Psalm 84

How lovely is your dwelling place,
O LORD of hosts!

My soul longs, yes, faints
for the courts of the LORD;
my heart and flesh sing for joy
to the living God.

Even the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may lay her young,
at your altars, O LORD of hosts,
my King and my God.

Blessed are those who dwell in your house,
ever singing your praise!
Selah

Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
in whose heart are the highways to Zion.

As they go through the Valley of Baca (Weeping)
they make it a place of springs;
the early rain also covers it with pools.

They go from strength to strength;
each one appears before God in Zion.

O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer;
give ear, O God of Jacob!
Selah

Behold our shield, O God;
look on the face of your anointed!

For a day in your courts is better
than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
the LORD bestows favor and honor.
No good thing does he withhold
from those who walk uprightly.

O LORD of hosts,
blessed is the one who trusts in you!

He Is My Everything

I've been whistling, humming and singing this song wherever I go for the last several days! We used to sing it in youth group...yep, those songs from way back in the day still run through my head all the time!

He Is My Everything

He is my everything. He is my all.
He is my everything, both great and small.
He gave His life for me, made everything new.
He is my everything-now how about you.

Some folks may ask me, some folks may say...
Who is this Jesus you talk about every day?
He is my Savior and He set me free!
Now listen while I tell you what He means to me!

He is my everything. He is my all.
He is my everything, both great and small.
He gave His life for me, made everything new.
He is my everything-now how about you.

I sing the words, but do I really live my life as though He is my everything? Too often I get distracted by circumstances and situations that surround me or by the frivolous things of this world and lose sight of what it means that He has truly set me free! But, as a child of God, I am no longer in bondage (Isn't that glorious!?!) and my daily living should reflect that!

"For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore,
and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery."
Galatians 5:1

What do you seek?

Vessels of Honor convened this weekend and many sat under some excellent teaching that challenged us and taught us about the mindset of being a pioneer in the work of the Lord. As I reflect on the messages, I'll post some thoughts but for now, the thought that resonates in my head is to be continually seeking the face of the Lord.

"You have said, 'Seek my face.'
My heart says to you, 'Your face, LORD, do I seek.'"

Psalm 27:8

Twenty-one inches?!

In preparation for my travels this summer, I just invested in a new suitcase. This picture makes it look quite large and roomy...perfectly suited to fit all my needs, right?!




...but in fact, this suitcase is only 21 inches! It meets domestic flight carry on regulations although it thankfully expands an entire 2 inches in a pinch! Am I crazy to think that I can pack for my month long trip in this itty bitty suitcase!? Oh the pains and woes of a weakling like me who has to determine how much to pack based on her ability to carry it herself!! :-)


**Tips and suggestions are welcomed and encouraged! **

The Fruit of the Spirit--Meekness

In studying the fruit of the Spirit, the one thing that I keep being reminded of is the fact that this fruit is cultivated in me by supernatural power alone. I can not conjure up this fruit myself...it is a work of the Spirit! It is a reminder to me that this is how the Christian walk is...it is a willingness on my part to submit to the Lord and allow Him to work in my life and to mold me and shape me into His likeness. It's about acknowledging my failures and being broken before the Lord over those failures. It's about learning to submit to His will and trusting my life in His hands, which are much more capable than mine!

"The fruit of the Spirit is...meekness..." (Galatians 5:23)

"When we think of meekness, we are apt to think of Caspar Milquetoast, the comic strip character who was the embodiment of timidity and weakness. But this fruit of the Spirit is something very different. It comes from supernatural power, not from weakness.

It refers first of all to a believer's loving submission to all God's dealings in his life. The meek man bows to the will of God without rebellion, questioning, or complaint. He reckons that "God is too wise to err and too loving to be unkind." Realizing that there is no chance or accident, he believes that God is working everything together for good in his life.

Meekness also includes the believer's relationship with others. Here he is self-effacing, not self-assertive, and humble, not haughty. The meek man is one who practices brokenness. When he has said or done something wrong, he conquers pride by saying, "I am sorry. Please forgive me!" He would rather lose face than self-respect. When he suffers for doing what is right, he endures it patiently without any thought of fighting back. When he is falsely accused, he refrains from defending himself. As Trench says, the meek man accepts the injuries and insults of others as permitted by God for his chastening and purifying.

Someone has defined a meek man as "one who accepts the will of God without resentment, who can afford to be gentle and mild because of inward strength, and who is under the perfect control of God." When a parishioner told Dr. Alexander Whyte that a fellow minister was being castigated as an unbeliever, Dr. Whyte blazed with indignation. When the parishioner added that the critic said that Dr. Whyte himself was not a true believer, he said, "Please leave the office so that I can be alone and examine my heart before the Lord." THAT is meekness.

We are all called to take the yoke of Him who is "meek and lowly in heart." As we do so, we find rest for our souls and will ultimately inherit the earth. "

*One Day at a Time, by William MacDonald
(italics placed for emphasis by me!)

Got Gas?!

Today started off quiet. I was looking forward to Tanya, Kate and Zach coming over to play. Our original plan was to go to the park. But, the weather was gross and rainy so we decided to stay at the house and play. I've got all sorts of toys for the kids to play with so they got to playing and laughing and we had a great time...we even made a xylophone with the tinker toys...

and then....

Whooooshhhh...it seemed like it came out of nowhere. All of the sudden Tanya and I smelled gas and heard a loud whoooshing sound. We quickly realized it was coming from the fireplace. Kate was sitting in front of it so we tried to figure out what she had touched that would have turned the gas on. I ran into the kitchen and blew out the candle. I made sure the furnace/AC were turned off. I opened a window and a door and quickly got the attic fan turned on. We got the kids out of the house and I called my dad to figure out how to turn it off.

Even outside, the smell of gas was so strong. Tanya and I were frantic, trying to figure out how to turn it off. My dad mentioned a key and Kate said she had found a key. But, where was it? I ran into the house as I called 9-1-1. Just as they answered, I saw the key...


...it was sticking out of the floor, hidden by the rocking chair! I quickly turned the gas off and was so thankful to hear the whoooshing stop whooshing. For safety reasons, the fire department came (no sirens, thankfully!) to make sure everything was safe again. We were standing outside in the front lawn with a few rain drops coming down when the fire engine got there. Kate and Zachary were wide eyed! (They looked how I felt!) The firemen checked our "gas leak" and thankfully, everything was just fine. They told us that we did everything right! (Of course, it would have been helpful if I had been more aware of the KEY before this situation!)

But, if we did everything "just right", why do my hands still tremble at the thought of the events of the day? Why does my heart skip a beat whenever I think of how different it could have been? And why do I feel like I just had a "stupid girl moment"?! (This is my second "stupid girl moment" this month! That's 2 too many!)

But, in spite of my trembling I am reminded of a few things for which I am so thankful. I am thankful for the Lord's protection of my loved ones and me, thankful that we have nothing to fear while in His care!

"God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble,
Therefore, we will not fear."

Psalm 46:1-2a

I am also thankful for a child's heart that is tender. Kate did not purposefully do wrong. She did not take the key with the intent to cause any sort of trouble. She was being curious. But, her first response at realizing the result of her actions? She asked to say "sorry"! She wanted to do what she could to make a wrong right again. Do I respond with that same sensitivity? Is my heart tender, desiring to make my "wrongs" right again? Or do I try to defend my actions, intentional or otherwise?

I pray for the children in my life--Kate, Zachary, Ethan, Simon, Jacob, Nyah (to name a few! There are others of you who read my blog that I am faithfully praying for your children, too!)--I pray that their hearts might be sensitive to their sinful nature, that they might have a tender heart towards the things of God, that they might grow to be faithful men and women of God! I pray that one day soon, we will all be hearing the good news of one of these wee souls saved so that we might rejoice together!

"Though you have not seen him, you love him.
Though you do not now see him, you believe in him
and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,
obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls."

I Peter 1:8-9

**P.S. In case you were wondering, the key has been moved into another room, far and away from where it can be used by accident. And, my dad came over and plugged the gas line (I don't use it anyways!). So, this house is safe again! Whew!

A lovely day for a hike, don't you think?!

Today was a little overcast and perhaps a little muggy, too, but I found it to be a lovely day to be outdoors! Anne-Marie and I decided that we are going to start checking out the various trails around here. I know we're not exactly known for great trails in this area, but that's ok. We're going to find the best of what's here and enjoy the adventure in the mean time!

Anne-Marie, ready for the big hike!

Checking out the sights!

A really cool natural archway! Don't you love it?!

Taking a rest, enjoying the day.

Flowers! A wonderful sign of spring!

Trying to decide if I can trick people into
thinking I'm a real, bona fide hiker!