Potpourri – Page 31 – The Welcome Home

To all the whosoever’s

It’s amazing to me tonight to consider that ten years have passed since I held my newborn in my arms. I smiled this morning as Wes read the “Christmas story” account from the book of Luke. How incredible it must’ve been for Mary to ponder in her heart all that she had heard and had now seen. I gave birth to our baby Naomi in the comfort and warmth of our home on Christmas night ten years ago. I had the protection, comfort and loving attention of my precious husband and our caring midwife. Our children were safe and warm –satisfied with good things and Christmas treats.

It truly was calm and bright that night. The snowstorm had not yet come. I enjoyed soft blankets, candlelight and a warm bath following her birth. I had a soft bed and fluffy pillows and hot tea, and a warmth from the wood heat. The baby’s blankets, diaper and gown were soft and clean and warm. What a contrast to the way and to the place of the birth of my precious LORD and Saviour.

I recall feeling that no mother in all the world could ever have loved a baby as I loved Naomi that night. But Mary. But Mary and all the other mothers who’ve swaddled their baby and held them close and kissed their little fingers and stroked their little foreheads.

But Mary… who held the baby —the LORD Jesus— and had none of the luxuries I was given for the birth of our baby that night.

But for all that love and all that compassion for the helpless little babe, tonight I’m awestruck that that love pales to nothing in comparison with the love the Father has for each one of us: that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

So, to all the whosoever’s: Happy Christmas! For unto us a child is born. To all the whosoever’s peace has come to earth and there is great joy in heaven.

Happy Christmas

And the angel said unto them, Fear not:
for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy,
which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour,
which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe
wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host
praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Luke 2.10-14

more hmmmm….

Some are watching and some simply pass on and follow. www.christianitytoday.com/

a brief update

I’m happy to share that the list service that helped me with The Welcome Home messages in the past will also be helping me with the new: Letters To My Sisters email letter subscriptions.

This, from our website…
letters header small

More Information here.
Letters To My Sisters will be much like The Welcome Home
messages I used to send to subscribers.

And as for our friend’s wedding… well, it was so beautiful… more on that later! This morning found us sort of dragging and slow. After the mountain of table linens and towels is conquered, I’ll post a note and some pictures. I’m grateful for the many who prayed us through the week, through the baking, through the storm and electrical outage… and then for all who helped us with the wedding and reception. God is so faithful and careful with us – each one.

link for spanish to english translator

If your spanish (or other language, for that matter) skills are not sharp and if you need to have something translated, click this link: http://www.google.com/language_tools?hl=en

I received a letter this morning and wanted to be sure of the precise translation. Now, it’s a word-for-word translation and so doesn’t “read well” but you’ll get the gist of the matter. I only say this for impersonal letters… getting the gist of something is not the same as getting the literal intended meaning. Many things get lost in “translation.”

This wasn’t intended to veer toward Bible translations or interpretations or paraphrases… but I see some similarities and the extreme liberties taken these days.

upcoming subscriber letters

Dear Sisters
Are you feeling alone and in need of inspiration for the task the LORD has given you as a wife, mother and handmaiden of the LORD? Are you in a place that seems difficult, without mentors or encouragement for the narrow path ahead? Perhaps you are what might be called a “first generation Christian” and perhaps you’ve had few role models or godly examples of just how to be a loving mother, how to live and dress modestly, how to care for and love your children or what it is to be a keeper at home. You simply may be looking for some sweet kindred fellowship from someone who’s walking along the same narrow path and can share in the joys and laughter, tears and sorrows, highlights and low-points of marriage, motherhood and homemaking and keeping. That’s the reason for the writing and sending of Letters To My Sisters. I know I sure need inspiration and encouragement for the tasks at hand and I pray the LORD will use experiences and inspiration to be that for others.

If you received TheWelcomeHome messages I used to write and send to subscribers in the past, these letters will be in much the same format.

If you would like to receive Letters To My Sisters, you may subscribe and the letters will come by email to your inbox.

To *subscribe, please email http://freegroups.net/groups/letterstomysisters/

blessings,

This week’s great honour…

I’m grateful to have the great privilege of making the cake for our precious friend’s wedding this weekend. It is with great joy and honour that we anticipate this wedding for Andrew and Gen. As we make plans for their wedding and reception and all the details that need to be taken care of, I’m continually asking the LORD for guidance and strength that each detail and need will be met and filled and that we will be used of the LORD to contribute what’s needed to make the day a delight to them and a blessing to all who attend.

So… I’m having cake decorating dreams. I only wish I had videos of the ones where the cake looks nothing like anything I would ever be capable of making… but in the dreams the cakes look fabulous. And the equipment I have in my dreams is incredible! It’s sort of feeling like anticipating a birth: all the dreams are of labours and babies and amazing feats one could never accomplish without the blessing, presence and guidance of the LORD. So the wedding!
I will post pictures when it’s all said and done. Only the groom has been told of the plan for the cake… the bride does not know the plans for what the cake will look like – nor its shape or design. I hope I get it right. ~smile~ If I keep drinking too much coffee… it might not have nice lines though.

I cracked up when I got this one… someone must’ve had a not so hidden message for me!

drink coffee

Gleaning from the field of the LORD

God is good all the time…. ALL of the time, in all places for all time: God is the great I AM.

When I traveled a bit north to join other sisters in the LORD at a wonderful Titus2 meeting this past Thursday evening, I wasn’t actually aware at that point what the next few days would bring — and yet, the LORD, in His mercy, ordered up the days and provided all that was needed — I see that so well now. We had unexpected guests stay with us for a few days and many “things on the docket.” I pray the LORD will use all the events, conversations and times we spent together to help me grow in faith and apply what I was to glean and to discard or set aside whatever else for another time. I wish I’d worked more diligently to keep Titus2.3-5 in mind so that as each event happened I might have asked: how can this or that be used to help me love my husband, love my children and be a keeper at home? How can all of these things be sorted and applied that I would take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ—and more, how can I cast down imaginations and every high thing… In all I want my life to be a living sacrifice—and if that’s true (and it is), what can I take and use from the days just spent?

It seems that when there are multiple events, and varied ones at that, much of the “good things” are buried and over days must be decompressed, revisited and sorted out. That’s what this week seems to hold, I suppose. And as I work at the many things that need to be done this week, I pray to not let go of what I had in my hand last week or that if the needful of this week fills my basket, I don’t just dump it all. ~wink~

The LORD continues to teach me to trust in Him for the ordering of the days and as I had particular plans that had to be altered or put off, I saw that I needed to fully rely on Him and trust that His will was being done and I sought to be obedient to that. I was overwhelmed by either what was going on at the moment or by thoughts of things that needed to be done. In a few different moments of weariness, I didn’t retain the necessary guard to guide my thoughts and words and I found myself murmuring over unimportant things or being touchy about words and opinions and needed to just remember (1Thessalonians) prove all things and hold fast to the good. And now… as I look back I say: omygoodness, and aren’t we just closing out the study of 1Corinthians? Aren’t we just studying about bearing all things, believing all things, hoping all things,enduring all things — suffering long and being charitable? O, how dull of hearing I am.

I share all this bcz I can see that for women – surely myself included, the mind is, or can be, quite a messy battlefield at times. At yet another gathering — this time, hundreds of believers at a memorial service last night, I was talking with a sister in the LORD and after talking of floods, rain and snow and God’s care and provision through each, we compared that to ways the enemy comes in like a flood to attempt to thwart what God is doing in and through a life. I hadn’t seen this sister in the LORD in quite awhile and she was asking me about letters I used write and I told her that I hadn’t done them in quite some time. I explained that it was ironic that she was asking about them and shared that I was intending to begin sending them out again very soon. I told her I’d allowed the enemy to thwart the work that had been ongoing and she shared that she, too, had done a similar thing regarding ministry the LORD had given her to do. She had listened to the lies of the enemy and had backed off from some important things and she and I both concluded that there will be people who will not like us, not agree with us but that we cannot be derailed or flooded out by their thoughts toward or about us. Rather, we must weigh what is said against what God has said and search out the truth and obey His leading and be forbearing with those who disagree with us and just continue traveling the path the LORD has set before us.

Many good things are covered up — covered up by lies of the enemy, by busyness, by poor planning, by “weariness in well-doing” or even by more good things! As I sort out the good things and sift out the difficulties and lift out the needful, I pray to share the blessings of the LORD as these are and have been wonderful days. So, again… I want to glean day by day from the field of the LORD.

more stunners

You know… you just couldn’t make this stuff up.

Could this scenario be coming soon to a church near you?

Incredible. Really, incredible. Here’s one… the Granger Community Church event. How about a U2charist ?
Really, I couldn’t make this up.

You’ve heard me say many times, if I keep shaking my head like this, it’s going to come clean off. And, there are some who probably wish that would happen and I’d stop talking about all the incredible, blasphemous things going on.

Turning to the local Christian music station this afternoon and hearing a song about the grinch, “You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch.” One of my daughters commented, did they run out of meaningful Christmas carols?

Thanks…

for the comments and personal letters regarding this blog.

I’ll get back to writing about stuff from the home-front and slices of life. And there’s much to say – much to write. But, mygoodness, there is so much going on that it seems it begs to be revealed. At least that’s how it seems to me, anyway.

So, for now… the links on this blog have apparently been restored, I’ve corrected a bunch of dead links on the ACH website (a seemingly never ending activity) and added some new articles and modest clothing sites along with suggestions for stuff to do. We’ve got a full plate—probably very much like you: many things need to be done before the day’s over and we fall into bed to rest up for the full days ahead.

But thanks for dropping by to read. I know it’s a downer to keep reading about the incredible activities of factions in the church. It’s hard to not comment—really hard. May the LORD help us all.