O God, my heart is quiet and confident!"... (Psalm 57:7)
or...
In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not." (Is.30:15 KJV)I love the first part of this verse, but I often skip past or miss completely, the rest of it... 'and ye would not'.
How many times even in the course of a day or a week, have I needed His quietness and confidence... and I would not!...would not stop and spend time with Him when something else grabbed my attention as my quiet time was about to begin, and I went flying out the door to handle it......would not listen when His quiet voice was telling me 'don't do that, or don't say that, there is a better way, MY way'...Lord, you made me, you know me bestyou know that 'quiet', for me, is a test...to sit and spend this time with youit's exactly what I need to do...so many things distract and pullyour Word sits beside me ready & full...
loaded with truth and strength for the dayI'm going there now to hear what you say...quiet my mind, still my heartas I sit with you in this time apart...You know just what I need to seeso open my eyes and speak to me...
When I was growing up, my dad preached in many places, all around the world, but for our family, the journeys I remember the most, are the ones during summer vacations...
We left within a week of school ending for the summer, and we traveled by car, the 5 of us (dad, mom, my sister, brother and me)... all around the country. Dad had his schedule all typed up (from his hunt-and-poke typewriter), to churches he had been invited to preach in, so he had the whole summer scheduled, and off we went!
I could write a book about those days, and fill a lot of pages. I've been jotting down some of the stories and will share them from time to time. They were days of teaching, preaching, singing and fellowship, as God 'took the wheel' and lead us all over the country.
In all honesty, even though I knew God was using my dad, (and mom right alongside of him), for me... it was always an adventure! Each new place held new faces, friends, experiences, and... GOOD food! Really... church people are family people and these women could cook! Lots of what we ate was grown on their own farms and baked in their kitchens. Most of the churches were small, and many were out in the country or in a small town. Each place we came to had lined up their own members to have us for dinner... we feasted!
I'm losing my train of thought... :)
We went from California, to Michigan, Oregon, Iowa, Utah, Nevada, Wyoming and more... and we traveled in a car with all 5 of us, 3 kids in the back seat! We drove through the desert at night, no air conditioning, and usually there were 6 legs hanging out the back window trying to cool off!!
One time we asked our mother, during a particularly HOT day...hoping to tease her into being tempted by something that was 'off limits'... 'what would you do if someone brought you a HUGE ICE COLD BUCKET OF BEER right now??... she didn't even blink an eye. She said ...'ohhhh, I would SOAK my feet in it!'... we have laughed about that for years! In the middle of the desert, without air conditioning, that cold beer on her feet was a delight for her to think about. :)...more chapters from time to time...
This is such a FUN blessing to share!
I've told you about baby Witt, and this is his mom, my friend, Melanie (on the right). Witt was born with a lot of physical problems, he was not expected to live. He is still on tubes and all kinds of medical gadgets, but he is now almost 2 years old and the cutest little guy you can imagine!
Witt is our miracle baby!
On the left is Rachel Ashwell, in case you don't know the name, she is the designer and founder of SHABBY CHIC. I know you've seen some of her lines at TARGET, beautiful home decor, linens, etc.
Mel's family runs the Zapp Hall Antique Show, one of the big Round Top Antique Shows in Texas, the entire family does all the work, along with a crew of their friends who love those 2 weeks each year, and volunteer to help with cooking, etc. It's huge, and absolutely unbelievable.
The other thing I can say is that this whole family just radiates their love for Jesus, to everyone!
Now I'm getting off track...
Rachel Ashwell always comes to the Round Top shows to shop... This time, Melanie was able to bring Witt, tubes, medical paraphernalia & all...
Rachel, like the rest of us, fell for this little boy. Here's what Karen, Mel's mom ( a precious friend of mine) said:
"Rachel Ashwell(Shabby Chic) was on our property doing a book signing in the Junk Gypsy tent. She took time out to come inside and meet Witt. I told her all about Witt, explained his equipment and mentioned that we were wanting to raise money to buy a van or car that Witt's cart and equipment could just roll into. Later that day Melanie was presented with a book that Rachel had signed for both of us.
It read:
'To Witt's Nana and Mama, Your story touched my heart. You are a beautiful,strong little soul, surrounded by love that you so deserve. Please accept this token towards the vehicle that will help show you the world.
From my heart,
Rachel Ashwell'
Attached to the page with a poem entitled "Mother" was a very generous check!!! Thank you, Rachel! Thank You, Lord!! Just having Witt out there was blessing enough but surely my cup is overflowing!!!!"...
... I thought that was so special, and a story worth sharing... makes me want to run right out to Target and buy some of Rachel's adorable stuff!!...
When we were 3 very young kids, my dad, a minister, accepted a position with Charles Fuller at Fuller Seminary in California. We lived in New York at the time. Dad flew out to find a home, and my mother drove across country with 3 toddlers... this was a LONG time ago, and we didn't even have A.C. in our car.During the journey west, we stopped at a gas station in the middle of nowhere to fill up the car. They had NO restrooms, only an out house in the back. She bravely marched us back there for a quick 'pit stop'... As she was juggling the 3 of us, her purse fell off of the wood bench, straight down the chute... all her money and worldly goods!...My mother was both spunky and resourceful. She saw an 18 wheeler truck driver filling his tank at the pump, and quietly, but probably desperately, made her appeal for him to help us... he did! That truck driver came and rigged up a 'fishing pole' and brought her purse up from the depths... she washed the whole thing off, thanked the good man, took us back to the car, and we drove on to California!...Never walk away from someone who deserves help; your hand is God's hand for that person. (Prov.3:27 MSG)
Maybe you've seen this little card, I came across it recently...The simple truth of it really grabbed my attention...Too much introspection has been a weakness for me many times. Sometimes even my prayers on my own behalf can get both long winded and more than a little desperate...He wants us to share our hearts and our needs with Him, about everything, and I do... but my heart tells me that a whining and 'poor me' prayer is NOT the same thing as 'effectual, fervent' prayer... I can cross that line easily when my need is real and immediate...Simply... what He really wants us to do is TRUST Him... He has promised that He has the answers, even more... that He IS the answer! When I'm praying for something that hits me close to home, THIS is all the answer I need! It could be painted on one of those billboards...I have the answer....
It's Me...Love, GOD"And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."
(Phil.4:19 NIV)
I just have to tell you that when I went outside on Monday morning... it was 54 degrees!!
For a Texas girl... that is a little bit of heaven after our hot summer!!
It's warming up again now, but boy-oh-boy... this does my heart good!
Now I can put Fall stuff all around and feel like it's real, not just a hope!! You know that when my copper bucket on the kitchen island changes it's contents... the seasons are also changing!
Even though our Texas Longhorns were not exciting last Saturday, we still love them, and college football is a big thing in our house! I know, I know, I have some very dear friends who are Oklahoma Sooner fans, so I remind myself and each of you... it's just a game!... (try telling my hubby that!) :)
May I also quietly mention that the Dallas Cowboys SHINED on Sunday afternoon!! Trust me... it was overdue!...
I think there is a new bounce in my step... I am REALLY tired of the heat, and Fall is beginning to make itself known...
Of course, that reminds me that Christmas is right around the corner... and this year I am going to prove to myself that it can be done on a dime!! This economy doesn't invite big spending, and I have always known that creativity matters more to the little ones than the amount of dollars spent...
Remember how much fun you had with your kids and grandkids with just a huge cardboard box?? We cut holes for windows and doors and they had more fun with that 'house' than any of the pricey toys... not to mention pulling them all around the downstairs in the big laundry basket... all they said was 'more, more!'...
I've got a boatload of ideas for Christmas this year, but I can't share them here yet, 'cuz at least 2 or 3 of the grandkids read this blog... hi guys! :)...
I'll share some of them later... enough for now to suggest that this is a good year for the aspiring Proverbs 31 woman to be seriously creative!...
"She shops around for the best yarns and cottons, and enjoys knitting and sewing.She's like a trading ship that sails to faraway places and brings back exotic surprises...
She's up before dawn, preparing breakfast for her family and organizing her day.She looks over a field and buys it, then, with money she's put aside, plants a garden...First thing in the morning, she dresses for work, rolls up her sleeves, eager to get started...
She senses the worth of her work, is in no hurry to call it quits for the day.She's skilled in the crafts of home and hearth, diligent in homemaking."... (Msg)
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal...But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal."(NIV)Matthew 6:19,20
These words were going through my mind as I hurried through the afternoon. It was almost like my heart did a screeching halt as I rushed along...
I get 'caught up' in life some days... and my desire to walk all of life with Jesus gets placed on the back burner, and the immediate circumstances become my priority...
When that happens, it is never very long before that 'homesick' sense of running by myself gets my full attention. I sense it in my heart, things are topsy turvy, out of whack... do you know that feeling?
Once you know what it is to walk with Him alongside of you through the day... running ahead by yourself will never be the same again! It's that very 'prompting' that He uses to guide me back onto His path...
The reality is that in this life moth and rust WILL corrupt, and thieves WILL steal the treasures of the 'now'...so it is essential that when... not if... that happens, we understand that our true purpose here is eternal.
I have seen the rust corrupt and have felt the thieves steal... haven't you?
It's a good thing to be reminded of these verses... another reality check on what kind of treasure my heart is 'storing up'....
Is it for now? for me? for this life?... where it will rust, or break, disappear or be stolen... or is it for what really matters ... treasure in heaven?... God keeps the records!
"There will be less someday-
much less,
and there will be More:
less to distract
and amuse;
More to adore"...
(Ruth Bell Graham's words from her book, "Sitting by my Laughing Fire"...)
I saw this in a magazine recently and it was posted as the joke of the year...
'Two women were sitting together, quietly.'
I thought that was funny the first time I read it, but upon reflection... is it true??
Can't 2 women sit together and still be quiet??
I think I can sit with some women... quietly, because neither of us have anything particularly to talk about, and nothing to really say to each other...
I KNOW I can sit with other women, probably with most of you, and the words would never stop! It also would probably not always be quiet! I love a good heart felt, animated dialog, and I also love to laugh! ...But it would be so much fun to sit and TALK with you!
There are whole books written about the friendships between like minded women.
So, that's what I do here... sit and visit with each one of you, but I think we do it quietly... don't we??
... "in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength" (Is.30: 15b)
After being interviewed by the school administration, the prospective teacher said:
'Let me see if I've got this right.
You want me to go into that room with all those kids, correct their disruptive behavior, observe them for signs of abuse, monitor their dress habits, censor their T-shirt messages, and instill in them a love for learning...
You want me to check their backpacks for weapons, wage war on drugs and sexually transmitted diseases, and raise their sense of self esteem and personal pride...
You want me to teach them patriotism and good citizenship, sportsmanship and fair play, and how to register to vote, balance a checkbook, and apply for a job...
You want me to check their heads for lice, recognize signs of antisocial behavior, and make sure that they all pass the final exams. 'You also want me to provide them with an equal education regardless of their handicaps, and communicate regularly with their parents in English, Spanish or any other language, by letter, telephone, newsletter, and report card...
You want me to do all this with a piece of chalk, a blackboard, a bulletin board, a few books, a big smile, and a starting salary that qualifies me for food stamps...
You want me to do all this and then you tell me .... I CAN'T PRAY?'...
"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6 (KJV)
"Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God,and keep the vows you made to the Most High.Then call on me when you are in trouble,and I will rescue you,and you will give me glory.” (Ps.50:14,15)
I know that God wants many things from me, all stemming from the heart...
This verse was one I had not seen for awhile, and it's pretty plain! There are many times when praise is not the first thing that rolls off of my tongue... but it's what God wants me to do... to praise Him... that hit a chord with me today...
He calls it a 'sacrifice' and at times, it definitely feels like a sacrifice. When life rolls along without bumps, it is NOT a sacrifice to praise Him. It comes easily to my mind and heart to thank Him profusely, but...when the hard times come close to me... it is DEFINTELEY a sacrifice to continue to praise Him...
It's never about Him being less worthy of my praise, it's about my heart CHOOSING to offer the sacrifice of praise... anyway! And He has never failed me yet!
I offer my praise today, to Him who deserves ALL of it!
O God, my heart is quiet and confident!"... (Psalm 57:7)
