Mornings

I love mornings...

I so do.

I am off school for the rest of the week, and the kiddos too.

4 whole days of not having not having to run out the door early.

And the happiest thing about that is, getting to savor my most favorite time of the day.

In my favorite morning time spot.

Soaking in scriptures and coffee,

and reviving my weary soul.

"On the day I called, you answered me, my strength of soul you increased."

Psalm 138:3

I so love the way mornings offer promise.

A brand new day, a clean slate.

Sparkling like the morning sun off leaves.

When I make the time to face Him,

I can be like this tree.

Reflecting the light.

Mornings make even Blue's path, drenched in the night's rain,

a sparkling path.

All is green and fresh and bright.

The skies seem bluer and clearer.

And I begin to realize, it's not just because it's morning that all seems clearer.

Could it be instead, that I, like the grass and the trees and the path,

were dry -  needing a good soaking?

That I too needed to clear the clouds and feed this soul?

That when I fill first with Him, in the morning, everyday could be like this?!

On this Christmas Eve's Eve

Oh how I wish I could just press the pause button on life right now.

I want to stay right here, in these moments.

Just for a while longer.

I love having the kids home from school.

I love having this special time of baking and lights,

 the joy, the decorations, and the anticipation of it all.

For school, I have been having to volunteer at a Physical Therapy office.

I love it, but I have to have many volunteer hours and being away from home

so much has been a bit hard. 

I have been enjoying what time I do have at home more than ever.

Cherishing it all...

Oh the goodies me and Jalyn have made!

* My hubbies' favorite - pralines.

* One of my favorites - sugar cookies!

Jalyn had to have different colored icing to decorate the cookies.

More fun that way!  And prettier too!

* And these!  A new addition to our treat making

- yummy chocolate covered cake balls.

Such a mess to make - and a bit of work for sure,

but worth it!

In the midst of much activity, I so enjoy some quiet -

I need some time to myself. 

If only just to sit in the living room -

with the glow of candles and Christmas lights.

And again this morning - up before everyone else.

Bible reading, journaling, coffee and chocolate chip scones.

Wishing everyone peace-filled moments.

Moments spent savoring the season, the goodies, the kiddos,

and the Giver of all.

I Come to the Table

"He humbled you, causing you to hunger and feeding you with manna,

which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord."

Deut. 8:3

I get the bigger ones off to school.

Get myself ready, check emails, study a bit of pharmacology.

Get the little one up and bring him to school.

Stop off at the store, pick up ingredients for this evenings dinner.

Get home, put groceries away, start dishwasher and washing machine.

Feed dogs and take little one out for a bit.

All morning I feel the pull.  I feel the hunger.  I know just what I need.

So I come.  Hungry and empty.

I light a candle.

I set the table.  A feast for my soul.  Nourishment like no other.

"Men ate angels' food;  He sent them food to the full."

Ps. 78:25

I dig in, because I have tasted and know that only God can fill and change and grow and strengthen.  

"Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God."

Matt 4:4

We may try to fill ourselves with all sorts of "good things", but eventually that emptiness comes back.  And just as the Israelites had to gather manna every morning, we too have to come often - to His table.  To eat of of what only He can give.

"You also gave Your good Spirit to instruct them,  And did not withhold Your manna from their mouth, And gave them water for their thirst."

Neh. 9:20

And when I am fed and full, I pray that the overflow is used by Him.

That He gives me what I can give away.

I recently discovered a great app (ESVBible) or website -  www.esvbible.org . 

 You can read the bible, take notes, highlight,

and the coolest part to me is that you can click "listen" and it will read it to you.

My Quiet Time Basket

In an effort to curb the stacks of books from end tables and even my kitchen table

I looked for a pretty basket -

a quiet time basket.

I gathered up all the essentials.

All those items for time alone with God.

A bible study I recently bought.

(Love when I am in a study that has me flipping back and forth all over my bible!)

A wonderful book I have been reading - a great book for new believers, and wisdom when helping those new in the faith.

 Also for those who need a bit of fresh inspiration in their not so new walk of faith.

My prayer journal



A great bible study I want to do next...

My "when I am studying" bible, and my "when I am reading only" bible

In this journal, I write out paragraphs from books I am reading, and don't want to forget,

or meaningful quotes,

or lists of books I want to read,

things I want to go back to.

This, my attempt to be more organized...

Not working - but I did write it all out...

If only I would remember to go back and read it occasionally!



My gratitude journal - is actually left open on my kitchen table. 

Daily counting blessings of life.

And my set of scriptures - for when I need to cling to a verse...

And a bookmark Joshua brought home from school.

The perfect quiet time spot...

What's in your quiet time stack/pile/basket?

January Flies By

Where has this month gone?  Wasn't the tree just up?  The gifts yet opened?

And here it is, January gone. 

I will admit to being happy about that.  Not a favorite month of mine, by any means.

Always the let down after the holidays, the packing up of decorations,

the expectations of new beginnings/changes, the in-between of winter and spring.

February tomorrow. 

My month of love.  Not the 14th, but the 9th.  The day me and my hubby celebrate our

20th Wedding Anniversary

!!!!!!!

Bits of my January:

Green budding flowers.  The anticipation of what will spring up.

Spring semester brings Anatomy and Physiology 2.

We begin with the blood.  It is interesting, but somehow, my old study habits haven't kicked into gear yet.

Savored my time off too much perhaps.  My first quiz is Thursday morning - I need find my study momentum....once again.

Memorizing Colossians this year.  Going over and over these verses -

again, finding studying so hard.   I bring them with me - many carpool moments to practice.

I want His Word in my heart...

Also in those carpool moments -  enjoying one of the many books.

The beginning of the year brought me the challenge of reading through God's Word - finding the right reading plan.  I have tried different plans, and have failed.  I have tried just opening wherever, and have failed.

  

And this time, I find what works, for me. 

I began in Genesis, and daily read as much as I can - lingering over it.  Journaling about it. 

Reading it along with a commentary at times.

Weaving in and out of the Old Testament and the New Testament, checking off what I have done -

seeing what I have left.  Not being too hard on myself, the days I miss - but catching up when I do.

Loving it.

Goodbye January :)

A Nourishing Diet

Just a few from the shelves.

Bits of who I am and how I am formed.

How my mind thinks and what I wonder about.

Truth ingrained.  Words to grow by.

 I have truly feasted.

I have lingered and savored, and kept going till I had to stop.

Instead of a fork, I use a pen.  I underline these morsels, I journal about them, they become a part of me.

My latest - just came in the mail.  I have already dove in (though I have 2 others I am currently working through).

Some quotes from this book so far-

"I want to counter this widespread practice of taking personal experience instead of the Bible as the authority for living...  I want to confront and expose this replacement of the authoritative Bible by the authoritative self.  I want to place personal experience under the authority of the Bible and not over it."

"What I want to call attention to is that the Bible, all of it, is livable; it is the text for living our lives.  It reveals a God-created, God-ordered, God-blessed world in which we find ourselves at home and whole."

I want all my reading to be a worth-while pursuit.  I so want to be changed and challenged - not just or even amused. 

I came across this quote the other day - and thought how fitting it was to my reading as well.

John Piper:

What I have learned from about twenty-years of serious reading is this: It is sentences that change my life, not books. What changes my life is some new glimpse of truth, some powerful challenge, some resolution to a long-standing dilemma, and these usually come concentrated in a sentence or two. I do not remember 99% of what I read, but if the 1% of each book or article I do remember is a life-changing insight, then I don’t begrudge the 99%.

Ezekiel 3

 And he said to me, "Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the house of Israel."  So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat.

 Then he said to me, "Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it." So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.

Eat - and be filled - taste and see that the Lord is good.