Happy Birthday Son

It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 
1 Corinthians 1:30

 Happy Birthday to you,

Happy Birthday to you. 

Happy Birthday dear Stephen

Happy Birthday to you.

We love you Son and are so glad that God blessed our lives with you.

Love,

Mom & Dad

Advocate & Defender

“Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.  Matthew 10:32-33

No matter what we do or what we say there will always be bullies.  If you are like me me there were those that bullied you as you were growing up.  I had a big brother that always came to my defense, he was my protector, he looked after me and still does to this day.

As a Christian I have someone else that looks after me and that is Jesus Christ.  He gave His life for me and will always be my advocate and defender.  When the bullies come my way He will be there defending me.  When Satan goes to God saying "look what she has done," Jesus will be there as my advocate before God, saying with love, "She's Mine." 

I'm not perfect but I know that I have been forgiven and I know that my redeemer lives!

Since I Have Been Redeemed

by Edwin O. Excell

I have a song I love to sing,
Since I have been redeemed,
Of my Redeemer, Savior king,
Since I have been redeemed.

I have a Christ who satisfies
Since I have been redeemed,
To do His will my highest prize,
Since I have been redeemed.

I have a witness bright and clear,
Since I have been redeemed,
Dispelling every doubt and fear,
Since I have been redeemed.

I have a home prepared for me,
Since I have been redeemed,
Where I shall dwell eternally,
Since I have been redeemed.

Since I have been redeemed,
Since I have been redeemed,
I will glory in His name;
Since I have been redeemed,
I will glory in His name.

A Great Light

The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them.  Isaiah 9:2

There was a paragraph in my devotion that really spoke to me this morning; "Are you refusing to act on God's insight, insisting on pursuits that distract you from worshiping Him?  How we spend our time is but a habit, and habits can be changed, by repatterning our actions.  Walk in the light, as your Father intended."

This got me to thinking.  What do I spend my time on when I could be studying God's Word?  It just might be the time I spend playing computer games, surfing the net, time on Facebook, etc. when I should be doing something productive.  Maybe, just maybe, that is why I felt motivated to sign up for two online Bible studies.  Maybe God is leading me in this direction so I will be more grounded in His Word.

My prayer this morning is: Dear Father keep me grounded in your Word.  Give me the desire to seek and know you better.  Take my life and use me for Your purpose. Just as I know the sun will shine through the clouds, let your light will shine through me.  Amen

Send The Light

by Charles H. Gabriel, 1890

There's a call comes ringing o'er the
restless wave,
"Send the Light! send the Light!"
There are souls to rescue, there are
souls to save,
send the Light! send the Light!

Send the Light! the blessed gospel Light;
Let it shine from shore to shore!
Send the Light! the blessed gospel Light:
Let it shine for evermore.

We have heard the Macedonian call
today,
"Send the Light! send the Light!"
And a golden off'ring at the cross we lay
Send the Light! send the Light!

Let us pray that grace may everywhere
abound,
"Send the Light! send the Light!"
And a Christ like spirit everywhere be
found,
Send the Light! send the Light.!

Let us not grow weary in the work of
love,
"Send the Light! send the Light!"
Let us gather jewels for a crown above,
Send the Light! send the Light!

Who Are The Faithful?

Help, Lord, for the godly man ceases to be, For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men.  They speak falsehood to one another; With flattering lips and with a double heart they speak.  Psalm 12:1-2

Dear Father I pray that I will be faithful to your word, that I will speak truth to others and that I won't speak with ill of another.  Amen

My Faith Looks Up To Thee

by Ray Palmer

My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary, Savior divine!
Now hear me while I pray, take all my guilt away,
O let me from this day be wholly Thine!

May Thy rich grace impart
Strength to my fainting heart, my zeal inspire!
As Thou hast died for me, O may my love to Thee,
Pure warm, and changeless be, a living fire!

While life’s dark maze I tread,
And griefs around me spread, be Thou my Guide;
Bid darkness turn to day, wipe sorrow’s tears away,
Nor let me ever stray from Thee aside.

When ends life’s transient dream,
When death’s cold sullen stream over me roll;
Blest Savior, then in love, fear and distrust remove;
O bear me safe above, a ransomed soul!

Storms of Life

 When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him.  And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being covered with the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep.  And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!”  Matthew 8:23-25

Have you ever been driving through a storm with rain so heavy you can barely see the road?  You know you need to get to safety but there is no where to pull off to get out of the mess.  The storms of life are like this.  They come at you and you have no idea how you will survive and make it through.  Your life is shattered into a million pieces and you don't know how to put it all together again.  We are like the disciples and feel there is no way out.  We feel like God is not with us because if He was why would He allow this to happen.  Well guess what?  God is right there with us, He is picking us up and carrying us when can no longer put one foot in front of the other.  His word tells us to lean on Him, to gain strength from Him, to place our faith, hope and trust in Him.  

I have a plate that has this quote, "Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass, it is about learning to dance in the rain!"

  

I pray that I learn to dance in the rain as I lean on God to bring me through what ever comes my way.  

It Is Well With My Soul

by Horatio G. Spafford

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
 

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

His Light

"For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it."  Matthew 7:14

Why do we try to do things in our own power?  Things happen in life and we think we are doing just fine and feel we can accomplish any task that comes our way without help from anyone.  Then when we fail we want to know why?  Why can't I do something that simple without messing it up?  Did we try to do it on our own without including God?  Did we pray about it asking God for direction?

ASAP (Always say a prayer)!

Knowing the right answers and then taking them to heart is critical in our spiritual life.  God's word teaches us that no one comes to the Father except through Christ.  I pray that He gives me His light, that I may respond in all areas of my life the right way, and lean on Him for direction down the road of life.

I Need Thee Every Hour

by Annie S. Hawks & Robert Lowry

I need Thee every hour,
Most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine
Can peace afford.

I need Thee, O I need Thee!
Ev’ry hour I need Thee;
O bless me now, my Saviour!
I come to Thee.

I need Thee every hour;
Stay Thou nearby;
Temptations lose their power
When Thou art nigh.

I need Thee every hour,
In joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide,
Or life is vain.

I need Thee every hour;
Teach me Thy will,
And Thy rich promises
In me fulfill.

I need Thee every hour,
Most Holy One;
O make me Thine indeed,
Thou blessed Son!

.

Turn Your Ear To Wisdom

For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.  He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity, Guarding the paths of justice, And He preserves the way of His godly ones.  Proverbs 2:6-8

There are so many paths in life that we can take and some of those paths can be full of potholes.  There are those that seem to step in every pothole and we wonder why they continue down the same path.  Are we only seeing their potholes and making their potholes our focus so we don't have to look at our own potholes?  Why do we continue to dome of the same things over and over wondering why nothing changes.  It's simple; Without change nothing changes!  We need to step out of our denial and face the situation or circumstance that need to be changed in our lives.   We need to seek God's wisdom and change the things we can.  We need to seek God's direction for our lives and let Him lead us to make the changes needed in our lives.  He will always choose the right path for us we when place our faith and trust in Him.

Serenity Prayer

by Reinhold Niebuhr (1892–1971)

God grant me the serenity

to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.

Vocalizing Prayer

And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words.  Matthew 6:7

Why do we make it so hard for us to pray?  We think we won't say the right words and our words will make no sense.  We don't like to pray out loud because we are afraid of making a fool of our self.  My devotion today reminded me of the acrostic ACTS a formula for prayer; Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication.  We need to always come to God and honor Him for His creation, confess our sins, give thanks for all He has done for us and lift up our needs before Him. There are times when I think of Jesus sitting in a chair in front of me and as I lay my head in His lap I pour my heart out to Him, thanking Him for all He has done for me.  My words don't matter because He already knows what is in my heart, He just wants to hear from me.

Prayer is my one on one time with God, a time I can communicate with Him and He communicates with me.

Sweet Hour of Prayer

by William W. Walford, 1772-1850

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!

That calls me from a world of care,

And bids me at my Father's throne

Make all my wants and wishes known.

In seasons of distress and grief,

My soul has often found relief,

And oft escaped the tempter's snare

By thy return, sweet hour of prayer!

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!

The joys I feel, the bliss I share

Of those whose anxious spirits burn

With strong desires for thy return!

With such I hasten to the place

Where God my Savior shows his face,

And gladly take my station there,

And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!

Thy wings shall my petition bear

To him whose truth and faithfulness

Engage the waiting soul to bless.

And since he bids me seek his face,

Believe his word, and trust his grace,

I'll cast on him my every care,

And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!

May I thy consolation share,

Till from Mount Pisgah's lofty height

I view my home and take my flight

This robe of flesh I'll drop, and rise

To seize the everlasting prize,

And shout, while passing thru the air,

"Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer!"

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
That calls me from a world of care,
And bids me at my Father’s throne
Make all my wants and wishes known.
In seasons of distress and grief,
My soul has often found relief
And oft escaped the tempter's snare
By thy return, sweet hour of prayer!
Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
The joys I feel, the bliss I share,
Of those whose anxious spirits burn
With strong desires for thy return!
With such I hasten to the place
Where God my Savior shows His face,
And gladly take my station there,
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!
Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
Thy wings shall my petition bear
To Him whose truth and faithfulness
Engage the waiting soul to bless.
And since He bids me seek His face,
Believe His Word and trust His grace,
I'll cast on Him my every care,
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!
Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
May I thy consolation share,
Till, from Mount Pisgah's lofty height,
I view my home and take my flight:
This robe of flesh I'll drop and rise
To seize the everlasting prize;
And shout, while passing through the air,
"Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer!"
- See more at: http://www.gospelsonglyrics.org/songs/sweet_hour_of_prayer.html#sthash.QgYeLrbC.dpuf

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
That calls me from a world of care,
And bids me at my Father’s throne
Make all my wants and wishes known.
In seasons of distress and grief,
My soul has often found relief
And oft escaped the tempter's snare
By thy return, sweet hour of prayer!
Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
The joys I feel, the bliss I share,
Of those whose anxious spirits burn
With strong desires for thy return!
With such I hasten to the place
Where God my Savior shows His face,
And gladly take my station there,
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!
Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
Thy wings shall my petition bear
To Him whose truth and faithfulness
Engage the waiting soul to bless.
And since He bids me seek His face,
Believe His Word and trust His grace,
I'll cast on Him my every care,
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!
Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
May I thy consolation share,
Till, from Mount Pisgah's lofty height,
I view my home and take my flight:
This robe of flesh I'll drop and rise
To seize the everlasting prize;
And shout, while passing through the air,
"Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer!"
- See more at: http://www.gospelsonglyrics.org/songs/sweet_hour_of_prayer.html#sthash.QgYeLrbC.dpuf

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
That calls me from a world of care,
And bids me at my Father’s throne
Make all my wants and wishes known.
In seasons of distress and grief,
My soul has often found relief
And oft escaped the tempter's snare
By thy return, sweet hour of prayer!
Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
The joys I feel, the bliss I share,
Of those whose anxious spirits burn
With strong desires for thy return!
With such I hasten to the place
Where God my Savior shows His face,
And gladly take my station there,
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!
Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
Thy wings shall my petition bear
To Him whose truth and faithfulness
Engage the waiting soul to bless.
And since He bids me seek His face,
Believe His Word and trust His grace,
I'll cast on Him my every care,
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!
Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
May I thy consolation share,
Till, from Mount Pisgah's lofty height,
I view my home and take my flight:
This robe of flesh I'll drop and rise
To seize the everlasting prize;
And shout, while passing through the air,
"Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer!"
- See more at: http://www.gospelsonglyrics.org/songs/sweet_hour_of_prayer.html#sthash.QgYeLrbC.dpuf

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
That calls me from a world of care,
And bids me at my Father’s throne
Make all my wants and wishes known.
In seasons of distress and grief,
My soul has often found relief
And oft escaped the tempter's snare
By thy return, sweet hour of prayer!
Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
The joys I feel, the bliss I share,
Of those whose anxious spirits burn
With strong desires for thy return!
With such I hasten to the place
Where God my Savior shows His face,
And gladly take my station there,
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!
Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
Thy wings shall my petition bear
To Him whose truth and faithfulness
Engage the waiting soul to bless.
And since He bids me seek His face,
Believe His Word and trust His grace,
I'll cast on Him my every care,
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!
Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
May I thy consolation share,
Till, from Mount Pisgah's lofty height,
I view my home and take my flight:
This robe of flesh I'll drop and rise
To seize the everlasting prize;
And shout, while passing through the air,
"Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer!"
- See more at: http://www.gospelsonglyrics.org/songs/sweet_hour_of_prayer.html#sthash.QgYeLrbC.dpuf

A Child Of Promise

 

Christmas 2011

 

"Then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations;

kings of peoples shall come from her."

Genesis 17:16

Things have happened in my life that I felt like I would not survive, that I could not get over the hurt.  I have watched loved ones draw their last breath and I have asked why?  Why was their life cut short when they have so much to offer?  Then I realized that just as God blessed Sarah with a child He blesses my life continually.  He blessed me with a loving husband, a beautiful daughter, a handsome "son" and a gorgeous granddaughter.  O I still have questions and I still ask why but the blessings He gives me daily far out weigh any questions I might have.  I have much to be thankful for!

There Shall Be Showers of Blessing 

By Daniel W. Whittle, 1833

“There shall be showers of blessing;” 

This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
Sent from the Saviour above.

Showers of blessing,
(Showers, showers of blessing,)
Showers of blessing we need;
Mercy drops rounds us are falling,
But for the showers we plead.

“There shall be showers of blessing-” 

Precious reviving again;
Over the hills and the valleys,
Sound of abundance of rain.

Showers of blessing,
(Showers, showers of blessing,)
Showers of blessing we need;
Mercy drops rounds us are falling,
But for the showers we plead.


“There shall be showers of blessing;”

Send them upon us, O Lord;
Grant to us now a refreshing;
Come, and now honour Thy word.

“There shall be showers of blessing;” 

O that today they might fall,
Now as to God we’re confessing,
Now as on Jesus we call!

Our Prayer Requests

In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice;
    in the morning I lay my requests before you
    and wait expectantly.  

Psalm 5:3

Do you start your day with God and spend some quiet time with Him alone?  Do you lift up prayer petitions for those you love, for those in need and for yourself?  This is a goal I have set for myself this year as I want to spend time with God.  I want to sit quietly and listen to what He has to say to me.  I want to pray for my family, my friends and yes even for myself.  God's word tell me ask and I shall receive but there are times that I wonder if I am praying with the right attitude because I keep praying for the same thing.  Did I really give this to God and if I did why do I keep asking for the same thing.  I believe it is because God has placed it on my heart to keep asking, to keep on keeping on, and I need to start each of my prayer times with a thankful heart, thanking Him for what He has already done for my family and friends.  I believe that He will answer each one of my prayers in His time and I need to wait on Him.  I believe that when He doesn't answer right away He is working on me and the areas in my life that need to be changed.  I believe that when you tell someone you will pray for them do it right then and don't put it off.  I believe that when God places a name in your mind to stop right then and say a prayer and if you can give them a call.  God placed them on your heart for a reason.  I believe that by waiting I will/am becoming a stronger individual and my faith will continue to grow.

I Must Tell Jesus

by Elisha A. Hoffman

I must tell Jesus all of my trials;
I cannot bear these burdens alone;
In my distress He kindly will help me;
He ever loves and cares for His own.

I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus!
I cannot bear my burdens alone;
I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus!
Jesus can help me, Jesus alone.

I must tell Jesus all of my troubles;
He is a kind, compassionate friend;
If I but ask Him, He will deliver,
Make of my troubles quickly an end.

Tempted and tried, I need a great Savior;
One Who can help my burdens to bear;
I must tell Jesus, I must tell Jesus;
He all my cares and sorrows will share.

O how the world to evil allures me!
O how my heart is tempted to sin!
I must tell Jesus, and He will help me
Over the world the victory to win.

 

Happy Birthday Momma

Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.  Philippians 1:6

Today my Momma is celebrating her 87th Birthday with our Heavenly Father and I know that they are having a grand party with the rest of the family. 

Happy Birthday Momma! 

I love you and I miss you every day.

Fishers of Men

"Come, follow Me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."  Matthew 4:19

When God calls us to do something so many times we say I'm not ready, I don't like to do things like that or I don't know how to do that.  We forget that He is calling us.  He knows what we can do when we rely on Him and not ourselves.  He will equip us to succeed when we do it for the right reasons.  He will teach us how to have a true servants heart and to follow Him on His terms and not ours.

Footsteps of Jesus

by Mary B. C. Slade

Sweetly, Lord, have we heard Thee calling,
Come, follow Me!
And we see where Thy footprints falling
Lead us to Thee.

Footprints of Jesus,
That make the pathway glow;
We will follow the steps of Jesus
Where'er they go.

Though they lead o'er the cold, dark mountains,
Seeking His sheep;
Or along by Siloam's fountains,
Helping the weak.

Footprints of Jesus,
That make the pathway glow;
We will follow the steps of Jesus
Where'er they go.

If they lead through the temple holy,
Preaching the Word;
Or in homes of the poor and lowly,
Serving the Lord.

Footprints of Jesus,
That make the pathway glow;
We will follow the steps of Jesus
Where'er they go.

Though, dear Lord, in Thy pathway keeping,
We follow Thee;
Through the gloom of that place of weeping,
Gethsemane!

The Rainbow

Photo by Tami Wilson

 I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth...  The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.  Genesis 9:13, 16

Have you ever felt like you could not take one more step, that enough is enough, that no matter what you did that nothing was ever going to be the same?  I have and if you are totally honest with yourself you will find that you have to.  I was in that place several years ago and honestly did not know what to do.  But God did!  I was driving up I-5, in snow and rain, listening to praise music, praying and crying, wondering how I was going to put my life back together.  I looked out my passenger window and saw a beautiful rainbow.  I drove a little further and low and behold there was another rainbow and I thought how beautiful, a double rainbow.  As I turned my attention back to my driving I saw that God had actually placed the end of the rainbow right in front of me and I was going to drive through it.  As I drove through the rainbow my car was filled with all these brilliant colors and I felt God speaking to me.  He said, "I have this and I will take care of it, everything will be okay just put your faith and trust in me."  I had such a peace come over me and I knew in my heart that everything was going to be okay.  Has my life been all hunky dory since then?  Absolutely not but I know with God at the wheel of my life everything will be okay.

GOD PUT A RAINBOW IN THE CLOUD
 By Reverend Andrew Jenkins and Irene Spain
 
 When God shut Noah in the grand old ark
 He put a rainbow in the cloud
 When thunders rolled and the sky was dark
 God put a rainbow in the cloud.
 
      God put a rainbow in the cloud
      God put a rainbow in the cloud
      When it looked like the sun wouldn't shine anymore
      God put a rainbow in the cloud.
 
 Away down yonder in Egypt's sand
 God put a rainbow in the cloud
 Just to lead His children to the promised land
 God put a rainbow in the cloud.
 
 When they put old Daniel in the lion's den,
 God put a rainbow in the cloud
 Just to prove His promise to the sons of men
 God put a rainbow in the cloud.
 
 As a sign by day and a sign by night
 God put a rainbow in the cloud
 Just to guide His people and keep them right
 God put a rainbow in the cloud.
 
 Oh, Jordan deep and Jordan wide
 God put a rainbow in the cloud
 To lead his people to the other side
 God put a rainbow in the cloud.

Seeking Wisdom

When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that is was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.  Genesis 3:6

How often have we done the same thing?  Oh it might not be fruit from a tree that we are eating but it is the same.  We are out and about with the girls and we see a dress, or a pair of shoes,  or a necklace and we make the comment I really like that but I can't afford it right now.  Then three little words of encouragement come, try it on, we resist because we know that if we do and we like the way it looks or the way it makes us feel that we will be tempted to reason things out.  Then there are those words of encouragement again, girl that looks good on you, and we give in to our desires. 

We have all made bad choices in life, I know that I have.  We make those bad choices when we forget the most important thing when temptation comes our way.  We forget to pray seeking God's wisdom for our lives, for the choices we make.  We are tempted every day in our daily lives as we strive to keep up with the others and envy the things they have.  Temptation will always be there but we have God on our side and He will give us the strength to resist.

Seek Ye First

by Karen Lafferty

Seek Ye first the kingdom of God,
And His righteousness,
And all these things, shall be added onto you,
Alleu, Alleuia

Man shall not live by bread alone,
But by every word
That proceeds from the mouth of God
Alleu, Alleuia

Ask and it shall be given unto you,
Seek and ye shall find.
Knock and the door shall be opened onto you.
Alleu, Alleuia

Seek ye first the kingdom of God
And His righteousness
And all these things, shall be added onto you.
Alleu, Alleuia

In The Garden

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.  Genesis 1:27

In my imagination I can see this beautiful garden that God created with every type of tree, flower and plant.  I can see all the spectacular colors of the rainbow.  Is it wonder that God would choose the rainbow as His sign of His covenant with man?  What a beautiful place to call home and can you imagine the beautiful fragrance, the aromas of all the plants and flowers.  Now can you imagine how Adam and Eve felt when because of their actions they were thrown out of this beautiful place?

Many years later there is another garden, a spiritual garden of prayer, and Christ is on His knees in prayer to His Father as He prepares to lay down His life for you and for me.

I pray that I won't ever be afraid to step into the Garden of Prayer and to turn my troubles over to Christ.  I pray that I will linger there and listen as Christ speaks to my heart and soul.

The Beautiful Garden of Prayer

Eleanor A. Schroll, 1920

There's a garden where Jesus is waiting,
There’s a place that is wondrously fair,
For it glows with the light of His presence.
’Tis the beautiful garden of prayer.

Oh, the beautiful garden, the garden of prayer!
Oh, the beautiful garden of prayer!
There my Savior awaits, and He opens the gates
To the beautiful garden of prayer.

There’s a garden where Jesus is waiting,
And I go with my burden and care,
Just to learn from His lips words of comfort
In the beautiful garden of prayer.

There’s a garden where Jesus is waiting,
And He bids you to come, meet Him there;
Just to bow and receive a new blessing
In the beautiful garden of prayer.

How We Spent New Year's Day

My sweetie and I decided to get out of the house today, he has been cooped up for the past couple of days with a bad cold.  So we put Ozzie in his harness and headed out for a drive to parts unknown.  We decided that wherever the road took us that was okay since we had the GPS to find our way back home.  The first road we took was a circle, unknown to us, that took us into downtown Ridgefield.  From there we headed to Abrams Park where I took a couple of pictures and we let Ozzie run for a while.

 

Afterward we headed out again for parts unknown and ended up in Battle Ground several different times as all the roads I took circled back into town.  After several hours of driving and taking in some beautiful scenery we decided it was time to head home and relax for a while before dinner.  It has been a very special day with my and I can't think of a better way to have spent it.  Love you GD!!!

Happy New Year

 So teach us to number our days,
That we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Psalm 90:12

Today is the first day of a brand new year.  We each have the same clean slate, a second chance, and like you I am wondering what I will put on it and what will I do to mess it up.  I don't know about you but I am choosing to keep God at the center, taking one day at time, this new year and relying on His strength to get me through each day.  I want to leave the right footprints, I want to be an example to others and that the light of Christ will shine through me.

Another Year Is Dawning

by Frances Ridley Havergal, 1874

Another year is dawning, dear Father, let it be,

In working or in waiting, another year with Thee;

Another year of progress, another year of praise,

Another year of proving Thy presence all the days.

Another year of mercies, of faithfulness and grace,

Another year of gladness in the shining of Thy face;

Another year of leaning upon Thy loving breast;

Another year of trusting, of quiet, happy rest.

Another year of service, of witness for Thy love,

Another year of training for holier work above;

Another year is dawning, dear Father, let it be

On earth, or else in Heaven, another year for Thee.