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| Granddaddy, grandboys, and Bell
"Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4)
I'm headed to the zoo this morning before the Arctic blast hits tomorrow.
Have a great day with Jesus, beloved, and always rejoice in Him!
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| drawing by my talented grandgirl
Jesus said, "No one can snatch them away from Me." (John 10:28 GNT)
One summer evening at dusk when I was a little girl, I was playing at the neighbors' house and a dog howled in the distance.
Freddy said, "Oo, maybe it's the wendigo." I started crying and his mama made him walk me home.
"The Wendigo" was a scary television tale back in the 60s about hunters in the Canadian northwest on search for a creepy beast that snatched up people and carried them off.
Snatch. I like that word, too (see yesterday's post), and I like the "snatch" story in the Gospel of John chapter ten.
We learn at the end of chapter nine that some Pharisees standing near Jesus asked Him, "Are you saying we're blind?"
In chapter ten, Jesus answered them in His roundabout way. "I tell you the truth. I am the Good Shepherd; I know My own sheep, and they know Me. But you don't believe Me because You are not My sheep. My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from Me, for My Father has given them to Me, and He is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father's hand."
Thank You, Father, for Your blessed assurance that we have eternal life in Christ Jesus and no one can snatch us from Your all-powerful hand!
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| L-R Freddy Eberhart, me, and Steve Eberhart early 1960s
"Jesus spat on the ground and made some mud with the spittle..." (John 9:6)
The rough draft of Once Upon a Neighborhood is completed and now in the editing stage (my favorite part of book writing). In this story set in my old neighborhood atop Lookout Mountain back in 1963, Freddy makes me cross my heart, hope to die, and spit on the ground before he'll tell me his secret. In the next scene, spittle is running down my chin.
Spittle. I like that word. The Gospel of John has a "spittle" story. One day, Jesus was walking along and saw a man who had been born blind. His disciples asked, "Teacher, whose sin caused him to be born blind? His own or his parents?" Jesus answered, "His blindness has nothing to do with his sins or his parents' sins. He is blind so that God's power might be seen at work in him." After He said this, Jesus spat on the ground and made some mud with the spittle; He rubbed the mud on the man's eyes and told him, "Go and wash your face in the Pool of Siloam." So the man went, washed his face, and came back seeing. The Pharisees interrogated the man Jesus healed on the Sabbath and shouted, "This man who cured you is a sinner!" The man replied, "I do not know if He is a sinner or not. One thing I do know: I was blind, and now I see!" What has Jesus done for you, beloved? Go tell the world! "Come and listen, all who honor God, and I will tell you what He has done for me." (Psalm 66:16) |
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| Backyard view of Blue Heron Lake |
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| our Rebecca senior portrait, 2000 |
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| Grandboy's kindergarten class
"Let each generation tell its children of Your mighty acts; let them proclaim Your power...The LORD is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. The LORD is good to everyone. He showers compassion on all His creation. All Your works will thank You, LORD, and Your faithful followers will praise You." (Psalm 145:4, 5-10)
For the kindergarteners, today was Grandparents Day at Briarwood Christian School.
grandboys
Followed by a Veterans Day program in the lovely sanctuary.
Tears stung my eyes as we watched veterans from the present-day conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan all the way back to World War II fill the stage.
O God, help America, the land that we love.
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| Superman and me Elkmont Historic District Smoky Mountains Tennessee
According to visitmysmokies.com:
"The Element Historic District is one of the most fascinating areas to visit in the Great Smoky Mountains... The area that would become Element was first settled in the 1840s... Around the turn of the century, logging became a booming industry in the Smoky Mountains. The Little River Lumber Company was formed in 1901 when Pennsylvania businessman Colonel Wilson B. Townsend purchased 86,000 acres of land along the river. To transport the freshly cut timber, Colonel Townsend built a railroad that connected the riverside logging site to the his company's sawmill in Tuckaleechee Cove. Before long, the logging railway began transporting not just lumber, but people too... The Little River area became so popular with Knoxville's upper crust that they bought land from the company to set up their own resort community."
Today, the National Park Service is restoring many of the old, abandoned cabins. As we stood by one of the historic chimneys, I wondered, "What was its story?"
The greatest story ever told, however, is God's story. Sally Lloyd-Jones wrote: "It takes the whole Bible to tell this Story. And at the center of the Story, there is a Baby. Every story in the Bible whispers His name."
Want to know God's story, beloved? Open the Bible to Genesis, chapter one. "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light...
Keep reading, beloved This Story can save your life!
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| L-R our kids dressed as Daniel, Miriam and baby Moses, and a lion Fall Festival, 1987
"This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:24)
Today for many is Halloween. For others "All Hallows Eve." For me, this is the day that the LORD; I will rejoice and be glad in Jesus.
Beloved, ask God on how you should spend the day He's made.
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| babygrand and biscuits
"A cheerful disposition is good for your health; gloom and doom leave you bone-tired." (Proverbs 17:22)
In today's gloom-and-doom world, one smile goes a long way. So put on a happy face, beloved, and let the light, love, and hope of Jesus shine through you!
This little light of mine,
I'm gonna let it shine.
Let it shine!
Let it shine!
Let is shine!
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| narrow footbridge Great Smoky Mountains National Park
"But small is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to life, and only a few find it." (Matthew 7:14)
Did you miss me? We took a road trip to the Cumberland Gap.
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| our babygrand
"Look! A messenger is coming over the mountains with good news! He is bringing a message of peace. Celebrate!" (Nahum 1:15)
Babygrand turns one on Saturday, but we celebrated a week early. Happy first birthday, sweet, little man!
The word celebrate as a verb means to acknowledge a significant or happy day or event with a social gathering or enjoyable activity.
In the Old Testament book of Nahum (ever heard of him?), according to The Bible Project commentary: "this short prophetic book is a collection of poems that announce the downfall of one of Israel's worst oppressors, the ancient empire of Assyria and its capital city, Ninevah...Nahum describes the downfall of the bad guys as "good news for the remnant of God's people" and encourages them to celebrate!
According to Revelation 20:19, the Day is coming when our worst enemy, the evil, deceiving, old devil, will be thrown down into the fiery lake of burning sulfur forever and ever, and God's people will celebrate!
"Then I heard again what sounded like the shout of a vast crowd or a roar of mighty ocean waves or the crash of loud thunder:
Praise the Lord!
For the Lord our god, the Almighty, reigns.
Let us be glad and rejoice,
and let us give honor to Him."
(Revelation 19:6-7)
Never fear, beloved, our happily-ever-after it coming!
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"...I ponder every morsel of wisdom from You, I attentively watch how You've done it. I relish everything You've told me of life, I won't forget a word of it...Open my eyes so I can see...My soul is starved and hungry, ravenous!—insatiable for Your nourishing commands...Help me understand these things inside and out...Give me insight so I can do what You tell me...Guide me down the road of Your commandments; I love traveling this freeway!...Oh, how I love all You've revealed...Every word You give me is a miracle word...Break open Your words, let the light shine out, let ordinary people see the meaning..." ~Psalm 119 The Message~
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| Grandboys L-R: ages one, three, three, and five
"Let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the Champion who initiates and perfects our faith." (Hebrews 12:1-2 NLT)
On Saturday at the farm, our one-year-old grandboy ran his first of many Tonka races against his older brother and cousins.
Life is a marathon, beloved, not a sprint. Keep running, and keep your eyes on Jesus, who for "the joy awaiting Him, endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now He is seated in the place of honor beside God's throne. Think of all the hostility He endured [for you]...then you won't become weary and give up." (Hebrews 12:2-3)
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| grandboys and granddog
"And [Jesus] said unto them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." (Matthew 4:19)
Yesterday, when our sweet daughter-in-law was teaching her two boys the fishers-of-men, Bible story, the three year old pipes, "No, Babe, it's fishers of milk." Then, instead of a fish, he drew a milk jug on his sheet of paper.
One day, while walking along the beach of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus saw two brothers—Simon (later called Peter) and Andrew—throwing their nets into the water. They were fishermen. Jesus called to them, "Come with me. I'll make you a new kind of fishermen. I'll show you how to catch people instead of perch and bass." Without a question, they dropped their nets and followed Jesus.
What's Jesus calling you to do, beloved? Will you question Him or follow?
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