Keeping Out the Chill

I don't know what prompts me to take a picture of the first snow that "sticks". We have had flurries before yesterday and last night, but it was practically gone by morning. This morning is chilly, chilly cold, so the snow will stay around till the next warm up.

The firebox to our barrel stove lies there in the foreground of the picture. Syd works on that more today. He's fired it up already, preparing it for rip-roaring fires in the future, piping heat into the house!

This morning the kitchen quilted panels were hung. I still have to get the rings sewn on near the bottom corners, so they can be flipped up during the day. Between these, the barrel furnace and the other quilted curtains (not pictured), the house should be warmer this year! Praise the Lord!

The valances were already there, so I left them for the color & hung the panels underneath

Panels made from an antique tablecloth that we picked up at a thrift store; quilted with a blanket.

Thanks for stopping by on this chilly day. It's a good one for hugging the wood stove. I've been in the little room, hovering over ours some this morning. Take care!

Meditations

“That all the people of the earth may know that the Lord is God, and that there is none else. Let your heart therefore be perfect with the Lord our God, to keep His commandments, as at this day.” 

I Kings 8:60, 61

As the election results come in it makes me think about how much we complain about the sad state of our United States of America. It is so easy to blame the politicians. This morning I am reminded that the Church is to have an IMPACT on the world around us. How much do I PRAY, earnestly pray and share the gospel with needy souls?

So many things there are to meditate upon throughout this day. God has us meditate upon them so that we'll be DOING them daily. I am thankful that He knows that there is a battle going on within us each day. So thankful that He forgives sin when we come to Him and confess it. "Keep short accounts" does not give us freedom to sin. I'm glad that He remembers that we are dust and only wants complete honesty before Him as I walk through each day. Without this I would live a life of constant defeat and guilt, wouldn't you? 

He does expect me to live perfectly before Him. He is the REAL God, before whom I can come honestly and confess my sin. The world needs to see that our God is THE God, not just A god.

We do God's Word not only to please Him but that the people of the earth may KNOW that our God is the ONLY God!

One Saved!

“I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.” Luke 15:7

We were blessed this past Lord's Day to hear the testimony of one of our young people who has believed on and confessed the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior from sin!

The harvest is still plenteous! All of us in the church have had part in watering the seed that was sown in little David's heart. It is impossible to know how many times a person hears the gospel of Jesus Christ before he takes it to heart and places his trust in the Lord's finished work. It was another young person, a friend, who shared the way of salvation with David on Saturday, when he prayed and asked Jesus to come and live in his heart. 

In meditating on that today the Lord has been using verses from Scripture to stir me up to be giving out the gospel of Jesus Christ all the time! My hubby has been working on a tract to be handed out on Veterans Day, and of course into the future. As I typed it up last night, the Lord convicted me of my lack of faithfulness in this area. One of the verses was

I Corinthians 16:34 "...for some have not the knowledge of God; I speak this to your shame."

He was speaking to the Corinthian church, yes, but there are people all around me who have not the knowledge of God. What a shame.

Ours is such a personal God! I am thankful that He just keeps reminding and stirring me to new heights of service for Him. Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief!

God Notices

“Verily I say unto you, wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.” 

Matthew 26:13

Such a blessing for believers!

It does not matter what people think of your service for the Lord, large or small; whether it receives rebukes from other believers or by those who do not know our God. 

It only matters what the Lord sees. True service never goes unnoticed by Him. 

That was a blessing that God spoke to my heart about this morning. I hope you have a wonderful day.

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." 

Romans 10:9,10

Dear readers,

Do you personally know the Lord Jesus as your Savior? He took your debt of sin, the sin you will have to pay for at the Great White Throne. The Spotless Lamb of God hung on the cross and shed His blood in your place.

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." Acts 16:31

Believing involves a recognition that He is the true Son of God who paid for sin by His blood. He took that sin-debt in our place!

Autumn Pleasures

I saw a lovely cow Moose on the way to work this morning. Thank you, Lord, that you had me leave a few minutes early! I learned that I need to know my cell phone a little better...couldn't even figure out how to take her picture, sad! She stood there and let me watch her and talk to her. A ways down the road were some joggers heading up. They were happy when I told them that they would see a lovely moose beside the brook. I hope they did.

Such beautiful sunrises from Mom's

 These are some old favorites from years gone by:

2011

It has to be a squirrel down there!

"Uncle Frank's cabin", next door

Sweet Ranger

Sending Happy Birthday wishes to our buddy, Mike, today!!

Disturb Me

My goal is God Himself Author: Frederick. Brook My goal is God Himself, not joy, nor peace, Nor even blessing, but Himself, my God; ’Tis His to lead me there—not mine, but His— At any cost, dear Lord, by any road. So faith bounds forward to its goal in God, And love can trust her Lord to lead her there; Upheld by Him, my soul is following hard Till God hath full fulfilled my deepest prayer. No matter if the way be sometimes dark, No matter though the cost be oft-times great, He knoweth how I best shall reach the mark, The way that leads to Him must needs be strait. One thing I know, I cannot say Him nay; One thing I do, I press towards my Lord; My God my glory here, from day to day, And in the glory there my great Reward.

God reminded me this week that I was created for HIS PLEASURE not for my fulfillment or for receiving blessings all the time.  Sometimes I leave my house in the morning with a heart that wants to explode, rejoicing in how "happy" my life is. He does give blessings, over and over, often and often! But whether He does or not, I am created for HIM, not Him for me.

...just another reminder that I need Jesus' mind in me; that He'll stir me up - "disturb" my status-quo Christian life; that I'll step out, in step with Him. If I'm not growing, it cannot be blamed on "the times we're living in". God has not changed. Lord, please give me more faith!

...only by God's grace...

"If we're going to change the future we must disturb the present" -unknown

"Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." Revelation 4:11

A prayer request that has laid heavy on my heart for several days. I pray for Brittany Maynard, the girl from Portland, Oregon (I have read of her in the news) who is planning to end her life on November 1st because she has been diagnosed with cancer. I keep praying that a strong Christian will go to her and witness to her, many Christians! It has even caused me to think about getting back onto Facebook, simply to be able to go to her page and plead with her to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as her Savior. I will wait on Syd to make that decision. Please pray for her.

Reminders

"For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him..." II Chronicles 16:9

We have experienced a wonderful weekend and Lord's Day! I hope you have too. I praise the Lord for a pastor who teaches from the Word of God!

This morning is cold and Fallish, plenty of frost on the pumpkin! Today's post is quick and written with joy, while I rejoice in reading from Psalm 139 and listening to a Bible sermon on having a perfect heart - which I pray to have, don't you?

Many months ago Syd and I joined with a friend, Mike, to pray for true revival in our hearts and in the Church, universal. Of course this will bring revival among our local churches too. "Lord, let it begin in me!" I know that in my own heart I had been seeing a repeated critical spirit, grumbling inwardly (while "blessing" outwardly! what a hypocrite). Am I spiritual because I read the Bible and have a lot of head knowledge? No.

I am glad that the Lord doesn't give up on us! It is not how good we look on the outside, but what direction our heart is headed. He just keeps bringing reminders, reminders, reminders through His Word.

One huge help has been in teaching Sunday School. We have been reading verses on "walking, step by step". What a challenge these lessons have been in my own heart as I teach the children!

It's time to go OUT into this day. I pray that you have a blessed day. Thanks so much for stopping by.
I leave you with great pictures of the many hats of Mom! One day I may do a post on that. She wears many hats!

P.S. I didn't ask her to put any of these hats on, she just keeps wearing a different one down now and then. Such a sweet lady!

"But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. "  John 4:23