Winter Beauty

My soul finds rest in God alone;

my salvation comes from him.

He alone is my rock and salvation;

he is my fortress,

I will never be shaken.

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone;

my hope comes from him.

He alone is my rock and my salvation;

he is my fortress, 

I will not be shaken.

Trust in him at all times, O people;

pour out your hearts to him,

for God is our refuge.

Psalm 62:1,2,5,6,8

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas! It's been a busy month and I haven't been able to post as often as I wanted.  Now Christmas is almost here.  The food is made, the presents are wrapped and it's time to relax a bit!

This year I've been thinking a lot about Mary and her response to the life changing news she heard from the Angel, Gabriel.  There are lots of times in the Bible where God asks someone to do something hard, but I think Mary's response is one of the best.  She didn't doubt like Zechariah, and she didn't whine like Moses, she just said, "may it be to me as you have said".  I hope I have the same faith and restful trust when God asks me to do something hard.

I will be joining 

Friends sharing tea.

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.

November Tea

Monday was a very gray day outside, with light rain and mist.  It was the perfect opportunity for Miss E and I to have a little tea indoors.  There's something so cozy about a lamp, don't you think?

Wishing you all a cozy November!

The grass withers and the flowers fade,

but the word of our God stands forever.

Isaiah 40:8

I am joining Friends Sharing Tea

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.

October Tea

Life is busy, and there is always so much to do.

But sometimes we just have to stop and take time for

those things that will make lasting memories and impressions

on our children, things like tea parties in the fall down by the bridge!

Miss E and I enjoyed our Honey Vanilla Chamomile tea as well as

our pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting.  YUM!

I am joining

Friends Sharing Tea