Saturday, October 31, 2009

Fleeting Autumn...



...the bitter sweetness of autumn...
...the majestic glory!
...the promise from God that as long as time exists...
...there will be seasons...

...come with me!





The heavens declare the glory of God,
the firmament shows His handiwork.

Day unto day uttereth speech,
night unto night shows knowledge.

There is no speech or language...
AMEN!

...blessedness...

ox

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

WEEK END MUSINGS

...a highlight of this weekend...

...was doing an overnight stay with my neice and her husband, Jason...
...two weeks ago, they became the proud parents of... 
...Lane Tyler...


...Lynda's mother is my sister...
(she just had open heart surgery and lives a ten hour drive away)
...i was standing in for her...
...but not taking her place...
...never...
...no one can take the place of a mother!

...because it was impossible for sista Lil to be there...
...i had the honor to do a 'stand-in' for her for one night...

...isn't this simply adorable?!


...cute little tootsies!
...which someday will be 'man feet'...
...Jason and Lynda...
...treasure the 'moment'...
...it happens all too quickly!
...i know you will...

**************************************

...Lewisburg is a historic place...
...with lots of old buildings and beautiful architecture...
...and lots of shops...
...we only took the time to shop under one roof...
...it is HUGE!

...a 'thrifters' dream...
(pictures inside were FOR-BIDDEN!)

...and, of course, we needed food...
...at Cherry Alley...
...very good!
...i'm not a 'concoction' drinker...
...but Lynda's chai tea was delicious!

...it was a lovely several hours...
...marred only by this...
 ...a parking ticket...
(duh!)

**********************************************

...altogether, a lovely, lovely twentyfour hours!


...a beautiful two hour drive...
...with a beautiful ending...
...at home...
...thanks, Jason and Lynda!


...blessedness...

ox

Saturday, October 24, 2009

What the world?!



...i'm a person of faith...
...take things at face value...
...and expect the same from others...

...is that expecting too much?!

i got this BOX at a yard sale...
...for two bucks!
...i had a bargain...
...i stored it in the garage cupboard...
...for two summers...

...this week i wanted to make apple crisp...
...sooo...
...i retrieved the BOX...
...opened it with great expectation to do quick work of peeling apples...

...the BOX says on the outside...
- recipe & instruction booklet inside -

...i'm a sucker for recipes...
...though i don't like to spend much time in the kitchen..
...i know - it's a paradox!

...instead of a peeler...
...i got this!

...someone's christmas present -
...from uncle Bill and aunt Esther!

...two pair of ear rings...
...one monkey sling shot...
...one lb of homemade taffy that was rock-hard!

...let me tell you - my first reaction was -
...a tad miffed...
...and disappointed...

...i was a sucker for that one!
...guess i deserved it for not opening the box at the yard sale...

...but like i said...
...i'm a person of faith!

************************************
...anyway, i'll share the apple crisp recipe, it's yummy!...


 1 c. flour
3/4 c. oatmeal
1 c. br. sugar
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 c. butter
cut butter into dry mix  and press half in a 9" pan
cover with
4 c chopped apples

-in saucepan cook until clear and thick-
1 c. sugar
1 c. water
 2 T cornstarch
1 t. vanilla
pour over apples

sprinkle with remaining crumbs.
bake @ 350 - 1 hr

...enjoy...
(i give credit to J's MIL for recipe)

...blessedness!

ox

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

What is the point?!

i've written in an earlier post there's a park across the road from us and occasionally i see men (usually) use a geiger counter sweeping the grass after an event, searching for coins (i guess)...
and i think...
WHAT is the point?!
WASTING time on such a stupid silly activity!
you can see where my thinking was going!
judgmental...
assumptions...
critical...

WELL!

God has a way of bringing me all of that to the foot of the Cross again and again!

yesterday as i finished my walk, a gentleman was sweeping the grass...
right where i cross over to go home.
sooo...
i decided here's my chance...
walked up to him, excused myself...
and we had a conversation...
a very interesting one!

meet 'Mr Sweeper!'

(i asked permission for this pic)

the counter was a birthday gift from his wife and son...
it's a relaxing hobby...
gives him thinking time...
picked up $800.00 in change with some valuable coins...
 and some rings...
WOW!

i'm not about to go into that kind of hobby...
i have my own...
BUT...
this conversation put a stop to all those before mentioned thoughts!
 after some serious (seriously!) conversation about life...
 (not sure how we ended up there!)
i felt like i made a friend...
a 'passing ships in the night' kind...
but, nervertheless, another 'park' friend!

i can't help but think...
 'how many more people have i missed
just because i judged them inside my head?'
'twas another needed lesson...
authored by God!

...blessedness...

ox


Monday, October 19, 2009

WEEK END MUSINGS

- OUR FIRST FROST  -






...the first frost changes the landscape...
and is the beginning of the end of summer's lush beauty.
...but i make a silent committment within myself...
to enjoy this season
...and the wintry weather of winter...
'the quiet time.'


...these beauties survived this frost...
...love this quote...

***********************************

we had lots of rain for three days...
attended a wedding on saturday...
a baby shower on sunday...
(but no pics of either event!)

...truths spoken from our worship...

standing up for truth doesn't necessarily make everything ok...
sometimes God still sends us back into the 'wilderness.'
(think of Joshua - Numbers 14)


...to become a full-blossomed flower...
- be vulnerable -
- requires courage -
- and hope -
- and faith -

...we dare to take the leap...
because we have the eternal arms of God beneath us
...HE IS OUR SAFETY NET!...

...to remain 'closed up' we cannot bloom, release our fragrance and be all God wants us to be...

...blessedness...

ox


Thursday, October 15, 2009

Lord...


Lord, I come to you like a broken rag doll,
My dress is torn and stained
My arm is half hanging on.
My eyes aren't shining and trusting
Like they once were.
My expression isn't innocent
And transparent anymore.
I'm not the unused, brand-new ragdoll
I once was.
Yes, my smile is still there,
But not as spontaneous as it once was;
It's a little forced now...
A bit more tired.
I need to be picked up by you, Lord,
picked up...
held tightly...
loved...
and reassured.
Reassured that no matter how I look,
Or how dirty and scuffed up
and broken I am,
You love me just like when I was brand-new.
Would you please hold me, Lord?
- Robin Williams -

...blessedness!

ox

Monday, October 12, 2009

WEEK END MUSINGS

our churh had a retreat this week end at penn valley, located in the mountains of central PA...

 a lovely, lovely place...


...games...
...those who play...
                                                
                                                                                              
                                                               ...several injuries...

...and those who watch...

...future player...


...campfire...


...eating...


...good cooks...


...praise and worship...


...and teaching...


...our speaker, Dan Beachy, is a veteran counselor/teacher...
...resourced from the book 'Connecting' by Larry Crabb...
...lots of stuff to think about...

...the book speaks of the 'Four Metaphors of Sin'...
...and how we attempt to bypass God's way in dealing with life issues...
...instead, we 'build a city,' or...
...'dig a well'...
...or go to 'fire lighting'...
....or 'whitewash' our walls...
...read it...good stuff!

gleanings from his teaching...

city-building is simply coming up with a strategy to live in case God checks out...
well diggers are thirsty...instead of pursing the Giver of Water, a cistern is dug...
firelighters attempt to light their own fire when they think God isn't coming through...
white wall washing is to simply cover up to look better than what the reality really is...

OUR MESSAGE OF CONNECTION CAN CHANGE!
...read the book!

...traditionally, we finish the worship service with the song...
- Our God is Alive -
...it's sung with belief and power!

...blessedness...

ox

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Reflections...

...i love mirrors...
...different shapes, different sizes...
...i love their reflections...
...the light they bring into a room...
...how they seem to make a small room bigger...

...so...

...i'm sharing my mirrors in our home with you...


. 
...laundry room entrance...

...bottom mirror above stove reflects shelf in the kitchen...
...dinning room...
...mirror on left reflects the outdoors...
...mirror on right reflects the rest of the dinning room...




...interesting vignette of chair and outdoors of the same small mirror...

...all the above reflections are of the living room...

...reflections of out two baths...

...bedroom...

...dressing room...

...i hope you enjoyed these reflections of our home...

******************

as i think about mirrors and reflections...
i wonder...
what does my life reflect?
do i like what i see in my mirror?
do i look for outward beauty...
or the beauty that spills out into the things that really count?
my husband, my children, my friends...
or even...scary thought...to the unlovely or unlovable?
or those outside of my comfort zone?
and if i don't like what i see in my mirror, do i want to change...
change enough, so that when, at the end of the day...
i can look at myself in the mirror with clear eyes and say...
'today, i made a difference...'
...blessedness...
ox