
17:20).

It is possible, for those who really are willing
to reckon on the power of the Lord for keeping
and victory, to lead a life in which His promises
are taken as they stand and are found to be true.


It is possible to cast all our care upon Him
daily and to enjoy deep peace in doing it.

It is possible to have the thoughts and
imaginations of our hearts purified, in the
deepest meaning of the word.

It is possible to see the will of God in
everything, and to receive it, not with sighing,
but with singing.

It is possible by taking complete refuge in
Divine power to become strong through and
through; and, where previously our greatest
weakness lay, to find that things which formerly
upset all our resolves to be patient, or pure, or
humble, furnish today an opportunity--through Him
who loved us, and works in us an agreement with
His will and a blessed sense of His presence and
His power--to make sin powerless over us.

These things are DIVINE POSSIBILITIES, and
because they are His work, the true experience of
them will always cause us to bow lower at His
feet and to learn to thirst and long for more.

We cannot possibly be satisfied with anything
less--each day, each hour, each moment, in
Christ, through the power of the Holy
Spirit--than to WALK WITH GOD. --H. C. G. Moule

We may have as much of God as we will. Christ
puts the key of the treasure-chamber into our
hand, and bids us take all that we want. If a man
is admitted into the bullion vault of a bank, and
told to help himself, and comes out with one
cent, whose fault is it that he is poor? Whose
fault is it that Christian people generally have
such scanty portions of the free riches of God?
--McLaren.

I love it when God uses something to drive a point home, unlooked for by me of course. It's some of these words that capture my attention:
KEEP. I know God keeps me from falling into utter ruin apart from His eternal presence. Knowing, and experiencing it to it's fullness is the point here.

He can purify the thoughts and intents of my heart. selah. (that means pause and deeply consider). He wants to purify my intentions, not just understand them and give me what's better for me. wow.

To experience the fullness of God. A desire I keep forgetting to ask for and to have my hands open fully to receive. He has such great things for me, and I don't remember to ask and expect.

Soul seaching can be painful. But it surely yields much fruit!

Summer Fun

WOW. I can't believe it's already August. What does happen to the time? Well, I can't account for yours, but I will try to account for some of mine.

First off: school ended. whew! Third grade was full of changes, challenges, and choices. Faith will be attending a new sister/school to her current location. I'm excited for the change - mostly because she is excited. Mind you, we are a family that plods reluctantly to change, and then decides afterward rather hesitantly that it was a really good idea after all. So, to hear her shout joyfully when we got the acceptance call was quite a pleasant surprise to me.

Secondly: Faith had her tonsils out. That was major stuff! She did great through it all - a real trooper! She survived on a small vanilla creme "frappaccino" a day for about 10 days, lost about 7 pounds, and gave her body the shock of it's young life when it discovered uninterrupted sleep for the first time in years. It is lovely to see the dark circles under her eyes disappear, her vitality increase, and her moods level out. She really is feeling better.

Thirdly: 2, count 'em 2, trips to vacation at the beach. Sheer heaven! We had a great time in the surf, in the sand, in the trailer. We played, we prayed, we s'mored, we rode bicycles into town for a Starbuck's run. We had a lovely time. I'm looking forward to our summer finale - a last week at the beach the end of August. God is amazing to create such a lovely atmosphere for us to consider His glory, His creativity, His desire to bless His kids with something just to behold and appreciate. Gotta love that God of ours - He just gives and gives.

Lastly: I got to go to a concert with my sweetheart and my friend. How can you not love a night with MercyMe??? It was amazing. The opening band was really good: Tenth Avenue North. You should check them out. David Crowder Band puts on a very energetic show. Then: the marvelous, true worship of our Savior in the wonderful sounds from MercyMe. Poor Bart had pneumonia, and still opened the show in perfect pitch and A'Capella sweetness. He just draws you into heartfelt worship. An experience I wouldn't hesitate to repeat, ever!

That's about the updates for now. Summer still marches on, and it's time to start thinking about getting ready for school. Shopping. hmmmmm....that could be fun!

Night Owls

In the Beginning.... Faith's class had a field trip to the San Diego Wild Animal Park. We left school early, chaperones all matched up and cars at the ready. I had Faith, Michaela, Dylan and Noah. Dylan and Noah were assigned to me #1, because I am familiar with the class and in particular these two boys, and #2, because I'm not afraid to say NO with a decisive tone to my voice. I must admit to using that decisive tone on more than one occasion on this trip.
These are our night-time tent-mates. They are lovely girls who tell great round-robin stories, drink vast quantities of hot chocolate, and (mostly) tried to eat small crawling critters. It was a good night had by most.
This is a 5 year-old alligator that we all got to pet. Now, where else in the world can you pet a baby alligator and smile while doing it?
Of course, you MUST visit the petting zoo when at the park. Faith is particularly fond of deer. And, may I say, the deer are equally fond of her!

This is the grand finale - minus a slurpee in the car on the way home. Weariness certainly lowered the volume in the car on the way - whew! A good time was had by all. I must commend the Wild Animal Park for a superbly organized, well-rounded, well-fed outing. It was informative, fun, nicely paced, and refreshing. I reccomend it highly!

Looking

I've been thinking lately. Scary, I know.
I'm about to begin a new endeavor, and I'm not sharing what exactly that is. It's just that I have been taking stock of a few things lately, and keep coming back around to the same realization. It's simple, really. A simple truth. Here it is:
If I would just get the simple, amazing, wondrous truth of the Cross, my sin just wouldn't be so attractive any more. I wouldn't be drawn to it. I wouldn't be mesmerized by it. I wouldn't be wallowing in it. I wouldn't even be giving into it.

Now. How simple is that?!

Isn't it great that God, in His infinite wisdom, knew that it would be the simplicity of the gospel that would confound the wise. It's the simplicity of looking to Him that breaks the spell of looking to sin. It's the simple grace of God in which we stand, and which we cannot stand before Him without.

I love that God loves the simple. He must. He loves me.

Preparation

I was preparing for Retreat today...and in it's preparation I was reading a C.S.Lewis book. That may sound an odd combination to you, so let me explain. I am leaving early in the morning in order to pick up passengers and drop off daughters so that I can play with my friends before our arrival time. We are going to brunch, then heading off to see the new Narnia movie: Prince Caspian. I wanted to acquaint myself with the Land of Narnia before seeing the movie, so I picked up the book The Silver Chair. I found this lovely passage I want to share with you:

Stand still. In a moment I will blow. But, first, remember, remember, remember the signs. Say them to yourself when you awake in the morning, and when you lie down at night, and when you wake in the middle of the night. And whatever strange things may happen to you, let nothing turn your mind from following the signs. And secondly, I give you a warning. Here on the mountain I have spoken to you clearly: I will not often do so down in Narnia. Here on the mountain the air is clear, and your mind is clear; as you drop down into Narnia, the air will thicken. Take great care that it does not confuse your mind. And the signs which you have learned here will not look at all as you expect them to look, when you meet them there. That is why it is so important to know them by heart and to pay no attention to appearances. Remember the signs and believe the signs. Nothing else matters.

I love how God meets me wherever I am. How He is so very personal, to be preparing me for what He wants to teach me, show me, impress upon my heart. He has such wonderful things in store for me this weekend, He isn't willing to wait to begin.
Here I am, Lord. Conform me.

Hands

Yesterday was my kind of day.

We began with church: I had to cry first thing. Pastor Dale talked about hands. Mother's hands. He asked us to look at our hands - and not to notice if we all needed a good dose of lotion and a manicure. He talked about Mom's hands: how they wipe a fevered brow. How they hug a tear away. How they wash untold amounts of dishes and fold mountains of laundry. How they hold a Bible to read, in order to gain wisdom. How they fold to pray. How, in all this, they seek to be used to raise Godly children full of wisdom and grace. What conviction! I wondered how many opportunities I have missed to bless my children with my folded hands, and missed holding my Bible for wisdom instead of relying on my own.

After church service, we headed home. Faith and Heather had arrived early and put some sweet touches on the house: a banner on the door, fresh flowers and tablecloth in the dining room, the smell of scones baking in the oven. Precious! Chuck served made-to-order omelettes with all the trimmings for brunch (yum!), Grandma was in attendance and the drooling dogs were locked in the back yard.

Then: the very best part of the day. Piling on the couch to watch movies, cuddle, share running commentaries, and leftover scones and fruit to munch. Not to mention a couple of dear friends to share it with. How can you not LOVE a Jane Austen/Cary Grant festival on a Sunday afternoon?! With your children! (Chuck chose the Padres on the other TV. Somehow, it seemed the manly thing to do!)

It was a sweet day. I feel so honored to be ... honored. I know it's because my girls really want to spend time with me. I know that I delight to be with them. To watch them create a gift of themeselves with all their talents and imagination is such a delight. I want to pass on a legacy of offering up the work of their hands to the Lord, for His good will and pleasure. I know that I was full of smiles yesterday - as I believe the Lord was as we both watched His girls give themselves away.

I pray to use my hands for service. It's my heart's desire - to serve. My girls and my sweet husband sure served me yesterday. Utter sweetness.

Thanks, God, for calling me to be a Mom.