Rose in Winter

Lo, how a Rose e'er blooming

From tender stem hath sprung!

Of Jesse's lineage coming

As men of old have sung.

It came, a Flow'ret bright,

Amid the cold of winter

When half-spent was the night.

~German carol from the 16th century~

I love the word picture of this Christmas carol.  Jesus was like a rose blooming in the middle of winter, come from the old family root of Jesse, who lived 1,000 years before.  The picture I took of the rose above was taken yesterday, not quite mid-winter, and it was a little freeze-dried. (:  I really like old Christmas songs like this one, just think, people have been singing these words for 500 years!  God's truth is unchanging.

Come, Ye Thankful People, Come

My favorite Thanksgiving hymn is Come, Ye Thankful People, Come, so I decided to do a little research on it since Thanksgiving is next week.  It was written by Henry Alford, a pastor in England, in the 1840s.  Henry Alford served as pastor for 18 years in the farming village of Wymeswold, England, at the St. Mary's church, pictured below. (Picture is from Wikipedia).  He wrote the song for the English Harvest Festival.  He also published many other psalms and hymns.  I liked what Henry put on his tombstone, "An Inn of a Pilgrim Traveling to Jerusalem". 

Come, ye thankful people, come;

Raise the song of harvest home.

All is safely gathered in,

Ere the winter storms begin.

God, our Maker, doth provide

For our wants to be supplied;

Come to God's own temple, come;

Raise the song of harvest home.

Unchanging Comfort

I was so encouraged this morning in my devotions as I read Isaiah 38.  King Hezekiah had been ruler over Judah for 14 years and he was the same age as I am now, 39, when he got deathly sick.  It was so bad that the prophet Isaiah came and told him that he better get his house in order because he was going to die.  Have you ever felt like you were dying?  Sometimes in the last few years as I have dealt with seizures and other health issues I have wondered if I was (although I don't think I was actually close to dying, I just knew something wasn't right).  It's not a fun feeling.  In fact, it's rather scary.  I can identify with Hezekiah's response.

When Hezekiah heard this, he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, "Remember, O LORD, how I have always been faithful to you and have served you single-mindedly, always doing what pleases you." Then he broke down and wept bitterly.

Isaiah 38:2-3

I love how God responded to Hezekiah's sorrow- it's such a comfort to know that God SEES ME!

"This is what the LORD, the God of your ancestor David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears."

Isaiah 38:5

Well, God added 15 years onto Hezekiah's life, and I can also identify with Hezekiah's thoughts concerning what he had been through.  My sickness the last few years has made me learn so much and deepened my relationship with God.

Now I will walk humbly throughout my years because of this anguish I have felt.

Lord, your discipline is good, for it leads to life and health.

You restore my health and allow me to live!

Yes, this anguish was good for me, for you have rescued me from death and forgiven my sins.

Only the living can praise you as I do today.

Each generation tells of your faithfulness to the next.

Think of it- the LORD is ready to heal me!

I will sing his praises with instruments

every day of my life in the Temple of the LORD.

Isaiah 38:15-17,19-20.

It's amazing how something written almost 3,000 years ago is still so relevant and applicable to me today.  God never changes, and that is a comfort.

Books I've loved this year

One Thousand Gifts... Yeah, this one's been around awhile but I read it again this year and got a lot out of it again.  It was interesting to see how it strikes me different now than it did 5 years ago.

Saving my Assassin... This is an autobiography of a lady who grew up in communist Romania and went on to become a defense attorney for believers.  It was hard to put down!  It challenged me to appreciate our freedoms more.

Hope Heals... An inspiring story of perseverance through hard medical challenges, very good.

Plain Faith... The true story of an Amish family who found freedom from the legalism of the Amish church when they accepted Christ.  It challenged me to think about how legalism is affecting my life as well.

She is Mine... The sad but true story of a little orphan girl in Vietnam who is miraculously saved from death multiple times and chosen to be the daughter of a missionary couple.  Eye opening.

The Heart of England... I got this book about England at the thrift store and really enjoyed it.  England is one of the places I would love to visit someday.

In a Sun-scorched Land... The true story of the years long journey to bring three children home from Haiti to be adopted by their new family.  Shows God's good work!

The Good, the Bad, and the Grace of God... I liked this book because it shows how God uses imperfect people and how he can work in our lives to change us into who he wants us to be.

Falling Free... Just finished this new book and really appreciated her heart for hurting people.  If we would just love people like we should this old world would be a lot better place!

Father to the Fatherless... A great and inspiring story of how God used one poor little child to grow up and be a father to hundreds of street children in Kenya through orphanages that he started.  Amazing story!

Oak Trees at the Lake

This last weekend was our family's 4th annual weekend at a lake cabin near us.  We had a great time even though the lake was flooded 22 feet higher than usual.  This lake is so peaceful and beautiful, with post oak trees growing everywhere around it.  Scientists have tested some of the oak trees and some are 300 years old.  Miss E and I had fun collecting acorns to use in our fall décor.

I have been thinking about Isaiah 61 again lately.  It is one of my favorite chapters because it's full of hope for our suffering world.  In verse 3 it says that our righteousness will be like great oak trees, and I was thinking, why did it say we would be like oak trees and not like cottonwoods or elms or cedars?  I think it's because oak is so long lasting.  The righteousness God gives us through Jesus is just like that, steady, firm, and immovable.  What a blessing! 

To all who mourn in Israel,

he will give a crown of beauty for ashes,

a joyous blessing instead of mourning,

festive praise instead of despair.

In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks

that the LORD has planted for his own glory.

I am overwhelmed with joy in the LORD my God!

For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation

and draped me in a robe of righteousness.

Isaiah 61:3,10

Journaling/Coloring Bibles

I just had to share my new Bible with you, because I love it so much!

Have you seen the new journaling and coloring Bibles? 

I think they are awesome for personal devotions.  Taking the time to color the individual verses really does help you take the time to think through what it's saying.

Of course, a cup of tea while coloring is nice too. (:

Here's a couple of the pages I've done.  I chose the Inspire NLT translation Bible, and after using the NIV for 25 years I am enjoying reading a new translation.  It's interesting how reading the same verses in a different translation can make them come alive again in a new way.

They also have coloring Bibles in NIV and KJV.

The Inspire version that I chose has over 400 illustrations to color,

and so it will take me awhile to work through it.  I'm planning to color the

verses as I read them in my devotions, so that way I'll be able to tell at a glance which

books I've read lately and which I should read again.

These would make a great Christmas gift if you know someone who likes artsy activities!

Our Shepherd

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.

I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep.

He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young.

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me.

John 10:11,14, Isaiah 40:11, John 10:27-28

Here is where I found these beautiful paintings.  They were painted by Luigi Chialiva, a Swiss artist, who lived from 1842-1914.

Peaches and Cream Tea

Life is crazy and busy and full and complicated, at least, at my stage of life it is.  School starts next week and two boys will be in football on separate teams, and I will be homeschooling two boys and nobody's very excited about it (school, that is, not football!).  So, it was time for a little tea with my Miss E! 

We had peach cobbler with ice cream and it was delicious on this hot day.  Miss E helped me pick the flowers and which tea tray to use.  Tea is always more fun with a little girl helping out!

I love vintage snack sets and collected a set of 8 this last year.  If you would like the recipe for our peach cobbler you can find it here.

Lately I have been re-reading One Thousand Gifts, by Ann Voskamp.  I first read it about five years ago and started my own list of things I am thankful for.  Being in an attitude of thankfulness has definitely helped me get through rough times in the last five years, and as I read Ann's book again it convicted me in new ways that I hadn't thought of before.  I really liked this part, that I read today--

"When the laundry is for the dozen arms of children or the dozen legs, it's true, I think I'm due some appreciation.  So comes a storm of trouble and lightning strikes joy.  But when Christ is at the center, when dishes, laundry, work, is my song of thanks to Him, joy rains."  ~Ann Voskamp

Jesus has blessed us with so many good things, and if I look at my work as a gift of service back to him, how great is that?  It really changes everything when your perspective changes.  Like Jesus said in John 9:4~

As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. 

Night is coming, when no one can work.

There's a Happy Ending

Listening to the news these days, it sure seems like the world's falling apart.

All this terrorism, the racial strife, the political conflict- it's crazy.

We have to keep the bigger picture in mind, or else we will go crazy with worry.

I have been reading the book of Daniel in the Bible lately, and there's a lot of prophecy in that book.  There's the statue and the beasts that show the future kingdoms of the world, and how they will rise and fall.  But at the end, there is always this good news---

In my vision at night I looked,

and there before me was one like a son of man,

coming with the clouds of heaven.

He approached the Ancient of Days

and was led into his presence.

He was given authority, glory, and sovereign power;

all peoples, nations and men of every language

worshiped him.

His dominion is an everlasting dominion

that will not pass away,

and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

Daniel 7:13-14

Can you imagine what it will be like to have Jesus as King?

How wonderful it will be to have every law be just.

Truth will be truth, and we will be able to completely trust our leader.

We will not have to worry about hidden agendas, or desire

for personal profit, or the corruption of power in our ruler.

It will be so nice!

So, what do we do while we wait?

Be Strong in the Lord

Be strong in the Lord, and be of good courage;

Your mighty Defender is always the same.

Mount up with wings, as the eagle ascending;

Victory is sure when you call on His name.

So put on the armor the Lord has provided,

And place your defense in His unfailing care.

Trust Him for He will be with you in battle,

Lighting your path to avoid every snare.

Be strong in the Lord, and be of good courage;

Your mighty Commander will vanquish the foe.

Fear not the battle for the victory is always His;

He will protect you wherever you go.

Be strong, be strong, be strong in the Lord;

And be of good courage, for He is your guide.

Be strong, be strong, be strong in the Lord;

And rejoice for the victory is yours.

~Linda Lee Johnson~

Unchanging

 

This world is constantly changing, isn't it?  Countries change their borders and their names, kingdoms, rulers, and dynasties rise and fall.  Cities, houses, farms and businesses are built and then not many years later they are torn down and new ones are built in their place.

 

Our old stone house is showing some wear.  She was built in 1882, and has survived much longer than most of the other houses built during that time in our area.  Back in the 1990s someone remodeled the interior, but then no one lived in it for awhile and now look at it.  Things change.

 

 

There are lots of old fences around our place, and what once held pigs in is now a nice backdrop for my red tulips.  Everything is always changing in life.  We may think we are all settled in one place, and then circumstances change and we have to move.  Life events cause those we love most to change as well.  I know my husband is not the same man he was when were first dating 20 years ago, and I know for sure I'm not the same girl. 

 

The older I get the more I realize that comfort and security can never come from our circumstances-  not from the people in our family, and not from a house or money.

 

The only One who can give us comfort and security is God, because

HE NEVER CHANGES!

 

I the LORD do not change.

Malachi 3:6

 

Every good and perfect gift is from above,

coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights,

who does not change like shifting shadows.

James 1:17

 

Lord, you have been our dwelling place

throughout all generations.

Before the mountains were born

or you brought forth the earth and the world,

from everlasting to everlasting

you are God.

Psalm 90:2

 

I am so glad that God doesn't change- it is so comforting to know that the same God who helped us back then, is the same God who will help us in the uncertain future.  He is good!

 

I am joining Home and Garden Thursday