Autumn Spider Lilies
Psalm 9:7-10
But the LORD shall endure for ever:
he hath prepared his throne for judgment.
And he shall judge the world in righteousness,
he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.
The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
a refuge in times of trouble.
And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee:
for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.
Many new and experienced writers,
mostly women, join this write-a-long.
If you want to read what others have written
or join in the fun, click here.
Today’s prompt – RAIN
Go . . .
“Rain, Rain, go away. Come again another day.”
“April Showers bring May Flowers.”
“Into every life some rain must fall.”
“The rain falls on the just and the unjust.”
So many sayings about rain.
showing rain’s many faces
Gentle and warm
Torrential in a hurricane
Icy like sleet in a winter storm
Refreshing on a summer’s day
I welcome rain.
I love that ‘first’ rain smell.
Petrichor – “A pleasant, distinctive smell frequently accompanying the first rain
after a long period of warm, dry weather in certain regions.”
I love to listen to the sounds of rain on our RV’s metal roof.
I love rain’s friends – thunder and lightening
What a time they have playing in the heavens.
I find comfort in that ‘after rain’ promise from God.
Genesis 9:16
And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it,
that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God
and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth
Stop.
or Friday if you’ve procrastinated like I did.
Today I found three RED things in my garden.
Spider Lilies
Daffodils and Jonquils herald spring,
popping up in places of hiding.
Spider Lilies are my fore teller of Autumn, my favorite season.
Geraniums
the Farmer calls them ‘stinky flowers’.
I love their constant blooming through the spring and summer.
Sometimes not many blossoms,
but always a little color to make me smile.
Lantana
Now there is a happy flower!
Bright and cheery,
waving in the breeze.
Autumn is the time they shine
as many other flowers are at the end of their glory.
Matthew 6 28-29
And why take ye thought for raiment?
Consider the lilies of the field,
how they grow; they toil not,
neither do they spin:
And yet I say unto you,
That even Solomon in all his glory
was not arrayed like one of these.
Sharing with Carole ‘Three Things’ this week.
“Stop worrying,
and listen carefully for my voice.
But remember that I speak softly.
If your own thoughts are too noisy,
you will not hear Me.
That is why I gave you a special gift–
My Spirit inside you.
Ask My Spirit to quiet your thoughts
so that you can hear Mine.
Then sit peacefully in my Presence–
letting my thoughts become yours.”
Jesus Calling for Kids by Sarah Young.
Deuteronomy 30:19-20
19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today,
that I have set before you life and death,
the blessing and the curse;
therefore, you shall choose life in order that you may live,
you and your descendants,
20 by loving the Lord your God,
by obeying His voice,
and by holding closely to Him;
for He is your life
[your good life, your abundant life, your fulfillment]
and the length of your days,
that you may live in the land which the Lord promised (swore) t
o give to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
Amplified Bible
The First Sunflower of this Season.
Psalm 68.28
Thy God hath commanded thy strength:
strengthen, O God, that which thou hast wrought for us.
The Lord imparts unto us that primary strength of character
which makes everything in life work with intensity and decision.
We are “strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man.”
And the strength is continuous;
reserves of power come to us which we cannot exhaust.
“As thy days, so shall thy strength be”—
strength of will,
strength of affection,
strength of judgment,
trength of ideals and achievement.
“The Lord is my strength” to go on.
He gives us power to tread the dead level,
to walk the long lane that seems never to have a turning,
to go through those long reaches of life which afford no pleasant surprise,
and which depress the spirits in the sameness of a terrible drudgery.
“The Lord is my strength” to go up.
He is to me the power
by which I can climb the Hill Difficulty and not be afraid.
“The Lord is my strength” to go down.
It is when we leave the bracing heights,
where the wind and the sun have been about us,
and when we begin to come down the hill
into closer and more sultry spheres,
that the heart is apt to grow faint.
I heard a man say the other day
concerning his growing physical frailty,
“It is the coming down that tires me!”
“The Lord is my strength” to sit still.
And how difficult is the attainment!
Do we not often say to one another,
in seasons when we are compelled to be quiet,
“If only I could do something!”
When the child is ill,
and the mother stands by in comparative impotence,
how severe is the test! But to do nothing,
just to sit still and wait,
requires tremendous strength.
from The Silver Lining
“The Lord is my strength!”
“Our sufficiency is of God”
2 Corinthians 3:5.
Sunday Morning, June 17, Choir of the Church of God, Carmichael sings
Proverbs 23:15-19, 22-25
15
My son, if your heart is wise,
My heart will also be glad;
16
Yes, my heart will rejoice
When your lips speak right things.
17
Do not let your heart envy sinners
[who live godless lives and have no hope of salvation],
But [continue to] live in the [reverent, worshipful] fear of the day by day.
18
Surely there is a future [and a reward],
And your hope and expectation will not be cut off.
19
Listen, my son, and be wise,
And direct your heart in the way Lord.
22
Listen to your father, who sired you,
And do not despise your mother when she is old.
23
Buy truth, and do not sell it;
Get wisdom and instruction and understanding.
24
The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice,
And he who sires a wise child will have joy in him.
25
Let your father and your mother be glad,
And let her who gave birth to you rejoice
[in your wise and godly choices].
Thoughts while on a cruise.
Genesis 1:31
And God saw every thing that he had made,
and, behold, it was very good.
And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
Dear God,
Did you plan all this when you first spoke and divided the heavens from the seas;
when you spoke and the earth separated from the water?
Could you see what your creation, man,
d the potential to do as he questioned and asked and tried?
The first man to build a raft or canoe – was he thankful?
Were the Vikings thankful for their dragon lead ships?
How about the Chinese with their junks, were they thankful?
Was Christopher Columbus thankful for the Nina?
Those that built the Mayflower, what did they think?
Were all these builders and users thankful?
Did they appreciate the improvements gained from one to another?
Did they realize how each improvement served the purpose so completely?
As I ride on this ship –
that, except for a little quiet rocking and
seeing the wake through the water,
hardly seems like riding or traveling.
I marvel at how far this ship has come from a raft.
wonder at the ability God has given man to question and create,
building, improving, and fulfilling their dreams.
Are we, am I, fulfilling God’s dream for us?
What did He see for me when he said “Let there be light”?
As I have made my choices and planned and dreamed –
Have I been thankful for my steps and my improvements?
Can God still look at me as his creation and say…It is good?
Amen.
“Just for Today”
Writer Marjorie Holmes’s prayer
Oh, God, give me grace for this day.
Not for a lifetime, for for next week, nor
for tomorrow, just for this day.
Direct my thoughts and bless them,
Direct my work and bless it.
direct the things I say and give them blessing, too.
Direct and bless everything that I think and speak
and do. So that for this one day, just this one
day, I have the gift of grace that comes from your presence…
Grace is available for each of us every day–
our spiritual daily bread–
but we’ve got to remember to ask for it
with a grateful heart
and try not to worry about whether t
here will be enough for tomorrow.
There will be.
Simple Abundance, Sarah Ban Breathnach
Proverbs 31:10-31
A good woman is hard to find,
and worth far more than diamonds.
Her husband trusts her without reserve,
and never has reason to regret it.
Never spiteful, she treats him generously
all her life long.
She shops around for the best yarns and cottons,
and enjoys knitting and sewing.
She’s like a trading ship that sails to faraway places
and brings back exotic surprises.
She’s up before dawn, preparing breakfast
for her family and organizing her day.
She looks over a field and buys it,
then, with money she’s put aside, plants a garden.
First thing in the morning, she dresses for work,
rolls up her sleeves, eager to get started.
She senses the worth of her work,
is in no hurry to call it quits for the day.
She’s skilled in the crafts of home and hearth,
diligent in homemaking.
She’s quick to assist anyone in need,
reaches out to help the poor.
She doesn’t worry about her family when it snows;
their winter clothes are all mended and ready to wear.
She makes her own clothing,
and dresses in colorful linens and silks.
Her husband is greatly respected
when he deliberates with the city fathers.
She designs gowns and sells them,
brings the sweaters she knits to the dress shops.
Her clothes are well-made and elegant,
and she always faces tomorrow with a smile.
When she speaks she has something worthwhile to say,
and she always says it kindly.
She keeps an eye on everyone in her household,
and keeps them all busy and productive.
Her children respect and bless her;
her husband joins in with words of praise:
“Many women have done wonderful things,
but you’ve outclassed them all!”
Charm can mislead and beauty soon fades.
The woman to be admired and praised
is the woman who lives in the Fear-of-God.
Give her everything she deserves!
Festoon her life with praises!
~~~The Message
Yarn Along
~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading
and I love sharing my projects and current reads here.~
This is how Ginny begins her blog, Small Things,
on the First Wednesday of the month.
April was a productive month for me.
It seems I did nothing but sit and crochet.
I was happy.
Red and Grey Moods of Change, Frank O’Randell
is now finished, 4/15
It does not lay flat,
it kind of curls around my lap.
It is warmer that way.
I will make this pattern again
in a lighter weight yarn.
Ravelry link.
I played with the first few rounds of Mandela Madness
using dish cloth cotton,
Isn’t Madness pretty!
Someday I’d like to make some Madness.
I purchased some Caron Simply Soft in blue
and completed Moe of Change, Frank o’Randell
Started 4/16, finished 4/23/18.
What’s left of 4th skein.
Ravelry link.
4/23 I pulled Sophie’s Garden out of ‘time out’ in the stash shed
and determined I stopped at round 15.
I played with this one until 4/30 stopping on round 32.
I’m using stash lace weight yarn doubled and sock yarn single
comes out about same thickness.
Ravelry link.
Don’t tell Sophie, but she got set aside
because I couldn’t wait to see
what this yarn would look like in Tides of Change, Frank O’Randell.
I really like his patterns,
(as if you couldn’t tell)
they are challenging,
yet not overwhelming;
and they are so pretty when finished.
I’m on round 19,
I’m letting the yarn flow,
so center looks a little lopsided.
Ravelry link.
I have enjoyed my rounds in April, listening to many audio books.
If you would like to see what others are doing with yarn, join us here.
Philippians 4:4-7
Rejoice in the Lord always
[delight, take pleasure in Him];
again I will say, rejoice!
Let your gentle spirit
[your graciousness, unselfishness, mercy,
tolerance, and patience]
be known to all people.
The Lord is near.
Do not be anxious or worried about anything,
but in everything
[every circumstance and situation]
by prayer and petition with thanksgiving,
continue to make your [specific] requests known to God.
And the peace of God
[that peace which reassures the heart,
that peace] which transcends all understanding,
[that peace which] stands guard over your hearts
and your minds in Christ Jesus [is yours].
Amplified Bible.
Our Family
Our family has a tradition of sharing our ‘Thankfuls.’
Every month we get together for birthdays and anniversaries, food, fun, and just being together.
Before the presents and birthday cake,
everyone says three things for which they are thankful.
We call them ‘Thankfuls’
Our ‘thankfuls’ are not profound, rain, candles, a pillow, that it is bedtime, my garden is growing, after a long RV trip I was thankful for TP you couldn’t see through and wouldn’t melt in your hands (maybe TP is profound).
We try to stick to one rule, you can’t repeat what someone else has said.
from Simple Abundance ~~Sarah Ban Breathnach
. . .These are the six threads of abundant living which, when woven together, produce a tapestry of contentment that wraps us in inner peace, well-being, happiness, and a sense of security. First there is gratitude. When we do a mental and spiritual inventory of all that we have, we realize that we are very rich indeed. Gratitude gives way to simplicity –the desire to clear out, pare down, and realize the essentials of what we need to live truly well. Simplicity brings with it order, both internally and externally. A sense of order in our life brings us harmony. Harmony provides us with the inner peace we need to appreciate the beauty that surrounds us each day, and beauty opens us to joy.
Colossians 3:15
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts,
to the which also ye are called in one body;
and be ye thankful.
Yarn Along
~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading
and I love sharing my projects and current reads here.~
This is how Ginny begins her blog, Small Things,
on the First Wednesday of the month.
February’s work in progress
Moods of Change, Frank O’Randle
I restarted it in February
and ran out of yarn,
ordered yarn on line,
purchased yarn at my favorite yarn shop
Babetta’s Yarn and Gifts
Acquired all year and continued
going around and around
row after row
until row 71 on March 31.
I’m using a bulky yarn;
so this Mood is getting very heavy.
81 total rounds – goal to finish in April!
I’ve been listening to:
Hold Me Tight by Sue Johnson.
Publisher’s summary:
The message of Hold Me Tight is simple:
‘Forget about learning how to argue better,
analyzing your early childhood,
making grand romantic gestures,
or experimenting with new sexual positions.
Instead, get to the emotional underpinnings of your relationship
by recognizing that you are emotionally attached to
and dependent on your partner in much the same way
that a child is on a parent for nurturing, soothing, and protection.’
Having the attitude,
I can do it,
I don’t really need any one,
Asking for help is weak
has hindered me in making
the attachments I really desire.
This book is helping me learn to ask and accept.
A Bible based version, Created for Connection,
is available,
I heard of this version first.
To see what others are making and reading, click here.
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
Thoughts of Grace 
Sunday Bible Reading, Malachi 4:2
Malachi 4:2
But unto you that fear my name
shall the Sun of righteousness
arise with healing in his wings;
and ye shall go forth,
and grow up as calves of the stall.
Every need supplied,
cleansing,
healing,
sweet peace inside.
Every need supplied.
With healing in his wings –
As the sun,
by the rays of light and heat,
revives, cheers,
and fructifies the whole creation,
giving, through God,
light and life everywhere;
so Jesus Christ,
by the influences of his grace and Spirit,
shall quicken, awaken, enlighten,
warm, invigorate, heal, purify,
and refine every soul that believes in him,
and, by his wings or rays,
diffuse these blessings
from one end of heaven to another;
everywhere invigorating
the seeds of righteousness,
and withering and drying up the seeds of sin.
The rays of this Sun are the truths of his Gospel,
and the influences of his Spirit.
Clark’s Commentary.
- Every Need Supplied
- Sunday Bible Reading
on April 15, 2018 at 4:17 am Leave a CommentTags: Clarke's Commentary, Every Need Supplied, Malachi 4:2