A Look Ahead and Behind

This post is from February 10, 2010. It is a look around the neighborhood I live in, which I think is beautiful. Next month, weather permitting, I will start on some yard chores so my yard will look pretty. But for now I can enjoy these pictures with you.

As my dear husband and I went walking today I decided to take my camera along a take a few pictures of the lovely trees and flowers that are blooming.

The magnolias are just starting to open.  These are one of my favorite flowering trees.

The Dogwoods are flowering all over town and it makes a lovely sight to see the varying shades of pink and the white.

This is a sweet little bush with a dark pink flower.

Happy Daffy's.

A Camellia.  Another one of my favorites.

My Peonys just starting to poke out of the ground.

A flower bud on my Clematis.  This will be a large white flower when it blooms.

My rhubarb, just about ready to pick.

My Voodoo Lily's getting a good start.  They should bloom the first part of June. 

It is so nice to walk through such a beautiful neighborhood and see God's creation.  He has created so many beautiful and interesting plants like the Voodoo Lily.  It starts looking like the picture above and ends up like the next picture.

I love it when this blooms, at least to look at.  The smell is horrific.  It smells like something crawled in the garden and died, but I would not get rid of it for anything.

I hope you are all enjoying your days as spring draws ever closer.

Father,

Thank You for the beauty You created for us. Help me to appreciate it but to always remember who created it.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

A Special Day

Today is a very special day. Why? Because it is my grandson's birthday. He is one year old. He is so precious. Being a grandma is better than I ever imagined. God has blessed me abundantly with this little boy.

When I was young, I was told by a doctor that I would most likely not be able to have children. That news made me very sad. When my husband and I found out we were pregnant it was a joyous day. Of course my son's birth was even more joyous. Then three years later my daughter was born. The mother of my sweet grandson. God chose to bless me.

A year ago my daughter and her husband and my grandson were living in Wyoming. That was hard on this grandma. I have always wanted to have my children close and of course with grandchildren...I stressed over it. Should we move there, should we stay, they weren't moving because my son-in-law had a really good job in the oilfield.

Well, I went to see them about a month after my little biggie boy was born and it was so hard to leave. My heart goes out to all those grandma and grandpa's out there who do not live close to the grandchildren. It is torture. Anyway, after I got back home, I missed my daughter even more than before and of course the grandson.

I finally had to pray and have God help me accept that we lived so far apart and I would just have to save money for airplane tickets. So, I started making plans on a home business and cleaning out a room to put it in...when, I got the call. Mom, we are moving home. WooHoo! What joy.

Now, my kids are here, living in my house, and I get to see the little biggie boy every day. I am truly a blessed grandma.

Father,
I know there are many grandparents out there that don't see their grandchildren often for a variety of reasons and I lift them up to You. I pray that you will comfort their hearts, help them to get to see their grandchildren as often as possible. Thank You for bringing my grandson here and letting them live with me. Happy birthday Little Biggie Boy!
In Jesus Name,
Amen.

Tasting the Goodness of the LORD.

I love the verse on this blog, Psalm 34:8, "O taste and see that the LORD is good, Blessed is the man who trusts in Him. I love the Psalms in general, especially David's Psalms. He went through so much tribulation and still gave thanks to the LORD and trusted him. Was he perfect, no. He was human like we are, but he trusted the LORD. When he messed up he would repent. When he was saved he would give thanks.

How often do we do either one. I'm getting better at both, but who wants to repent. I like to hide it. I don't want to get into trouble or let people see how imperfect I am. Sometimes this blog is hard to write because I'm trying to be transparent and real. I am far from perfect, and I am getting better at going to God and repenting.

I am also getting better about thanking God daily for what He does for me each day. I don't wait to make a list at bedtime or in the morning prayer time, I try to remember to do it immediately. Even for the seemingly little things like when my medication comes out of the bottle with a whole pill and a half pill. It is a small thing but I am grateful I don't have to fish around for that little half pill.

Psalm 34 starts out beautifully as well:

I will bless the LORD at all times;

His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

My soul shall make its boast in the LORD;

The humble shall hear of it and be glad.

O magnify the LORD with me,

And let us exalt His name together.

I sought the LORD and He heard me,

And delivered me from all my fears.

I find the Psalms comforting and encouraging. I hope you do too.

Father,

Thank You for all Your blessings. You have blessed me so abundantly. I pray for all who read this, that You will bless them beyond imagination.

In Jesus Name,

Amen.

Favorite Friday

This is a re-post from my other blog. I have updated it a little and added a paragraph or two. It was one of the most viewed posts.  I still use this system, but I also found an app for my smart phone.  It is called Remember Me.  I add the same verses I use in this system and then I have them when I am on the go.

Scripture Memory Box

I was visiting with my mom on the phone this morning and our conversation turned to memorizing scripture and how hard it is, especially as we get older.  I told her about a memory system that was taught to me by a missionary lady years ago when I lived in Montana.  I have found it invaluable.  It makes memorizing easy and you can do it in about 5 minutes a day.  It is easy to set up and easy to do.  I thought I would share it with you.

First you start with a recipe box.  It can be plain or vintage, pretty much whatever you like.

I put a label with Psalm 119:11 on it to remind me of the importance of memorizing scripture.

You will need FOUR divider cards.  You will label them like in the picture with New Verse, Daily, Weekly, Monthly.  Then either write on the divider or make a label for each divider that contains the following:

New Verse:  Monday:  Read verse 25 times.

Tuesday:  Read verse 20 times.

Wednesday:  Read verse 15 times.

Thursday:  Read verse 10 times.

Friday:  Read verse 5 times.

You read the verse each day the listed amount and then move it to the DAILY section.

Daily:  

1.  Say these verses ONCE every day.

2.  Add verses to this section until you have 20.

3.  Move the first verse to the weekly section.

You will not have any verses in this section until after the first week. This is the beginning of reviewing the verses you memorized in week one NEW VERSES.

Weekly:  

1.  Divide the number of cards in this section by the number of days you review.

2.  Say that many verses ONCE each day.  You should get through this section once a week.

3.  Continue adding verses until you have 50.

4.  Move first verse to next section.

This section will not have any cards in it for a while. You don't move any verses to this section until you have 20 in the previous section. 

Monthly:  

1.  Divide the number of verses in this section by the number of days you review in a month.

2.  Say that many verses each day once.

3.  It will take a while before you have verses in this section.

4.  By the time a verse is moved to the monthly section you will have said it 225 times.

Now as I was taking pictures and getting ready to post about this I decided my box was not cute, the cards were too plain, and the box was, well, just ugly. So, I dressed things up a little.

I covered the divider cards with scrapbooking paper.  I used double-sided tape and covered just one side.  I then used some colored round tabs to label the dividers.

I then wrote the instructions on the back of the cards.

I like using the colored recipe cards.  They make it bright and happy.  I don't color code anything, I just like the bright, happy colors.

I then used some more scrapbook paper to cover the box.  Again, I attached the paper with double-sided tape.

Then I added my verse to the top.

I hope this encourages you to memorize scripture, if you don't already.  Sometimes it seems like we don't have the time and after all we have our Bibles, but having it hidden in our hearts keeps it fresh in our minds for whatever situation we find ourselves in.  We might find ourselves in a challenging situation and if we have been memorizing verses we have something that will come into our mind to help us put things into perspective or calm our nerves, to just help us through the difficult time. 

I know when I was struggling in my last job with having SAD and working with special needs children and a few other things, verses would continually pop into my head. When I would be so worn down and weary and just want to sit in the corner and cry I would recite Isaiah 40: 30-31, "Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

I am not always faithful at memorizing all the time but the verses I have learned sure come in handy. There have been many, many times where verses just flood my mind and calm my spirit.  It is a balm to my soul.  It is like God whispering in your ear letting you know He is with you and will help you get through whatever it is you are going through.  I LOVE that. 

There are also times I will see something that brings God's Word to my mind.  One thing is after it rains and the clouds part a little and the sun shines through and there are rays of sunlight shining downward and there is a special glow all around.  That always brings to mind 1 Thessalonians 4: 16-18- "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.  Therefore comfort one another with these words." (New American Standard Version)

These are some of my very favorite verses.  They are a comfort to me.  Can't you just picture Jesus in the clouds waiting for us to rise up to him and meet him in the clouds.  Maybe that is why I love rain so much...it is always cloudy when it rains (duh!), and there is always a place when the rain stops and the clouds part that the sun shines through and puts me in mind of the SON.  I tell you what, those verses, those words are very comforting and I am thankful they are in my heart and clouds and sunshine bring them to mind.

So I am going to challange you to memorize scripture, whatever way works for you.  If you would like to use the model I posted feel free.  If you make a scripture memory box and get creative please post a comment and let me know.  I would love to hear about what you are doing.  I love comments.

Father, 

I thank You for each reader and ask that You bless them abundantly throughout their day. I don't know who reads this blog but You do and so I ask that whatever is going on in their lives that you will help them through it. Keep them safe and bring joy unspeakable to their souls.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Christian "Light"

Ever since the tragedy that occurred here on October 1, and a little bit before, I have been disillusioned with Christians in general, especially Christian leadership. I know we are all human and all fallible, but I'm very frustrated with the Christian "light" attitude we all have. We are Christians but how dedicated are we really. How far are we willing to go to be followers of Christ. Here in America we are not persecuted. Sometimes it feels like it but we really we aren't. But, on October 1 and afterwards, I witnessed how quick we are to jump into the spotlight and not to defend our faith.

Now I know evangelists have been in the spotlight for years. Moody, Graham, Spurgeon, but it seems different lately. It seems it is more about the person and less about God and sharing Jesus. As I get to know leaders I see compromise. I also see it in other Christians lives. I'm not trying to be judgmental, I see it in my life as well, and maybe it has always been there through the ages, but where are the "hot" Christians. It seems as if we've all cooled to lukewarm.

That is what I mean by Christian "light". We are Christians but, we want what the world wants. Money, fame, popularity. Sometimes it is hard to tell a Christian from anyone else, even pastors. I know of pastors who drink, not only at home but in public. Some pastors spend more time on vacation than in the pulpit. The way I see it, when our leadership goes soft, so do the people. We complain about what is happening in our world and we should be offering the solution, but our testimonies have been compromised.

How can we tell others about Jesus when there is as much divorce in the church as in the world. Drinking and smoking are not as taboo anymore. Our young people and older people have sex outside of marriage, live together without marriage...how are we ANY different.

My heart's desire is to be different. It says in the Bible we are to be a peculiar people. That is in 1 Peter 2:9, "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light". That is what I want. I want to be a light, a beacon, not little of faith.

This Christian life is not about me. It is about Jesus and bringing others to Him and helping struggling Christians with accountability, to helping raise up our children to not only pray the sinner's prayer, but give their whole being to Jesus. I think that is where I failed when I raised my kids. We went to church pretty faithfully, we had family devotions, we prayed together, but once they accepted Christ as Savior, it was like that was the completion. I feel like I neglected to show my kids how to have a relationship with Jesus, how to build that relationship.

I want to be different, peculiar. I want people to see Jesus, not me. God has been showing me things in my life and with Christians in general that break my heart. We are failing. We are not doing what he has called us to do, be LIGHTS. Jesus is the light of the world and we are called to share that light, not be "light", doing just what we need to get by. I want to make waves by being different. That is my prayer for myself and all Christians. That we all will have our eyes opened and see that we need to fully commit to Christ and be different.

Now, not all of my Christian friends are Christian "light". I know some awesome people who have dedicated their lives to Christ and it shows in their lives and their children's lives. I want to be like them because they are like Jesus.

Father,
It seems your children have not been fully committed to you. We are not doing what You have asked us to do. Sometimes we are no better than unbelievers. Father, I fully believe we need to be set apart from the world and I pray that You will touch the hearts of every Christian and give them a hunger for Your word and for You. I pray that we will all commit our lives to serving Christ and developing our relationships with You and Jesus. I pray Father, that you will open our eyes to our sins and our thoughtlessness towards You. I pray for sincere repentance and revival among all Christians and may it start with me.
In Jesus Name,
Amen 

God's Wondrous Creation

God's Wondrous Creation

Today I thought I would re-post a post from my old blog. These pictures are from Toketee Falls here in the Umpqua Valley. It is a very beautiful place and I hope I get to hike up there again soon. Enjoy.

                             

Do you ever go on a walk or hike and just marvel at the beauty and just plain amazingness (I know not a word) of God's creation?  I do.  Usually as I am walking or hiking hymns and verses are running through my mind reminding me of my Creator and how great he is.

His creation amazes me and I have to whisper prayers of thanksgiving as walk along in the stillness of the forest.

I marvel at the majesty He shows us in nature.

"Then as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen saying

'Blessed to the King who comes in the name of the LORD!  Praise in heaven and glory in the highest!'

And some fo the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd.  'Teacher, rebuke your disciples.'  But he answered and said to them, 'I will you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.'"

Thanks for stopping by,

Beth

Father,

Thank You for providing such beauty in our surroundings. Thank You for showing us Your love through Your creation.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Prayer

"Pray without ceasing." 1 Thessalonians 5:17.

Sounds easy enough to do, and I do throughout my day shoot prayers up to God, but I feel I'm missing out on something much deeper and soul satisfying by not spending a certain time in prayer.

Throughout the Gospels Jesus goes off and spends time alone in prayer. Early in the morning on more than one occasion. Mark 1:35 is an example of this, "Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed." This verse tells us quite a bit about Jesus' prayer habit. First, He rose long before daylight. I know for some that is hard to do, especially if you aren't a morning person, but I find it about the only time to have a quiet time because the rest of my family are not morning people. Could this be why Jesus was up early, before daylight?

Second, He went to a solitary place. I can picture a nice quiet place, away from the crowds and all the questions and scrutiny. Someplace where He could just focus on His Father. Right now I have a hard time finding a quiet place, solitary place. I know I said my family doesn't rise early, but they rise earlier on days I'm trying for alone time. I think the enemy doesn't want much prayer going on in this house.

Third, He prayed. He talked to His Father. I imagine He also listened. Listening is an important part of prayer, after all prayer is a conversation and in conversations you must stop talking and listen to the other person once in a while. How else are we supposed to hear that still small voice, we must be quiet, and listen. Sometimes it is so hard to sit and be still and just listen. I have so much to say to God, you know. But, unless I quiet my soul and mind, I cannot get direction and guidance from my Father, and I need that very much.

I have always wanted to be a prayer warrior, but I have lacked the ability to be quiet. I am learning. Now, I am working on finding a place where I can set up my prayer closet and have a quiet, solitary place any time during the day. After all, morning is not the only time Jesus prayed and at times He left the crowds and the disciples and went away to pray and refresh His soul by communing with His Father. I know the times I am able to spend quality time with God, in His word, and in prayer, my soul feels very refreshed.

Father,
Thank You for Your insight and guidance. Thank You for Your love and care. Guide me and my readers throughout our days.

In Jesus Name,
Amen

Obedience

Every time I hear the word OBEDIENCE, I think of the children's song O-B-E-D-I-E-N-C-E.
You know the one,

Obedience is the very best way to show that you believe. 

Doing exactly as the Lord commands, doing it happily. 

Action is the key, do it immediately, joy you will receive. 

Obedience is the very best way to show that you believe.

That little tune runs through my mind a lot, especially when I'm working with children. I even taught it to my preschoolers. Why? Well because children should be obedient to their parents, teachers, all those in authority right? We work hard to raise our children to be good listeners and do what they are told or asked, to do it right away. We try to train them to not grumble when they are doing what is asked of them, even if it something they would rather not be doing. We try hard to raise children who will be a blessing to society and not a drain.

But what about us adults? Are we obedient? Do we do what we are asked to without grumbling? Do we do it immediately or when we have time? 

I don't know about you, I can only speak for myself, but I tend to grumble and I tend to put things off until I want to do them or I can get out of them. This also transfers to my relationship with God. I'm not always obedient, especially not right away, or if He wants me to do something I don't want to do. It took me a long time to resign at the preschool, even though I knew that is what God wanted. But, I loved the kids so much, and I loved teaching them, but I wasn't happy because of other parts of my job. Let's face it, I also wasn't happy because the job became my God, but that's another post for another day.

Last spring when I was dealing with the SAD and my job and getting things sorted out with my Father, He directed me to do some things. At first I was doing it. This blog is one of those things, but as you can tell I have been neglecting it. God keeps giving me things to write about, sometimes I even put the thoughts into a notebook thinking I will get that typed up later, and later never comes. I use the excuse that I have no quiet time without family about to sit and type and think. The best one, God, who am I to write a blog about You? What do I know about teaching the Bible? So, I put things off, but it is always there in the back of mind and the ideas for posts keep coming. 

And, the stresses keep coming. Why? Lack of obedience. It is very plain to me what is happening in my life right now is a direct result of disobedience. Yes, I read my Bible. I go to Bible study. I study the Bible. What's missing is action. I'm not doing what I know God wants me to do. He has given me two specific things He wants me to do, this blog is one, and I have not been doing either one. If we are to experience the joy and blessings God has for us, we need to be obedient to Him in ALL that He asks, without grumbling and right away.

So, here we are. I'm being obedient. As for my excuses, well, I just got up earlier this morning so I could have some quiet time. Who am I, I am God's child. He gives me the words to say and really this isn't a Bible study, it is how God is leading me and growing me to become the woman He wants me to be so that I can best serve Him. This is my journey and I pray that some of what I am learning can help someone else on their journey to becoming the person God wants them to be.

Father, I thank You for Your patience with me. I thank You for not giving up on me. Your mercy and grace is so amazing. Father, whoever reads this, let them find something that will be of help to them. Bless all who read.  

In Jesus Name,

Amen