Am I Still Breathing?

Once in a while we have to stop and ask ourselves this question;  Am I still breathing?  Obviously, physically I am still breathing or I wouldn't have any need to ask such a question...What I am talking about is my spiritual life's breath.  Am I still breathing God's new life for me?

Sometimes it is quite a fight to keep breathing, sometimes we have moments where we feel as if we are drowning, or feel out of breath, exhausted by life's challenges.  There are times when we are bombarded by the arrows of darkness and forget to breathe nearly passing out in disbelief of the circumstances surrounding us.  No matter how much breath we have left, God is always there to revive us.  He never will leave us.  No matter what we are going through.  Keep our hearts pure.  Set our mind on His ways, which we cannot comprehend.  Keep our eyes on Jesus.  He is able to deliver us from all we find ourselves in.  Am I still breathing?  Yes!  I will continue to breathe as long as He is with me.  I would be lost without Him...

 

When it looks like all hope is lost. God comes and reveals Himself.  Since March 11th, there has been a myriad of bad news from Japan...the earthquake and ensuing Tsunami, all the deaths, the radiation poisoning...but God is there, I see that He is there in the following ways:  The 60 year old man rescued 10 miles off the coast 2 days after, floating on his roof...the 4 month old baby swept away from the parents (who both survived) found alive on the 14th with no injuries...the 70 year old lady found alive in her home that was swept away...the man found 8 days later...the 80 year old grandma and her 16 year old grandson who was given enough energy to pull himself out to get them saved, who 9 days after were found alive!  These are great examples of hope in a most horrible situation, God is truly there!  They are being called miraculous...and rightly so, they are miracles!  How could one go on without hope in all this devastation?  There will always be hope, a reason to keep breathing...God NEVER leaves us without hope!  Therefore, we can still breathe...He always gives us a reason to keep breathing, sometimes we have to search for it, sometimes it is small and seemingly insignificant, but there is always hope.

We don't know what each day will bring us, the world is in turmoil, on the brink of all out war.  The earth is rumbling and shaking, the storms are harsh and devastating, even the waves of the ocean are said to be larger now.  Our food is being destroyed by torrential rain, freezing temperatures, extreme droughts and now radiation leaks.  Inflation of necessities coupled with lost jobs and decreased pay are crippling many nations creating a huge foreclosure and bankruptcy problem.  The world as we know it could change today, we just don't know.   We live in a world of unknowns.  Are we prepared for the unknown calamities?  Are we still breathing the Word of Life?  Or have we become distracted by all this turmoil?   Do we have faith in God?  Do we trust Him to be our protection, our provider, our hope when it all falls apart?  Are we to a place where we can say, no matter what, I will trust God?  Probably not entirely...if we are totally honest with ourselves.  I sure would like to be at all times fully trusting Him, but I waver still.  I still have fears....but I will fear Him above all.  I must, my very life depends on trusting Him!  He is my breath.  Without Him there is no breath of life...no hope...

In all things I will praise His name.  He is my Rock, my Fortress, the righteous run to Him and are safe, He is my Refuge!  God is in control, the whole earth belongs to Him!  He knows what we need and when we need it.  He will NEVER leave us nor forsake us, if our minds and hearts are set on Him.  These are promises I hold close to my heart.  Please keep breathing, don't give up, keep moving forward, fight the good fight until the end.  Just breathe!        

~Courage

Be Anxious For Nothing...

It is easy to get wrapped up in the headlines and become anxious or worried about how we are going to 'make it' in the coming weeks ahead.  This is when our eyes become distracted and every little thing that might be a picture of what is to come catches our attention.  We must be careful here, anxious thoughts lead to delusion and fear of everything.  In Luke 12, Jesus talks about anxious thoughts which mirror the things we are facing here in America as the economy crumbles around us.  Possible food shortages, soaring gas and energy prices, wars, natural disasters, epidemics real or not, terror threats, the list goes on and on to what we are exposed to on a daily basis.  It can be a stressful time for all of us, but more so if our attention is given to these things and not to following God.  Please take these promises to heart and keep your eyes on Him who is able to keep you through any storm of life.

LUKE 12:22-34

Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on.  Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.  Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds?  And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?  If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest?  Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?

 “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind.  For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.

“Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.  Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

PHILIPPIANS 4:4-7

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

JEREMIAH 17:7-9

“ Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
      And whose hope is the LORD.
      For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters,
      Which spreads out its roots by the river,
      And will not fear when heat comes;
      But its leaf will be green,
      And will not be anxious in the year of drought,
      Nor will cease from yielding fruit.
 
Remembering always that God is with you, in whatever difficulty life brings, keeping your heart and mind on His ways being higher than ours, having faith in Him when all looks hopeless, trusting in Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, because He is God, the Creator of the universe, worship Him in Spirit and in Truth, rejoicing always and in all things in Him who will sustain you and hold you up with His righteous right hand giving you perfect peace that passes all understanding.  I encourage you today to keep moving forward, don't give up, press forward with all you have in Him.  In weakness you will be made strong!  In sickness you will be made whole!  In hunger you will be filled!  Stay close by His side.  He will NEVER leave you nor forsake you!  Praise the Lord!!!

~Blessings!


Passages from NKJV BibleGateway.com (I took out the verse numbers)

Something Special

The boys all went away this Saturday so Abigail decided we should have a
Tea Party!

 She wrote out her own invitations for Her doll Emily and for Me.

Abi got out the Demitasse Set I just found at the thrift store for a special occasion like this...

...and she set the table herself.

She wanted to dress up so we put on special dresses and I let her wear Grammy's Glass Beads.  They are so special to me and Abi loved wearing them too.

She decided on special hot cocoa with peppermint and cream for our 'tea', M&M's, Cinnamon Croccantini, and Pizza and I had to pretend to just arrive, she even had an 'English' accent as she talked with me about our Tea Party.

Here she is serving Emily her special plastic foods.  Emily had a great time!

So did I, what a special blessing she is to me!

Follow no man, but one...

I wrote some of this back in 2008, ours is a journey of much repetition!   I hope you will be encouraged to keep traveling with God.  ~Blessings!


Follow Jesus.

When we get our eyes off of following Jesus, we get into trouble.  We must NOT allow ourselves to follow anyone but Him, no matter how "wonderful" they may be.  Nor should we take another persons "interpretation" of the scriptures for being truth, but instead we should take all things to Him who can show us the way. 

God can speak to each one of us, IF we let Him and if we learn to trust Him to.  He didn't send His Holy Spirit to guide a few "special" people, NO!  He sent His Holy Spirit to teach us all truth, ALL of us who choose to follow, not just an 'elite' few of His followers.  Learn to hear His voice. 

What does Jesus teach us?  Read the written word, ask for understanding, He will show you and He will confirm to you His truths.  He has done this for us so many times over the last 10 years, directing us to different places, mostly on the Internet (yeah, I know, scary place).  He is teaching us His ways, showing us the error of our ways, correcting and washing our minds clean from the errors we picked up along the way. We are often surprised at how much we once thought we knew has been absolutely wrong or twisted.  So much still to learn....

Honestly, this choice to follow only Jesus' example isn't easy.  There are so many times when we feel lost, confused or otherwise out-to-lunch as we struggle to understand what God is trying to teach us.  We have had to say goodbye to comfort as we shed ourselves of the church system and the friends who did not understand. The things that once seemed so important have grown strangely dim and the pain lessened as the importance of them made way for the King of Glory in our lives. I tell you the truth, it is a painful, lonely, misunderstood path at times, but so worth all the hardship if it leads to knowing God more and more each day.  Be encouraged for God is with you!

~Courage

If Only...Then

If only time would turn back to give us one more chance.

Then maybe they would still be here, 

But no...

If only we could see the path of life ahead.

Then  those whose time has come could say goodbye,

Perhaps...

If only words could be enough and time could really heal.

Then we would not understand time ends, but Eternity's for real.

If only...

We can play the 'if only....then' scenarios over and over in our minds, but it does no good and actually harms us.  Only God knows the why of each situation, it is our choice to trust Him with all the unknowns.  Someday time will end and all we have been through and all we have done will become as precious jewels or be burnt away.

Blessed (happy, to be envied) is the man who is patient under trial and stands up under temptation, for when he has stood the test and been approved, he will receive [the victor's] crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him. James 1:12 AMP

New Things

I LOVE to learn new things each week but, sometimes there just doesn't seem like I have much to share. This is where I have been for the last couple months as I sat here some days looking at a blank field and talking myself out of writing anything.  Why this problem with me sharing anything at all?  One reason could be the things I think I know have had to be unlearned so many times because they were false teachings based on someones opinion and not based soundly on the Word of God. 

Embarrassing.  But, don't we all do that? 

For the last few years we have been learning how to look at the Word of God in a 'Hebrew' mindset rather than a 'Greek/Roman' mindset.  It is amazing the amount of wrong thinking we have just because we have been trained to view things in a 'Greek/Roman' way in the public school system and therefore it is the way our whole country operates. We are called to be set apart, to think differently, to act differently, to be different (peculiar).  The Word of God is a Hebrew book after all, so shouldn't we learn in a Hebrew way what this book says?  So much has been lost to us, but God wants us to find it, like the woman looking for her coin, or the man who buys a field knowing there is treasure there.  I want to know God more and so this is my journey, fill up your lamp and follow Him, it's worth it.

I hope whatever is written here inspires you to dig deeper in God's Word and to find His Truth.


1. The Hebrews were 'forced out' by Pharaoh who then turned around and wanted them 'forced back'.  They were then miraculously rescued by God.  There were basically 4 factions within the Hebrew people.  Go back to Egypt, turn and fight, cry out to God for deliverance and throw themselves into the sea because we are trapped and there isn't anywhere for us to go.  God answered each faction through Moses in these ways:  The Egyptians you will see no more forever (you will NOT be going back to Egypt with them), God will fight for you (You do not have to fight this war, I will), God heard their cry (their prayers were answered), and hold your peace (shut up).

2.  The salvation of the LORD in Hebrew is:  Alev/Tav (Which is God's name untranslated), Yeshua (which means Salvation), Eloheynu (Which I have no idea how to spell but is, Our God) So it basically says God Yeshua our God! How awesome is that?  This phrase is in the Tanach (OT) three times.  Once in Exodus, once in Isaiah 52...Isaiah 53 is about Passover and the proclamation he makes about the Messiah, and once in 2 Chronicles 20 Where it says AlevTav(God) Yeshua YHWY and is another time where they are told to (remember Passover the crossing of the Red Sea) stand, God will fight for them, see the salvation of the Lord.  Passover is so very important.

3.   The battle with Ahimelech four names are mentioned: Aaron, Hur, Joshua and Moses (I always wondered what happened to Caleb???)  Well, these four names are significant, the first Hebrew letter of each name put together with the rest spell out the word that means brothers and has to do with being unified, being one.  They could only win the battle if they were unified, brothers.  How good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

4.  The themes that run through the Bible are so important for our understanding.  If we cannot find it at least twice, we should question it.

5.  Everything is cyclical, the Bible, other history, seasons...connect the dots. 

6.   Look for common themes...Esther and Heroditus/ half the kingdom/John and Haman/ opposites but still related.

7.  Joshua son of Nun:  Nun speaks of eternal life, Jeshua the son of eternal life.  The ancient Hebrew letters were depicting a fish or seed and a nail for this word.  In Numbers where it talks of Joshua the son of Nun in Hebrew it is Alef/Tav(God's name untranslated) Yhoshua(Yeshua) son(ben) of eternal life(Nun). 

8. He makes them to lie down in green pastures...and feeds the multitude.  Who is our Shepherd? He is! 

9.  Jesus walks upon the sea:  Job says in 9:8, 10-11: 
   He alone spreads out the heavens,
      And treads on the waves of the sea;
   He does great things past finding out,
      Yes, wonders without number. If He goes by me, I do not see Him;
      If He moves past, I do not perceive Him;

The Lord our God is One, we too should be One in Him.

May the Lord bless you and keep you this week!

Blessings!!!

Thanksgiving

"Give thanks to the LORD for He is good, His love (mercy) endures forever."

“ Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor

and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”

"That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving, 

And tell of all Your wondrous works."

"We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks!

For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near."

"Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,

And for His wonderful works to the children of men!"

 

"So we, Your people and sheep of Your pasture,

Will give You thanks forever; 

We will show forth Your praise to all generations."

 

Thank you, Father God for your indescribable gift of Love, Beauty, Grace, Forgiveness, Mercy and all that is Your Son Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Savior of the world, King of kings and Lord of lords! 

We Praise You for we are fearfully and wonderfully made by You!

With thanksgiving and praise we worship You,

In Spirit and in Truth we worship You!

You are the Holy One,

the I AM

All scripture verses from NKJV BibleGateway.com

 

 

To Obey is Better than Sacrifice

I wrote this a couple years ago...but it still applies to me today.


It is so important to learn this:

"...to obey is better than sacrifice..."

This is only part of a section of God's word that is speaking of the words God spoke through Samuel about Saul, here it is in more of a context from 1 Samuel 15:18-24, this is the Amplified version...

"And the Lord sent you on a mission and said, Go, utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites; and fight against them until they are consumed.

Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord, but swooped down upon the plunder and did evil in the Lord's sight?

Saul said to Samuel, Yes, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord and have gone the way which the Lord sent me, and have brought Agag king of Amalek and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

But the people took from the spoil sheep and oxen, the chief of the things to be utterly destroyed, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.

Samuel said, Has the Lord as great a delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim (household good luck images). Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king.

And Saul said to Samuel, I have sinned; for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.

Saul went and did some of what was told him to do, but he didn't obey God in all...because of a fear of man. To please God, we MUST do His will fully, this is where I am in this...will I obey FULLY??? I want to, I know I need to...but there is this 'fear of man' that stands in my way...it is a hard thing for me to get past, it is HUGE in my mind. Will I let this stop me from obeying God? I can't let it stop me, so, everyday I continue to battle this small thing that has made itself a giant in my mind. But there is more than that...obeying...Saul 'reasoned' his obedience away and made it 'OK' to take the spoil as a 'sacrifice' to Samuel's God...thus admitting he did not have a relationship with God himself, but relied on Samuel's words. We have to know God, when we know Him, obeying is so much easier...we want to please Him alone...no one else words matter but His.

So I ask myself again...will I obey? My only answer is to seek Him...if I seek Him with all my heart, I will find Him...that is a promise, so I will seek Him in this as I do all else.

Jeremiah 29:13 (amp) Then you will seek me, inquire for, and require Me [as a vital necessity] and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

He is a vital necessity to me, I need Him, I want to know Him, I can't imagine trying to live without Him. He is my "vital necessity", and I will continue to seek Him with all my heart. This is my choice. What do you choose this day? Will you obey or will you go your own way? Will you seek Him in all or will you be swept away by a deception of your own making? He just wants us to love and obey Him. Time is running out, chose you this day whom you will serve...I will serve the Lord God Almighty. My Father in Heaven. My Savior. My Friend. My Strength. My Shield. My Everything.

Matthew 6:33 NKJV But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

His righteousness...He is holy, we then must be holy before Him...righteousness...what is right to Him, not what we think is right...I choose His way.

What will you choose?

~Courage


To obey is better than sacrifice
I don't need your money
I want your life
And I hear you say that I'm coming back soon
But you act like I'll never return

Well you speak of grace and my love so sweet
How you thrive on milk, but reject My meat
And I can't help weeping of how it will be
If you keep on ignoring My Word
Well you pray to prosper and succeed
But your flesh is something I just can't feed

To obey is better than sacrifice
I want more than Sunday's and Wednesday nights
Cause if you can't come to Me every day
Then don't bother coming at all

To obey is better than sacrifice
I want hearts of fire
Not your prayers of ice
And I'm coming quickly
To give back to you
According to what you have done

~ by Keith Green

Let Go

Lord,
I need You
Come rescue me

Lord,
You’re all I desire
You’re everything I see

Lord,
I love You
Please help me love You more

I just want You, more of You, Jesus
My desire is to let You make me who I am
Lord help me let go
Help me let go

You are my everything
You are my everything

What are You teaching me
Let me learn so I don’t have to repeat
No, I don’t want to repeat

Let go,
Just let go
You got to let go
Let go of everything you hold dear

Give it to Jesus, to Jesus
He will make your path clear

Just let go, let go

When you’re down in the dumps
And it hurts way to much
Just let go, give it to Jesus

When you’ve lost all control
And you’re world seems to fall
Just let go, give it to Jesus

LIGHT!

If only words would come to me

and I could speak with clarity.

I would tell you of His love for you,

From creation to this day, here is a clue...

The universe declares His name

By just one spoken sentence came.

"Let there be light!" 

Life began...

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth...

In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God...

In Him was Light and the Light was the Life of men...

What Are We Full Of?

If thou could'st empty all thyself of self,

Like to a shell dishabited,

Then might He find thee on the ocean shelf,

And say, "This is not dead."

And fill thee with Himself instead.

But thou art all replete with very thou,

And hast such shrewd activity,

That when He comes He says, "This is enow

Unto itself- 'twere better let it be,

It is so small and full, there is no room for Me."

Thomas Browne

1605-1682

~Courage to you!

Patterns

It is amazing to me how God works in our lives, there is a pattern to everything and when we recognize the patterns we can see just a bit more clearly what it is He is trying to teach us as we follow Him. I love those moments!

Below is a plant, it is called, remarkably, Solomon's Seal.  It does not grow 'naturally' in the state we live in...it has been removed and transplanted in a place far from home.  However, it is still a Solomon's Seal plant even though it is far from home.  It has beautiful flowers that grow along it's stem but hidden under the foliage out of the sight of onlookers...unless you purposely look for them, you might miss them, these turn into fruit.  The real Solomon's Seal  is growing here, even though it has been taken from it's ideal environment and it is keeping with  what it's true form is.  It is holding on to it's flowers in a very orderly and even way and will soon have fruit but not fruit that just anyone will see, besides the fruit the whole plant can be of use medicinally and for food.   This plant grows to be about 3 feet high.

Next on the list is a 'native' plant, it resembles the other plant called by the name of Solomon's Seal, but it is NOT!  It is an 'impostor', commonly called False Solomon's Seal and it mimics the real deal, except it's flowers grow right out in the open for everyone to see, but this plant is rather puny, only growing a fraction of the size of it's namesake.  The False Solomon's Seal is faking, it isn't real, it is showy out front, it's fruit is edible but bitter and of no use.

The last plant is called Clasping Leaved Twisted Stalk and it also grows here, it looks remarkably like the False Solomon's Seal, in it's size but the stem is not straight and it seems to grow through it's leaves rather than the leaves being attached to it.  The flowers are small and bell shaped and grow on the underside in a haphazard way along it's stem.The Clasping Leaved Twisted Stalk is of a different family altogether and even though it can be used it's main purpose is to purge.

As you can see, these plants look a lot alike, but are quite different if you look closely at them and pay attention to the 'signs' that they are actually quite different from one another inside and out.  There are patterns all around us some for good some for bad.  It is our responsibility to search out the matter in everything we think we believe, we propose to do or think, in all things asking God for His truth, eyes to see, ears to hear, hearts to obey and follow hard after Him.

Courage

Deuteronomy 31:6
Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

Courage, also known as bravery, fortitude, will, and intrepidity, is the ability to confront fear, pain, risk/danger, uncertainty, or intimidation. "Physical courage" is courage in the face of physical pain, hardship, death, or threat of death, while "moral courage" is the ability to act rightly in the face of popular opposition, shame, scandal, or discouragement.  ~Wikipedia

Luke 12:4-5

“And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. ⁵ But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him! 

Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.  ~Ambrose Redmoon

Joshua 1:7
Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.

Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.  ~Winston Churchill

2 Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Courage doesn't always roar.  Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I'll try again tomorrow.  ~Mary Anne Radmacher

Psalm 23

A Psalm of David.

 ¹ The LORD is my shepherd;
         I shall not want.
 ² He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
         He leads me beside the still waters.
 ³ He restores my soul;
         He leads me in the paths of righteousness
         For His name’s sake.
    
 ⁴ Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
         I will fear no evil;
         For You are with me;
         Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
    
 ⁵ You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
         You anoint my head with oil;
         My cup runs over.
 ⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
         All the days of my life;
         And I will dwell^[a] in the house of the LORD
         Forever.
 Courage is the power to let go of the familiar.  ~Raymond Lindquist

Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Courage is doing what you're afraid to do.  There can be no courage unless you're scared.  ~Edward Vernon Rickenbacker

Hebrews 13:5
Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”^{[a] 6} So we may boldly say:


      “ The LORD is my helper;
      I will not fear.
      What can man do to me?”

Courage is fear that has said its prayers.  ~Dorothy Bernard

Psalm 91

 ¹HE WHO ^[a]dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty [Whose power no foe can withstand].    ²I will say of the Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I [confidently] trust!
    ³For [then] He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.
    ⁴[Then] He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings shall you trust and find refuge; His truth and His faithfulness are a shield and a buckler.
    ⁵You shall not be afraid of the terror of the night, nor of the arrow (the evil plots and slanders of the wicked) that flies by day,
    ⁶Nor of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor of the destruction and sudden death that surprise and lay waste at noonday.
    ⁷A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not come near you.
    ⁸Only a spectator shall you be [yourself inaccessible in the secret place of the Most High] as you witness the reward of the wicked.
    ⁹Because you have made the Lord your refuge, and the Most High your dwelling place,^{(A)
    10}There shall no evil befall you, nor any plague or calamity come near your tent.
    ¹¹For He will give His angels [especial] charge over you to accompany and defend and preserve you in all your ways [of obedience and service].
    ¹²They shall bear you up on their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone.^{(B)
    13}You shall tread upon the lion and adder; the young lion and the serpent shall you trample underfoot.^{(C)
    14}Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because he knows and understands My name [has a personal knowledge of My mercy, love, and kindness--trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never forsake him, no, never].
    ¹⁵He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.
    ¹⁶With long life will I satisfy him and show him My salvation.

Psalm 61

To the Chief Musician; on stringed instruments. [A Psalm] of David.

 ¹HEAR MY cry, O God; listen to my prayer.    ²From the end of the earth will I cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed and fainting; lead me to the rock that is higher than I [yes, a rock that is too high for me].
    ³For You have been a shelter and a refuge for me, a strong tower against the adversary.
    ⁴I will dwell in Your tabernacle forever; let me find refuge and trust in the shelter of Your wings. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!
    ⁵For You, O God, have heard my vows; You have given me the heritage of those who fear, revere, and honor Your name.
    ⁶May You prolong the [true] ^[a]King's life [adding days upon days], and may His years be to the last generation [of this world and the generations of the world to come].
    ⁷May He sit enthroned forever before [the face of] God; O ordain that loving-kindness and faithfulness may watch over Him!
    ⁸So will I sing praise to Your name forever, paying my vows day by day.


~Have

As Vacation Ends

 Today is Saturday.  I love Saturday, it has quickly become my favorite day of the week as a day set aside to rest physically from the things of the week.  Every Saturday is different and this Saturday marks the end of a vacation time.  During our vacation we worked on the garden, the animal shelters and fences and many other small 'must dos'.  There is so much more to do...but without play we would soon experience burnout.  Our plans had fallen through on a trip with some friends and our second choice didn't work out either, so we made a decision and went to the ocean for a few days to end our vacation time with play. 

The first day at the ocean was sunny and in the low 60's, by sunset it had become quite chilly with the wind blowing.  The kids were building sand cities and sculptures behind me as I sat and watched the sun set on the first day, knowing the weather forecast was for rain for the next two days at least and hoping it would be different.

Sunset on the first day...lovely.

We were awakened by the pitter-patter of rain on our travel trailer the next morning, but after breakfast it had eased up enough to venture down to the beach.  Our oldest son had already taken a walk when the sun rose so he stayed behind to read while we enjoyed watching these little birds skitter across the sand stopping only long enough to eat something in the sand (probably those pesky sand fleas) or sleep.  If they weren't running full speed to their next meal, they were hopping or standing on one leg, it was quite funny to watch them.

Our youngest son brought his bike down and he had some fun chasing them.  They would fly up into the air and come right back down behind him.

Love how she is so often in her own world.

Later we took a drive up the coast 16 miles to another beach, our oldest had a good time getting the dog totally wet.

Oldest and youngest spending a second together watching the waves.

Sunset of the second day.

The third day at the ocean was my husbands birthday, we went for a beach hike out to Damon Point, this sign says it all.

The deserted washed out roadway.

My husband found a door, possibly to the old Catala ship wreck that used to be here, the boys had fun digging it out of the sand and setting it up to document there find with the camera.  It was a great example of archaeology.

Coal washes up on this shore quite often and there are lots of wonderful rocks and shells too.

The waves here are especially loud and very beautiful, the boys had fun running from them.

As we were heading back to the truck we noticed that our way was quite covered by water as the sign warned it could be...I had to overcome my fear...it wasn't as deep as I thought it would be but we did get our feet wet except the dog who was carried by our oldest son. I was very relieved to get across and too overwhelmed by the experience to take a picture.  We had a nice dinner out at the Galway Bay Irish Pub and went out to watch the sunset...what a wonderful day for my husband.

Wednesday was a windy chilly very sunny day, I walked to the beach alone it was very peaceful and so beautiful.

At the beach we flew our kites...

...and played in the sand.

Then we drove to town on the beach and saw this coyote...

...that is the Shilo Inn in the background.

Later that night we walked down to the beach, it was kind of scary after seeing a coyote, it's one thing to know they are there, another thing entirely to have seen one in broad daylight with people around.

The next morning was very rainy, we didn't go back to the beach...before we left it had stopped raining and we got one last picture.  This is the tree in our campsite, the kids had a great time climbing it.

We had a great vacation together but had to get home for one more birthday on Friday...our youngest son is now 14...time really has gone by fast and I am so glad to have this vacation to remember.

~Blessings

Have Courage!