How many words left in my Word Bank?

One speaks only a certain amount of words during their lifetime and then they're done.  When the 'breath of life' has left, they're done speaking.  Right? 
I've lived alot of years; too many to waste any that's left...or my words, either.  I will spend some words writing in this blog.
It's raining and dark as I write in mid-morning on Sunday.  While listening to Alistair Begg's message (really good on gospel), I thought of this illustration on Redemption and Reconciliation:
Years ago, before charging items on a credit card and immediate possession, we would put the item on 'lay-away'.  Put down a small amount, take home a payment book, pay regular payments until the price is paid.  On the day I paid the last bit, handed in the book and received the item I had hoped for, waited anxiously to use or wear.  That day the item was paid in full: REDEEMED !  I finally owed no more...it was mine.
(Almost 50 years ago, I dealt with Jesus concerning my sinful life and pledged a lifetime allegiance to Him: I was redeemed, purchased by His payment).
Let's imagine my item was my mixer or  toaster oven.  I would hug that long waited for box, take it home, rip off the box and enjoy getting to know how to use it.  It was mine!  It had been redeemed and I could wear it out if I so chose.  Getting to know all it could do, becoming 'friends' with it, showing it to others or using it to share with them...that's the reconciled part. 
Just so, Jesus has become my 'friend'...and He calls me His friend, also.  This is a pretty simple illustration of redeemed and reconciled, but I'm hoping it might be helpful to someone reading this.
Oh...my mixer isn't my best friend, just my kitchen friend.  Jesus is my very best friend.

Please email or comment if this isn't clear or you have questions.

Sleeping through the storm

I've had this short story in my Bible pocket for 10 years or so.  It makes me smile every time I take it out to read.  Can't credit it as I cut it out of a book or magazine.  Hope it encourages you.

Years ago a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast.   He constantly advertised for hired hands.  Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic.  They dreaded the awful storms that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops.
As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals.  Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age approached the farmer.  "Are you a good farmhand?" the farmer asked him.
"Well, I can sleep when the wind blows," answered the little man.  Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, hired him.
The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the man's work.  Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore.  Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand's sleeping quarters.  He shook the little man and yelled, "Get up!  A storm is coming!  Tie things down before they blow away!"  The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, "No sir.  I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows."
Enraged by the old man's response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot.  Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm.  To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarps.  The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were barred.  The shutters were tightly secured.  Everything was tied down.  Nothing could blow away.  The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, and he returned to bed to also sleep while the wind blew.  When we are prepared, we have nothing to fear.  We can secure ourselves against the storms of life by grounding ourselves firmly in God's Word and God's love.

First Presidential Debate Tonight

I'll be praying for God's man of choice...it's entirely up to Him.

Here’s what I think:  it’s better NOT to have internet…TV coverage is enough to warn and turn you about B. O.  I pull up so many daily news servers each day…the awful acts of this president continues to shock me…today is the worst yet.  It occurs to me:  did David or Saul have ‘watchers’ who reported to the people?  Or did the people rely ONLY upon God to place their king and protect them??

I try to rein in my fears and disgust by remembering:

God is my Rock, my deliverer, my salvation, my stronghold.  Psalm 18

Do Women hate snakes more than Men do?

I think so.  At least, they seem more vulnerable to them.  Maybe that's why 'the snake' in the garden approached Eve...not Adam.
One of the first things I do each morning is check-in at:
http://www.challies.com/  My absolutely favorite blog to watch!
His mother recently began her own blog and it's becoming one of my favorites also.  http://gracelookingback.wordpress.com/

A few days ago, she wrote about "the snakes are still in the basement".
That brought back a vivid memory I have of the time I was about 13 and I saw a big Rat Snake in our basement at home.  They're not colorful; long and almost black in color.  We had mice in the house, critters out around it...this one was curled around a pipe through a window from the basement to outdoors.  Just thinking about it makes me feel queasy. (short for Yuk-uneasy).  The window was open...guess he was looking for his dinner.  Sometimes they would lay on the sunny shore at the lake near our house...some had large lumps...maybe frogs hoping to get out?
Her blog entry is how we have sins (snakes) in our life but ignor or hide them (basement)--"many of the snakes are not put to death, but they can be so ‘neglected’ by us that they are rendered ineffective".
http://gracelookingback.wordpress.com/2012/08/31/snakes-and-sanctification/

God is the great Eliminator and Defender...in this life, I'll never be completely free of 'the snakes...sin', but I can run to Him and ask Him to take care of them, eliminate them or chase them away.
"I love you, O LORD, my strength.  The LORD is my rock,, my fortress, my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge."  Psalm 18

"If at the cross every sin was covered, Satan's mouth is shut. He has no weapon. He can gum you but his fangs are gone." - John Piper

Here's a mystery I hope to solve:  what kind of bush is this??

I found it yesterday while walking in our neighborhood...very striking!  It's about 4' high and across...must call County Extension, I guess..


I was reminded twice today, in God's Word:
He has placed me where I am, what I am in life...that gives me hope.  I didn't land at this station in life because of MY decisions, but because He has specifically chosen this life for me.  So, I will do my best to live and act pleasing to Him, performing the work He has ordered tailor-made just for me.  The following speaks to me:
"Enjoy life with the (husband) you love, all the days of your (brief) life that He has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your (work)...."  Ecclesiastes 9:9

Adding to our family.

OK,take a breath!  The wedding is over, most of the guests have left.
One of the granddaughters married one week ago today, 9/1, here in Raleigh.  She added another member to our growing family...Yay!  I love big families.  Today, I'm recalling weddings of other children of mine.

After 4 daughters, I had 1 son.  I began my life in Christ during my eldest children's childhood.  I didn't know, or think, of praying for Godly husbands for them.  But with the last 2, I surely did!  And God has answered that prayer...I began to pray for Godly mates for their children.  Pure grace:  He's answering that prayer, also.
Hurricane Isaac barely missed us.  We had a lovely, sunny event next to a small lake:

                                   Farmer's Mkt. Flowers for the event.

No cake, but lots of cupcakes!

(My husband thought this was his table.)

                                        Handsome DJ...(disk jockey)

"I DO!"

"...the LORD God said, "it is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him."    Gen. 2:18

(That was really meant for Adam and Eve, but I like to think of it for our kids.)

more pests

well, a pest to me, anyway.  I realize there may be readers that love all things of nature, and that's fine for you.  But, anything that's moving on 4 legs or more, furry, covered with stripes...creatures without manners, that I wouldn't invite to my dinner table...nope!  Not for me.
We have these crawly, striped creatures of nature that have absolutely DEVOURED the parsley plants on the deck...look:

He and his hungry friends have eaten ALL our parsley down to stubs!

We were told, "Oh, wonderful!  You're raising MONARCH butterflies".  Um, no...we're not!  And anyway, these are Black Swallowtail butterflies.
Here's the cycle...they eat our parsley, and birds eat them...so many don't ever get to the stage of making their cocoon.  But, for those that do, here's a photo from the web:

So, if you see one of these soon, it might just be escaping our deck!