One of the shows we watch is NCIS. In the last episode we saw, (we DVR them so I am sure we are behind), Ziva David's Dad was killed. The ending showed a very poingant scene of her planting an Olive tree on his grave in Israel. This song was played and I immediately fell in love with it. It is called, "You are not alone," by Patty Griffin.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Just Plain fun...
"It's not good saying 'hold it' to a moment in real life." -Lord Snowdon
For Christmas, we bought my granddaughter a point and shoot camera. What can be more fun than capturing moments in time?! That is just what we did one afternoon. She took her camera, and I took mine, and we had the most delightful time. We got some nice pictures to boot.
We went during the golden hour. I showed her these beautiful cattails, and explained how the seeds are just like cotton. She was lost in the sheer wonder of them.
For Christmas, we bought my granddaughter a point and shoot camera. What can be more fun than capturing moments in time?! That is just what we did one afternoon. She took her camera, and I took mine, and we had the most delightful time. We got some nice pictures to boot.
"Happy girls are the prettiest." Audrey Hepburn
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
The Table...
"There also you and your households shall eat before the Lord your God, and rejoice in all your undertakings in which the Lord your God has blessed you." Deuteronomy 12:7
Deuteronomy is my favorite book of the Bible. Maybe it is because it is in this book that God so clearly lays out His rules for life, and if I know what is expected of me, I can do it (or not do it and suffer the consequences). Do we not do the same for our children...lay out the ground rules of our expectations, and when they live within those parameters, things go well; and when they do not, they suffer the consequences? Right now I am in a women's Bible Study group where we are studying Beth Moore's book: The Law of Love, lessons from the pages of Deuteronomy. Unlike a lot of her studies, this is a only listening guide. No homework, just come and listen to the video, fill out the listening guide, and read the brief commentary by her daughter, Melissa.
This past week, I loved her lesson about the laws and statutes, but one particular aspect though: the table. God goes into great detail of what we can eat, which is anything except the blood. The point that I had not seen before was the sacredness of the table. Over and over again the phrase, "you shall eat before the Lord, your God", is repeated as if to pound it into our heads. Beth suggested that our meals, when taken properly, are like an altar to the Lord. The whole Bible points to the final table when we sit down at the "marriage supper of the Lamb" (Revelation 19). I knew this, but did not think about the whole Bible pointing to it. The Peace offering was a meal where God draws us into fellowship with Him, Jesus' teachings often had a meal attached to them (feeding the 5000, eating with sinners), and after miracles there were meals (when he heals Peter's mother-in-law, she fixes a meal), and of course, the Last Supper. Is it any wonder, that the meal time is under attack? Not many families still sit down at a table to eat together. We are too busy, or we invite the TV, radio, or reading materials to our dinner table too! Is it one more tool of Satan in his destruction of family? I think it probably is.
Beth mentioned a wonderful book, Table Life: Savoring the Hospitality of Jesus in your home," by JoAnn Thompson, where she talks about the importance of the Table. I love her title where she includes the word "hospitality", which contains the word "hospital". Our table is a time of healing, renewal, sharing, and even fun. We always pray over our meals, but in the book, JoAnn shares how one family prays after the meal.
(African Christian's after meal prayer):
"We thank you, Lord, that was such a good meal. The soup was good, the meat was good, the hot pepper and yams were good. Oh Lord, our stomachs are full and our bodies have what they need. This is a new miracle everyday, and we thank you for it. And we also thank you for the good taste that lingers on our tongues. How refreshing Your water was. With this meal, you gave us the strength required for the day. Add to it Your Spirit so that we might use your strength rightly. Give us, besides our food for our bodies, Your heavenly food for our whole life. Praise be to You, merciful God. Amen."
My word for 2013: "Alter Me", will include making my table more of a time for eating before the Lord, just as if He were at my table. Come, Lord Jesus, Come.
Deuteronomy is my favorite book of the Bible. Maybe it is because it is in this book that God so clearly lays out His rules for life, and if I know what is expected of me, I can do it (or not do it and suffer the consequences). Do we not do the same for our children...lay out the ground rules of our expectations, and when they live within those parameters, things go well; and when they do not, they suffer the consequences? Right now I am in a women's Bible Study group where we are studying Beth Moore's book: The Law of Love, lessons from the pages of Deuteronomy. Unlike a lot of her studies, this is a only listening guide. No homework, just come and listen to the video, fill out the listening guide, and read the brief commentary by her daughter, Melissa.
This past week, I loved her lesson about the laws and statutes, but one particular aspect though: the table. God goes into great detail of what we can eat, which is anything except the blood. The point that I had not seen before was the sacredness of the table. Over and over again the phrase, "you shall eat before the Lord, your God", is repeated as if to pound it into our heads. Beth suggested that our meals, when taken properly, are like an altar to the Lord. The whole Bible points to the final table when we sit down at the "marriage supper of the Lamb" (Revelation 19). I knew this, but did not think about the whole Bible pointing to it. The Peace offering was a meal where God draws us into fellowship with Him, Jesus' teachings often had a meal attached to them (feeding the 5000, eating with sinners), and after miracles there were meals (when he heals Peter's mother-in-law, she fixes a meal), and of course, the Last Supper. Is it any wonder, that the meal time is under attack? Not many families still sit down at a table to eat together. We are too busy, or we invite the TV, radio, or reading materials to our dinner table too! Is it one more tool of Satan in his destruction of family? I think it probably is.
Beth mentioned a wonderful book, Table Life: Savoring the Hospitality of Jesus in your home," by JoAnn Thompson, where she talks about the importance of the Table. I love her title where she includes the word "hospitality", which contains the word "hospital". Our table is a time of healing, renewal, sharing, and even fun. We always pray over our meals, but in the book, JoAnn shares how one family prays after the meal.
(African Christian's after meal prayer):
"We thank you, Lord, that was such a good meal. The soup was good, the meat was good, the hot pepper and yams were good. Oh Lord, our stomachs are full and our bodies have what they need. This is a new miracle everyday, and we thank you for it. And we also thank you for the good taste that lingers on our tongues. How refreshing Your water was. With this meal, you gave us the strength required for the day. Add to it Your Spirit so that we might use your strength rightly. Give us, besides our food for our bodies, Your heavenly food for our whole life. Praise be to You, merciful God. Amen."
My word for 2013: "Alter Me", will include making my table more of a time for eating before the Lord, just as if He were at my table. Come, Lord Jesus, Come.
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Hallelujah...
"Resolution one: I will live for God."
Resolution two: If no one else does, I still will."
-Jonathan Edwards
The New Year is officially here, and while I do not make resolutions as such, I do try to find one word that will be my theme throughout the new year. Last year my word was "purge." I purged closets, drawers, storage sheds, and much more, but probably not enough. Maybe my word should have been "ruthless" purge. Maybe more would have made its way out the door. We still have a home where I wonder how in the world the kids used to live here. Warren and I have taken over every room and closet with our things. How we ever had room for our children is beyond me.
This year, my word is not one, but two words: "Alter Me." I decided on it after working on an art journal project. "Altered books" are very popular in the Art Journaling world right now. What is an altered book? It is using an old book and altering it into another book, usually a journal. Scraps of Time, http://scrapsoftime.typepad.com, does some fantastic altered books. I would like to have one of her journals, but I can never seem to get online before it is sold. (the ones I like). With an altered book, it can remain the same on the outside, but have the inside completely transformed, it can have both inside and outside transformed, or portions of each. Using the concept of altered books, I want to be altered in 2013--to conform and be transformed more into the likeness of Jesus Christ, our Lord. I so want Christ to move in, and through me in all areas of my life: emotionally, spiritually, and physically.
I was listening to the radio station, KLOVE, http://www.klove.com, yesterday when they played a Christmas song, yes still in January...it is the longest running Christmas song after Christmas, with altered lyrics from the secular song sung by Leonard Cohen, which I love. Mr. Cohen's song, Hallelujah, has been a favorite of mine for a long time...but the Jeff Buckley version, that is until I heard this version. It is Christ's story...the Christmas story and more. The Christmas season and story should not be just for Christmas, it should be celebrated and remembered all year. We think of the New Year as a new beginning, but in reality, our New Beginning begins when we become Christ's. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old is gone, the new is here!" (2 Cor. 5:17). This year, 2013, I want to be altered like the books, like this song, and be transformed by Christ in ways I cannot imagine, for His glory and use.
Enjoy!
The Hallelujah Christmas, by Cloverton.
Resolution two: If no one else does, I still will."
-Jonathan Edwards
The New Year is officially here, and while I do not make resolutions as such, I do try to find one word that will be my theme throughout the new year. Last year my word was "purge." I purged closets, drawers, storage sheds, and much more, but probably not enough. Maybe my word should have been "ruthless" purge. Maybe more would have made its way out the door. We still have a home where I wonder how in the world the kids used to live here. Warren and I have taken over every room and closet with our things. How we ever had room for our children is beyond me.
This year, my word is not one, but two words: "Alter Me." I decided on it after working on an art journal project. "Altered books" are very popular in the Art Journaling world right now. What is an altered book? It is using an old book and altering it into another book, usually a journal. Scraps of Time, http://scrapsoftime.typepad.com, does some fantastic altered books. I would like to have one of her journals, but I can never seem to get online before it is sold. (the ones I like). With an altered book, it can remain the same on the outside, but have the inside completely transformed, it can have both inside and outside transformed, or portions of each. Using the concept of altered books, I want to be altered in 2013--to conform and be transformed more into the likeness of Jesus Christ, our Lord. I so want Christ to move in, and through me in all areas of my life: emotionally, spiritually, and physically.
I was listening to the radio station, KLOVE, http://www.klove.com, yesterday when they played a Christmas song, yes still in January...it is the longest running Christmas song after Christmas, with altered lyrics from the secular song sung by Leonard Cohen, which I love. Mr. Cohen's song, Hallelujah, has been a favorite of mine for a long time...but the Jeff Buckley version, that is until I heard this version. It is Christ's story...the Christmas story and more. The Christmas season and story should not be just for Christmas, it should be celebrated and remembered all year. We think of the New Year as a new beginning, but in reality, our New Beginning begins when we become Christ's. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old is gone, the new is here!" (2 Cor. 5:17). This year, 2013, I want to be altered like the books, like this song, and be transformed by Christ in ways I cannot imagine, for His glory and use.
Enjoy!
The Hallelujah Christmas, by Cloverton.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
I Heart Faces...
Here's the link to see my photo: http://www.iheartfaces.com/2013/01/photo-challenge-best-of-2012/. My photo is #439, unless someone takes theirs off.
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Baby it's cold outside....Brrrrr
"I wish you shelter from the storm,
A cozy fire to keep you warm.
But most of all when snowflakes fall,
I wish you love.
But most of all when snowflakes fall,
I wish you love.
-Natalie Cole, "I Wish You Love"
Thursday evening, January 3, we began to get snow, and boy, was it cold! Friday morning we had enough to make a nice, white blanket over the landscape. My favorite part of it was to see how the plants had spiky snowflakes around the stems and leaves. What gorgeous highlights it made on the plants!
A cozy fire to keep you warm.
But most of all when snowflakes fall,
I wish you love.
But most of all when snowflakes fall,
I wish you love.
-Natalie Cole, "I Wish You Love"
Thursday evening, January 3, we began to get snow, and boy, was it cold! Friday morning we had enough to make a nice, white blanket over the landscape. My favorite part of it was to see how the plants had spiky snowflakes around the stems and leaves. What gorgeous highlights it made on the plants!
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| This used to have a beautiful rose on it. Remnants of summer. |
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| God is certainly has a good eye for color! |
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| If you look closely, yo can see the snowflakes falling off the tree...the little white dots to the right of the tree. |
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| Rosy Red |
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| This is Roswell's wonderful skyline...three buildings! |
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| The Pecan orchard |
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| Along the walking trail. |
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Happy New Year...
"The object of a New Year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul." -G.K. Chesterton
Happy New Year to everyone.
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| Cuteness times 2... |
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| Such love already... |
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| Getting ready for a walk...Brrr. It is cold outside. |
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| Maggie was in her food box chowing down when I caught her red pawed. |
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