Sweet little home on the Mississippi

Beautiful Autumn drives in the Mid-West

Barn Cupola

Motherhood is love

"The only explanation 

for the unselfishness, 

sacrifice, 

loyalty, 

and tenderness of 

motherhood 

is love."

Leroy Brownlow

from "Flowers for Mother"

*

Attributes

Be tender with the young,  

compassionate with the aged,  

tolerant of the weak,

because someday in your life 

you will be all of these.

~George Washington Carver~

The squeaky wheel is heard

Buckles
-David Gilbert

Sin runs rampant in the prideful

Luke 18:9-14
"And [Jesus] also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: 
“Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 
I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ 

But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ 

I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
-----------------------------------------------

I have lived and seen sin running rampant in prideful people.  I think they truly believe they are righteous before God.  

I think they may even believe that God is lucky to have them:

"They see what we have, and they want to be like us."

Pride is an ugly thing.  To watch it play out with no stops is gross. To fathom the years which fly by as their true mounting sins seemingly get a "pass" from the LORD is almost agony to behold --- until I remember that the LORD is a righteous and just God.

My desire it to know they repent before the LORD!  The LORD will hold them accountable, in fact, He is holding them accountable right now. It is not for me to know, and it is for this that I struggle.  

There are consequences to pride.

Proverbs 11:2
"When pride comes, then comes dishonor,
But with the humble is wisdom."

Proverbs 13:10 
(NIV)
"Where there is strife, there is pride,
    but wisdom is found in those who take advice."

(NAS)
"Through insolence comes nothing but strife,
But wisdom is with those who receive counsel."

Proverbs 16:5
"Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord;
Assuredly, he will not be unpunished."

Proverbs 16:18
"Pride goes before destruction,
And a haughty spirit before stumbling."

Proverbs 18:12
"Before destruction the heart of man is haughty,
But humility goes before honor."

Proverbs 26:12
(NAS)
"Do you see a man wise in his own eyes?
There is more hope for a fool than for him."

(KJV)
"Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? 
there is more hope of a fool than of him."

Proverbs 29:23
"A man’s pride will bring him low,
But a humble spirit will obtain honor."

Galatians 6:3
"For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, 
he deceives himself."

Heed the LORD while it is still today:

Galatians 6:1-10
"Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, 
you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; 
each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. 

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."

Pride has captured them

Legalism:
We must always be so careful not to have any sins.  

PRIDE will capture us.  

This has been an interesting meme; 
Pride thrives on the decay of other sins
—i.e. the less of other sins you have, the more pride you have.

Little Kitty Girl

Little Kitties are cute.

Watch the Real Thing

Red and Rover
--Brian Basset

I don't understand it

I actually don't know why I find such comfort in so many Peanut's comics. It must be my nostalgia or just the connection I have had my whole life with Charles Shultz's ways of communicating simple concepts through his work. I am just thankful for them.  

Lately this fallen world has overwhelmed me.  The curse, although conquered by Jesus sacrifice, will be a shadow over us here as the groaning of the creation continues until His return.  Death, of course, has been in the forefront of my thoughts.  It has been the suffering and death of a precious pet, to the suffering and death of a precious, treasured, elderly Christian brother, and now a precious elderly Christian sister.

We as Believers know that this world is not our home. Those of us who trust Jesus as our Savior with our whole being, already are citizens of Heaven. 

Philippians 3:20

"For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself."  

Until Jesus second coming and the culmination of all His works on our behalf, this is where we are.  We live in this world as it groans.  We cry out to God for His comfort and His strength and He mercifully showers us with His wisdom, and helps us to continue even in our sorrows.

Mostly, I can say the LORD "shields" us somehow from the brunt of our constant pain so we can continue to live "even through tears."  We find His joy, we choose to reach out, choose to smile, choose to love others in many ways while we glorify His name.  

Praises to Him for His great mercies! 

Sometimes, though, I am so overwhelmed by all my own agonies. I find myself thinking and sometimes saying to my Beloved, 

"I don't understand it"

How can we understand when all we've know is thrown away?  When all reason is thrown away?  When all we have had in our grasp has been taken from us?

This world is not our home.  

These things which we do not understand, these things which we have observed to become utter chaos, and these things which should never have happened, we can choose to give them to the LORD even if we can never "understand it".  

There can be a great comfort in giving our unexplainable sufferings to Him if we choose to allow this pain to be "held lightly" by ourselves.

*What I mean by "Held Lightly":  I say this not flippantly, but because I know that some agonies will always be deep inside of us. We are human and suffer human losses.  We can not pretend that these losses have not happened, this would be unhealthy.  We can "hold them lightly" as we allow the LORD to comfort us.  He understands our great sorrows and takes them somehow- even if we still feel the sting of the pain- somehow He shields the brunt of it all so we can go on and "do next things" for Him.

If you live in the chaos which others have made, or perhaps you have such agonies in your life that you seemingly can not function well, you can know that our great Almighty God knows your struggles. He is the One and Only God.  He made heaven and earth and all that is in it.

Jesus came to conquer sin as our one and only sacrifice, and He did so at the cross. At His Resurrection He conquered death.  Now we wait for the LORD who has His plans made for when Jesus will return His second time.  This second time Jesus will completely destroy the enemy, and take us to be in the presence of the LORD.  No more pain, no more sufferings.

The LORD allows us to know these things in His Word. We can find great comfort in knowing that He is still in charge no matter what comes.  

Sisters in Christ---Rest in Him knowing that when you are His child you are safe as can be no matter where you are in your pain and sufferings.  He is with you, holding you, comforting you, encouraging you to trust Him more and more with every aspect of your lives.

Habakuk 3:16-19

"I heard and my inward parts trembled,

At the sound my lips quivered.

Decay enters my bones,

And in my place I tremble.

Because I must wait quietly for the day of distress,

For the people to arise who will invade us.

Though the fig tree should not blossom

And there be no fruit on the vines,

Though the yield of the olive should fail

And the fields produce no food,

Though the flock should be cut off from the fold

And there be no cattle in the stalls,

Yet I will exult in the Lord,

I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.

The Lord God is my strength,

And He has made my feet like hinds’ feet,

And makes me walk on my high places."

All mothers work

"Any mother could perform the jobs 

of several air traffic controllers with ease."

--Lis Alther

*

3 A. M. thinking

Philippians 4:6-7
"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 comprehension, 
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4:8
"Finally, brethren, whatever is true, 
whatever is honorable, 
whatever is right, 
whatever is pure, 
whatever is lovely, 
whatever is of good repute, 
if there is any excellence 
and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things."

Proverbs 3:5-6
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart

And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He will make your paths straight."

Life is a mist

You cannot do a kindness too soon 
-for you never know how soon it will be too late.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson~

James 4:14
"you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. 
What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little
while and then vanishes."

Be like Bill

I like Bill :o)

Be like Bill.  

Acts 17:11-12
"Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character 
than those in Thessalonica, 
for they received the message with great eagerness 
and examined the Scriptures every day to see 
if what Paul said was true.
As a result, many of them believed, 
as did also a number of prominent Greek women 
and many Greek men."

A Mother's heart is always for her children

"Love...had a strange way of multiplying.  

Doubling. 

Trebling itself, 

so that, as each child arrived, 

there was always more than enough to go around."

-Rosamunde Pilcher

Grief waits in ambush

like a rogue current
washing out of nowhere
grief lurks in the
background veiled by
the comfort of friends
the company of loved ones
and the vision of Life Beyond
where every sorrow is
left behind and Mom is
breathing pure joy
surrounded by her cohort
of loved ones, found,
all crowned with
the welcome love their
Master
and healing that lasts forever
their worship salted with
laughter
exulting in resolution of
sufferings, cripplings, and
losses.
but I am still here waiting
for the ultimate
sweet reunion
and that empty space
she once filled with such grace
is where grief lies
waiting in ambush

L. Boese 

Always watching

Psalm 34:11

"Come, my children, listen to me;

I will teach you the fear of the Lord."

Some one is always watching, especially children. 

We must be aware and choose to be good examples to them.  This gives us great impetus to cry out to God for help in conquering our sins so we do not pass our sins on to others by our bad example. 

I remember the day when I noticed my own child rolling her eyes at her father.  I am ashamed to say that she had learned this sin of disrespect from me.  I was mortified that she had learned this, but mostly, at my own sin which was "reflected" in her.  

I chose to speak with her about it, pointing out how this was unkind, disrespectful, and sinful. I also shared with her that I had made this mistake which was a sin, and that she had learned it from me.

Thankfully, I began the process of unlearning my faults, and rarely sin this way any longer.

Praise the LORD!

Deuteronomy 6:6-9
"These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."