Thursday Thoughts

"In that day you depended on the weapons of the house of the forest, 

And you saw that the breaches  

In the wall of the city of David were many;
         And you collected the waters of the lower pool.
    Then you counted the houses of Jerusalem
         And tore down houses to fortify the wall.
    And you made a reservoir between the two walls
         For the waters of the old pool.
         But you did not depend on Him who made it,
         Nor did you take into consideration Him who planned it long ago.
    Therefore in that day the Lord GOD of hosts called you to weeping, to wailing,
         To shaving the head and to wearing sackcloth.
    Instead, there is gaiety and gladness,
         Killing of cattle and slaughtering of sheep,
         Eating of meat and drinking of wine:
         "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die."
    But the LORD of hosts revealed Himself to me,
         "Surely this iniquity shall not be forgiven you
         Until you die," says the Lord GOD of hosts."

 ~Isaiah 22: 9-14

I was reading this passage the other day and it really struck me just how much I don't depend on God.  I mean, especially with the small stuff.  The things that I think really don't matter, but....they do.  If I can't let God handle the petty situations in my life, can I still let go when it comes to the big ones?  The Lord planned it long ago.  That just makes me feel secure.  HE planned my life.  I just need to stop worrying and start living the life He's given me!

 

A Very Merry Christmas...

...to you all!

(I was going to do a nice post with pictures but we're having computer problems so I just grabbed one from online!)

         "And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.  And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."

 

Luke 2: 8-11

 

 

I hope that your Christmas is filled with the joy of our Savior!

....now I'm off to finish some presents....

remember...

It's easy to forget...

...what the people that gave us freedom...

...go through to give it.

Thank you.


(images found at Pioneer Woman)

I've learned...

I will set no worthless thing before my eyes;
I hate the work of those who fall away;
It shall not fasten its grip on me.

Psalm 101:3

The fight for purity and righteousness is a constant battle. It is so important for Christians to be aware of what we watch and see. Be on your guard at all times and don't associate yourself with things of the world. Keep on and don't give in!

Blessed Assurance

"For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

What do we have to worry about? What more do we need?
Nothing.

"But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."
1 Samuel 16:7

It is so easy to judge others by what they say, do, or wear. Having found friends in people I had previously discarded with contemptible pride, this lesson has been taught me many times. On the contrary, a few people I know have committed horrible acts I never believed them possible of. Years later, I now regret these mistakes, but I am thankful for the Lord's teaching.
While we cannot see into the heart of man as God does, we can look farther than skin deep. Appearances mean nothing to God, for the importance of a man's character far outweighs all other traits. The life application of this verse is, I believe, neatly summed up in a quote from a popular children's book:
"Don't judge a man until you've walked two moons in his moccasins."

~ Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech


Later today I'll do my first Secondhand Fashion post!

Guess who turned three?

"Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!"

Psalm 107:8

Unseen Glory

The Crystal Ball, John William Waterhouse

"Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal."

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

When thinking of any hardships that we suffer on this earth, always remember the minuscule qualities of anything worldly! And keep your mind on heavenly things.

Living well

James 4:13-15

"Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.' Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.'"

So often it feels like my life is all about planning, preparing, waiting, looking forward to - all future events.While this is not inherently bad, what James is saying in vs. 14 is that we are not guaranteed even our next breath. We should prepare, but with the knowledge of God's complete sovereignty. This reminds me of a quote I once heard:

"Learn as if you were going to live forever.
Live as if you were going to die tomorrow."
~unknown

Very well said! So focus on the important things ~ those of eternal value.

Peace of God

The Lady of Shallot , John William Waterhouse

This week - Philippians 4:6-7

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer
and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be
made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses
all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Anxious for nothing. It's hard, isn't it? Hardly can we let a day pass without worrying over something or other. And does it improve the circumstances? Of course not, for "which of you can by being anxious can add a single cubit to his life's span?" (Matthew 6:27) None can. Anxiety only increases life's troubles, deepens sorrow, and compromises physical health.
So bringing our requests to God remains the only thing to be done. However, this supplication must be accompanied by thanksgiving. For what is ours that has not been given to us? (I Corinthians 4:7) Be thankful that you have family or events or things to worry about! Just giving it all up to the Lord takes a load of cares away. And what could be more comforting than 'the peace of God'?

Hope Deferred

"Boreas," John William Waterhouse

Today's verse is Proverbs 13:12, another personal favorite.

"Hope deferred makes the heart sick;
But desire fulfilled is a tree of life."

In Hebrew, the usage of the word hope (towcheleth) translates as expectation. When a strong expectation is deferred or put off for a long period of time, it will cause heartache. For young people such as myself, applying this verse to my life means not setting my heart on any specific person, place, or thing. Because of this verse, I know that it is extremely important for me to guard my heart, for the sinking feeling of not receiving something long hoped for will make the heart sick. But when my desire is fulfilled, that is a tree of life. So I must delight myself in the Lord and He will give me the desires of my heart.
~ Proverbs 37:4

Hi Everyone!
Sorry I've been gone so long!

I've decided to take a favorite Bible verse every Friday - quote it and explain what it means to me. I'll start today with Romans 8:28, which being the "theme verse" for my blog, I think is an appropriate place to start.

"And we know that God causes all things to work
together for good to those who love God, to those
who are called according to His purpose."

The small section in my Bible that contains this verse is entitled "Our Victory in Christ." Any Christian who trusts Christ as Savior and Lord has victory over the sin and death of this world. Verse 28 demonstrates a victory over fear, that no matter what I may be going through in my life, God has control. He knows everything that goes on in my life (and yours too!) and can use anything to glorify Himself. This is not an excuse for sin, however. The consequences that we often suffer bring a pain which, although it may not be evident for years, eventually aids us in learning from our mistakes.
This verse has been a comfort to me, most often during hard times. Yet because "everything works together for good', I have nothing to fear. The promise of eternal life certainly puts the minuscule events of this life into perspective!

All this talk of victory reminds me of the words to one of my favorite hymns -

Faith is the Victory

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.

Faith is the Victory!
Faith is the Victory!
Oh, glorious victory
That overcomes the world.

So, what do you think?

Next year...

...we'll be forcing hyacinths.

I'm so glad to be back home now, finally! Last week we went to the Sufficiency of Scripture Conference in Covington, Kentucky. It was a great learning experience and time of fun and Christian fellowship, but home is where I love to be around Christmastime! In the next few days I'll do two posts about the trip (due to a massive amount of photographs) so keep in touch.

Merry Christmas!

I'm dreaming of a....

And so the Christmas season begins.... :)

Fictional Characters Get-together

1. Han Solo (Star Wars)
2. Elinor Dashwood (Sense and Sensibility)
3. Scout (To Kill a Mockingbird)
4. Charles Wallace (A Wrinkle in Time)
5. Monsieur Paul Emmanuel (Villette)
6. Dr. Jack Marshland (Cranford)
7. Peregrin Took (Lord of the Rings)
8. Uncle Rico (Napoleon Dynamite)
9. Jo March (Little Women)
10. Master Blakeney (Master and Commander)
11. Eowyn (Lord of the Rings)
12. Passeportout (Around the World in Eighty Days)

1. Who would make a better college prof, 6 or 11?
(Dr. Jack Marshland or Eowyn)
I think I have to say Dr. Marshland. Eowyn might feel caged!

2. 12 sends 8 out on a mission. What is it? Does it succeed?
(Passeportout sends Uncle Rico)
Passeportout wants Rico to go put out the pilot light in his room, but Uncle Rico gets sidetracked at a diner eating steak.

3. What is or would be 9's favorite book?
(Jo March)
A good romance!

4. For some reason, 5 is looking for a roommate. Should (s)he share a studio apartment with 9 or 10?
(M. Paul is looking. Choices - Jo March or Master Blakeney)
Jo of course! She is a lot like his love.

5. 2, 7, and 12 have dinner together. Where do they go, and what do they discuss?
Elinor Dashwood, Pippin, Passeportout
They go somewhere that Pippin picks. Lots of food, cheap prices. Maybe they talk about their hopes and dreams. Pippin provides the entertainment.

6. 3 challenges 10 to a duel. What happens?
(Scout challenges Master Blakeney)
This is great because they’re both kids! Blakeney wins of course, he’s had more experience in battle.

7. If 1 stole 8's most precious possession, how would she/he get it back?
(Han Solo steals from Uncle Rico)
Han must have stolen Rico’s football video. Rico either a. hits him with a chunk of steak or b. tricks him into getting shocked by a time travel machine.


8. Suggest a title for a story in which 7 and 12 both attain what they most desire.
(Pippin and Passeportout)
Love and Best Dishes


9. What kind of plot device would you use if you wanted 4 and 1 to work together?
(Han Solo and Charles Wallace)
A dangerous mission to save a beautiful princess. Han flies the time and space traveling machine, and Charles handles the mechanics of trying to wrinkle time!

10. If 7 visited you for the weekend, how would you get along?
(Pippin)
Well, fine! We’d do a lot of cooking. And fireworks.

11. If you could command 3 to perform any one task or service for you, what would it be?
(Scout)
I have no idea!

12. Does anyone on your friends list write or draw 11?
(Eowyn)
I’m not sure, I think not!

13. If 2 had to choose sides between 4 and 5, which would it be?
(Elinor has to choose between Charles Wallace or M. Emmanuel)
I think she would choose Charles Wallace because she loves children.

14. What might 10 shout while charging into battle?
(Master Blakeney)
For my arm!!!!!

15. If you chose a song to represent 8, which song would you choose?
(Uncle Rico)
Deep organ music that reminds you of a thrift store.

16. 1, 6, and 12 are having dim sum at a Chinese restaurant. There is only one scallion pancake left, and they all reach for it at the same time. Who gets to eat it?
(Han, Dr. Marshland, Passeportout)
Han of course. He might whip out his gun if challenged!

17. What might be a good pick-up line for 2 to use on 10?
(Elinor on Master Blakeney)
She could never be mad at him, and if not I don’t know!

18. What would 5 most likely be arrested for?
(M. Emmanuel)
That would be impossible.

19. What is 6's secret?
(Dr. Marshland)
That he was the one who sent letters to the ladies!

20. If 11 and 9 were racing to a destination, who would get there first?
(Jo and Eowyn)
Wow that’s hard, they’re both tomboyish. I have to say Jo would.

21. If you had to walk home through a bad neighborhood late at night, would you feel safer in the company of 7 or 8?
(Pippin or Uncle Rico)
Pippin! Though he might not offer much protection, Uncle Rico is too creepy!

1 (Han) and 9 (Jo) reluctantly team up to save the world from the threat posed by 4's (Charles Wallace‘s) sinister secret organization. 11 (Eowyn) volunteers to help them, but it is later discovered that s/he is actually a spy for 4 (Charles Wallace). Meanwhile, 4 (Charles Wallace) has kidnapped 12 (Passeportout) in an attempt to force their surrender. Following the wise advice of 5 (M. Emmanuel), they seek out 3 (Scout), who gives them what they need to complete their quest. What title would you give this fic?

I don’t know but with Charles Wallace in charge its going to be hard for the others to get the best of him.

Happy Thanksgiving!

"In everything give thanks."
~1 Thessalonians 5:18

"I will sing unto the Lord, because he hath dealt bountifully with me."
~Psalms 13:6


I hope everyone has a wonderful time with family and friends this day!

I hate it when builders absolutely destroy the trees in their area before constructing huge, pretentious homes in the place of the graceful (gentle) giants.

In fact, to quote someone I know well, "It makes you wanna throw up."

Large cities frustrate me.

However, I enjoy the culinary delights that such metropolises offer.

I cannot have my cake and eat it too.

The End