Word-Filled Wednesday

"For God has revealed them to us through His Spirit.
For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God."
1 Corinthians 7:10

This picture makes me think of digging deep into the things of God... Are you spending time daily in His Word, digging deeper and deeper to get to know Him more intimately? I encourage you to do so... The Word of God holds mysteries that His Holy Spirit will reveal to you as you study His Word. Dig deep and discover those mysteries for yourself!

For more WFW posts visit 160acres.

Wordless Wednesday

Thankful Thursday

How priceless is your unfailing love!
Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings.
Psalm 36:7

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Give thanks to the God of gods,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
To Him who alone does great wonders,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Psalm 136:1-4

Today I am giving thanks for:

• The unfailing love of my Lord... I can always find a place of refuge in Him!
• For a friend calling to make plans to do something with me... such a simple thing can really make a lonely heart sing...
• The joy of seeing my children learn new things and actually enjoying the process of learning... what a blessing homeschooling my children is...
• The quickness of my children to pray for me when I tell them I am not feeling well... I am so thankful they know how to pray and are not hesitant to do so.
• For my family... they are such a blessing to me and are becoming more and more dear to me every day!

What are you thankful for today? I have missed doing my TT posts lately, but hopefully I can get back in some sort of a routine and can begin to blog more regularly again... take some time to stop and give thanks!

Word-Filled Wednesday

By His Word our Lord created this whole world and everything in it! Can you wrap your mind around that, just by His Word... have you spent time in His Word today? If His Word can create this magnificent world, just think of all the things His Word could do in your life! Carve some time out of your day to spend in His Word...


For more WFW posts visit Susan...

Wordless Wednesday

Friends along the journey...

I have started a couple of new Bible studies in the past couple of weeks...

In one we are doing an in-depth study on the book of John from now until May. I am really looking forward to digging into one of my favorite books of the Bible. I also am looking forward to the new friendships that will be formed as this is a new group of women for me to be doing Bible study with. Just today I met a lady who has a son the same age as mine, and another lady who has twin boys who are 11. I was so excited that the Lord has placed these ladies in my life at this time... mom's with "kid stuff" in common who also love the Lord and are passionate about Him and His Word, this is an answer to prayers that I have been praying for some time!

The other study is a class the ladies are doing at church by Priscilla Shirer, One in a Million. This quote below from her introduction has really stuck with me. It has caused me to think about several of you, my blogging friends, and my local touchable, huggable, flesh and blood friends, whom the Lord has used to bring me great encouragement along this sometimes lonely journey in my walk of faith... I am thankful for each of you, and you know who you are!

God's call from mundane Christianity to a radical experience of Him has taken me down roads that, honestly, have been quite narrow.

On occasion, I've had to whisper a prayer for help when loneliness knocks on my front door and comes in to stay a while. When I've met other travelers willing to brave these winding roads, our eyes have met and an instant heart connection made. Without having much to say, we've encouraged each other to continue. Priscilla Shirer, One in a Million, page 5.

I am so very thankful for my true friends in the faith. You know the kind... those who you have a stronger bond and connection with because you share in the things of the Spirit. I thank God for each and every one of you. I am thankful for the bond we share through His Spirit. And I am so very thankful He has placed you in my life and for the encouragement that He brings me through your friendship and your words...

Wordfilled Wednesday

Psalm 121
I lift up my eyes to the hills
From whence comes my help
My help comes from the Lord
Who made Heaven and earth

He will not allow your foot to be moved
He who keeps you will not slumber
Behold, He who keeps Israel
Will neither slumber nor sleep

The Lord is your keeper
The Lord is your shade at your right hand

The sun shall not smite you by day
Nor the moon by night

The Lord shall preserve you from all evil
He shall preserve your soul
The Lord shall preserve your going out and coming in
From this time forth and even forevermore.

Psalm 121 is precious to our family. My husband's grandmother used to pray it over her family before leaving each other after times of fellowship, and we had it read at our wedding. It touches my heart that my children (both have it memorized) already know it by heart and have it hidden away in their hearts. I have even heard Paul comment to someone that he gets his help from the Lord. Are you hiding the Word of God in your heart?

We've Been Away...

We spent a week here...

Hanging out and relaxing together...

Having "loads" of fun...

Playing really hard...

We had a wonderful vacation, and are ready to go back again!!

Thankful Thursday

Today, for Thankful Thursday, I thought I would share a conversation I had with my Lord on Monday evening...

It all started out with me having a grumpy and complaining attitude... I was grumpy because I wanted my family to help me clean up after dinner. I didn't want to ask for help, I just wanted them to know that I wanted help and to get up and help me. I had cooked dinner, cleaned up all the dishes after dinner, and we were all having a brownie and some ice cream. I was the last one at the table eating my brownie... every one else had finished and left their dirty dishes sitting on the table.

Now our boys have been trained to take their dishes to the sink, and my husband has also been trained :) However, as I sat there by myself, looking at all the dirty dishes left on the table (while the dishwasher was open and conveniently waiting for more dishes to be put in), I couldn't help but feel a bit angry and slightly resentful. They had gone off to do something fun and I was left in the kitchen to CLEAN!

So I cleaned up the dishes, started the dishwasher, and disappeared to soak in a bubble bath. Well, as I was soaking and trying to relax, I heard that still, small voice:

"You need to have a thankful heart."

"You need to focus on me and not on yourself or on others."

"Your attitude should be the same as that of Jesus Christ."

So... I chose obedience to the voice of God, and I began to tell Him the things I was thankful for.

Here are some of them:

• I am thankful that I have a family to cook for and to clean up after...
• I am thankful that we have money to buy food to eat,... good food, healthy food...
• I am thankful for my children... there are those who desperately want children and yet for some reason have not been blessed with them yet...
• I am thankful for modern conveniences, like my dishwasher, my garbage disposal, my trash can with the foot pedal so I can open it with my foot...
• I am thankful for my big bathtub so that at times I can break away and relax...
• And I am so thankful for the still, small voice of God... thankful that He chooses to speak to me, thankful that I hear His voice, and thankful for the God-given desire to respond in obedience to His voice...

So, since Monday evening I have been very conscious of my attitude and whether or not it has been the same as that of Jesus Christ. I am consciously trying to have a thankful attitude in all that I do, even the everyday mundane things that often do not evoke thanksgiving. I have so much to be thankful for that really there should be no room for grumbling in my heart. May God help me to always chose thanksgiving over grumbling...

For more TT posts visit Laurie at Women Taking a Stand.

Wordless Wednesday

New Reasons to love...

After attending the Beth Moore simulcast this past Saturday, I headed out to lunch, just me, myself and I... and my Lord. I ate at one of my all-time favorites, a place I never mind going by myself... you know there are some places you just do not want to go alone, but Panera is not one of them!

As I was sitting there waiting for my food to be prepared, I was talking to my Lord, and listening for His voice and those promptings of His Spirit. I asked Him to open my eyes to what He wanted me to see, I so do not want to be so focused on myself that I overlook those He places in my path for a particular reason. He directed my eyes to a sign hanging on the wall and I heard His voice loud and clear through the words on that sign, (not really audibly, but in my spirit)...

Discover new reasons to love...

This has stayed with me... it resonates in my mind numerous times daily. God's Spirit has prompted me to ask Him to help me discover new reasons to love... to love Him, to love my family, to love friends and acquaintances, to love neighbors, and even to love those who seem unlovable and who are hard to love...

So I am on a journey with my Lord, discovering new reasons to love... I desire to be compelled by the love of Christ, not by my flesh and not by the things of this world, but solely and wholly by the love of Christ...

13If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. ¹⁴For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. ¹⁵And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. 2 Corinthians 5:13-15