Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Mountain in the Path



While driving to work yesterday (Christmas), I felt the Lord say that for 2011, it is important to trust in Him for help, not in horses and chariots of men. Psalm 20:7


Lord, only You by the power of Your Spirit can protect, provide and empower. Thank You, in advance, for stirring the gift of faith in us to continue on the path of faith, which you have laid out before us. AMEN!!!


Several hours ago, a mountain was placed before my path. I love how the Lord prepared my heart for this. People respond various ways to the difficult situations in which they find themselves.


When a mountain is placed in your path, what do you do?

Some of my Facebook friends commented...


"Fret over it for awhile. Stress out and make myself crazy until I finally realize I can do nothing. Only when I reach that point to I finally surrender to God, place everything in His hands and let go. It's at that point God begins to move that mountain...one large boulder at a time."

"Take pictures! :)"
"Pray!"

"I usually start digging a path and hope a friend or two shows up to help. They usually do. Good friends show up with big shovels. The best friends show up heavy machinery. : )"

"Get 2 climbing....its not ur first or ur last!! But ull get over it!!"


It occurs to me that perspective influences just how the mountain is perceived. My God is much more powerful than any obstacle placed before me, and He has showed me ahead of time that this mountain would come. My perspective causes me to see the mountain in light of all God has done, is doing, and will do in my life. My perception trusts that God knows what's going even when I am clueless. He is my Provider, my Healer, my Friend, and my King! He loves me with love everlasting and has the best plan for my family and me.

How do I respond to this challenge?


If a mountain is in the path, could it mean that the path one's on must change?


One could look at the mountain and be overwhelmed.


A mountain could cause one fear or panic; conversely, a mountain could inspire bold courage.


One could ignore the mountain and hope it goes away.


One could trust that the mountain placed before them was foreknown by God, Who has allowed it for His purposes and will bring good from it to those who love Him and are called according to His purposes!


One could trust in the horses and chariots of men to deal with the mountain, but I WILL TRUST THE LORD!!!





"Some trust in chariots and some in horses,

but we trust in the name of the LORD our God."

Psalm 20:7

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Legend [LIVE] (10/29/2010-Day 271)


Consecrated is playing the bass guitar and Fire the drums. 
This was recorded at Redland Valley Brethren in Christ Coffee House,
The guitarist, Mr. Warren, is one of the youth leaders. 
We met the Warren Family through a home education co-operative.



Sunday, November 21, 2010

Fire's Soccer Banquet and Senior Night

Senior Night


Fire has had the privilege of playing two years of high school soccer.  Last Sunday marked the end of his career with the soccer banquet where he received a soccer pin.  I am so proud of his dedication to the game as evidenced by his always giving 110% in practices and games with a Christlike attitude of sportsmanship! 

This season may be complete, but many more and varied seasons await you, my dear Fire.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

My Fall Flowers and New Landscaping Scheme

 North Side

West Side

West Side

 West Side

 West Side

New Shrub

 South Side


 Ornamental Grass

We planted numerous bulbs in this section.
It will be gorgeous next spring!


Previously, our landscape scheme consisted of wooden timbers
placed in sharp 45-degree angles serving as boarders.

Now we have curved borders without the timbers. :)



Friday, August 20, 2010

Time Freeze





The Little Blue Metro That Could...The Continuing Saga


Once upon a time...


The Little Blue Metro continues to carry his brother, the man,


To art school they go just as fast as they can.


While the father of the family of four,


Maintains Little Blue and keeps him restored.


He checks the tires, the oil, and gas;


He takes the time to make him last.


BUT, poor father, with his head in a fuzz,


Forgot to put the oil cap back where it does.


Brother, the man, calls father in a hurry,


Father, "The Metro, he's smoking.  I'm worried."


In a flash, father by Metro's side


As father lovingly cleaned poor Metro's hide


Covered with oil and soot


Little Blue Metro's engine, not kaput!


The Little Blue Metro continues to carry, his brother, the man


To art school they go just as fast as they can.


Day after day and many days more,


Thankful for Metro's faithful service to the family of four.


Through crashes and smashes and oil smoke, galore!





I'm a little late with this post as this actually happened December of 2009.
And the Little Blue Metro lives on...

The Little Blue Metro That Could

The Little Blue Metro That Could, Again

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Strongman's Houses

 This is one of the houses in which Strongman worked.
 Here's another one.

The following pictures are the current house Strongman is working in. 
The island in the middle of the kitchen.


The countertops are made of granite.


The view from the kitchen looking into the family room.


I just loved these cupboards and stainless steel appliances!


This view is looking out from the living room onto the lovely deck. 
The underside of the deck roof needs to be finished.


Just look at this sink... 
almost too pretty to use!


This is the dining area. 
You can see out the windows to the deck and the lovely wooded area behind the house.


This is one of the bathrooms.
Do you see Strongman in the mirror?


Here's the view from the deck.



This is the "mud room."
Can you imagine muddy feet tracking through?


This is the view of the living room into the kitchen.


This is the master shower made for two.



This is the master bedroom.


Another view of  the master bathroom.


Here's Strongman with his gas furnace.


More kitchen pics.
Dreaming of the meals I could cook on this baby.


Can you imagine waking up to this view?

There's a full kitchen and bedroom downstairs as well.



These stairs led to the deck.
No landscaping has been completed.


These are the stairs leading to the basement.


My pictures are out of order, sorry.
This is the combination covection oven and microwave.
The microwave can also be used as a second convection oven.


Stongman's neat duck work.


Isn't this walkway unique?
Again, no landscaping has been completed.


This house has 4,000 square feet (equivalent to more than 3 of our houses),
has five bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms.
I want to know, "Whose going to clean it?"


I am so proud of the quality work Strongman does.
I am thankful he was able to start up his business again!

Monday, June 14, 2010

I'm So Excited, and I Just Can't Hide It!!!

Our microscope was delivered to day, and I'm just so excited!! 
Fire and I will be studying human anatomy and physiology this fall,
therefore purchasing a good microscope was essential. 
To my delight,
I was able to use my digital camera to capture these shots. 


Let's play a game! 
Who can identify the most microscopic images?

Contestants must be under 18 years of age.

You may leave your answers as a comment to this blog,
but I won't post them until the winner is announced.

Game ends June 30, 2010!

The winner will get a prize!!!!

Slide #1

Slide #2

Slide #3

Slide #4

Slide #5

Slide #6

Slide #7

Slide #8

Slide #9

Slide #10

Slide #11

I love playing with the microscope. 
I feel like a little girl at Christmas. 
God has woven into me such an appreciation for His creation. 
My Heavenly Dad is totally AWESOME!!!





Friday, June 4, 2010

My Flowers, Herbs and Facebook Thoughts


Is it faith or dysfunction that causes one to repeatedly place one's hand on a hot burner and expect not to be burned?

The reason I live is to worship You, my Jesus! Thank You so much for being with me the past four days at work. It's all about YOU!!! I LOVE YOU!!!!!! :)

Tonight the Lord revealed my four main spheres of influence. As I pondered them, I realized how much favor He has poured out on me for three of them. But now I need to pray about that fourth area. I will manifest the favor the Lord has been liberally giving me. This arena is NO MATCH FOR THE MOST HIGH GOD!!!! Favor in the fourth sphere, in the great and awesome name of my Jesus!!!! AMEN!!!

Extrapolation: to project, extend, or expand (known data or experience) into an area not known or experienced so as to arrive at a usually conjectural knowledge of the unknown area b : to predict by projecting past experience or known data

In simpler terms, extrapolation is taking a pattern of known data, and then predicting unknown data by continuing the trend of known data.




As Christians, we may know something about someone (data), but do not know the whole story about them. The temptation is to extrapolate the rest of the story (data). This a form of extrapolation, and it is a practice that hurts others. Godly discernment does not extrapolate!



Did you know that Charles Darwin took known data, identified a trend in that data, and extrapolated the rest of the data? The result is what we now know as the theory of evolution. Holy Spirit empower us not to extrapolate!!!! For Your glory, Jesus!!!!! AMEN!!!!!




My heart dances with You, Jesus!


When discerning wrong, prayer is always appropriate, but action to correct the wrong is not necessarily correct. The Lord must direct our words, our steps, our actions.
The Lord reminded me of that yesterday through a prophetic email by Chuck Peirce. We must have been given the authority by God to address an injustice ...or wrong, even if that injustice or wrong directly impacts
us.
 
"I heard a breathtaking definition of 'justice' this week: The restoration of every violation of love," from AJ Butel's "Any Battles We are Facing are in His Hands!"

Daddy, You are the God of Justice. (Isaiah 30:18) You know every heart and its motive, and make all circumstances turn for good, because we love you and... are called according to Your purpose. (Romans 8:28) We will worship You in the battle, fall down on our faces as did Jehoshaphat and watch You set ambushes for our enemies! (2 Chronicles 20:18-23)

We are most Christlike when we pray for those who speak falsely against us, who mistreat and abuse. Just like Jesus, we can say, "Father, forgive them for they don't know what they are doing." Luke 23:34 And it's true, the people who hurt us don't know what they are doing. The greatest expression of Christ's love is... to pray that their deception is broken.



Ezekiel 3:17-19, is a sobering responsibility. We must speak only out of a desire to save the one caught in sin. Protect us from loose tongues and judgemental attitudes. Holy Spirit fill our hearts with Your heart, so that our words, would always reflect Your desire to save. Give us the ability to see to the heart ...of a matter, to see a person as You see him. All for You, Jesus!!!! AMEN!!!


Accusation when guilty is difficult, but justified. Accusation when innocent is even more difficult, but guess what, Jesus was innocent and condemned as a sinner. If we want to be like Jesus, we will suffer false accusations. What makes us Christlike is how we handle these false accusations. Empower us Holy Spirit!!! Open eyes to Truth!!!


Men will believe what their hearts choose to believe. If the evil one can manipulate hearts, then deception's door is wide open. No man can cause another to see the truth, only Truth can reveal it!!!