A serious older woman

well...probably older than any of my readers.
I'm watching the videos of the April 10-12 T4G conference.  Really good listening.  http://t4g.org/
David Platt talked about common certain words in the conversation of some...of such as these, I was.
 To mention hell, Jesus Christ, God to emphasize a point or to sound like those I was speaking to at that moment...but using these in loose, irreverent ways.  I would liberally sprinkle sentences with these, not giving a thought to the reality of any word.  He reminds us these are certain and a real place or person.
I have given my attention and allegiance to Christ for almost 50 years now.  And my speech has definitely changed.  Oh, it wasn't as one tries to improve their grammar, but as one who's grammar has been taken over...operated by another.  As if I moved over and let the Spirit drive, doing it as if in 'auto-pilot'. 
I didn't change my speech immediately...it took awhile to learn to 'drive' behind the wheel with another...two sharing the seat.  After time, I took over the wheel and enjoyed the view (conversation)...it became as natural as the rest of my words.
My goal is that eventually, ALL my words will be pleasing to my Driving Instructor.

Brilliant colors today...

did the relatives and disciples of Jesus notice the beauty of nature the morning after Easter?  As I write, I'm looking out at our yard and neighborhood.  Bright greens, Carolina Blue sky...even the boring greyish bark of the trees look good.  It (the bark) covers a factory of life within, years of growth, maturing for its use in the future. 
Or were the women and disciples so immersed in the mystery of the missing body they didn't notice the life around them?
Today is victory...then and now...He's gone from that place...He is risen!

I got lost in reading old sermons from Desiring God site this morning.  This is too good not to share:
http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/10-resolutions-for-mental-health at the bottom of the article is a quote from another:

 Even if I turn out to be wrong, I shall bet my life on the assumption that this world is not idiotic, neither run by an absentee landlord, but that today, this very day, some stroke is being added to the cosmic canvas that in due course I shall understand with joy as a stroke made by the architect who calls himself Alpha and Omega.

I believe God, the Creator of everything, painted the canvas around me and then placed me right in front of it.  It fills my sight and thrills my heart. 

One of my favorite flowering vines is Clematis...I have several.  Here are three that are blooming today:

The whitish is one I transplanted from a shady spot in the yard only 3 weeks ago...why not enjoy the 'canvas' around you today?

boy, I get myself in trouble...

just by opening my mouth.  I'm pretty opinionated; here's one of my opinions:

I'm really tired of reading and hearing about one 17 year old juvenile and the man who shot him, in self-defense according to the newspapers.  It has taken up way too many minutes of air time or of journalism articles.  I remember there are military defending me every day, many who are killed or injured...in war zones around the world.  They certainly don't get the attention they deserve.  Come on!  It's getting 'wacky' unbalanced.
I learned of another juvenile in the North Iowa area we're from, who several times shot his mother last week.  The community mourns the loss of a woman of character, a wife, mother, daughter, sister.  One who was helping to save lives in her nursing career.  A tradgedy noted only in the local papers, but felt by so many.
I find it difficult to think of these things:

 "...whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
(Philippians 4:8 ESV)

My photo on March 15...my birthday (75th)