“God Can do What Seems Impossible”

Posted on October 17, 2006 by Shanda

The inspiration for my entry today comes from the sunrise. At 7 this morning I walked right by my big picture window to turn on the tv. I turned it on just in time for the weather. The network showed their “live camera” shot of the sunrise and everyone at the desk had comments about the rare beauty of it. The weather man said, “Let’s just forget about the weather report and look at this beautiful sunrise.” I looked at the picture on the tv and then glanced out my window. . . . .at the sunrise! I almost missed it! I grabbed my camera, ran outside (froze) and took some pictures. Then I got the kids out of bed to see it, too.

I don’t know how God hangs the world on nothing,

Or how he keeps the planets each in place.

I cannot count the sands upon the seashore,

Nor can I count the stars that float in space.

I don’t know how the Lord can save a sinner Or how His grace can cleanse and set him free. I can’t explain the mystery of Calv’ry-To think that Jesus died for even me.

But God can do what seems impossible;
God controls eternity.
My mind can never comprehend it,
But God in heaven cares for me.

(upside down)

I don’t know all the meaning of “forever”

Or just how long it’s been since time began.

I can’t explain how Christ Who is eternal

Could come to earth and die for sinful man.

But God can do what seems impossible;
God controls eternity.
My mind can never comprehend it,
But God in heaven cares for me.

Great
and
Marvelous
are Thy works,
Lord God Almighty.
Revelation 15:3

Posted on October 16, 2006 by Shanda

Jake and E

Jacob and Ethan are only fourteen months apart and so in some ways I consider them both to be my firstborns. The two oldest. Rich and I lived near family until I was pregnant with Grace and so these two boys are the only ones of my five that my parents were able to spend lots and lots of time with as little ones. I am sure that they feel the same way that I do — that Jake and E are getting big and that time is quickly passing by. Jacob is almost as old as my younger brother was when I was married! When I watch the two of them together I often get that motherly intense contented feeling. I love how close they are. They are like cute puppies that play, wrestle, make messes, and all the time looking just as innocent as can be!

I thought it would be fun to include some older pictures of Jacob and Ethan. Here we are in 1998.

They call this “Camp Hope”, they have forts all over the place.

Rich and me with 22 month old Jacob and 8 month old Ethan. This was taken November of 1998 and Grace was born just 1 year later.

Brothers

Me and my boys

Boys

In her Sunday Best

Posted on October 15, 2006 by Shanda

girls in white dresses . . .

These are a few of my favorite things

Shine

Posted on October 15, 2006 by Shanda

Happy Lord’s day! it’s the perfect day to meditate on spiritual things.
Today I want to share a quote with you that i read in a jonathan edwards biography. it’s one that convicted me as well as made me smile because of the quaint, old english.

“The pleasures of religion
raise one
clear above laughter,
and rather tend to make
the face shine
than screw it into
a grimace.”
Jonathan Edwards

So I ask myself, “am i grimacing or shining?”

The Bible Says,
Do all things without murmurings and dissputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of god, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world” Phillippians 2: 14, 15

“Then shall the
righteous
shine forth as the sun”
Matthew 13:43a

WHY do we shine?
Because God’s face shines on us:

The lord bless thee,
and keep thee:
the Lord make his face
shine upon thee,
and be gracious unto thee”
Numbers 6 24-26

Shine Today

Happy World Egg Day

Posted on October 13, 2006 by Shanda

Laugh with me!

I went to the grocery store today.
The eggs were on sale. 39 cents a dozen.
Why?
Because we’re celebrating

world egg day!
I’m not kidding!

So sit back, enjoy the quotes and pictures and be thankful for your eggs.

“Remember, people will judge you by your actions, not your intentions. You may have a heart of gold — but so does a hard-boiled egg.”

Behold. The Egg

Yet, who can help loving the land that has taught us Six hundred and eighty-five ways to dress eggs?
Thomas Moore

The goose that lays the golden eggs likes to lay where there are eggs already.
Charles Spurgeon

How to hard boil eggs: Place eggs in a single layer in a medium saucepan. Add enough cold water to come 1 inch above the eggs. Bring to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat so water is just below simmering. Cover and cook for 15 mintutes, drain. Run cold water over the eggs or place them in ice water till cool enough to handle; drain and peel.z Call me strange (you all will after this post!) but I get an intense feeling of satisfaction whenever I hard-boil an egg perfectly: (with NO green ring).

It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad.
C. S. Lewis

Concentrate; put all your eggs in one basket, and watch that basket.
Andrew Carnegie

The world is full of hopeful analogies and handsome, dubious eggs, called possibilities.
George Eliot


Little known fact: On March 19, 1994 The World’s largest omelet (1,383 ft) was made with 160,000 eggs in Yokohama Japan!

my new buddy. i’m gonna scramble him tomorrow.

She was a bad egg.
~Willy Wonka

Posted on October 11, 2006 by Shanda

My life. . .moments of one day. . .

It’s not enough if you are busy. The question is, what are you busy about? Thoreau

The Face Paint Story:

The kids found face paint the other night. Before Rich and I knew what was going on they were all decorated, including the baby. I’m talking face, belly, legs, arms. . .stripes, dots, and large areas of skin were covered with paint. It was sort of funny, they were running around outside, but when we called them in to get washed up we quickly realized that It. Would. Not. Come. Off. Easily. Rich and I had to scrub and scrub them with Dawn dishsoap while kneeling side by side by the tub, the bath water turned green, I got soaked trying to use the handheld shower and Caleb got soap in his eyes. At one point we had 3 boys in the tub at once. Grace got the shower to herself, the boys had to have a community wash. I wanted to put them straight to bed, it was about 7:30 when they were finally all clean, but Rich wouldn’t hear of it. I tried to recite the Mother Goose rhyme, “There was an old woman who lived in a shoe, she had so many children she didn’t know what to do. She . . . . .spanked them all soundly and sent them to bed. ” No, said my husband, the problem with that is the old woman who lived in a shoe did not homeschool and we still have math to do! It was such a crazy time that I just had to laugh.

Time it was
and what a time it was

THoughts on Humility

Posted on October 11, 2006 by Shanda

When I read, I collect quotes about certain topics. Humility is one topic that I have been interested in. The following are quotes and verses from my study. I’m sharing for my own benefit as I find that the more I write things out, the better I remember them. I love studying my Bible and learning more about God. My best moments are spent with Him.

For ye see your calling, bretheren, now that not many
wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble,
are called: But God hath chosen
the foolish things of the world
to confound the wise;
and God hath chosen the weak things of the world
to confound the things of the world,
and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea,
and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are:
That no flesh should glory in His presense.” 1 Ocr. 1:26-29

God is searching for a shepherd
to make into a king
He is searching for a humble man
for to Him all praise to bring
Not the strong and not the mighty
He delights in simple things
God is searching for a shepherd
to make into a king. R. Hamliton

He that is dowm needs fear no fall:
He that is low no pride;
He that is humble ever shall
Have God to be his guide.

Humility grows best in winter weather and under storms of affliction. Samuel Rutherford

Once learn this lesson, to think little of thyself, and when it comes to that, thou art within sight of Christ. Samuel Rutherford

Everyone that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. Luke 18:14

My heart panted after this-to lie low before God, as in the dust; that I might be nothing, and that God might be ALL, that I might ecome as a little child. Jonathan Edwards

Edwards spoke of pride as the sin of the human heart. He was speaking from experience as well as from Scripture.

Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud. Pr. 16 19

God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble, James 4:6

Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up. James 4:10

Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowls of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind. . . . . . .Colossians 3:12

I’d love to hear anyone else’s favorite quote or verse about humility/being humble. . . .please share. . . . .

Happy Thoughts
Smile and Laugh

My Current Favorite Hymn:

Posted on October 9, 2006 by Shanda

The most sung hymn of the Welsh Revival of 1904:

“Here is Love”

Here is love, vast as the ocean,
Lovingkindness as the flood,
When the Prince of Life, our Ransom,
Shed for us His precious blood.
Who His love will not remember?
Who can cease to sing His praise?
He can never be forgotten,
Throughout Heav’n’s eternal days.

On the mount of crucifixion,
Fountains opened deep and wide;
Through the floodgates of God’s mercy
Flowed a vast and gracious tide.
Grace and love, like mighty rivers,
Poured incessant from above,
And Heav’n’s peace and perfect justice
Kissed a guilty world in love.

Let me all Thy love accepting,
Love Thee, ever all my days;
Let me seek Thy kingdom only
And my life be to Thy praise;
Thou alone shalt be my glory,
Nothing in the world I see.
Thou hast cleansed and sanctified me,
Thou Thyself hast set me free.

In Thy truth Thou dost direct me
By Thy Spirit through Thy Word;
And Thy grace my need is meeting,
As I trust in Thee, my Lord.
Of Thy fullness Thou art pouring
Thy great love and power on me,
Without measure, full and boundless,
Drawing out my heart to Thee.

Written by William Rees

Weekend snapshots

Posted on October 9, 2006 by Shanda

I Got Tired. But it was Worth it.

We had our nieces, Abbie and Naomi with us this weekend. We had a household of 9!

Here’s Naomi!

I’m smiling, Aunt Shanda!

The 2 babies

Naomi Isabella

It was very difficult to take a group picture. I hope someone gets a chuckle out of these 2 examples of my attempts. There were about 5 others that weren’t even worth publicizing.

I love you

It’s so much easier to photograph one!

What Caleb is thinking: “I’m gonna take this pumpkin and I’m gonna chuck it in the pond! Enough already!” Then he did.

Real Life

Here I am, talking on the phone to MOM with a baby in front of me and a baby on my lap. The laundry closet is gaping open as it was in constant (and I do mean CONSTANT) use all weekend long. (Why bother shutting the doors?) Rich was a trooper ~ although I did hear him mumble something like, “How did this happen to me. .’mumble mumble’ . . .seven kids.” I even got to go out alone for an adventure which is what I was talking to Mom about. . . .my fiestaware adventure. Oh well, the weekend is over and the week is off to a roaring start. I’m gonna take time to count my blessings now and I’ll share the first 8:

My Husband
Jacob
Ethan
Grace
David
Caleb
Abigail

and
Naomi!

We survived and even had fun!

Lord's Day "Mediation on Heaven"

Posted on October 8, 2006 by Shanda

Quotes from Richard Baxter’s “The Saints’ Everlasting Rest”.

This meditation is upon your everlasting rest. I would not have you cast off your other meditations; but surely, as Heaven has preeminence in perfection, it should have it also in our meditation. . . .This is a walk to Mount Sion: from the kingdoms of this world to the kingdom of saints; from earth to heaven; from time to eternity. It is walking upon sun, moon, and stars, in the garden and paradise of God.

Give this heavenly contemplation a stated time. . . .Let it be frequent as well. . .to prevent a shyness between God and your soul. Frequent association breeds familiarity, and familiarity increases love and delight.

All things are beautiful and excellent in their season. . .I have always found that the fittest time to meditate for myself is the evening, from sunset to twilight. . .The Lord’s Day is exceedingly seasonable for this exercise. When should we more seasonably contemplate our rest, than on that day of rest which typifies it to us?

What fitter time to converse with our Lord than on the Lord’s day? What fitter time to ascend to heaven than on that on which He arose from earth and fully triumphed over death and hell? The fittest temper for a true Christian, is like John, to “be in the Spirit on Lord’s day.”

Written by Puritan Theologian and Pastor, Richard Baxter, 1615-1691