Days Off…

My Precious husband works two jobs.  He is employed by two separate fire departments so that I can be at home with the five of our six children.  This means he works 48 hours straight and is home 24 hours.  So his days off are a mixed bag of fun and work. 

Here is a sampling from his last two off days…Fun Day…

Work day…

We have this old tree in our yard.  It provides lots of shade and beauty.  However, it is beginning to split apart.  So rather than cut it down we are trying to save the tree. 

Getting in SHAPE

“Christlikeness is not merely the work of the individual; rather, it grows out of the matrix of a loving fellowship.” 

                            ~Richard Foster

 

Here is where the going gets tough.  Physically we started out strong with our diet and exercise routine.  Because of summer fun, ice cream, spending the night with friends, vacation Bible school, etc. we have been side tracked.  Mostly I am eating healthy – I could do much better – less ice cream.  I have continued to work out 3 days a week the last several weeks alone (my goal was 5). 

Spiritually this seems to happen to me a lot as well.  I start out with a Bible study, small group, whatever, things are good and the next thing I know it is over and everyone has moved on and I am alone.  This is my weakness, being an introvert, I seem to have a hard time finding or keeping close friends. It seems that people flow in and out of my life.   Acquaintances, there are many, but true, close friends are very few.  Sadly, the few I have do not even live close to my home. 

So this week’s message was pretty tough for me – the title was “Training Partners”.  The whole focus of the message was how training partners play a vital role in our lives.  That as believers we are to experience life together, tell each other the truth, offer encouragement, and do battle for one another.  Now I believe all these things are true simply because I see them in Scripture and have from time-to-time been privileged with deep, close friends.  However, apart from my husband, mother, and children, I do not really see this lived out daily in my life.  I am grateful for my wonderful family…however…

I am bothered by the fact I do not have close friends.  I wonder if I am the problem.   Here I am putting these feelings into words for anyone to read.  But this is real, this is me, my insecure self.  This used to bother me more than it does now.   Even though this is troubling to me, I do not focus on my lack.  I simply acknowledge it when it comes up.  Instead, I choose to focus on “the ultimate training partner” – God’s Spirit who resides in me.   I trust and thank Him for those He places in my life – no matter how long or short their stay.  I rejoice in their coming and grieve at their going and ask God to bless them each way.  

Scripture Only Sunday

 

“…so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him.” 

Hebrews 9:28

Poetry Peregrinating

Hopefully you are having some time this weekend to ponder.  As you relax take some time to peregrinate through the wonderful poetry at the High Calling Blog website.  There are some truly phenomenal pieces of writing there.  Here is a list for you to check out….

Monica’s Pilgrim Longing
Sally’s Skinny Dipping
Jim’s 76th and Tidbits
Ann’s The Din Undoes Us
Milton’s To a Friend, on the Death of Her Father
Marcus’s As the Deer
nAncY’s not
Mom2Six’s Quest
Claire’s Untangling and Twisted Tale
Tony’s Country Rain
LL’s Muse
Cindy’s Lucid Thoughts
Sara’s Woods
Deb’s Prodigal Mothers
Simple Country Girl’s I Do Not Have

I look forward to having time to check them all out.  May you have a peaceful, playful, pleasant weekend! 

Treasures of Darkness

“I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.”  Isaiah 45:3

When I started this blog journey late last year I knew the name of my had to be “Treasures of Darkness” because it comes from my favorite scripture verse (quoted above) and because of all the treasures God has given me in the darkness.  Thanks to a precious sister in the Lord I was pointed to this blog:

http://girlinaglasshouse.blogspot.com/2009/06/treasures-of-darkness.html

 

 

 

 

If life seems a struggle and you feel you are wandering in the dark, please read this wonderful post.  Her words speak such comfort and hope.  I think it is part of why I blog.  Because sometimes life can seem dark, but God is there in the darkness.  Not only is He there but He gives us treasures, riches, in that dark place.  I don’t understand how that happens, I just know it does, because I have walked in the darkness myself. 

Thankful Thursday

“We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.”  ~Thornton Wilder

So here I am again – being conscious of the treasures God has placed in my life.  Thankful to Him for the daily blessing of being alive to enjoy them.

216.  Precious husband and Challenge son working on son’s truck that has been running hot.   Husband has been overseeing when he is home from work.  However, this has been an almost two week process as son has taken apart the engine and put it back together after having some parts machined.  Son has been staying up until all hours of the night working on this project (since he works during the day).  It is still not running – maybe next week.  I am grateful Challenge son has taken on this challenge.

217.  Grateful Princess daughter got to share a birthday with a sweet friend.

  

218.  Just the faces make me grateful.

RAP & Getting in SHAPE

I feel like a kid in school, turning in my assignment, unsure if I’ve got it correct. Yet enjoying the challenge of trying something new.  So here it is, even though I am unsure this is the correct form of apophasis as suggested by L.L at the High Calling Blog.  Right or wrong really doesn’t matter for these are the words running through my mind this week.  Maybe because it also has to do with my summer focus of getting in shape.  Physical journey's and spiritual journey’s, well, they both take one’s whole life to complete.

 

Quest

It cannot be done in a month or a year,
It is not the process of thoughts.
It cannot be seen with the eyes of men,
It is not measured by works of flesh.
It cannot be a theory based solely on knowledge,
It is not done within our own strength.

For in the course of our quest,
We find a transformation of the mind.
Discerned by the heart of the Maker,
A faith life weighed by the Master’s scales.
For He is the Truth, The Way, and The Life,
To imitate Him is a lifelong pursuit.

--Nancy Kourmoulis (6/23/09)

How We Celebrated Father’s Day

This is what happens when young men think they can “take the old man.”  The young men end up pinned, especially when “the old man” was a world class wrestler at one time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then you enjoy a good lunch – fish fry style. 

After that the crew loads up, without the resident photographer (me), and heads to a local creek for a slide down the waterfall.  I understand a good time was had by all – including the dog.

Finally, dad enjoys a moment of quiet. 

Scripture Only Sunday

“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”  Hebrews 4:16

(Photo by Brandon Harris from photo.net)

Happy Father’s Day

“Listen to your father, who gave you life…”  Proverbs 23:22a

Thinking today about the gifts of God to me.  A legacy of men who loved God.

I remember when I was just out of high school.  My grandfather became a believer about that time.  One day when I stopped off at my grandparents house he was so excited to share his enthusiasm over the Bible my aunt had just bought for him.  My papaw, as I called him, was always a good grandfather.  But the change in his life was so evident.  He was a good man who became a man who loved God. 

My dad, I miss him.  His provision and protection in my life has given me the ability to trust my Heavenly Father for these things.   To be able to rest securely knowing that I was being watched over and cared for was a great gift.  A gift that keeps on giving because I know the Father my dad trusted in, I can trust in as well.  My dad was always looking out for and caring for others.

   The Father of our six children.  What a blessing he has been in my life.  He continually challenges me to become more.  I have attempted things I would have been too introverted and reserved to try apart from him.  Things like snow skiing and riding jet skis.  Things like having six children.  Things like believing God more that I thought I could. 

So today I add to my gratitude list…Father, thank you for choosing men who would point me to You and placing them in my life.  Thank You for being the best Father of all!

Beautiful Poetry

Check out the High Calling Blogs community poetry post today.  Below I have also linked to those who participated so far.  There are some touching and charming words to enjoy…

ALL RAP PARTICIPANT’S
Monica’s His Delight, His Applause
Mom2Six’s (me)Connecting
Sara’s Before it Was Gone
Laura’s Red and yellow…
Deb’s The Verse
LL’s Holy Writ
Joelle’s Sacred Heart Abbey
Erica’s Silver Coin
Simple Country Girl’s I Spied God…

Thankful Thursday

“You say grace before meals. All right. But I say grace before the concert and the opera, and grace before the play and pantomime, and grace before I open a book, and grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing and grace before I dip the pen in the ink.” 
                                                              --G. K. Chesterton
Father – may I say grace before every day.  Thankful for the blessing of living that day in Your presence and with the opportunity to bring You honor.   Here I am, Father, dipping “the pen in the ink” to say thank you…thank you…thank you for the opportunity to…
212.  Watch nature…

213.  A friend to hang out with…
 
214.  Lovely drive in the country…

215.  Spending time with pleasant company. 
           

RAP

When the words come I join the High Callings Blog Random Acts of Poetry (RAP) on Fridays.  This attempt is in response to the last writing prompt.   You will find some really great poetry and articles at their blog – so check them out using the above link.

Connecting

My life is a sequence of dots…

Not really a series of starts and stops…

One season linking to the next…

Newborn…small child…child of God…

Young woman…married young woman…

Bride of the King…young mother…

Mother of six… mother of teenagers…

Woman of faith…I spied God…

Connecting the dots of my life…

--Nancy Kourmoulis

Get in SHAPE

Each week it seems God has given me a word, sometimes two, as a focus for the week.  Inevitably that word,  or a form of that word, has turned up in pastor’s sermon on Sunday.  The fun part is the perspective that word takes from when I receive it and when pastor teaches.  Usually the explanation is totally not what I expected. 

For example, the first week I heard the words discipline and freedom.  Now the word discipline makes perfect sense in the context of physical and spiritual training.  Daily I have to be disciplined in order to become strong in both arenas.  I love the verse in John that reads, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8: 36)  The twist on freedom came when pastor quoted Elisabeth Elliot, “Freedom.. is the final reward of discipline.”  As I discipline myself I become free from the bondages that bind me.  Physically, I loose weight and have a stronger, healthier body.  Spiritually, I daily crucify the flesh and am granted freedom to walk in the Spirit.

The next week the words were stand firm and habit.  These to me directly corresponded to pastor’s points to commit to the process (stand firm) and do the hard work (habit).

This past week I have been hearing fix your eyes.  One day in my journal I was writing a quote from a blog and wrote the word…FOCUS…in bold letters.  One of pastor’s points this week was “target training…FOCUS on where you are weak.”  Now that sounds totally backward.  Pastor pointed out that we “tend to focus on where we are strong or the things we enjoy about spiritual disciplines.”  However, by “doing this we can become overdeveloped in one area, continue to be weak in others, and become out of balance in our spiritual walk.”

I thought about how easy it is to begin to rely on the flesh when God has grown us strong in certain areas of our spiritual lives.  By targeting our weakness we must totally rely on His power at work in us to progress.  Since the goal of spiritual discipline is to become Christ like, relying on Him sounds like the wise thing to do.

“Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.” John 5:19

This week – target training – focusing on a weakness.  Starting with one and working my way through to the others.   Physically, I like junk food too much.  This week, no junk only healthy foods.  Spiritually, work on fellowshipping with other believers.  This can be difficult for me.  Being a mom who has homeschooled six children and still have five at home, I like being at home.  I also love solitude and quiet times with the Lord.  Our children are so gracious to give me the space to have quiet times.  So it has become out of my comfort zone  to seek fellowship apart from worship services with others.  This week I will focus on how that should look – how does God want me to develop this area.  I will spend time with someone outside my living-at-home family. 

My challenge to you – FOCUS on your weakness. 

“That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”  2 Corinthians 12:11

A “Little Breeze”

Friday evening we had a few storms blow through our area.  So Saturday morning, since Precious husband had to work at the fire station, Challenge son and Helpful son became clean up crew.  Here is what the shed looked like with the limb on it…

211.  I am grateful the limb did not put a hole in the roof of the shed.

Here the process of removing the limb has begun… Now the limb is removed and waiting to be hauled away. 212.  I am so grateful to see these two boys growing to become men! 

Maybe I should have waited until my Thankful Thursday to share that – but I couldn’t.  Every day is a good day to thank the Lord for the blessings He bestows. 

Scripture Only Sunday

 

“When I awake, I will be

satisfied with seeing Your

likeness.” Psalm 17:15

AWAKE, MY SOUL, AND WITH THE SUN

 

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Awake, my soul, and with the sun                                 Thy daily stage of duty run; Shake off dull sloth, and joyful rise, To pay thy morning sacrifice. Thy precious time misspent, redeem, Each present day thy last esteem, Improve thy talent with due care; For the great day thyself prepare. By influence of the Light divine Let thy own light to others shine. Reflect all Heaven’s propitious ways In ardent love, and cheerful praise. In conversation be sincere; Keep conscience as the noontide clear; Think how all seeing God thy ways And all thy secret thoughts surveys. Wake, and lift up thyself, my heart, And with the angels bear thy part, Who all night long unwearied sing High praise to the eternal King. All praise to Thee, who safe has kept And hast refreshed me while I slept Grant, Lord, when I from death shall wake I may of endless light partake. Heav’n is, dear Lord, where’er Thou art, O never then from me depart; For to my soul ’tis hell to be But for one moment void of Thee. Lord, I my vows to Thee renew; Disperse my sins as morning dew. Guard my first springs of thought and will, And with Thyself my spirit fill. Direct, control, suggest, this day, All I design, or do, or say, That all my powers, with all their might, In Thy sole glory may unite. I would not wake nor rise again And Heaven itself I would disdain, Wert Thou not there to be enjoyed, And I in hymns to be employed. Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

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Ken Thomas (1637-1711), Man­u­al of Pray­ers for the Use of the Schol­ars of Win­ches­ter Col­lege, 1674.
Ken wrote this hymn at a time when the es­tab­lished church be­lieved on­ly Script­ure should be sung as hymns—with an em­pha­sis on the Psalms. Some con­sid­ered it sin­ful and blas­phe­mous to write new lyr­ics for church mu­sic, akin to ad­ding to the Script­ures. In that at­mo­sphere, Ken wrote this and sev­er­al other hymns for the boys at Win­chest­er Col­lege, with strict in­struct­ions that they use them on­ly in their rooms, for pri­vate de­vo­tions. Iron­ic­al­ly, the last stan­za has come into wide­spread use as the Dox­ol­o­gy, per­haps the most fr­equent­ly used piece of mu­sic in pub­lic wor­ship. At Ken’s request, the hymn was sung at his fun­er­al, fit­tingly held at sun­rise.
Louis Bourgeois (c. 1510 to 1515 – 1559 or later) was a French composer and music theorist of the Renaissance.  One of the most famous melodies in all of Christendom, the Protestant doxology known as the Old 100th, is commonly attributed to him.

Get in SHAPE…Hard Work

“…forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 3:12-16

Getting in shape is hard work.  When you have not been working out for while and then you begin working out again, whether it is cardio or weightlifting, it shakes the body up.  For several days you can’t even “lift your arms to brush your hair” as pastor put it. 

Spiritual discipline seems to work very similarly.  Change is hard.  Philippians says we  strain toward what is ahead.  Dictionary.com defines strain as…to exert to the utmost.  The flesh cries out “feed me”.  We must choose to crucify the flesh and  feed the spirit instead – to strain toward godliness. 

I keep pondering the quote by D.A. Carson, “..People do not drift to holiness…”  The word is habit.

I make it a habit to exercise physically and spiritually.  I make it a habit to feed my body and spirit the best foods.  I make it a habit to pursue holiness.  When I feel like quitting because it is too difficult or extremely painful, I choose (habit) to run with perseverance…

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”  Hebrews 12:1-3

With God’s help, the more I make getting in shape a habit, the more like Jesus I will become.

Thankful Thursday

From my gratitude journal…I am grateful to Father God for…



204.  Spiritual growth and challenges…
  
 

205.  The wonder of God’s creation…miracles of new life…proof of His faithfulness…

 

206.  Pets, who knew you could put a bunny on a leash?  Obviously my darling daughter who has one.  

207.  Playing in the pool

208.  Adults in the picture on a recent hike, Precious husband, me, and Gold-hearted mom…






209.  I never tire of God’s creation.  The beauty as each season changes and flows into the next.

210.  This weekly reminder to assess my life and give credit to the Father in Heaven for the blessings and trust Him for the challenges.  Thankful for Ann @ Holy Experience for the challenge to count my blessings.


Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
(Ken Thomas – Last verse of hymn entitled “Awake, My Soul, and with the Sun”  - I have never read the full hymn but it is moving.  Look for the full hymn posted here Saturday.)