...everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.
"We have to realize that we cannot earn or win anything from God; we must either receive it as a gift or do without it." Chambers
Just for fun this morning I opened My Utmost For His Highest on the appropriate date. Usually I'm all over the place with it.
It happens to be my birthday. What a blessed reminder gift it was to read those words this early morning.
So because I don't want to do without every provision my Lord sacrificed His life for me to have... today I'm remembering all day long ...
"being justified freely by His grace..." Rom 3: 24
(and that's not talking about calories, peeps!)
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Homebody
...everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.
At my very core that's me. A homebody. There is no place on earth I'd rather be than at home. There is no place on earth that gives me more contentment than being at home taking care of whatever the day calls for at the time. Whatever that happens to be I have always felt like making my house a home for my family and being there to manage it is my highest calling.
When I got married over 31 years ago my husband had custody of his two children from a previous marriage. We had our only child together that first year. Just like that! I was a (very) young mom of three children. Even though I was working a full time job until two weeks before our son was born, it was in my heart not to go back to work. I was as happy as a clam to be at home running children all over the kingdom to their schools and various activities, keeping up with the house and my husband.
My own schedule, my own timing, my own projects, my own agenda, my own volunteering, my own life basically. We homeschooled two of our children for many years and then when the youngest went to college I moved from volunteering at a local crisis pregnancy center that was near and dear to my heart for many years to actually "working" there on staff.
After ten years there I decided to give into my happy place again and left there to be home again. This past two years has given me time to re-group, to center my soul around the things I love most, to be available to my family if/when they need me, to develop my gardens, and best of all to come and go as I please. Spoiled some would say, but it is, to this moment, what I love best.
I would be happiest and perfectly satisfied with staying at home for the rest of my days. But ... along with launching my own business this past spring and forming a garden coaching limited liability corporation I've recently gone to work fpart-time for a local garden nursery. One that I have spent plenty of dollars and time in prior to asking if they hire part-time employees. So far it is proving beneficial in all the ways I thought it might.
It's helping me learn more and more about plants and trees that I am not necessarily familiar with. I'm gaining all kinds of information about what it takes to run a retail nursery. (You know, just in case I might think I want to have one of my own some day). And I'm building up physical strength with the type of work that is involved.
My hope is to build my garden coaching business more when the spring season rolls around. In the meantime I'm trusting God to give me what it takes to make this work and hopefully, along with helping out in the down economy, I will learn plenty and be a benefit to my employer.
At my very core that's me. A homebody. There is no place on earth I'd rather be than at home. There is no place on earth that gives me more contentment than being at home taking care of whatever the day calls for at the time. Whatever that happens to be I have always felt like making my house a home for my family and being there to manage it is my highest calling.
When I got married over 31 years ago my husband had custody of his two children from a previous marriage. We had our only child together that first year. Just like that! I was a (very) young mom of three children. Even though I was working a full time job until two weeks before our son was born, it was in my heart not to go back to work. I was as happy as a clam to be at home running children all over the kingdom to their schools and various activities, keeping up with the house and my husband.
My own schedule, my own timing, my own projects, my own agenda, my own volunteering, my own life basically. We homeschooled two of our children for many years and then when the youngest went to college I moved from volunteering at a local crisis pregnancy center that was near and dear to my heart for many years to actually "working" there on staff.
After ten years there I decided to give into my happy place again and left there to be home again. This past two years has given me time to re-group, to center my soul around the things I love most, to be available to my family if/when they need me, to develop my gardens, and best of all to come and go as I please. Spoiled some would say, but it is, to this moment, what I love best.
I would be happiest and perfectly satisfied with staying at home for the rest of my days. But ... along with launching my own business this past spring and forming a garden coaching limited liability corporation I've recently gone to work fpart-time for a local garden nursery. One that I have spent plenty of dollars and time in prior to asking if they hire part-time employees. So far it is proving beneficial in all the ways I thought it might.
It's helping me learn more and more about plants and trees that I am not necessarily familiar with. I'm gaining all kinds of information about what it takes to run a retail nursery. (You know, just in case I might think I want to have one of my own some day). And I'm building up physical strength with the type of work that is involved.
My hope is to build my garden coaching business more when the spring season rolls around. In the meantime I'm trusting God to give me what it takes to make this work and hopefully, along with helping out in the down economy, I will learn plenty and be a benefit to my employer.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Finding the Medium
...everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.
Sooooo, I haven't been too diligent here have I? And I'm so sure allllllllllll my thousands of readers are sitting around with baited breath wondering when will the next post show up. LOL
Truth is, when I got it in my heart to start this blog the motivation was largely so I would have a place where words could flow as easily as they do from my heart. The reality is that 'writing' what's in my heart requires much more thought and organization than all the jumbled up thoughts that run through my head. At the time, there were so many things I thought I wanted to say. You know, blurbs and blips and nitty-gritty things about what goes on in everyday life along with spiritual insights and thoughts I gain along the way. But when it comes down to it I don't think letting it all hang out is really me. Not in this type of forum anyway.
One on one, looking into eyes and faces, I like nothing better than a deep conversation about anything and everything. Spending time with friends, family and those in need who like to share and dig down for answers and truths is most enriching and rewarding. I would say I'm an open-book in those situations.
I'm pretty sure that has something to do with building trust, faithfulness, and loyalty. I don't do that with just anyone.
With the blog I wrote with my kids prior to "Priceless Gain" I felt I had to guard some of the personal things I probably would have said had it not been a shared blog. After all, so many of my personal thoughts and emotions involve my children. Even though they are each grown and independent from us, my heart and life still revolves very much around them, their children, their ups and downs, our times together and my emotions concerning them. If you're a mom you know how that is. I wouldn't ever want to throw any of them under the bus or exalt one over the other either. Therein lies the rub. How much do I say and how much not to say. And then how much will others "read into" what I DO share. Just trying to find the balance now.
Blogging is interesting to say the least. It's amazing how many blogs there are and how diverse the subjects contained therein. Just goes to show we all want to have a voice. For some reason blogging makes us think we are being heard. It is definitely an outlet for creativity and expression of all sorts.
Initially I thought I wanted to make this a private blog. That just means the reader would have to sign in each visit. People are in such a hurry these days, I decided against that at the last minute.
What about you? If you have a blog how do you decide what kinds of personal things to share? If you like to read blogs what is it you look for in a blog to keep you reading?
Sooooo, I haven't been too diligent here have I? And I'm so sure allllllllllll my thousands of readers are sitting around with baited breath wondering when will the next post show up. LOL
Truth is, when I got it in my heart to start this blog the motivation was largely so I would have a place where words could flow as easily as they do from my heart. The reality is that 'writing' what's in my heart requires much more thought and organization than all the jumbled up thoughts that run through my head. At the time, there were so many things I thought I wanted to say. You know, blurbs and blips and nitty-gritty things about what goes on in everyday life along with spiritual insights and thoughts I gain along the way. But when it comes down to it I don't think letting it all hang out is really me. Not in this type of forum anyway.
One on one, looking into eyes and faces, I like nothing better than a deep conversation about anything and everything. Spending time with friends, family and those in need who like to share and dig down for answers and truths is most enriching and rewarding. I would say I'm an open-book in those situations.
I'm pretty sure that has something to do with building trust, faithfulness, and loyalty. I don't do that with just anyone.
With the blog I wrote with my kids prior to "Priceless Gain" I felt I had to guard some of the personal things I probably would have said had it not been a shared blog. After all, so many of my personal thoughts and emotions involve my children. Even though they are each grown and independent from us, my heart and life still revolves very much around them, their children, their ups and downs, our times together and my emotions concerning them. If you're a mom you know how that is. I wouldn't ever want to throw any of them under the bus or exalt one over the other either. Therein lies the rub. How much do I say and how much not to say. And then how much will others "read into" what I DO share. Just trying to find the balance now.
Blogging is interesting to say the least. It's amazing how many blogs there are and how diverse the subjects contained therein. Just goes to show we all want to have a voice. For some reason blogging makes us think we are being heard. It is definitely an outlet for creativity and expression of all sorts.
Initially I thought I wanted to make this a private blog. That just means the reader would have to sign in each visit. People are in such a hurry these days, I decided against that at the last minute.
What about you? If you have a blog how do you decide what kinds of personal things to share? If you like to read blogs what is it you look for in a blog to keep you reading?
Sunday, November 1, 2009
O Death Where Is Your Sting?
...everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.
Attended the memorial service of a friend's husband today. He was only 53. I've been following her journal of the series of treatments he was receiving over the past 4 years for the cancer that first started on his tongue. Eventually he lost his tongue and part of his throat. The doctors never could determine why this type of cancer started with him as he was never a smoker.
Anyway, the memorial service was truly a beautiful tribute to a man who served God faithfully. Still, it saddens me he was taken out so early by such a horrific disease.
Since he passed away this week, it has caused me to be to slip into that deeply reflective mode I find myself in when these kinds of things happen. So many thoughts of what is really important in life and reminders of how very short our time here on earth really is.
Bob was a man of integrity and a lover of God. He will be missed by his family and so many wonderful friends... until we see him again on the other side ... forever in heaven.
But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory.
"O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?" ...but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
I Corinthians 15: 54-57
Attended the memorial service of a friend's husband today. He was only 53. I've been following her journal of the series of treatments he was receiving over the past 4 years for the cancer that first started on his tongue. Eventually he lost his tongue and part of his throat. The doctors never could determine why this type of cancer started with him as he was never a smoker.
Anyway, the memorial service was truly a beautiful tribute to a man who served God faithfully. Still, it saddens me he was taken out so early by such a horrific disease.
Since he passed away this week, it has caused me to be to slip into that deeply reflective mode I find myself in when these kinds of things happen. So many thoughts of what is really important in life and reminders of how very short our time here on earth really is.
Bob was a man of integrity and a lover of God. He will be missed by his family and so many wonderful friends... until we see him again on the other side ... forever in heaven.
But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory.
"O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?" ...but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
I Corinthians 15: 54-57
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