Snowy HodgePodge

Joining Joyce and the group...

1. When did someone last suggest you 'chill out'...Or, When did you last tell yourself to 'chill out'?

Lying on the chiropractor's massage table, I was reminding myself to breathe deeply and relax.  Adjustments help but they also can cause me to be a little tense.  Oxygen certainly helps me at those times.

2. What most recently caused my heart to melt? Seeing my 'Heavenside' girlfriend's daughter marry.
she used to talk to me about one day getting to see her baby marry.  
Pancreatic cancer kills dreams...praying for a cure. 

3.  "An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered." G.K. Chesterton  

When did you last experience either an adventure or an inconvenience? 
How did you see it at first, as an adventure or an inconvenience?  Does it feel the same in hindsight?  While facilitating Bible classes the evil one tries to push me toward the thought of inconveniences. (There is a large amount of study and planning involved in reading for each class.) 
However, praying for our class keeps me eager to see and hear God showing them something new about Him. 
Knowing Him beats knowing knowledge any day. 

4.  A Wendy's Frosty, root beer in a frosty mug, or a frosted chocolate cupcake...of these three, which one is your favorite 'frosty' treat? I VOTE FOR A FROSTY. ..EVEN IN THE WINTER.

5. Would you say your life so far this year has been more like a circus or a symphony? Circus life for me...balancing a few balls in the air with classes, doctor appointments, and staying with my mom for a few days.  
Time has certainly changed her daily activities; her inability to see clearly due to macular degeneration, is cumbersome and heartbreaking. 
So, finding new ways to keep her 'seeing the bright side of life', even if it is in the dark is one, is a goal we as children must attempt
. 
6. Since it's a 'snow day' here, what's your favorite song containing the word 'white'?  

---

WHITER THAN SNOW
Lord Jesus, I long to be perfectly whole;

I want Thee forever to live in my soul.

Break down every idol, cast out every foe;

Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Refrain

Whiter than snow, yes, whiter than snow.

Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Lord Jesus, let nothing unholy remain,

Apply Thine own blood and extract ev’ry stain;

To get this blest cleansing, I all things forego—

Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Lord Jesus, look down from Thy throne in the skies,

And help me to make a complete sacrifice.

I give up myself, and whatever I know,

Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Lord Jesus, for this I most humbly entreat,

I wait, blessèd Lord, at Thy crucified feet.

By faith, for my cleansing, I see Thy blood flow,

Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Lord Jesus, Thou seest I patiently wait,

Come now, and within me a new heart create;

To those who have sought Thee, Thou never saidst “No,”

Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

The blessing by faith, I receive from above;

O glory! my soul is made perfect in love;

My prayer has prevailed, and this moment I know,

The blood is applied, I am whiter than snow.

7. If you had to leave the city you currently live in, what would you find the hardest to leave behind?  My prayer group

8. Insert your own random thought here:
If you'd like to memorize some scriptures, join us at Living Proof Ministries & Beth Moore #ssmt2015

John 8:31

"If you continue in my word, then you are truly Disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." Blessings,

HODGIN', PODGIN', HUMPIN' & DUMPIN'

1. If you could work for any one government agency which would you choose and why? (if you're in the US here's a helpful list) Why? 

National Weather Service

...I want to stand in front of a 'green screen' and play with all the 'computerized' weather predictors

2. How difficult is it for you to forgive someone who refuses to apologize?

My brain doesn't want to wrap around this one...it depends on who the someone is and how close I am to them. God convicts me and pardons them most of the time, hahaha.

3. What is your favorite meatless supper?

Hummus with sweet peppers/whole grain pita chips

4. Wednesday August 10th is National Lazy Day...will you be celebrating? If so, tell us how so we can be lazy too.  

My National Lazy Day celebrating has never been acknowledged...but today's lazy will last as long as my blogging time...then on to the rest of the day.

5. As a child did you have any special back to school traditions and if so, what were they? If you're a parent did you carry on those traditions with your own children?

Back-to-school traditions at my house included a lunchbox and new clothes that Mother made. For my kids, we'd fulfill the list provided by the school, usually get some new shoes and jeans...then I'd bore her by getting a 'school' picture while getting on the bus...she REALLY didn't like that her senior year.

6. Write a summer tongue twister.  

Skoot skillfully shopping for school stuff soon-to-be shuffling schedules and skyping

7. Would you be interested in observing a surgery or do you turn away when the nurse brings out the needle?

Don't like feeling needles but not scared of them; I wanted to watch as they put stitches in my foot one time but didn't let myself watch...I chickened out. I do watch surgeries on TV though.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

TODAY is HUMP day...
a day that I need a LAFF...

...'cause my body decided to wake up at 6:30am as if I had some reason to wake up at 6:30am

...'cause my car is exhausted from having driven around the world and back again yesterday  dropped off/picked up/payed for skoot's auto repairs and all the way downtown and back for MORE furniture

...'cause my body got a glance at what moving day will be like carrying furniture/boxes up a flight of stairs dreading the three flights of stairs awaiting us in the T'town 95% humidity and 95-degree weather

...'cause the opportunity to talk with Skoot about life, politics and our economy while enjoying bumper-to-bumper traffic en route to IKEA (35 miles away)      

...'cause maybe Skoot will miss me when she's back in CollegeTown remembering  what Summer fun was had me and her Daddy because of our hilarious personalities she had access to OUR credit card

Mama's Losing It  posted this today
...it fulfilled my 'laff' need
...watch it and tell me if it hits your funny bone, too:

I REALLY needed to laff today and this DID it!  


I remember those 'young kids' days of chasing, cleaning up, and 'trying-to-keep-them busy'.  Mama's Losing It cracks me up "hiding" in her hat

...reminds me of Susannah Wesley throwing her apron over her head for 'prayer time'...same thing, kinda!

...I will REALLY miss my Skoot after she's back in CollegeTown.  

She's very eager to get there and reacquaint herself to her we're paying for it all FULL independence, hahahah.  

Just poking a little fun her way.  

What things do you want to type and cross out?

Jer. 33:3 "Call to me and I will answer you

and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."
 Blessings,

MAUNDY THURSDAY...thankful thursday, even today

hosted by Greg

MAUNDY THURSDAY of HOLY WEEK...some recognize it as Holy Thursday, Covenant Thursday, Great and Holy Thursday, and Thursday of Mysteries...the holy Thursday before Easter, commemorating the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles.
Step back in time...See Christ hosting the Last Supper and striving to teach the disciples.


Christ was already envisioning, knowing...the one who would betray Him, the people who would convict Him, the leaders who would shuffle Him back and forth not wanting to claim their having to be the one to sentence Him (for even the governor struggled with doing THE DEED...he was the one who had the notice penned for Jesus' cross).


John 19:19-22 "Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was: JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. This title then read by many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city, and it was written in Hebrew, Greek and Latin." 


It would have read as:

Yeshua haNotzri, Melech haYehudim הגדר (Hebrew, God revealed Himself to man)

Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum (Latin, Roman Empire, representing authority)

Iesous ho Nazoraios ho basileus ton Ioudaion (Greek, world commerce, universality)

Yes, many things Jesus was envisioining:
..ALL the SIN to be thrust upon Him
...the world not recognizing Him as King
...authority over Rome—the entire universe (yet Roman soldiers rolled dice for his clothes)
..dragging the cross, suffering, bleeding, trying to breathe, thirsting, feeling forsaken, dying
...praying for US while hanging on the cross
...hanging on the cross (God sitting on His eternal throne)
...knowing He'd be with Him in a little bit.
God was hearing Jesus's prayers...and He and telling Jesus things

Jer. 33:3 "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."
Blessings,

ERIN PRAYERS...

Recently my blogging words have been very hard to come by...I'm going through a "desert time".

My 'wanting to write' seems to have fallen off the edge of the earth, don't know why. I've been bouncing around reading posts and leaving some messages hoping some fires start again, but so far it's a big, fat NOTHING. Enough of my moaning...I need your help in ANOTHER ARENA...one much more URGENT.

Please be in prayer for my dear, young friend, Erin, who is STRUGGLING and HURTING through the process of growing new bone marrow while fighting off Leukemia

.

She's had an absolutely horrible week with all the complications of losing her white blood cells. (Thankfully these are known side effects of the treatment, but unfortunately there is NO way around them and she is in the midst of suffering).

So, in her weakness WE AS A BODY OF BELIEVERS can hold her up during this valley of her treatment. We must hold her UP, like Aaron helped hold up Moses' arms in battle.

Dear Prayer Warriors, Erin did not sleep last night...she couldn't get comfortable...she's really having a hard time with an inflammed liver....pray hard for relief!! God has brought her through so much already...He can get her through this too. "...she hurts nonstop. Only the Great Physician knows what to do here...we need Him to nudge the Drs.

Thanks for keeping her in your prayers as she takes baby steps toward her renewed body.

Jer. 33:3 "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know." Blessings,

IN IT !

Today's "STREAM" had a quote that comforts...

"Measure thy life by loss and not by gain,

Not by the wine drunk, but by the wine poured forth.

For love's strength standeth in love's sacrifice,

And he who suffers most has most to give."

It helps us understand--valleys truly do become mountaintops...and during struggles KNOW that on the other side will be HIS GLORY! Reminds me of Paul's words about being thankful in suffering...the key word being IN. We always strain so hard to get out of suffering when we are closest to our LORD while we are IN it. NOW, to a funny.....

Jesus and Satan have an argument --"Who's the better programmer. " They agree to hold a contest--God will be the judge. They set themselves before their computers and begin.

Typing furiously, lines of code streaming up the screen. Seconds before the end, a bolt of lightning struck taking out the electricity. Moments later, the power is restored--God announces that the contest is over and asks Satan to show his work. Satan is visibly upset and cries, "I have nothing! I lost it all when the power went out."

"Very well, " says God, "let's seehow Jesus fared." Jesus enters a
command, and the screen comes to life--vivid display,an angelic choir poured forth from the speakers. Satan is astonished. He stutters, "But how?! I lost everything! How did he do it?!"

God chuckles, "Jesus saves!"

SUFFER TOGETHER

"Don't waste your suffering, don't let it pass;get out of it all you can,for yourself and for your service to your generation."

I'm impatient, not wanting to listen as others tell me experiences. But their experiences are golden! They calm my anxiety, show me how to share Christ's love in ALL situations.

Look for Christ in all your suffering--He is with us always...preveniently going before us, placing people in front of us for His purposes. His "modeling through suffering" is apparent before, during and after his crucifixion...a preface of our suffering in our lives for His sake. Doesn't He call us to take up our crosses and follow Him?

Tough times may be embarrassing, humbling, and often friends fall away during trials. (Remember, the disciples ran and hid when Christ was arrested and later crucified.) Charge on in with the actions Christ calls you to ... especially when our enemy uses "feelings" to shy us from sharing our past experiences--he knows our love for one another will give glory back to Christ!

Lord, remind me to help calm and comfort.

Go ahead of me, make my path straight, give me Your Words.

2 Cor. 1:6, 7

"If I am in distress, it is in the interests of your comfort,

which is effective as it nerves you to endure the same sufferings as I suffered myself.

Hence my hope for you is well-founded, since I know that as you share the sufferings,

you share the comfort also."