A new song...

Sometimes, God just reaches right down into that slough of despair, 

and just when you think you're going under for the last time, 

He plucks your feet right out of the muck and mire.

He sets you on the Solid Rock and He puts a new song in your mouth. 

(see Psalm 40)

It's been a bit muck-ish and mire-y lately, a bit challenging to keep my head above it all.

Then, this weekend came along, and God blew in and through us.

He used us to touch our community.

He helped us to encourage someone who is just beginning their new life in Christ.

He let us be a part of the wedding vow renewal of a couple whose marriage was in shambles last year at this time.

In the helping and reaching out to others,  He reached down and helped us.

He reached down and helped me.

Blessed be His glorious name.

*************

In 2012 I followed the prompts in Ann Voskamp's Joy Dare in counting my thanks.

In 2013 I'm going back to the way I did it in the beginning,

just noticing and recording the many extraordinary blessings in my ordinary life.

And so I continue to count my thanks

piling up gratitude day by day

in my little black journal.

(and capturing some of them via my camera or iPhone)

#3480-#3503

6-24-13-

-our son-in-law, today is his birthday

-taking the two oldest grands grocery shopping with me and having lunch at Costco

 and getting the giggles together, (well, actually belly laughs)

-making my son-in-laws birthday dinner, (my daughter was out of town), and sharing it with the family

-an evening run

6-25-13-

-painting with the grandkids

-a handwritten note in the mail from this sweet friend

-a shoulder to cry on

6-26-13-

-the grandkids getting dropped off at 6 am, and them climbing into my bed without a peep,
and going back to sleep

(waffles for breakfast was fun, too)

-backyard blossoms

-seeing the sunset out our bedroom window

6-27-13-

-a visit with my out of town friend

-my new apron made by her

-church leaders praying over the people and them praying over us at prayer tonight

6-28-13-

-the first blooms on my David Austin Glamis Castle rose

-our home

-the Hubs and I getting gyros to go and eating them down by the river

-going on a scavenger hunt with the Homebuilder's group from our church

6-29-13

-Truelife Church's BBQ block party...all of the great volunteers and help from church reaching out to people in our neighborhood

-devotions in the evening since the morning was busy

-crashing in the only room in the house with air conditioning, our bedroom, after a long hot day

6-30-13-

-Anita playing the violin during worship

-gifts and cards of encouragement from our church to help someone to start their new life in Christ

(she is forsaking a life of prostitution to follow Him)

-a vow renewal

-God's provision and blessing

-a surprise sewn from a friend at church

gratefully yours,

     

Psalm 121:1-2...

Sometimes life gets just plain overwhelming.

About the time you think you're slipping under the muck and mire in the slough of despair for the last time,

 take a look at something majestic...

a mountain,

the sea,

an eagle soaring in the sky,

why even a newborn baby is quite a wonder to behold.

Then quiet your emotions long enough to remember, that the One Who created all this wonder,

is still ruling on the throne of this universe

and He still has a firm hold on you, too.

Look up, friend, look up.

still following, 

                                                                         

                                                                    

Bye Bye Google Reader...

Oh, how I love the convenience of reading all of my favorite blogs using Google Reader.

As many of you know, Google is discontinuing Reader as of July 1st.

I don't want to lose track of my favorite blogs

and

I don't want my readers and followers to not be able to find my blog either.

The transition isn't too hard...just pick a reader, the two I recommend are Feedly and Bloglovin'.

I've actually transferred my Google Reader blogs to both of them, 

giving me time to make a decision on which one I like best.

Here's a great blog post from Simple Mom on how to make the transition.

To make sure you can keep following this blog, 

just go to the sidebar and subscribe via email or click on the bloglovin' widget and subscribe there.

still following,

Friday's Favs...backyard blossoms and summer to-do lists

While there's a list of projects around the house I should get done this summer,

June is already slipping by with nary a one checked off that list.

But if that list included strolling around the backyard in my pajamas and slippers each morning to see what blossoms are open, well, I've checked that one off the list most days.

There's also been a lot of grandkid lovin' on the list.

Check. Check.

Runs in the cool of the evening and having to pause in my running to notice the feathery cirrus cloud formations in the summer sky, why I've done a bit of that, too.

Morning devotions at the desk in my home office with a cup of hot coffee and the cool morning air wafting through the open window has been a definite priority.

Practicing my photography, (still learning my way around my Nikon d7000), 

yes, I've done a bit of that.

Oh, I've also gathered the supplies to make strawberry jam.

All but the strawberries that is.

Next week I hope to accomplish that.

Going blueberry picking with all the grands is a must-do as well.

Then there's church activities in there, too.

This Saturday is our annual pre-4th of July barbecue and outreach.

We have an annual homemade ice cream contest.

Making the best ice cream ever is, of course, an important item on my to-do list.

Dreaming of and making vacation plans is another summer priority.

It's beginning to occur to me that autumn might be just the season to get things done around the house.

It's almost Friday friends!

Have a HAPPY, HAPPY Friday

and a BLESSED weekend.

              

                                                      

                              

              Also linking to Jennifer Rizzo's Fabulously Creative Friday

Where the rubber meets the road...

"We believe in the plenary-verbal inspiration of the accepted canon of the Scriptures as originally given and that they are infallibly and uniquely authoritative and free from error of any sort in all matters with which they deal, including scientific and historical as well as moral and theological. 

(II Timothy 3 :16; I Corinthians 2:13)"

This is the first statement under the What We Believe tab on our church's website.

The Scriptures, both the Old and New Testaments, are verbally inspired of God and are the revelation of God to man, the infallible, authoritative rule of faith and conduct.

This is the first statement of the fundamental truths of the denomination I grew up in.

Whatever your opinion, whether you feel these statements are right, wrong, or you couldn't care less,

the fact that they are first on the list in both instances is significant.

Because, what we believe about the Bible is the foundation on which our whole belief system is built.

What we believe about the Bible is a "watershed" issue, 

and where we draw the line on this issue is of utmost importance.

Here are the three most common views of the Bible-

The Evangelical View-

(This is reflected in the statements above.)

The Bible is seen as presently applicable to our lives.

The Orthodox View-

The Bible is viewed as an historically accurate document giving account of the truths about the living God.

A person doesn't need to do anything further than to simply believe in the truths.

There is an absence of expectation that the Holy Spirit can make the Word alive today.

The Liberal View-

The Bible is a source of comfort but is not the final authority or decisive truth.

It is a book of faith inspiring stories, legends and myths open to subjective interpretation.

A final opinion on God, Jesus or the Bible is considered narrow minded.

Here's the problem...

"If the Bible is no longer the Word of God without error, each part may be eaten away step by step...

What the Bible teaches about itself, what Jesus taught about Scripture, and what the church has consistently held to through the ages, is a strong, uncompromising view of Scripture."

( from the article by Francis A. Schaeffer linked below)

Paul Little in his book, Know What You Believe says

"There is rational evidence of truth that the Bible is a supernatural book, that the God of the Bible who created the heavens and the earth, is God, and that Jesus Christ, His Son came to earth, lived, died and rose again.  There is no need for you to kiss your brains goodbye in order to believe this."

{At this point, I could go into all the evidence that the Bible is no ordinary book, 

but my purpose here isn't to write a research paper.

You may want to read Marking the Watershed by Francis A. Schaeffer,

Another article you may find interesting is, Science and the Bible.}

"If the Bible really is the supernatural, infallible, inerrant, God-breathed Word of God, 

than it not only has life-giving power, but life-governing authority." Jack Hayford

My premise, is that the things that divide us, things like what we believe about gay marriage or abortion and those sorts of hot-button issues are a symptom of an even greater divide...

the differences of what we believe about the Bible.

This is at the root of it all.

My purpose here is to make clear what I believe and where I stand.

{And to encourage you to think, to study, to delve into this yourself, 

rather than to just accept whatever the current cultural trend is or even what I'm saying.}

I believe that the Bible is perfect, true and complete.

I believe that the sixty-six books of the Bible are the inspired and therefore inerrant Word of God.

I believe that the Bible is the final authority for all that we believe and how we are to live.

I believe that the Bible is the Truth.

So, that being the case, if what I think or what I feel doesn't line up with the Bible, 

then I'm the one in error.

The Bible is not subjective truth, "I feel it's true, so it must be."

It's the objective plumb line, by which I must measure what I think and feel, 

and how I am to act, react and respond.

This means, in our culture where there are few moral absolutes and cloudy views of right or wrong, 

where saying something is morally wrong is often considered to be narrow minded and bigoted, 

I am going to stick out like a sore thumb.

I am going to be considered narrow minded.

I may be thought of as hateful when I won't accept someone's lifestyle 

because I believe that the Bible calls it sinful.

On a personal note, embracing the Bible as God's Word, as the Truth, 

also means that I must accept what it says about the sinfulness of my own lifestyle.

I must recognize my selfishness, my pride, my lack of love, as grievous sins to God's great heart,

and I must do what He says,

repent and turn from my own way and return to His.

Much of the time, I feel like a fish swimming upstream.

It sure would be easier to go with the flow of culture.

But I can't.

I just can't.

I've been bought with a price.

I am not my own.

I am to glorify God in my body and in my spirit

by my words,

in my actions,

no matter what it costs,

no matter how unpopular.

And that, my friends, is where the rubber meets the road for me.

still following,

                                     

                    

Backyard in bloom...

We were on a little getaway last week, so I don't have any decorating projects or new treasures to share with you.

( I did get to go to a huge, packed to the brim antique store in Klamath Falls, but I didn't buy anything!

There were a couple of vintage cameras that I passed up that tempted me.)

What's really happening around here is all happening outside, as everything is in bloom.

This is a pink "sexy rexy" floribunda rose.

Some of my roses developed black spot, but a friend who works in a local garden center recommended a natural spray that seems to be helping. (Safer Garden Fungicide)

The yellow coreopsis opened up while were out of town.

The shasta daisies are just beginning  to open.

The pink geraniums in our patio pots are thriving.

Our hydrangeas are just now starting to open.

Three out of four lavender plants are blooming, but one is looking bit sickly.

This yellow floribunda rose is blooming abundantly this year.

I have a David Austin Glamis Castle white rose that has buds, but hasn't opened up yet,

and a rose bush with beautiful yellow roses tinged in red, (that I can't remember the name of), 

that bloomed once already this year and has new buds about to open.

I really have no gardening knowledge or experience, so I look up questions online or consult friends.

But in truth, any beauty that blossoms in my backyard is a gift of God...

a much appreciated and much enjoyed gift!

still following,