counting sheep

Here is an insight from the Scouting the Divine bible study:

In Luke 15, Jesus tells the parable of the lost sheep. Did you ever wonder how the shepherd knew there was one missing? Well, it's because he was constantly counting them. They were valuable to him and it was his responsibility to lead, guide and protect them. So, he watched them carefully and was always counting. When he discovered one was missing, he left the 99 in the care of his helpers and immediately went in search of the one who was lost.
II Chron. 16:9 says, "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward Him." God is always carefully watching us. He knows our every thought, He sees each tear we cry, and He knows "the number of hairs on our head". He is always tending, noticing every detail. He is not far off, but very near, very involved leading, guiding, and protecting...shepherding His sheep!

Like a sheep, I am totally dependent on God, my Good Shepherd, for everything. It is comforting to be reminded that His is always near and His eyes are always on me. And just as a sheep trusts his shepherd, I can trust mine because He is always faithful.

back from tennessee......

...where we celebrated this little one's 4th birthday!!


There was pizza and presents.....






and cupcakes and play!!

It was fun and so special to be with her for this happy day!

We returned home to 80 degree weather and this.......daffodils!

And our Bradford Pear tree in full bloom!

Now, that's what I call a lovely Welcome Home! Hope you have enjoyed your weekend. I'm headed to bible study in a few minutes...more about sheep
tomorrow! :-)

a favorite

About 30 years ago, I was singing in a Christmas cantata at our church. Isaiah 40:11 was used as a verse in one of the songs. It has been a favorite text for me ever since. I read it again this week as part of my bible study......

"He will tend His flocks like a shepherd;

He will gather the lambs in His arms;

He will carry then in His bosom;

And gently lead those who are with young."

Since we are His sheep and He is our Good Shepherd, that is a picture of how our Heavenly Father cares for us. It is so tender and sweet to think of our relationship in that way.....it always touches my heart. I hope it blesses you today!

satisfied?

I saw this video recently......it is Christmas morning and the dad tells the two little girls to come look behind the sofa for their gifts. The older one runs to the bikes with squeals of delight. The younger one stomps her foot and says,"I didn't want a bike....I wanted lipstick!" I laughed because it was an unexpected response and, silly really, to think that lipstick would be more important to her than a new bike. I couldn't help but think...."Yeah, we're never satisfied!"

So, what does the word "satisfied" mean? Is it always a good thing? Is it always positive? Is it always a character quality to aspire to? So, I looked it up..."to fulfill the desires, expectations, needs, or demands of a person; give complete contentment to." Okay, contentment is good. It is defined as "peace of mind mentally and emotionally; satisfied with the way things are." Paul said in Phil. 4:11," I have learned in whatever situation I am in, to be content." That has to do with believing that God is in control.....that He means each situation for good....that He is using it in my life to teach me His ways, to transform me into the His likeness, to bring glory to Himself. Yes, that is something I want to practice!
Digging a little deeper, I found an extended definition..." to give enough to keep one from wanting more." Not so sure about that one..... sounds a lot like complacency to me....."a feeling of security often while unaware of some potential danger." Rev.3:16 says, "So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth." Whoa! That is pretty strong language! God says "seek Him first", "love Him with all your heart and soul and mind and strength", "put no other gods before Him", "in all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will direct your path", "hunger and thirst after Him and His righteousness".....and much more! I don't believe the word "complacency" is in His vocabulary! I believe He always wants us to know and love Him more...and He always has so much more to give us!
So, as John Piper says, "God is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in Him"...content in who He is and who we are in Him, but never complacent about the life He has called us to!

scouting the divine

I attended the first class of this study at church tonight. There are many references to sheep, wine, and honey in the Bible. In an effort to better understanding those comparisons, the author spent time with a shepherdess, a farmer, a bee keeper, and a vine keeper. She asked them to interpret scriptures about their profession, not from a theological point of view, but from their experience in those fields (no pun intended!). We know that God is intentional in everything He does, so it is certain that He used these metaphors for a reason. I look forward to learning the divine significance of wool, wine, and honey...... and the divine significance it will have for me in knowing my God and His Word better!

look what i found yesterday....

.....jonquils!

I was playing outside with the "grand-boy"......chased a ball and there they were... smiling up at me. I think they like sneaking up on me.....it happens every year. And it is always a happy surprise! Blessings to you, my blogging friends....I hope you have a "blooming" wonderful weekend!

a mind is a terrible thing to waste....

We went to Olive Garden last weekend with our "other parents". Our server was friendly as she approached the table and, after introducing herself, she rattled off the specials. Miss S asked if it was hard to remember all that. Her reply..."No, I seem to have a knack for remembering menus. I'm 36 and I still remember much of the menu from the restaurant where I worked when I was 23." While I admired her ability to store and retrieve information (especially since I seem to find that difficult sometimes these days! ha! ha), I could not help but think ......that seems like a waste of memory....storing useless information that you will never use again.
Made me think about how important it is for me to fill my mind with things that are eternal.
Phil. 4:8 says.....

"Finally brothers (and sisters), whatever is true, whatever is noble,
whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely,
whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence,
if there be anything worthy of praise, think on these things."

Memorizing scripture, praise songs, hymns fills the storehouse of my mind with valuable information that will always be useful. The Holy Spirit will bring them to mind for instruction, encouragement, and comfort in my time of need.
I've been talking about exercise. I know that exercising my mind is just as important as exercising my body...they both need to be strong and healthy so that I will be....

"...a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy,
useful to the Master, ready for every good work."
II Tim. 2:21

a sign of the times

Remember when WE use to fry chicken? Ha! Ha!
Hope you have a wonderful day remembering what (or who!) is good.....

"The Lord is good to all and His mercy is over all He has made." Ps. 145:9

seeing beyond grief

The Beth Moore quote that I posted about a week or so ago was from this book. If you aren't familiar with it, Mary Beth Chapman is married to Steven Curtis Chapman, a gifted Contemporary Christian songwriter and recording artist. They had three children and then, after becoming acutely aware of the many orphans in China who were in need of loving families, they adopted three Chinese baby girls. In May 2008, the youngest was killed in a tragic automobile accident.
Mary Beth may not have ever written a book if the accident had not happened, but it is about much more than that. It is a sweet, touching and powerful testimony of their faith in and dependence on Jesus Christ in every area of their lives.It also gave me a deeper appreciation and respect for Steven. He does not just talk the talk (or "sing" the "song"), but he walks the walk.
It is simply written and easy to read, but deep in it's "realness". She writes transparently about their fear, their anger and their grief, but also about their hope, their joy, and their healing.

Here are two quotes she used :

"Christianity doesn't deny the reality of suffering and evil. Our hope is not based on the idea that we are going to be free of pain and suffering. Rather it is based on the conviction that we will triumph over suffering."
Brennan Manning

"Even the saddest things can become, once we have made peace with them, a source of wisdom and strength for the journey that still lies ahead."
Frederick Buechner

This book encouraged, blessed, and inspired me. If you choose to read it, I believe it will do the same for you! :-)

i'm boot scooting!

A couple of weeks ago,after having some blood work done, I was told that I have a vitamin D deficiency. So, the treatment is to take a D supplement and to EXERCISE!! I had to stop going to the gym a while back because I hurt my ankle. And then, the Wii and Wii Fit moved out with the newlywed.:-)
With the diagnosis, I knew I had to do something. I don't really enjoy exercising, so I thought I would try to find a "fun" way to do it. I've watched others line dance and thought maybe that would be the answer. I found this video at WalMart. Well........it is really exercise DISGUISED as line dancing!! Ha!Ha!
The first time I tried it, I couldn't keep up, got frustrated and quit after a few minutes. But I thought about it and determined I AM going to do this! So, for the past few days, I have done what I can. When I get behind, I just stop and pick it up on the next step. I don't bounce well (it's okay, you can laugh!) so I improvise with my own "bounce-free" step! :-) Anyway, I think it may be fun once I get the hang of it. It is getting easier with each try. I like that I can do it at home and that I only had to pay once!
I wouldn't mind a bit if you prayed for me that I would stick to it..... I know it is important for my health. Thanks, friends!

a special trip with.....

.......my daughter. Can you guess where we are?

I know this is a random post, but I was going through some pictures and came across these. We made this special trip a year before I starting blogging. In May 0f 2009, we went to Niagara Falls to celebrate her graduation from college. She is an outdoors girl....loves God's creation. So, she wanted to see something that reflected His glory!
It was truly magnificent! We did all the "touristy" things.....wore lots of ponchos and got wet.....went behind the falls, in front of the falls, and IN the falls...... rode in a boat, a sky car, and a horse drawn carriage..... crossed the Canadian border, the American border, the Canadian border again and the American border again..... ate at Tim Horton's multiple times (and hoped maybe we would get them in the U.S. one day) .....took hundreds of pictures and had a wonderful time!
Now that she is married, it will probably be a long time before she is interested in "going away" with Mom again. So, that makes these memories even sweeter!

a song for a friend

I sang at an old friend's funeral today. She was 87, but the reason I call her an old friend is that I have known her since 1979. We were in the same church for 25 years. I was surprised when I got the call that she had requested that I sing a certain song at her service. She was a woman who loved God, studied her bible, and prayed fervently for others. But she wasn't a "people person". She was not demonstrative in her affection nor was she free with her praise. So, I had no way of knowing that it would be meaningful to her for me to be a part of her "homegoing". But it certainly was a privilege and a blessing.
The song is Southern Gospel and entitled "Sweet Beulah Land". It speaks of longing for Heaven.....

"I'm kind of homesick for a country
to which I've never been before.
No sad goodbyes will there be spoken
and time won't matter anymore.

Beulah Land, sweet Beulah Land
I'm longing for you
and some day, on thee I'll stand.
There my home will be eternal.
Beulah Land, sweet Beulah Land.

Now I'm looking for a river
where my faith's gonna end in sight.
There's just a few more days to labor
Then I'll take my heavenly flight.

Beulah Land, sweet Beulah Land
I'm longing for you
There my home will be eternal
Beulah Land, sweet Beulah Land."

I'm not a fan of most Southern Gospel, but I am a fan of Heaven....and this song reminds me that I have a place there........ paid for, prepared, and waiting for me. That is something to look forward to. :-)

"In my Father's house are many rooms.
If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?
If I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself
that where I am, you may be also." John 14:2,3

Hallelujah!

how 'bout a coffee "maker" break?

I'm not sure what the deal is with us and coffeemakers. We can't seem to get one to last more than about 4 years. The last three have been Mr Coffees.The first one started to leak in just a few weeks. We took it back and the store replaced it. That one lasted abut 2 years.... then it started leaking. We set the brew time the night before and when we got up, there was coffee all over the counter and the floor. Wonderful way to wake up! You think we would have learned our lesson, but, no, not us...we bought another Mr Coffee! Four years later (about two weeks ago), Hubby was getting things ready the night before. He put the filter in, put the coffee in, poured the water in, placed the carafe in it's place, and turned back to the sink. In a few seconds, he heard water dripping. He turned around to see water flowing down the counter and and onto the floor! I didn't know he could move so fast! Towels flying, words (no profanity, mind you! ) of aggravation flying...the mess got cleaned up. When he had time, he opened it up and found a tube loose, so he repaired it. Four days later (last night to be exact), he repeated the above steps....including hearing the dripping, using the towels, and expressing his dissatisfaction!! ha! ha! When I came home from work today, there was a new coffeemaker sitting on the counter (pictured above) and it is NOT a Mr Coffee!! Hopefully, it will just brew coffee and not frustration!! :-)

down the aisle.......

...and into a new church home. Two weeks ago, the hubby and I joined the church that we have been visiting since September. We are confident that it is a place where we will be fed, encouraged and built up in the faith... and a place where we can serve. It's exciting to think about making new friends and seeing what God has in store for us there.
This past Sunday,our pastor began a study of 1 John. In 1 John 1:3, the Greek word for fellowship is koinonia. It literally means "sharing something in common". The Holy Spirit is the commonality that brings people of God together. It locks our hearts together....we are one.
I believe that is why so many of us in blogland have bonded so quickly...we have the same spirit within us. So, whether it's a handshake, a hug, a post, or a comment....as children of God, we enjoy koinonia.....fellowship of the heart.

"By this will all men know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
John 13:35

lesson from a pansy

I didn't plant them until after Christmas, so they got a late start. Then the snow came and they stayed frozen for several days, So, they have had a struggle, but they are hanging in there. They are standing tall and fighting hard to do what they were made to do......bloom!
There are some things with which I am struggling. Things I am trying to put behind me......and others that I am trying to move ahead on. I can't seem to get started in either direction and feel like I'm frozen in place. I know His grace is sufficient, that His strength is perfected in my weakness, and that His Word is the light for my path. I just need the courage and determination to start (even if it is later than it should have been).... and do what the pansy did...stand, fight, BLOOM!

something to think about

I read this quote from Beth Moore in the book I am currently reading:

"You cannot amputate your history from your destiny.
My past is something Jesus takes hold of and makes into a destiny.
That's called redemption."

I am pondering this......what do you think?

smile in a carton

If you've never tried this ice cream......

.....you are missing a treat! It is vanilla ice cream with peanut butter cups and fudge swirls and, my goodness, it is yummy! We haven't had it in years, but Kroger has Mayfield on sale this week and the Hubby surprised me with it tonight. I know I don't need it, but I sure do like it! I don't eat ice cream too much in the winter, but it was a sweet treat on this cold night.
I hope you have a sweet day and maybe a surprise or two...thanks for dropping by!