I got a case of the giggles today.  The reason?  Stress overload.  Sometimes you just gotta laugh.

The weather is so messy today.  Slushy, icy, drizzling rain.  It’s oozing into the basement and crawling slowly in every direction.  Guess who’s down there walking around picking up stuff out of a giant puddle?  Yours truly.

Our cat Patches was fixed last week and started bulging on her tummy.  Guess who called the vet?  Guess who took her to the vet?  You guessed it!  It was me!  Me and five kids and the dog!  Through the pouring rain we went.

Just look at that picture up there!  Me with the cat carrier by my side and the rest of the van filled with the kids and the dog!  I got soaked, the road was washing out in one area, the side walk was flooded as I walked into the office, I got my feet wet, had to go a longer way to get home, school to do, lunch to eat.  I feel like the day is galloping.  GALLOPING!

I’m eating my soup now, while I type.  Today is a day of multitasking.  And exclamation points.

!

Ah, the influence of the Narnia books—today I was in the kitchen while my 7 year old daughter was at the table doing her school work.  I was startled when out of the blue I heard her exclaim dramatically:

“Great Scott!!!!!
I have to put 6 words in alphabetical order!!!!“

It snowed again last night.  I went outside this morning and ths snow is so soft to walk through, like foamy whipped cream.  I refilled my bird feeders, the cardinals are loving the sunflower seed.  Yesterday on the way to choir practice I saw a blue bird.  What a wonderful shade of blue they are.  I think I’d like to paint something “blue-bird” BLUE.

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A real Christian is an odd number anyway.  He feels supreme love for One whom he has never seen, talks familiarly every day to Someone he cannot see, expects to go to heaven on the virtue of Another, empties himself in order to be full, admits he is wrong so he can be declared right, goes down in order to get up, is strongest when he is weakest, richest when he is poorest, and happiest when he feels worst.  He dies so he can live, forsakes in order to have, gives away so he can keep, sees the invisible, hears the inaudible, and knows that which passeth knowledge.  A.W. Tozer

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I asked God for strength, that I might achieve;
I was made weak, that I may learn humbly to obey.
I asked God for health, that I may do greater things;
I was given infirmity, that I might do better things.
I asked for riches, that I may be happy;
I was given poverty, that I might be wise.
I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men;
I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God.
I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life;
I was given life, that I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing that I asked for but everything that I hoped for.
I am, among men, most richly blessed.
~A Confederate Soldier

T

T

In essentials, UNITY
In nonessentials, LIBERTY
In all things, CHARITY.

I love Fiesta!

My Mother in Law  is so thoughtful!  She bought me some fiestaware off ebay for my birthday.  These are pieces that are not available in retail any more so I am thrilled to add them to my collection:

From top to bottom:  Millennium  vase in cobalt, 60th anniversary disc pitcher and tumbler set in cobalt, and cappuccino mugs in persimmon and retired yellow.  I use the mugs all the time now.  I think I’ll go have some tea in one right now!

(To encourage)

“We are never nearer to Christ than when we find ourselves lost in a holy amazement at His unspeakable love.”

John Owen

“If I have observed anything by experience, it is this: a man may take the measure of his growth and decay in grace according to his thoughts and meditations upon the person of Christ, and the glory of Christ’s kingdom, and of His love.”

John Owen                                                                                  

 “He is righteous to reward according to deserts; He is gracious to reward above deserts;  yea, He is merciful to reward without deserts; and how, then, can I doubt of His will to help me?“

Sir Richard Baker

“Alas, for that capital crime of the Lord’s people–barrenness in praises!  Oh, how fully I am persuaded that a line of praises is worth a leaf in prayer, and an hour of praises is worth a day of fasting and mourning.”  John Livingstone

“God hath in Himself all power to defend you, all wisdom to direct you, all mercy to pardon you, all grace to enrich you, all righteousness to clothe you, all goodness to supply you, and all happiness to crown you.”

Thomas Brooks

“Since He looked upon me my heart is not my own, He hath run away to Heaven with it.”

Samuel Rutherford

“Constant thoughts (for Christ) are operative, and musing makes the fire burn.  Green wood is not kindled by a flash or spark, but by constant blowing.”  Thomas Manton

“Praise is a soul in flower.”  Thomas Watson

I read all these Puritan quotes this morning from my new book (A Puritan Golden Treasury published by The Banner of Truth Trust) ~ and I had an “a ha!” moment when I fully realized that fruitful prayer comes from MEDITATION!  How true that is!  The times when my heart and soul are in tune and prayerful to my heavenly Father are when I have been naturally thinking of Him over and over during the day.

So I wonder, would it not be more rewarding for their souls to guide our children to first and foremost think of Christ and meditate on Him and His word?  It scares me to think that I could unknowingly lead my children down a path of a heartless relationship with God.  Meditation and prayer. . .both practices are vital.  But without meditation, prayer can be nothing more than vain babblings.  Meditation cannot help but lead me to prayer.

I remember when I was encouraged to “pray for at least 10 minutes a day” and was held accountable to it on a piece of paper! To think that I would set my timer!  For 10 minutes!  And then try to fill the time with whatever I could think of.   The Lord knows my heart at that time was right–I was doing what I was told to do by a well-meaning mentor.  My prayers were still often-times heart-felt and always heard.  But, I think of that time, and am speechless with gratitude to God’s growing process.  I now believe that there needn’t be a program to prayer.  Isn’t it just a natural heart cry?  At times, words aren’t even necessary. 

He is so wonderful to us.  He never leaves us in one place.

happy in Him

‘Why must people kneel down to pray? If I really wanted to pray I’ll tell you what I’d do. I’d go out into a great big field all alone or into the deep, deep woods, and I’d look up into the sky – up – up – up – into that lovely blue sky that looks as if there was no end to its blueness. And then I’d just feel a prayer.’
-L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

(To encourage)

“We are never nearer to Christ than when we find ourselves lost in a holy amazement at His unspeakable love.”

John Owen

“If I have observed anything by experience, it is this: a man may take the measure of his growth and decay in grace according to his thoughts and meditations upon the person of Christ, and the glory of Christ’s kingdom, and of His love.”

John Owen                                                                                  

 “He is righteous to reward according to deserts; He is gracious to reward above deserts;  yea, He is merciful to reward without deserts; and how, then, can I doubt of His will to help me?“

Sir Richard Baker

“Alas, for that capital crime of the Lord’s people–barrenness in praises!  Oh, how fully I am persuaded that a line of praises is worth a leaf in prayer, and an hour of praises is worth a day of fasting and mourning.”  John Livingstone

“God hath in Himself all power to defend you, all wisdom to direct you, all mercy to pardon you, all grace to enrich you, all righteousness to clothe you, all goodness to supply you, and all happiness to crown you.”

Thomas Brooks

“Since He looked upon me my heart is not my own, He hath run away to Heaven with it.”

Samuel Rutherford

“Constant thoughts (for Christ) are operative, and musing makes the fire burn.  Green wood is not kindled by a flash or spark, but by constant blowing.”  Thomas Manton

“Praise is a soul in flower.”  Thomas Watson

I read all these Puritan quotes this morning from my new book (A Puritan Golden Treasury published by The Banner of Truth Trust) ~ and I had an “a ha!” moment when I fully realized that fruitful prayer comes from MEDITATION!  How true that is!  The times when my heart and soul are in tune and prayerful to my heavenly Father are when I have been naturally thinking of Him over and over during the day.

So I wonder, would it not be more rewarding for their souls to guide our children to first and foremost think of Christ and meditate on Him and His word?  It scares me to think that I could unknowingly lead my children down a path of a heartless relationship with God.  Meditation and prayer. . .both practices are vital.  But without meditation, prayer can be nothing more than vain babblings.  Meditation cannot help but lead me to prayer.

I remember when I was encouraged to “pray for at least 10 minutes a day” and was held accountable to it on a piece of paper! To think that I would set my timer!  For 10 minutes!  And then try to fill the time with whatever I could think of.   The Lord knows my heart at that time was right–I was doing what I was told to do by a well-meaning mentor.  My prayers were still often-times heart-felt and always heard.  But, I think of that time, and am speechless with gratitude to God’s growing process.  I now believe that there needn’t be a program to prayer.  Isn’t it just a natural heart cry?  At times, words aren’t even necessary. 

He is so wonderful to us.  He never leaves us in one place.

happy in Him

‘Why must people kneel down to pray? If I really wanted to pray I’ll tell you what I’d do. I’d go out into a great big field all alone or into the deep, deep woods, and I’d look up into the sky – up – up – up – into that lovely blue sky that looks as if there was no end to its blueness. And then I’d just feel a prayer.’
-L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables