Monday, March 22, 2010

Praise to God,

immortal praise, For the love that crowns our days; Bounteous source of ev'ry joy, Let Thy praise our tongues employ.

Once again, I come to a "normal" Monday and pause to pursue gratitude and be a joy finder.

. . . . . . .
31 - Aged Women
32 - "firemen" (or firechildren)
33 - happy kiddos at 6a.m.
34 - helping hands
35 - grace
36 - forgiveness
37 - long-distance friends
38 - Godly folks to look up to
39 - picnics in spring
40 - quiet time with Him!
. . . . . . .

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.  Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.  Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.  Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.  - Psalm 51:10-13

holy experience

Thursday, March 18, 2010

a trick. . .

Tuesday, Joe had service school in New Holland, PA.  Ethan, Elisa, & I all spent a fun day with Sherry while he was at school.  I was suppose to be back to pick him up at 4p.m.  Well, as usual, I was running late, and then (of course) got stopped in traffic which made me even later.  I didn't arrive until 4:30 or so.  We had started home (a 2 hour drive) when Joe made the comment that we should just stop and get new tires on the van.  He said that we would arrive home too late to do the outside work he had planned, so we may as well get the tires done.
We did that.
We continued home with new tires, and what we thought was a quieter riding van. (although it was hard to tell for sure with all the commotion from the second seat)  :)
When we got home, we just relaxed in the living room reading books.  I thought that it was a winding down time before heading up to bed. . .
In a little, I heard Joe say, "Ethan, do you want to come outside with me?  I'm going to do a trick."
Of course Ethan took him right up on that.
I thought I would go find out what the trick was also.  What I saw didn't resemble "going to bed" in any way.


It reminded me more of the "tearing up of the sidewalk" that Joe had said it was going to be too late to do. :) 


Well, this continued for some time. (much to Ethan & Elisa's delight)

Until, finally, Ethan said, "Daddy I thought you were going to do a trick!"

Puzzled, Joe said, "This IS my trick!"


To this Ethan replied, "OH.  I thought you were going to do a flip or something!"

Then we had a GOOD LAUGH!

After the laughter, Joe finished demolishing the sidewalk.
I LOVE the way kids think!
&
I LOVE the way my husband keeps my life interesting!

After sitting in a classroom all day, who WOULDN'T need to do a little work before bed?


To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:  - Ecclesiastes 3:1

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; . . .  - Ecclesiastes 3:5

Monday, March 15, 2010

with thanksgiving,

praise, and in hearing His word; O worship with singing, the Master is here!

He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.  I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.  And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labor, it is the gift of God.   - Ecclesiastes 3:11-13

. . . . . . . .

21 - studying joy
22 - boy teachers
23 - girl students
24 - long distance phone conversations
25 - clean rooms
26 - suprise visits from friends
27 - a girlie that talks more every day
28 - chipotle
29 - a boy who loves his chickens
30 - visitors sharing the gospel with us

. . . . . . .


Care to join the Gratitude Community?





holy experience

Thursday, March 11, 2010

a picture is worth a thousand words. . .


. . .so here are a couple thousand words about January 2010
:)
welcome new friend, zoey kate
thanks grandma!  happy family day, elisa!
we have fond memories as we celebrate your 2nd year with us!
thanks for sharing our day, braden
the piƱata was lots of fun, even after it was "broken"
snow buddies
recycling crayons
happy 3rd birthday, elisa!

Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore.  Remember his marvelous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;      -Psalm 105:4-5

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

so, i have this friend. . .

. . .that is holding me accountable for memorizing scripture.  What a blessing to have friendships like this.  Yes.  I fall flat before her.  Yes.  She watches as I pick myself up and ask for more time.  I absolutely cherish my conversations with her.  What encouragement!  I thank God for friendships that help me grow closer to him.
Tonight at Bible Study, we discussed JOY.  In all the studying that I have done, I can only come to one conclusion.  That is this:  to have true JOY is only attainable by having an intimate relationship with my SAVIOR.  So whenever I seek happiness, I am seeking the wrong thing.  Happiness totally depends on circumstances around me.  If I want to have JOY, I only have to seek HIM!
Right now I am praising God for giving me relationships that help me seek HIM more.  I can't be thankful enough for ALL my friends that encourage me in my WALK WITH THE LORD, but especially right now I want to say thank you to my friend for memorizing with me, because. . .

For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.  - Romans 8:6

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

i could never count them all. . .

. . .so good is God to me!
Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God:  -Psalm 147:7

. . . . . . .
9 - evenings of sweet fellowship and singing praises to our creator
10 - cheerful helpers
11 - freedom to travel
12 - friends who encourage
13 - spring
14 - good health
15 - sidewalk chalk

16 - first blooms of the season
17 - humor
18 - clean clothes drying in the sun

19 - hens that like to sit on eggs
20 - healthy food
. . . . . . .


Care to join the Gratitude Community?




holy experience

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

woe yut?

This morning I was in the laundry room and I could hear Ethan & Elisa playing.  When I went in the living room to check up on them, Elisa came running up to me.  With much concern she pointed to her baby.


She said, "Bee-bee tich, woe yut!"
Being pretty clueless, I looked at Ethan for help in translation.  He informed me that the baby is sick and throwing up.  (I could HARDLY keep from laughing)
I (with concern of course) said, "That is too bad!  You will have to take really good care of her until she is better."
This is when Ethan informed me that the baby had been outside playing in "goose mud" and apparently she had eaten some.  When she came back in she started throwing up.
Okay, I am really close to loosing it by this time, but to top it all off, when the baby was done throwing up, Elisa picked her up, and Ethan promptly "shut the toilet lid"!  (Put the blue frisby down on the yellow one)
This is when I had to go in the other room.  Really!  How can I get any work done when I have such wonderful entertainment?  (yes, Ethan & Elisa just had a round of the stomach bug)

I loved EVERY bit of this, but once again I am sobered when I remember that
CHILDREN LEARN WHAT THEY LIVE!

And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.  And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:  And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.  -Deuteronomy 6:5-7