Simply Walking and Working

     “Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it.” 

I Thessalonians 5:24

Such beautiful days in the garden lately. Actually I have not got the whole garden even planted yet. I did buy my tomatoes and squash plants yesterday though! Digging in the dirt, transplanting, putting in flowers...these things are just a joy, aren't they? Once everything was in the ground last night, the rains came and the Lord watered all the new plants. I am sorry for you readers who have been getting that terrible hail. We are hearing of it out in the mid-west. I hope that things have not gotten too damaged at your place.

The little hummingbird has now decided that it's o.k. for others to come to the feeder. I cut the sugar level down to 1/2 of what it was at the beginning of the season. My instructions on the nectar said to only do 3 to 1 ratio on the nectar at first, then cut it to 6/1. I don't think I'll do the 3/1 again next year. At one point there were 6 or 7 hummingbirds just whizzing all around our back porch. They seemed to be all on a sugar-high! I tried taking a picture, but a video would have been more appropriate. If you were standing out there, it actually would've been a little scary!

Remembering our old, faithful dog, Ranger. He LOVED Darling Hill. Here he is amongst the birches out in front of Mom's house. I am just remembering, under these very trees is where he was put to sleep on his final day. He was a good dog.

Thank you for stopping by the hill this morning. I hope that today's Scripture text is an encouragement for each Christian to "keep on keeping on" and to "not be weary in well-doing". The sermons on the Lord's day were so wonderful on the love of God and being armed to stand against the wiles of the devil, walking in the Spirit. Yesterday's kitchen-sermon at our house was such a wonderful follow-up and reminder for Christians to HATE sin, turn completely away from it; simply walking in the Spirit. What a wonderful thing to be a Christian and to know that God does the work. Some think that it is just too "simple-minded" to trust and obey. We are to take His Word by faith and walk with the simple faith of a little child. Let's remember also to encourage one another!

The Gospel:

Christ died for our sins,

He was buried,

He rose again the third day,

according to the Scriptures

I Corinthians 15:3,4

Those of you readers who do not KNOW the Lord Jesus Christ as your savior yet; After you leave Darling Hill, Please take a walk on the "Romans Road" by reading Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23 and Romans 10:9,10

A Memorial Memorial Day

We are thankful for all those who have served in our Armed Forces and want to express a continued, "Thanks" to all who are presently serving. What a blessing to live in a free country!

We have had a beautiful Memorial Day, and hope that you have too. Seldom do we celebrate with family cookouts or get-togethers. Syd and I usually kick off the Summer with a good clean-up around the place. He worked on getting one of Mom's mowers going, which never actually happened. Our string trimmer was working though, so he was able to get the lawn around her house and down both sides of the long driveway done. We fed him first, to be sure he'd have the strength to work! ha, ha! Syd, Mom and I sat outside our house and had pork sandwiches, macaroni salad and coffee. Then while Syd worked at her house, Mom helped me finish up some weeding that I'd started this morning. She LOVES to weed, I tolerate it...just LOVE the reward of what it looks like when we're done.

as you can see, there was already A LOT of new growth, mostly dandelions!

Ruger was very helpful, as usual. Here, they are both saying "hi, get back to work!"

We were happy that the sun was not out full. Beautiful clouds floated through the sky, a raindrop fell once in a while too, just to cool us. We didn't work long, just raked up what I'd pulled in the morning.

Another project, almost finished...

The post to the right still will have more stones cemented on extreme right side, thus making it wider

 The part that is new is here, at the top. Syd got the "V" cut and mounted, which I was so happy to see. We're still not sure of the "flat" stone on this right post. We keep looking for one that will match the one to the left. One of these days, there it will be on the side of the road.

Not sure why, but Sturm's left ear kept standing up like this yesterday; guess he's waving at you!

 And, yes, the little hummingbird is still guarding his feeder. Here he is, perched nearby. This is day three.

We hope that you had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. Thanks for stopping by Darling Hill!

An idea from my friend, Barb. She had mentioned that she should start selling Dandelions, she had so MANY! It gave me an idea for a little roadside sign:

      ~Dandelion Greens For Sale~

       Dig-Your-Own

Running The Race

We are praying for Steve Pettit as he has recently taken over the presidency of Bob Jones University. I had never listened to him preach before and have been listening to a couple of sermons yesterday and today. They have been a great exhortation and we were encouraged to hear him preaching from the King James Version. We pray that God will use him mightily in this new appointment.

Something I was reminded of today: The "so great a cloud of witnesses" in Hebrews were not only spectators, but former runners. In life, when runners finish a race they don't take their crown or medal and go home, they stand alongside the area of the finish line and wait until the runners all come in, cheering them on to the end. I was greatly blessed in hearing the whole sermon today.

"Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith; Who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:1,2

My Morning With A Hummingbird

I sit here next to a little hummingbird who has, evidently, claimed the feeder as his own. He's sitting right outside my window. I'm sorry that these photos are not clearer, but he keeps moving! Also, they were taken through my back window.

In this one his wings are already spread, ready to take off.

Here he sits, then goes and takes a drink, and back to this planter-hanger to watch the feeder. As soon as another hummingbird flies onto the porch and tries to get a drink, ZOOM, off he goes to chase it away. After which, he comes to rest at his perch. It's so fun to watch.  I guess it will cut down on having to make up so much nectar, with only one hummer!

The new hummingbird feeder was a birthday gift from my friend, Robin. I think it's really pretty.
I hope your day is full of surprises! Thanks for stopping by.

God is Building His Church

Our little devotional, Feature, has had a series on love lately. The verses have been a blessing; and  yesterday's, from I Corinthians 13, again a realization of how important to be sensitive of my attitudes and motives in reaching out to people in 'love'. God alone can give us the right kind of love, by His grace.

God is everything:
Revival certainly must begin in the individual desiring and praying for it. Since praying for this, one thing God has shown me is how small I am. He is everything. Any work (in the privacy of home or in public), outreach, revival in churches, whatever, is all done by HIM. All we can do is pray, pray, pray and give out God's Word.

Jesus' love is an unspeakable gift! We can't express what it means to Christians in words!
I'm thankful that today's excerpt reminded me of Is. 55:11, that God's Word does not return void. I can try with all my might to make someone hear or believe, to no avail. Sow the seed, give out God's Word; pray, pray, pray and let God do the work. God is still saving souls!
Lord, help me to love people as you love them! Please, increase my faith.

These were wonderful reminders today.

“Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift” II Cor. 9:15

Bits and Pieces

“I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works. I will be glad and rejoice in thee; I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.” Psalm 9:1-2

What a wonderful choice to make, daily, moment by moment. Yes, we all have moments throughout the day when we don’t feel good, cheerful, or even the least bit happy. God remembers that we are dust. Aren’t you glad? I guess the best way to look at it is that those “times” should be few and far between and hopefully SHORT! 

I do feel so badly for those who are going through terrible pain, sorrow and are at the point of death. It’s hard to put myself in their shoes, and I can’t say that I know how they feel. I can’t knowledgeably comment on those situations as yet. I do pray for many that are in that way. If you think of it, please pray for “Aunt Jan” (from Aunt Jan’s Corner, formerly on the  blog). She is soon to go on to be with the Lord. I know that she and the family can rejoice that she is going to be with the Lord and that they will see her again someday (some of them will), but I also know that there is much sadness and many tears being shed.

Around Darling Hill, lately:

Mom has somehow twisted her ankle. It was quite swollen last night, no fever. It’s on the same foot that she scraped very badly on Mon. night. We got that all doctored up but now with the swollen ankle she’s limping around. Icing it and elevation. The swelling was down quite nicely this morning. 

I’ve been working at a nearby PO this week and it’s a real old fashioned one. As you know I’ve mentioned that I want to write all about it. This morning is not the morning for it. Here are a few pictures. The first one is driving into town, looking from the backside of the meeting house. 

From the top of the Hill:

Syd likes to say, "it's the time of year that it looks like a painter took his brush and started tapping in the light green colors"

Just this week the maples started to get some leaves!

This photo is taken from the same town the Post Office is in. This is my Grandpa Norman's barn. Sadly, the house has recently been torn down. It's where my father was born (the house, not the barn)

On my way to work I kept noticing ALL these daffodils in this yard. The house is not being lived in, so I stopped and snapped a picture. They are so abundant, and continue way around the other side of the house! I must admit, I picked five of them!

Well, that's all from Darling Hill this week. Sorry I've been so long since posting, just so much going on! Thanks for stopping by. Hope you have a beautiful day.

Let Me Count the Ways

“Could we with ink the ocean fill, and were the skies of parchment made; Were every stalk on earth a quill and every man a scribe by trade; 

To write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry; 

Nor could the scroll contain the whole, though stretched from sky to sky!”

-hymn

"We love Him, because He first loved us." I John 4:19

Today's musings on the Hill are simply on the love of God and my love, or lack of love, for Him. The Scriptures from I Peter 1 and I John.

After reading God's Word today, the kitchen sermon was called, The Many Reasons We Love Jesus (I don't think that was the exact title). One thing I was especially reminded of was that, if God's words are grievous to me, it is because I do not love Him as I should. The Bible simply states that His words are not grievous. 

Much like the stanza of the hymn above, I couldn't begin to express all that is in my heart, some things were simply reminders, some strong rebukes, all of it is there to meditate on and to DO. 

Now to go out and DO God's Word in obedience and by His grace. I hope that your day is a blessing. Thank you for stepping up on Darling Hill today.