New Bible Study

I am so excited to be a small group Bible study leader at Women's Bible Cafe. This is an online site for women's Bible studies. The ladies I have met there are just the best and it is obvious they love the Lord.  The study that I am leading is Knowing God by Name by Mary Kassian.  We just started yesterday and it is going to be very thought provoking.  I pray that all the ladies and myself will be drawn closer to God and understand even more so just how awesome He is. 

As I was meditating on His name YAHWEH last night I was made very aware of His greatness and might, but yet this migthy God created, knows and loves  me. That just takes my breath away!   I am so unworthy but I am SOOO thankful!!  I will be praising and worshiping Him forever. 

God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM".  And He said, "Say this to the people of Israel, "I AM has sent you"...This is My Name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations."  Exodus 3:13-15.  God did not leave us wondering who He is, He has made Himself known from the very beginning. I am so very thankful that He did.  My heart and life belongs to Him forever. 

New ladies on the farm

We have our new ladies and they are gorgeous!  I am so excited to finally have chickens again after about 25 years.  They are staying in their new chicken house as hubby and I finish up fencing the chicken yard.  They seem to very content.  From time to time yesterday I went into their house and just sat and talked to them so they will get to know me.  They talk back to me in a very friendly way and I think we are going to be best friends. 

Pansy is a Rhode Island Red and Tulip is a Dominique.  I think as we add to the flock we will give them all flower names.  But I'm not sure what flower to name a rooster after. 

I have started a new online Bible study that I am very excited about.  It is Lies Women Believe at the Women's Bible Study Cafe. The book, Lies Women Believe is by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. I have a two-fold purpose for this study. First, to search out and remove any lies that I have believed, and second, to be able to help other women that I come across. I see so many hurting and disappointed women that are believing the lies that the world dishes up to them. I have been one of them. It is always the Truth that sets us free. 

My Old Mantle Clock

Along my way today...I finally found someone to repair my mantle clock. My mom gave it to me a few years ago and it has set on my mantle without running all this time. So I was thrilled when I met Katherine that knows how to fix old clocks. She says it may take a little while for her to look at it and get it cleaned and to know what needs fixing. If any parts are missing or broken, she may even have to make parts. I can't wait to hear what it sounds like when it chimes! Can anyone tell me about how old it is?

My love for old clocks began when I was a child. My grandma's Aunt Mandy and Uncle Tee had an old mantle clock that sat on their mantle over their fireplace. There was a picture on the face of this clock that depicted an old lady and an old man sitting in rocking chairs on each side of a fireplace with a warm fire blazing. In the room, Aunt Mandy and Uncle Tee would be sitting on each side of their fireplace with a warm fire blazing just underneath their clock sitting on the mantle. They looked just like the picture on the face of their clock. As a child, the whole scene looked enchanting.

The second clock belonged to another old man named either Jasper or Elijah. Funny thing that I can't remember which name belonged to him. He was my friend Kathy's great uncle and he lived with her and her family. He had a long white beard that I liked to touch. I remember him being very kind. On a table in his bedroom, he had an old Anniversary Clock. Underneath the clear glass dome I could see all the workings of the insides. That was mesmerizing to a little girl.

And that's how my love affair with clocks began.

Thinking Out Loud

I really need to get busy and work on this blog! There's so many things I want to blog about, but then I "wait" until I have plenty of time to do it just right, and I end up waiting and waiting and it never gets done. Besides, I will probably never get it just right and I certainly will never find all the time I need, so I just need to go ahead and work with what I have!

All the blogs that I follow are just SO beautiful and creative. Mine will never measure up to them. And that's okay, actually. But I sure do love reading all of them. I have found so many that are helpful and inspiring in so many ways. I find this a very enjoyable way to connect with real women in a real way that otherwise I would never even meet. I love blog land!!

Along my way today...I have been watching old, like black & white old, videos of The French Chef, which is, of course, Julia Child. I'm getting them from Netflix. But you know what? After 40 years of cooking for my family, I am learning a lot from her. And I'm loving it. I should have watched her years ago.

The Big Clean

Along my way today...been cleaning a lot. Not just spring cleaning, but an upgraded spring cleaning. Maybe I should call it "decade clean out". Actually, I think the process will take me a few months to complete. I will eventually have cleaned, reorganized, simplified, redecorated every square inch of my house. This will include everything from reorganizing the kitchen drawers to new flooring to painting walls. I will use what I have first and if I don't absolutely LOVE something I have, it will be donated. No more clutter just for the sake of having it. This is the result of a few months of thinking and praying about my home and where I am in my life now. Now that I am "older", my taste in style have changed somewhat. It has become more simple and settled. I am very much looking forward to getting all this finished so that I can get on with doing the things that I really enjoy doing...cooking, quilting, crafting and enjoying more the people that I love. The blogs that I have been following have been a huge source of inspiration to me. I cannot say how much I have enjoyed all of them. I say thank you to all of you for your encouragement. It has been exciting to find other ladies who actually enjoy the same things that I enjoy. Who knew that I wasn't alone in being greatly satisified by a neatly organized silverware drawer! I am looking forward to the path that the Lord is going to be taking me on from here on. My faith in Him is stronger than its ever been and I trust Him for every step.

Sunday School Lesson

Our Sunday school lesson today was the story of Esther and her courage. I asked the class to turn to the book of Esther. When one of the boys, Marcus, (5th grader) found the first chapter, the last verse of Nehemiah, the book just before Esther, caught his eye. He says loudly, "We're not suppose to say that, and it's in the Bible!" Well, of course, I had to look to see what he was reading and the last part of the verse says "Remember me, O my God, for good."



I knew right away what Marcus was referring too. A few weeks ago we had a few lessons on the names of God and one of the things we talked about was taking the Lord's name in vain and how not say His name with disrespect. One of the common phrases that we mentioned was "Oh my God".



I had to chuckle, but we had a short re-cap of what the phrase meant and how it is a good phrase to use as it is used in this verse. I am so glad to know that they really do listen to our studies.



Every week I prepare for a specific lesson, but I'm never quite sure which direction that day's discussion may lead us. I love every minute of teaching these kids. I am not the best or most knowledgeable teacher in the world, but because of that I rely heavily on the Lord and let Him do the teaching through me. He has taken us down some amazing paths.

JoJo

Early this morning my almost two year old grandson, JoJo, climbs up into bed with me and gives me hugs and snuggles under the quilts. Then he eats dry cereal while watching Mickey Mouse for a little bit. Does it get any better for a Nana? Needless to say, I had to really make myself get up and get ready for work!

My Best Friend, Kim

There's just nothing like good friends. I am so thankful for this beautiful woman, Kim. She has been "there" for me for many years now. We have been through rough times, good times, fun times, family times, times together and times far apart. She is beautiful inside and out. She is a woman strong in her Christian faith, loving our Saviour with her whole heart. She has such a beautiful tender heart. She is a wonderful mom to her children and grandchildren, and a loving wife to a very blessed man. She is strong, gracious, wise, sweet, always ready to help, pray, or play. She is an example of the Proverbs 31 woman in a way very few women achieve. I am very blessed and priviliged to have her call me her friend. Thank you, Lord, for my beloved friend, Kim.

Thankful For My Home

I am so thankful to the Lord for my home. It is small, but adequate for all the things we need to live a quiet life. It sits on five acres of land in the Florida Panhandle "country", but very near our beautiful sugar white beach. I am so blessed and my heart hurts for so many people who have lost homes in these past months of bad economic times.

I also thank Him that both my husband and I are employed. Just ordinary jobs, not great salaries, but it is more than a lot of people have. It is enough to supply our needs and still be able to help others that need our help.

I also want to thank my hubby for working so hard on painting our bedroom and bathroom walls. He is so sweet in helping me with just whatever I get in my head to do. The man actually enjoys making me happy. How blessed can this girl be! I do not take that for granted. He is the love of my life.

What are you thankful for today?

A Thankful Heart

Today I am going to begin a log of just three things I am thankful for on a given day. This will by no means be a comprehensive list! But it will be a reminder to myself to stop and thank God for His blessings, mercy, grace and love. November is a month that, in a special way, reminds us to be thankful. So, on this first day of thanking God, I will begin with:

1. I am thankful for the cooler days that November is bringing to the Gulf Coast. It has been a long and hot summer.

2. I am thankful for my husband. Through some very discouraging days this past year, he has been such an encouragement and support. He not only tells me how much he loves me, but he has shown me in many tangible ways.

3. I am thankful for God "re-newing" a call for a very special work that I am to do.

The UPS man left a box on my front porch addressed to my husband. He just smiles and tells me to open it. I did, of course, and this is what I found inside. He is the sweetest. It is beautiful. I now have it sitting on my mantle amongst all my fall decorations. I just couldn't put it back in the box. I might also mention that DH has a great fondness for trains.

Mountains

I am homesick for my Appalachian Mountains as I always am in the fall. There's no place on earth that can soothe my soul like the mountains that I grew up in. I want to walk in the hills and find a sun warmed rock to sit on. There I would listen to the forest sounds and smell the fragrance of all the growth around me. Maybe I would even hear a groundhog whistle at me. There I would talk to God. There I would feel at home.

Blue Sky

On my way to work this morning, the sky was AMAZINGLY blue behind some white clouds. I was reminded of God's peace and of His awesome handiwork in this sometimes strife filled world.

Jesus is my reason for living this journey I am on to eternity. We can never feel perfectly at home or perfectly happy here on this earth because we are made specifically for Heaven. I can hardly wait to get there, but until then, I am determined to live here as He wants me to. This journey has been quite an adventure, even for me, and I'm thinking it will continue to be.

A Question Asked

Yesterday evening I posted a "just wondering" question on facebook. It was a question I have always wanted to ask men. I asked "Just wondering...how many of you guys have actually studied Proverbs 31:10-31?" As of today at 1:30 not one single man has responded. I am actually suprised and a little puzzled. So, what does this tell me? Have none of them done so and don't want to admit it? Or, have they done so and don't want to admit it?

It has been my observation in life that we, male and female, study the subjects that are of great interest and importance to us. It may be our career, a hobby, history, politics or a sport. And being Christians, the Word of God is of greatest importance to us. We study what God has to say about salvation, Heaven and hell, love, and many other subjects. Most of us have a few favorites that we may study about more than others.

The question I'm getting at with this is for the men, all men...fathers, husbands, preachers, married, those who want to get married, grandfathers, etc. All of you have a woman in your life...mom, wife, daugther, niece, grandaugther. She is very important to you. Is she? Do you study women? Do you know how she feels about things? Do you know her God-given responsibilities and roles in life? Do you know what is important to her?

Well, I was just wondering. Hopefully I will have a follow up on this later if there are any responses to my facebook post.

Let Me Introduce Myself

My name is Linda. I am 57 years old. (I don't mind telling you my age, but I will not tell you my weight!) I am a born-again Believer and Follower of Jesus Christ. I have been married to the love of my life for 39 years. I am the mother of three grown sons, grandmother to five grandaugthers, six grandsons, one great-grandaugther and another grandbaby coming in October (2010). I am blessed beyond measure. I also have other very special people in my life.

The greatest and most important part of my life is my relationship with my Lord and Savior. Everything I do is under His shadow and my desire is for my life to give Him glory and honor. The title of Anne Graham Lotz's book, Magnificiant Obsession, describes how I want my relationsip with God to be. (Good book, by the way. I recommend it.)

I am a simple girl at heart and enjoy the simple things in life. After my family, some of my favorite things are sitting on my back porch swing early in the morning with my Bible and a cup of coffee in my hand, walks in the woods (especially in my beloved eastern Kentucky mountains), and walks on our very nearby beach, my long-haired mini dauchsund-Bella, my fat cat-Princess Lucy, and teaching my 4th-6th grade Sunday school class.

A few hobbies I enjoy when I get the time (I do work full-time) are quilting, scrapbooking, beading, cooking, flower gardening, and home keeping.

I love deeply and have been hurt deeply. That has only served to help me grow in my Christian walk. The Lord takes our experiences to use for the benefit of ourselves and for others. I am patient with some things and very impatient with others. I am shy and not very "chatty" face to face until I get to know you. I have been told that this comes across as being "stuck-up" or "aloof" but that is the farthest thing from my heart! I really do try to do better on this, but for the life of me, I just can't think of clever things to say at first! Its also a bit of a lack of self-confidence. I keep working on that part of me though.

Okay, this is probably going to be a really boring blog, but I am curious where the Lord leads me with it.

Blessings to you all.

Welcome to my journey. Not sure what's going to show up here, but I suppose that's the fun of it all.