Monday, June 30, 2008

these words are the sign-off of my emails...they just seemed appropriate to blog today.

"Let the words of my mouth bring you praise, Let the words that I speak be seasoned with Your love and grace. Let the things, O Lord, that I choose to say bring Glory, not shame to Your name each day. Let the words of my mouth bring You praise."





Saturday, June 28, 2008

Salt Air


spent the evening by the sea....my favorite first, The Hofbrau

misty, salty air...is good for the soul

sparkly, glittery, sunset water...

always interesting objects by the sea...in this case, jelly fish


it just makes you want to stop, stand and reflect awhile...


these came off my feet quickly..

watched some of these for awhile...

Friday, June 27, 2008

Sharing thoughts a day early on Sojourner's Journal today....come over and give it a read.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Champions!!

Well, well, well....they decided to play a little soccer and won their division in the National Cup Regional. 5 games in triple digit heat(with three of the games in less than 24 hours)...they are our heroes. They are smiling, but what was really on their mind was, "where is the pool?" Where do they find the energy?

Psalm 20

May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble!
May the name of the God of Jacob set you securely on high!
May He send you help from the sanctuary
And support you from Zion!
May He remember all your meal offerings
And find your burnt offering acceptable! Selah.
May He grant you your heart's desire
And fulfill all your counsel!
We will sing for joy over your victory,
And in the name of our God we will set up our banners
May the LORD fulfill all your petitions.
Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed;
He will answer him from His holy heaven
With the saving strength of His right hand.
Some boast in chariots and some in horses,
But we will boast in the name of the LORD, our God.
They have bowed down and fallen,
But we have risen and stood upright.
Save, O LORD;
May the King answer us in the day we call.

Psalm 20 (nasb)

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!

For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR?

Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN?

For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things To Him be the glory forever. Amen.

Romans 11:33-36

Monday, June 23, 2008

flowers and sisters

All I did was go to work.....and came home to this...

she said she wanted to be a flower and the older sister obliged...
Soccer Anyone...



we are having a heat wave....who knew you could cram so many under the shade!

long weekend in the triple digits...gotta love coming home to this...(don't ask, I have no idea)

Psalm 40

I waited patiently for the LORD;
And He inclined to me and heard my cry.
He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay,
And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.
He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;
Many will see and fear
And will trust in the LORD.
How blessed is the man who has made the LORD his trust,
And has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood.
Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders which You have done,
And Your thoughts toward us;
There is none to compare with You
If I would declare and speak of them,
They would be too numerous to count.
Sacrifice and meal offering You have not desired;
My ears You have opened;
Burnt offering and sin offering You have not required.
Then I said, "Behold, I come;
In the scroll of the book it is written of me.
I delight to do Your will, O my God;
Your Law is within my heart."
I have proclaimed glad tidings of righteousness in the great congregation;
Behold, I will not restrain my lips,
O LORD, You know.
I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart;
I have spoken of Your faithfulness and Your salvation;
I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great congregation.
You, O LORD, will not withhold Your compassion from me;
Your lovingkindness and Your truth will continually preserve me.
For evils beyond number have surrounded me;
My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to see;
They are more numerous than the hairs of my head,
And my heart has failed me.
Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me;
Make haste, O LORD, to help me.
Let those be ashamed and humiliated together
Who seek my life to destroy it;
Let those be turned back and dishonored
Who delight]in my hurt.
Let those be appalled because of their shame
Who say to me, "Aha, aha!"
Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
Let those who love Your salvation say continually,
"The LORD be magnified!"
Since I am afflicted and needy,
Let the Lord be mindful of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
Do not delay, O my God.

Psalm 40


Saturday, June 21, 2008

I'm spending time reflecting on Repair-Restore-Renew at Sojouner's Journal. Come on over and find some encouragement today...

Friday, June 20, 2008

Psalm 97

The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad;
let the distant shores rejoice.
Clouds and thick darkness surround him;
righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
Fire goes before him
and consumes his foes on every side.
His lightning lights up the world;
the earth sees and trembles.
The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
before the Lord of all the earth.
The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
and all the peoples see his glory.

Psalm 97:1-6 niv


Random Thoughts

Actually....not random at all. Some things to ponder...

"Why don't you dare to live as a forgiven man?
Brennan Manning

"The greatness of a man's power is in the measure of his surrender."
Oswald Chambers

Definition of Gentleness, "The power to be gentle and the strength to bow down."
Beth Moore

Do you recognize that the fruits of the Spirit as listed in Galatians 5:22-23 are about how to relate with people?

"Our calling is of God, but it is for people! It is the engagement of people that God uses to bring about much needed change in our lives."
Beth Moore

Illustration....An infant learning to crawl, scoots backwards around the house. The child soon finds herself under the table and chairs in the kitchen. She has backed under the chair and soon finds she can't go any further. Instead of moving forward through the wide open space, she starts pushing out, banging her head on the furniture. She starts to cry and scream and raise general havoc because she can't get out, yet the opening is right in front of her. Even though moving forward is an option, the bigger realization in observing her is that she does not realize she is the problem! (from Leadership and Self Deception, the Arbinger Institute)

A lesson on humility - think truly, when He humbles us, receive it...



Thursday, June 19, 2008

Psalm 42

As the deer pants for the water brooks,
So my soul pants for You, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God;
When shall I come and appear before God?
My tears have been my food day and night,
While they say to me all day long, "Where is your God?"
These things I remember and I pour out my soul within me
For I used to go along with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God,
With the voice of joy and thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival.
Why are you in despair, O my soul?
And why have you become disturbed within me?
Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him
For the help of His presence.
O my God, my soul is in despair within me;
Therefore I remember You from the land of the Jordan
And the peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.
Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls;
All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me.
The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime;
And His song will be with me in the night,
A prayer to the God of my life.
I will say to God my rock, "Why have You forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?"
As a shattering of my bones, my adversaries revile me,
While they say to me all day long, "Where is your God?"
Why are you in despair, O my soul?
And why have you become disturbed within me?
Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God.

Psalm 42 (nasb)

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

hmmnn....I Wonder

I heard this today...."You are only a leader if someone is following you." That is an interesting thought....I'm not sure I agree.....I'll have to think on this one a bit.

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Images of the Past 48 hours

Lining up for the last time to leave kindergarten, complete with fairy dust in their hair to turn them into 1st graders. Interesting to note, all the moms were standing up with me and crying. For many of us this is our last walk through kindergarten (until, Lord willing, grandchildren.)


Elena's classmates playing catch with water balloons...

the innocence of bubble blowing...

swimming with the cousins...

smiling with some of the family (missing Joey and Kevin)...
(l-r, Jacob, Nate, Stephanie, Emma, Elena, Ryan H., Jenna (mojo), Ryan


Psalm 118:24

Sojourning over here today. Taking a look at Psalm 118:24....come on over.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

A Year to Remember

My youngest came home with a memory book of kindergarten today. This teacher is something special. She is the number one reason we made the educational choice we did for our youngest this past year. This memory book has monthly pages of art work, writings, pictures, handprints...well, memories.

It starts with this letter from her beloved teacher:

As you turn the pages, you can relive with your little one, the memories of a school year that will never again be equaled--in its joy, its warmth, its innocence.



The book ends with this poem from her teacher:

To The Parents of Elena,
I've worked with your flower,
And helped it to grow.
I'm returning it now,
But I want you to know...

This flower is precious,
As dear as can be
Love it...take care of it
And soon you will see
A bright new bloom with everyday
It grows in such a special way.

In September...a bud,
Mid-Term...a bloom;
Now...a lovely blossom
Come home to you in June.

Remember this flower
As dear as cam be,
Though rightfully yours,
Part...belongs to me!

Friday, June 06, 2008

Happy Birthday, Elena!

The day started like this...
but ended like this...get up Zeke!!

A little Pinata fun...

they always love the trampoline...

food always helps...

thank you gifts...

chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate...
She turned 6 today. Our mighty one. She is tender and strong in spirit. She understands grace better than I do. She has a level of trust in the Lord's word which seems to go beyond childlike faith. This is the first scripture I read after she was born...I read it every June 6th.."I delight in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels." Isaiah 61:10

Happy Birthday, honey...

Wednesday, June 04, 2008

Lord You're Holy

Do you know this song? If not, you should....it is awesome. Just meditate on the words. I love the tag which describes Him in so many ways. Good stuff...(I listen to this via Travis Cottrell and the Living Proof Ministries Praise team)


Lord You're Holy

Helen Baylor


As I look around and I see
All the works that Your hands have made
The awesomeness of You
And how Your love will never fail
Mere words cannot express what I feel
inside
I can’t describe Your glory divine
But as a token of my love
This is what I’ll do
I lift my hands and cry holy

Lord, You’re Holy
Lord, You’re Holy
And we lift You up
And magnify Your Name
Lord, You’re Holy
Lord, You’re Holy
And we lift You up
And magnify Your Name

There’s not enough words that I can say
To tell you how much I appreciate
All the wonderful things You’ve given me
Your loving kindness
Your tender mercies
It’s my desire to praise You
And tell you how much I love You
You’re worthy of all the honor
Lord You’re worthy of all the praise

I don’t know how
You can love me
How You could give me
So much mercy
You didn’t have to suffer and die for me
Way back on Calvary
But I just wanna thank you

Wonderful, Glorious, Holy, and Righteous
Victorious, Conqueror, Triumphant and
Mighty
Healer, Deliverer, Shield and Defense
Strong Tower and My Best Friend
Omnipotent, Omnipresent
Soon Coming King
Alpha, Omega, Lord of everything
Holy, holy, holy is Your Name


Tuesday, June 03, 2008

The Road Not Taken

Do you ever find yourself taking the road less traveled? The path is seemingly smooth ahead as many have walked it, yet you take the other path. Robert Frost knew about this...

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveller, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference

...Robert Frost


Jesus knew about it as well..."12As He entered a village, ten leprous men who stood at a distance met Him; 13and they raised their voices, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" 14When He saw them, He said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they were going, they were cleansed. 15Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, 16and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a Samaritan. 17Then Jesus answered and said, "Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine--where are they? 18"Was no one found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?" 19And He said to him, "Stand up and go; your faith has made you well." Luke 17:12-19

I've always been one to take the road less traveled. For me, I think it is an exercise in faith. I want to be the person in the above scripture who turns around and thanks the Lord for His grace and His Mercy. Not the one who keeps walking with the crowd. It is interesting to note that the phrase "Go show yourselves to the priests" was the way to re-enter society. Given a clean record of health, these former lepers could enter back into the society they were cast out of. They were in a hurry to re-enter...forgetting the one who had cleaned them. Where are you today? In a hurry to join the crowd or in a hurry to praise and thank the Lord?