An Amazing Lesson Taught & Caught

I have been reading to the children lately this wonderful book, that I read when I was their age.  Hind's Feet On High Places by Hannah Hurnard, in this book, which is an allegory tells of Much Afraid's journey to the "high places" where our Shepherd is leading her and teaching how to live in the "high places".  We came to a part where the Shepherd asked an interesting question to Much Afraid, "Much Afraid, supposing I really did deceive you?  What then?"  Of course up to this point the journey she had been on had led her away from the high places into valleys, deserts, precipces and they were finally closer to the high places then ever before. Not to mention the enemies that were trying to deter her from going with the Shepherd.  But she said "My Lord - if you can deceive me, you may.  It can make no difference.  I must love you as long as I continue to exist.  I cannot live without loving you."  Shortly after that they continue on the journey and they come to where it looks like they have to make the journey all over again...so she thinks ....so it looks and the Shepherds question comes to mind and she for the first time in the story actually thinks of turning back.  It is in this very moment she screams out to the Shepherd, " Shepherd!  Shepherd! Help me! Where are you? Don't leave me?  the next instant He is their holding her and she is sobbing You may do anything, you may ask anything .....the next thing struck me hard to my very soul.  Much Afraid is crying out O my Lord, don't let ME LEAVE YOU.  Entreat me not to leave thee nor to return from following after thee." All the other hopes and dreams  that the Shepherd had said she could and would have in the high places were nothing except for her love for Him.  She learned she wanted only the Master and nothing more and nothing less.  "Prone to wonder Lord I feel it prone to leave the God I love"  

In this lesson I learned, that though trails and valleys, precipces and loss look daunting and time worry some.  My Lord will never leave me NOR should I have want to leave Him.  His promises are true and He is not a man that He should lie.

Resting at my Shepherd's feet.

Journeying Through Life

 

I have decided to start writing about some of the lessons that I have learned in my going on 18 years of marriage.  Yes, I know that there are several more qualified to blog on this and yes I am still learning.  That is basically what life is about a journey of learning.  I will start by saying that when I was first married I was living a lie.  I was to everyone who saw me a God fearing, born again child of God.  I did everything from sing specials and work with kids and lead others to the saving knowledge of Christ.  I walked it, I talked it but, in my heart I knew the truth I was lost.  If I would have died then I would have been one of those crying "Lord, Lord did I not do all this in your name"  I felt that salvation was not as easy as everyone made it out to be I had to do something.  The Lord finally reached my wicked, evil heart.  It took a combination of several things, but to sum it all up I looked in God's mirror of the fruit of the spirit and I then could no longer fool myself.  I WAS LOST and there is only ONE WAY TO HEAVEN.  I gave my whole heart to Him and Kimberly did NOTHING to deserve it or earn it.  So I was now a saved wife and mother of two.  In all this I found I had been one of those wives that torn down her house and did nothing to build it up.  I had become a nagging, argumentative, incontinent, hateful wife and mother.  

As journey's go I have recently been watching preaching DVDs on submission and anger by S.M. Davis.  I am thinking to myself where were these back when I was a new wife and mother.  When I watched the first one on anger the devil comes to my mind and say well you already ruined your kids, they are too old for you to now turn them around.  Why you have teens (16 & 17)!  This is a big lie straight from the mouth of Satan!  While yes I messed up and raised them in anger I have asked for forgiveness and now am pleading mercy on this case and God can and will make beauty and glory come from this.  All I must do is retrain myself and my children and let God work within my life and my children's life.  Have I seen fruit?  Yes!  OH YES!  Do I see some falling?  Yes!  Does that mean to give up?  NO

Titus 2 Talk

Tree Change Dolls I The Feed

Memories

I was doing some much needed Christmas decorating and getting ready for our Thanksgiving with the Olinger family.  The next day my house would be alive with clattering dishes, children, and the noise of family chatter.  I was excited and a little nervous nothing really new for me.  One phone call life changed,  with no more then a blink of an eye life changed that day.  Through this now valley time that I found myself in memories started folding my heart and mind.   I began thinking of memories of a time past, a time when my own teens were yet babies.  One such memory was when my father was having open heart surgery and Dwight and Linda took and cared for my then infant and toddler as their own.  I could not have asked for more caring people to watch and care for them.  I remember the time when we all lived on the same street my mother-in-love and sister-in-love on one end of the street and them on the other end.  The times me and my children and my cousins children I was babysitting for would take walks and chance to say hi how are ya doing.  I remember how Dwight would take Jacob on walks around the house and to the gardens.  He was always patient, kind and loving uncle, brother-in-love and friend.  I remember my niece recently talking about her memories of her mother.  Our memories are the most precious things that can be handed down to us.  It is within our memories that our loved ones live on.  They live within the laughter and yes sometimes our tears.  As long as we remember them and remember their love for us and ours for them they are never really gone.  As I now can see Dwight in heaven the verse  comes to mind Hebrews12:1 "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,"  He is now one of those witnesses that are waiting for our race down here to be done.A final thought, I remember not to long ago my husband was in the card isle with our kids looking for a birthday card for another family member.  I walk down the isle only to find my husband laughing so hard at a card he was literal crying, and our children watching laughing at him.  As long as I live I shall never forget his laughing nor the card he was laughing at.  It is a memory that I shall cherish as long as I live.  I guess I write all this to say cherish each day and each good memories.  The bad ones aren't worth our time and effort remembering. 

  

Christmas Eve Down Home

Christmas Memories 

There is a special place in my heart that I will always remember around Christmas time.  A time when evil seems very very far away and family, hearth, and home fill my heart. 

 

Day 4 thru 6 of 12 Giving of Thanks Post

Day 4 of my thankfulness is for my mom, daddy and sister.  I am thankful that they are saved and will be joining me in our heavenly home.  I am thankful for the joy and the tears that and formed me into the woman I am today (no cracks from the peanut gallery). 

Day 5 I am thankful for good friends and church family that love me and accept me for who I am.  I am thankful for a Pastor who shows true love and compassion for me and my family

Day 6 I am thankful for the jobs the Lord has provided.

Day 3 of the 12 Giving Thanks Post

"...but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" Joshua 24:15

I am thankful for beautiful home and land the Lord gave us.  I am thankful for all the Lord has provided since we have lived here.