A White Blanket

I woke up some time in the early dark hours this morning to hear that scraping along the road that we haven't heard for many months. A snowplow? No, impossible. It was snowing last night when we came home, but it was surely just wet snow. I fall back asleep. When I wake up again, I turn over to look at my alarm clock, wondering why it hadn't gone off yet, only to find it dark. I check my lamp. No electricity. I drag myself out of the comfort of my bed and it was cold. Time to turn on the heat. Oh, yeah, I can't. It was still dark outside but not too dark to see the snow out of the hallway window and I could vaguely make out a fallen tree branch. I found a flashlight downstairs and pointed it at the dining room clock. 7:15. Time to climb back under the warm blankets. I couldn't read my Bible in the dark anyway. Half an hour later, the power went back on.

After having my devotions, I look out the window to some strange scenery. One large maple is almost completely bare, but the smaller one next to it is still almost all green, it's branches hanging heavy on the ground under the weight of the snow. I turn away to get up and going for the day and Christmas tunes start popping into my head. I turn back to the green maple. This is not right! It's only the last week of October.

But isn't it great that we serve a God who is in charge and when I remember that I can say "Amen! It's beautiful!" For he saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth; likewise to the small rain, and to the great rain of his strength. (Job 37:6)

When I came downstairs and looked out of the kitchen, I saw another almost frightening sight to what the snow had done to another half red, half green maple. This definitely was worthy of a few pictures.

God bless and have a great week.

Fulfillment in Christ

I generally don't have a whole lot of time to read books, especially novels. Never mind, that good Christian novels are hard to find. When I do read novels, I like ones that give me something to chew on, something of practical value I can relate to my own life. I found this almost immediately reading Sir Kendrick and the Castle of Bel Lione by Chuck Black:

"Duncan, I know your heart belongs to the King and the Prince. You are also a knight who yearns for adventure. But you'll soon learn there is no need. Adventure will surely find you as you follow the course set for you by the Prince....Don't be tempted to ride for glory as other knights do. Such a quest is an empty one...."

Duncan did have potential, though....He was a sturdy, broad-shouldered fellow, and he would grow stronger and mightier in the years ahead if he kept his focus on the Prince and not upon himself. And if he could learn to control himself better--for Duncan's chief weakness was his lack of self-discipline.

I can definitely identify with this in my own life. I need to shift my focus back to Jesus because it has turned to myself. What do I want (or not want)? What seems reasonable or makes sense to me? And, I tend to seek the praise and approval of others than just to simply please God. And, yes, adventure will come! I often say that the Christian life is the greatest adventure you could live because you never know what's waiting around the next corner. Another challenge is obedience. We must remember Who we are living for and His calling for our lives instead of wanting to go our own way. It is in His will that we will find fulfillment.

We have potential, but we must exercise discipline, for that is what it means to be a disciple.

Feet Upon a Rock

Okay, this is humbling to say after my cheery post on Tuesday, but I had a really hard day yesterday. And it didn't help that there are so many things I can't understand, including myself. The Lord's chastisement really hurts, but it's all the proof I need that He loves me. In the evening, during my prayer time, I felt a calm come over me, much different than some of the frustrations of my day. I almost couldn't understand it. Then I remembered a few lines from a hymn:

In seasons of distress and grief,
My soul has often found relief,
And oft escape the tempter's snare,
By thy return, sweet hour of prayer.
--Sweet Hour of Prayer, William W. Walford, 1842

How often do we really flee to that safe retreat before our Father's throne? I, sooner seem to struggle along out of my own strength, wondering why I can't get anything right. That's because, in my own strength, I can't get anything right. In me dwells no good thing, but in Christ, I can be made perfect. I must empty myself and call on the Lord to be filled.

I am also thankful for God's mercy and forgiveness. As Jeremiah 31:34 says "...I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." "He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings." (Psalm 40:2)

"By trying to grab fulfillment everywhere, we find it nowhere."
--Elisabeth Elliot, Passion and Purity

New Seasons

I absolutely love watching the colours change as autumn comes around. I feel fresh and new today, but I can't say it's always been like that the last few weeks. I've been trying to deal with a lot of things as God is purifying me...it's been really hard. But I also feel a spiritual rain coming. I was blessed to take a walk this morning, with my skirt blowing in the wind and the leaves dancing around me. Then after I came back, spending some time with my nephew, playing in the leaves, as the rain came. I managed to convince him to come inside before we got too wet and get some of the morning's pictures and videos on the computer.

I was reading in James this morning and came across these words:

James 1:2-4
My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

Joy? Perfect and entire, wanting nothing? That's not exactly now I would describe how I've been feeling the last couple of weeks. But it can be! Why should I count it all joy? Because I am growing stronger! No, it isn't easy, but it's definitely worth it in the end. The victory is mine. I just have to take hold of it.

You may know what it's like to seriously exercise after you haven't done it for awhile! You may feel pretty sore for a few days. Normally, I would complain and moan over the pain, but not this week. I actually find that it feels good to be sore. I know I'm getting stronger and it feels good. I thank God that He has given me the ability to exercise and use my body.

I was almost in wonder this morning. While some trees are already bare, some are still green. ...and that's wonderful! It's easy to be discontent and want someone else's life but maybe it's a lot like the trees. When they change at different times, we can enjoy the colours longer. It's more exciting when things are different.

Here are a few pictures I got this morning:
God bless you as you continue to serve Him!

Sigh...

Okay, I've given up with trying to post regularly. I'm really excited though that I made my G2 today. And I was tagged, by Meshaay, so I might as well post that. The rules are as follows:

1. Link to the person(s) who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself
4. Tag sixish people at the end of your post.
5. Let each person know he or she has been tagged
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up

So you want to know random things about me:

1. I don't like soft drinks.
2. I like my feet.
3. I'm very indecisive.
4. I actually really enjoyed writing my last English essay.
5. I have a bad tendency to worry a lot.
6. I don't make any sense.

So now, I'd like to tag:
Melodie
Christina
Maria Pauline
Tori
Jennifer
Nancy