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| grandboys on the Coosa River bank "A merry heart does good like a medicine." (Proverbs 17:22) Smile for the day: 8-year-old grandboy: "Can you say blue in Spanish?" 3-year-old grandboy: "Sure! Blue in Spanish." |
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| Frison Chapel "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" (Isaiah 6:8) Twenty-five summers ago, while driving past Frison Chapel, I heard the voice of the Lord whisper, "Paint that church." Out of that assignment came an enduring friendship with Mrs. Mattie B. Taylor and her brother, Mr. Fred Cross. Both beloved saints are now in heaven.  Mrs. Mattie Yesterday, my heart stirred again for Frison Chapel. Lord, I don't know what You are up to, but here I am. Send me! |
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| grandboy's 6th grade graduation "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under the heavens." (Ecclesiastes 3:1) Monday night, our grandboy graduated 6th grade. Christian education ends; public middle school begins. Godspeed, young man! |
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| my frog pond weathervane "The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going." (John 3:8) "Winds in the East Mist coming in Like somethin' is brewin' and bout to begin. . ." ~Bert, from Mary Poppins~ I sense change a comin'. Lord, what are You up to? |
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"A merry heart does good like a medicine. . . " (Proverbs 17:22) |
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| Isaac "Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies to silence the foe and the avenger." (Psalm 8:2) Our little friend, Isaac, is third grader. Yesterday, he was baptized at his Christian school because he wanted to show the world that he believes in Jesus. Isaac wrote: The Lord is Better The enemy tries to cut me short I come back longer. They try to burn me out I come back brighter. They try to make me weak I come back stronger. They try to make me quiet I come back louder. They try to block me out He finds another way. Selah. |
". . . give your mother a reason to be glad." (Proverbs 23:25)
Look what came in the mail today! The cutest t-shirt in the whole wide world, compliments of my Rebecca's family. I am one glad mama/memaw.
According to Proverbs 23, what makes a father and mother truly happy? Righteous and wise children.
Beloved, may your children and grandchildren make you glad. May they all walk in the ways of the Lord all the days of their lives.
Read more...
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| Our Ben, coach Our grandboys: far left, 3rd from right, far right (Glasscos made half the team) |
At the beginning of the season, these little guys would take the soccer ball and try to dribble all the way to the goal. Once they learned to spread out, pass the ball, and work as a team, they became winners. (Last game score: 9 to 1)
Beloved, never try doing the work of Christ alone. You are one member of the Jesus team. Work together.
"If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself." ~Henry Ford~
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| grandboy "... Make the most of every opportunity you have for doing good. Don't act thoughtlessly, but try to find out and do whatever the Lord wants you to." (Ephesians 5:15-17) Our God has a sense of humor. So, a couple of weeks ago, my sweet cousin had thumb surgery. It was a busy week for me. I prayed for her but did nothing to help her. The following Saturday night (out of the blue — literally), my left thumb began to hurt. It made me think of Belinda, so I prayed for her again. Sunday night, the same thing happened. Around bedtime, my left thumb was in pain. I prayed, "Lord, please heal Belinda's thumb." The pain got worse. "Okay, okay, Lord, I hear You! I'll fix a meal and take it to her family tomorrow night!" The next day, I cooked chicken and rice casserole, green beans, rolls, and M & M cookies and delivered it to Belinda's doorstep. My thumb hasn't hurt since. (Smile) Oswald Chambers wrote: "We have to get into the habit of carefully listening to God about everything, forming the habit of finding out what He says and heeding it." Beloved, pay attention, pay attention and do whatever the Lord tells you to do! |
"All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps." (Matthew 25:6)
Our dog Bell has watched me scurry about the kitchen all morning preparing for the Bible study ladies' luncheon — our first party in two years since "Mt. Pandemic" erupted.
In the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 25, Jesus compared the Kingdom of Heaven to a wedding party. . .
“Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. The five who were foolish didn’t take enough olive oil for their lamps, but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil. When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
“At midnight they were roused by the shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!’
“All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps. Then the five foolish ones asked the others, ‘Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’
“But the others replied, ‘We don’t have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.’
“But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked. Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!’
“But he called back, ‘Believe me, I don’t know you!’
“So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of My return."
Beloved, are you ready???
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| grandboy and little lamb 2013ish "[The Sovereign LORD] tends His flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart; He gently leads those that have young." (Isaiah 40:11) I am SO thankful and excited! The Lord sent me a new little lamb this spring (9-year-old little girl) to feed through Bible study and prayer. In John 10:14-15, Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd...I lay down My life for the sheep." In the Old Testament, the prophet Isaiah described the Sovereign LORD as a caring shepherd. According to The Moody Bible Commentary, Isaiah chapters 40-48 offer comfort to God's exiled people. Despite their captivity in Babylon, there was hope of restoration by their faithful God. Yesterday, today, and forever, God cares for His people like a shepherd cares for his sheep — providing, feeding, protecting, rescuing, nursing injuries and illnesses. You are God's sheep, beloved. He will take care of you! |
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| Grandgirl 2012ish "Children are a gift from the LORD; they are a reward from Him." (Psalm 127:3) A kindergarten teacher recently shared this story: Kindergartner: Hey, Mrs. Dani, how old is your little boy? Mrs. Dani: My little boy is 24. He is all grown up. Kindergartner: No, your little boy in the picture on your desk. Mrs. Dani: Oh, that's my grandson. Kindergartner: You're a grandma???? Mrs. Dani: Yes, I sure am. Kindergartner: But you have all your teeth! "The child is the beauty of God present in the world, the greatest gift to a family." ~ Mother Teresa ~ |
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| grandboys and their sweet mommy "Grandchildren are a crown to the aged . . . " (Proverbs 17:6) Two of the grandboys gave me a Mother's Day card with their answers to these questions: The six-year-old's answers: 1. The thing I love most about Memaw is she is so fun and she likes me. 2. Memaw makes me so happy when she plays with me. 3. She is the best at making Micky Mouse pancakes. 4. Memaw's favorite food is salad. 5. When Memaw was a little girl, she used to play with Barbies. 6. Now that Memaw is older, she can cook. 7. If Memaw and I could take a whole day and spend it together, we would go on a walk with Bell. 8. Memaw is scared of bobcats. 9. Memaw laughs when I do silly jokes with her. 10. If I had a ton of money, I would buy Memaw 206 doggies. The three-year-old's answers: 1. The thing I love most about Memaw is good at cooking. 2. Memaw makes me so happy when she colors pictures. 3. She is the best at making cookies. 4. Memaw's favorite food is fish. 5. When Memaw was a little girl, she used to play outside. 6. Now that Memaw is older, she can play pickleball. 7. If Memaw and I could take a whole day and spend it together we would play trains. 8. Memaw is scared of giant monsters. 9. Memaw laughs at me. 10. If I had a ton of money, I would buy Memaw French fries. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for seven wonderful grandkids!!! |
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| Grandgirl 2010ish "A person's words can be a source of wisdom, deep as the ocean, fresh as a flowing stream." (Proverbs 18:4) "Truth without grace is mean. Grace without truth is meaningless. Truth and grace together are good medicine." ~ Pastor Chris Hodges ~ "Truth without love is harsh. Love without truth is a lie." ~ Lisa Bevere ~ "Truth without love is brutality, and love without truth is hypocrisy." ~ Warren W. Wiersbe ~ "Love without truth is sentimentality; it supports and affirms us but keeps us in denial about our flaws. Truth without love is harshness; it gives us information but in such a way that we cannot really hear it. God's saving love in Christ, however, is marked by both radical truthfulness about who we are and yet also radical, unconditional commitment to us. The merciful commitment strengthens us to see the truth about ourselves and repent. The conviction and repentance moves us to cling to and rest in God's mercy and grace." ~ Timothy J. Keller ~ "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." ~ Jesus Christ ~ Selah |
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| my first iris blossom this spring "Look at the wildflowers and how they grow. They do not gather the materials or spin yarn for their clothing, yet have you ever seen vivid color and intricate design like it? I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these." (Luke 12:27) All praise to God, the magnificent Creator! "Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they existed and were created!" (Revelation 4:11) |
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| Coosa River Cabin |
"I will put My law within them and write it on their heart; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people." (Jeremiah 31:33)
I am a writer.
I write books.
I write Bible studies.
I write blog posts.
I write letters — lots and lots of letters.
God is a writer, the Author of faith.
God told Moses, "Write in a book . . . write on stone tablets . . . write down these words."
God told Joshua, "Write a description of the land."
God told Jeremiah, "I will write My law on their hearts."
God told Habakkuk, "Write down the vision and make it clear."
God told His beloved disciple John, "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches."
God is a writing God.
O Lord, make us all little pencils like Mother Teresa in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world!
Read more...
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| geese in a row Coosa River "So the people sat down in rows, in groups of a hundred and groups of fifty," (Mark 6:40) For some odd reason, my snapshot of swimming geese all in a row brought to mind a story from the Gospel of Mark chapter 6 (plus the fact that it happens to be May 2nd or 5/2): When Jesus got out of the boat, He saw a large crowd, and His heart was filled with pity for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things. When it was getting late, His disciples came to Him and said, "It's already very late, and this is a lonely place. Send the people away, and let them go to the nearby farms and villages in order to buy something to eat." "You give them something to eat," Jesus answered. "How much bread do you have?" "Five loaves and two fish," they told Him. Jesus then told His disciples to make all the people divide into groups and sit down on the green grass. So the people sat down in rows, in groups of a hundred and groups of fifty. Then Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up into heaven, and gave thanks to God. He broke the loaves and gave them to His disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. Everyone ate and had enough. Then the disciples took up twelve baskets full of leftover bread and fish! The number of men who were fed was five thousand. How did Jesus feel when He saw the crowd? His heart filled with compassion. Out of His heart of compassion, what did Jesus do for the people? He fed them spiritually and physically. Before He distributed the bread and fish, what did Jesus do? He thanked Father God. Jesus doesn't change. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, still looking compassionately on God's children, teaching us many things through His word, and amply supplying our spiritual and physical needs. Beloved, lean on your Shepherd today, tomorrow, and forever! |
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