Scent of Heaven

Walking through the mountains of Idaho the clean smell of pine was overwhelming.  The higher we rose, as we walked, the closer together the pine trees grow.  They stand tall and erect, their limbs reaching up to the sky.  Freely, willingly, they offer their fragrance to anyone who passes by.  I stop and stand still, lifting my face, breathing in the smell.  Trying to save each breath, remember the stillness of the moment. 

How I want to be like those pine trees.  Arms reaching to the sky – seeking to touch God and be touched by Him.  To stand in such a manner that would cause others to look up.  Feet planted – strong and secure in His Word.  Oozing a sweet aroma for my God and anyone who passes by.  Extending shade, a place of rest, for those who walk near. 

I think God must like the smell of pine, for I notice as I have read about them, that they grow pretty much all over the world.  They grow in mountainous regions – places which seem closer to heaven.  My experience made me feel as if I was breathing in a scent of heaven.

“The glory of Lebanon will come to you,

the pine, the fir, and the cypress together,

to adorn the place of my sanctuary; and

I will glorify the place of my feet.”  Isaiah 60:13

Thankful Thursday

I am posting a little later today.  Our flights home yesterday took up most of the day thanks to weather delays.  We finally arrived  home at midnight last night.  A little later than originally scheduled.  237.   Today I am thankful for skilled pilots and air traffic controllers as the weather made flying rather turbulent.  238.  I am thankful for flight crews who work hard to attend to weary travelers. 

                           (I love the moon looks like a heart in this picture above the clouds)

Father…Here today I am also thankful for…

239.  Cool refreshing places on a hot summer day

 

 

 

 

 

 

240.  A quiet place to relax and picnic

 

 

 

 

241.  Exciting boat rides

 

 

 

 

242.  Clear blue skies and winding rivers

 

 

 

 

243.  For vacations to amazing places and family tour guides

244.  I am also thankful for home.  Now time to get settled back in to the routine.

 

“There's nothing half so pleasant

as coming home again.”

           --Margaret Elizabeth Sangster

RAP: Heritage

Heritage

In her small kitchen we all cluster
Sharing food and pleasant communion
My mom, me, with my daughter
Her sister, with daughters, and granddaughters
Sharing a bond that binds
A heritage that cannot be broken
We linger over dishes, pots, and pans
Serving up gifts of our lives
Precious morsels offered, taken, savored
As hours are too quickly passing
Like a vapor of steam that rises and fades
So our visit here will soon end
Yet the memories will linger leaving the
Fragrant aroma of love shared in her kitchen

                       ---Nancy Kourmoulis (7/25/09)

(Tribute to my aunt who so graciously opened her home these last two weeks - how precious it has been to share this time with her family.  Today we are flying back home.)

Headed Home

As Dorothy would say…”There’s no place like home.”  As wonderful as our trip has been, I am ready to be home.  I always miss Precious husband, but I am  actually now missing my boys.  Those rowdy growing boys.

Here are a few photos of our wild west adventures…

 

Tomorrow we will be back in fly mode.  Here to Denver to home.  I am glad we have had this time with family.  The following quote has been my major thought throughout this time…

Family faces are magic mirrors looking at people who belong to us, we see the past, present, and future. 
                                     - Gail Lumet Buckley

Scripture Only Sunday

“The Son is the radiance of

God’s glory and the exact representation

of His being, sustaining

ALL things by His powerful Word.

After He had provided

purification for sins,

He sat down at the

right hand of the

Majesty in heaven.”

Hebrews 1:3

Thankful Thursday

231.                          Safe plane rides…

 

232.           Sisters visiting…

 

233.     Rocks and water…

 

234.            Old buildings preserved….          history remembered…

 

235.  Three generations…

 

 

236.    Scenic train rides…

 

“In every conceivable manner, the family is link to our past, bridge to our future.”  Alex Haley

RAP: Riding

I ride with head leaning and nose pressed to

window, gazing into the black heaven at

stars floating above the vast prairie.

I listen to country music and the banter of

sisters in front seats, with daughter’s head resting in my lap.

The past, present, and future rides with us as

we roll through the dark toward home.

                   ---Nancy Kourmoulis (7/22/09)

Family Reconnecting

Gold- hearted mom, Princess daughter, and I have traveled to visit with family for the next two weeks.  We have only been here four days and have already seen so many majestic landscapes.  I am constantly in awe of God and His creativity. 

It is good to hang with family you haven’t seen in ages.  It can be awkward as well.  These are people you are related to yet the space of miles between and years between leaves gaps.  Yet to be in the midst and observe their interaction with one another is binding. 

My posts will be short, and hopefully sweet, as we visit and reconnect. 

“For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.”  Psalm 100:5

Scripture Only Sunday

“Faithfulness springs forth

from the earth,

and righteousness

looks down from heaven.” 

Psalm 85:11

Up, Up, and Away

I’ve decided I have a love/hate relationship with flying.  I hate the security lines – take off your shoes, unpack all the stuff you packed, and get in line.  Beep, beep, back up and try again taking the bracelet off.  Get to the airport early to sit and wait on your flight. 

Turbulence, I really hate turbulence.  In my mind I just keep thinking of it as potholes.  I drive through potholes and handle my vehicle well.  Pilots drive through turbulence and we all arrive safely at our destination.  I’m not a fan of the discomforts that accompany landing.  I am very grateful for landing safely, it is just the pressure on my head and for ones ears that is a pain (pun intended). 

You may now be wondering, where is the love part?  I do love take off – hurtling down the runway and being thrust into the sky.  The adrenaline rush is terrifyingly awesome.  I love feeling almost weightless riding through the sky.  I am in awe of looking down on the earth and tops of the  clouds.  I adore traveling hundreds of miles in a matter of hours. 

When you fly you are placing your trust, faith, your life in someone else’s hands.  You believe they will get you to your destination safely.  Reminds me of when you choose to become a believer in Christ.  You place your trust, faith, your life in God’s hands – knowing He will get you to His presence safely. 

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Romans 8:38-39

Thankful Thursday

“Be joyful always; 

     pray continually;

         give thanks in all circumstances,

              for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

                           1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

God - I am thankful for…

228.  A trip to the zoo with children’s group…

229.  Flowers…

 

230.  Swimming and icees with friends…

 

Get in SHAPE – Resistance

This week’s sermon cut right to the heart of where I am with my physical training.  I am resisting the work.  Discipline is sooo hard.

Resistance – the act or power of resisting, opposing, or withstanding.   Resistance as a force can either work for us or against us.  When it is working for us, resistance is a beneficial force in our lives.  It gives us the power to overcome difficult circumstances  in our lives.

Part of getting in shape is strength (resistance) training.  We have been doing this over the last few months in our exercise time.  However, we are facing resistance and it is not working out for our benefit.  It is causing us to not discipline ourselves, do the work, and reap the benefits. 

However, resistance training used effectively has a process.  When you lift weights, guess what, it tears down the muscles.  That sounds counterproductive, huh.  What happens in our physical body is when you lift weights you tear down the muscles, then with proper rest and nutrition the muscles are built up stronger and more toned. 

Spiritually speaking, trials are the spiritual dumbbells of our lives.  First they tear us down, humble us.  Next if we fill up with the Holy Spirit our spiritual body is built up.  Going through trials matures us. 

Trials are common to everyone.  Basically, we’ve all got’em.  Trials don’t disappear – we have to go through them.  Frequently trials cause us to lose perspective – we give up.

There are trials of many kinds – there are particulars regarding trials as pastor would say.  Paula Rhinehart lists three types of trials: 

• Sudden trials – a car accident, house fire, loss of job.
• Subtle trials – life is not working out as we expected.
• Amplified trials- hurts in the same place over and over.

There are also different sources for our trials:

• We face trials in the world
• We face trials of our flesh
• We face trials from the enemy

Finally, pastor shared the good news…trials have payoff.  Do you want to be a mature Christian?  You will have trials -problems.   Just like through physical exercise we can be healthy and fit, so through spiritual exercise we are prepared for trials.

Some of the payoffs of trials:

• Become mature and complete…

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”  James 1:2-4

• Character development…

“And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”  Romans 5:2-4

• Develop wisdom…

The verses regarding trials in James 1 go on to say… "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”  James 1:5

• Receive purity…

“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  These have come so that your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”  1 Peter 1:6-7

Physically, I have to face the facts, I am not allowing the good kind of resistance to work in my life.  Do I get down on myself about this?  Well, yes, but only allowing that conviction to get me up and moving again.

Spiritually, where am I trying to avoid (resist) trials that God is trying to take me through to purify me and make me mature?

Father – help me put resistance into practice that will develop me to be like Christ.  Give me grace not to resist the work of the Holy Spirit in my life – even if that work comes through a trial.  Give me the strength to resist my flesh when it comes to physical disciplines as well. 

(Teaching adapted from pastor’s sermon series entitled “Get in Shape”)

Worn Out & Excited

Some days just wears one down.  Lately I am having a string of those days.  Mainly it is sibling rivalry times five.  This one aggravates that one, then the next one aggravates the one who started the mess.  The next thing I know everyone is in an uproar and I am sending them to separate rooms. 

Ugh, I am worn out.  The good news is…months ago Gold-hearted mom and I decided to take a trip.  We are taking a girl trip, Gold- hearted mom, Princess daughter, and I are getting on a plane on Wednesday and heading out of town.  Flying from the deep south to Idaho.  My mom has a sister & brother-in-law who live there along with one of her daughters and her family.  I am hoping my other cousin gets to come up from Nevada during our two week visit.

So say a little prayer for us Wednesday morning as we get on our flight.  Flying makes me a bit nervous.  I am excited about the trip  and the break.   I am praying that the time apart will do us all good.  That having the break will give us a new perspective and appreciation for one another. 

Plus while I am gone Precious husband has lined up some special things for our boys.  They are going to do boy things – fishing, rafting.  I look forward to seeing what all they do while we are gone.  

“If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.  The LORD replied, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."   Then Moses said to him, "If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.”  Exodus 33:13-15

A Basket Full of Trust and Hope

It was a small basket holding precious cargo. 

She had known from the beginning this little one was no ordinary child.  He was so beautiful.  But she could hide him no longer.  He was growing big and strong and loud. 

She had prayed for months, before he was born and since the day of his birth.  Prayed for God to give her wisdom, to spare her son, to comfort her breaking heart.  Now she knew what she had to do.  So she crafted a basket then prepared to float her precious son onto the Nile, into enemy territory.  In faith, she laid her fine son inside, praying all the while.  She placed all her hopes, all her expectations in God’s hands.

God had shown her when to shelter this little one.  Now He was asking her to let go and trust Him with her son.  After all, God had a much bigger plan for this baby.  What a plan it was, deliverer of the Hebrews from slavery, leader of a nation to a land of promise, a friend of God. 

The phrase “let go and let God” comes to mind.  Along with the question, What things in my life is God asking me to place in the basket and float it into the Nile, away from me, and trust God to redeem? 

(An excerpt used with permission from Ladies Bible Study, taught by Mindy C., July 9. 2009)

Scripture Only Sunday

“Be brave.   Be strong. 

Don’t give up. 

Expect God

to get here soon.” 

Psalm 31:24 (The Message))

 

Relax, Read, Enjoy

Take time to relax, do a little reading (poetry links below), and enjoy God’s presence.

“Good poetry helps us get inside a moment, live it, taste it. And writing poetry is an exercise in humility, as it requires us to really listen to people, news, or, yes, even baby wipes. And when we’ve listened and written it down, then we listen again… to what the poem unexpectedly says to us and other people.” L.L. Barkat at High Calling Blogs (You can read her whole article here.)

ALL RAP PARTICIPANTS:
LL’s Gift
Lorrie’s Tambourine
Monica’s Wedding Gown
Liz’s Gone
Simple Country Girl’s Wild Daisy
Jim’s Take Jonah, many do
Laura’s Paint

Thankful Thursday

“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.”  G.K. Chesterton

I stand in awe and wonder of the blessings of my life…for which I am thankful…

223.  Sparklers…

 

 

 

 

 

 

224. Sunsets and moon rising…

 

 

 

 

 

 

225.  Zip lines and kiddos brave enough to hang on…                         

226.  Garden goodies and God’s gracious goodness growing wild…

                    

227.  God’s mercy rule and that it is new every morning…

(If you haven’t already, check out the link above to Lyla’s post Mercy Rule…it has truly blessed me.)

Cavern Photo

I just came across this photo, posted by a fellow traveler, from the time of worship July 4th. Listening to the sound of worship as it echoed from the cavern walls was pretty awesome.

RAP: Cavern

(for the poetry prompt… This idea is from Susan Wooldridge's Poem Crazy. 1. Find an object and name it 2. describe what it looks like 3. ask it to bring you a quality it possesses.

Cavern 

Deep, dark, dripping water
Engulfing emptiness
Waiting to be filled
Reverberating resonance
Welcomes worship
Soul saturated

--Nancy Kourmoulis (7/6/09)

Getting in SHAPE

Focusing on getting in shape physically can be terribly hampered by gardens, swimming, and holidays (and ice cream).  So we totally deviated this past week from our work out focus.  But that deviation proved beneficial in other activities.

One of Precious husband’s coworkers has a rather large garden.  He invited us to come and pick whatever was ready to be harvested.   

We ended up canning and freezing over the weekend.  In the end, all together, we now have 8 quarts okra, 6 pints bread & butter pickles, 9 pints dill pickles, 12 1/2 pints strawberry jam, 10 quarts frozen squash, dehydrated squash & strawberries. 

Getting in shape spiritually sometimes requires a deviation for me as well.  I keep going back in my mind to pastor’s words to “focus on where you are weak” (you can read more here).    I am trusting God to develop spiritual muscles instead of operating from my strengths.   Slowly I am branching out from my usual habit of staying home and living my introverted life.  I am seeking to be more open.  I am looking for those who may be like me, ordinary and undiscovered. 

God has placed gifts in all of us.   I desire to be useful to the Lord.  So for now I am seeking, asking the Lord to show me the steps to take next.  I am confident that through the Holy Spirit I will find the place God has for me.  In the meantime, I am enjoying the excursion.

How Do You Celebrate July 4th?

In many ways we celebrated Independence Day as we always have, grilling out and swimming.  Yet there were two major differences.  This year we celebrated July 4th without my dad.  You see he was in the hospital last year after a heart attack and massive stroke.  Last year we spent the holiday in a hospital. 

This year was also did something different.  We spent the evening in a cave.  While most people were outside watching fireworks, in the depth of a local cavern we celebrated Independence Day through worship of the Son who set us free.  What is freedom?  Dictionary.com defines freedom as (*) Liberty of the person from slavery, detention, or oppression or (*) The right of enjoying all of the privileges of membership or citizenship.   As we worshipped the thought came to me, yes I live in a free nation for which I am grateful.  However, what truly set me free was the blood shed by Jesus Christ.  Every scar and stripe inflicted on Him bought my freedom from the slavery of sin to enjoy the privilege of being a citizen of heaven.

A chorus to one of the songs we sang says, “the more I find you, the more I love you…”  How could I not here God speaking to me, since earlier  He named this year FIND for me.  Truly, I am finding God more and more in my life – what joy and peace that brings.  And the more I find Him, the more beautiful He is and the more I love Him. 

To find God we must be willing to seek Him.

I sought the Lord,
And afterward I knew
He moved my soul to seek
Him, as He sought me;
It was not I who found,
O Savior true;
No, I was found of Thee.
-Anon

On the drive home we also were blessed to enjoy fireworks, celebrating the freedom, bought with the blood and sweat of men and women who lived before me and those who continue to carry that flame today. 

Scripture Only Sunday

In that day you will say:
       "Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name;
make known among the nations what he has done,  and proclaim that his name is exalted.  

Isaiah 12:4

Thankful Thursday

Father God – Here is my list, my intentional recognizing, of blessings.  Those gifts in my life for which I am overcome with gratitude…

219.  Vacation Bible Schools…I remember when I used to go, the fun and how many Bible stories I learned during those times…a foundation laid in my life and continuing in our children’s lives.      

So Sunday night, after youth Bible study, I allowed Helpful Son (he’s 15) to drive all the way home on the interstate (his first time not on local roads).  Challenge Son was wanting a Subway sandwich so Helpful son and I stopped to get him one.  Well, car battery decided it was too covered in corrosion to start.  Challenge son had to come from home with tools to fix our problem (I guess I should put some in the minivan).  Anyway, there are a lot of things to be thankful for in this paragraph…

220.  We made it safely (student driver’s tend to freak this mom out, ask my kids they will be glad to mock me)

221.  We were close to home when the car acted out

222.  I have son’s who can come to my rescue when Precious husband is at work (they seem to be doing this a lot lately)

“Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from Him.”  Psalm 127:3