Friday, November 30, 2018

My November Reflections


On the first Wednesday of this month, we had our Friends Luncheon. We went to a different restaurant, one that has a party room.

This young girl was visiting her mother from out of state.
 And Mom brought her along. 

Some treasured friends, the one on the left and her late husband
 were youth directors at that former church/

 The blonde woman joined us for the first time.

These two sisters and their mother are especially dear to me.


 On November 9, we celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary. Hubby surprised me in September with a new anniversary ring.
The day before our anniversary he brought home this bouquet:
I had them for about nine days. I always try to get the most
out of flowers when I get them.




Our church has a type of ministry where people in the congregation donate some money and have fresh flowers on the altar table. Some do this in honor of a loved one. Others do it in memory of a departed loved one. This was what was on the altar table when it was our anniversary week.  


                     

In trying to find things to share here about being thankful. I found myself with renewed energy for writing. I haven’t seemed to have much interest in it lately. The posts on Jairus, Bartimaeus, Malchus, and Martha were the result of research I did last year for a drama we did at church.

I received a newsletter from a website/writing group to which I belong. At the end of it were a picture and a blurb about a writing contest. I couldn’t get the picture out of my mind. I had to write up to 500 words about it. I came up with 427. I edited it and submitted it the next day. I am awaiting results from that group.

On Saturday before Thanksgiving, I received an email from one of my blog followers, asking my permission to link to that day’s post. She was writing one on the same person and wanted to link to mine. I felt encouraged by this email. Thank you, Sandi.

On the Tuesday of Thanksgiving week. I served food at our church’s Community Thanksgiving Dinner. I stationed myself at the end of the serving line where I gave out dinner rolls and wrapped pads of butter. With each roll I served, I told the person to be blessed. A photographer from the city newspaper. At one point, he stood nearby as he took pictures. A bit later, he approached me, told me he had taken a picture of me and asked me my name. I spelled it to my left. When he walked away, I felt bad for the other two women. I told them what I had thought. They didn’t hold it against me.



On the Saturday after Thanksgiving, our son came home for the weekend. We didn’t do anything on Saturday but eat and watch television. Sunday morning, he attended church with me. Hubby and I sent food (Left-overs) back with him. He made it safely up and back.


I have begun to do crewel embroidery as a way of relaxing when I am not writing or engrossed in a television show. It goes slowly because I started out misreading the instructions. But that will make it mine and not anyone else’s. it is a wall hanging that shows seven antique cars. I was telling a couple of women at the nursing home about it and the patient there told me to check out Wal-mart here or in the next town to see their selection.

May God give each of you peace and blessings as you prepare to celebrate His Son's birth.


Thursday, November 29, 2018

The LORD Is...Part 2)

The Good Shepherd - Jesus with Lamb
by Gaye Lynne LaGuire

Provider

Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together. So Abraham called the name of that place, “The LORD will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided.”
Genesis 22:8, 14 (ESV)
We all have heard the story of Abraham and Isaac and Abraham’s discussion as they journeyed to the mount of God to offer a sacrifice. Isaac noticed they had all the supplies they needed except the animal for the offering. Abraham responded that the LORD would provide.
In each of our lives, the LORD has provided for us. Employment, shelter, food, and friendships. He even provides guidance when we are uncertain of how we should respond to circumstances in our lives.


Hope
 For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence
For my hope is from him.
 He only is my rock and my salvation,
 my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
Psalm 65:5-6 (ESV)

David writes this thought twice in this Psalm. When a writer in the Old Testament does this, He chooses to place emphasis on the thought.

What does David say? He reminds himself to wait in silence for God because David trusts him implicitly. David does not waiver from his devotion to God. He praises God for being His protector and his strength.


As we face stressful times, we can call upon the Lord to give us the strength to carry on and know that He will be faithful and true and lead us through the murkiness we face. 

Wednesday, November 28, 2018

The Lord Is... (Part 1)

by Gaye Lynne LaGiure
As I wrote this, I received several attributes of God that have helped me through life. I have made it into two separate entries. It is my prayer that you benefit from reading this post and the following one.

Everlasting
And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom, there will be no end.” Luke 1:31-33 (ESV)
God sent the angel Gabriel to give Mary the news of the impending birth of her baby, the Holy One.

Gabriel tells us that 1.) Her baby would be great. 2.) He would be called the Son of the Most High. 3.) He would reign over the house of Jacob forever. 4.) His kingdom would never end.
In our world, all things come to an end.  Cars wear out, clothes also wear out, Flora and fauna don’t last forever. Friendships can end. Houses sometimes have to be demolished.
The things that last are God and His Word.

Savior

My soul magnifies the LORD,
and my soul rejoices in God my Savior.
For he has looked on the humble estate/of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
Luke 1:46-48 (ESV)

Mary rejoices that God chose her for the task of bearing His son. She calls God her Savior.  He kept her from being stoned. The Hebrew Law had strict words concerning adultery and those caught in the act. Joseph, her fiancĂ© could have divorced her but the angel of God told him to stay with Mary. 

God through Jesus Christ saves us from our sins. He takes our hard stone-like and replaces it with a tender heart “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”
Ezekiel 36:26 (ESV)

God also saves us from personal danger as we go through life. I once heard the story of a man who overslept and went in late to his factory job a bit late one day. When he arrived on the assembly line, he learned that a baking furnace that sat next to where he worked had exploded before he arrived. God watched over him and saved him from severe injury.

God Alone

  Jesus and the children at our church's prayer walk.          I will both lie down in peace and sleep;  For You alone, O LORD make ...