Mountain Meditation

7/29/13 A misty mountain morn---a great time and place for both reflection and meditation on God's word.

• Can anyone measure the ocean by handfuls
 or measure the sky with his hands?

• Can anyone hold the soil of the earth in a cup
or weigh the mountains and hills on scales?
• Can anyone tell the Lord what to do?
    
• Who can teach him or give him advice?
• With whom does God consult
in order to know and understand
    and to learn how things should be done? (Isaiah 40:12-14)

 The answer, in essence, is no one but our Incomparable God.

That truth is probably what inspired these lyrics of “I could sing of Your love forever” Such incomparable beauty evokes singing of love for Him and His creation. I plan on singing and dancing down the creek and in these mountains!

Over the mountains and the sea

Your river runs with love for me

And I will open up my heart

And let the healer set me free

I'm happy to be in the truth

And I will daily lift my hands

For I will always sing

Of when Your love came down

I could sing of Your love forever

I could sing of Your love forever

I'm happy to be in the truth

And I will daily lift my hands

For I will always sing

Of when Your love came down

Oh, I fell like dancing

It's foolishness I know

But when the world has seen the

Light

They will dance with joy

Like we're dancing now

I could sing of Your love forever

I could sing of Your love forever

SABBATH SNAPSHOTS: Boys! Boys! Boys!

7/28/13 Hooray! Hooray!! We're on our way........our summer camping vacation begins today. Boys ages 11, 9 (2), 7, 6, 5, 2, and 1 girl (7).
Have you ever tried & succeeded in  taking a picture of 6 boys with all eyes open, all smiling, all facing the camera?

Since Nathan was looking down in the group picture, he gets one of his own.

Sippin' Choices

7/27/13 In the "teas" of life, it's all about choices. Everyone knows the old adage, "Happiness is a choice".......so is sereni-TEA..... and I need big gulps of it as we prepare for our trip.

Remember, I'm the "excessive planner" type. I want everything perfect for the family (18 of us) on our upcoming camping trip to the mountains. Though I know, as I tell everyone else, camping is all about "making do." It's in the "making do" that we make those memories.

Ready. Set. Pack.......But do we need 241 lures??

So I choose to leave the other teas behind---at least I'm trying to do that. Trying hard not to brew up anxie-TEA and for sure I want to leave the guil-TEA at home---if things don't go as planned. 

I have done all I can do and the rest is up to God.

Sippin' sereni-TEA as we tuck them in and praying for lots of safe-TEA all along the way!

Papal Wisdom

7/25/13  In Rio de Janeiro today, the Pope (Francis) said, "....we must do more to end the culture of selfishness." That's the only part I heard and I don't want to take it out of context. However, that reference to selfishness resonated in my own conscience. Working with high schoolers for several years opened my eyes to their expectation of instant gratification and their perceived unfairness if they were ever on the short end of any "they have, I want" stick. I blamed it on their self-centered age.

Not today. Today I saw myself afresh.  SELFISH (in all caps) brought me up short.

Philippians 2:3-4 is my defense. My weapon. I will use God's word to fill my mind. Hopefully, that will cast out all those ungrateful, selfish thoughts and allow me to see the Lord's truths in a fresh way.

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

I'm not Roman Catholic, but I thank the Pope for his wise words. Words that took me to the Word. God's words that I need to keep at the forefront of my mind.

Seasonal Meditation

7/22/13

"To everything there is a season. A time for every purpose under heaven.

....a time to be silent and a time to speak,.....a time to weep and a time to laugh,...a time to mourn and a time to dance." (Ecclesiastes 3: 1, 7, and 4)

All of those emotions are real. All are valid responses to both the blessings and the seeming curve balls which life throws our way. Life isn't always one or the other----sometimes I can burst out laughing right after a good cry. 

But sometimes I have to let grief run it's course. Right now I'm dealing with the pain of watching dear friends struggle with disappointments---both in relationships and in disappointing biopsies.  I'm silent because I'm not sure what to say. I try not to let the circumstances touch me, at least not while I'm with them. I'm mourning for them. I'm not ready to dance. But God.....has said there is a time.....and I need to trust His timing. 

As Laura Story sings, 'Cause what if your blessings come through rain drops

What if Your healing comes through tears

What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near?'

God's Word, song lyrics and an African (Zimbbwe) proverb are all "food for thought" on this Monday of seasonal meditation.

SABBATH SNAPSHOTS: A Maine Event

7/21/13 Maine is glorious from sunrise in Acadia National Park at Cadillac Mountain to sunset on the Bar Harbor village green listening to the band----and everything in between. Cadillac Mountain at 1,528 feet is the highest summit in ME and thought by many "down east" folks to be the first location in the United States struck by the sun's rays each morning. (3:55 CST)

God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. (Genesis 1:16)

Long Island Lucy

719/13 For those who asked I just posted the pics from last weeks' Long Island trip w/ Josh, Megan & Lucy. Just click here to get to them....Long Island Lucy.

Thnx to folks who told me link wasn't working----hope it's fixed now. Enjoy---we certainly did.

BTW, last summer's Beach Olympic pix still haven't been posted but as soon as they are I will personally email SW so she can see them.

DRAWN TO THE LIGHT

7/19/13 Drawn to the light." For me, that  phrase encapsulates my essence in both the physical and the spiritual realm.
I like light streaming in through my windows, so I open the shutters. I choose doors with glass instead of solid doors. I pull blinds and shades all the way up. 
I have loved the openness of our neighborhood for the past 36 years---mostly fenceless. Kids were not hemmed in and ball fields & mini golf cart routes could stretch through four backyards,
But in the past three months, fences have gone up. Confinement---no longer our open space

Now, hubby is closing in our carport. I understand his decision. Safety. Since our break-in we have both felt "uneasy," to say the least. But as I've watched the walls go up, I've lost the light and view from my kitchen sink.  It seems to have taken the breath right out of me.

How grateful I am for a hubby who wants to protect me and provide an extra measure of security. But, how sad I am to lose my light. It's as if the burglars robbed me of more than my possessions.
But God......reminds me of the only true security I have. The One who is the Light. A Light that can never be taken from me. For that, I am eternally grateful.

CELEBRATING LIFE!

7/15/13 Headed to the mailboat early this morning to "ferry" over to Isleford, the hamlet located on Little Cranberry Isles.  Isleford is the home of our dear friend Ashley Bryan and though he's visited our home in Memphis several times and daughter and I have visited him on the island, today was hubby's first visit. Larry was just as enthralled with our time as I was. Plus we got to meet Ashley's Sus, (Susan V.) who is sort of like the island's chamber of commerce welcoming gal, as well as running the general store and handling all of Ashley's schedules and "tech" stuff. He doesn't even have an answering machine.
Ashley showed us new art work and shared his upcoming book, "Can't Scare Me" from memory. He's a great story teller so that was a real treat. His book should be out  by the end of summer.

Ashley, an animated storyteller brings his words to life----can't wait to see his illustrations for his new book, "Can't Scare Me."

What a glorious day! Time visiting and chatting with Ashley and soaking up his "wisdom" as well sharing his gourmet Dean & DeLuca passion fruit and coconut birthday cake. In celebration of his 90th. What a delight to while away the hours with such a special friend.

Because Ashley so embodies the essence of Psalm 90:12, that's the verse for meditation today. Ashley understands "numbering of days as he lives each day with gratitude and has not only a heart of wisdom but also one of the kindest hearts, I know.

So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom. Return, O Lord! How long? And have compassion on Your servants. Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy, That we may rejoice and be glad all our days! And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, And establish the work of our hands for us; Yes, establish the work of our hands. (Psalm 90:12-14, 17)

Ashley celebrates each day as a "birth" day. He celebrates living and he does it well.

In one of Ashley's studios---this is where he is using sea glass to create the stained glass image of Paul, the apostle. He has already completed Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Peter with glass he finds along the shore. With the apostles bookending his creations, he depicts the life of Christ and florals in his panels as well.

SABBATH SNAPSHOTS: LONG ISLAND

7/14/13 Long Island: North Fork---the quieter more rural side. Perfect for time with little Lucy and family---lots of open spaces, a beach just down our walking road, outdoor shower experiences, horses and goats and ducks and chickens, picnics, dinners at the open air pier, outdoor grilling w/ fish, scallops & shrimp, lots of ice cream, roadside stands and thriving flowers. A vacation very much an answer to prayers!

Lucy mailing postcards to her 6 cousins.--all boys

As if we had our own private beach

Lace-cap hydrangeas--almost indigo in color

Porch Time

What does the horsie say? Lucy knows.

Fields of sunflowers 

Organic berries & veggies & goat cheese at KKs

Chickens and ducks and goats, oh my!

Lavender on steroids!

Certainly shoes must match sunsuit.

Snuggletime for Daddy &Lucy

Last morning "cuppa" with Shug, in a china teacup, no less!

SATURDAY SADNESS

7/13/13 On our last morning with Josh, Megan and Lucy, the sadness begins to creep in---"so much felt, so little said" syndrome. Hard to express the "tearing away" feeling of the heart when one has to part from loved ones. But God....has brought to mind that we'll see them in October. They're coming to Les and Ashley's wedding.....and it's in Memphis. YEA!!!

At Lucy & Dixie's (the dog) favorite "rock beach" at Orient Point where we'll catch the ferry later this morning as we head up toward Maine and they all head home to Brooklyn.

Lucy "talks" to Daddy. She's only 21 mos. but  is a real chatterbox---and  you should her her sing!! She has quite a repertoire!

S'MORE SWEETNESS.....

7/11/13 S'more Sweetness found on Long Island from Lucy. Posting will be sporadic as time is spent "at the shore" with family and at on Isleford in the Little Cranberry Isles in Maine afor Ashley Bryan's 90th birthday celebration.

Lucy checking out Shug & Pop-Pop as they arrive on Long Island, the North Fork area.

S'More

7/9/13 S'more--one of the first contractions that children instinctively learn when their marshmallows are toasting over a campfire. S'more means they want some more of that sweetness. 

That sweet food that is made by putting a melted, (or charred) marshmallow & a square of Hershey's chocolate bar between two graham crackers. Some more sweetness. Isn't that what we all want?

As David reminds us to "Taste and see that the Lord is good;" (Psalm 34:8), Jeremiah prayerfully reminds the Lord, "Your words were found and I ate them, And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart;" (Jeremiah 15:16). 

I've found that the more I know Him and his word, the more I want to know Him and His Word better.....so sweet are His words to my life. Addictive. Just like kids with their s'mores. I want some more of Him.

HURRIED FORGETFULNESS: A Meditation

7/8/13 Recent post had me pondering some questions about worrying and hurrying. Pondering those resulted in some guided meditation. (Allen Bible Church, 7/5/10) Pondering brought focus!

Listen to His will: Focus. Pray. Rejoice. Give thanks.

Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

The Lord gives His will but also gives His warning so that hurry & worry won't result in low-grade joylessness---aka as a life more filled with "blahs" than "ahs."

In David's Psalms (his journal, of sorts) he reminds us to remember all that God has done for us. 

Remember His warning:

Bless the Lord, O my soul and FORGET NONE OF HIS BENEFITS. (Psalm 103:2)

It might take a little time to recall God's benefits and to say thank you. But....as author Timothy Jones states, "As I take time to enjoy God, I find myself lifted out of life's littleness."

Hurried people become forgetful & ungrateful, which can lead to lives of irritation & "demandedness." One demands more from God & others in order to serve self.

Grateful people don't forget to say thank-you. 

Our forget-filled lives: Hurried.Worried. Ho-Hum.

His will: Be Thankful

His warning: BEWARE OF HURRIED FORGETFULNESS!

SABBATH SNAPSHOTS: Long Island

7/7/13 Man versus animal continues----but more luck this week. Hubby finally caught his "coon"---actually 2 of them. Will post when they "arrive"---via L's iPhone. 

That's okay though because I have a picture of Lucy at the "shore"

---the anticipation of our upcoming trip has me packed and ready to go!

Hurried Forgetfulness

7/6/13 With more than "our normal number" of  upcoming summer trips, excessive planning has been creeping in to my mindset. Forgetfulness has been rampant. But God....showed me a 7/5/10 Allen Bible Church post that I had printed off 3 year ago. Is there a "July" pattern here?

Hurry, Worry and Ho-Humness too often mark the lives of Christians. Notes that followed indicated that, too often, we describe ourselves by how busy, frenzied and time-squeezed we are. It's as if busyness is a badge of honor. Worry means our lives are significant. In truth, as one man said, "When I listen to myself, I'm coming to realize, I'm too much laced with discontent?"

Questions popped out at me:

Despicable Me 2, a family treat

• Are you worried and hurried? 
• What would God say to you? 
• God has spoken, without stutter, concerning His will for life. Am you listening?

As I pondered these questions, I began to heed those underlying warnings.

Then, I got an offer I couldn't refuse.

I decided not to hurry but to forget all the to-do list items and enjoy the moment.

 I went to a "kiddie" movie.

A Fun Filled Fourth

7/4/13The Brooklyn Liles started the day with a swim at the shore and a parade. The Memphis Liles/Kennedy clan continued the day with lunch and beyond. Now I just need the Texans to send a picture.

Thanks Soozee for the pic

Owen and his neighbors Hailey and Lizzie.

Friendly Farewell

7/2/13

How does a group say good-by to a leader? To one who has been such an inspiration and mentor? Whose life is a “living out” of the truths she believes? Betty Ferrell, a faithful leader of our small “Prayer for Revival” group is such a woman. Beginning a new season as a widow has Betty moving to North Carolina to be near family. It’s bittersweet.  

Excited for all that is ahead for her, we talk, laugh, reminisce and hug because she will be sorely missed. Yet, we don’t really say farewell to such a friend. It’s sort of a substitute for farewell---more of an au revoir---implying hopes of seeing again. 

Besides she’s taking all of our prayers right along with her. That’s what prayerful friends do; they send you off with prayerful farewells. 

Thought Provoking

7/1/13 Thought provoking---that's what words are. Only man has the language of words. Words used in conversation must be delivered carefully. Even more care must be taken with the written word. Written words can take on a life of their own as we have seen recently in the news of exposed tweets and leaked emails. 

Words, spoken or written, have tremendous power. Words are not the problem---the problem comes from the one who speaks them or the one holds the pen that writes or the keyboard that types them.

Words can slander, shame, destroy and shatter. But God .....shows us that Words can also edify, comfort, and give hope.

When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, But he who restrains his lips is wise. (Proverbs10:19)

Gentle words are a tree of life; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit. (Proverbs 15:4, NLT)

Words can bring death or life! (Proverbs 18:21) My marginalia--"Talk too much and you will end up eating everything you say."

Words wield power. 

Mama Davenport's Bible. I have never known anyone more godly than my grandmother, Mama. This soft spoken woman had  a vast vocabulary that only included words of kindness and encouragement. His Word greatly influenced her words.

Today on Meditation Monday, use God's Word to provoke thoughts about the implications of word choices.