Spring Fever

The kids graciously allowed David and I to attend the John Piper regional conference last night and this morning. They then needed some get out and run time this afternoon...we headed for some local wildflowers.

If they were only this loving all the time!!!

Fields and fields of blues, yellows and oranges...

These little guys were only as big as my thumb nail....acres and acres of them.

What Did You Say...?

Can't quite hear very well this morning. Sat through a Student Spotlight night at the local drum school last night. Why, you ask? Because Joey played in it. He did very well. They all did. It was loud....It is encouraging to attend an event like this particularly when music has been decimated from our schools. What would have been learned in "band" with extra lessons on the side when I was growing up is now completely "on the side". Most, I'll bet none, of these kids play within their local school. It was fun to watch the teachers play as well. Really cool guys who are very hip, but have multiple degrees in music. They teach percussion - not drums and a lot of theory right along with it. Way to go...

Mr. Lewis

Haven't quoted CS Lewis in awhile.....grabbed Through the Shadowlands off the shelf as I was taking the kids to swim today. It is always interesting what I grab for a quick perusal off the shelf. It is somewhat difficult to keep an eye on the pool and one in the book. How does this grab you?

"God has not been trying an experiment on my faith or love, in order to find out their quality. He knew it already. It was I who didn't."

Have you Heard it?

Props to my husband for sending this my way.....wow! does not even begin to describe.

www.youtube.com


(Penny, I know this would have been you, Grace and Katie 20 years ago!!)

A Warm, Lazy, Easter

Hallelujah

What stuck with you on this very special Lord's day? We experienced a magnificent worship service this morning - the praise song Revelation 19 just will not leave my head (actually, I am glad for that). Just had to spend time in Revelation 19 after that.....

"After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God;..." And a second time they said, "Hallelujah! Her smoke rises up forever and ever."...."Amen. Hallelujah!"....Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty reigns." Revelation 19

All Time Favorite

My all time favorite song.....Before the Throne of God

(I have Selah's version on my ipod)

Before the throne of God above I have a strong,
a perfect plea A great High Priest whose name is
Love Who ever lives and pleads for me

When Satan tempts me to despair and tells me
of the guilt within Upward I look and see Him there,
Who made an end to all my sin

Because the sinless Savior died my sinful
soul is counted free For God the Just is
satisfied to look on Him and pardon me To look on Him and pardon me

Before the throne of God, I come
Before the throne of God, I come

Behold Him there, the risen Lamb my perfect spotless righteousness
The great unchangeable I Am, the King of glory and of grace

My name is graven on His hands
My name is written on His heart
I know that while in Heaven, He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart

One with Himself I cannot die
My soul is purchased with His blood
My life is hid with Christ on high
With Christ my Savior and my God
With Christ my Savior and my God

Above All

Click on the following link and watch a great video.....it takes about 9 minutes or so to watch. Really cool. www.godtube.com

Scarves

"Jacob, it is 43 degrees and heavy fog. Please go put on warmer clothes."

His answer....I'll grab a scarf

View Through the Fog

It is a foggy, foggy morning here today. I like the fog. It quiets and soothes the world around me. It sweeps in and envelopes our little town and then quietly pulls back out towards the ocean. As I was thinking about the fog this early morning I was reminded of a story Ruth Bell Graham tells of a friend who was a sheriff officer. He was an excellent marksman and was looking forward to some range testing. Unfortunately, the day prior to his testing he received new trifocal glasses. As he took aim on the target he became very nervous due to using the new glasses. He started to perspire. When he perspired it fogged up his glasses. He then remembered a tip that had been passed onto him in the military. When you can't see your target - remember your position. He took a deep breath, thought about his position in front of the target and hit all five shots dead on. Sometimes when we are in the fog (by our choice or the Lord's) it is impossible to see the target and forget the position we have in Christ.

Sometimes the Lord allows fog in our lives because we took our eyes off the target of Christ and are prone to wander. Are you in the fog this morning? Try during this passion week to remember your position - in Christ. You will hit the target every time.

11 Years AGo Today...

11 years ago today, Emma Cathryn Grant entered our lives...we were blessed at the time and are abundantly blessed today. She is fun, smart, beautiful, caring, feels and sees the hurts in our world like no other. She celebrated with girlfriends last night by doing a neighborhood scavenger hunt. I'm not sure the neighborhood is ever going to be the same (just ask our neighbor's from India who have no idea what the girls were doing and asking for at their home.

A little party prep...

She was blessed with gifts...(over the top generous)

They are young women, but still very 11...

When she was born she was immediately placed on my bare chest. She didn't cry, but lifted her head and looked straight into my eyes. I told my husband that I felt like she looked directly into my soul. A very God moment. My prayer for her is that she will grow deeply in the Lord, that her heart will be forever placed in His hands, and she will live according to His purpose and will. She is well on her way..Happy Birthday, Emma.

Breakfast, Dad, Cookies and Friends

Another free saturday. They are so rarely free....breakfast in Cayucos. Yummmm...

Dad got to join us....seven weeks without him as he was working nights and sleeping days. He only had three days off and we are all a little frayed around the edges.

Craving chocolate cookies.....had to make some.

Always best to enjoy with a friend.

I See Broken Bones in the Future...

Bezalel

Do you know who he was? Interesting character to ponder. I was looking back over a bible study I did a couple of years ago and was once again taken with the biblical story of Bezalel. You will find it in Exodus 31 and 36. Who was this man? He was (according to scholarly people much wiser than myself) the only person mentioned in the old testament who the Lord filled with the Holy Spirit who wasn't a leader or prophet. Isn't that an amazing thing? What else did the Lord bestow on this man? "...in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship, to make artistic designs for work in gold, in silver, and in bronze and in the cutting of stones for settings, and in the carving of wood, that he may work in all kinds of craftsmanship." And not for just the 'honey-do' list around the house, but for the building of the tent of meeting and the ark of the covenant. Aahhhh.....He chose an everyday, nothing special (or so we thought) laborer and indwelled him with the Holy Spirit.

Why him? Why Bezalel? We will never know, but scholars are in surmising agreement that it had to do with his obedience to the Lord. I like how Beth Moore described it..."God empowered Bezalel to perform his assignment, apparently viewing the situation like this: I have a job that needs to be done, and I want it done right the first time. That means I will have to do it Myself. So He did - through Bezalel. God searches for laborers who will simply let Him do His job through them as His vessels."

What monumental anointing and I am sure it was never lost on Bezalel. It begs the question I have asked before. Here in North America we are very out of touch with God's Glory and His Holiness (not so in other parts of the world). I often wonder if part of the reason is that we as evangelical Christians take the Holy Spirit for granted. See, in the New Testament we know He will never leave us or forsake us. Not the case in the Old Testament. They knew (those who had the Holy Spirit placed on them) that it could go. Just read David's lament in Psalm 51. Is some of our apathy due to taking the Spirit for granted?

Those were the days

Remember 2nd Chapter of Acts....well if you don't (or were too young or heaven forbid...not born yet) they were a Christian Band first popular in the late 70's. You would probably be familiar with several of their songs, but most definitely Easter Song. I won't tell how old or young I was, but they were the first "rock concert" I attended. They were playing at Cal Poly at the time. I recently listened to their original version of Easter song and while enjoying the vocals was openly laughing at the instrumentation. Go ahead....laugh....what were you doing during the late 70's? What were you listening to, Christian or otherwise? Don't get me started on Journey....talk about taking a ride back to high school.