Busy w/ a Twist...er

Just a short little update.

Yesterday's accomplishment, of cleaning out the shelving/storage space in our laundry room, made my heart smile.  I found several things we can sell, and once again everything is put back in it's place w/ extra room left for storing other things if need be. 

Such as, emergency supplies. 

Our state has been plagued, or as the newsteam stated, "been held under siege" for the past  3 days by a weather system that has wreaked havoc across our state, and many others as well. 

Just as I finished up yesterday, I noticed on the radio they were placing our county under a severe thunderstorm warning, which quickly changed to a tornado warning. 

Poor Mr. C only had the news to tell him of what was going on, as they reported that a tornado was heading straight for our little town.  We were in our safe spot once the storm was too close for comfort. 

It really was a tornado, and it did hit a home SW of us, just a couple of miles, (no one was injured, thankfully) and then did damage as it approached the edge of town, and then traveled through the NW corner of our little town.  Thankfully, it raised somewhat as it passed over, and it was mostly roof damage and damaged trees here in our town.

Each time something like this happens, and we are without power, we make an assessment of what it is we are needing at that time, to keep things going here on the homefront.  And we've realized we need to be better prepared, just in case there is more severe damage next time, and we are without power longer. 

So the extra space that has opened up due to purging, will be used to stock supplies needed for emergency situations.  We have a small emergency supply already put together that is kept in our closet.  But we've realized there are more things we could do to be better prepared. 

Our hearts go out to the people who have suffered massive loss in the aftermath of yesterday's tornado outbreak, ripping through several states.  And to those being affected by the flooding as well.  Praying for them all as they face today. 

Does your family have an emergency stockpile?  Plan?  It's better to plan while the sun is shining, instead of putting it off until another day. 

I believe we can minister to those in need, if we are well-prepared ourselves, when things like this happen.  The way things are, it seems more opportunity will be given to us, to be a blessing to those around us in times of crisis.

Busy Little "B"

1.  I've been busy,

2.  I like to think I'm little, at 5'4" I believe that qualifies,
but as for my midsection, well...
if I want that to be little,
I really need to keep my hands off the leftover lemon bars from Easter Sunday,

3.  My name starts with "B"


I've been working like crazy to clean, purge, straighten up, clean, clean, purge, purge and purge some more-

every little nook and cranny in this house, where we have managed to stick this and that, things that we THINK we need, but haven't actually used in some time, and now it's time for IT to go.  Because, very soon our little town will be having a city-wide yard sale, and you do not have to get a permit to participate.  So, we'll be taking advantage of this time, to sell our junk to others who might think they've found treasure.  Maybe???  I hope so. 

I'll be away for a few days but just wanted to stop in and tell you all how thankful I am for each and every one of you, who I've gotten to know here in Blogland.

I just love visiting with each and every one of you on your own blog and I love the encouragement and edification I receive through you all, in what you share about how God has done amazing things in your lives.  And how you bless your own families with your many talents.  I also love being witness to the joyful families out there who are secure in the love of God.  I've stopped by to "see" you all but just don't have time for many comments this week.  Just know that Mrs. C loves you and is very thankful for you!

To the ladies out there, thank God for the honored position He has given you as wife and mother!  Find joy in being your husbands' helpmeet, the keeper of your home, the encourager, teacher and trainer for your children.  Bless your family in all that you do for them today, and pray for them as you busy your hands, beautifying your home, making it a haven away from the crazy world that lingers just outside the front door.

I'll "B" back soon, hopefully with less stuff, cleaner closets and reclaimed storage spaces.

And I'll leave you all with this from a great encourager to women-

"Work is a blessing. [YES! A BLESSING!] God has so arranged the world that work is necessary, and He gives us hands and strength to do it. The enjoyment of leisure would be nothing if we had only leisure. It is the joy of work well done that enables us to enjoy rest, just as it is the experiences of hunger and thirst that make food and drink such pleasures."  Elisabeth Elliot

And from Titus 2, a much loved passage-

"But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.  The aged women likewise, that [they be] in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, [To be] discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed."

Have a very blessed day by "B"-ing a blessing to someone else!!!

Out and About

Some evenings we enjoy loading up in the truck and just driving
around the backroads in our community.

You just never know what you'll find.

Our eldest spotted a clump of flowers,
her Daddy stopped so she could jump
out and retrieve them.

We've never noticed this type of flower before,
such sweet little blossoms, with the most beautiful
fragrance ever!  Daffodils are not this fragrant. 

Once we returned home, she stuck them in water,
and the next day she got out her photography gear,
and took this-

Beautiful!

On that same drive, we kept following winding roads,
turning this way and that, pavement turning to gravel.

We ended up on a road that seemed to suddenly turn
into a field road, a road used only by  farmers to reach
the furthest parts of their land. 

We spotted a huge nest in the distance, in the top
of a tree that had mostly bare limbs and  no leaves
budding out.

Our youngest had fortunately brought her camera along,
she zoomed in and who knew this spectacular bird
would be sitting there at that particular moment???

We were quite a long ways away, so the quality is not that
great, but still-

an American Bald Eagle!

It's pretty fun, finding things like this,
just a few miles from home,
beautiful flowers and Bald Eagles.

Our state is so blessed to have such an abundance of wildlife,
and we love experiencing it!

And we love the scriptures, that teach us using
visuals from God's creation-

"Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more [will he clothe] you, O ye of little faith"
Luke 12:27-28

"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew [their] strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; [and] they shall walk, and not faint."  Isaiah 40:31

Hope you all have a very blessed day! 

Working on my curtains for the laundry room today,
found material yesterday, and I'm very excited!!!

*Sigh*

I'm tired.  For two reasons.

1st reason-  I just finished painting the laundry room-

WOO-HOOO!!!  Celebration time!

AND, please don't fall over,

last week-

2nd reason-  I started an exercise program...

I'm sore! & I'm tired!!!

I've been getting up at 5:30 am to catch
Classical Stretch on PBS, weekday mornings.

OH MY ACHING...BUM!!!!

Who knew I was in such bad shape???

If I sit down, I'm really not sure I'll be
able to stand back up again, it's that bad.

So, where did all that flexibility, and the ability to
move, and do so many things, where did that go?

It wasn't anything for me to get down in the floor and
play with the girls when they were little, about 15 years ago,

BUT NOW???

Today, when I was doing some stretching...
and I had to lay in the floor,
I was quite certain I'd be there when Mr. C
returned home from work.

Yeah, it's that bad. 
But I'm persistent.
I've got to keep on.
For some reason, I'm supposed to do this,
we're supposed to exercise.  Stay in shape.

I thought I was ok, before this whim,
but when I sought pity
from Mr. C at breakfast, he just mentioned,
"that's what happens when we don't use certain muscles..." 
So, I think he's encouraging
me in his own way,  to continue with
what I've started and work those muscles,
that right now, are having a hard time moving.

Someone please tell me, the pain will someday go away!

Strange thing- it hasn't been as hard on me
going up and down the ladder.
And thankfully, since I'm already
sore, those trips up & down, won't bother me, tomorrow,
like they used to, since I'm already wincing every time
I have to sit down.

Hopefully, I'll have pictures to share soon,
of the finished laundry room walls.

We will have to add trim and baseboards,
paint those (& the folding doors) white.

Anyway, just wanted to share what's been going on in
our little town, in our little house, in my little life. 

~After The Long Winter~

We waited patiently, all through the cold winter days...


And then one day, Ms. W just happened to notice-


he/she was finally ready to come out of his/her cocoon.  

Ms. W found the cocoon last fall in a tree in our yard.  She kept it safe all winter long, wondering just what would emerge.  She read from reliable sources just how the cocoon had to be maintained so as not to disturb the life cycle God had set in place.

Through the months of frigid temperatures, it's amazing to know, that inside his/her cocoon the miracle was happening, and the cold weather could not stop or hinder what was taking place inside such a small space. 

Aren't the antennae amazing?  So carefully crafted by our Master Creator, our Heavenly Father.  And his/her soft little body, who knew a moth could look so cuddly?



TA DA!!!  May we present to you-
Mr. or Mrs. Polyphemus Moth 
(I'm leaning towards "he", but we've 
not confirmed that detail yet.)

Incredible!  Lovely!  More than what we could have ever hoped for, we knew we would have a moth, but one this grand?  We just had no idea.  

Now, Mr./Mrs, you only have one week to find your one and only.  Be off with you, and do what God created you to do.


The females "call" for males by emitting pheromones that the male can detect up to several miles away.  The female remains in one spot, waiting patiently for the male to find her.  

"And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that [it was] good."

We love learning new things...

hope you all enjoyed our nature lesson.

The Apple Doesn't Fall Far From The Tree

This past Saturday, I had the opportunity to talk with my Papa on the phone.  Some days when I call home, he doesn't feel up to talking, and so Momma fills me in on the latest news.

I always love it whenever he does feel like talking.  We just pick back up, from where we last left off.

But this time, he was troubled.  A friend of his, who he has known since they were both young fathers, since the days when both of them were toting around their six kids in station wagons, (the SUV's of the 70's), this friend- has been weighing heavy on his mind.  These two guys loved to golf, and they were both artists.  My Papa was always more of an impressionistic type artist, while his friend was into abstract art.  But they were buddies, and amazingly still keep in touch.

Years ago, when God saved my Papa, the story of God's amazing grace motivated him to tell everyone he knew about God's grace and how God had transformed him by His grace.  He never dreamed, because of how much he loved what he had been given, that someone would reject what he had learned from God's word.  He just assumed others would hear and respond, believing the truth that we are saved by grace through faith, not of works.  But that wasn't the case.  When he shared the message of grace with his closest friend, his friend told him that was a lie from Satan.

Papa couldn't believe the reaction.  It's been years since that moment, and like I said, amazingly  the two have kept in contact.  And Papa's friend comes by to see him often.  He always talks of all that he's doing for the Lord.  He preaches to men in prison.  He has started recording what he shares with the men, and leaves copies of his messages with my Papa so he can listen to them.

Papa was so disturbed when I called because he had just listened to his friend's latest sermon, and this man is teaching salvation by works.  I have listened to my Papa over the years, stand for truth, unwavering in what he knows he was taught and what is confirmed in God's word about our salvation.  He's always been faithful in defending the truth of God's word.  Even when I was young in my faith and hadn't studied enough to understand some things, I remember arguing with my own Papa about an issue.  He never wavered, even with his own child, and I know he prayed for me.

So that's where our discussion on the matter ended, the fact that praying is the best thing to do in a situation like this.  We can share what truth we've learned with others, but we most certainly cannot force that truth onto anyone.  It is in prayer for ourselves and for others, that God is able to do what we cannot and should not do.  Trying to convince others by our own persuasion. 

"Without God, your attempts will simply cause the person to entrench themselves even more and go over to the attack. It is hard to learn not to argue with such a person, but to simply walk away and pray and trust the Lord to deal with them. Trust me, try to “help” them and you will only buy yourself much unnecessary heartache and pain. One of the hardest things in Christian work is to hand such a person over to the Lord when we feel we should actually be doing something."  ( from Herescope)

He has wanted so badly for his friend to see God's truth in His grace, I just reminded him how he has shared that truth with him, so many times, and he has been faithful to stand for God's truth.  But no amount of human reasoning will bring him into the truth.  That is a work only the Holy Spirit. can do.  He's the one who first shared that with me, years ago, I was just simply reminding him of something he already knew.

I'm so thankful God has given us more time with my Papa.  His good days are fewer, but when they are good, they are really good.  And after spending time with him on the phone I realize, his passion for truth and zeal for standing for truth has been passed on to most of his children.  The love for others, and for God's truth causes our hearts to yearn for others to walk in His truth.  It's good to know the boundaries, when to keep quiet, and just pray for the one you hope comes to a full knowledge of Christ.   

"Our weapons are mighty in God. They are powerless in and of themselves, but in God they are mighty, powerful and able to bring every thought under control. These weapons include the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17), prayer (Ephesians 6:18) and the anointing of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8)."

Thank you God for reminding me of how completely dependent I am upon You, and how badly I need you to correct my ways, anytime I try to "do" something in my own power.  You are my God and I rest in You and Your ways.

May I introduce you to-

-the author of the Letters From Midlife blog- Mrs. Cindy.

Cindy is married, mom of four, 54, who enjoys real books, letter writing, dark chocolate, and still likes to color with a new box of crayons.

(HA- I love to color too, and new crayons are the best!)

She has written some very timely posts, and I would love to share her posts with the rest of you.

When you have time, please read through these, she has written all of these out with such carefulness and is teaching in line with scripture on these matters.

Thank you so much Cindy, for sharing what you have learned and for standing for truth in these times.

1. More On Discernment

2. What Is Really "Emerging" In The Church?

3. Is It Just "Contemplating"?

And last but not least, a quote she has shared on her blog-

“Discernment is not simply a matter of telling the difference between what is right and wrong; rather it is the difference between right and almost right.” - Charles Spurgeon 

May you all have a very blessed day with our Lord Jesus Christ today, learning more of Him and resting in His righteousness, His saving grace, His faithfulness.

"Great is Thy faithfulness!" "Great is Thy faithfulness!"
  Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—
    "Great is Thy faithfulness," Lord, unto me!"

Do I Need New Glasses?

I've been doing a lot of research and reading lately.
OH my eyes!

The lines are getting blurred, and too often it's hard to
distinguish between truth and error,
that is if we aren't grounded in the Word.
I'm so thankful we have the whole counsel of
God revealed to us in His Word to keep it all straight.

I was trying to find a Christian website that would plainly
define some different terms.

There is a great need at this time, to define what the
Omnipresence of God is,
compared to the teachings that say-

"God is all" or "God is in all things".
 
While doing my websearch, I stumbled upon a statement,
and after you read it I'll tell where I found it.

"He is present everywhere --

as the raga in the music, or

the canvas in a painting.

He is the warp and woof of the entire tapestry of life,

as the thread in a piece of cotton.

We must have

the ears to listen to the raga,

the understanding to see the canvas, and

the knowledge to recognize the thread in the cloth.

The hurried existence of busy experiences
diverts our attention, and we consequently
fail to see, hear, or know Him. ………. "

So, is this from a Christian source?  Or a Christian author?

Things are getting so blurred these days it's
honestly hard to tell.

I won't keep you in suspense any longer-

this comes from a website devoted to Hindu religious teachings.

The very last part of that quote is eerily similar to
the message in a very popular book right now.

It's strange how easily so many are swallowing the pill,
never asking, what's in the pill?
(when it comes to several books being touted as
"Christian", when they are not Biblical at all.) 


I've warned in the past about New Age mysticism creeping in
and it is true, I've done my homework.
The list continues to grow, once trusted authors are compromising
and blending New Age teaching into their writings.

As this is happening at an alarming rate,
this is the verse that keeps being brought back to my attention,
as I ponder the situation we find ourselves in.

"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers:
for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?
and what communion hath light with darkness?"

Why are so called Christian authors going to ungodly
sources for information for their writings?  Are they so bored
with the Bible they have decided to reach out into the unknown
to find something more daring to share with their readers?

When we are reading books and such,
if the author is giving truth mixed with error,
we can be certain we are not receiving the whole counsel of God.

Thankfully, God's word is complete, when He tells us to

do something, He tells us why, and what  the outcome
will be when we obey His word.

And His teachings have been with us for 100's of years.
They've never changed,
He isn't holding anything back from us,
He has given them to us freely.

We must be grounded in His word,
so that we can turn from error,
or expose it when we find it.
Error does not grow us up in Christ.
It will not conform us to the image of Christ, 

or teach us anything necessary for the Christian life.

Please dear sisters in Christ Jesus,
remind me to stay in the Word,

and I'll remind all of you as well.

I've said before in another post, everything we
need to know about our Holy God,
He has given to us in His living, Holy Bible. 

You all already know that, it's just good for us to remind
ourselves of that wonderful truth OFTEN!

Especially in these times.

And oh, the meaning of God being Omnipresent-

(nothing at all similar to the other two terms I mentioned
at the beginning of the post, which are actually the
definitions of pantheism and panentheism, which are not
attributes of our Holy God.)

"God is omnipresent, not because He is or has to be everywhere, but that he is not limited either by space or by time and can be in countless places and involved with many different situations simultaneously. This is what we mean by the Omnipresence of God. If our God can be localized in space, then our God is too small." 
Source for above quote found in this online document.

Walk in His truth daily, there is great joy in learning from Him
and of Him, in the way He has chosen to reveal Himself to us.

Jesus warned us over and over about the doctrines of men,
do we not believe Him when we read that?

Any practice or exercise, someone gives you to do as a
way to become closer to God, or experience Him more
fully, is nothing more than a doctrine of man. 

We come to God on His terms, through the blood-bought way
this is how we know Him, because we are in Him through Christ.
He is alive and active in the life of the believer by His Holy Spirit.
Do we believe that?  Then rest in that.

"The Joy of the Lord is my strength."

And thankfully, I can see things rightly, because of
God's word, through which everything must pass.
Those are my spiritual glasses.

Grace and peace to you all, as in the Lord Jesus Christ