One Day at a Time

 

One Day at a Time

As I went through the day with its toil and care, I thought of the morrow and what I might bear.

The clouds hung so ominous, frightful, and low; reflecting my worries stacked all in a row.

Imagining sorrow and pain were my fate; anxiety built a deplorable state.

Formidable, dark the future appeared, to drown any hope and bring what I feared.

But then as the evening grew into the night, a palette of color impacted my sight.

The blending of beauty, clouds laced with pink, accented with silver, roused me to think.

This life seemed so transient at setting of sun; I regretted the worry and fretting I'd done.

The burdens most likely I never must bear - Oh, why have I wasted these moments so rare?

I missed all the blessings that I could have claimed while trusting the Savior - for this I'm ashamed.

We're not even promised tonight or tomorrow - so why should I fret over future's dark sorrow?

And then as the colors fast faded from sight, and darkness stole in, I found my heart light.

For our Savior's promise I took to be mine: "Fear not, precious child, take one day at a time."

- Anita H. Martin

Still in the process of setting up my new laptop.  Hopefully I can get back to more regular posting soon.

Have a blessed day!

xx

Birthdays, blankets, family and friends...

 It's been a couple of busy weeks as Marnie has been on holidays and that usually means extra outings :)

It was her birthday...

Which also corresponded with an overnight visit from my friend Debbie

So we started the day with morning coffee at the Little Goat café

Then met up with Tom and Denver for lunch at Anvers Chocolate Factory cafe...

And that night they had a fire pit in the backyard...

But wait... there's more...

Overnight in Launceston on the weekend and birthday dinner at Cataract on Patterson Restaurant...

she likes to get her money's worth for her birthday :))

And Yes! She liked the blanket.  I was waiting to get a photo of her with it, but I'm still waiting, so here are a couple of photos of the blanket minus Marnie...

Working on finishing this baby blanket...

while Freya supervises :)

 And then I want to start knitting a cardigan for myself with yarn I bought last year (or was it the year before?!)

And although it's not my birthday, I got a gift too!

Marnie knit herself a sweater, but it didn't fit her, so she gave it to me :)

In lovely New Zealand wool that still smells like sheep! :)

I'll never be able to wash it!! :))

 We still have a month of official winter, but we've had warm weather this past week and the garden thinks it's Spring... 

And when we were in Launceston, I bought myself a Thomas Kinkade perpetual calendar...

This is todays reading...

"Praise the Lord, call upon His name, declare His doings among the people, make mention that His name is exalted." - Isaiah 12:4 KJV

I'm still in the process of changing over to my new laptop due to the fact that this one is too old to take the new Windows 11, and Windows 10 will no longer be supported from October.  Hope to get it all sorted in the next couple of weeks, so posts may be a bit hit and miss until then.

Have a blessed week!

xx

Devotional

From Beside the Still Waters... 

Rejoicing in the Spirit: read Philippians 4

"In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes." - Luke 10:21

In Luke 10, Jesus sent out seventy disciples in pairs to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.  When the disciples returned from their mission, they joyfully told Jesus that even the devils were subject to them through His name.  Jesus responded by rejoicing in the spirit and thanking the Father.

Today's Bible reading tells us to "Rejoice in the Lord Alway."  What are appropriate ways to express Christian joy?  Children may jump up and down excitedly when they hear that their grandparents are coming for a visit or that they will go shopping with Mother.  But maturing Christians have put away childish things, and their responses mirror that fact.

In today's key verse, Jesus showed us by example that offering a prayer of thanksgiving is a proper response of Christian joy.  This can be done silently or audibly.  We learn from James 5:13 that if we are merry, singing is a good way to express this feeling.  It is through the goodness of God that Christian joy is possible in the first place.  Why not express it in prayer and praise?

Nehemiah made this notable statement in Nehemiah 8:10: "For the joy of the Lord is your strength."  Having strength makes us feel like tackling the task at hand.  so Christian joy finds an outlet in cheerfully doing the duties God assigns us.  It takes the boredom out of Christian service and infuses us with spiritual vigor and inspiration.  Jesus spoke two times of His disciples' joy being full (John 15:11, 16:24).  If our joy is full, we should express it in ways that glorify God and bring blessing to others and ourselves.

Dennis Martin - Smithville, TN

Rejoicing in the spirit will be a reality in Heaven too!

Murmuring and Complaining

 From Be Still and Know...

"And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness." (Exodus 16:2)

In crossing the desert area of our country occasionally, I see oases with a few trees, a limited water supply, and a filling station.  These provide "rest stops" for the traveler on his journey.

As the Israelites started their march across the desert, they soon began to experience the rigors of wilderness travel.  After three days without water, they began to murmur and complain.  Suddenly their spirits rose as they discovered water, only to be disappointed when they found the water to be bitter.

Instead of trusting God, they began to murmur against Moses and Aaron.  Indirectly, they were murmuring against God, who was their real Leader.  However, in spite of their complaining and lack of trust, God sweetened the bitter water so they could drink it.

God may schedule a wilderness journey for our lives.  We may encounter bitter waters.  Possessions may be taken from us, dear ones forsake us, plans crumble in our hands.  Disappointments may come, confidences be betrayed, cherished ideals shattered.

We, too, may begin to murmur and complain.  Bitterness may creep into our lives.  It is easy to be sweet when everything is going our way, but when it becomes difficult, we begin to complain.  God's Word reminds us, "Neither murmur ye."

Murmuring and complaining can lead to self-pity and criticism.  They show a lack of faith in the Lord.

He can sweeten the "bitter waters" of our lives.  It is the Lord Jesus who sweetens them for us.  He doesn't always remove them, but He gives us the sweetness of His presence and blessing in the midst of them.

We can expect "bitter waters" on our wilderness journey, for God uses them as a "proving ground" to test us.  Through them we are brought to the end of ourselves and into a closer relationship of trust in the Lord.

May we not be like the children of Israel, guilty of ingratitude.  Instead, may our hearts and lips be filled with praise.  "I will praise Him with my whole being."

A bit of a catch up

 It's certainly looking very wintery at the river...

Even though, on a recent trip to Devonport, there was still plenty of blue sky around...

I did NOT test the water!

It's cold and grey today.  I went for my walk earlier and then made a Cold Tea Loaf...

Sorry it's a bit hard to read... 

 but if you click on the picture it will bring it up clearer

I'm still working on Marnie's birthday blanket so I can't post a picture.  I have 2 weeks to get it finished.  I ran into a bit of a problem as I needed more of two of the colors but they had been discontinued, so I had to change my original idea a bit.  But all is well...

When I can't work on the blanket, I have this, what I think will be a baby blanket using left over yarn from other projects, on the go...

I finished reading The Long Winter.  And now I'm living it! :))

It was so

 cold this morning, even Freya didn't want to get out of bed...

So I thought I'd warm up a bit and read Summer at Fairacre.

"Dolly Clare must be the best loved person for miles around.  For years she taught at Fairacre School ... 

Ill health forced her to retire to the little thatched cottage at Beech Green, some two or three miles away... 

I have always loved the cottage, and not so long ago Dolly staggered me by telling me that she had left it to me in her will...

On this fine spring afternoon, I took with me a posy of polyanthus and a pot of freshly-made lemon curd.  There was a scent of spring in the air, and the lane between Fairacre and Thrush Green wound between hedges hazy with young leaf...

Miss Clare looked as pretty as ever ... despite her great age.  

'Now sit down and tell me all the Fairacre news.'...

Me thinks it is time for a cup of tea and a slice of cold tea loaf :)

xx

The Summer Garden

 Even though it's winter here for us at the moment, it's good to remember summer is coming.  Or not remember if you are like me and don't like the heat and sun :))

From A Year's Journey with God...

"I planted, Apollos watered, but God [all the while] was making it grow ... For we are fellow workmen - laborers together with God; you are God's garden and vineyard ... under cultivation." - 1 Corinthians 3:6,9, AMP 

I never get over the miracle of July!  All the tiny seeds I planted in the greenhouse during winter are now filling my garden with vivid color.  'Isn't God clever,' remarked my three-year-old granddaughter.  She is right, but not yet old enough to realize how much human hard work is involved in making a garden beautiful!  I had certainly played my part in the miracle!

If we are God's garden, I suppose keeping our spiritual lives beautiful is also a partnership and often hard work on our part.  I remember once helping my son move into a 'student house'.  It was clean enough inside, but the garden had not been touched in years.  As I fought my way through the jungle of weeds I realized someone had once filled that garden with roses, but bindweed had wound itself around the bushes, strangling their beauty, while giant nettles stole their light.  I shuddered as I realized how easily my own garden could look like that.  I pounce on weeds as soon as they show their ugly heads because they are so easy to pull when they're small.  Surely it's the same with 'spiritual weeds'?  Those resentful thoughts, discontented grumbles and negative self-pity can be removed comparatively easily if we 'yank them out' quick!  If we ignore them or even 'water them' with encouragement they soon 'take over' and start spoiling everything that is beautiful and valuable in the rest of our lives.

Thank you, Lord, that I don't have to clear all these weeds from my life on my own.  I pull them out but you burn them at your cross.

Catch the Little Foxes

 From Our Daily Bread...

Read: Song of Songs 2:8-15

"Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyard." (Song of Songs 2:15)

"It's the little foxes that spoil the vine," my grandmother use to say.  Then my mom repeated the same thing.  And now I say it to my own children.  But what does it mean to beware of "the little foxes"?

After planting grapevines, it can take several years before they bear fruit.  The vines require a lot of patience, care, watering, pruning, and protection.  Foxes - even though small - can cause major damage by destroying the roots, eating the grapes, or chewing the stalk.

In the poetic love story of the Song of Songs, Solomon warns, "Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards" (2:15).  Some scholars believe this refers to seemingly small problems or behaviors that could threaten the young man and woman's relationship if left unchecked.

Likewise for our spiritual journey, little things like bitterness (Hebrews 12:15), "unwholesome talk" (Ephesians 4:29), or even harmful influences from others (1 Corinthians 15:33) can slip into our lives and hardly be noticed.

My grandmother understood that little things can cause great harm, and her wisdom spoke volumes to her grandchildren.  As we spend time in prayer and reading the Scriptures, the Spirit will help us "catch the little foxes" - the temptations or habits that might spoil our relationship with others and our walk with Christ. 

- Brent Hackett

What little things do you need to catch before they cause harm?

How can you warn others to watch for "little foxes"?

Dear Father, please help me to be alert for and deal with the little stuff that causes great damage.

Let's Talk About Modesty.

Here is another lovely video from Tanaya on Modesty. Grab a cuppa, sit down and enjoy!

"Do not let your adornment be merely outward - arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel - rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God." 

- 1 Peter 3:3-4

If you'd like to watch more of her videos, you can go to her YouTube channel HERE

P is for Paul and Pretenders

In these troubling times, it's good to remember...

From Beside the Still Waters...

Read: Philippians 1:1-20

"What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretense, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice." - Philippians 1:18

For Paul it must have been a hard pill to swallow.  Earlier in his life, he had dragged Christian men and women to prison.  But now Paul himself sat in prison for the Christian faith, called to be an apostle but seemingly hamstrung in his efforts.  Meanwhile, outside the prison walls, men who hoped to feed Paul's frustration were faking evangelism - preaching Christ with a twist which they hoped would cause people to follow a faction that contradicted Paul.

But Paul did not choke on that pill!  At least Christ was being preached, so he rejoiced and intended to keep on rejoicing.  But how can we rejoice when a pretender, out of a wrong motive, does something that only appears right?  Paul rejoiced because God supervises the sowing of His Word.  Neither a scheming motive nor any other pretense in handling the Word will keep God's Spirit from wielding it like a two-edged sword.  The power of the Word is not entirely dependent on the man who presents it.

God receives the most glory when those who preach the Gospel also live the Gospel.  But God is fully capable of using messages preached by pretenders to start a man on a search for truth.  God can even use a page ripped out of a Bible and thrown away as trash, to feed truth to a seeking soul.  Let's rejoice with Paul in that power!

In 2 Timothy 2:9 Paul wrote, "I suffer trouble ... even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound."  The Gospel is not constrained by prison or by pretenders.  So Paul was joyful not because of pretenders but in spite of them.  Who can tell what great things God will work when people hear His word - even from pretenders?

Jay R. Martin - Castorland, NY

A pretender may seem to have power in his hour,

but God will have sway at the end of the day.

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves." - Matthew 7:15

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven." - Matthew 7:21

Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to the library I go....

I had a couple of hours to fill in at Burnie last week, and what better place to do it than at the library!

We only have a very small library in our town, so this was a real treat...

But first, coffee and cake in their little cafe...

Then a lovely browse of the bookshelves...

I borrowed these for crafting inspiration...

And bought this one from the 'withdrawn from circulation' shelves for 50 cents...

  I haven't read any of these books, and apparently this is the second of many Elm Street Quilts novels, although I think they are stand-alone stories but with many of the same characters.

 

I'm still reading The Long Winter but hope to read the Round Robin book next...

What are you reading?

xx

My Beloved People, the Church

 From Beside the Still Waters...

"I know they works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou ... hast borne, and hast patience, and for my names sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted." - Revelation 2:2-3

Recently at our church we had the funeral of an elderly sister who left a wonderful testimony for Jesus.  Before dying she had spoken of her desire to meet her Saviour.  The day before the funeral, some church ladies had planned to serve a meal to the family in the church basement, but on arrival they discovered the basement partially flooded due to a leaking water fountain.

A call for help went out, and soon more help arrived than was needed.  The thought came to me: My beloved people, the church.  How could I survive without them.

My beloved people are a great consolation in physical affliction.  Even better than the physical benefits are the spiritual benefits. "Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety" (Proverbs 11:14).  When we need sound advice, where do we go?  To trained experts in psychology, or to faithful men of God who are led by the Holy Spirit?  I choose men among my beloved people.

"And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints" (Ephesians 4:11-12).  No individual is wise enough to have all the answers to life's questions.  Neither can one person by himself keep all the New Testament commandments.  Let's take delight in belonging to God's people, with the same spirit that Paul expressed in Philippians 4:1: "Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved."

Denver Yoder - Somerset, OH

I love Thy church, O God, Her walls before Thee stand,

Dear as the apple of Thine eye, And graven on Thy hand.

-Timothy Dwight

Blest be the tie that binds Our hearts in Christian love;

The fellowship of kindred minds Is like to that above.

Before our Father's throne We pour our ardent prayers;

Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one, Our comforts and our cares.

We share our mutual woes, Our mutual burdens bear;

And often for each other flows the sympathizing tear.

When we asunder part It gives us inward pain;

But we shall still be joined in heart,

and hope to meet again.

I love old churches! :)