Happy Homemaker Monday

 

Once again this Monday, I'm taking time to join Sandra for this link party over at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. 

The Weather:::

Mostly sunny/partly cloudy.  It's currently 74º with 66% humidity.   

As I look outside my window:::

Everything is still quite lush and green.  Some leaves, though, particularly on a maple tree outside my window, are looking shriveled and unhealthy.  Not sure what that's a result of, maybe a late frost we had in early summer.

We found a few more phlox at the old homestead and transplanted them to our little camp last Sunday.  The plants are doing well!

Right now I am:::

 Working on a blog post.

 
Thinking and pondering:::

 

 The importance of recognizing our need for the whole armor of God.  Everything going on in our world (and in our personal lives) right now has me more convinced than ever that it's crucial to be availing ourselves of this armor every day.  I've begun praying that many people in my life will be protecting themselves in this way.

The above is the Daily Grace study on the armor of God for men.  You can find it here: Stand Firm.    There's a women's version too.  I'm getting myself one of these!

On my bedside table::: 

 A lamp, three books,  a pen and a jar of lavender-infused oil for helping with insect bites.

On my tv this week::: 

Nothing this week.

 Listening to::: 

A neighbor mowing a lawn across the street.

On the Breakfast plate:::

I do intermittent fasting so don't have breakfast.  Lunch was a salad with cubes of ham and cheese in  addition to leaf lettuce and some banana peppers.

On the dinner plate::: 

Chicken cheese steak sandwiches and roasted sweet potatoes

 

On the menu for this week::: 

I usually plan my menus from Thursday to Thursday, and grocery shop on Friday morning.  A few meals on my menu plan:

Egg bake

Hamburgers
Chicken Divan

Egg Roll in a Bowl

 

On my reading pile:::

 

Holy Hygge by Jamie Erickson

Finding a Mentor, Being a Mentor by Donna Otto

Own Your Life, by Sally Clarkson 

A Step Farther and Higher, by Gail MacDonald

High Call, High Privilege, also by Gail MacDonald

 

 

On my to do list today:::
 

Work on blog posts
Etsy listings

Finish Sunday School lesson 11

Prep Etsy order

Send out Sunday School lesson #9 to those who missed it. 

Plans for this week:::

Plan menus and make grocery list
List some notions, patterns, cards, and kids' books on Etsy

Ironing
Take a bag to the thrift store
Work on my Sunday School lessons

Prepare a side dish and some cookies to take to dinner with friends on Saturday evening

Plan and prepare food for Sunday's potluck at church

What I am creating:::

 

January cross-stitch sampler
Crocheting a second red, white and blue hot mat

Some "condensation catchers" out of old towels to place behind toilets that sweat in the humidity -- no, I still haven't finished started those! 😕

Need to start a pillow quilt for a granddaughter's gift

 

(I didn't get a Homemaker Monday post up last week because we were at Wellington State Park with our daughter, grandkids, and friends.  Heavenly!)

 

Bible verse, Devotional, Quote:::

 

“The spiritual man … has One who will will teach Him ‘all things that pertain to life and godliness’ and who will apply them to his life so that the knowledge will be not only intellectual or academic but spiritual and experiential.  The Holy Spirit will not only teach us the truth but will guide us into it, enabling us to incorporate it into our lives so that we may become holy and righteous even as He.” -- Ruth Paxson, Life on the Highest Plane
 

This is an encouragement to me today -- what about you?

On my prayer list:::

 

Friends & family
Church family
Missionaries
Our country

 

And there's the Happy Homemaker Monday for this week! 

 

 

Sunday Scripture

Today I'm continuing this Sunday Scripture series from my simple study of a little devotional journal titled Reflections: The Woman God Sees, by Jane L. Fryar.   This was a journal my dear young friends Sam and Jennifer gave me as part of a set for a gift one year.  It has a daily devotional one works through -- I think around a month's worth.  It was a blessing to me when I worked through it, so I thought I would share here.

For this week, the featured verse was 1 Timothy 1:16.   The challenge was given,  "Write about a time Jesus displayed His patient love for you.  Thank Him for it."  I chose to SOAP 1 Timothy 1:16 as I considered this assignment.

S= "Nevertheless, for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Christ Jesus might show forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them who should hereafter believe on Him to life everlasting." (1 Timothy 1:16) 

O= In the Scofield Study Bible, C.I. Scofield titles verses 12-20 in 1 Timothy 1 as "Paul's personal witness and charge to Timothy." 

In 1 Timothy 1:14-15 Paul has just explained God's love and grace as the reason that "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief."  

    Then he added, "Nevertheless, for this cause I obtained mercy", so we could say it like this:

"Even though I was the chief of sinners, I obtained mercy from God for this reason -- that in me others might see an example of Christ's patience with sinners and trust Him as their own Savior."

Cross-reference for "believe" -- 1 Timothy 4:3 speaks of "them who believe and know the truth."

A note concerning Hebrews 11:39 explains, "The essence of faith consists in believing and receiving what God has revealed, and may be defined as that trust in the God of the Scriptures and in Jesus Christ whom He has sent, which receives Him as Lord and Savior, and impels to loving obedience and good works."

Cross-references for "life everlasting" --

1 Timothy 4:8 refers to "the life that now is, and that which is to come."

Matthew 7:14 tells us, "Narrow is the gate, and hard is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."

A= Warren Wiersbe asks in Be Faithful, "In what sense is Paul an example to lost sinners who believe on Christ?  None of us has had the same experience that Paul had on the Damascus Road.  We did not see a light, fall to the ground, and hear Jesus speak from heaven.  But Paul is a pattern for all lost sinners, for he was the chief of sinners!  He is proof that the grace of God can change any sinner."

In answer to the challenge, "Write about a time Jesus displayed His patient love for you.  Thank Him for it", this is what I wrote:

"Certainly the foremost time was when I finally came to Him for salvation.  I had heard the gospel numerous times but always rejected it.  Different factors affected my thinking -- the Christians I knew were weird; I wanted to "live my life" before making such a commitment; and so on.  God patiently continued to draw me, and finally allowed me to come up against a serious difficulty which brought me to the end of myself and forced me to confront my need of Him.  What longsuffering He displayed to this sinner!  Thank You, Jesus!"

At the end of this day's devotional is a section titled "Seeing Through Jesus' Eyes".  It asks, "Think of a child who looks up to you, a co-worker who admires you, someone at church who respects you.  How might you gently shift his or her focus to Jesus, the Savior who has shown you such patient love?"

I answered: "Respond to any admiration of me by giving glory and praise to God.  Remind the person that any good quality they see in me is God-given and does not come naturally to me.

P= "Lord, I cannot ever thank You enough for the patient love You have shown me.  You were and are so longsuffering, not only with me but with all sinners!  

I praise and thank You also that You are patient with me every day.  You are the God of patience (Romans 15:5).  Even though I may often be slow in understanding or even in obeying, You patiently work in my life to bring about spiritual growth.  

I praise You for the ways You show Your patient love to me.  Help me to point others to Your love, I pray in Jesus' name, Amen."

There's the Sunday Scripture for this week!

Fishing for answers in the Wednesday Hodgepodge

 

 So it's Wednesday again, and that means it's time for the Hodgepodge -- the linkup where Joyce, at  From This Side of the Pond, asks the questions and bloggers provide the answers on their own blogs. I'm not at all sure how this happened, but I haven't done a Hodgepodge post since sometime in July.  Even though I really don't have time to write one today, I could quickly think of answers to these questions, so here goes:

1. What's your earliest memory?

Sitting in my Grandpa's lap eating one of the Canada mints he always kept in his chore coat pocket.   He died when I was four, so I never really knew him.

The above photo is Grandpa with one of my cousins around 1954.  This looks like spring, and he died that fall.

2. What's something about you today that the old you would find surprising? 

I can speak in front of a group without being immobilized by fear and self-consciousness.

3. Do you like to fish? Are you a fish eater? Favorite fish (to eat)? Favorite way to prepare fish? 

I don't enjoy fishing, but I am a fish eater.  My favorite fish to eat would be haddock and I like it fried.  My favorite way to prepare fish at home would probably be my mother's fish chowder.

4. What's your biggest first world problem? 

Most days, just trying to reheat coffee without a microwave. 

5. What one word would you use to describe your year thus far? 

Challenging.  

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

What a blessing it was to be able to travel to Maine for a celebration of life for our blog friend Vee this past weekend!   My hubby and I were able to meet Deanna from Creekside Cottage, and Abby from Little Birdie Blessings, along with their husbands, and what a wonderful meeting that was!  Vee's family welcomed us warmly.  My hubby and I had previously met Vee's sister Kim, an incredibly kind and gracious lady.  Now we got to meet Vee's daughter Laurel and her son Adam and his wife Michelle, as well as other family members.  We were so thankful we could attend.  The gathering was so enjoyable and a true celebration of our dear friend.  Delicious food, beautiful flowers, wonderful memories, and many touches of yellow, her favorite color.  I believe that only eternity will show how many lives Vee impacted for the Lord in a variety of ways.

Deanna and her husband Tim are so thoughtful!  They brought bouquets of flowers, not only for Vee's sister, daughter, and daughter-in-law, but for Abby and myself also.  Here is mine after it arrived safely home with us on Saturday evening.

And that's the Hodgepodge for this week!

Sunday Scripture

Here's another in my most recent Sunday Scripture series.  I've been posting about my simple study of a little devotional journal titled Reflections: The Woman God Sees., by Jane L. Fryar.   This was a journal my dear young friends Sam and Jennifer gave me as part of a set for a gift one year.  It has a daily devotional one works through -- I think around a month's worth.  It was a blessing to me when I worked through it, so I thought I would share here.

For this week, the featured passage was Psalm 139:2-4. The question was asked,  "When you remember that your Lord sees you through the eyes of His delight because of what Jesus did for you, what thoughts and joys arise in your heart?"  I chose to SOAP Psalm 139:1-4 as I considered this question.

S= "O LORD, Thou hast searched me, and known me.
"Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising; Thou understandest my thought afar off.
"Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
"For there is not a word in my tongue, but lo, O LORD, Thou knowest it altogether."  (Psalm 139:1-4)

O= This is a psalm of David.  C.I. Scofield has titled it "God's all-seeing eye and inescapable presence."  

    Verses 1-4 remind us that God has searched us, and known us.  He knows when we sit down and when we stand up. He knows when we lie down.  He  understands our thoughts and knows our words before we speak them.  He encompasses our path and is acquainted with all our ways.  NKJV says He "comprehends" our path.

A cross-reference for "search" (verse 1): "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts."  (Psalm 139:23)

A cross-reference for "Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising" (verse 2) -- "But I know thy abode, and thy going out, and thy coming in, and thy rage against me." (2 Kings 19:27)

The above words were spoken by God to Hezekiah through Isaiah, in reference to Sennacherib, King of Assyria in answer to Hezekiah's prayer.  A good reminder that God knows all about everyone -- even those who don't know Him.  

Cross-references for "understandest my thought" (verse 2) -- "And Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, Why think ye evil in your hearts?"  (Matthew 9:4)

"But Jesus did not commit Himself unto them, because He knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man; for He knew what was in man."  (John 2:24-25)

Cross-reference for "Thou knowest it altogether" (verse 4) -- "Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight, but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do."  (Hebrews 4:13)

A= It could be a little scary to think that God knows everything about us -- even our thoughts!  Verse 4 hints at this.  Psalm 94:11 notes, 

"The LORD knowest the thoughts of man, that they are vanity."

And Job told God in Job 42:2, 

"I know that Thou canst do every thing, and no thought can be withheld from Thee."

But Psalm 103 assures us, 

"As a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear Him.  For He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust."  (Psalm 103:13-14)

When I remember that God knows all about me and loves me anyway -- that He sees me as righteous because of Christ's sacrifice on my behalf -- I am so thankful that He drew me to Himself with lovingkindness!

Life in our world right now is a little uncertain, and we can't take anything for granted.  It's comforting to be reminded that God is with us and that He encompasses our path!

P= "Lord, these verses are so comforting.  I'm so thankful that You know when I sit down and when I rise up and that you know my path.  Even thought it's a bit sobering to realize You know my thoughts before I think them, and my words before I speak them, I am comforted that You also know my frailties.  

"I'm so grateful that because of Christ's sacrifice on my behalf, You see me as righteous.  

"Amid the uncertainties of life, it's incredibly comforting to know that You are with me and that You know every twist and turn my path will take.  I thank and praise You in Jesus' name, Amen."

And there's the Sunday Scripture for this week!

Happy Homemaker Monday

 

Once again this Monday, I'm taking time to join Sandra for this link party over at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. 

The Weather:::

Mostly sunny.  It's currently 75º with 55% humidity.  Rain predicted for the next day or two.

As I look outside my window:::

Everything is still quite lush and green.  The knockout rosebush I was given for Mother's Day is doing so well!

Right now I am:::

 Working on a blog post.

 
Thinking and pondering:::

 

 The importance of recognizing our God-given purpose in life.   I've written about this before; check out this post for relevance: Purpose.  And look for a related quote down in the Bible verse/devotional/quote section of today's post.

On my bedside table::: 

 A lamp, three books,  a pen and a jar of lavender-infused oil for helping with insect bites.

On my tv this week::: 

Nothing this week.

 Listening to::: 

Silence.  Really, I can hear nothing at all right this minute.

So excited!  We now have three colors of phlox (all pink or purple, but all different) blooming along the edge of our camp property!

On the Breakfast plate:::

I do intermittent fasting so don't have breakfast.  Lunch was a salad with cubes of ham and cheese in  addition to leaf lettuce and some banana peppers.

On the dinner plate::: 

Chicken divan and probably a cucumber salad.

 

On the menu for this week::: 

I usually plan my menus from Thursday to Thursday, and grocery shop on Friday morning.  A few meals on my menu plan:

Egg bake

Fish Chowder
Chicken Divan

Egg Roll in a Bowl

 

On my reading pile:::

 

Holy Hygge by Jamie Erickson

Finding a Mentor, Being a Mentor by Donna Otto

Own Your Life, by Sally Clarkson 

A Step Farther and Higher, by Gail MacDonald

High Call, High Privilege, also by Gail MacDonald

On my to do list today:::
 

Work on blog posts
Etsy listings

Scrub kitchen sink √

Work on Sunday School lesson

Send Etsy order √

Send out Sunday School lesson #8 to those who missed it.  √

Plans for this week:::

Plan menus and make grocery list
List some notions, patterns, cards, and kids' books on Etsy

Ironing
Take a bag to the thrift store
Work on my Sunday School lesson

A couple of days getaway

Spend time with an old friend (the widow of the pastor who married us!)

Attend a celebration of life for a dear friend on Saturday

 

What I am creating:::

 

January cross-stitch sampler
Crocheting a second red, white and blue hot mat

Some "condensation catchers" out of old towels to place behind toilets that sweat in the humidity -- no, I still haven't finished those! 😕

Need to start a pillow quilt for a granddaughter's gift

 

"Snow Day" was a tiny stitch from the same pattern as the January Sampler.  I managed to finish that one!
 

 

Bible verse, Devotional, Quote:::

 

As mentioned, I've been reading a book titled A Step Farther & Higher.  I've not gotten too far into it but it's excellent so far.  It's the one that got me thinking once again about purpose and how many believers haven't ever fully nailed down what their purpose is.  Here are just a few sentences from the book:

 

"Behind all significant activity in life is the discipline of purpose.  The older one becomes, or the greater one's pain or adversity in life, the more important purpose becomes."

"Questions of purpose increase in importance ... also with the number of things we have to do, the decisions we have to make, the people who make demands on us, the circle of our relationships, and our skills, spiritual gifts, and natural abilities.  Purpose questions provide the foundation for determining when we will say yes and when we will say no."  

The author notes that as we age we become more keenly aware of having only a limited number of years left and that time and energy must be used wisely, not squandered.  She adds, 

"This has driven me to the point where I see only one answer to such a concern: Discipline life by the formulation of a purpose.  Harness life with such questions as, What are the truly important things God wants me to do with my years?  Where will I seek to make my maximum contributions?  And what do I have to give out of the wealth of my good and bad experiences, my skills and gifts, my mind and spirit?"

All of this really resonates with me.  It wasn't until 2010 that I realized that I needed to get serious about a purpose statement for my life.  Now I try to make sure that everything I do moves me toward one of God's purposes for me.  It truly makes a difference.

On my prayer list:::

 

Friends & family
Church family
Missionaries
Our country

 

And there's the Happy Homemaker Monday for this week! 

 

Sunday Scripture

 

Today I'm continuing a new Sunday Scripture series.  I'll be posting about my simple study of a little devotional journal titled Reflections: The Woman God Sees., by Jane L. Fryar.   This was a journal my dear young friends Sam and Jennifer gave me as part of a set for a gift one year.  It has a daily devotional one works through -- I think around a month's worth.  It was a blessing to me when I worked through it, so I thought I would share here.

For this week, the featured verse was Numbers 6:26 -- "The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace."  The question was asked,  "When you imagine Jesus looking at you, do you feel unsettled?  Or do you feel a quiet peace?  Why do you think that might be?"  I chose to SOAP Numbers 6:24-26 as I considered this question.

S= "The LORD bless thee, and keep thee;
"The LORD make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee;
"The LORD lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace."  (Numbers 6:24-26)

O= "This blessing, titled by Scofield "The Aaronic benediction", was spoken by God to Moses with this instruction: "Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, In this way ye shall bless the children of Israel ... " (verse 23)

A cross-reference for "bless" in verse 23 is 1 Chronicles 23:13 -- "Aaron was separated, that he should sanctify the most holy things, he and his sons forever, to burn incense before the LORD, to minister unto Him, and to bless in His name forever."

A cross-reference for "bless" in verse 24 is Deuteronomy 28:3-6 -- "Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.  Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle; the increase of thy cows, and the flocks of thy sheep.  Blessed shall be thy basket and thy kneading trough.  Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out."  

These blessings would be theirs if they "hearkened diligently to" and obeyed the voice of the LORD their God.

Cross-references for "keep" (v. 24) --

"He will keep the feet of His saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail."  (1 Samuel 2:9)

"And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh, that Thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my border, and that thine hand might be with me, and that Thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested."  (1 Chronicles 4:10)

Cross-references for "face" (verse 25) -- "Make Thy face to shine upon Thy servant; save me for Thy mercies' sake."  (Psalm 31:16)

"Restore us, O God of hosts, and cause Thy face to shine; and we shall be saved." (Psalm 80:7)

Cross-reference for "lift up His countenance upon thee" (verse 26)-- "Blessed are the people that know the joyful sound; they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of Thy countenance."  (Psalm 89:15)

Cross-references for "peace" (verse 26) -- "If ye walk in My statutes, and keep My commandments, and  do them ... I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid; and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land."  (Leviticus 26:3.6)

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusteth in Thee."  (Isaiah 26:3)

A= Although these verses in Numbers were a blessing given to Israel, the thoughts are very true of God's care and favor for all of His children, as well. See here in the New Testament:

"Now our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God, even our Father, who hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,
"Comfort your hearts, and establish you in every good word and work."  (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17)

When I imagine Jesus looking at me, I most often feel a quiet, settled peace.  There have been a few occasions over my Christian life when I was deeply concerned about something -- and as I prayed, I felt the sensation of a comforting hand upon my shoulder, and felt a settled assurance that all would be well.  This was incredibly comforting to me and immediately eased my mind.  It was deeply reassuring to be reminded that God knew all about my concerns, that He was right there with me, and that He was in complete control of the situation. 

 Life in our world seems terribly unsettled right now.  But God is here in it with us.  He is in complete control.  And all will be well!

P= "Lord, I am so thankful for the quiet peace You give.  Not only do I have peace with You through my relationship with Jesus, but I have peace in difficult, unsettled circumstances when I stay my mind on You and trust in You.  I thank and praise You so much for comforting my heart and giving me Your unshakable peace that surpasses all human understanding.  I thank You in Jesus' matchless name, Amen."

There is the Sunday Scripture for this week.  I hope it was a blessing!

Happy Homemaker Monday

 

 Once again this Monday, I'm taking time to join Sandra for this link party over at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. 

The Weather:::

Rainy.  It's currently 64º and raining lightly.  90% humidity.  Rain predicted for the next day or two.

As I look outside my window:::

Everything is still quite lush and green from all the rainy weather.   Here is a photo of the phlox flower I mentioned last week, several of which are now blooming along the roadside at our camp. These flowers are very special to me, as my mother had transplanted them from her grandparents' farm in Vermont.  My childhood home has been torn down now and last fall, my hubby rescued these flowers from certain oblivion.  We are very encouraged by how these plants have taken hold at the camp.  We counted a dozen or so with buds; more than we planted.  So thankful.  I know it's a little thing, but God is a God of detail.

Right now I am:::

 Working on a blog post.

 
Thinking and pondering:::

 
Continuing to ponder  the concept of "outliving one's life" in light of two memorial services we attended last week.  Both people have definitely outlived their lives and there were takeaways for me in the stories shared about them.  One person not only brought his own family to the Lord through his testimony, but also his best friend's family, who were all  in attendance at his graveside service.  Two of his grandchildren are led to serve God in other countries.  What a legacy!

The second person had lived a fascinating and very full life and was such an inspiration to live every moment of life to the fullest.  Her unwavering trust in God and her uncomplaining spirit in health difficulties were also an inspiring part of her testimony.

On my bedside table::: 

 A lamp, three books,  a pen and a jar of lavender-infused oil for helping with insect bites.

On my tv this week::: 

Nothing this week.

 Listening to::: 

The faint hum of the air fryer as my hubby cooks some bacon.

On the Breakfast plate:::

I do intermittent fasting so don't have breakfast.  Lunch will be a salad with cubes of turkey and cheese in  addition to leaf lettuce and probably some banana peppers.

On the dinner plate::: 

A low-carb taco pie and probably some sauteed zucchini

 

On the menu for this week::: 

I usually plan my menus from Thursday to Thursday, and grocery shop on Friday morning.  A few meals on my menu plan:

Egg bake

Fish Chowder
Taco Pie

Egg Roll in a Bowl

 

On my reading pile:::

 

Holy Hygge by Jamie Erickson

Finding a Mentor, Being a Mentor by Donna Otto

We Travel an Appointed Way by A.W. Tozer

The Teaming Church by Robert Crosby

Own Your Life, by Sally Clarkson 

 

We spent time with friends at a sweet little lake spot on Wednesday.  

On my to do list today:::
 

Work on blog posts
Etsy listings

Bake cookies for VBS

Work on Sunday School lesson

Empty wastebaskets

Laundry

Plans for this week:::

Plan menus and make grocery list
List some notions, patterns, cards, and kids' books on Etsy

Ironing
Take a bag to the thrift store
Work on my Sunday School lesson

Ironing

Help at VBS as needed

 

What I am creating:::

 

January cross-stitch sampler
Crocheting a second red, white and blue hot mat

Some "condensation catchers" out of old towels to place behind toilets that sweat in the humidity -- no, I still haven't finished those! 😕

Need to start a pillow quilt for a granddaughter's gift

 

The felt fruit has now been gifted, so I can share a photo.

 

And below are a few pillow quilts, folded.  If you want to learn a bit more about these, check this post on my Christmas blog: Planning for handmade gifts.

 

Bible verse, Devotional, Quote:::

 

Yesterday in my Sunday School class as we addressed Christ's command not to be anxious about tomorrow,  we discussed the difference between worry and concern. This is such a helpful quote from Lawrence Richards:

 

“Both anxiety and worry spring from natural and legitimate concerns that are part of life in this world.  But legitimate concerns are handled wrongly when they do one or more of the following: 1) become dominating concerns in our life and lead to fear; 2) destroy our perspective on life and cause us to forget that God exists and cares; or 3) move us to drift into an attitude of constant worry and concern over a future that we cannot control.”

I think this is an excellent summary of what it looks like to handle very real concerns in a wrong way.

 

On my prayer list:::

 

Friends & family
Church family
Missionaries
Our country

 

And there's the Happy Homemaker Monday for this week!

Sunday Scripture

 

Today is the second in a new Sunday Scripture series.  I'm posting about my simple study of a little devotional journal titled Reflections: The Woman God Sees., by Jane L. Fryar.   This was a journal my dear young friends Sam and Jennifer gave me as part of a set for a gift one year.  It has a daily devotional one works through -- I think around a month's worth.  It was a blessing to me when I worked through it, so I thought I would share here.

For this week, the featured verse was Romans 5:8 -- "But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."  

The question was asked,  "How does Romans 5:8 show you your worth in God's eyes and settle your concerns [with self-worth] forever?"  I chose to SOAP Romans 5:6-8 as I considered this question.

S= "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
"For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 
"But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:6-8)

O= Cross-reference for "died" (verses 6 and 8) --

"Jesus ... was delivered for our offenses, and raised again for our justification."  (Romans 4:25)

Cross-reference for "righteous" (verse 7) -- 

"Simeon ... was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon Him."  (Luke 2:25)

Summary of RIGHTEOUSNESS (Old Testament) -- "The words 'righteous' and 'just' are used to translate the Hebrew yashar ('upright') and tsaddiq ('just').  In these words but one idea inheres: the righteous or just man is so called because he is right with God, and he is right with God because he has 'walked in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.' (Luke 1:6).  The OY righteous man was not sinless (Ecclesiastes 7:20) but one who, for his sins, trusted the coming Messiah and offered in faith the required sacrifice." -- C.I. Scofield

In verse 8, "His love" literally means "His own love".  Cross-reference -- "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."  (John 3:16-17)

Regarding "sinners" (verse 8) I see in my Scofield Bible that there is much to be said about sin, but a summary is threefold: 1) an act, the violation of, or want of obedience to, the revealed will of God; 2) a state, absence of righteousness; 3) a nature, enmity toward God."

A= I've had many struggles with self-worth over the years.  It's been a recurring issue for me, and is on my list of character issues that I pray about on a regular basis.  Romans 5:8 has been one of the verses that has helped me with this. 

Another passage that has helped is 1 Peter 1:18-19 -- "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver and gold ... "But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot."

1 Corinthians 6:20 reminds me that "ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God."

It has been a great blessing for me to to understand that God loved me enough to send His only Son to die a horrific death to pay for my sin.  My price tag literally reads "Jesus Christ."  

Therefore, I am of great worth in God's eyes.  Remembering this fact helps me to set myself aside so that God can use me in the lives of other people, and helps me to see them through His eyes of compassion and love.

P= "Lord, I thank You for this wonderful Scripture which reminds me that while I was still in my sin, Christ died for me.  This truly shows me the worth I have in your eyes -- that my price tag literally reads ""Jesus Christ".  I pray that You will help me to see others through Your eyes of compassion and love and to point them to You.  I thank You for all that You have done and all that You are doing, in Jesus' name, Amen."

There's the Sunday Scripture for this week!  I hope it was a blessing.

A few goals for August

 

Time to turn the calendar page!  I'm not even sure where July went, but here are a few goals for August:

* Keep up with Flylady's homemaking zones of the week
* Continue working through the "Make Room Challenge" from Make Room for What You Love
* Post in this blog as often as possible -- hopefully several times per week
* Continue planning for family birthday gifts and crafting any handmade ones
* Stay at our little camp as often as possible
* Have friends over for lunch after church
* Craft some homemade Christmas gifts and decorations (yes, even now!)
* Do some sewing projects ( a few more sachets to stave off musty odors) for the cottage
* Finish 2 pillow quilts for youngest granddaughters
* Spend a little time on some UFO craft projects
* Continue decluttering the entire house, zone by zone
* Take a short getaway with my hubby
* With my hubby, set some goals for the rest of 2023
* Attend two memorial services
* Attend a celebration of life
* Meet with teams we are a part of at church
* Continue stocking my Etsy shop and continue selling vintage items
* Finish up my trust responsibilities
* Write at least 4 encouraging notes to friends and family
* Help and encourage my local daughter as I'm able
* Plan meals with a greater emphasis on healthy eating
* Begin a focus on improving my gut health
* Memorize four Bible verses and review four older ones
* Prepare and teach a ladies' Sunday School class each week
* Get back into our study of the book of Daniel with younger believers
* Continue to help a widowed friend with the challenges of life in general
* Drink enough water each day
* Walk and/or exercise at least 4 times each week

HEALTHY HABITS FOR AUGUST:  Drink more water/get more sleep/get more exercise/intermittent fasting/limit carbs/work on gut health

All that should be more than enough to keep me out of trouble!  Of course, many of these goals are ongoing ones and will not be finished just because July has ended.