Every day I fight with doing “empty” things; things that have no real value. Facebook, reading blogs, and the such. I don’t think those things are bad in themselves, it’s just that they can be time snatchers – taking more time that I’d dreamed of giving them! For others television viewing or scanning might be an issue. Some get caught up in a book and can’t put it down until they’ve finished it. Each of those activities has their place, but must be kept there by our discipline and the Lord’s enablement.

There’s one activity that will never be a time waster or a guilt giver – that’s time spent in God’s Word. As I was reading and studying today I came across this wonderful verse: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. Isaiah 55:11
If I read it, it will accomplish something. If I share it with another person it will prosper. If I claim it, it will not return to the Lord empty. What wonderful promises!

I’ve been singing this song that’s playing since I read the verse. I share it now with you.

Are you spending time in His Word?

With love,

I’m not home right now, I accompanied my husband to Atlanta. While he’s in board meetings, I’m studying and preparing for an upcoming event. How wonderful to have the time to linger in God’s Word and prayer without the normal distractions at home.

I’m late posting today – I took for granted that Internet access would be accessible where my husband and I are staying. After all, if you can get Internet at Chick-fil-A, it should be free anywhere you’d stay, right? 🙂

I’ll share a couple of thoughts before diving back into my studying…

Anyone that’s been saved for any length of time has undoubtedly heard about the need to memorize Scripture. As I stated in my post yesterday, we must have God’s Word tucked away in our hearts if we’re going to be a godly testimony in the time of trial. There are many memorization plans out there, but the one that I’ve begun to use in the last year has been simple and effective in my life.

As I read the Scripture, or as I hear verses read in church I listen for verses that would be beneficial for me to memorize. I write the reference down in my journal, then I write the verse out in my notebook that is pictured here. I was using just a little pocket notebook, but really found what I was looking for when I went into Office Depot recently. These index cards are connected by the ring and then bound by an elastic band so the cards don’t get wrinkled up if I drop the book of cards into my purse. I’m trying to memorize verses by categories. I have a group of verses on the tongue, one on trust, heaven, thoughts, the Word of God, prayer, and the character of God.
I use my time on the treadmill to start with a category and try to review the verses and their references (the hardest for me to remember) in that category. If I get stumped I take a peek at the verse. I try to add a new verse each week. I find if I don’t review there verses regularly I forget them in a couple week’s time. Oh, what a blessing this has been to my life! Do you have a plan you use? Tell me about it!

I recently saw in a magazine a simple way to cover a lampshade. Here’s my before picture:
I laid the lampshade down on a piece of newspaper (I taped two pieces together to make it big enough). Then I penciled the top and bottom edge of the shade onto the paper and rolled the lampshade until I’d drawn all four sides. I added about a half an inch to the top and bottom for a hem of sorts. I then cut out my paper pattern, laid it on my fabric, then cut it out.

I took the fabric outside and laid it on a piece of plastic. I sprayed the fabric with an adhesive spray. Then starting at one corner I pressed the fabric onto the lampshade, smoothing as I went along. Once the fabric was in place I smoothed the extra material over the edge of the lampshade for a finished edge.

I added a lace trim to the bottom of the shade for an extra touch. You could use ribbon, buttons, roping, or whatever you like! It really transformed an old lampshade for very little money!

Proverbs 15:1 – A soft answer turneth away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger.

I saw another neat idea recently. Someone took a men’s pant hanger that had multiple hangers on it and used it for a totally different purpose. The hangers could come unhooked on one end, so they opened the end and slid their ribbon rolls on each row. How convenient that would be for wrapping gifts! I’m going to be on the lookout for a pant hanger on sale!

What good ideas have you found recently?

With love,

Wow! Valentine’s Day on Sunday! We love Him because He first loved us. I John 4:19 We wouldn’t be able to enjoy true love without the Father’s demonstration of His great love for us in the death of Jesus Christ!

We have celebrated Valentine’s all month, as you know if you’ve followed my blog, but we really celebrated this weekend! Friday afternoon we headed to Knoxville where we had 4:30 reservations at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse. Some dear friends had given us a gift card at Christmas and we saved their loving gift for Valentine’s Day. It is truly an adventure to eat there. The setting is beautiful with the restaurant sitting right next to the river. The tables are covered with white linens. There’s candle light, gracious waiters, and food that is out of this world! The food was generous in portions, and we were fortunate enough to have enough leftovers to bring home for part of Sunday’s dinner.

Saturday night was our church’s Valentine banquet at a restaurant in Kingsport. What a sweet time of fellowship we had! Twenty-one couples attended. We got to know one another better by sharing our most memorable date, written on a 3×5 card.

The memory I wrote about occurred a few years ago. My husband and I went to Wolf Laurel Ski resort near us and had dinner in the lodge in the summertime. After dinner, they informed us that they were running the ski lift, if we’d be interested in riding. I talked my husband into riding with me, spite his fear of heights! The sun was setting over the tops of the mountains and it was breathtakingly beautiful up there! He was terrified at first, but then he was okay with the ride. There were only a couple other people on the lift, so the man running it let us stay on as long as we wanted. I think we rode it about 7 or 8 times. So romantic!

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Try these simple folds, then tell me what’s been cooking in your kitchen recently!

With love,

Denise

I consider myself so blessed to have a primary doctor who is the most compassionate doctor I think I’ve ever had. When Dr. Carroll sees me sitting in his office, he immediately asks me how my migraines are – no matter what else may have sent me to visit him. He searches for free samples of my very expensive medication so he can send me home armed for the next headache battle! Sometimes his office has samples, sometimes they do not. But he cares and he does all he can to help those that come to him.

I guess I appreciate him so much because I know what it’s like to have a doctor who is quite the opposite. I recently “tried” a new doctor for another issue who was cold and calculated in her words and actions. She talked to me like I was an idiot – as if I should know what to do on my own! She had a knowledge of medicine, but no heart for her patients.

I love reading the Gospels and seeing the heart of Jesus. Recently I read in Luke 7 the story of the widow woman who was getting ready to bury her only son. Verse 13 says, And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.” He then approached the bier (the frame on which the corpse was lying) and spoke to the dead man, “Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.” The dead man sat up and began to speak. Jesus then delivered him to his mother. Jesus didn’t just have compassion – he did something about it.

Again in Mark 5 Jesus makes His way to Jarius‘ house, where his daughter, who had been very sick when Jesus was asked to come, had now died. When he got close to the house he saw the tumult – people crying and wailing over the death of this little girl. When he went inside the house with the girls’ parents, Peter, James, and John, “he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Tabitha, cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise. And straightway the damsel arose, and walked…” (Verses41-42)

Over and over we see Jesus looking at the people and having compassion on them. He doesn’t just love them, He also loves you! He has compassion on you and the situation with which you’re dealing! Perhaps you have a loved one that is sick and you have found yourself sitting at their bedside. You’ve prayed, you’ve wept, you’ve done all you can to help them. Perhaps you’re at an impasse in a relationship. Financial needs may be burdening your heart. Be reminded today that Jesus sees and He has a heart towards that burdened individual and for those who love them. His heart is moved with compassion.

Whether He chooses to heal your loved one or change the situation you’re in, He went to the cross to make sense of suffering. If we trust Him as our Savior, we can have the blessed assurance that this is not all there is to life. What’s waiting for all of us who know Him is far better than we could even imagine.

Remember today that Christ looks at you and does more than just feel sorry for you. He cares so much for you that He will give you Scripture to comfort your heart. He may send along a Christian friend to console you. A loving doctor may be given the wisdom to know what will bring the cure. No matter what happens, God is in control and He cares!

Does Jesus care when my heart is pained
Too deeply for mirth or song,
As the burdens press, and the cares distress,
And the way grows weary and long?

Refrain:
Oh, yes, He cares, I know He cares,
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,
I know my Savior cares.

Does Jesus care when my way is dark
With a nameless dread and fear?
As the daylight fades into deep night shades,
Does He care enough to be near?

Does Jesus care when I’ve tried and failed
To resist some temptation strong;
When for my deep grief there is no relief,
Though my tears flow all the night long?

Does Jesus care when I’ve said “goodbye”
To the dearest on earth to me,
And my sad heart aches till it nearly breaks—
Is it aught to Him? Does He see?
–Frank Graeff

With love,

I spent a couple of hours yesterday going through some boxes in our basement. I am trying to clean out and get rid of things that are not being used. It takes forever to do a job like this, because I have to go through old mementos, and boxes of the girls’ things from years ago, and I find myself lingering and reminiscing when I should press on and work.

Perhaps because this is our first year as empty nesters, I’ve found myself doing lots of reminiscing about the days of home school, piano and violin lessons, youth group activities, and camp – all the things that go with being a parent. Most days I smile and then pull the covers up tighter under my chin, but sometimes, like yesterday, I linger on the memories like a child at a candy counter.