A Great Find

My husband and I were given this beautiful plant as an appreciation gift for our volunteer service at church. Since it's an annual, I thought it needed to have a little plant stand so it could take up residence on our little front porch.

"Let's go to Good Will and look for one" my husband suggested. With serious misgivings I agreed, and off we went. I believe I said something to the affect, "I don't hold out much hope for finding a plant stand at Good Will."

That's how much I know. He rummaged around in the housewares section while I looked for decorative things, and sure enough, he found a cute little wrought iron planter. It was in serious need of cleaning and a new paint job, but otherwise in good condition. Sold! I wish I had taken a "before" picture.

This is what it looked like after my husband finished sprucing it up.

Isn't this tile cute?



I love all the little decorative swirls and curls.

Here it is in its new home - doing a lovely job of "plant-holding".

Blessings,

"Unquestioned Revelation"

From Oswald Chambers' "My Utmost For His Highest"

"There may be any number of things dark to your understanding, but they do not come in between your heart and God. 'And in that day ye shall ask Me no question' - you do not need to, you are so certain that God will bring things out in accordance with His will...If anything is a mystery to you and it is coming in between you and God, never look for the explanation in your intellect, look for it in your disposition, it is that which is wrong. When once your disposition is willing to submit to the life of Jesus, the understanding will be perfectly clear, and you will get to the place where there is no distance between the Father and His child because the Lord has made you one, and in that day ye shall ask Me no question.'"

"And in that day, ye shall ask Me nothing."
John 16:23

Thank You for speaking this to my heart Father.

Blessings,

The Parable of the Four Soils

I have been reading the Gospel of Matthew. I want to hear Jesus' words again. I imagine myself sitting in the crowd, leaning forward to catch every word. He taught so simply, and yet the depth of those teaches reaches far beyond my sometimes limited understanding.

I am comforted as He draws His disciples aside and transforms the parables He has told, into eternal truths. He understands that we need His help to fully know.

The Parable of the Four Soils is one that has always caused me to think deeper. I confess that I still don't have it perfectly figured out - not every nuance of truth. As I read through it this time, though, I suddenly saw it applied to my own heart in a way I had never seen before.

The farmer comes and scatters the good seeds. The first seeds fell on a footpath and were immediately eaten by the birds.

I am thankful that, by His grace, that isn't the soil of my heart. As a little girl, the soil was ready to receive the word with simple faith - no questions asked.

Other seeds fell on rocky soil. They immediately began to grow, but because the rocks kept them from sending down deep roots, the plants soon wilted and died.

I realized, with a sudden sinking of the heart, that there have been times in my life when the soil of my heart has become strewn with rocks. Difficult circumstances have come like so many rocks, and I have allowed them to keep my faith from sending down deep roots. I have drawn away from the very source that would cause faith to grow.

I am thankful that He lovingly and patiently removes the rocks (every single time) and enriches the soil with His grace. The roots begin to reach down into that nourishing source of life, and the plant is renewed.

The third group of seeds fell among thorns. As the plants grew, they were choked out by the overpowering weeds.

The soil of my heart has, all too often, been overgrown with weeds. The worries and cares of life spring up to crowd out faith. The times when I have allowed other things to take the place of time spent with the Lord have robbed me of the joy and peace that come from growing closer to Him.

The last seed fell on good soil - the soil of an understanding heart that produces a bountiful harvest for the Kingdom of God. This is the soil I want to fill my heart. This is the way I want to consistently live.

Just as I have to tend the soil in my garden if I want to have strong, healthy plants, so I must tend the soil of my heart. It is an on-going process. Just when I think all the rocks have been removed, others make their way to the surface. The weeds threaten to overwhelm the plants if I don't keep a constant watch and remove them as they appear.

I am not left on my own to do this tending of the soil. I have a gentle Gardener who willingly comes alongside and bends to do the work with us. I have only to open the garden gate of my heart and let Him in.



Blessings,

Knitting By the Sea

On the last day of our vacation, a day with clear blue skies and warm sunshine, we took another drive to Carmel. After a delicious lunch, we walked through the charming town and browsed through a few of the shops. I was in search of one particular shop. I had seen it in one of the travel magazines. It is a knitting shop called "Knitting By the Sea."

It was a little off the beaten path, and we were having a hard time finding it. We passed a little Post Office and went in to ask for directions. A sweet lady knew exactly where it was.

It was just as I had hoped it would be. A quaint little shop, complete with a resident dog sleeping in the corner.

The lady who owned the shop was friendly and helpful. The shop was filled to over-flowing with the most beautiful wool. I finally decided on a skein by Noro. It cost more than I have ever paid for a single skein of wool (of any size), but it was a special occasion after all.


When we got home, I followed the very simple instructions the shop owner gave me and knitted this scarf.


I love the gentle flow of one color into another. It will be a sweet reminder of our time in California.

Blessings,

Memorial Day

Ten years ago, my husband and I had the privilege of flying to France with my Mom and Dad to celebrate the 55th Anniversary of D-Day. We watched as my Dad walked among the gleaming white crosses clutching several roses in his hand.

He searched for the crosses of the men with whom he had served. One by one, he laid a rose beside each cross. I saw the father whom I have rarely seen cry, wipe tears from his eyes.

We who have never known the reality of war can never fully understand the profound affect it has on the lives of those who have. I see it in my father and my husband, who served in Vietnam. The bond that forms between those who faced death together in places far from all they loved and held dear, is one that is never broken. The pain of loss is still there, after all these years.

When I listen to their stories, war takes on a personal face. The young soldiers come alive. They were so much more than the pictures we see. They were living, breathing people with hopes and dreams that died with them. We have much to thank them for.

Have a blessed Memorial Day.

Shout to the Lord

"Shout to the Lord
All the earth let us sing
Power and majesty, praise to the King

Mountains bow down and the sea will roar




At the sound of Your name.
I sing for joy
At the work of Your hand
Forever I'll love You, forever I'll stand
Nothing compares to the promise I have in You."

"Shout to the Lord"
Darlene Zschech

Blessings,

He Sees

The streets and sidewalks of this great city were quiet on the morning we took this walk, gasping for breath as we climbed one hill after another.

It was a different scene on the day we arrived, a busy, bustling saturday afternoon. The beautiful weather had drawn everyone outdoors, and it was hard to walk against the press of people all around us.

The air was filled with the harmony of different languages blended together into one lovely melody. The different races and nationalities formed a colorful human rainbow. We took a seat to watch them all walk by - so many of them - and I thought about the Father who knows each one by name.

"How is it possible, Lord?" I thought. So many, and this is just one small corner of your great big world. How can You see us all; know every heart; hear every whispered prayer; love each one with such longing?

It seems impossible, and yet that is just what He does. He sees each one of us as though we were His only child. I was reminded of this when I read just what I needed to hear from Him the other morning. Always, He supplies what I need. I am only one, and yet He gives me His undivided attention every moment of every day.

I have wrestled with this question of suffering and unanswered prayer and trust. It is, I find, a long journey in understanding. Just when you think you have made it to the end of the road, you find it is only a sharp curve that leads you further still. Longing for help and reassurance, I read Elisabeth Elliot's words:

"Instead of seeing His everlasting love, tenderly bending down to our humanness, longing over each one of us with a father's speechless longing, we sometimes think of Him as indifferent, inaccessable or just plain unfair.

The worst pains we experience are not those of the suffering itself but of our stubborn resistance to it, our resolute insistence on our independence. To be "crucified with Christ" means what Oswald Chambers calls "breaking the husk" of that independence. 'Has that break come?' he asks. 'All the rest is pious fraud.' And you and I know, in our heart of hearts, that that sword-thrust...is the straight truth.

If we reject this cross, we will not find it is this world again. Here is the opportunity offered. Be patient. Wait on the Lord for whatever He appoints, wait quietly, wait trustingly. He holds every minute of every hour of every day of every week of every month of every year in His hands. Thank Him in advance for what the future holds, for He is already there. 'Lord you have assigned me my portion and my cup' (Ps 16:5). Shall we not gladly say, 'I'll take it , Lord! YES! I'll trust you for everything. Bless the Lord, O my soul!"

There it always is - trust. Not simply trust, however, but trust in One Who loves me with a love beyond measure. He loved me so much He sent His Son to die in my place. Is it not a love worthy of my trust? Yes, and so much more.

Blessings,

"Home Sweet Texas Home"

We are home! Actually, we arrived home late saturday night. I am just trying to get myself "reorganized".

We had a wonderful time. It was our first visit to California, so it was all new and exciting. I kept sending up silent prayers of thanks for the blessing of being able to experience such beauty. The ocean....oh how I love the ocean. It was just magnificent.

I took over 200 pictures. Don't fret....I promise I will absolutely not post all of them. In reality they will be of no real interest to anyone but us - memories I wanted to bottle up and preserve.

Here are a few ... in no particular order (because I couldn't take the time to really sort through them all):

My husband, who thinks those signs that caution one about climbing on the rocks are just for decoration :-)


A nice young man took our picture in front of the "Lone Cypress" along the route to Big Sur.



We spent hours in the Monterey Aquarium. I took pictures until my battery died. It was all so miraculously amazing.


Along the route to Big Sur


I had to get my toes into that ocean. It was numbingly cold!


The view from the balcony of our hotel room. We could hear the waves breaking against the shore during the night - bliss.


Muir Woods and the giant red woods.

The trolley in San Francisco. Riding up and down those hills (especially down) is quite an experience.

The weather was gorgeous, the views spectacular.....it was all I had dreamed it would be, but this Texas girl is glad to be back home. I love this particular little patch of earth. There's no place like home.

Blessings,

Pruning

Although I am officially "not here" - I will have a devotional up here at Laced With Grace on tuesday. (I can't figure out how to have this post publish on that date so I had to put it up now). I would love to have you visit there. Here is a little bit of what I've written:

Earlier this week I did some work in my flower garden. I had a new pair of pruning shears, and I was ready to do some necessary trimming. Every year the Lantana freeze and their long branches die. It is necessary to cut them off so the new branches have room to grow. The Salvia had become long and leggy and didn’t have much new growth. The same was true of the Texas Sage that grows beside the front porch.

And so I went to work. Being a girl with a very vivid imagination (something I never seem to have out-grown) I pictured the plants cringing when they saw me coming with those sharp, new shears. “Oh no. Here she comes again. She’s going to cut away with abandon, and it hurts. Why can’t she just leave us alone? We’re growing perfectly fine without all that unnecessary pain. Look we even have new leaves and are putting out new branches. We’re producing. Leave us alone!!”


Blessings,

Leavin' On a Jet Plane

I have been in "travel mode" this week, making lists and trying to get myself organized for our up-coming vacation. I apologize for not writing, reading or commenting very much. I have decided to just take a little break and concentrate on what needs to be done here.

We leave on Saturday and will return the following Saturday. We haven't flown in several years, so I'm nervously trying to do everything the way the airlines dictate. We have more to organize than most, with all of my husband's things for his diabetes. Once we get through security, I will breathe a sigh of relief.

This is our first trip to California, not counting the day or so my husband was there waiting to be flown to Vietnam. This will be a lot nicer :-) I am most excited about seeing the Pacific Ocean. I have had a love affair with the Atlantic all my life but have never seen the Pacific. I am longing to see the ocean again. There is something about it that settles my spirit - it reminds me of the infinite power of the Father and makes me feel so small in the grand scheme of things. I want to find a quiet spot, watch the waves roll in and gaze out into the limitless horizon.

I have so many things swirling around in my little brain that I want to get down on "paper", but it will have to wait until I get home. I will think of you when I am there, mentally writing posts to share. Isn't it funny the way we bloggers view so many of the things that happen in our lives with an eye to the post we will write?
For me, it finishes the experience. It is another form of journaling.

Blessings to all of you. If you think of us every now and then, we would appreciate your prayers that all will be well with my parents while we are gone. We have a wonderful son and daughter-in-law who will pick up the mantle and check on them. I am so thankful for them.

With love,

Early Mother's Day

On friday we celebrated Mother's Day - just a bit early. My husband and I are leaving for California on saturday and won't be home on May 10th. I failed to realize that fact when planning our vacation.

My daughter suggested we "girls" celebrate a little ahead of time so that we wouldn't miss out altogether. So friday afternoon she drove here and then we drove together to Mom/Grandma's house.

We had a delicious lunch at The Olive Garden - with fabulous desserts (my stomach was so full I could hardly move, but I managed that chocolate tart!). Then we did a little shopping.

It was a lovely day spent with my two best friends. They both inspire me in ways I cannot begin to describe. Their strength, inner beauty, courage, faith, wisdom and selfless love all bring such richness to my life. I am blessed with priceless treasures.



I wish you all a love-filled Mother's Day.

Blessings,