Feed the Kitty!

MUTTS

Are you a lifter or leaner?

Lifting and Leaning

There are two kinds of people on earth today, 

Just two kinds of people, no more, I say.

Not the good and the bad, for ’tis well understood

The good are half bad and the bad are half good.

Not the happy and sad, for the swift-flying years

Bring each man his laughter and each man his tears.

Not the rich and the poor, for to count a man’s wealth

You must first know the state of his conscience and health.

Not the humble and proud, for in life’s busy span

Who puts on vain airs is not counted a man.

Wherever you go you will find the world’s masses

And ever divided in just these two classes.

And, strangely enough, you will find, too, I ween,

There is only one lifter to twenty who lean.

In which class are you?  Are you easing the load

Of overtaxed lifters who toil down the road?

Or are you a leaner who lets others bear

Your portion of worry and labor and care?

Ella Wheeler Wilcox

*

Galatians 6:2-10

Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. 
For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, 
he deceives himself. 
But each one must examine his own work, 
and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, 
and not in regard to another.
 For each one will bear his own load.


The one who is taught the word
 is to share all good things with the one who teaches him. 
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; 
for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. 
For the one who sows to his own flesh
 will from the flesh reap corruption, 
but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 

Let us not lose heart in doing good, 
for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. 
So then, while we have opportunity, 
let us do good to all people, 
and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.
*

Vegetarian Turkey

We are Never Alone

From our Daily Bread, November 25, 2015

With us and in us

I will ask the Father, and He will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever.
John 14:16

My son had just started nursery school. The first day he cried and declared, 

“I don’t like school.” 

My husband and I talked to him about it. 

“We may not be physically there, but we are praying for you. Besides, Jesus is with you always.”

“But I can’t see Him!” he reasoned. 

My husband hugged him and said, “He lives in you. And He won’t leave you alone.” 

My son touched his heart and said, “Yes, Jesus lives in me.”


Kids are not the only ones who suffer from separation anxiety. 

In every stage of life we face times of separation from those we love, sometimes because of geographical distance and sometimes because of death. However, we need to remember that even if we feel forsaken by others, God hasn’t forsaken us. He has promised to be with us always. 

God sent the Spirit of truth—our Advocate and Helper—to dwell with us and in us forever (John 14:15-18). We are His beloved children.

My son is learning to trust, but so am I. Like my son, I can’t see the Spirit, but I feel His power as each day He encourages me and guides me as I read God’s Word. 

Let us thank God for His wonderful provision, the Spirit of Christ who is with us and in us. We are certainly not alone!

Lord, thank You for Your Holy Spirit who lives in me.

We are never alone.

INSIGHT:

In today’s passage Jesus describes the promised Spirit as an advocate (v. 15). 

The original Greek word is parakeet, 

which literally means “someone called alongside to help.” 

Some translations render the word as counselor or comforter. 

While those terms convey some of the meaning, 

advocate adds a different layer to the definition 

because paraklete was also used to describe 

someone who served as legal counsel 

or as a defense attorney. 

Our Helper—the Spirit of God—

was sent by Jesus to help us in our time of need.

*

by Keila Ochoa

~Thank you~

Praising the LORD! Happy Thanksgiving!

"I remain confident of this:
    I will see the goodness of the Lord
    in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord;
    be strong and take heart
    and wait for the Lord."
Psalm 27:13-14

Classic Braids

Pickling Snowmen

This year I have made Strawberry Jam, Raspberry Jam, and then I have also "pickled" some Snowmen in my spare time! 

I only began making jam in the last decade, but I have been making snowmen for 20 years and "pickling" them for about 15.  

This is my last batch of them, although, I think I have said this before.  It is time to move on from making "Pickled Snowmen" when you forget who you have given them to in the past!

My jar collection needed to be used!  

This group has already had the trees and snowmen glued, and now waiting to dry for the addition of "snow".

My bigger jars have cloth snowmen.  Some of them have ski poles and others carry baskets full of flowers or a wreath in their arms:

A marathon of making them looks like this when finished:

This is what they look like after I have wrestled them into the jars, and they are ready to find homes:

Why do I do it?

How do I do it? 

I don't know.  

It just comes to me, and then they are finally finished, and gone off to live in their new homes!

Happy Winter!

Praising the LORD for busy hands!

"May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us;

    establish the work of our hands for us—
yes, establish the work of our hands."
Psalm 90:17

There is a Hope!

"There is a hope that lifts my weary head,
A consolation strong against despair,
That when the world has 
plunged me in it's deepest pit, 
I find the Savior there!

Through present sufferings, future's fear, 
He whispers, "Courage!" in my ear.
For I am safe in everlasting arms, 
and they will lead me home."

"There Is A Hope" - Verse 2, by Stuart Townsend and Mark Edwards

"Learn to be Happy"

John 16:33
"I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. 
In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; 
I have overcome the world.”

TILL THE STORM PASSES BY

by Mosie Lister

In the dark of the midnight have I oft hid my face,
While the storm howls above me, and there's no hiding place.
'Mid the crash of the thunder, Precious Lord, hear my cry,
Keep me safe till the storm passes by.

Till the storm passes over, till the thunder sounds no more,
Till the clouds roll forever from the sky;
Hold me fast, let me stand in the hollow of Thy hand,
Keep me safe till the storm passes by.

Many times Satan whispered, "There is no need to try,
For there's no end of sorrow, there's no hope by and by"
But I know Thou art with me, and tomorrow I'll rise
Where the storms never darken the skies.

Till the storm passes over, till the thunder sounds no more,
Till the clouds roll forever from the sky;
Hold me fast, let me stand in the hollow of Thy hand,
Keep me safe till the storm passes by.

When the long night has ended and the storms come no more,
Let me stand in Thy presence on the bright peaceful shore;
In that land where the tempest, never comes, Lord, may I
Dwell with Thee when the storm passes by.

Till the storm passes over, till the thunder sounds no more,
Till the clouds roll forever from the sky;
Hold me fast, let me stand in the hollow of Thy hand,
Keep me safe till the storm passes by. 

*

Sisters in Christ...Praising God with you!

Lamenting!

Oh, am I lamenting.....

Too bad I didn't think of this when the major "red flags" were flying all over the place from "The Manipulator" years ago now. 

 "Turn back, turn back, oh, time in your flight, I just thought of a comeback I needed last night."

I was so full of mercy for her that I wasn't discerning on her consistent rude behavior. With God's strength, I overlooked her many, many bad behaviors out of my own kindnesses.  

And so~~~ naively...I was expecting this "christian" woman to choose to glorify God as time went by because of the mercies shown to her, but, instead, she didn't change for the good, she only became more devious.

Oh, LORD, have mercy!

I knew then, and I know now, that the LORD was with us throughout these times and all which has occurred since, even though she seemingly has "won" or at the least, she seems to have gotten away with her perniciousness.

As His child I have stayed at His feet, living in His comfort, and walking in His strength. I give Him my woundedness, my bitterness, which crops up at surprising moments, my agonies, and sometimes I ask Him, 

"Why! Oh, why, my Father! Why?"  

I was walking in faith and trusting Him whole heartedly way back then also...and yet, He allowed this hypocrite to exploit and destroy parts of my life.  

I have said so many times as  my own testimony, that this last decade of my life (now so many more years later) has been the worst of my life, and yet, the very best, because I have drawn closer to the LORD more than I ever had been before in this horrific time of agony.  

I have chosen to seek His face in my pain, and He has showered His mercies on me from "day one" and every day since in ways which show me that He is holding me tight in this storm which continues to rage. 

And so how can I complain?  And yet, like the persistent widow, I cry out to Him, always for justice!  

And, sometimes, I just cry.  

He hears me. My faith is more precious than gold, and it results in praises, honor, and glory to Him!  And this is why I have life, to glorify Him!  

"It" is not about me, it is about Him!

1 Peter 1:6-7
"In this you greatly rejoice, 

even though now for a little while, 

if necessary, 

you have been distressed by various trials, 

so that the proof of your faith, 

being more precious than gold which is perishable, 

even though tested by fire, 

may be found to result in praise 

and glory 

and honor 

at the revelation of Jesus Christ"

*

Surviving Mondays

MUTTS


1 Peter 12-13
" Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you;  but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation."

:o)

In Weakness, Made Strong

by Joni

”He was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God's power. Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God's power we will live with him to serve you."
2 Corinthians 13:4

Back in 1967, missionary Doug Nichols fell ill while serving in India and had to spend several months in a dingy tuberculosis sanitarium. While there, he tried to give Gospel tracts to the patients and doctors, but no one would accept them. Understandably, Doug became discouraged. He was sick, weak, lonely, and disappointed no one would listen to him.

One night around 2:00 a.m., Doug woke up coughing. Across the aisle, he noticed an old man trying to get out of bed and get to the bathroom. Too weak to stand, the man fell back into bed crying and exhausted. 

Although sick himself and as weak as he had ever been, Doug got out of bed, and with a smile, placed one arm under the patient's neck and the other under his legs. 

With all his strength he lifted the man and carried him down the hall to the filthy, smelly washroom. Then the missionary carried him back to his bed. The old man smiled and said the Indian word for "thanks."

What happened the next morning was amazing. One of the other patients woke Doug up with a steaming cup of tea, making motions that he wanted a Gospel tract. Then other patients asked for the booklets. Even nurses and a doctor asked for one. Over the next few days, several patients and staff gave their lives to Christ. The whole situation changed because of Doug's sacrificial act in the middle of the night.

The power of the Good News is released in your life when you allow your weaknesses to showcase the awesome might and love of our Savior. Plan on doing that today.

Father, I confess that I pass by opportunities to help others in the name of Jesus because I just don't want to get involved, or don't want to get my hands dirty. Move me, by Your Spirit, to reach beyond my own strength.

Blessings,

Joni and Friends

Character

The choices we make reveal the true nature of our character.

Our First Snow

You Cannot Lose My Love

You will lose your baby teeth.

At times, you’ll lose your faith in me.

You will lose a lot of things,

But you cannot lose my love.

You may lose your appetite,

Your guiding sense of wrong and right.

You may lose  your will to fight,

But you cannot lose my love.

You will lose your confidence.

In times of trial, your common sense.

You may lose your innocence,

But you cannot lose my love.

Many things can be misplaced;

Your very memories be erased.

No matter what the time or space,

You cannot lose my love.

You cannot lose,

You cannot lose,

You cannot lose my love.

by Sara Groves

Suppose

Suppose, my little lady,
Your doll should break her head;
Could you make it whole again by crying
Till your eyes and nose were red?
And wouldn’t it be pleasanter
To treat it as a joke,
And say you’re glad ’twas dolly’s
And not your own the broke?

Suppose you’re dressed for walking,
And the rain comes pouring down;
Will it clear off any sooner
Because you scold and frown?
And wouldn’t it be nicer
For you to smile than pout,
And so make sunshine in the house
When there is none without?


Suppose your task, my little man,
Is very hard to get:
Will it make it any easier
For you to sit and fret?
And wouldn’t it be wiser,
Than waiting like a dunce,
To go to work in earnest
And learn the thing at once?

Suppose that some boys have a horse,
And some a coach and pair;
Will it tire you less while walking
To say, “It isn’t fair”?
And wouldn’t it be nobler
To keep your temper sweet,
And in your heart be thankful
You can walk upon your feet?

Suppose the world don’t please you.
Nor the way some people do;
Do you think the whole creation
Will be altered just for you?
And isn’t it, my boy or girl,
The wisest, bravest plan,
Whatever comes, or doesn’t come,
To do the best you can?

Phoebe Cary

What is "pretty"?

Thankful

God is your shield

I Will BeYour Shield

My child, are you discouraged
By the sorrows of the day
Does it seem that life is crumbing,
The skies have turned to gray

Don’t forget I gave you promises
To guide you every hour
In the moment of your heartbreak
Let me show you My great power

And I will be your shield
When the battle rages on
And I will be your light
When the way ahead is dark
I will be your strong tower
And guide you every hour
Just place your life
Completely in My hands

I know it won’t be easy
I never said it would
But My grace will always be there
My plans for you are good

Remember that your weaknesses
Are perfect in My sight
Only when you hand them to Me
Can I turn them into might

And someday you will understand
Why I sent this trial
And someday you will see the end
And know it’s overcome

unknown

Someone else is doing the mothering...

An old 2010 post by Ingrid Schlueter at The Hope Blog  (no longer posted) rebutted an article which arrogantly labeled women who choose to stay home to raise their children as "Neanderthals".  Even though this post can no longer be viewed, I am putting the parts I saved from it here:

".....[those who believe] mothers with small children should be home to actually care for them if at all possible are dismissed as “neanderthals.”   [These women hope] we’ll evolve to something higher soon.

"Two daughters of prominent feminist authors have recently written about their childhoods and their mothers. 

The daughter of Alice Walker, author of The Color Purple, describes in heartbreaking detail the way she was made to feel as a child. A burden. A career killer. Unwanted. She has few kind words for the mother whose feminist ideology nearly robbed her of the joys of motherhood.

Another column recently by Molly Jong, daughter of the famous feminist author, Erica Jong, writes her own account of her childhood and the impact her feminist mother had on it. She’s staying home with her three children so she can have an actual part in their lives. 

~"Neanderthal"~.

Most of motherhood is about showing up for the job.

*You can outsource that job to someone else, 
but someone else then is doing the mothering.* 

Millions have no choice now as single parenthood has removed mothers from the daily care of their children because moms must work to survive. 

This is not an attack on such mothers. I once was in this situation also. But it was not a triumph for womanhood when I had to leave my babies and earn a living. It was a loss for me and my little boys that I still think about when I lie awake at night. I can never have those years back with them.

[this mother's] children need her as all children need their mothers. God is the one who established the unique gifts of womanhood that enable us to be mothers. We deny and suppress that as women and lash out at those who point out the obvious, 

*but the truth remains. Nobody can replace a mother, her voice, her touch, her presence in the heart and life of a child. 

*Daddies are wonderful things, but they are not mothers.

I was very sick one time as a child. My fever was so high that I was slightly delirious. All these years and years later, I can still remember sensing that my mother was hovering over me that night, and the cool feel of her hands as she ministered to my needs. She was there. 

That precious memory to me is what motherhood is all about. 

If that makes me a “Neanderthal”, then I plead guilty.

************************************************************

I, personally, find it a pathetic irony and tragedy that our culture thinks so highly of a woman who is in the workforce in a "wonderful "career, and yet some other woman is raising her children most of the day and getting paid very little for doing so. 

In our culture daycare workers and caregivers are not "choice careers" for women either and yet, they "rock the cradle" for us.

In my day staying home to raise children was just coming back in popularity, but it has quickly faded away.  

LORD, help us!  

Better than None

by Mary Engelbreit 

Happily Ever After

A marriage is a promise of friendship,
a promise of shelter, 

shared dreams and stars in your eyes.  

A marriage is a promise of love, 

a promise to offer a heart, 

a helping hand and a shoulder to lean on.  

A marriage is a promise to laugh, 

to enjoy one another 

and value each other as partners.  

A marriage is a promise—

the beautiful and lasting promise 

to live “happily ever after.”

Mary Engelbreit

Why Does God Allow Pain?

This is from Lucy Ann Moll, from Marie, at Musings from a Theo-Greek, way back in 2011, but too good not to read.  Check out her whole piece.

Marie states,

"Drawing on the book of Job, Lucy discusses how to view trials without losing hope; recognizing God's sovereignty in the midst of our pain; and how to encourage a friend who is suffering. Please visit her site and be edified by the articles, interviews and biblical counseling resources available there.
*
Why Does God Allow Pain?

By Lucy Ann Moll

“IF YOU’VE PUZZLED over this question – and don’t care for simplistic answers – you’ll like the honest way that the Old Testament book named Job considers God’s mysterious ways.

It tells the story of a godly man who endured unimaginable pain and loss….”
*

Revenge

Although your kitty may plot revenge, it is a lesson for us to learn ~ that this is the LORD's job.  


The LORD's Job:

Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.
Romans 12:19

Our job:

If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.
Romans 12:18