JOY

 

Springtime Beauties

To everything there is a season,

A time for every purpose 

under heaven:

Ecclesiastes 3:1

The Lord spoke to my heart a while back

concerning the bare trees and my time of

waiting. I had quietly noted within myself 

how drab and unlovely the trees were looking

during the winter months and was contemplating 

it all and feeling quite sorry for them and myself

when all of a sudden the LORD reminded me how this

is the season that He has chosen for them and how

 during this time they wait patiently for the coming

and promised spring. 

This made me think... and in all truth I have never, in

all my life, heard a tree complaining about its lack of 

leaves, or its apparent bareness of fruit at the moment,

or  even seen a tree trying to uproot itself and run to 'better'

lands or 'nicer' climates. No. But I have seen the trees stand

faithful in the place where God has put them, and continue to

grow and stay rooted until the season when He grants them

their covering and fruit. They do not fret in the gray and hard

seasons, nor do they give up and just uproot. They stand tall

and faithful, and quietly wait for His timing, for His beauty

and for His great grace.

There is great beauty in not only blooming where we are

planted, but also in being content and waiting faithfully

and standing tall in Him when our blooms have yet to appear.

Now I look at the bare trees all 

around and think to myself

how really beautiful they are!

Though the fig tree may not blossom,

nor fruit be on the vines;

though the labor of the olive may fail,

and the fields yield no food;

though the flock may be cut off from the fold,

and there be no herd in the stalls-

yet I will rejoice in the LORD,

I will joy in the God of my salvation.

The LORD is my strength;

He will make my feet like deer's feet,

and He will make me walk on my high hills.

Habakkuk 3:17-19

Off to fetch some eggs.

Last Monday we went to my grandparents' house

to visit them and our Aunt Pam, cousin Debbie,

cousin Niki and her two little guys, Travis and

CJ, who were all visiting from southern PA.

Travis, Jeremiah, Bethany and I all went out that evening to gather

the eggs for Grandpa, what fun memories!

The Great Importance of Really Listening.

I recently had a song on my Play-list that had

such a beautiful tune, and very much unlike

myself, I didn't fully listen to the lyrics until

my mother over heard it playing and asked me

why in the world did I have that song playing?

Thank the Lord for my mother, since after I

actually read the lyrics I was astounded that

I could have let such a thing pass me by! Oh

dear, my deepest apologies to those who may have,

like my mother, wondered 'why in the world' 

I had that on my blog; my only answer is that

I wish it never was!

The Need of the Hour

What does our country need? Not armies standing

With sabers gleaming ready for the fight;

Not increased navies, skillful and commanding,

To bound the waters with an iron might;

Not haughty men with glutted purses trying

To purchase souls, and keep the power of place;

Not jeweled dolls with one another vying

For palms of beauty, elegance, and grace.

But we want women, strong of soul, yet lowly

With that rare meekness, born of gentleness;

Women whose lives are pure and clean and holy,

The women whom all little children bless;

Brave, earnest women, helpful to each other,

With finest scorn fro all things low and mean;

Women who hold the names of wife and mother

Far nobler than the title of a queen.

Oh! These are they who mould the men of story,

These mothers, ofttime shorn of grace and youth,

Who, worn and weary, ask no greater glory

Than making some young soul the home of truth;

Who sow in hearts all fallow for sowing

The seeds of virtue and of scorn for sin,

And, patient, watch the beauteous harvest growing

And weed out tares which crafty hands cast in.

Women who do not hold the gift of beauty

As some rare treasure to be bought and sold,

But guard it as a precious aid to duty-

The outer framing of the inner gold;

Women who, low above their cradles bending,

Let flattery's voice go by, and give no heed,

While their pure prayers like incense are ascending

These are our country's pride, our country's need.

Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Strawberry Shortcake 

This evening after dinner, we

had a delicious and springlike 

dessert of strawberry shortcake.

I have always bemoaned the fact that strawberry 

shortcake season is much too short, and have

longed for the days to arrive when it is eaten 

morning, noon and night.

Thankfully though, I was made aware to the idea

that one could indeed have strawberry shortcake

in March!

The strawberries were on sale this week, and the spring

weather was tantalizing, so we broke tradition and made

strawberry shortcake in March,

with plenty of whipped cream!

What you do in your house is worth as much as if you

 did it up in heaven for our LORD God. We should

accustom ourselves to think of our position and work 

as sacred and well-pleasing to God, not on account of 

the position and work, but on account of

the word and faith from which the obedience and

work flow.   ~Martin Luther

A Trip to the Sea

The Lord's beauty is unexplainable, unmatchable,

too wonderful, and in all truth,

perfect.

He is Good!