Sunday, January 30, 2011
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Infected With A Fever
Last week, I was infected with a fever of the worst kind to get in January. It's the kind that hangs on for a long time, at least another couple months. It starts to go away, but then a cold spell comes along, and it starts all over. The only cure for this fever of mine is sunshine, warmth, and playing in the dirt. I have a severe case of Spring fever, you see.
A few days ago, our winter wonderland thawed and Spring-like weather took over the area. Until that time, I was dealing ok with winter, and actually enjoying the beauty in the white, fluffy snow. Once the 50 degree weather hit and all the snow melted off my flowerbeds, my mind started to daydream about my garden, flowers, and warmth. I quickly replaced thoughts of snowshoeing with thoughts of digging in the dirt. However, since I have lived in the Northwest for 35 years now, my mind kept reminding me that it was only mid-January. I did my best to quiet that voice, and pretend that Spring was just around the corner. Well, yesterday the temps never rose above 25. The sun was out, so it was beautiful, but very chilly. Today we have received four inches of snow. My Spring dreaming has been squashed. I did buy some seeds yesterday while in the store. I still need many more, but it's a start to my collect, as I hope for a much better growing season than last year. I had a friend with me while I went shopping who thought I was crazy for buying seeds in January. He is only 19, so I explained that some seeds need to be started before too long, plus they were on sale, plus I have a huge case of cabin fever and want to plant! He just shook his head and laughed at me. As I look at the snow covered landscape today, I probably agree.
I think we all need those type of dreams this time of year, as the weather goes from Winter to Spring, Winter to Spring, and messes with our minds. Every time I drive by the local lumber yard, I look at the greenhouses, and wish they were a little cheaper, and came with a heating unit, so I could put one outside by back door. It would be a nice cure to the Spring fever that has infected me this past week. But, for now, I guess I will just keep looking at my seed catalogs and dreaming of my garden, fresh veggies, beautiful flowers, butterflies, warm sunshine. If you, like me, are struggling with the fever, maybe these pictures will help.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
This Little Light of Mine
I have been out of town for a few days, so need to play a little catch up around here. I will post later this week. For now, I hope you enjoy this video, and that God touches your heart while you listen to it.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
More Winter Scenes
Our trek around the Coeur d'Alene area brought us to many beautiful sights. We found icicles dancing over creeks, partially frozen waterfalls with beautiful sheets of ice draping over the top of the streaming water, trees draped in snow, still waters that gave off perfect reflections, wildlife, and stunning sunsets. Everywhere we went, we saw God's artistic hand sweep across the landscape.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Name Change
Our Lord is a name changer. He changed Abram to Abraham, Sarai to Sarah, Jacob to Israel. He changed my name from broken to beautiful, weak to strong, condemned to exonerated. How has He changed your name? ~Wendy Pope
I also think of things like from rejected to accepted, hopeless to filled with hope, unloved to loved, scared to trust anyone to trusting Him with my all, joyless to joy-filled, ungrateful to thankful, fearful to fearless, insecure to secure in who I am through Him, worthless to a treasure, sinner to forgiven, lowly to the child of a King.
One other thing I think the Lord can change the most is taking someone from being religious to being in a relationship with Him, where rules and rituals are replaced with a friendship, a loving relationship with Jesus. There is such a difference! One is based on love, the other is based on rules and often times, what one does wrong. Jesus wants us to just be with Him, to allow Him to be our Savior, and to change to be like Him because we love Him. A relationship with Christ brings about that change because we love Him, because we want to be like Him in the way we live. He summed up how we should live by telling us to love God, love others. When we do this, all is fulfilled and complete.
He wants to change our names. What has He changed yours to be, or what do you want your name to be changed to? Give it up to Jesus, and give Him thanks.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Thoughts for the New Year
I was working on a blog for the new year, and then read this one on my facebook page. Maybe I will post my thoughts next week, but for now, I thought these were great words to chew on and think about. So, I decided to repost it. It is from Proverbs 31 Ministries...great thoughts for the new year.
My New Year’s Prayer
by Wendy Blight
“For the Word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.”
– Hebrews 4:12 (NLT)
The first day of each New Year carries with it a myriad of emotions that often lead to promises and resolutions. Some commit to lose weight. Some commit to exercise more. Some desire a more disciplined walk with the Lord. And some want to be better wives and mothers. We all want God’s highest and best for the New Year.
But God knows too that these promises and resolutions are often grounded not in His Word but in our flesh. We focus on the end result and not on the process. There is nothing wrong with wanting to lose weight and exercise. It is a wonderful goal to be a “better” wife and mother. It is admirable to commit to daily Bible reading and quiet time. But we must be aware of making these things a daily duty we check off.
Committing to a New Year’s Resolution will not necessarily bring profound lasting life change. Committing your heart to God…studying, learning, and praying His Word…that is what will bring eternal, lasting life transformation.
I invite you to join me this year in writing a New Year’s Prayer. To begin, examine your New Year’s Resolution and prayerfully ask the Lord to reveal the heart issue behind it. Ask Him to lead you through His Word to verses that directly address what you hear.
Listen to the power of God’s promise in our key verse today: “For the Word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires” (Hebrews 4:12, NLT).
Perhaps you want to lose weight because you feel unworthy of love due to your past, your present, or choices you have made. Find verses on God’s great love for you. Believe and trust His promises that He created you just the way you are because He has a great plan and purpose for your life that only you can accomplish.
Perhaps you want to spend more time in the Word but you are too busy…you just can’t fit it into your day. Find Scriptures on God’s wisdom and priorities. Proverbs is a great place to start.
Perhaps you want to be a better wife and mother, but you have a temper that flares or a tongue that cuts like a knife. Open God’s Word and find verses addressing speech, self-control, and patience. Proverbs and James are great places to start.
Once you have found your verses, take each one and personalize it. Then join them together, along with your own words to make a prayer. Copy your prayer into a journal or notebook.
Listen to God’s promise in Isaiah 55:10-11 (NLT):
The rain and snow come down from the heavens
and stay on the ground to water the earth.
They cause the grain to grow,
producing seed for the farmer
and bread for the hungry.
and stay on the ground to water the earth.
They cause the grain to grow,
producing seed for the farmer
and bread for the hungry.
It is the same with my Word.
I send it out, and it always produces fruit.
It will accomplish all I want it to,
and it will prosper everywhere I send it.
I send it out, and it always produces fruit.
It will accomplish all I want it to,
and it will prosper everywhere I send it.
Friend, Isaiah 55 is God’s PROMISE to you. If you pray His Word over your life…over your heart…over your home, He will be FAITHFUL to prosper it and make it bear fruit!
Heavenly Father, invade my heart as I seek to surrender my life to You in 2011. Lead me through Your Word, show me the truths and promises You have for me. Help me to write them into a prayer for You today. I love You, Lord, and desire nothing more than to live a life fully surrendered to You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Application Steps:
Write your New Year’s prayer, print it out, tuck it away in your Bible, and pray it often.
Reflections:
Read Psalm 139. This is the very Word of God written for me. I believe what it says. My Father created me, and He loves me greatly!
Read Psalm 139. This is the very Word of God written for me. I believe what it says. My Father created me, and He loves me greatly!
Power Verses:
Psalm 139:16b, “…all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” (NIV)
Psalm 139:16b, “…all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” (NIV)
Enter to win a “Living Truth” New Year’s Gift Pack! From your comments on her blog, Wendy will choose two women to receive a New Year’s Gift Pack including: The One Year Chronological Bible, a copy of her Bible Study e-book, All Things Wise and Wonderful: Applying God’s Wisdom in Everyday Life, and a Starbucks gift card so you can escape to a quiet place to spend time in the Word with Him.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Merry Christmas
Wishing you peace in your heart, as we celebrate our Savior's birth! Praying for all who stop by here to have a Christmas filled with love, and many, many blessings. My hope for each one is that we take time to visit the manger, and set our focus on Christ.
Merry Christmas!
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