What a week this has been! When I look back over the week I am truly amazed at what the medical world can do for us and how God's hand is in it all.
This week my husband underwent brain surgery to control his tremors. Next week he will have the second stage, but already his tremors have lessened. But the one thing that I marvel at almost more than the procedure is the peace that God gave to both of us during this time. Yes, it was scary. But God was present & we both felt His presence, my husband more than myself I'm quite sure. I cannot fathom the pain there must have been as the doctor drilled a dime-sized hole in his head & inserted wires into his brain -- all while he was awake. I know that God held him in His strong hands, that He guided the surgeons capable hands, and that He carried my children & me as we waited patiently wondering what was happening. There was a sense of calm through it all, and this calm could only come from one place -- the peace of God that truly passes all understanding.
I'm so grateful that the peace was present through the entire process. I've felt this peace many times before, but one time does stand out in my mind. That was over 30 years ago. I came home from a meeting at the church & my husband was gone. He left me a note, but not a very reassuring one. I had no clue where he was and when or if he would come back. I was truly in panic mode at this point. I held on to our kids, I paced, I called my sister-in-law (where I suspected he was heading, and that was over 500 miles away, so there would be a long wait until I knew if I was right), I called a friend who was also a prayer partner. Finally after a time that felt like an eternity I was able to pray about the whole situation. Then, when I put all my worries in God's hands I felt it...the peace that only God can give. Oh how glorious that peace is! Before long he came home. And after piecing the timetable together I came to realize that at about the same moment I trusted God & turned the situation over to Him is when he turned around to come home. And God guided him safely back to our family. The road wasn't smooth & straight, nor was it instantaneous, but it was filled with God's peace.
So I'd like to thank God for His peace and ask that He help me remember to shod my feet with the sandals of peace. I thank Him too for the whole situation because it was a learning experience for me and brought me closer to my creator. Praise the Lord, God is good all the time!
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Saturday, October 18, 2008
The Armor of God
I've been really negligent in adding posts to this blog, but this week I've felt inspired to get back at it. And it's not really much about scrapbooking -- maybe about faithbooking though.
In my morning devotions I use Charles Stanley's In Touch magazine. Last Monday he challenged us to intentionally put on our spiritual armor every day for a week. And what a blessing that has been. There was one point in time at work that I was very frustrated & felt the need to get out my Bible (I do keep one at my desk at work) & review the pieces of armor that I was becoming so familiar with this week. That's when I discovered that what Dr. Stanley had in the devotional was not in the same order as what is in the Bible. This brought even more meaning to my morning process all week. And that's what I'd like to share here today, in Dr. Stanley's order:
A. First I put on the helmet of salvation -- and what a beautiful way to begin, for I can do nothing but praise God & thank Him for my salvation. He truly is a good God!.
B. Next we have the brestplate of righteousness. Okay, so how do you put on righteousness? I certainly don't want self-righteousness. So I decided to don God-righteousness. What could be better. And here again, I'm praising God & putting Him before myself. What exactly is righteousness, or better still to be righteous? This is one of those words that I know what it means, but I wanted to see what the dictionary says: –adjective
1. characterized by uprightness or morality: a righteous observance of the law.
2. morally right or justifiable: righteous indignation.
3. acting in an upright, moral way; virtuous: a righteous and godly person.
4. Slang. absolutely genuine or wonderful: some righteous playing by a jazz great.
C. The belt of truth goes on next. Here I prayed that I would deal with the truth & the truth would set me free...free from worry, free from distractions, free from evil that is in the world.
D. Let's cover up the feet with the sandals of peace. Walk in the way of peace, don't antagonize others or let them get under my skin. This one can be a hard one for me. Am I letting them walk over me when I don't stand up for my beliefs? So here I pray for the peace of God in my heart that I can share my beliefs in a way that will not offend others; a way that will bring glory to God & make unbelievers want to know more about God's love for them.
E. The shield of faith -- cover me Lord with your shield, strengthen me & keep me from falling from the onslaught of arrows sent by the enemy. Keep my faith strong.
F. And last is the sword of the Spirit (which is the word of God). This is my prayer for this piece of armor: "Let the Spirit use me, speak through me, and bring glory to God." Here is one that I beg God to give me. Sometimes it is so hard to remember His words, but God does provide the Spirit to be hidden in my heart & helps me recall the words that I might need. All I have to do is keep myself open to His leading. I'm by no means very good at memorizing the words of God, but with the help of the Spirit I can always count on Him to bring them to me when I need them the most.
I just praise the Lord for his goodness & mercy. And I pray that He will also bless you.
In my morning devotions I use Charles Stanley's In Touch magazine. Last Monday he challenged us to intentionally put on our spiritual armor every day for a week. And what a blessing that has been. There was one point in time at work that I was very frustrated & felt the need to get out my Bible (I do keep one at my desk at work) & review the pieces of armor that I was becoming so familiar with this week. That's when I discovered that what Dr. Stanley had in the devotional was not in the same order as what is in the Bible. This brought even more meaning to my morning process all week. And that's what I'd like to share here today, in Dr. Stanley's order:
A. First I put on the helmet of salvation -- and what a beautiful way to begin, for I can do nothing but praise God & thank Him for my salvation. He truly is a good God!.
B. Next we have the brestplate of righteousness. Okay, so how do you put on righteousness? I certainly don't want self-righteousness. So I decided to don God-righteousness. What could be better. And here again, I'm praising God & putting Him before myself. What exactly is righteousness, or better still to be righteous? This is one of those words that I know what it means, but I wanted to see what the dictionary says: –adjective
1. characterized by uprightness or morality: a righteous observance of the law.
2. morally right or justifiable: righteous indignation.
3. acting in an upright, moral way; virtuous: a righteous and godly person.
4. Slang. absolutely genuine or wonderful: some righteous playing by a jazz great.
C. The belt of truth goes on next. Here I prayed that I would deal with the truth & the truth would set me free...free from worry, free from distractions, free from evil that is in the world.
D. Let's cover up the feet with the sandals of peace. Walk in the way of peace, don't antagonize others or let them get under my skin. This one can be a hard one for me. Am I letting them walk over me when I don't stand up for my beliefs? So here I pray for the peace of God in my heart that I can share my beliefs in a way that will not offend others; a way that will bring glory to God & make unbelievers want to know more about God's love for them.
E. The shield of faith -- cover me Lord with your shield, strengthen me & keep me from falling from the onslaught of arrows sent by the enemy. Keep my faith strong.
F. And last is the sword of the Spirit (which is the word of God). This is my prayer for this piece of armor: "Let the Spirit use me, speak through me, and bring glory to God." Here is one that I beg God to give me. Sometimes it is so hard to remember His words, but God does provide the Spirit to be hidden in my heart & helps me recall the words that I might need. All I have to do is keep myself open to His leading. I'm by no means very good at memorizing the words of God, but with the help of the Spirit I can always count on Him to bring them to me when I need them the most.
I just praise the Lord for his goodness & mercy. And I pray that He will also bless you.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Independence
It truly has been a long time. But I have been at a loss for words. Dad did pass away quite peacefully a couple of months ago. I just haven't been able to do my usual routine since then. I am thankful for his life & for his influence on my life. He was a good man & he was an encourager for me. I miss him a lot.
PTL, God doing great things in my life right now. I've been involved in a study of Charles Colson & Nancy Pearsey's book How Now Shall We Live. What an eye-opener it has been. Then the Lord brought Joel Osteen across my path. I'm still not sure how I feel about his book that I'm reading. It is all about being favored by God. The one thing that really bothers me about it all is that Mr. Osteen keeps saying I deserve to be favored by God. With that I disagree. It's not that I feel I'm not favored, but I don't deserve it. I understand it, especially through some of his illustrations. God loves me no matter what & he wants the best for me & has great plans for me. I want that too, but I don't deserve it. Like I said, great things are taking shape in my life. Pray for me that I will keep my heart & mind ever focused on God, that He will give me wisdom & discernment for His plans.
I will keep posting my progress & share with any of you readers how everything unfolds.
PTL, God doing great things in my life right now. I've been involved in a study of Charles Colson & Nancy Pearsey's book How Now Shall We Live. What an eye-opener it has been. Then the Lord brought Joel Osteen across my path. I'm still not sure how I feel about his book that I'm reading. It is all about being favored by God. The one thing that really bothers me about it all is that Mr. Osteen keeps saying I deserve to be favored by God. With that I disagree. It's not that I feel I'm not favored, but I don't deserve it. I understand it, especially through some of his illustrations. God loves me no matter what & he wants the best for me & has great plans for me. I want that too, but I don't deserve it. Like I said, great things are taking shape in my life. Pray for me that I will keep my heart & mind ever focused on God, that He will give me wisdom & discernment for His plans.
I will keep posting my progress & share with any of you readers how everything unfolds.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
New highways to travel
It's been a little tough today & I'm not sure that I'm real excited about traveling this new highway. It's just a little painful. But I know that my father is in pain & ready to die. I don't want him to suffer. But I will miss him terribly.
I'm at a loss for words. Thought this might be a little theraputic, but doesn't seem to be working. All I can say is praise the Lord for His saving grace.
I'm at a loss for words. Thought this might be a little theraputic, but doesn't seem to be working. All I can say is praise the Lord for His saving grace.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Farther & Farther Between Posts
Busy is another word for it...posting here just keeps getting put on the back burner.
I guess I need to start some musings or something like that. Between Bible study, work, and a lot of promises I've been too busy to think about much else. Not that I'm complaining because each of these are good things. Here's a little of how life is going:
First, the Bible study -- which isn't really Bible study but rather a book study. Right now we are working on the Colson/Pearsey book How Now Do I Live. Now that's cause for a lot of musing! One of the most exciting things has been that Dave is joining us. It's a small class, only four of us. The book is awesome & extremely thought-provoking.
Oops, more later...just got a call & I need to leave...see, I told you it was busy here!
Okay, here we go again -- back to the Bible / Book Study.
It is cause for much deep thinking, like: Where do I come from? What is my purpose in life? What is my worldview? How can I share my beliefs with others? Can I really explain my beliefs intelligently? When someone starts throwing out things like evolution & "it's just a crutch" what do I say. When they start quoting facts & figures against God as Creator, how do I respond? Is my faith deep enough to withstand this sort of regime?
I think that Christians have been so busy doing what they think God wants them to do that they have gotten lost in their own little worlds. One day I woke up from my "little world" to find someone asking me why in the world do you believe that? And I didn't know what to say!
Then there is my question of ethics in our country today. My real desire when I was searching for new material for our group was to find something that would address the problem of unethical actions. I feel this is a very widespread problem & a real threat to the people of the United State & of the world. The problem is found everywhere...in politics, in business practices, in school, in factories, & even in churches...no one is immune from the thought that "if it doesn't hurt anyone, then it must be okay." (And there are a lot more phrases like this that end up being questionable as far as ethics are concerned.) It's such a "me" era that we can hardly see beyond the ends of our noses. People don't look at the rippling that occurs; they don't take responsibility for their actions.
Let me advise you to read Colson & Pearsey's book. You will truly be amazed.
It's kind of strange the way the Lord led me to this book. I picked up several books that I was considering a couple of years ago, including one called How Now Shall We Live? The only problem with that one was that it was just the questions, I didn't have the book. So I went back to the books store & ordered the book that went with it. I was sold, this was the one that I really wanted to use. But it wasn't meant to be at that time. I read most of the book & set it aside to work on the one we did use. Later I picked it up again to finish reading it. Then I thought I need to go back to the beginning, there were a lot of good things in it. So I read it from cover to cover. Now that we are actually using the book & workbook in our weekly sessions, I'm reading it again. Answering the questions & often times reading it one more time just before we meet. And I'm learning that I'm not naive because I believe in God. Science supports the creation theory of an intelligent designer, maybe even more strongly than it does evolution. And I could keep going on and on. I'm learning how to stand up for my beliefs. PTL!!!
I guess I need to start some musings or something like that. Between Bible study, work, and a lot of promises I've been too busy to think about much else. Not that I'm complaining because each of these are good things. Here's a little of how life is going:
First, the Bible study -- which isn't really Bible study but rather a book study. Right now we are working on the Colson/Pearsey book How Now Do I Live. Now that's cause for a lot of musing! One of the most exciting things has been that Dave is joining us. It's a small class, only four of us. The book is awesome & extremely thought-provoking.
Oops, more later...just got a call & I need to leave...see, I told you it was busy here!
Okay, here we go again -- back to the Bible / Book Study.
It is cause for much deep thinking, like: Where do I come from? What is my purpose in life? What is my worldview? How can I share my beliefs with others? Can I really explain my beliefs intelligently? When someone starts throwing out things like evolution & "it's just a crutch" what do I say. When they start quoting facts & figures against God as Creator, how do I respond? Is my faith deep enough to withstand this sort of regime?
I think that Christians have been so busy doing what they think God wants them to do that they have gotten lost in their own little worlds. One day I woke up from my "little world" to find someone asking me why in the world do you believe that? And I didn't know what to say!
Then there is my question of ethics in our country today. My real desire when I was searching for new material for our group was to find something that would address the problem of unethical actions. I feel this is a very widespread problem & a real threat to the people of the United State & of the world. The problem is found everywhere...in politics, in business practices, in school, in factories, & even in churches...no one is immune from the thought that "if it doesn't hurt anyone, then it must be okay." (And there are a lot more phrases like this that end up being questionable as far as ethics are concerned.) It's such a "me" era that we can hardly see beyond the ends of our noses. People don't look at the rippling that occurs; they don't take responsibility for their actions.
Let me advise you to read Colson & Pearsey's book. You will truly be amazed.
It's kind of strange the way the Lord led me to this book. I picked up several books that I was considering a couple of years ago, including one called How Now Shall We Live? The only problem with that one was that it was just the questions, I didn't have the book. So I went back to the books store & ordered the book that went with it. I was sold, this was the one that I really wanted to use. But it wasn't meant to be at that time. I read most of the book & set it aside to work on the one we did use. Later I picked it up again to finish reading it. Then I thought I need to go back to the beginning, there were a lot of good things in it. So I read it from cover to cover. Now that we are actually using the book & workbook in our weekly sessions, I'm reading it again. Answering the questions & often times reading it one more time just before we meet. And I'm learning that I'm not naive because I believe in God. Science supports the creation theory of an intelligent designer, maybe even more strongly than it does evolution. And I could keep going on and on. I'm learning how to stand up for my beliefs. PTL!!!
Friday, March 14, 2008
No, I'm not lost!
It's been over a month since I put up a new post...where does time go????
This month has been a great one though:
We've started a new book (How Now Shall I Live? by Charles Colson) in our Wednesday evening Bible/Book study. What an eye-opener it has been & it's an exciting kind of experience. It's so great to see the others in the class getting as pumped up about this book as I have!
Then there's my new toy. I broke down & got an external hard drive which I'm using for my photos & scrapbooking files. It's absolutely huge -- 500G. I remember when I got my first computer, it seemed so big compared to the one I used at work. It was all of 40MB... :) Now look at what they are capable of. I was told that anything much bigger than that would burn the motor out because the fan couldn't keep it cool enough. Kind of like when they used to say that cars would never go over 40 mph because the G force would be too great for man to survive. Isn't it wonderful what man has learned. And back to Charles Colson, science is proving more & more that there had to be an inteligent creator. Now we have to get past that Naturalistic Worldview & back to the basic Christian Worldview! If you want to know what I'm talking about read Colson's book!
Easter is almost here. I'm not sure that I'm ready for that...but I'm sure ready for spring! And the weekend after Easter my girls & I are going to Fort Wayne for a weekend of scrapbooking. I'm going to try & finish up a couple of non-digital books that I've been working of forever (or so it seems.) This has become a bit of a tradition for us the last few years & I'm so glad we started it. (Thanks to Andy, Andrew, Drew or whatever you might call him!)
Boy, I'm rambling today. Actually, this has been done in several hitches so if you are reading my thoughts here, they are apt to be a bit scattered. And I'd better get myself back to work.
This month has been a great one though:
We've started a new book (How Now Shall I Live? by Charles Colson) in our Wednesday evening Bible/Book study. What an eye-opener it has been & it's an exciting kind of experience. It's so great to see the others in the class getting as pumped up about this book as I have!
Then there's my new toy. I broke down & got an external hard drive which I'm using for my photos & scrapbooking files. It's absolutely huge -- 500G. I remember when I got my first computer, it seemed so big compared to the one I used at work. It was all of 40MB... :) Now look at what they are capable of. I was told that anything much bigger than that would burn the motor out because the fan couldn't keep it cool enough. Kind of like when they used to say that cars would never go over 40 mph because the G force would be too great for man to survive. Isn't it wonderful what man has learned. And back to Charles Colson, science is proving more & more that there had to be an inteligent creator. Now we have to get past that Naturalistic Worldview & back to the basic Christian Worldview! If you want to know what I'm talking about read Colson's book!
Easter is almost here. I'm not sure that I'm ready for that...but I'm sure ready for spring! And the weekend after Easter my girls & I are going to Fort Wayne for a weekend of scrapbooking. I'm going to try & finish up a couple of non-digital books that I've been working of forever (or so it seems.) This has become a bit of a tradition for us the last few years & I'm so glad we started it. (Thanks to Andy, Andrew, Drew or whatever you might call him!)
Boy, I'm rambling today. Actually, this has been done in several hitches so if you are reading my thoughts here, they are apt to be a bit scattered. And I'd better get myself back to work.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Back Home Again in Indiana
| After a much needed & enjoyed vacation we arrived back home. What a jolt it was...from the sunny Carribean to wind & ice & snow in Indiana! BRRRRR!!! I'm ready to return. We cruised from Miami to Cozumel Mexico to Grand Cayman Island to Jamaica aboard the Carnival Freedom (newest ship in their fleet) for 7 wonderful days. It was beautiful & relaxing, just what we both needed. It's amazing how smoothly our plans unfolded, especially after all the worry about making connections. Old man winter tried very hard to stop us, but only managed a few delays. We tricked him though, we planned ahead & got down to Miami the day before embarkation. Lots of wonderful people were aboard the ship from all over the world. We met so many wonderful people, it was truly a wonderful experience. If you ever get a chance to go, jump at it. I know we are already planning our next adventure. One of our biggest fears was who we would be seated with at our evening meals. Since we didn't know another soul on the ship, we were kind of at their mercy. And they picked a couple from BC, Canada with whom we had much in common. I think the waiters wondered if we were ever going to leave so they could get ready for the next seating. There is so much to do on a cruise & since this was our second one, we knew a little more about how to pick & choose. We enjoyed the sun & warmth a lot. Then there were the shows (some of them much too late for us). Lots of talented people to entertain us though. Music from classical to disco to the cool sounds of the Caribean Breeze; piano music, country bands, dancing...you name it, you could find it somewhere on board! There were art auctions, a casino if you were so inclined, swimming, sunning and even a scrapbook time. If you visit my website at Scrapbook Flair (www.scrapbookflair/pigeonriver I will no doubt be making pages from some of my photos. Hopefully I'll be able to get some up before the week is over. |
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Trying New Things
Goodness, there is just way too much to learn in life! I've done this page for the "Believe" challenge at Scrapbook Flair (www.scrapbookflair.com/PigeonRiver) and also for the font challenge at RetroDiva Designs. (http://www.retrodiva.net/)
I have no problems posting to SBF, been doing that on a regular basis for several months. But when I posted to RDD my download didn't show up. So I figured I'd upload it here & send them over here to see it.
You have to get a little tricky & learn your way around the barn once in a while. Maybe someday I'll figure out how to get in the front door!
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
All Gone
Wow, here it is a week later & all that snow is gone. It hung onto the trees for an amazingly long time so we were able to enjoy the beauty of it all for many days. Now we're under flood watches & even had a tornado watch last night & thunderstorm warnings today. Needless to say, the snow is all gone...for the moment! But never fear, northern Indiana will not go without more snow this winter. Today's high is forecast for the 60s & tonight the low 30s.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
It's begun!
The new year has it's start & boy did we get a big batch of snow! I know it will be dirty & messy before too long, but I'm enjoying the "Winter Wonderland" so much. In fact, I even braved the elements to go down to the river & take some neat shots with my trusty old camera. The snow was so heavy on the trees that they reached down & touched the ground in places where we walk under them in the summer.
It will be good to get back on a regular schedule next week. I've been so confused about what day it is for so long that I'm not sure the right days of the week will all come back to me! :-)
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