Happy Wednesday, join us here.
June 19, Today’s thought — The Yoke
Happy flowers!
“Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls” (Matthew 11:29).
Balance is the key to every good thing in life. Imbalance is the root cause of many, many ills. When there is imbalance in your body, some form or another of illness will occur — physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual. When there is imbalance in your home, there will be marital problems, and family difficulties. Imbalance in your diet, or other appetites, will always results in physical challenges. Imbalance in your checkbook is definitely not a good thing. When you are imbalanced in your work, or in your recreations — somewhere along the line of your life you will have to “pay the piper.” Balance in all things is the key to every good and lasting thing in life.
Jesus said, “Take My yoke upon you.” The Greek word He used was zugos, which means “a coupling.” Specifically, it is the word used to describe the beam of balance that joins two scales together. Webster’s defines balance as “an instrument for weighing; a means of judging, or deciding.”
In other words, the Lord is saying here, “Take My balance upon you; learn to judge things in life, and make decisions as I do.” Paul wrote to us, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ” (Philippians 2:5)
The many benefits of this Balance are profound. Any man or woman, boy or girl, upon whom this yoke is place will experience mental, emotional, physical and spiritual steadiness. They will not stumble, or fall; yet, even if they do, it will be but for a moment. For they possess a innate capacity to right themselves and regain their footing. Their lives will be graced with unflappable confidence, even in the midst of upheaval and chaos. Just like Jesus, their Unflappable Champion.
So, as you prepare yourself to go out into today’s world make sure that His yoke is on you; it’s the one thing that makes the difference in every other thing you think or do. Rylie
Trust God for your day. . . Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie
June 18, Today’s thought –Amram and Jochebed
Thoughts from June 17, Father’s Day Message, preached in Spanish by Pastor Jose Montano, from Havana, Cuba, translated by Brother Luis Sanchez.
Exodus 6:20 And Amram took him Jochebed his father’s sister to wife; and she bare him Aaron and Moses: and the years of the life of Amram were an hundred and thirty and seven years.
Did you ever think about this couple,
these parents, who were slaves their whole lives,
without a scripture,
without the Law,
without religion as we know it,
trusting in the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob.
Trust nurtured by the retelling of the stories of their forefathers.
Exo 2:2 And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.
Living close enough to God to hear Him say this is a ‘goodly child.’
Making a plan,
Hoping to just save his life.
Trusting in the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob.
Heb 11:23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment.
By the faith of his parents,
Amram, an exalted people,
and Jochebed, the glory of God,
Moses was hid . . .
And Moses was raised a prince,
taught the language, customs, politics,
and religion of his foster family.
All the while
his parents were trusting in the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob.
Moses, who when he came of age,
tried to fix the plight of his people in his own strength,
failing and running away
Exodus 2:11-15 And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren. And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand. And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow? And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known. Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.
All the while
his parents were trusting in the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob.
Heb 11:24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter;
Heb 11:25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
Heb 11:26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.
This Moses, as an adult, by himself in the desert, recognized the voice of God, because he had parents who trusted in the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob.
Exodus 3:4,6 And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I…..Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.
These are my ponderings of the message. I received encouragement to continue to have hope and trust in God for the children that have chosen to try their own ways. Remembering that the truths they were taught will be there for them when they again hear the voice of God calling them home.
Not all the scriptures listed here included in the message, it is where my thoughts led me. If you would like to hear this inspiring message; go to this link after Monday when it is uploaded:
http://churchofgodcarmichael.org/
then click : Sunday Morning Gospel Podcast
Trust in God for your day. . . Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie
Scavenger Hunt Sunday –June 17, 2012
Scavenger Hunt Sunday items:
Meet Me at the Corner,
Look what is on the corner not too far from our home!
Mother Nature Meets Technology,
White PCV pipe watering system at Grandmother’s Flower Garden. from the archieves
One Step at a Time,
All our paths start with just one step,
What’s Wrong with this Picture
How many times drink a diet to cut back on calories!
Standing Tall
During the past year, this grandson grew 6-8 inches. He would often stand by his auntie to see who was taller. Not a question any more! (laughing, sorry their eyes look funny because of the way the light hit their contacts – its the only pic I have of them like this.
This week’s prompts were more challenging, but that is what makes this hunt so much fun. See other finds – here.
Next week I’ll be hunting for:Warped, Concentric Circles, Gear, Glazed and Marble
June 17, Sunday Bible Reading — Psalm 119: 105
On my shelf
Good Morning
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet,
and a light unto my path.
Psalm 119:105
Thy word is a lamp – This is illustrated thus by Solomon, Proverbs 6:23 : “The commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life.” God’s word is a candle which may be held in the hand to give us light in every dark place and chamber; and it is a general light shining upon all his works, and upon all our ways. Clarke’s Commentary
Trust God for your day . . .Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie
Five Minute Friday on Saturday (coz I was shopping) – Path
Unscripted.
Unedited.
Real.
Write and see what comes out.
There’s no right or wrong.
On Five Minute Friday
Go: PATH
Path are taken one step at a time.
One decision at a time.
Sometimes with no thought of where that path might lead.
I just listened to The Winding Ways Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini.
She described the twists and turns of the quilters life’s, each decision building upon the previous, each fork in the road leading to a different end.
Thinking back on choices I deliberately made,
Situations that I experienced that were out of my control
People that influenced my life
Choices I deliberately did not make
All have led to where I am today.
In this season of my life…
I feel like I am wandering,
struggling
to find who I am
how do I fit in.
I have to lay aside
preconceived ideas of
what I thought it would be,
accepting what is
being thankful
and trusting
while
I take the path one step at a time.
stop.
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: Ecclesiastes 3:1
June 16, Today’s thought — Expectation
Zinnias at Cozy Acres!
Good Morning
My soul, wait thou only upon God;
for my expectation is from him.
He only is my rock and my salvation:
he is my defence;
I shall not be moved.
In God is my salvation and my glory:
the rock of my strength,
and my refuge,
is in God.
Trust in him at all times;
ye people,
pour out your heart before him:
God is a refuge for us.
Selah.
Psalm 62:5-8
Our too general neglect of looking for answers to what we ask, shows, how little we are in earnest in our petitions. A husbandman is not content without the harvest; a marksman will observe whether the ball hits the target; a physician watches the effect of the medicine which he gives; and shall the Christian be careless about the effect of his labor?
Every prayer of the Christian, made in faith, according to the will of God, for which God has promised, offered up in the name of Jesus Christ, and under the influence of the Spirit, whether for temporal or for spiritual blessings, is, or will be, fully answered.
God always answers the general design and intention of His people’s prayers, in doing that which, all things considered, is most for His own glory and their spiritual and eternal welfare. As we never find that Jesus Christ rejected a single supplicant who came to Him for mercy, so we believe that no prayer made in His name will be in vain.
The answer to prayer may be approaching, though we discern not its coming. The seed that lies under ground in winter is taking root in order to a spring and harvest though it appears not above ground, but seems dead and lost. —-Bickersteth. (Underlining for me)
Trust God for your day . . .Today.
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie
It Was on a Friday 45 Years Ago
Thursday, June 8th, I graduated from Washington Union High School, Class of 1967, Easton, CA.
Friday, June 9th, Elmer and I loaded my hope chest, filled with all my hopes and dreams, into Dad’s Ranchero. We moved it from my parents’ home in Fresno, CA into a 35ft. trailer parked less than a mile from Shaver Lake in CA.
Friday June 16, 1967 at 7:00pm I walked out of my parent’s front door on my father’s arm across the grass to marry my love and my friend.
Forty-five years ago on a Friday.
Yarn Along, June 13, Still knitting
Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs. I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well.
This mess is a wanna be shawl – Gaia Shoulder Hug. I’ve adapted a bit hoping to make wider through the body without adding length, a first time for me. My compulsive knitting this week.
I started listening to ‘Inkheart’ bu Cornelia Funke….did you ever wish to be part of the story you were reading…..be careful what you wish for!
Go see what others are knitting here.
June 12, Today’s thought — It’s a Little Thing.
Being thankful for a cool glass of ice tea on a warm late spring day.
It’s such a little thing.
Good Morning
O magnify the LORD with me,
and let us exalt his name together.
Psalm 34:3
‘Only he who gives thanks for little things receives the big things.
We prevent God from giving us the great spiritual gifts He has in store for us, because we do not give thanks for daily gifts.
We think we dare not be satisfied with the small measure of spiritual knowledge, experience, and love that has been given to us, and that we must constantly be looking forward eagerly for the highest good. Then we deplore the fact that we lack the deep certainty, the strong faith, and the rich experience that God has given to others, and we consider this lament to be pious.
We pray for the big things and forget to give thanks for the ordinary, small (and yet really not small) gifts.
How can God entrust great things to one who will not thankfully receive from Him the little things?”
~Dietrich Bonhoeffer in Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Faith in Community
I will praise the name of God with a song,
and will magnify him with thanksgiving.
Psalm 69:30
Trust in God for your day. . .Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie
June 11, Today’s thoughts — Summer
On the hot summer days, I long for the cold brisk air at Donner Lake during a light snow fall.
Bed in Summer by Robert Louis Stevenson
In winter I get up at night
And dress by yellow candle-light.
In summer quite the other way,
I have to go to bed by day.
I have to go to bed and see
The birds still hopping on the tree,
Or hear the grown-up people’s feet
Still going past me in the street.
And does it not seem hard to you,
When all the sky is clear and blue,
And I should like so much to play,
To have to go to bed by day?
I went looking for a summer poem, no, it’s not quite summer, but that is where my mind wandered. When I found this poem, I smiled, remembering. It just didn’t seem right at all, when as a child I had to go to bed in the light.
Now naps are good, anytime.
But going to bed……..it is always very dark.
Psalm 121:4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
Trust God for your day. . .Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie
June 10, Sunday Bible Reading, Psalms 138
Leaf definition is one reason I love Rex begonias.
Psalm 138:1-3, 7-8
I will praise thee with my whole heart:
before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.
I will worship toward thy holy temple,
and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth:
for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
In the day when I cried thou answeredst me,
and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.
Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
thou wilt revive me:
thou shalt stretch forth thine hand
against the wrath of mine enemies,
and thy right hand shall save me.
The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me:
thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever:
forsake not the works of thine own hands.
Scavenger Hunt Sunday — June 10, 2012
The rules are simple:
Anyone can participate.
You’re encouraged to take five new photos this week for the challenge. Creativity is also encouraged!
If you get stumped, you may use one photo from your archive (although I’m not too strict about it – I do my best to take fresh shots).
Link up here on Sunday (or Tuesday at the latest) – you can use the button above.
Leave comments for at least five entries around yours (we have so many new participants each week, this is the only way I know to be inclusive).
Have fun!
Without further discussion…here are my interpretations this week:
travel
Many miles have been spun on this merry-go-round, made by the Farmer.
silly
If I can’t see you – you can’t see me, silly cat!
black and white
I love to work cross word puzzles!
Having a good crossword dictionary makes all the difference!
This one a gift from daughter #3, copyright 1940, with its pages blowing in the wind of the fan.
spots
Spots on socks!
paper
A paper pattern for my current quilt project.
To see others’ scavenger finds, click here.
I Love YARN CAKES!
YARN CAKES!
I LOVE YARN CAKES!
All types of YARN CAKES!
All sides of YARN CAKES!
I love Noro ‘Silk Garden Sock’ YARN CAKES with long color stripes.
I love YARN CAKES in contrasting colors. patiently waiting their turn for the needles.
I love YARN CAKES in lace weight, so many yards in a little cake.
I love YARN CAKES, waiting even though the project has been rejected.
I love YARN CAKES of rayon/wool that crumble when handled.
“May your life be filled, as mine has been, with love and laughter (and YARN CAKES); and remember, when things are rough all you need is … Chocolate.”
― (Geraldine Solon, Chocolicious
Joining Tami , sharing my love of YARN CAKES.
Thoughts of Grace 