November 20, Today’s thought — NO

One happy camper – 2007 trip of wonderful memories

Good Morning

Whosoever comes to me will never be hungry and whoever believes in me will will never be thirsty. John 6:35

There are times when the one thing you want is the one thing you never get. . .

You pray and wait.
No answer.
You pray and wait.

May I ask a very important question?
What if God says no?

What if the request is delayed or even denied? When God says no to you, how will you respond? If God says, “I’ve given you my grace, and that is enough.” will you be content?

Content . That’s the word. A state of heart in which you would be at peace if God gave you nothing more than he already has.

Max Lucado ~~In the Grip of Grace

Trust God for your day – Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

Published in: on November 20, 2012 at 11:35 am  Leave a Comment  

November 19, Today’s thought, Timely Help

I love this maple tree.

Good Morning

We will find grace to help us when we need it. Hebrews 4:16 NLT

God’s help is timely. He helps us the same way a father gives plane tickets to his family. When I travel with my kids, I carry all our tickets in my satchel. When the moment comes to board the plane, I stand between the attendant and the child. As each daughter passes, I place ticket in her hand. She, in turn, gives the ticket to the attendant. Each one receives the ticket in the nick of time.

What I do for my daughters God does for you. He places himself between you and the need. And at the right time, he gives you the ticket. Wasn’t this the promise he gave his disciples?

“When you are arrested and judged, don’t worry ahead of time about what you should say. Say whatever is given you to say at that time, because it will not really be you speaking; it will be the Holy Spirit.” Mark 13:11 emphasis mine.

God leads us. He will do the right thing at the right time. ~~Max Lucado, Traveling Light

Trust God for your day. . . Today.
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

Published in: on November 19, 2012 at 12:12 pm  Leave a Comment  

November 16, Today’s thought — Each Prayer Answered

I love violas.

Good Afternoon

Bow down thine ear, O Lord, hear me:
for I am poor and needy Psalm 86:1

What e’er I ask I surely know
And steadfastly believe
Thou wilt the thing desired bestow
Or else a better give.

To Thee, I therefore, Lord, submit
My every fond request
And own, adoring at Thy feet
Thy will is always best.

Trust God for your day . . .Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

Published in: on November 16, 2012 at 1:14 pm  Leave a Comment  

November 13, Today’s thought — The Refiner’s Fire

Front flower bed cleared of summer asters and goldenrod and planted with pansies and violas.

Good Morning

We’ve been in Redding helping with the Farmer’s mother. She has been in the hospital with pneumonia, etc, but is much better now. She has been transferred to a care center and we have been able to come home. The only internet connection we had was in the hospital, so I didn’t do much but check my mail and posted updates on Facebook to the family. We have seen God’s mercy as she has improved.

“He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.” Malachi 3:3

Our Father, who seeks to perfect His saints in holiness, knows the value of the refiner’s fire. It is with the most precious metals that the assayer takes the most pains, and subjects them to the hot fire, because such fires melt the metal, and only the molten mass releases its alloy or takes perfectly its new form in the mold. The refiner never leaves his crucible, but sits down by it, lest there should be one excessive degree of heat to mar the metal. But as soon as he skims from the surface the last of the dross, and sees his own face reflected, he puts out the fire. ~~Arthur T. Pierson.

“He sat by a fire of seven-fold heat,
As He watched by the precious ore,
And closer He bent with a searching gaze
As He heated it more and more.
He knew He had ore that could stand the test,
And He wanted the finest gold
To mold as a crown for the King to wear,
Set with gens with a price untold.
So He laid our gold in the burning fire,
Tho’ we fain would have said Him ‘Nay’
And He watched the dross that we had not seen.
And it melted and passed away.
And the gold grew brighter and yet more bright,
But our eyes were so dim with tears,
We saw but the fire–not the Master’s hand,
And questioned with anxious fears.
Yet our gold shone out with a richer glow,
As it mirrored a Form above
That bent o’er the fire, tho’ unseen by us,
With a look of ineffable love.
Can we think that it pleases His loving heart
To cause us a moment’s pain?
Ah, no! but He saw through the present cross
The bliss of eternal gain.
So He waited there with a watchful eye,
With a love that is strong and sure,
And His gold did not suffer a bit more heat,
Than was needed to make it pure.”

Again, trust God for your day. . . Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

Published in: on November 13, 2012 at 12:45 pm  Leave a Comment  

November 6, Today’s Thoughts — Even Today

I’m ready for another trip to the beach!

Good Morning

. . . and yet I show you a more excellent way 1Corinthians 12:31

I carefully laid every plan:
the future seemed so bright.
My hopes and dreams they towered high–
I saw no trace of night.

And then at closing of the day
I knelt in usual prayer,
And prayed; Dear Lord, bless every plan–
All that I hope and dare.”

But day by day my plans all failed.
My hopes came tumbling down.
All my ambitions disappeared,
And FAILURE was my crown.

Perplexed–I could not understand,
Had I not knelt in prayer?
And asked that every plan and hope
Would find a blessing rare?

Then in the stillness of the night,
Out from the shadows dim,
I heard a sweet persuading voice
That called me close to Him.

“Why don’t you let Me make your plans?
I’ve trod the path before.
Just leave the future in My hands,
I’ll lead thee o’re and o’re.”

In shame, I bowed my humble head;
My spirit low was brought,
For I had caught a strange new light,
By HIs own Spirit taught.

No longer do I pray as once,
“Dear Lord, bless all my plans.”
But now I pray: “Lord, plan for me,
The future’s in Thy hands.” ~~Selected

Even Today – trust God for your day.
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

Published in: on November 6, 2012 at 11:17 am  Leave a Comment  

November 4, Sunday Bible Reading –Song of Praise

It’s time to go to church.

Exodus 15:1-11

Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying,
I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously:
the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation:
he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.
Pharaoh’s chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea:
his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea.
The depths have covered them: they sank into the bottom as a stone.
Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power:
thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy.
And in the greatness of thine excellency
thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee:
thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble.
And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together,
the floods stood upright as an heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea.
The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil;
my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.
Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them: they sank as lead in the mighty waters.
Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods?
who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?

Published in: on November 4, 2012 at 10:48 am  Comments (2)  

If I’m Not on the Computer; I’m Knitting

The title of this post tells of a simple life, gazing at others’ beautiful projects on the internet, dreaming I could make them all, some for me – some that would make the receiver swoon; playing games, I just got a new version of Luxor 🙂 and I’m challenging myself to complete once every configuration of Mah Jong, one pile took me over 200 hundred tries!
And then there is knitting, my current group –

Knitting shawlettes for littlies, I need 4,
making 5 so there is a choice.
Three are done, except weaving, latest finished, First Down

I knit until all I had was this much yarn leftover.

Zuni is another of that group, OPPS, see the little yarn mess.
I ran out of yarn. I bought more than called for,
apparently not enough.
So it is either go to Joann’s in Redding, CA
(local stores don’t have it)
or check out the internet.

AND, daycare mom is having a baby girl.
Instead of a quilt this time, I choose to knit an afghan.
This one starts with a garter stitch square,
pick up stitches around the edge and knit, knit, knit
until I chose to add a few rows of purl for interest.
I’m thinking about finding a blue and knitting on a lace border.

I keep running into cowl patterns, this one is knit with Zanderball Crazy, which I love, I had conquer this pattern, September Circle.

Not started but in the queue
(I’ll have to remember that word for scrabble)
is by request another sweater for Tilly, Mom’s doxie mix.
I really like ‘coffee beenz’ and since it is washable makes a good choice for a long low dog.

My listening pleasure – turn on the ipod and let it read from book to book.

Ginny won’t mind if I’m a couple days late joining. Come and see what others are doing. Click here.

Published in: on November 2, 2012 at 1:50 pm  Leave a Comment  

November 1, Today’s Thought — Disappointed?

The last of the zinnas.

Good Morning

Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh:
is there any thing too hard for me?
Jeremiah 32:27

We need to hear that God is still in control.
We need to hear that it’s not over until he says so.
We need to hear that life’s mishaps and tragedies
are not a reason to bail out.
They are simply a reason to sit tight.

Corrie ten Boom used to say.

“When the train goes through a tunnel and the world gets dark,
do you jump out? Of course not.
You sit still and trust the engineer to get you through”. . .

The way to deal with discouragement?
The cure for disappointment?
Go back and read the story of Job.
Read it again and again.
Be reminded that you aren’t the first person to weep.
And you aren’t the first person to be helped.

Read the story and remember, [the] story is yours!
Max Lucado, He Still Moves Stones

Trust God for your day. . .Today.
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

Published in: on November 2, 2012 at 4:03 am  Leave a Comment  

October 31, Today’s thought – I AM THE LORD

This building is known as the Stash Shed.
(Thank you, again, Dan)
The Stash shed received a long over due cleaning and straightening on Monday,
which included a trip to the Goodwill drop off center.

Good Morning

Exodus 5:22-23
And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people?
why is it that thou hast sent me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name,
he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all.

Exodus 6:1-8
Then the LORD said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh:
for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land.
And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD:
And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob,
by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.
And I have also established my covenant with them,
to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers.
And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel,
whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant.
Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD,
and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians,
and I will rid you out of their bondage,
and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments:
And I will take you to me for a people,
and I will be to you a God:and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God,
which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
And I will bring you in unto the land,
concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob;
and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the LORD. (bold mine)

Abraham didn’t ask to be chosen of God, at least I haven’t read of his asking.
God wanted a people.
God had a plan.
One important part of the plan was that the people would worship and trust the Lord.
How comforting to read in chapter 6, God’s reassurance to the people.

I AM THE LORD.
I appeared…
I have established…
I have heard…
I have remembered…
I AM THE LORD.
I will bring…
I will rid…
I will redeem…
I will take…
I will be…
I AM THE LORD.
I will bring…
I will give…
I AM THE LORD.

What are our problems today?
Is God any less able?

I AM THE LORD has said:

I AM THE LORD.
I appeared…to you
I have established…you
I have heard…you
I have remembered…you
I AM THE LORD.
I will bring…you
I will rid…you of
I will redeem…you
I will take…you
I will be…with you
I AM THE LORD.
I will bring…you
I will give…to you
I AM THE LORD.

Are our problems greater than I AM THE LORD?

Trust God your you day…Today.
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

Published in: on October 31, 2012 at 12:09 pm  Leave a Comment  

October 30, Here I Am


My Autumn hanging, when I look at this fabric panel
I rearranged and sewed together, I think of early fall.
Just as the crops are beginning frozen, canned and stored
and just before the trees begin to turn colors

Good Afternoon,

With one of the cat’s help my computer took a nose dive off the desk.
The computer landed flat on its back, with the monitor hanging on by a wire.
Time for new computer says the Farmer.
You can have my old one that was A’s old one says the daughter.

For over a week –
transfers have been made;
passwords found;
authorizations completed;
and frustration abounded.

Most of my programs are loaded and working.
I am trying to get use to where the delete key is
and trying to keep any part of my hands away from the touch pad –
or I find I have to find where I’m typing this time.

Little by little I’m hoping to get back to some kind of normal,
realizing that ‘normal’ is just a setting on the dryer.

Published in: on October 30, 2012 at 4:44 pm  Leave a Comment  

October 24, Today’s thought, Watch your doorway!


the Farmer showed me this – Japanese Anemone,
I thought it didn’t survive,
but look it is blooming and loving it’s new home.

Good Morning

If people’s thinking is controlled by the sinful self, there is death. But if their thinking is controlled by the Spirit, there is life and peace. Romans 8:6 New Century Version Bible

Your heart is a fertile greenhouse ready to produce goo fruit.
Your mind is the doorway to your heart–the strategic place where you determine which seeds are sown and which seeds are discarded.The Holy Spirit is ready to help you manage and filter the thoughts that try to enter. He can help you guard your heart.

He stands with you on the threshold. A thought approaches, a questionable thought. Do you throw open the door and let it enter?
Of course not. You “fight to capture every thought until it acknowledges the authority of Christ.” (2Corinthians 10:5 Phillips).
You don’t leave the door unguarded. You stand equipped with handcuffs and leg irons, ready to capture any thought not fit to enter. Max Lucado Just Like Jesus

Romans 8:6-7 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. (7) Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. KJV

2Corinthians 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; KJV

Trust God for your day. . .Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

Published in: on October 24, 2012 at 4:09 am  Leave a Comment  

October 22, Today’s thought — Enlarged in Distress

“And you are doing what?”

“Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress.” (Psalm 4:1, KJV).

The poetry of this verse is too beautiful to overlook. David is deliberately placing two extremes side by side to demonstrate the profound difference that God’s power makes in our lives when we call out to Him for mercy.

Distress means “a tight spot.” Enlarged means “a spacious place.”
From the very moment of our birth we have known that in order to get to a spacious place, we must first pass through a tight spot. Our mother’s labor pains pushed us through the distress of delivery and ushered us into the largeness of Life itself.

Is it not the same when we are born again? Wasn’t it some pressing weight of sorrow, some overbearing load of guilt and shame, some driving fear, or suffocating loneliness that distressed your soul sufficient enough for you to call upon the Name of the Lord? And didn’t He answer in the day of your trouble and deliver you into a large place?

It is a law in the Kingdom of Heaven — God always enlarges us when we are in distress.

Therefore, when God wants to make us larger than we have settled for being, what do you suppose He does? He introduces distress into our comfortable lives, and thereby invites us to ascend to a larger place.

Charles Spurgeon wrote, “I must confess that all the grace I have got out of my comfortable and easy times and happy hours might almost lie on a penny. But the good that I have received from my sorrows and pains and griefs is altogether incalculable. What do I not owe to the hammer and the anvil, the fire and the file!”

If you are in a tight spot — God is enlarging you my friend, and the best you can do right now is to thank Him for it.  Rylie

Trust God for your day. . .Today.
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

Published in: on October 22, 2012 at 4:37 am  Leave a Comment  

October 21, Sunday Bible Reading, Psalm 4

Remembering my favorite cat, Seymore Toes

Psalms 4:1-8
A Psalm of David.
Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness:
thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress;
have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.
O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame?
how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah.
But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him.
in awe, and sin not:
commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.
Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD. There be many that say,
Who will shew us any good? LORD,
lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.
Thou hast put gladness in my heart,
more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.
I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep:
for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.

A Psalm of David.
ANSWER ME when I call, O God of my righteousness
(uprightness, justice, and right standing with You)!
You have freed me when I was hemmed in
and enlarged me when I was in distress;
have mercy upon me and hear my prayer.
Psalms 4:1 Amplified Bible

Trust God for your day. . .Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

Published in: on October 21, 2012 at 9:34 am  Leave a Comment  

October 16, Today’s thought — Counting

Good Morning

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. KJV

Fall corn

James 1:2-4
Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations.
Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience.
But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing. Amplified Bible

Published in: on October 16, 2012 at 4:31 am  Leave a Comment  

October 15, Today’s thought — Silent; Watching and Waiting

Grocery store violet – I like.

Good Morning

“Friends, when life gets really difficult,
don’t jump to the conclusion that God isn’t on the job.
Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what
Christ experienced. This is a spiritual refining process,
with glory just around the corner.”
(1 Peter 4:12-13. The Message).

Sometimes things can get so difficult that even the most ardent believers look heavenward with serious questions about whether or not God is involved in our affairs anymore. Even Jesus Himself cried out on the cross, “My God, why have you forsaken me?”
Sometimes God pulls just far enough away to awaken and alarm us by His absence. Perhaps we may have grown so accustomed to His blessings and benefits, that we inadvertently began taking them for granted; failing to humbly acknowledge His presence and His provisions in our daily lives. Living presumptuously, without showing our gratitude to God for who He is and what He does.
Nothing snaps us out of that indifferent daze more quickly that a good dose of real difficulty, with a side order of God’s perceived absence. When all hell breaks loose, and heaven is no where to be found — that will get your attention!
But, God is not absent, nor is He distant. He’s just silent; watching and waiting for how we handle the situation. Will be bellow in unbelief like those who know not God at all? Or will we, like Job of old, trust Him though He slay us.
The truth is that the difficulty you are facing is a spiritual refining process; God is separating the gold from the dross in your life. And if you will quietly trust Him through the ordeal you will soon discover it was worth it all — for glory is just around the corner.  ~~Rylie

Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you,as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
1Peter 4:12-13 KJV

Published in: on October 15, 2012 at 4:46 am  Leave a Comment  
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