Thankful Thursday

This week I am thankful for:







A steal on very ripe red peppers. I flash froze them to use in stir fry and on pizza.

 

 

 

 

 

Small gifts that make little boys happy.

 

 

 

 

 

Everything bagels....yummy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For some reason, I keep forgetting to buy bandages, but they still keep showing up when we need them. I found these in the cabinet and I didn't even know they were there.

 

 

 

 

The fact that we're one day closer to summer!

 

 

 

 

 

 

What are you thankful for today?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thankful Thursday

Thunderstorm season is upon us. I love thunderstorms.

The first of the mint and motherwort to add to my iced green tea has been springing up.

These awesome readers were given to us. They are just what one of the boys needs at this stage in his reading.

Our electronically minded son has been at it again. Our old Sega Genesis was not working so he replaced all the capacitors in it (he said it's called "recapping") and I couldn't believe my eyes. That's my boy:)

Abandoned cinnamon toast sparkling in the sun would normally make me irritated. But it was a thing of beauty this week.





What are you thankful for today?

Big Slimy Donuts

My seven year old calls them that. I usually buy a treat for them at the store when I shop on Saturdays and this week he requested the donuts. They are usually a bit more than I want to spend, but it just so happened that they were half off.


Thank you Father!

God and Sinners Reconciled

It's been a busy couple of weeks. We decided this year to really try to relax and enjoy the holiday time. Family has been so important to us this year, they always should be, but we never know what we've got until the hard stuff comes....



I was unhappy about my behavior one day recently. I felt very convicted and guilty and then I spotted this on the floor of our van. It was looking right up at me as I got into the driver's seat.

a craft from Sunday school, I assume

 The kids had cleaned out the van the day before, but for some reason left this behind.


Suddenly, a wash of His love came over me. I didn't feel guilty anymore. I don't know how to explain it, but if one looks at it simply....God forgives me, you, everyone.

¹⁸ Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, ¹⁹ that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. (from 2 Corinthians 5)

That is why we celebrate the Joy of Christmas. God has made a way for us to come back, and He's not keeping score of every little sin. It's finished. The hard part is getting our minds around that.


We should be overflowing in gratefulness every second, especially when we feel condemned by our own faults because we know He loves us! We don't keep sinning, we get up and try again because we are accepted in Him and that creates true love for Him in us.



Merry Christmas!

Captivating Thoughts

Have you ever been trucking along with everything going well and all right in the world and with God and your fellow man when it hits you....an unwelcome thought?  This happens to me more than I would like, and it occurs to me that this may be what we are raging our war against.





We are told to not worry, but I DO! OH BOY do I worry.  That is in rebellion of His word and I don't even realize that it is because there is something very stoic about worry, you know? It is as if we feel like if we carry the whole world on our shoulders, we're doing God some big favor.






So I'm thinking what are the thoughts that are from God? The apostle Paul says this is what we are to think about:


...whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy...(from Philippians 4)


There are a LOT of things in my mind that are not on that list.



Do my thoughts produce the fruit?


...love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control... (from Galatians 5)

Any thoughts that don't produce this are not being made captive to Christ.




Father, help us to bring each thought captive to You, give us the mind of Christ that we may remain in Him, do the good works you have prepared, for without Christ we know we can do nothing. Help us to live as sons and daughters of the Most High that the world will see and know that You ARE.

Jehovah Jireh 7

The Lord provides everyday of course, but I like to document when there are what seem to me to be unusual, timely, or just plain coincidental things.

My son wanted a binder to put his schematics in. I didn't have any extras at the time and told him he'd have to wait. A couple of days later this:

binders for all

Also, the kids had JUST run out of drawing paper:

My mom's office had moved and here is a bunch of letterhead with the wrong address. The binders came from the office clean out too.












Cool:)



Thank be to God who gives us all things.

A Dream

Take delight in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

He Lives

A bout of wrestling was had the last several hours. A loved one is going through hell right now and there is no other way to put it. There is nothing I can or anyone can do to help, really. I talked with this person yesterday on the phone, trying to give as much comfort as I could. I knew and know in my heart that it will be okay eventually.


BUT



Last night it got to me, REALLY.  The questions, the doubts, the maybes and ifs and such.  And I had a familiar old feeling...fear. I prayed.



This sign I saw this morning while shopping was for me.

Jehovah Jireh 6

As I was looking around my very very messy bedroom yesterday, it occurred to me to once again count my blessings.

It doesn't usually look like this.

It's that time of year where I switch out their summer clothes for the winter ones.








Four boys, all clothed. I don't recall asking anyone or going shopping for most of this, but He has provided.

Breadth, Length, Depth, Height

 

 

Ephesians 3:14-21

Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

¹⁴ For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

¹⁵ of whom the whole family in the heavens and on earth is named,

¹⁶ that He may give to you, according to the riches of His glory, with might to be strengthened through His Spirit, in regard to the inner man,

¹⁷ that the Christ may dwell through the faith in your hearts, in love having been rooted and founded,

¹⁸ that ye may be in strength to comprehend, with all the saints, what [is] the breadth, and length, and depth, and height,

¹⁹ to know also the love of the Christ that is exceeding the knowledge, that ye may be filled -- to all the fulness of God;

²⁰ and to Him who is able above all things to do exceeding abundantly what we ask or think, according to the power that is working in us,

²¹ to Him [is] the glory in the assembly in Christ Jesus, to all the generations of the age of the ages. Amen.

I've been pretty quiet here.   I guess I don't have all that much to add to blog world after all....

I love blogging, and in the beginning the idea was to share end times type stuff and bible studies and it just be a hub for all my links and things, but things change and progress and Our Great Father continues to work on me. 

Ask .....seek....knock.

A recent bout of wrestling verging on a full blown despair brought me to His feet again 

wondering what is next. 

He gives me signs, nudges, encouragement, and has shown unfailing Love.

God IS Love.

Don't doubt it for a second.

The passage at the top of the post has special significance currently.  I was praying about something- wondering if He could He would He heard ......does He understand?

 Our High Priest is compassionate, He remembers we are but dust.  

On that very day at a bible study group, the regular prayer time was substituted for a short closing as some of the kiddos were gettin' antsy. I had asked for this very very thing earlier that day. The leader opened her bible, said she knew just the passage to close with.....

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

He says not only can I do what you ask, but above what you can even think. And He has and Is.