an old favorite.

  Come, thou Fount of every blessing, 

tune my heart to sing thy grace;

streams of mercy, never ceasing,

call for songs of loudest praise.

Teach me some melodious sonnet,

sung by flaming tongues above.
    Praise the mount I'm fixed upon it,
    mount of thy redeeming love.

    Here I raise mine Ebenezer;
    hither by thy help I'm come;
    and I hope, by thy good pleasure,
    safely to arrive at home.
    Jesus sought me when a stranger,
    wandering from the fold of God;
    he, to rescue me from danger,
    interposed his precious blood.

   O to grace how great a debtor
    daily I'm constrained to be!
    Let thy goodness, like a fetter,
    bind my wandering heart to thee.
    Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
    prone to leave the God I love;
    here's my heart, O take and seal it,
    seal it for thy courts above.

Have a great week!  xo

something I never want to forget.

I have been pondering a great deal of things lately.  My thoughts over take me and bring me to places of curiosity and wondering.  Maybe it is because I am in my mid 40's and it is just the "appointed time".  Time to take into account those things and events that have filled the last many years of my life.

Some of those events have caused me to stand still and not move forward.  I desire growth and strength that comes from taking those steps.  God's faithfulness in so many personal and sacred places of my heart spur me on.  He reminds me of His word and those promises that I claim and put forth into action.  And the precious results that follow.  That He hears my every prayer, that He shows Himself to me in my daily life.

Other places of pondering are ones that fill my heart with the most amazing joys and greatest happiness that nothing could ever compare.  Simple pleasures of everyday life as a stay at home wife and mom.  Those are the ones that every morning I lace around my heart like a beautiful garland.  Overflowing with gratitude.

Last Thursday I attended a bible study that my husband's aunt invited me to.  I had already completed this particular study, through the Psalms of Ascent, but was so happy to once again study those same scriptures.  I had placed the completed workbook (of which I had not opened since) on my shelf a few years ago.  

Little did I know of the divine appointment the Lord had set before me last Thursday.  During the video, I opened my workbook and began taking notes, reading those I had written prior. 

The notes I had first taken were vulnerable and deeply pained.  I felt compelled to run from them.  The study was during a "dark" period.  A time of pleading with the Lord for peace, rest and understanding.  It would seem that nothing I could do or say, no love I could pour out, nor kindness shared, would change the circumstances around me.  I clung even tighter to the side of my Heavenly Father, and cried out to Him.  While penning every detail of the happenings taking place.  At first I became a bit embarrassed of these notes, and even contemplated getting rid of the workbook.  I figured I could just purchase a new one to write in. 

And then the dearest revelation came to me.   It struck me, I am no longer there.  Those struggles and pains are no longer prevalent in my life.  But rather growth and strength from applying His word to my needs.  My prayers indeed were heard, but the pains and discomforts were designed for that time.  Those moments of darkness were ordered by a loving Father in heaven Who knew what would result.  Who had previously prepared my heart through His word and testimony of His presence in my life.

I realized something else about those notes.  For quite some time I allowed the trials to define me.  I thought less of myself for going through them in the first place.  They made me feel "sheepish", low. 

Now however I feel liberated.  I have discovered even more hidden testimonies that the Lord tucked away, just for me.  Just for us.  Ones that I was unable to see because my focus was on what seemed like failure but was indeed triumphant! 

Thank you Lord.  Thank you for loving me, for strengthening me, for blessing me, every single day!   Thank you Lord for the trials of life that draw me closer to You.  That shape me into Your Son's image.  xo

sunday.

available here

sunday.

xoxo

sunday.

sunday.

sunday.

journaling my thoughts. the puzzle with a missing piece.

 

It is hot outdoors, humid from the rain that has fallen several days in a row.  I find come mid July each year, I long for cooler days.  For windows to be open, for clothes to hang outdoors, for painting.  To walk in the quietness of the morning and not swell and sweat due to the humidity and heat.  To early morning coffee dates on the porch with my husband.  
It has been quite a transition, between leaving the climate of Northern California, my dear sweet California, where I was raised, and coming to the south.  First the east coast of Florida and now, rural southern Mississippi.  I am now as adjusted as I have ever been and have found many charms in being here, to embrace.
With the weather keeping us indoors,  Woody and I spent our weekend working on puzzles.  Talking, joking, laughing, being together.  It was the perfect opportunity to communicate where we have come from, where we currently are, lessons learned, our goals, and what we plan to reach for next.  

You see, not only have we transitioned through climate changes, we have also transitioned through life changes.  Some of those life changes have recently caused me to feel greatly overwhelmed.  

Without a firm grasp on matters, I have felt unguarded, outside of my safe boundaries, unable to comprehend it all, fully.  Wrestling with these emotions unfortunately caused insecurities to invade my heart.  Robbing my spirit while feeding my unstable flesh.  Taking my focus off of the hope and strength that I have in Christ alone.  In essence I was doing just what Paul chastened us not to do ... quenching the Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19).

Upon recognizing where I needed to adjust, I shifted my posture to point straight to the Lord, to seek His face, ask for forgiveness by not turning back sooner.  Then (graciously) I began walking in the abundant peace that comes strictly through Him.  (Phillipians 4:8)

  

So what does the puzzle with a missing piece have to do with all of this?  It was after putting the American flag puzzle together, that Woody and I both realized there was a piece missing.  Woody encouraged me to take a picture, after stating, how a blog post will be born from this!  How our lives often feel like a puzzle that is missing a piece.  

That missing piece being the unknown events that we are instructed to walk in by faith and not by sight.

Today, I am embracing that "missing puzzle piece", while celebrating the knowledge of our sweet Heavenly Father who not only knows where that missing piece is, but in fact, with great compassion and care, created the "puzzle" in the first place.

sunday.

sunday.

have a lovely day

xoxo

sunday.

sunday.

 If you do good, people may 

accuse you of selfish motives.

Do good anyway.

 If you are successful, you may win 

false friends and true enemies.

Succeed anyway.

 The good you do today may 

be forgotten tomorrow.

Do good anyway.

 Honesty and transparency 

make you vulnerable.

Be honest and transparent anyway.

 What you spend years building 

may be destroyed overnight.

Build anyway.

 People who really want help 

may attack you if you help them.

Help them anyway.

 Give the world the best you 

have and you may get hurt.

Give the world your best anyway.

Mother Teresa

sunday scripture

  "Wait on the Lord;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord!"

Psalm 27:14

sunday scripture.

                              Source: victorias-vintage.blogspot.com via Debbie on Pinterest

You will keep him in perfect peace, 

whose mind is stayed on you: 

because he trusts in you.  

Isaiah 26:3

sunday.

May your Sunday be blessed.

Each one of you are in my prayers 

of petition and personal thanksgiving.

Your friendships are so dear to me.

adorable cross stitch pattern by : 

the sweet

Helen Phillips

"I've never done this before ..."

I have spent the better part of 2012 making the statement, "I've never done this before ..."  Funny thing, every time I turn around, I find myself saying it again and again.  

I am one of those who "plays it safe".  I stick to what I know, keep it simple, "color in the lines".  

However, 2012 has presented a number of situations that have pushed me out of the nest, as it were.  And as scary as a few of those have been, boy have I learned a lot!

Each year the Lord gives me a word.  It is a personal and intimate word, just between He and I.  This year the word came in the form of a statement, "be confident, be in control."  My first thought was, "OK?!  What does that mean?"  Well it didn't take long before the events began coming my way.  Between a more serious (and terrifying) event of caring for my husband while he went through three major back surgeries for spinal cord injury, in a matter of three months, to a lighter and more fun event of creating my very first pdf quilt pattern to be sold (quilt is enroute to the quilter now).  Stretch grow learn ....  stretch grow learn ... repeat.

What about you.  Taking inventory on 2012, what have you learned?  What events have occurred that have stretched you?  How have you grown from them?

"take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you shall find rest for your souls" Mt. 11:29

Sunday.

Happy Sunday to you.

The rain never fell yesterday.

But boy was I able to get a lot accomplished.

I hope you are having a nice weekend.

xoxo

scripture reading.

Our family has been in Ephesians for our scripture reading, and as Woody put it the other day, "The book of Ephesians is a lot like a slice of rich chocolate cake, you take a bite with a glass of milk and savor it."  I could not have said that better!

What are you reading today?  Do you have a book in the Bible that you hold extra dear to your heart?  When asked what my favorite scripture is, I can never answer.  I have so many favorites and since every typed letter is inspired by God, I can't choose just one.  Knowing that He has blessed us with His written word only increases my desire to read it all!

hush the rocks.

Source: teresajaye.blogspot.com via tricia on Pinterest

one and two.

When Woody was first admitted to the hospital, I grabbed my cotton yarn and began crocheting a granny stripe blanket.  I did not want to leave his side, and so hooked along while he slept.  

He fondly calls this our "lemonade blanket" because we are making lemonade out of lemons.

 

Little did we know that in four weeks, Woody would find himself back in the hospital for another extensive surgery.  Scary days lie in our wake.

The first surgery was frightening, to say the least.  But our hearts overflowed with a peace that we can attest came directly from our Heavenly Father.  

The next surgery however, terrified me.  Still, no doubt of His love and care for Woody, it just somehow seemed so much darker this time around.

Truly, God's faithfulness has abounded and we are looking at some very hopeful outcomes.

This time around, a new granny stripe blanket is coming to be.  This one is our "lemonade blanket two point oh".  I am only using three colors.  As much as I wanted to use natural fibers, I had to make due with what was local, and this is actually very soft yarn, though it is acrylic.  It is smooth and warm to lay across my lap and hook away.

  I sure hope your week is off

to a wonderful start.

xoxo