Monday, March 31, 2025

GOD'S WORD STANDS FOREVER!

The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God stands forever. (Isaiah 40:8)
Our first months in North Carolina, from hurricane floods to gusting winds and wildfires from drought conditions were unlike any weather induced conditions we had ever experienced. But God in His love and mercy showed truth to be shared off a beaten path.....
......Hope remained even on a toppled sign in the boonies!
Thank you, Lord.

Saturday, March 29, 2025

A STAR IS BORN!

All performers have to begin somewhere!
For our youngest grandson it started on the yellow brick road.
Think......WIZARD OF OZ. A county high school production that needed a few kindergarteners as munchkins!
Ready to go..........

We welcome you to Munchkin Land!

Even if the loud nose hurt this ears, he remembered the hand motions with one hand while his other hand covered his sensitive ear----and kept dancing as well. 
For the "show must go on" as this budding "star" learned!
He even learned it kept going on two more times......in the same clothes no less.

Friday, March 28, 2025

BLESSINGS WITH BOUNDARIES!!

The sun comes up----
It's a new day dawning"
Sun Star Ornithogalum

As "10,000 Reasons" reminds me......
"It's time to sing your song again."

What song? The song one can sing regardless of circumstances. 
Fix eyes on Jesus. Think about where your steps will lead you. (Proverbs 4:25-26) Remember God's  design is for His glory and our good, not necessarily our ease. 

Worship His Holy Name.....then sing like never before!

Tuesday, March 25, 2025

RED SKIES!

RED SKIES! 
For years whitish or rosy  skies in the morning were seen by many ancient mariners to indicate stormy weather ahead. The skies were used in weather prediction, especially for sailors and shepherds/farmers. Shakespeare even used the image of red morn in his poem "Venus and Adonis" to foreshadow, "wrack to the seaman, tempest to the field, sorrow to the shepherds, woe unto the birds". It might be folklore but I bet my DangDang used it to schedule his tobacco planting. A bit ambiguous, I know.
assume weather with red skies was their version of the FOX Weather app.

What about red skies at night??
My son-in-law told me the redness is intensified as the setting sun is sending its light through a high density of dust. That could certainly be true looking out my windows.

We saw them Friday night as the sun began to set. 


During Saturday morning prayer time, I only saw blue skies!
However, I did a red skies Bible search and found a "new to me" truth, or possibly one I had forgotten.
The Bible verse related to red skies in the morning is found in Matthew 16:2-3. Jesus answers the Pharisees and Sadducees saying, When it is evening you say it will be fair weather because the sky is red. And in the morning, you say, 'It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening. You know how to interpret the sky but you do cannot interpret the signs of the times. (ESV) 

Saturday, March 22, 2025

A TOUCH OF TRUE ART!

TRUE ART......touches all one's senses!
Disclaimer---Sometimes the sense of taste comes as I eat chocolate while enjoying it.
My eyes see it as I enter the room! 
My fingers touch and outline the words! My hands enjoy the quilting of the fabric. 
I can even smell the freshness of the fabric.
How does one "hear" such art? The words of my favorite hymn flow from the art right to my heart and my own humming and singing reach my ears.

It's a "SCENT"sational gift of true art from the artist who uses her ability as a ministry to touch the hearts of others! 
It certainly touched  mine


Friday, March 21, 2025

ACCESS BY GRACE

Grace, Grace --God's Grace!

God's grace costs us nothing! It cost our Savior everything!
A glorious gift of His life on our behalf. 
Unearned and undeserved. Wrapped in His blood.

A gift with access, not only to the righteousness of Jesus, but "access to the unlimited power of the Holy Spirit" as well. (Stacy Tyson, The Best Times, March 2025, p.8)

Other descriptors for God's grace gift are free, through faith, favor, lavished, poured out, precious, redemptive, riches, 

Grace, Grace--Glorious Grace with access in abundance!

Wednesday, March 19, 2025

KITH AND KIN!

Kith and Kin jumped off the page of MUHH devotional today. 
Kith was used in Angela's Ashes: A Memoir as a way of describing the feeling of relational loneliness. Even the dog was gone. 
In Scripture, Abraham's life was an example of one who left kith and kin to follow God. 
It's faith at its best. Faith might not know where God's leading will take them but knowing the One who is leading provides the faith and assurance needed to go. 

Kith, without  Kin, is an old English word for friends and neighbors. 
For me, the Kin part reminds me of kin as related by blood in family or by adoption. Kin can also include believers in fellowship---one's church family!  Think "heart" family! 
 
But God, in His love and mercy, has shown me the necessity of connection through the blood of Christ regardless if the mileage separation! I have greatly experienced that KIN in our recent move. 

I would have been dismayed if I had not seen the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. (Psalm 27:13)

Kith and Kin are my land of the living!

Monday, March 17, 2025

BLESSINGS!

Blessings from friends quoting others. a great way to start the day.
I have cast myself into the hands of Almighty God who reigns everywhere!
(St. Patrick of Ireland)

Blessings of celebration from the mountain folks who not only find joy ...
but celebrate with dance---clogging with some Irish type steps.

Blessings.....May the Lord bless you and keep you!

Friday, March 14, 2025

CUSHION OF CALM!

A "Cushion of Calm" prevails before the predicted storm filled with gusts, ball-sized hail and tornadoes hits! 

How special to await it on our front porch with
a devotional book, a new book and a cuppa in my Lake Junaluska mug. The cushion in the chair, for the physical comfort I needed, even included the reminder. 

LIFE ISN'T ABOUT WAITING FOR THE STORM TO PASS. IT'S ABOUT LEARNING TO DANCE IN THE RAIN.

In times of storm His sovereignty gives us His strength and peace, aka a "cushion of calm".!

A time of God's peace to rule in our thankful hearts. So we dance.

Wednesday, March 12, 2025

LINGERING AT LAKE JUNALUSKA!

My daughter's well-planned day just for the two of us. 

A time of lingering by the lake where I went to a Methodist Camp in 1963.

"Be still and know that I am God..." (Psalm 46:10)

So many memories teenage memories. Ann Ryder Randolph from Princeton, Ky. Donald Davis, who worked in the bookstore at the camp and later became a nationally known storyteller. He's still telling stories and comes to Memphis every other year. MS Carolyn Meacham, later to marry hubby's dear friend Hal, & I were in the group picture under the cross but I never met her until years later after we were both married and discovered our shared adventure.
A time of quiet beauty: Giving glory to God and grace for me physically and spiritually....
Lingering in the labyrinth.

Meditating in the Memorial Chapel. 

Praying in the chapel when 3 young men came in and went to the front and began quietly playing their guitars.
Recording my prayers for family, Wednesdays folks &, special needs to be prayed for by others in the in LJ prayer ministry.

An AMEN Time to a "Wonderful Wednesday."

Sunday, March 9, 2025

EMBRACE GRACE!


EMBRACE

GRACE

IN THIS 
PLACE

TODAY!

Thursday, March 6, 2025

PRAYERFUL WISDOM!

Words of Wisdom. 
A big thanks to friend, Doris, who shared these. 
Show me your ways, LORD, teach me your paths. (Psalm 25:4)
Use prayer to....."Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn away from them." (Proverbs 4:5)
May we be directed to the right path as our "discerning heart acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out." (Proverbs 18:15, paraphrase mine)

Wednesday, March 5, 2025

WISDOM WINKS!

WISDOM, My One Word for 2025 needs to come from Biblical truth along with understanding and retention. 
Thus, the winks this week. Pithy. Pertinent. Cited.
Julie Andrews singing "Do-Re Mi" reminds us, "Let's start at the very beginning, A very good place to start"....Reading starts with A-B-C...
Wisdom starts with A-W-E! 
Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. (Psalm 33:8)
Awe & Worship of God help one gain His wisdom.

WINKS 
  • Careful of the words you speak....they are an overflow from your heart. 
  • WISDOM walks with intentionality at each step. 
  • Your checkbook will tell you what you worship. (Billy Graham)
A BiG wink--True wisdom comes from God's Word!

Monday, March 3, 2025

NO WANDERING IN WISDOM

A WISDOM Walk is intentional!
God has shown me that sometimes I need to trek away from the chaos  and head to the calm. 
My actual path.............
The terrain was a little rough/tough but so were the thoughts bombarding my brain. But God had me there for a reason.......to reflect and gain wisdom for upcoming decisions. Not to just sit and be still to hear His voice but to walk closely with Him in all areas of life......to find the narrow road that leads to wisdom.
Today's Jesus Calling entry stated those very points. 
  • God loves me for who I am, not for what I do. 
  • Walk closely with Him each moment. 
  • Discern His voice. 
  • Listen for His directives. 
My sheep know my voice and follow me wherever I lead. (John 10:4)

WOW = Words Of Wisdom from His word NOT my wandering guilt laden thoughts!

Sunday, March 2, 2025

HERE COMES THE BRIDE!

Saturday's Blessing....even if it was Livestream.
A beautiful bride. An awestruck groom.
A sanctuary filled with answered prayers.


Here comes the bride.....
.........There goes the family.
A beautiful event, orchestrated by God!