days of small things

  Speak, O Lord, and renew our minds Help us grasp the heights of Your plans for us Truths unchanged from the dawn of time That will echo down through eternity And by grace we'll stand on Your promises And by faith we'll walk as You walk with us Speak, O Lord, till Your church is built And the earth is filled with Your glory                                                                                Keith and Kristy Getty *pictured: flowers gifted by a dear (though distant) friend when she and her family conspired with Oli to surprise me with a special visit on Good Friday this year!  <3

The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.  We will be attending a "Scriptorium" hosted by a dear family from church. Several families are getting together and reciting scripture. I am so excited. The kids and I already know and have memorized lots of scripture to song, courtesy of Seeds Family Worship, Rizers, and others.  This will be a chance for them to witness in community, that what we do at home does not exist in a vacuum. That other parents are faithfully teaching their children in a like manner. For them to see older children, still, being instructed in the scriptures, and not eschewing them because it is no longer "cool." Bless this time oh Lord.  *pictured: Jackie in a Lion's suit.

  Good friends bring you Starbucks when they visit.  Faithful friends point each other to Christ.  It is always hard to offer advice to others. I almost always feel like I am in no position to do so. Which is generally true. But when it comes to encouraging someone in the Lord, I am growing more and more comfortable.  Our children have a reputation. This has been true of them ever since we can remember. It is this: Though they are many, they can sit somewhere quietly. That's it. Strangers that have no idea the level of depravity they are capable of expressing, dote on and compliment them. Simply for sitting down quietly (usually in a place where it is absolutely necessary and appropriate to do so) church, symphonies, mock-trials, concerts, meeting, etc.   This has posed a problem of sorts for some parents who then esteem that we are some kind of experts. We're not, and I don't mean that in a self-loathing, or false humility kind of way . I'm serious. We only seek to be

  it is the tone of the home life, that is important. We should make it pure, elevating, refining, inspiring.  The books we bring in,  the papers and magazines,  the guests we have at our tables and admit to our firesides,  the home conversation,  the pictures we hang on our walls --all these are educational.   The religious influences are also vitally important. In that first 'garden home', the Lord came and went as a familiar friend. Christ must be our guest, if our home is to be a fit place either for our children or for ourselves. If there is no sincere prayer in it, it is not a true home at all-- it is only a heathen lodging-place! How can we make 'new Edens' of our homes? What are some of the secrets of home happiness? I might gather them all into one word and say, CHRIST! If we have Christ as our guest, our home will be happy! He must be welcomed into all our life. He must be in each heart.must sit at our tables and mingle with us in all our family interaction. C

Today I met someone for the first time when she came to our house for dinner tonight. She had visited our church on Sunday but I didn’t get a chance to even see her. After our pastor shared her contact information for me to reach out to her, I called, and seeing that she lived a stone’s throw away, I invited her over.  It was such a lovely time. Over a modest dinner of hot dogs, salad, and homemade cheesecake bars I found cause to praise our Great God! He is gathering His people from all walks of life. From every generation. From all people groups.  Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, for Marla.  Thank you, Lord!  Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers,  strangers as they are

Tough day. Car is still giving us trouble. More poop on the grass from a not so kind neighbor. But God graciously allowed us to bowl with a sweet friend from church and have Chipotle for lunch. Danielle came over and made Creme Brûlée cheesecake bars for us. She also stayed for family worship night. I was also able to clean out the pantry and the laundry room.  Thank you Lord for such hardships and also tender graces.  You are good.  I am looking forward to Wednesday night bible study!   *pictured: 7 pairs of feet, ready to bowl! Jackie, of course, shoeless (:

"God never pursues His glory at the expense of the good of His people, nor does He ever seek our good at the expense of His glory. He has designed His eternal purpose so that His glory and our good are inextricably bound together. What comfort and encouragement this should be to us. If we are going to learn to trust God in adversity, we must believe that just as certainly as God will allow nothing to subvert His glory, so He will allow nothing to spoil the good He is working out in us and for us."   ~ Jerry Bridges, Trusting God Our pastor sent this quote to us today.  Oli and I are both longing for homeownership. We were reminded of this longing more recently as it's been difficult dealing with neighbors. Moreover, I think I've grown weary of our current home's layout. There is no dining room. The dining room has always been my favourite room of any home we've lived in.   Surely, this hasn't stopped us from enjoying meals together and having friends and f

For all these smallnesses, I thank you, Lord: small children, and small needs; small meals to cook, small talk to heed, and a small book from which to read small stories; small hurts to heal, small disappointments, too, as real as ours; small glories to discover in bugs, pebbles, flowers. When day is through; my mind is small, my strength is gone; and as I gather each dear one I pray, “Bless each for Jesus’ sake – such angels sleeping, imps awake!” What wears me out are little things: angels minus shining wings. Forgive me, Lord, if I have whined: . . . it takes so much to keep them shined; yet each small rub has its reward, for they have blessed me. Thank You, Lord. excerpt from Ruth Bell Graham's, "Sitting by my laughing fire." Forgive me Lord. For my grumbling. Keep eternity ever before me as I labour to glorify you in these smallnesses.   Convince my heart that these words are true. *pictured: a snail (gifted to us by a family from church) 

  "Everybody watch!" He cried.  And summoning all his strength, he threw himself into the air, headfirst. The string trailed behind him. But as he neglected to taste the other end to anything, it didn't really do any good. Wilbur landed with a thud, crushed and hurt. Tears came to his eyes. Templeton grinned. Charlotte just sat quietly. After a bit, she spoke.  "You can't spin a web, Wilbur, and I advise you to put the idea out of your mind." White, pg. 58 It was a Sunday afternoon.  The kids and I were sitting in the car, waiting, as Oli Picked up ma's birthday cake from Publix so we could head to her house and celebrate.  The children have a special talent for staring at people. As if the longer and harder they stare, the closer they get to discerning who it is they are looking at.  Someone walked by. I noticed.  It was a man dressed as a woman. Full wig, high heels, make-up, skinny jeans. But nevertheless, a man. They noticed too. And stared.  Chomp,

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. Titus 2:3-5 (KJV) Mrs. Gray is an answered prayer. Long before I knew she existed, I was praying, pleading with the lord that He would send me someone to come alongside me and show me how to be a Christian woman. Someone to put flesh and bones on and bring to life the glories of the scriptures concerning biblical womanhood. I am so glad He heard my cry. I love her so much and am so grateful.  *pictured: Mrs. Gray holding a restless Jackie during Wednesday night Lifegroup

  Afflictions, when sanctified  . . .   temper worldly ambitions,   burn out the dross of selfishness,   humble pride,   quell fierce passions,   reveal the evil in our hearts,   manifest our weaknesses, faults and blemishes,   teach patience and submission,   discipline unruly spirits,   deepen and enrich our graces. Afflictions, when sanctified ,  plough the hard soil and cut long and deep furrows in the heart. The heavenly Sower follows, and  fruits of righteousness spring up.  "No  discipline  seems enjoyable at the time, but painful.  Later on , however, it yields the fruit of peace and righteousness to those who have been  trained  by it." Hebrews 12:11 Affliction is a  messenger of God , sent to minister to us in the best of ways!  When under God's chastening hand, we should ask,  What would God have this sorrow do for me?  What is its mission? What its great design?  What golden fruit lies hidden in its husk?  How shall it . . .    strengthen my virtue,   nerve my

How do you grieve the death of someone who wanted to die?  Paul writes that  God works all things  for the  good  of those “who are called according to purpose.” We must ask ourselves what our purpose is. ... When  God works all things  together, He  works all things  together for our “ good ;” that is, that we would become more like Jesus.  -Turner Perkins Make me more like you, Oh Lord. On Friday, April 8, 2011, I was junior in college and getting ready to volunteer at a baseball game with the FSU Chapter of the NAACP. As the newly crowned Ms. NAACP, it was part of my duties to work the concession stands (where the organization gets part of the proceeds). I was dressed and about to get on the bus, when I got the call.  They said my brother was in the hospital and that I needed to fly out of the Tallahassee airport ASAP to help him. I hadn’t spoken to my brother in a few days. He had been to see me at FSU twice in the year that I’d been there. He called me that morning and I didn’t an