A God Who is So Near

It is amazing how the Lord just takes us by the hand on the day that we put our trust in Him, and He leads us along the path of growth until we go home to be with Him forever. What a blessing this kind of life is. All of the annoying 'accidents' and inconveniences are tolerable and even can be a joy when, as a Christian, we see our Lord's hand in them.

As I was teaching Sunday School on this past Lord's Day, God spoke to my heart through the very words I was reading from Hebrews 12:12-15, with the young people, "Wherefore, lift up the hands that hang down and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord; looking diligently, lest any man fail of the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled." By the end of the class my heart and mind were purified by the pure words of the Lord. Prior to class I thought that I had given everything over and was ready to teach, but it only takes a verse of Scripture sometimes to remind us that there is some little area that we're holding onto. What a great God, to be so near to us that He can whisper in our ear and can direct our steps by His gentle nudges.

I hope that you're experiencing His nearness today. He loves us all so much. Those of you who do not yet know Him personally can realize what Jesus did for you in bearing all your sin upon Himself when He shed his blood to take away that sin, and give your heart to Him right now. He is a God who is 'near at hand' and ready at a moment's notice to welcome you into His family.

It Was 32 Years Ago...

It is hard to believe how fast the years have passed! One of our nieces (we only had two at the time) said, "All I remember is you, walking down the aisle through the leaves." We had planned on an outdoor wedding, at our church-site, but had gathered many trashbags of colored leaves to stew down the aisle. I'll try to relate the wedding story - I have a hard time believing that ANYONE who actually knows us, does not know... my husband tells it well, but there are parts that he leaves out (:

The rain was coming down so hard, and was not letting up! I was upstairs getting ready, while Mom was answering phone calls, "another person called, asking whether the wedding was still going to be outside!" she would exclaim, every ten minutes or so. Finally we decided to tell people that we would have the ceremony up at the school (where the reception was going to be, everyone had directions already-12 miles from the church property). My brothers dutifully went up and set up the two hundred chairs, or so. They also took the bags of leaves and strewed them generously down the aisle and in a large "heart" up where the Pastor and wedding party would be standing. In the meantime, one of them (or someone) had written a nice, large sign that read, "Veysey/Rhodes wedding, Perkinsville School", with an arrow. They had covered it with plenty of plastic and planted it in the ground at the beginning of the road to the church property.

It was a lonnnnggg morning, it seemed, but finally it was time to head up to the school. As Dad and I stood in the hallway where I had spent my first three years of grade school, he said to me, "You know, it still is not too late to back out. I will not be angry or upset if you decide to." I knew that he didn't say this because he did not like Syd, but because he was assuring me that he wanted only what was best for me. I do not remember how I responded to that, I am sorry to say. As the back doors were thrown open, Dad and I began our walk through the Autumn leaves, past hundreds of smiling faces (we had invited almost 500 people, but only about half came). It was then that I realized that I had forgotten to take my engagement ring off! I have a fat knuckle, so it was not easy. As I struggled with it, Dad was patting my hand (no doubt, thinking that I was shaking from nervousness). FINALLY the ring came off and I was able to slip it onto my right hand just before we reached Syd and Pastor, phew! I don't remember if I have even SEEN photos of Dad and I walking down the aisle, I can imagine my face!

By this time, of course, Syd had arrived and was waiting for his soon-to-be bride at the end of the aisle. What I DIDN'T know was the trip he took to get there...He had arrived WAY early (as is his custom), having picked up, from the nursing home, an elderly wheelchair-bound elder from our church. They had planned that the van door would be left open so our elder, Mr Martin, could stay in the dry van and watch all the drenched people sit and happily see an equally drenched couple unite in blissful matrimony. Syd also was transporting our friend Richard and the best man. When they pulled up to the entrance to the road, there was the sign - "Veysey/Rhodes Wedding, Perkinsville School". As you can imagine, someone said (in this case it was Mr. Martin), "They didn't tell the GROOM!?" How he laughed!

I must admit, I did not even KNOW that we hadn't called Syd. I cannot actually remember the first time I even heard the story (of course, I've heard it MANY times since)! All I know is that we had a wonderful day with family and friends; our church ladies did all the food; Mom made the cakes and did all the flower arrangements; my brother played, "God of Our Fathers" on the saxophone while I marched, shakingly, through the leaves. Syd was the handsome, smiling, groom and I was the young (18 year old) bride. Our first night was spent in Springfield, then we returned to our home church to share the Lord's day with our church family before heading out "camping" in our van, to Maine. Thankfully we only actually camped one night, then it was motels for the rest of the week. By the time we were on our return trip, we were eating only peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, but were extremely happy!

We both praise the Lord for these 32 years and for the way that He has lead us all the way. We are only  pilgrims, sojourning through this life. As long as our hands are within His, He lovingly leads.
This excerpt is from one of my favorite hymns, In Heavenly Love Abiding:
  

   Wherever He may guide me, no want shall turn me back;

   My Shepherd is beside me, and nothing can I lack;

   His wisdom ever waketh, His sight is never dim;

   He knows the way He taketh; and I will walk with Him.

See? I knew what I was getting into. This was taken before my High School Senior Prom

Sometime in the mid-80s

Taken on our 25th Anniversary

in 2010

On a most recent note: Syd has just informed me that our well is almost FULL!! We have prayed for rain, and the Lord has certainly opened up the skies for many weeks. Thanks, all of you who prayed also! Praise the Lord for His provision of water.

Lingering on a Rare Day

I wasn't actually able to have the pleasure of taking a stroll up the lane or to rest on the stone wall today, but as I traveled along the country road, these were the thoughts that came:

Softly, golden arms of sun rays wrap themselves around me 

as I enter a world of orange, red and yellow. 

Driving through the kaleidoscope, colors surge in and out on the path stretched ahead. 

Glints of sun add sparkle to this tunnel of Autumn, while the carpet behind me kicks up 

and swirls, a trail of brown; 

like the billowing of a horse's tail as she gallops over the mountain tops. 

A fleeting season; rare days of warmth and fragrant air; 

scented with a spice of leaves, soil and dew.

Geese flying south; lingering Monarchs flit to and from bright sprays of goldenrod,

Along the fence, heads of sunflower bow to the earth while chickadees

pick the last of their tasty fruit.

These are the days of busy-ness. 

The final tomatoes are canned and shelved.

Apples are being squeezed and sauced.

Chipmunks scamper from beneath the feeder

to cache their bounty in underground stores,

while I linger here beside the stone wall.

In a flash of blue, the jays have returned from their unknown Summer home;

no more ready to share than they were during early Spring,

they push and crowd around the pile of seed;

"shriek"ing out for brother and cousin to join the feast.

I leave this seat of granite stone, legs warm from its radiating heat,

while brown leaves crackle beneath my steps.

The dog's head is buried in a furrow, blown there, at the foot of the wall.

He emerges with nothing to show for it and

bounds ahead, homeward. 

Tomorrow may be cold with steely skies

but today we enjoyed a rare treat 

In this brilliant, Autumn kaleidoscope.

I hope you are enjoying a similar Fall-day experience. Thanks for stopping by Darling Hill!

Thoughts on Thoughts

Having just come from a busy two weeks, I've now had some time to reflect on the wonderful way God has lead through them.  Before (and even since) knowing the Lord Jesus Christ, my "rights" used to crop up alot, did yours? I remember the very message that the Lord used, at a Bible Conference in Bucksport, Maine, to speak to my heart about the fact that all my personal "rights" must be given over to the Savior who has bought me with the price of His own blood. Does that mean I gave them up immediately? no - that was over 25 years ago and they've cropped up many a time since!

Two weeks ago I was contemplating being "called upon" to do a certain task in my workplace, the USPS. I thought, "surely there are PLENTY of people who could do this particular job...or, perhaps I could split the six days up with someone." When I got a phone call from our POOM (people don't relish those calls), informing me that he really needed me to go to this particular place, it was like standing in front of the principal at school! What could I say? On the one hand I would not hesitate to help out this particular postmaster, as she had been through a family tragedy; on the other, "the office is SO far away - and I won't be able to get home to let the dogs out at lunchtime, won't be able to go see how Mom is doing in the middle of the day"; I really wanted to have at least ONE day off this coming week; my bookkeeping job will suffer, etc. etc. What it boiled down to is stubbornness and wanting my rights.

In a recent post I mentioned that I'd been reminded the other morning that my wrong feelings had been brought into check by using the facts of God's Word. This was one of those times. The verse from II Corinthians 10:5 was there to remind me, "Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God; and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." I really do believe that if my convictions and things that have been learned "on the mountaintop" are not put into practice down here in the valleys, where the "rubber meets the road", what good are all the lofty speeches? Have I learned the lessons or not?

Truly we know, we are ever learning the lessons. Sunday in church we read the verse from James 4:17, "to him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin." This is just one such case. Once I confessed my selfishness and willfullness to the Lord, the week was such a joy and blessing! Where the Lord wants us to be, whether in the home or even in an unfamiliar environment, is the greatest place!

Thanks for stopping by and reading a few thoughts on "thoughts"!

The Righteous Not Forsaken

Psalm 37:25 "I have been young and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread."

In our favorite devotional, The Feature, today's was entitled: Advancing In Age, with the above verse as text.

Poor Syd, on his birthday too! We got a chuckle out of it, especially since Psalm 37:25 is one of Syd's very favorite verses...not because of the first part, but because of the promise contained in the last half.
It was neat that this was the devotional for the day and we both got a kick out of it. I may just have to post it on the fridge alongside the one Syd hung up. It was in our newspaper on April 16th (on my 50th birthday). Here it is, the Dennis the Menace comic:

Yes, this one was ON my 50th birthday. We laughed a lot about it.

Syd and his birthday pies. We were blessed to have family and a few friends in last night for apple pie and ice cream.

Happy, happy birthday to my Sweetie!

We are blessed to have the promises of God, that He will never leave us or forsake us; that He brings joy amidst trials, and also during good times where there are no trials at all; that the sun will come up every day and that the Lord brings rain upon the just and the unjust; He will always remain faithful and do a work in each of us until the day of Jesus Christ; that He will take those to Heaven, who put their trust in the blood of His Son! We could go on and on, couldn't we? The list is endless. What a future we have, to praise Him for eternity!

I found a pile of photos in a box that we had in storage. Those were the days when we used a 35 mm and there seemed to be double prints of EVERY one of them. Here are a couple of them that I scanned into the computer.

A photo of when we were BOTH young, sometime in the early 90s

This is the children's tea corner I have always tried to have set up in each little apartment we've lived in - just in case of young drop-in-visitors. The tiny tea set is washed and ready too. My mom used to use the little table and chairs as a young girl, as did I. I'm not sure why I took this photo, but it was in the first apartment we lived in when we moved "back home".

My mom used to use the little table and chairs as a young girl, as did I, and all her grandchildren 

I'm glad you stopped up to visit Darling Hill today. We have not finished the second pie, so if you drop in, we'll share it with you...don't wait too long though. If the little ones come, they can have "teatime" too.  Take care.

Rainy Day Rambles

I can't say these are just "rambles", because the Lord has blessed abundantly this morning! While I was getting the bread going He reminded me to turn on WMUU radio (which I am not necessarily recommending, as it has changed hands and I do not know what their format is any more-just haven't had time to get on there and stream any of their music, etc). On their homepage I can choose to listen to messages from Bob Jones University chapel services. First thing that I chose this morning though, was one other of their regular features, "Sunshine on the Soapsuds" with Mrs. Jones. The first post I listened to was exactly what I needed and it came at the perfect time to share with a very special person in my life. The post was entitled, Lean Hard. I will copy and paste it here.

"Child of My Love! Lean hard! Let Me feel the 

pressure of your care. I know your burden, child! 

I shaped it- I poised it in My own hand and made 

no proportion of its weight to your unaided strength. 

For even as I laid it on, I said I shall be near, and 

while she leans on Me, this burden shall be Mine, 

not hers. So shall I keep My child within the circling 

arms of My own love. Here lay it down! Do not 

fear to impose it on a shoulder which upholds the 

government of worlds! Yet closer come! You are 

not near enough! I would embrace your burden, 

so I might feel My child reposing on My breast. 

You love Me! I know it. Doubt not, then. But, 

loving me, lean hard!"

"Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and 

He shall sustain thee; He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved." Psalm 55:22. 

I would ask you to pray for this dear friend who is going through such a difficult time in her life right now. She has a saved daughter and also an unsaved son and husband. They all need our prayers this days and for many to come.  When we mention this family, we can all think of so many people who need to LEAN HARD upon the Lord God; Unsaved ones who need to come to Him for saving grace, and Christians who are going through difficult times, even tragedy in their lives right now. Praise God that He is there to lean on and I think this poem expresses it beautifully when it says, "...this burden shall be Mine, not hers...You are not near enough! I would embrace your burden, so I might feel my child reposing on my breast..." What a precious Savior we have!

A Rainy Day "In" -

Today is a day of staying home. I am so excited about it that I almost don't want the day to end - but I guess I would get tired of it, come about 9:00 p.m. (smiling).  Syd was out the door by 7:00 a.m., as he had a job to do for a former co-worker, AND he took the laundry with him....I assume that means that it will come home clean and folded! HE is a gem! In his "unemployment" (which ends up that he is not home very often, as the Lord has provided quite a bit of work through various individuals), my hubby surely does very little sitting around! I pray for him much, as he has applied for MANY jobs and sent in many resumees. There have been several interviews and there are certainly LOTS of people out there looking for work, as many of these positions have had upwards toward 100+ applicants. It is because of the Lord's grace and strength that Syd does not get discouraged. Our God loves us so much and is so good to us. He reminds us to LEAN HARD even when we are not going through tragic circumstances, but even simple, everyday "trials and temptations".

The bread is rising and the apple pies are coming up next. Syd is getting an apple pie for his birthday, which is tomorrow. He doesn't know it  yet, so please don't squeal! I will post a birthday picture, maybe tomorrow. 

It's a beautifully rainy day on Darling Hill. The leaves have certainly turned and they are falling fast. I ended up picking the pumpkin, as I was afraid he'd end up freezing up there at the top of the driveway and we wouldn't get a chance to enjoy looking at him unless I picked him and placed him by the door...so there he sits!  At least one side got a little color!

Sturm and Ruger are peeking out the window to say "hi" to you too!

Crucified With Christ

"But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." Galatians 6:14

I woke feeling very useless for Jesus Christ. God has been dealing with me concerning "feelings" lately; immediately I was reminded to give it over the the Lord and go to the Facts, the Word of God. I was reading in Galatians  chapter two, and then into chapter six. Praise the Lord that He gives each Christian a ministry. We are all crucified with Him and can only glory His cross! All we can ask Him every day is, "Lord what will you have me to do?" - then go and do it.

"If the Spirit of God brings to your mind a word of the Lord that hurts you, you may be sure that there is something He wants to hurt to death." -Chambers

Lord, please show me those things in my life that you wish to 'hurt to death'.


Just leaving you with a few Autumn photos:

Ruger and Grammy taking a quiet moment by Dennis' cabin

heading up the hill

Dennis' cabin

On a quiet evening walk, a couple weeks ago

Mom and Ruger make good subjects

He loves "Grammy"

This shows Mom's CLEAN woods - it's like walking through a park

This was last year, the colors are not quite as bright this year

Thanks for stopping by. Come up to Darling Hill anytime.