January 31, 2010

Heavenly Rewards
Remember that the Lord will reward
each one of us for the good we do.
Ephesians 6:8 NLT

At this time may God grant you
Special gifts of joy and cheer
And bless you for the good you do
For others through the year.

Father give us a giving heart one that is focused more on the needs of others than ourselves.  In Jesus Name.

Yesterday, we were at home, but in the afternoon we spent time at the Sr. Center with the other seniors, the guys do some pool and we visit a bit.  I didn't stay long because I needed to go to Cando and clean the church, it is a good thing I did.  Someone(I think I know who ) had been up in the attic and there was insulation all over in a few places, it took me a while to get it clean, but I can rest this morning as we go that it is ready.

January 30, 2010

Our Refuge
yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow
of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Psalm 23:4

the Lord is our salvation
and our strength in every fight,
Our redeemer and protector,
our eternal guiding light.
He has promised to sustain us,
He's our refuge from all harms,
And underneath this refuge
     are the everlasting arms.

These are some thought I read this morning:

   Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one
another in love.
    -- Ephesians 4:2
      
   "You mean I have to put up with that!?" There are those folks in
life about whom the saying is true: "They are the grit out of which
we are to fashion our pearl." But our great example in this
challenge is Jesus. Think of what he had to put up with in his 12
disciples. Remember how transformational his patience and
gentleness with them was. Can we dare to do less?

I share these with you because we all face people who are hard to be around but God is/wants to use them to work patience and grace in our lives.  Thank you Lord for the challenging people in our lives that you have allowed to be used to shape us into there person you can use.  In Jesus Name. Amen.


Yesterday, school.  I came home and after resting and fixing supper I sewed and finished the project I am working on, so now I can work on another project.  Dad has done another room rearranging, I stayed out and let him do it, because I am not to lift, I have no idea how he manages to move the tread mill, but he did it, he made a few changes in that part of the room, so I hope it works good for him now.  You can read about it in Julie's blog.

January 29, 2010

Strength for the Day
My grace is sufficient for thee:
for my strength is made perfect in weakness.
2 Corinthians 12:9KJV

God did not promise sun without rain,
Light without darkness to joy without pain.
He only promised strength for the day
When the darkness comes
         and we lose our way.

It is so good to know that he is with us whatever the conditions.  He doesn't always make a way of escape but rather he walks through the situations with us.

Father, I pray that you would bless my family this day and encourage them in whatever they are doing, help them to see your hand in their activities.  In Jesus Name.  Amen.

I wrote some reflections about yesterday the ups and downs. First we had a real positive note when a students who had given us a problem wrote a page letter of apology to the resource room teacher, it made her day and mine, too.  Because I am the one who has to talk to her when she gets uncooperative, granted it may happen again, but we feel it is progress in the right direction.  The whole process is preparing children for the real world, and for some it isn't what they learn in a book.  the second student that had been a problem, I was able to spend time with her doing maps at a level she could understand, and she responded positively. I had some positive conversations after school with teachers, and people who had come to the basketball game.  I went home and got there in time to fix supper.

Now for downers:  7 hr study hall, Father give me grace and wisdom, they are a challenge.  when I got home dad had rearranged the living room and put the treat mill where the sofa sat, I was tired enough that I didn't care, I have no idea how he managed to move it, he says he did it himself.  so I told him, we really don't need a new sofa, so it will be interesting to see what I find when I come home today.

January 28, 2010

Making It Personal
I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.
Isaiah 43:1 KJV

Life is a sojourn here on earth
Which begins the day God gives us birth.
We enter this world from the great unknown,
And God gives each spirit a form of its own.

We have two new little onesNatalie and Leah, and for them their life here has just begun, and we reflect on our life experiences, and there are a lot of them for each of us, they are life experiences, sometimes we don't like to remember, and God is able and willing to forgive and we need to forgive ourselves, and then there are good life experiences, times when we have sensed that God has blessed us in a special way, and yet we may experience many more life experiences, and there will be some even today.  Thank you God for being with us in our life experiences.  Thank you for making us each uniquely our own self.  There is no one else just like us.  We are your vessels.

Love one another deeply from the heart.  This is a verse that I read this morning,  I feel it is significant for my day and maybe for yours,too.

Father, I pray that you would bless each one in our family with your spiritual blessings this day.  In Jesus Name. amen.

Yesterday I felt like I was a school counselor, three students seemed to have challenges and I was in a position to be the one to speak to them, at least to two, the third we need to get the mom in the picture.  So today I need to tell the speech pathologist and counselor what to expect from them.  We didn't have Bible Study so I stayed home and sewed in the evening.

January 27, 2010

Haven of God's Love
Then they were glad because they had quiet,
and he brought them to their desired haven.
Psalm 107:30 RSV

God's love is like a beacon
Burning bright with faith and prayer,
And through the changing scenes of life
We can find a haven there.

We are all in different seasons of life, but God doesn't change he is with us in each season, we may see him differently, he may be there to meet our needs differently.  But he is there with us.

I encourage you to put on God's Armour today, all of it, to protect you from whatever is coming against you.  I often and try to every day pray for you that you would be protected by each piece of his Armour but I also encourage you to put it on yourself.  Helmet of salvation, breastplate of righteousness, loins gird about with truth, feet shod with gospel of peace, carry the sword of the spirit(God's word) and be covered with his shield of faith.

Let us go this day and go in God.  Jesus bless each one of you.

Yesterday was a special day, we rejoice that Gregg and Alicia's baby is here, and we enjoyed the photos of you together at the hospital.  It was a good day here, I didn't go to school til 10 a.m. but it was good.

January 26, 2010

Our Stronghold
the Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer,
my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield,
and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold
Psalm 18:2 RSV

God's love is like an anchor
When the angry billows roll--
A mooring in the storms of life,
A stronghold for the soul!

Father help me to hang unto your anchor this day.  It does me no good to focus on to morrow and worry about that which hasn't happened or to think back on yesterday wishing I had done things differently Father forgive me for not living up to your expectations yesterday, this is the day you have given me, I rejoice that it is today and help me to live it for you. In Jesus Name.
Amen

Yesterday was an indoor day, I got a call that there was no school because of storm, so I focused on making the most of this day right here at home.  It was a sewing day, Dad did go to town in the morning but otherwise was here at home.  Trusting that it was a good day for each of you.

remember when....

Just a short little blog, if I can find a photo I would ad to this.  Remember the "scout"  and how we drove it to church when it was stormy and the roads were bad.   It was really a rough ride.  I was thinking about that yesterday when we were going to Cando.  The road hadn't been plowed when we went and it was hard to see the tracks.