On Singleness of Heart + Today

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Only when we pursue God with singleness of heart do we find the peace that comes from integrity. If we seek with less than the whole heart, the result will be less than total joy ... In the end, will we look back and see that many good things were lost because we lingered in indecision? While we delayed, with hearts divided and minds not made up, did we forfeit many of the blessings that could have come from disciplined action?

      May we aspire to the joys of the united heart. May we be devout in our devotion and wholehearted in our holiness. May God help us to make up our minds.

Gary Henry, Diligently Seeking God: excerpt from Jan 23

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 Today: 

~ Worship

~ Embroidery

~ Watching Woodlawn with the family

~ Getting ready for the week and for starting a new job (!!!!!!)

~ Blogging and perusing pictures from our Thanksgiving Day walk to post

~ Vanilla ice cream with Pioneer Woman's homemade caramel sauce. Just YUM. :O)

My land of counterpane ....

Have a fantastic week!

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A Day Out

Back in July I went antique shopping in an old church building that had been converted to a delightful antique shop, and found some equally delightful things! The building was very cool -- I guess it was the first church building built in the old town we were in, which I loved for the historic factor.

The garden in front was a lovely, old-fashioned, overgrown thing ... roses, daisies, lavender, hens-and-chicks, a garden gnome. I love over-grown gardens that manage to look picturesque rather than messy. I just wish I could figure out the whys-and-wherefores because MY garden is generally of the messy overgrown variety. ;o)

See what I mean? Very cool.

 Lots of books!

 Look at those rafters!

And the windows ... love.

Here are my treasures:

This lovely quilt rack, which I have definitely been needing. Required a little dusting and a bit of Old English, and now it's perfect!

And this:

A sewing firkin!!! SO cool -- and actually I did not spot it, my mom did. #creditwherecreditisdue
 I l.o.v.e this thing!!

Fun, huh? I love those kinds of days when the findings and the locations are perfect, dahling. :o)
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Snow!

We got a beautiful dusting this afternoon, after arriving back in town from morning worship!

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Happy New Year ...

My view from the "wrapping room" on Christmas Eve ... beautiful.

... from the Gather Ye Rosebuds Blog! :)

I am beginning this January with a thankful heart. I find the excitement with which I used to greet the new year has been tempered by the last few, and I think that's natural as we grow and experience some life and learn from it (hopefully) the lessons God wants us to. But at the same time, I have to be careful not to let it become too tempered. ;) To give God the glory and remain hopeful and joyful when His amazing and all-wise plans graciously continue to say "no" to my wishes, one year after another. To thank Him for His care when my heart hurts to the extent that I don't even know how to pray. I remember Jesus in the garden, how He cried out (with suffering that I will never comprehend and would never pretend to equate anything in my life with) -- and how His crying was for God's will to be done over His. And I really want to focus on that idea this year -- on subjection. On what John the Baptizer described as "my decrease for His increase." Man, that's hard. And does Satan ever throw absolutely everything he can into our paths to turn our attention back onto ourselves.

I look at the lives and the daily burdens carried patiently by so many brethren around me and I'm humbled. I'm so thankful for what I do have and for the fact that I'm starting this year off with good health, a good job, a warm home, a family, and God, and the assurance that God will never leave me though all those earthly things might. To HIM be glory! Brrrrrrrring it on, 2016, you next chapter in this exciting, yes, exciting adventure called life! :0)

 Wishing all of you the blessings that belong to those IN CHRIST this year. Have courage, dear friends! Christ has overcome, and all we need do is follow Him down to the last little jot and tittle. :) After all ... that is what we are here for in the first place! :o)

With Love,

Gather Ye Rosebuds 

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Monday Morning Thoughts in Isaiah|Bible Reading

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The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace,

Because he trusts in You.

Trust in the LORD forever,

For in God the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock.

Isaiah 26:3-4

I love the comfort of these verses from Isaiah, but one thing that stands out to me is the condition in the first line of the passage, "The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace." Isaiah is simply reminding us that ONLY the ones who are staying true to God will have the peace He promises. That blessing is reserved solely for those who are right with Him - the ones who have not only obeyed His plan for salvation, but are continuing to obey Him and walk in Him. Reminds me of Ephesians 1:3,

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ ..."

The only way we get the spiritual blessings is by being in Christ. And we can't be "in Christ" just by being a good person most of the time - that's not how God's plan of salvation works. And we can't be "in Christ" just by believing and getting baptized either - that's only part of the equation. The only way we will have the perfect peace Isaiah talks about, and the spiritual blessings mentioned by Paul, is by remaining steadfast. Getting in Christ and staying in Christ - "steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." (1 Cor. 15:58)

Those are some verses that encouraged me this morning. I hope they encourage you too! It's so easy to get into our everyday ruts of living, and either grow so complacent with or so discouraged by our surroundings that one day we wake up and realize we are no longer steadfast of mind, and maybe haven't been in a long time. And God does not promise us His peace if we're in that condition! He wants passionate, determined, zealous workers for truth and He won't take anything less than full commitment. That scares me. And it motivates me. Here's to being steadfast of mind!

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Birch Leaves and Little Women

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Jo was alone in the twilight, lying on the old sofa, looking at the fire, and thinking. It was her favorite way of spending the hour of dusk; no one disturbed her, and she used to lie there on Beth’s little red pillow, planning stories, dreaming dreams, or thinking tender thoughts of the sister who never seemed far away. Her face looked tired, grave, and rather sad; for tomorrow was her birthday, and she was thinking how fast the years went by, how old she was getting, and how little she seemed to have accomplished. Almost twenty-five, and nothing to show for it. Jo was mistaken in that; there was a good deal to show, and by and by she saw, and was grateful for it.

Little Women: ch. XLIII

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The 7 Mile Walk

My sis and I went on an adventure a couple Fridays ago, in the form of a good long walk! It was such a beautiful afternoon .... we started off on the trail around 1:30 and didn't arrive home until after 5pm .... a marvelous, if tiring journey. :o)

There's something lovely about embarking on a long walk with only your sister and autumn countryside! It was so nice that I completely spaced out and didn't start taking pictures until basically the homeward bound half of our trip. Ah, well. I still got enough pictures to make any long-suffering blog readers glad I exercised a little prudence and self-restraint and didn't post them all! ;) Here you go!

After being horrified by the number of Woolly Bears crushed by the wayside, my sister made it her mission to Save the Woollies and scooted many a one out of the paths of errant bicyclists and to safe harbors along the path. :)

Contemplating a streamlet by the way.

Lone little pine!

The end. :)