MY NOTES MONDAY

SHOW & TELL ...itty bitty steps...FASHION FRIDAY

(UPDATE: I've "fissed" the link to the sandals...thanks for keeping me straight!)

I must TELL you...what guides my understanding of truth and helps me decide right from wrong. When I’m faced with a decision to do something, participate in an activity, or even form an opinion…I have a yardstick of truth to help measure out my reasoning. Things I was taught years ago by my loving Mother. (My mother used little measures to remind me of right and wrong when I was a toddler--changes in her voice to alert me, picking me up and moving me to another part of the room, or little pops on the tops of my hands to catch my attention when I was independent and not wanting to listen…when I was veering off “her path” of expectation. She always KEPT AN EYE on me.)

What got me thinking of this topic was my newest project…my SHOW for this week. A day or so ago, I finished a pair of “baby, open-toe sandals”…just click on it to go to the crochet patten, thanks Chrystal! These are definitely the tiniest little shoes I've ever made, in fact, the only shoes I've ever made! You can fit both of these little sandals in the palm of your hand...itty bitty!

(Big MaMa is hosting the 59th Edition of FASHION FRIDAY...what preemie wouldn't want to be decked out in these??!!)

I must tell you also, these little shoes will one day be worn by a preemie baby I do not know…so pray over them with me then I'll send them on their path to be given out by the church staff when someone is in need. May His Spirit ride in the souls of these little shoes and bless the little one wearing them. May these little sandals touch the hearts of the mommy and baby to know they are Your children, Lord, and You will keep close as they travel life's path.

My Mom’s guidance down her path of expectations all those years ago during those “don’t touch” moments taught me to look to her, obey her…not in fear but in knowing she was ultimately protecting me from making mistakes, building a pattern in my little brain to know right. Her guidance then and throughout my life as she took us to and from church each week, talked with me about Jesus’ love gradually built a solid base for all of my future decisions to rest on as I started walking my own path.


My Lord’s love for me…the solid cornerstone--will not slip, slide or prove untrue...a true plumb line for hanging each of my decisions up against...causing “bad choices” to swing wide outside the path He has laid down preveniently ahead of me for the taking.



Choosing to seek Him new each day, He awakens His spirit anew, reminding me I am His little child--do not veer--listen when He is “catching my attention” or holding out that plumb line.

Recently our Sunday School class studied Paul Chilcote’s “Praying in the Wesleyan Spirit”, which has many soul-searching, John Wesley prayers as well as many of the hymns he and his brother, Charles, wrote many years ago as the Methodist Church was coming into existence. One of the hymns speaks so sweetly to this topic of “child-like faith”, from Collection 341, Verse 2:

Humble, teachable and mild,
O may I, as a little child.
My lowly Master’s steps pursue!
Be anger to my soul unknown,
Hate, envy, jealousy, be gone!
In love create thou all things new!

2 Samuel 7:11 "I'm keeping my eye on them!

And your royal throne will always be there, rock solid."

Go check out other SHOW & TELL'ers @ THERE's NO PLACE LIKE HOME...

just click on this: Kelli's

How do you keep to His straight path?

TRY-T0-AVOID DAY!

Are there things you just don't like to do...other than your regular "have to's" like going to work, washing dishes?


I've not been looking forward to today...which I know is terrible to say. Every day is a blessing and a GOOD DAY...hence the cartoon to the left.



However...I must do one of my "try-to-avoid" chores...I'll be "steam cleaning" my first-floor carpets...and next week will be the second-floor's turn.

So, changing my attitude is my next step ...immerse myself in those scriptures to uphold my spirit...look to my "how to" book, b/c His Word will give me strength...the strength and perseverance I need to get through the next few hours of moving furniture, pushing, pulling, pouring, re-filling, and finally sanitizing the sink.


1 Corinthians 4:12 "...we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure..."



Psalm 28:7 "The LORD is my strength and my shield;My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped;Therefore my heart exults,And with my song I shall thank Him."



1 Corinthians 3:8Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.?



Thank you, Lord, for giving me health to be able to clean my carpets. Your strength will uphold me through my labor today...remind me of your Words as I labor. I rejoice in knowing I will look upon my reward once my labor is completed, my clean floors that will be hosting about 40 teenagers later this week for Your glory. Amen and Amen

How are you being challenged in your "laboring" this week?

SPARE US, LORD!...Hopeful Friday (hope for the remnant)

Hopeful Friday...(he gives hope to his remnant...)
http://houseinroses.blogspot.com/2009/01/birds-view.html

Recently in my prayer group we discussed things we were seeing and hearing in the world, on the TV, changes in what people desire, concern for our nation and our children as time marches on and living grows harder.
It would be easy to become fearful talking of all these things...our hearts really hurt as we see and hear these various things. We agreed we want to be in the remnant of believers who rest on Jesus Christ and His grace for us.

Then, today I ran across this study on Malachi 3:13-18 in Everyday Light, Christianity.com
Malachi, a prophet of old, speaking to me TODAY...giving guidance FOR NOW, addressing many of the things we had discussed in our group.

Malachi confirms we must not blame God for our situations--losing faith in Him because we grow impatient with His timing. Studying His Word guides us to understand our gains from His perspective rather than from our humanly, worldy view.
We must go to Him and ask Him for His discernment in understanding His timing, being confident of His standing with us and wanting the best for us.
Every struggle must be met with the "joy of the Lord" knowing He wants the relationship with us first, and often in our deepest pit is when we're closest to Him.
Rather than mourning our perceived persecution in our daily walks, let's gather together and talk with one another, pray with one another, lifting our "mournful attitudes" to His blameless throne for His blessing and covering with His Holy Spirit. God, Himself, will handle those evil doers and those who speak untruthfully...in His time!

We are His, want to be His, so we will lift up His name, Jehovah Jireh, Jesus Christ, our high priest who intercedes on our behalf to the Father. When the world tells us "the Bible isn't literal" or "it's a bunch of stories" or "you are your own best authority as you work to know and love yourself"...may we continue to seek His wisdom, His understanding of right and wrong, His full compassion FOR us and THROUGH us.

Malachi reminded me again that we must continue to gather together, praise His name, let Him pour His love TO us and THROUGH his treasured possessions...this will give us discernment as we walk through this often-difficult world toward Holy eternity.

Malachi 3:13-18
"You have said harsh things against me," says the Lord. "Yet you ask, 'What have we said against you?' You have said, 'It is futile to serve God. What did we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the LORD Almighty?
But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly the evildoers prosper, and even those who challenge God escape.' Then those who feared the LORD talked with each other, and the LORD listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the LORD and honored his name. "They will be mine," says the LORD Almighty, "in the day when I make up my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him. And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not."

Are you in a small group, do you gather to share concerns and study the Bible?