Keeping The Right Company.....A Devotional

Mister is learning.

Remember Mister?

The one who isn't ours but 

lives here anyway?

Well, he is changing and growing.

It is more common now for me to 

let him out unleashed with the other 

two morning and evening.

He does what they do.

Hunts a good spot for his business

and then runs back to me looking

for my favor.  

Makes me smile!

Now instead of two dogs

all excited and looking for a treat

after a morning outing, there are three.

Georgia noticed the difference in him

this week and commented on how much

he has changed.

Now, I still put him in his crate when

we have visitors....and most of the time 

when he is outside he is in a large fenced area

where he is very content.  But I want him to 

learn to be a part of this "pack".

To learn from the older dogs and know his

place and the expectations here.

He is getting it.

At least once a week he takes a journey 

up the hill to visit other scents and smells

but he always comes running back to my arms....

faster each time.

Soon he won't feel the need to wander.

Everything he needs and wants will be right here.

Isn't that what it can be like in our Spiritual walk?

At first it is unfamiliar.

We see the guidelines as rules and regulations.

Sometimes we push against them

and feel a bit stifled.

But as time goes on and we mature

and grow to know the One who made the rules

we come to understand that they are there for our good.

It is a wonderful feeling to know that we have done well.

Our desire to run off to the big world to see what we 

are missing has less and less appeal because the love

of God is so real and strong in our hearts that 

nothing else compares.

The brightest lights.."out there"...

have nothing on the peace that passes

all understanding.

Just as Mister is learning to trust my voice,

so I am learning daily to lean more and more

on my Heavenly Father.

He knows what is best for me.

Winterthur's Azalea Woods

Imagine that it is the early 1920's.
Your name is Henry Francis DuPont.
You have more than 1000 acres to work
with...and you love horticulture.

In fact, as a child you were home schooled
and as part of this education you
took many nature walks where you
learned the Common and Latin names of
the plants around you.
The dinner table was your quizzing place.
This was where you proved your knowledge
at the end of the day.

Imagine that one day you decide to
try growing azaleas. So, you choose
seventeen varieties from Europe.

They do so well that you end up
planting more than 1,000 azalea
bushes in an eight acre wood.

What you get all of these 90 years later....

Eye candy....
Lot and lots of eye candy.

Every way you look it is a
different color palette but
each is absolutely stunning.

Sadly, this annual beauty is short-lived.
That is why I would not consider
basing a garden exclusively on azaleas.

However, I don't have a thousand acres
to work with either.

Due to our early warm weather this Spring
all of our plants and trees are about
two and a half weeks ahead of schedule.
So, while these are normally at peak
Mid-May....this is Peak Week.
Gardeners can plan and plan,
but plants have their own timetable.

We followed path after path of
nothing but azaleas in bloom.

Some of the bushes bore two colors.
It was rather shocking.

We greatly enjoyed our visit
to these colorful woods....
but this was only the beginning
of our lovely day.

I cannot wait to show you the
rest of our day.
It will take several posts over
the next week or so.

And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
Isaiah 58:11

Wouldn't you like to be compared to
the loveliness of a garden such as this?

For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.
Isaiah 61:11

Ahhh....Bring it Forth, Lord.
I am ready!

Climb with Me?

Many mornings at a certain time
the dogs go a bit crazy.
They bark excitedly.

In September it takes me a bit
to remember that it is bus time and
the neighbor boys are at their bus stop.
a.k.a. Our driveway.

So, in those early days of the school
year I often go to look who might be
out there.

What I see is pretty predictable.
Boys in our maple tree.

What is it about a tree that makes it just
need to be climbed?

Those boys aren't the only ones who love
to climb this tree.

Look who I found there on Monday....











Climbing....
Reaching new heights.
Seeing things from a different perspective.
Enjoying the beauty,
While facing fears in the process.

That is what draws us . . .
up into a tree
or to the peak of a mountain.

Have you climbed lately?

Stretched beyond your normal
comfort zone?

Maybe you have
taken a much needed respite among the
beauty of God's creation?

Whatever your reason for
climbing. . . it is worth it!

Best of all,
You don't have to
do it in your own strength!

The Sovereign LORD is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to go on the heights.
Habakkuk 3:19a

Let's Climb together!
Reach for those goals and dreams
that are just outside the realm
of comfort and the known.

I know of several people right now
who are climbing...

Whether it is ~

to win against illness,
to have a much wanted child,
to find a job in a market that is cruel,
to start a business,
to cheerfully meet the demands of a busy family,
learning to live without a spouse who is gone,
taking on the challenges of a needy foster child,
or
in the ministry that they have been called to.

And we are off!
Climbing!

In HIS strength.

Christian Forgiveness

The skit I am writing for our
homeschool co-op has forgiveness
as its primary message.

This has me thinking.

How do we forgive?

Why do we forgive?

Who wins when we forgive?

First of all, I think that Christians have the best understanding of forgiveness that can be had. I mean once a person understands that they cannot possibly live up to the expectations of a perfect God and accept the gift of salvation offered through the death of Jesus, it kind of brings a new light on the subject.

God is love.
We hear this all of the time.
It is true.

God is also just.

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death,
but the gift of God is
eternal life
in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Sin is not acceptable in His sight.
Not even an bad thought now and then...

I John 3:15
Anyone who hates his brother
is a murderer,
and you know that
no murderer has eternal
life in him.

But who can live up to that???

Romans 3:10-12
There is no one righteous, not even one;
there is no one who understands,
no one who seeks God.
All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one."

No one.

Hence the need of a paid penalty.
The penalty had to be death.
It was.
Jesus, God's Son, gave Himself
for those who would receive the
gift of Eternal Life...as opposed
to an Eternity Absent from God.

Romans 3:21-26
But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

Having received this forgiveness
in the most life changing and
serious way, how can we not forgive
those around us who hurt us,
intentionally or not.

After all, we are told to pray in the
Lord's Prayer...
"Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.
For if you forgive men when
they sin against you,
your heavenly Father will
also forgive you.
But if you do not forgive
men their sins,
your Father will not
forgive your sins."

So, back to the original questions:

How do we forgive?

We forgive by following
God's example. Once we
have accepted Christ's gift
all that has gone before is
forgiven and forgotten.
As if it had never been.

My human brain does love
to hold on to offenses.
Each time a memory of a
time I was "wronged" comes
to mind,
I may have to forgive again.
Forgiveness is a choice...
not a feeling.

An action verb, if you will.


Why do we forgive?

We forgive so that we
can be forgiven. We also
forgive so that we can be
free...from hate, sadness
and broken relationships.

This is vital in our family
relationships. To leave
something unforgiven is to
create a split in the relationship
that will be very hard to repair
later. The sooner we choose
to forgive the less fallout
we have to deal with.

Who wins when we forgive?

Everybody!
Especially the forgiver.
Holding onto a grudge uses
so much energy. It can make
one tired and ugly.

There was no greater testimony
to come out of the sad event
called the "Amish Schoolhouse
Shooting" just miles from my
home than the forgiveness demonstrated
by the families whose lives were
impacted forever.

Amish men traveled to the Middle
East to speak with men in Countries
there because there was so much interest
in how they could possibly honestly
forgive. They were asked to come
and explain it.

The media was stunned
at the true forgiveness
they observed.


Stories from courtrooms
become news when the victim
or their family chooses forgiveness
over vengeance.

Why does this become news?

Because it is rare.

But what a powerful impact is made
when the family of a drunk driver and
that driver who made a terrible choice
team up to speak in classrooms.

Forgiveness is way underrated.

Christians forgive, because we understand
what we have been forgiven.

We win, because we have been forgiven
and we win when we forgive those who
hurt us.

It's not always easy...
but it is soooo worth it!

If you are holding onto hurts
today, I would encourage you
to let go. Find the joy that
is waiting for you in the gift
of forgiveness.

Your chest will feel lighter
and your smile will become
brighter.

An instant facelift....lol.

I am turning off the comments.

After a post such as this I
always cringe when pressing
publish.

I am not perfect!
I have not totally mastered
this. Hopefully each
time I remember more quickly
that there is joy and freedom in
forgiveness.

Thanks for allowing me to
share this with you.

Who Wrote the Bible?

When one studies how the Bible
came to be it is astounding to
see how so many authors over so
many hundreds of years could write
something so cohesive.

A book spanning such a period of
time should surely have many
discrepancies and "missed prophesies".

It would, I am sure, if it were just
some book.

However, in 2 Peter 1:19-21 it is
explained:

And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Ahhh....that is so good to remember.
As we read the Prophesies both fulfilled
and yet to be fulfilled we must remember
that it is directed by God Himself,
through the Holy Spirit.

Something to think about...
How do we treat our Bibles?

Do we treat them as if they are the very
Word of God or do we treat them as another
book in our homes and on our shelves.

I admit that I very often take this wonderful
book for granted and do not treasure it as I
should. It is not unusual for American or
European Christians to own multiple copies
of God's Holy Word, while in other countries
it is illegal or financially impossible to
own even one.

In parts of the Holy Land simply reading it
aloud is considered an act of stirring up
a riot. Our Moms discovered this on their
recent trip there. Imagine that! In the very
land where our Savior walked it is illegal to
read the scriptures out loud in certain areas.

Is it just a book?
Or is it something of power
to cause such a distinct reaction....

I believe we need to seriously treasure the
Word of the Lord as it has been given to us.

Proverbs 2 puts it like this:

My son, if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,
turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding,

and if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,

and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,

then you will understand the fear of the LORD
and find the knowledge of God.

For the LORD gives wisdom,
and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

Something to think about on
this Lord's Day....

In The Beginning...

God...


The Andromeda Galaxy

Once upon a time I heard those
whom I love and respect talk of
a different time period for the
six days of creation.

They said that science seems to
show an older world than one of
six to eight thousand years.
Therefore they concluded that the
time God referred to as a day was
really a large expanse of years.


Full Moon over Laguna Beach

But, I had to take issue with
that. Respectfully.

Genesis One, the beginning of
God's Holy Word, says evening
and morning...One day.

This was during the time I was
teaching our three young children
about Creation.

You know, as opposed
to Evolution. They are
not compatible.

It seemed to me that
if "day" did not mean "day" in the Bible
what else would we be able to change up
if it didn't fit our understanding?

How would I explain that to the children,

"Well, I know it says it was six days, children,
but a day wasn't really a day then and God just
expected us to understand that...now lets talk
about salvation. When He says...he means..."

Nope, I couldn't believe that the very
first chapter of His Word
would have to be manipulated.

Things like this become important when you are
dealing with young and literal minds.
But we are also told that God's plan of salvation
is such that a child can understand it...so...

Mark 10:15
I tell you the truth, anyone who
will not receive the kingdom of God
like a little child will never enter it."



Full Earth Showing North America (With Stars)

My conclusion,
If Genesis One says it happened in
six days...God did it in six days!

It's right there!

No if's, and's or but's about it...

He spoke!
We...
and all we know...
happened!

Very Awesome!!!!

I did not make this up.
The text is right below my signature.
Go ahead, read it...
what does it say?

Again, I have to say...Awesome!




Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1:5
5 God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

Genesis 1:6-8
And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water." 7 So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. 8 God called the expanse "sky." And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.

Genesis 1: 11-13
Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so. 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.

Isn't it cool??????
You can find the rest of the story here.

Coming Up...

Sunday Afternoon I

We are preparing for a
very busy time
at Hospitality Lane.

Coming up we have:

Jonathan's four impacted
wisdom teeth removal.

Mikey's Parent Dinner
in the Founder's Room
to conclude the Summer
Internship.

My Aunt and Uncle's visit
from Ohio.

Our Annual Trip
to the Mountains.


Black Bears I

Grandma Georgia leaves for
her Mission Trip out West
to the Native Americans.

Grandma Ruth and Mikey
leave for El Salvador.


An 1884 Kate Greenaway Calendar

House/Dog/Cat sitting for
three houses over a three
week period.

Our Fundraising Yard Sale
and Bake Sale for Mikey's
El Salvador expenses.


An 1884 Calendar by Kate Greenaway

A candle fundraiser for
a young lady's mission
trip.

Various Doctor appointments
and medical tests.

The beginning of the Senior
year for two special boys.
We kicked that off with an
ice cream social last night.
They met many of their fellow
graduates. It was fun!

Our Homeschool Co-op will begin
mid September.


Busy Day Perpetual Calendar

...And all of the regular
commitments to home, school
and church.

So...as you can see, we will
be heading into this new school
year running full blast.

If I get a bit scarce around here
you'll know why.
Although, I hope to never give up
my early morning hour here.

It is my little bit of quiet time.
Hearing how the Lord is working in
your lives and letting Him speak
to me as I compose.

It is a blessing.
You are a blessing.

A few verses relating to Plans:

Psalm 16:2-4
All a man's ways seem innocent to him,
but motives are weighed by the LORD.
Commit to the LORD whatever you do,
and your plans will succeed.
The LORD works out everything for his own ends—
even the wicked for a day of disaster.

Proverbs 16:9
In his heart a man plans his course,
but the LORD determines his steps.

Poverbs 9:21
Many are the plans in a man's heart,
but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.

So...although we think we have carefully figured out
the next few months of our lives, it is all contingent
on the Lord's plans. His ways are far better than ours.

...Even if it doesn't feel that way sometimes.

Trying to stay open
to the plans
of the Lord!


Words to Live By: Faith


All photos from Allposters.

A Word to The Weary Ones...

It is almost a trend these days.
Maybe a bit of status...
the tendency to be busy.

I don't think we think about it,
but when we are asked how we are
how very many times do the words,
"I am so busy" pop out of our mouths.

Well, whether it is intentional or not
being constantly busy will undoubtedly
take a toll on your mind and body.

If you are like me the first thing to
be effected is your home. It starts with
the little things. Not so quick to dust,
then the bathroom stops shining and the
kitchen floor gets "crumb"~y.

Hey, don't look at me like that.
It does!
And don't even talk to me about the
fur. Four animals all shedding in this
summer heat - lots of fur!

Now, I have this dilemma.

I love to have friends over.
It is part of my ministry.
It is what I do!

The name of this blog is
Hospitality Lane, after all!

But with dust bunnies breeding
and icky floors, how can I invite
even the best of friends through
my doors?

Well, I do anyway...and I cringe
when I think about it. But, this
evening as I sit here I find myself
just exhausted. It is the kind
of tired that sinks all the way to
the bones.

I am not complaining.
Many things are
keeping us busy these days.
They are good things.
They will not go on forever.
They are not the point.

What I wanted to tell you was what
God whispered to me tonight.

He said,
"Come unto Me, all who are weary
and I will give You rest."

I looked it up...here it is in context,
I'm a stickler for context!

Matthew 11:27-29

All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Wow, right from the depths of my memory bank
those words were brought out.
I believe them.
I believe that no matter how tired this body
becomes that by placing myself in His care I
will experience peace, rest and a new energy
that cannot be compared.

I hope that if you are weary and tired from
the stresses of life that you will cling to
these words. If your soul is craving comfort
read that passage again.

Knowing the Word of God gives us a treasure
trove of encouragements and energy boosters.

Whatever you may be dealing with...God knows,
He cares, He longs to hear you tell Him that
you need Him.

Go ahead.
I'll wait!

Tell Him now.

Did You?

Now rest in His love for You!

Ahhh, doesn't that feel better?

No Jell-o Eggs

I could see it in my mind's eye.
Pretty eggs.
Made from Jell-o sitting on a nest
of lettuce. One for each place setting.

The first thing that went wrong was
the jell-o pack that I opened was
the blue color of anti-freeze.
Not exactly what I had expected.

Then as I poured the liquid Jell-o
into the egg mold, made of silicone,
there was a mess as it ran out and
all over the counter.

Sometimes my brain just fails me.
If I hadn't been in a hurry I would
surely have realized that the silicone
was flimsy and wouldn't be able to be
picked up.

Well, not to be deterred I got the
egg mold onto a plate and into the
refrigerator. Several hours later
I forced the "eggs" from the mold
and was unhappy with the results.

They were funny looking and definitely
not what I wanted to put on the Easter
table.

So, I did what any reasonable person
would do with her ugly eggs.
I smashed them with a potato masher and
added whipped topping.
Now I had little chunks of
pastel blue jell-o popping out from
white goop.

I decided that it didn't look that bad
and put it in a beautiful cut glass bowl.
Now, that was better.
Almost festive.
This all happened on Saturday.
The same day I plated the mini dill
pickles and prepped other items for
Sunday's big meal.

Cut to Sunday.
There was much discussion about the
blue jell-o. What was interesting
was how quickly it was disappearing.
Turns out it is popular with guys named
Mike. Both my Mikey and Pastor Mike
really liked it. Others did, as well.

This might be a stretch but here is what
I was thinking today.

Sometimes I think we kind of do things
that aren't exactly what God would have
us to do. We get ourselves into "fixes".
Kind of like the eggs. We don't look so
pretty.

But God takes those situations and redeems
them for our good and His glory.

He takes our scrambled selves and loves us
into something sweet...like the cream.

I am so thankful to serve a God like that.

We still have the consequences...we are still
scrambled...but we are redeemed!

Does this make sense to anyone but me today?


♥♥Becky K.♥♥

A Rebel

She always resists the current.

Walking when others run...
Running when they walk.

She declares it unnecessary to
be like the "Jones's"...
whoever they are.

If "everyone is doing it",
she is skeptical.

Is the media pushing it?
Must be an agenda...

She is the finest example of stubborn
that I know...

She follows her conscience...
right or wrong.

Her parents told her it was
o.k. to be different... if that
was your conviction.

"You don't have to follow the
crowd", they said.

"You are a Preacher's Kid. There
will be those who will try to get
you to slip up. They will feel
better about themselves", they told
her.

She got stronger.

The kids at school were cruel.
They teased, for she only wore dresses
and put her hair in funny arrangements,
since it had never been cut.

She made friends with them...
or...if that wasn't possible
just ignored them.

She learned that adults had much
wisdom to share.

In high school she hung out with the
Christian College Kids to whom her
parents ministered.

They were a good influence.

Many a night after a Bible Study there was
the run to Burger King for a Whopper with
this crowd. Conversations were wholesome.

She studied the Word and soaked up as much
as she possibly could.

She watched, and learned from, a married
friend of her parents. She adored
this mentor.

Then as life traveled on its course this
girl became a woman and married.

Life began twisting and turning.

Soon two became three...and then four.

Nothing done the easy way.

Selling homes, new jobs, health crises.

All a part of "The Plan"...all requiring a rebel.

When houses needed to be sold she learned to sell
them herself. The money that would have gone to
a realtor was needed to acquire the next home.

Clipping coupons became sport. How much would she
save this week. They would make it...

Unexpectedly, there was another on the way.

There was no maternity insurance.

Life was too "planned out" for that.

The baby stuff had just been sold...

She buckled down and investigated options.
Baby girl was born after four long months of
bedrest.

God took care of the finances.

Ahhh...now we come to the important part
of the story.

This woman is not a rebel on her own.
She has a constant companion who walks with
her. He is the Holy Spirit and He is leading
and guiding. He gives her Wisdom from above.

Sometimes she rebels against Him.

He allows it...but loves her back to Himself.

The consequences of these episodes teach her.

They teach her that things are much more pleasant
if she doesn't take those stubborn steps away from
His still small voice.

The rebel is being conquered.

She is surrendering her will...one day at a time.

It is sweet.

In surrender is found all of her peace and joy.

Could she have done things differently over the
past 41 years?
Of course!
But she knows that all of these experiences
have made her who she is today.

One who knows and speaks her mind.

One who cares so much for her family.

One who grasps the value of knowing the Word.

One who simply loves sitting with her elders
and listening to the ways they learned life's
lessons.

One who has a lot more to learn.

I am her...and she is me...

The rebel!

♥♥Becky K.♥♥

Providence

Did you ever just shake your head
after something that seemed out of
place in your life suddenly came to
seem useful or purposeful?

Often times God's Providential
working in our lives looks,
on the surface, to be cruel or
disorderly.

It never is!

That perception comes from our
finite minds only grasping at
what we can see and understand.

Often times the Providence of God
is enjoyable and obvious. But
very often it is better viewed through
the rear view mirror.

There are many examples of this.
One that I was reminded of this morning
as I was working on the Thanksgiving Program was
this. It is the story of "Squanto". That is
our name for him, his full name was Tisquantum.

This man was an Indian on the East Coast
of what we now call America. He, through
no fault of his own is reported to have been
captured and taken to Europe three times to
serve as a slave. It was there that he learned
our language. Somehow he made his way back to
his native land.

It was in time to be one of the people getting
credit for helping the "Pilgims" survive.
Teaching them how to fish and hunt. To grow their
needed crops in this strange land.

To all of us, his time in slavery seems harsh and
cruel...definitely horrible!
But in time of need and in order to establish
this Country his knowledge and experience were vital.

I see God's hand of Providence in bringing
Squanto front and center.

In my own life I have experienced God's Providence in a
way I did not enjoy...

When we found out we were expecting our first born we were
so excited.
Just thrilled.
Soon after Warren got a new job...in a new city.
We had to move.
We put our little home up for sale and moved in with
family...Warren's Grandmother.

This was rough...but we were sure things would go quickly and
we would be in our new home in plenty of time for the birth of
this child.

Things did not go smoothly.

Warren's Grandmother and I did not live well together.

I was hormonal.
Warren was conflicted.

Warren's parents invited us to move in with them.

We made the change.

Months went by and our home did not sell.
Thanksgiving, Christmas...no house to decorate...
just boxes where all the beauty should have been.

Finally we came to March. The anticipated time
of Baby's arrival. I was devastated. I wanted so
much to be bringing my baby home to a perfect nursery
and all of those things.

It was not to be.

Jonathan was born with a tragic birth defect and nearly
did not live. After major surgery and a miraculously quick
healing time we brought Jonathan back to my in-laws home.

Where I can see God's hand in all of this?

The new job...we were now living in a city with a NICU...the new insurance covered everything, the old would not have....

Staying with family...Every day for the two weeks Jonathan was in the hospital I left in the morning and stayed with him all day...the house never got dirty...the meals were always prepared...Georgia took me back and forth. Georgia is an RN and was a comfort to me after Jonathan came home. Knowing that she would help me watch for complications was great!

As Jonathan healed our home sold. We moved into a great place when he was about 3 or 4 months old.

That period in our lives was tough!!!

But, if I knew then what I know now...I would not have
fought it so hard.

God knew what I did not know.

He acted on the knowledge He had. Not on my whining and
complaining.

I am so thankful!

The Providence of God is a very, very good thing!

It was good for the Pilgrims and it is good for us today!
Watch for God's working in your life.
You'll be blessed!

Becky K.

Worship

Today we celebrate communion.

The verses that will be on the front of our bulletin...

I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD. Psalm 116:13

For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
I Corinthians 11:26

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body."
Matthew 26:26

In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
Luke 22:20

Can you imagine what it must have been like for Jesus,
knowing that this would come to pass,
knowing that there were men in the room
who were going to deny knowledge of Him
and even betray Him to the enemy?

He passed the cup and the bread and said these words.

Those with Him did not understand.

They would, so soon, come to understand.

We are so often like that.
It is only after the fact that we get
what was so important about it.
If they had only known that the
time they would have with Jesus was so brief,
I wonder how they would
have reacted.
Would they have rounded up security?
Perhaps attempted
to convince Him to flee in to hiding?
How our future would have changed
had not Jesus willingly given up
His life as sacrifice for our sins.

But that would not happen because
our names were known before the
foundation of the world. This was
God's marvelous plan and nothing
would change it. He is without
change. The same yesterday, today
and He will be the same tomorrow!

I pray that you understand what it
is that I write about.

If not, It is not too late.
He is waiting
and the angels are waiting to dance for joy
when you accept the wonderful
gift of salvation.

Have a blessed day!

Becky K.

Spending Time with Jesus

I am reading THE SHACK.

It is intriguing.

As I am only about halfway through
this book I am going to reserve
judgement on it.

I will just tell you how it is
effecting me so far.

I want to spend more time with Jesus.

It has caused me to think about the
different character qualities within
the Trinity.

This is a work of fiction. So the ideas
posed in the book are someone else's idea
of Truth... but it is making me think.

I'll report in again when I have finished
this book.

But, on this Sunday morning, I just wanted
to say...I'll be spending time with my
Savior today...and I'll be loving it!

Becky K.

A Verse of Praise

I praise You, Lord
in everything...
I seek Your Word
for peace it brings.

It is You, Lord
that I adore...
for without You
I want no more.

You wake me gently
in the morning...
and bring me to
a place of yearning.

A yearning to know
Your precious plan...
What the future holds
Can I understand?

It does not matter
if I know...
What matters most
is that I go...

On missions of mercy
or to the next room...
to teach my children
about reliance on You.

Experience is life's
greatest teacher...
Life with You
could not be sweeter.

You never left me
not even once...
though things were hard
and hurt a bunch!

It was in these times
that I felt Your Peace
as You held me...
Oh, you carried me...

Through hurts that only
You could change to
calm and comfort...
and Joy in You.

Each step I take
is known by You...
Thank You, Lord
I love You too!!!

Signed,

Your daughter,

Nineveh

Photo from Wikipedia


I have been doing some research on the excavations and location of Biblical Nineveh for our Sunday School Class. I got hooked because Pastor Mike asked me to find some photos and maps of the area to use in Powerpoint to add interest and information to the class. We have recently studied through the "huge" book of Jonah and are now in Joel. Studying through these Minor Prophets and the timelines is very interesting.
What I have learned...so far:

1. Geographically...Nineveh was found very close to modern day Mosul, Iraq.

2. Jonah knew that God would end up sparing that generation of the people of Nineveh if he went and gave them the message. He hated that, there was much animosity between the peoples of these areas, and so tried to get out of the mission.

3. When Jonah was in the ship and the storm was blowing around him, he knew that he was the cause of it. No question in his mind.

4. In order for the rest of the passengers to be saved Jonah had to be "sacrificed".

5. The sailors did not want to throw him over. They tried every other imaginable thing possible. They were hearing Jonah say that this was how it had to be...but they tried everything else first. (Do you ever do that? I know I do!)

6. It must have been Icky in the belly of a fish!

7. Is it a coincidence that Jonah was in the fish for 3 days? Jesus rose from the tomb on the third day. Isn't it interesting how the Old Testament points (always) to the coming Messiah?

8. When Jonah got out of the fish...that would be after the fish got a bad case of nausea...he eventually went to Nineveh. I found it interesting that it does not say where the fish dropped him or how long it may have taken him then to get to Nineveh...but he did go.

9. Nineveh was sizable. It took Jonah days to "visit" all of it.

10. Jonah spent time at the meeting places in the city.

11. God's will was done...using an imperfect man, who thought he could run and disobey. I know that God's will must be done and that very often we see that HE uses unexpected people. Wonder how HE might use you or me today. Hope I listen. Sure would be a bad time of the year to end up "in the belly of a fish"!

Saving Faith

The word "faith" brings many things to mind. There are the questions that we may ask each other such as, "What Faith are you?" Meaning, what church do you attend or whom do you worship.

We may hear the word "faith" and think of those great men and women of the Bible who we are told had great faith. For example, the centurion who trusted Jesus to heal his servant from afar in Luke 7. Jesus said, "I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel".

The question we need to ask ourselves is, what or Who is our faith in? Is it valid? How does that really show itself in our lives?

Are faith and hope the same things?

I don't think so. I believe that faith is believing in something or someone without the ability to understand or comprehend the how or the why our faith is justified.
2 Corinthians 5:7 tells us that we live by faith not by sight. Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
When we hope for something it is an uncertainty in our minds but when we have faith, it is for us as if it has already happened.

For example, our salvation and home in heaven. We must have faith to believe that Jesus is really God and that He truly was able to pay the penalty for our sins. None of us sat down with God and were personally face to face in on the planning and execution of the plan. We have faith, if we believe, that the Word of God is true and we have help and assistance in this believing faith through the Holy Spirit who witnesses in our hearts and lives that this is true. But, the fact remains that we do not have first hand knowledge of any of it.

It would be impossible for any one of us to insist that we knew from personal experience that heaven exists and that it is the end result of our walk of faith.
My Grandpa had what you might call a "near death" experience. It was a faith builder for him. Did he see heaven, I don't know. He didn't know, but it strengthened his faith and desire to serve the Lord.

Now, before you stone me....let me say that I believe with my whole heart that Jesus did die for my sins and that HE was the only one who could have been the substitute. I believe that I will be in Heaven when I die not because of any special work on my part...but only because of the faith granted to me by my Father, God Himself, through the Holy Spirit. This brings peace. I have no one to talk to who has been there and back and can give me intimate details and confirmation that all of this is real. I simply believe it.

In my every day life, I have faith that my Heavenly Father is caring and watching out for me. I know, from personal experience that bad things can happen. Losing both of our fathers in less than two years was pretty bad. Both fathers suffered intensely. Horrible. Did it shake my faith? No. Only by the grace of God, it did not. I "saw" God's hands in so many details. I "felt" Him near when things were so dark.

During this time I struggled with extreme pain. The doctors were at a loss as to what was causing it. I had three surgeries in less than two years and almost succombed to a horrible infection. Did this cause me to lose faith?

No, how could I have made it through without this faith?

Instead, the Holy Spirit again worked in the circumstances of the pain and I am stronger in my faith today than I was before. Why? I don't know. I do know that I would hate to face any of these thing without the faith that there is something a whole lot better to look forward to.

I have heard the arguement that Christians are weak and profess faith to help them make it through hard times. OK. If that is what you want to think...but there are many Christians in this world who would be a lot better off, in this world if they denied their faith. I do not think they are wimps. Me, maybe...them...not so much!
For stories such as these read from the Voice of the Martyrs. These people are actively acting out their faith.

I'll be honest and tell you that I love apologetics. Every month or week it seems that archeology goes further to document the words written in the Bible. The history backs up the Word. Science discoveries come closer and closer to the Bible all the time, if people are honest. In the book of The Psalms we are told that there are "paths" through the sea. It was not until the 1800's that currents were understood and documented. There are several credible organizations ... and some with questionable abilities and motives...studying these things, but the more we learn the more we can see God, the Creator.

All of that aside, it would not be enough without a supernatural intervention in our lives to grant us saving faith. I am thankful today that God has granted that to those He calls His own. I trust that you have saving faith. If not and you wish to chat, feel free to e-mail me your questions.

Saving Faith - Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. A gift, not us, lest we should boast. A future not seen and yet fully believed. With HIM! The one who died for me.

The Body of Christ

I am often amazed at the differences among the body of Christ. We read the same Bible and yet come up with so many differing conclusions. How can the same words speak so differently to so many? I believe that this partially goes back to our personality and "makeup". God created us to think and come to conclusions therefore we have the ability to reach different conclusions.
There are some basics that cannot be argued, however, they are so black and white that they are foundational. Jesus is the Son of God...No man comes to the Father but by Him...The taking of innocent life is murder...Fellowship with other believers is important...and more! These things, and more, are spelled out. The ten commandments are not wishy washy. They were carved in stone!
I find myself saddened by the competition and finger pointing, (although, I am guilty of it too) that goes on between individual bodies of believers. Do you not think that often times we settle on a church because the others in that church are similar in their thought processes, personalities and likes and dislikes in worship. This does not make every other church automatically "bad". We must first look at where they stand on foundational issues then decide if the preferential issues are the way we want to worship. Such things as hymns vs. praise choruses. The Bible refers to both (Colossians 3:16). I love both. Not everyone does and that is fine with me as long as they don't attack my Christianity because of it. We have a dear lady who comes to our church occasionally. She cannot bring herself to come every week because we use an overhead projector and she does not like that we sing "off the wall". She loves our service and the people there. She is as sweet as she can be but singing off the wall is just too much for her. Cute!
Others prefer churches where they can kneel to pray. There is nothing wrong with that. How about defining modesty? One church feels that to be modest women must be in dresses a certain number of inches below the knee while another teaches another form of modesty. Is either of these wrong? I think, again, this comes back to preference...unless...either of these viewpoints believe that this stand is what saves them. At that point it becomes a "works" salvation violating the foundational principle of salvation through Christ alone. Get my drift?
Do I dare print this post? Is it terribly controversial? I do not wish to offend, just to get us thinking about how we see others in the family of God. Some of us have more maturity, others of us are new babes in Him. How Satan would love to get in and destroy, meddle and defeat us. He wants to make our differences seem like mountains and separate and keep us fighting amongst ourselves so that we are distracted from being out there telling others about our Saviour. If the unsaved can use us as an excuse for not wanting to step inside a church...
I pray that the Lord would be at work in my heart to keep my desire for Him and His Word first in my life. That somehow my life would be the kind that would make others hungry to know more about my Saviour. That I would be discerning not judgemental. Oh, this is hard for me. I am very opinionated person. But, when I am tempted to judge, I must seek out the truth as to whether this is a matter that offends the foundational truths or simply a matter of interpretation or preference. My goal should be to become more and more like HIM every day...wherever that leads me.
...Just some of the thoughts swirling around in this brain today.
Oh, I hope that if you are reading this you will not judge me too harshly.
Blessings on your day!

Joy in Days of Sorrow

I did not title this post "Happiness" in Days of Sorrow. But, Joy. We are counting down to the two year passing of my Dad. November 9th, 2005 he slipped peacefully into eternity at the young age of 58. We are not happy that he is gone! But we are joyful that his suffering from diabetes and what it had done to his body is over. We are not happy that we do not get to enjoy his presence every day...but we rejoice in the knowledge that he is in the presence of his own best friend, Jesus.
We are not happy about the pain this has left in our hearts, but we rejoice that God has been faithful to carry us through.

In April, Warren's Dad went to be with the Lord after a three year struggle with a spinal chord tumor. November of 2006 found him with extreme brain damage after a fall, since the tumor had left him pretty much paralyzed on one side and the medications had side effects that caused him to bleed easily. This fall rattled his brain and he was no longer able to communicate much or care for himself at all. The circumstances of the months that followed are at this point in our lives absolutely the hardest we have faced, to date. But there is joy in watching how the Lord orchestrated Gene's miraculous acceptance at the Nursing Home at the end of our road and the opening up of Mom's home to Georgia during those difficult months...the family home was an hour away. The Lord brought just the right people across our path when we needed it most. Did we feel happy during those times...emphatically NO!...but we do know the comfort and JOY of resting in HIM and knowing that HE had shown the evidence of HIS care in working out the impossible details.

These are the things that I hold on to when I am so tempted to be overwhelmed and let that Joy slip away into despair. God was in the details. God was with us. God was our comfort. God gave both Dads dying grace...it was beautiful. Can I say that? Their passings were beautiful! It is true.

So...whether I "feel" happy about the loss of these really important men in our lives is not important. Finding my JOY in the LORD is!

If you have lost someone close to you and you have lost your joy, I would challenge you to look for God in the details. Make a list. Can you see HIM there? In the days, weeks, months or years since...how has God worked in your life to show you how much HE loves you and cares for you? Rejoice in that love. If you are HIS child there is absolutely nothing that comes your way that HE cannot or will not enable you to make it through.

Joy...in days of sorrow!

Contentment

When am I content?

Is it when all is going my way?

Some years ago I was very unhappy,

I wanted to live elsewhere,

go to a different church

and just have a major life change.

I distinctly remember that Still Small Voice

speaking to me that nothing was going to

happen and get better until I was content

where HE had placed me.

This was a hard pill to swallow!

I wanted MY way and I wanted it NOW...

(think 2 year old)!

It was a time of learning and growth,

as I learned to submit to a time

of being patient with a tiny house,

small children, who delighted in messing up the tiny house,

and other circumstances that were out

of my control...Sigh...

that was the problem...

I was not controlling it.

Finally, with God's help I surrendered

my unhappiness in that situation

and lo and behold I find that we have

moved on and are in a better place.

I do know, however, that if I could not

be content, in God's plan, in a tiny house

I would not be content, longterm,

in a larger home.

For our contentment comes not from the

external ,

but from the internal peace that

comes from knowing that in each and every

matter in our lives

we are where we should be if

God is in command.

I still have days when for some crazy reason

I think that I should take it back

and do as I see fit,

but, the beautiful thing about getting older

is that you have those experiences to

look back on and marvel at the

Peace that Passes all Understanding that

only comes from

The Lord...

then I hurry to give it all back to Him

and be content!