My Everything Quilt

Pg. 53 A person may be a nice, respectable citizen and still be an ungodly person. Ungodliness describes an attitude toward God, while unrighteousness refers to sinful actions in thought, word, or deed. Pg. 54 Ungodliness may be defined as living one's everyday life with little or no thought of God, or of God's will, or of God's glory, or of one's dependence on God. Pg. 56 "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." The all of that sentence includes every activiy of our days... Everything we do is to be done to the glory of God. Pg. 57 First, I desire that all that I do be pleasing to God. I want God to be pleased with the way I go about the ordinary activities of my day. Pg. 58 The question we should honestly and humbly ask is, " How ungody am I?" How much of my life do I live without any regard for God? Pg. 60 Our goal in the pursuit of godliness should be to grow more in our conscious awareness that every mome...

18 and in love! It seems so long ago. But I can still remember the excitement I felt knowing I was going to see him. I remember not being able to concentrate on anything because my mind was full of him. I would watch for his car to come pick me up for a date, then watch until it drove out of sight after the date. I didn't think I could see him enough; even though my parents thought we saw each other too much! I eagerly searched the mailbox each day he was away at college hoping there would be a letter, even if I got one the day before. Then I would read that letter 10x a day until the next one arrived. How my heart would skip a beat just hearing his voice after being apart for any length of time. 18 and in love! There were also those times of hurt, pain, and disappointment. Young love is full of hopes, dreams and expectations. When you set your hopes too high and your expectations go unmet the disappointment can lead to many misunderstandings and hurt feelings. There were plenty of...

"If He is able to move the hearts of kings like little channels of water "wherever He wishes," then He's able to reshape and rechannel lives that we think are unreachable, and calling their own shots, and too far gone to turn back." "God is at work. He's moving. He's touching lives. He's shaping kingdoms. He's never surprised by what humanity may do. Just because actions or motives happen to be secular or carnal or unfair, it doesn't mean He's not present. Those involved may not be glorifying Him, but never doubt it, He's present. He's at work." "God specializes in turning the mundane into the meaningful. God not only moves in unusual ways, He also moves on uneventful days. He is just as involved in the mundane events as He is in the miraculous." ~Charles Swindoll's Esther

"Immortal, invisible, God only wise, In light inaccessible hid from our eyes, Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days, Almighty, victorious-Thy great name we praise." ~Walter Chalmers Smith "We can plumb the depths of another's mind. But we cannot begin to scratch the surface of the unsearchable judgments of God. God is in sovereign control, ...In the midst of those very circumstances that today have you baffled, wondering what you're going to do, or even how you're going to go on, you can rest assured that God's power and sovereign control are already at work. God never knows frustration. He never has to scratch His head, wondering what in the world He's going to do next... If necessary, He will bring you to nothing to get your attention. He will even crush you, if need be... Because God and God alone is calling the shots." ~ Esther by Charles Swindoll I've always thought I trust God completely with everything in my life. Yet, do I ...

Amelia Jane Parker is now 1 year old! My goodness that is hard to believe! The past year has been so exciting. Seeing her grow physically, as well as, in her personality has been delightful. She definitely has her very own personality and you know it! I knew being a grandmother was going to be fun, but the emotions I have experienced over the past year have been beyond my expectations. I can't see her enough, hold her enough, love on her enough! She brings a joy to my heart that is hard to put into words. This child has a hold on my heart that is unbreakable. I love watching my daughter with her baby. It is a beautiful sight for this mother. She is the epitome of the ideal wife and mother. I wish I could be more like her. It is my prayer that she and her husband are blessed with more beautiful babies to love and share with us. Happy Birthday, sweet Amelia! Your Gramma loves you very much!

We may KNOW we have eternal life. We KNOW that You hear us in whatever we ask. We KNOW we have the requests we have asked from You in Jesus' name and in accordance with His will. We KNOW that no one who is born of God continues in the same unbroken pattern of sin as before. We KNOW that we are of God because we hear the voice of Your Spirit in Your Word. We KNOW that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may KNOW Him who is true. From: At the Throne of Grace by John MacArthur

“Once we agree with God that we exist for His pleasure and His glory, we can accept whatever comes into our lives as part of His sovereign will and purpose. We will not resent, resist, or reject the ‘hard things,’ but embrace them as friends, sovereignly designed by God to make us like Jesus and to bring glory to Himself.” --Nancy Leigh DeMoss in "Lies Women Believe: And the Truth That Sets Them Free!"

Changes. Life is so full of changes. Some changes are good; some are not so good. Then some are just good for us. Besides, if things never changed how boring would that be?! One change in my life lately is that my fourth daughter is now in college. She was saying the day before she started school that she doesn't feel 18, that sounded too old. Well, she is 18 and I wonder where the passed 18 years have gone. I remember her finding it hard to accept the new baby in the family. She would try to sit on her, or push her out of the way so that she could get close to me. We went through a real battle of the wills when Moriah was born. Many days I told Hannah, all of 2 years old, that I was going to win! I don't know who cried more, Hannah or me! When she was a little older she was very shy about having her picture taken. We would try to have some pictures made for the school year, and she would cry and have the saddest look on her little face. Now she loves taking pictures and...

That's what happens when you spend 2 weeks on vacation. You eventually cannot keep track of what day of the week it is. Today is Tuesday. Yesterday I posted that it was Tuesday! There was a lightning show last night. And this morning it started to rain. And it continues to rain. The stormy weather has been blowing over by noon, but not today. The sky is ominous and the thunder roars, the lightning flashes and the rain keeps falling. When it rains at the beach you have to have a backup plan. Ours is puzzles. So, David has been working a puzzle since Sunday, with Deborah's help ocassionally. Personally, I think he is going to go completely crazy before he finishes! Of course, there's always reading, which is what I prefer.

Into our 2nd week of vacation. Last week, David, Rebekah, Hannah, Moriah and I were in Orlando. We went to Sea World and Busch Gardens. Tuesday was Hannah's 18th birthday. We had hoped to spend the day at Discovery Cove so she could swim with the dolphins. But we did not make a reservation early enough. Gee, I wonder who said we should do that 3 weeks ago! So, instead of swimming with dolphins, the girls got to feed dolphins at Sea World. They loved watching them and trying to pet them. I think they would have spent the whole day at the dolpin pool. At Busch Gardens, we experienced bad weather again. No rain, just stormy skies which stopped the rides momentarily. We wanted to take the truck ride where you get up close and personal with the giraffes and zebras, but by the time we got to the reservations desk they were full for the day. We did get to feed the kangaroos, though! Again, I think the girls would have spent the whole day with them! Now we are on St. George Islan...

Directions For Dealing with Sin p. 48 Not only has God forgiven us our sins, He has also credited to us the perfect righteousness of Christ. In every area of life where we have been disobedient, Jesus was perfectly obedient. In both His sinless life and His sin-bearing death, Jesus was perfectly obedient, perfectly righteous, and it is that righteousness that is credited to all who believe. p. 50 If we have memorizedand prayed over Scriptures that address our subtle sins, the Holy Spirit will bring them to mind in particular situations to remind us of the will of God, to warn us, and to guide us in our response to the temptation. It is through prayer that we consciously acknowledge our need of the Holy Spirit, and it is through prayer that we continually acknowledge the presence of those persistent sin patterns in our lives. p. 51 Summary: 1)Apply the gospel; 2) depend on the Holy Spirit; 3) recognize your responsibility; 4) identify specific respectable sins; 5) memorize and apply app...

The Power of the Holy Spirit p. 39 God does not forgive because He wants to be lenient with us. He forgives because His justice has been satisfied. p. 40 Through our union with Christ in His death, we have died, not only to sin's guilt but also to its reigning power in our lives. How can sin possibly reign if we have died to it? p. 41 Practically speaking, we live under the controlling influence of the Spirit as we continually expose our minds to and seek to obey the Spirit's moral will for us as revealed in Scripture. We are in fact totally dependent upon the enabling power of the Holy Spirit. We live in dependence on Him through prayer as we continually cry out to Him for His power to enable us to obey His will. p. 42 One of the ways the Holy Spirit works in us is to bring conviction of sin. That is, He causes us to begin to see our selfishness, our impatience, or our judgmental attitude as the sins that they truly are. p. 43 Another way in which the Holy Spirit works in us i...

May 5, 6, and 7 was recital weekend. This was Hannah's last recital, so it was rather special. I get so much pleasure from watching my girls dance. We attended the Friday night show because that is the one where the girls dance in most of the dances. During the intermission, Leah and Blake came over to where we were sitting. Surprise does not cover it! I had not called her to invite them or even let them know it was recital weekend. I figured they would not come, like last year, and honestly, I did not want to hear the "No, we are busy" like usual. Come to find out, Deborah had asked her if they were going, since it was Hannah's senior recital! Before the show began, Hannah and Moriah had seen Leah and Blake when they arrived. Moriah said she cried when she saw them; Hannah was just so thankful they were there, she didn't care why or how! May 10 was Leah's graduation from KSU with her degree in dance. She graduated Summa Cum Laude! She actually acted excited t...

The Remedy for Sin p. 32 "I am a great sinner, but I have a great Savior." That is my only hope. That is the only remedy for my sin... (paraphrase of John Newton's words) p. 33 ...the gospel in its widest scope, the fact that Christ, in His work for us and in us, saves us not only from the penalty of sin but also from its dominion or reigning power in our lives. ...the gospel is only for sinners. Though we truly are saints in the sense of being separated unto God, all of us are still practicing sinners. p. 34 So the first use of the gospel, as a remedy for our sins, is to plow the ground of our hearts so that we can see our sin. Second, not only does the gospel prepare me to face my sin, it also frees me up to do so. I need the assurance that my sin is forgiven before I can even acknowledge it, let alone begin to deal with it. p. 35 Why does God not count my sins against me? Because He has already charged it to Christ. Isaiah 53:6 Third, the gospel motivates and energizes...

Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Last week the South was hit by the worst tornado weather system of the ages. Northern Alabama and north Georgia were devastated. Some cities were almost wiped off the map. The footage on the news was heartbreaking. I know as a Christian our treasures are not to be in our earthly, material possessions. But how do you stand on what used to be your front yard and look at the pieces of rubble that used to be your house and all your belongings, now just a pile of kindling? I cannot image how devastating that must be for those affected. Friday of last week, April 29, heir to the throne of England, Prince William, married Catherine (Kate) Middleton, a commoner. It was the wedding of the century! Of course, that is also what they called the wedding of Prince William's parents, Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer, 30 years ago! The ceremony was televised worldwide, naturally. We were up at 5:00am to watch, along with millions of other people around the globe. Talk about a fairy tale! It w...

Chapter One: Ordinary Saints p. 12 Every true believer has been separated or set apart by God for God. p. 14 We don't become saints by our actions. We are made saints by the immediate supernatural action of the Holy Spirit alone who works this change deep within our inner being so that we do, in fact, become new creations in Christ. p. 16 The Bible has a word for conduct unbecoming a saint. It is sin. Chapter Two: The Disappearance of Sin p. 19 In fact, we often indulge in what I call the "respectable" or even "acceptable" sins without any sense of sin. p. 21 We gossip or lust because of the sinful pleasure we get out of it. Sin is sin. But the fact still remains that the seemingly minor sins we tolerate in our lives do indeed deserve the curse of God. Chapter Three: The Malignancy of Sin p. 23 Sin is a spiritual and moral malignancy. Left unchecked, it can spread throughout our entire inner being and contaminate every area of our lives. p. 24 Even though our he...

"It is God's miracle to work. He will work it in His time and in His way."

Apparently I am easily replaced. Funny, I have always believed when I no longer exist that there will be no more pain. So why then is my heart hurting so? The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Woodstock received snow again on Sunday, January 9. It is now Tuesday and the snow is still on the ground. The temperatures have not gotten above freezing and the forecast does not predict that they will until Friday. Schools have been closed and will be again tomorrow. Businesses, government, everything is closed. However, we homeschool so school is in session. So, today after the school work was done, my girls wanted to play a game. What?! A game! I have been begging for weeks to play a game. Explanation here: I used a lot of educational games in our schooling to make things more interesting and to use what they had learned and for them to see they actually did learn! Now that Hannah is a senior and Moriah is in ninth grade they don't like to play games anymore. We did play a game (and they got excited every time they were asked a question about something we actually studied this year). In fact, we had to stop so I could cook dinner; then stop again to eat dinner. Being stuck at ...

In His time. No one likes to hear those words. Because it means Someone else controls what we want to control. In His time means we have to wait on Him; we can't make it happen ourselves. I like to be the one in control. It doesn't matter what the "it" is either. "It" can be waiting to get a new front door, or new kitchen counter tops, or something a little more serious like a relationship to change. You pray and pray until you can't think of any new way to pray about it, but things just don't change. You begin to have bitter thoughts and feelings about the person, so you purposely replace those thoughts with pure, holy thoughts and repent, asking forgiveness for the bitter attitude. You read 1 Corinthians every day for weeks and commit it to memory knowing you are going to have to remind yourself many times that Love is an action. Yet, nothing changes. This can be rather depressing if you are not keeping your eyes focused on His time. He knows my he...

2011. Today is 1/1/11. A new year. It has become our tradition to spend New Year's Eve with friends and family. We eat, talk, watch football, maybe play a game or two, eat some more and talk a lot more while we wait for midnight. Then the big moment finally comes. We all count down 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! The noise hits a new high as people are shouting, blowers are being blown, poppers are being popped. It is chaos for about 5 minutes, but it is the best chaos of the whole year. Then it's outside for the fireworks. Some of the more adventurous ones like to chance being burned and jump over the short fireworks! So far, no one has had to be rushed to the hospital, thank the Lord. Around 1:30am or 2:00am we head home. I always enjoy this evening and hope it continues for many years to come. Resolutions. According to the New Oxford American Dictionary (on my new Kindle) the meaning of "resolution" is: a firm decision to do or not to do something. I used to...