Remembering Mother

Hands that pulled up anklet socks

and buckled leather shoes.
That rolled my hair in pin-curls
for Sunday morning do's.
Homemade cakes they baked and iced
for family and friends.
They hung out clothes upon the line
secured with wooden pins.
Mother's hands were full of love;
gentle was her touch.
Her hands were busy dawn 'til dark
because she loved so much.

I wrote this in memory of Mother, Peggy Williams

Your love has given me much joy and comfort...
your kindness has often refreshed the hearts of God's people.
Philemon 1:7

At Christmas time we miss our family members who have gone on to Heaven, and treasure wonderful memories.

Inch Your Body

Kaedyn called out to me:" Come here, Nana, and let me inch your body."

"WHAT?!" I wondered.

I came around the corner to see her holding a tape measure.

"Stand here against the door frame and I will inch you and see how much you've grown," she said.

Tomorrow is my birthday, so she thinks I should have grown taller! (Wider maybe?)

Me...sixty years ago.

I still have the same hair-do!

The Warmth of God's Presence

The kitchen was the warmest sunniest room in the house where I grew up. The alarm clock on the kitchen shelf would buzz and soon I would smell bacon frying and hear the coffee pot percolating. I'd park myself by the heat vent, waiting for Mother to put breakfast on the table.

About this time of year, we'd get the big Sears Roebuck Wish Book in the mail - the one with the toy section! My sister, Mildred, and I would sit together by the heat vent and take crayons and circle every toy we wanted. Talk about positive thinking!

As I remembered that warm scene and our childhood hopes, the Lord reminded me of all the promises in His Book! I think I'll get out the red crayon and underline all my favorites: especially the warmth of His presence.

In Your presence is fullness of joy,

 at Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore. 

Psalm 16:11

Carols in the Mall

I remember a little girl with the voice of an angel singing "O Little Town of Bethlehem" at Lenox Square Mall (Atlanta) back in the 60's. Our school choir was invited to sing that night. As her voice, so clear and sweet, filled the mall, a hush came over the busy shoppers.

O holy Child of Bethlehem
Descend to us, we pray
Cast out our sin and enter in
Be born to us today
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell
O come to us, abide with us
Our Lord Emmanuel 

 Behold a virgin shall be with child, and bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, 

GOD WITH US

Matthew 1:23

Prophet, Priest, and King

I read that the three gifts presented to Jesus by the Magi were prophetic.

Gold represents His Kingship.
Frankincense speaks of His priestly anointing.
Myrrh reminds us of His sacrificial death.

I thought of these lyrics:

How sweet the Name of Jesus sounds

In a believer’s ear!

It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds,

And drives away his fear.

Jesus! my Shepherd, Husband, Friend,

O Prophet, Priest and King,

My Lord, my Life, my Way, my End,

Accept the praise I bring.

John Newton

Prayer Request

Please pray for my precious missionary friends who are serving unreached people groups and translating the New Testament into their languages. There has been much unrest in the country where they are ministering in the past few months. I pray for their safety and that God's Word will be received by those hearing it for the very first time.

The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God.  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” 
Luke 1:30-33

Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

Matthew 6:34 Message

I was blessed by this verse today! Thought I'd share it with someone else who might need it, too!

Singing for Joy

At a nursing home outreach, a nurse wheeled a man into the fellowship hall that had not joined us before, staying by his side the whole time.

I asked if anyone had a favorite song. The man began to sing: "Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee, How great Thou art". Both his nurse and the other residents shed tears of joy, and started singing with him.

The nurse explained that the only words he had said since coming to the facility were, "Go home".

My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to You because You have redeemed me.

Psalm 71:23

God of Love

Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth. Psalm 46:10
I receive newsletters from missionaries that I met in Kansas City who are now serving in the middle east and in northern Africa. They tell of many who are turning to Jesus Christ and hungry for God's Word. These people see the injustice and cruelty every day. I pray that they know the one true God  -  the God of Love.

Father God, You alone are our refuge and our strength. May we trust in You in these troubled times.

Jesus, Be the Center of My Life

Instead of worrying, pray.

Let petitions and praises

shape your worries into prayers,

letting God know your concerns.

Before you know it,

a sense of God's wholeness,

everything coming together for good,

will come and settle you down.

It's wonderful what happens

when Christ displaces worry

at the center of your life.

Philippians 4:6

Getting Offended

One morning, I was having a wonderful time in God's Word, when I was interrupted by someone who said something very cruel and untrue about one of my family members. In an instant, I went from cloud nine to the pit! I felt like my whole day would be ruined.

I was still furious when my grandchild arrived for a visit. She noticed my open Bible beside my chair and began intently turning each page. "What are you looking for?" I asked.

"I want to see Jesus!" she told me.

"My Bible doesn't have pictures," I explained. She kept turning and found a slip of paper that I had tucked between the pages a while back. She handed it to me. In my own handwriting, it said, "Don't become offended!"

Later I thought about the fact that all of us have done wrong. All have been guilty before God. All of us have a choice to stay bitter or accept the peace Jesus has provided.

He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole. Isaiah 53:5 Amplified

Praising God - A Full Time Position With Benefits

Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And all that is within me,
bless His holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And forget none of His benefits;
Who pardons all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases;
Who redeems your life from the pit,
Who crowns you with
lovingkindness and compassion;
Who satisfies your years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.

Psalm 103:1-5

I read the inspiring book WAR ROOM this weekend, based on the Christian movie in the theaters now. It's a story of an elderly woman who spends time in her Prayer Closet, which she calls her War Room, and the many benefits that follow - far greater than her expectations.

Praying for Our Nation's Leaders

Psalm 130:7

I am praying for leaders to be elected who know right from wrong and are willing to stand up for righteousness according to God's Word.

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;

Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;

Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

Isaiah 5:20

Garments of Praise

We are made in the image of a beautiful God, but our culture makes us feel "less than" if we don't fit a certain mold. Most of us obsess over "store-bought" beauty because we feel unsettled as we compare ourselves with others.

Mike Bickle wrote: "The glorious news is that the beauty of God is not just something He possesses—it is something He imparts through redemption to his bride."

David prayed that God would "beautify the humble with salvation" (Psalm 149:4). The Message phrases it this way: "Because God delights in his people, He festoons plain folk with salvation garlands!"

Thank you, Lord, that when we come knocking at your gate, at the end of ourselves, you not only receive us, but you honor us with beautiful garments of praise.

All Who Are Thirsty

For I will pour out water on the thirsty land

And streams on the dry ground;

I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring

And My blessing on your descendants;

And they will spring up among the grass

Like poplars by streams of water.

Isaiah 44:3-4

Come, Lord Jesus, Come!

The Knobs

I live in the Ohio Valley where I have a view of  a high ridge called "Floyd's Knobs".

It is beautiful in the autumn when the colorful hardwoods are cloaked in mist. And it is a peaceful sight as I walk in the evenings with the sunset glowing behind the treetops.

Something about that ridge, standing on tip-toe, reaching for the clouds, makes me think of one of the songs of David that the people sang going up to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles: .

I look up to the mountains—

does my help come from there?

My help comes from the Lord,

who made heaven and earth
Psalm 121

Still Waters

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Autumn Morning

Opening the curtains to the morning light

Out in the backyard I spy

The bright orange leaves of Autumn

Against a brilliant sky.

Rays of sun caress my face,

Fingers of a loving hand.

A tiny bird is trilling her praise

Like a piccolo in Heaven's band.

Leaves scurry along the ground

In the cool refreshing breeze.

God whispers how much He cares

Just to put my mind at ease.

Karen Rice

Precious Thoughts

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How precious also are Your thoughts to me,
O God!

How great is the sum of them!

If I should count them,
they would be more in number than the sand;

When I awake, I am still with You.

Psalm 139:17-18

Light Dawns

Even in darkness light dawns for the upright,

    for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.

Psalm 112:3 NIV

Thank You for Your Prayers

Cameron got back to KC Saturday and will share the highlights of his trip with us soon. Thank you so much for praying. God really blessed his time in Nepal!! Please continue to pray for the orphans and widows and the Christians who are ministering to them.

SMILE!

Zephaniah 3:17 says, "The Lord your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love; He will rejoice over you with singing."

Photos from Nepal

Before the mountains were born,

 before you gave birth to the earth and the world, 

from beginning to end, 

you are God. 

Psalm 90:2 NLT

Cameron is leading worship and teaching piano to some of the young people there. He says to thank you for your prayers.

Praying for the Children

I received a video of Cameron and the children singing, "Hosanna In the Highest", at the orphan's home. He asks for continued prayer for many children who lost parents during the earthquake, and some parents who are just not able to care for their children because of the loss of home, jobs, and health.

Cameron and his friends will meet with new Christians who are willing to pastor house churches, to study the Word. In the photos I saw, the pastors are so young. Please pray for them as they take a bold stand for truth and minister to many hurting people.

Thank you.

Sing Praise!

It is good to give thanks to the Lord, 

and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High.

To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, 

and Your faithful every night.

Psalm 92:1-2

I took this photo on a cool spring morning at Longview Lake in Grandview, Missouri. When I lived near there last year, I would enjoy my morning devotional time and the bright sunlight reflecting on the water.
One morning, I decided to go early to see the sunrise. It was so cloudy that the sun's rays never peeked through! I felt that the Lord was telling me, "I am the same, yesterday, today, and forever. When it's cloudy or sunny, a good day or a bad day, I am with you just the same."

This verse also came to mind:  
Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; 
He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. 
Psalm 112:4

I will praise the Lord with my whole heart.

He has sent redemption to His people.

He has commanded His covenant forever.

Holy and awesome is His name.

Psalm 111:1a, 9 NKJV

I am getting updates 2 or 3 times a week from my son. He is helping at the orphanage today, and will travel out in the countryside tomorrow. He is meeting workers from several different organizations who are helping those affected by the earthquakes. He asks for continued prayer for their safety.

Cameron made it to his destination!! Thank you for your prayers.

This is the day the Lord has made!

It was refreshingly cool and dry this morning with a nice breeze. I was inspired to go for a walk at the park!

This afternoon my son Cameron leaves on his trip. Thank you for your prayers. Please pray for the orphans in Nepal and those who work with them.

Fearless Confidence

We know that people are suffering persecution for the name of Christ around the world. The apostle Paul suffered for the sake of the Gospel and encouraged us with these words:

For you did sympathize and suffer along with those who were imprisoned, and you bore cheerfully the plundering of your belongings and the confiscation of your property, in the knowledge and consciousness that you yourselves had a better and lasting possession.

Do not, therefore, fling away your fearless confidence, for it carries a great and glorious compensation of reward.

For you have need of steadfast patience and endurance, so that you may perform and fully accomplish the will of God, and thus receive and carry away [and enjoy to the full] what is promised.
Hebrews 10:34-36 Amplified

Lighthouse in the Storm

I see your tears.

I listen to your prayers.
Whatever situation you are in,
Whisper My Name.
When your strength is gone,
I will lift you up in my strong arms.
I am your high tower,
Your lighthouse in the storm.

by Karen Rice

The name of the Lord is a strong tower; 
The righteous run to it and are safe.
Proverbs 18:10

Mmmm...You smell good!

How are we known in Heaven? By our fragrance. Our simplest prayer is sweet incense rising before the very throne of God.

Let my prayer be accepted as sweet-smelling incense in your presence.
Psalm 141:2a God's Word

On the Wings of a Dove

I am praying for Christians in Nepal
who are ministering to the many orphans
and displaced families.

When troubles surround us,

when evils come

The body grows weak

The spirit grows numb

When these things beset us,

God doesn't forget us

He sends us His love

On the wings of a dove.

On the wings of a snow-white dove

He sends His pure sweet love

A sign from above

On the wings of a dove.

Nanci Griffith

Garden in Bloom

Son Cameron sent me pics from the beautiful rose garden in Kansas City today.

For as the earth brings forth its bud, As the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth, So the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.
Isaiah 61:11

God's Way Is Perfect

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For You will light my lamp;

The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.

For by You I can run against a troop,

By my God I can leap over a wall.

As for God, His way is perfect;

The word of the Lord is proven;

He is a shield to all who trust in Him.

Psalm 18:28-30

Scenes from Southern Indiana

View of Floyd's Knobs from the 'Chicken House' Restaurant

Early Morning View of Louisville KY from the Falls of the Ohio

Afternoon fun in the park.

Jehovah Shalom - Jesus is our Peace

In a Bible that I gave to Daddy in 1969, he wrote:

When hard times come
Remember past experiences
when God brought you through.
Jesus knows all about your storms.
He sees all the circumstances.
Jesus will meet you in the middle of your storm.

He quoted these two verses:

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 1 John 5:14

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

I know that many people in Texas, Mexico, Oklahoma and other places are suffering from flooding and tornado damage. We cannot always see the storms ahead, and even our best plans are sometimes to no avail. But God sees and He is there ahead of us.

I Will Joy in the God of My Salvation

Run the race. Learn how to lean into Jesus. Let him hold you close until you can hear the rhythm of His heartbeat. Then you will know when to rest, when to run, and when to release.
Heidi Baker

Though the fig tree may not blossom,

Nor fruit be on the vines;

Though the labor of the olive may fail,

And the fields yield no food;

Though the flock may be cut off 

from the fold,

And there be no herd in the stalls—

Yet I will rejoice in the Lord,

I will joy in the God of my salvation.

Habakkuk 3:17-18

I am praying for so many around the world who are affected by tragedies. There is an elderly man in my Sunday School class who quotes this passage often. God has brought him through so many trials, but he says that it was in the trials that he learned to lean on Jesus.

In the Garden

When Cameron and Caleb were little, there was a prayer garden across the street from our house and we would go there in the evening after supper and sit in a swing under a shade tree.

As the three of us enjoyed the breeze, Cameron would always ask me to sing, "I come to the garden alone while the dew is still on the roses, and the voice I hear falling on my ear the Son of God discloses. And He walks with me and He talks with me, and He tells me I am His own, and the joy we share as we tarry there none other has ever known."

The Lord teaches us throughout life that any place can be our prayer garden, because he is always speaking and listening!

Closer!

Evangelist Steve Hill had great admiration for his mentor, Leonard Ravenhill. Just before Ravenhill died in 1994, he motioned to Steve, "Come closer....Closer! No, still closer!!" Until Steve's ear was next to his face.

"God has secrets, and He wants to share them with you, but He doesn't shout His secrets," Steve heard him whisper.

The secret [of the sweet, satisfying companionship] of the Lord have they who fear (revere and worship) Him, and He will show them His covenant and reveal to them its [deep, inner] meaning.

Psalm 25:14 Amplified Bible

Steve Hill died in March, 2014.

The Great Balloon Race

The Balloon Race in Louisville, KY, yesterday followed by the Balloon Glow reflected in the Ohio River.
SEE PHOTOS.

Emergency Preparedness

In case of emergency

those who are calling on the name of Jesus
will be prepared. 

We will already be down on our knees.

Therefore, God elevated Jesus

to the place of highest honor

and gave Him the name above all other names,

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue confess that

Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:9-11

Time with the Grandchildren!

I've been at my daughter's house for a few days. The youngest was very excited to see Nana and her "little red car". We went for a walk and fed the ducks at the park near their house. My daughter is wearing the sunglasses, and the three granddaughters are in the center. Kaedyn wanted me to set her hair on curlers as we got ready for the air show and fireworks at Thunder Over Louisville. I am wearing a bracelet the 12 year old made me on her loom. The oldest will soon be Sweet Sixteen and get her driver's license.

Pleasing to the Eye

The Lord God made all kinds of trees 

grow out of the ground—

trees that were pleasing to the eye 

and good for food. 

Genesis 2:9

I have really enjoyed the flowering trees around Kansas City this spring.

I will be driving to Indiana to be with the grandchildren tomorrow, so I'll have new Nana stories and pics for you soon!! Saturday we will watch the air show and huge fireworks display over the Ohio River in Louisville, KY.

Bring to Remembrance

Psalm 119:105

Shortly before His death and resurrection, Jesus made this promise:
The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My Name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.
John 14:26 NASB

I remember my Sunday School teachers when I was a child teaching us every Sunday. They told about Zacchaeus climbing up the sycamore tree to get a glimpse of Jesus as He passed by, and Paul writing letters from his prison cell that would make up almost half of the new testament.

My teachers have all gone on to Heaven now, but I wish I could tell them that I really did hear some of the lessons and still treasure those memory verses they had us recite. I can picture Mrs. Cleo playing the upright piano singing "Jesus Loves the Little Children".

Lord, Help us as we encourage our children and grandchildren to make Your Word come alive for them while they are young. Thank you that, just as You did for us, You will bring Your words to their remembrance through life's joys and trials.

God of Wonders

Once I was teaching a group of first graders and we were talking about how God created the earth and sun and stars. They wanted to tell all they knew about the subject. One girl explained that the sun, along with all the stars and the moon, hurry around to hide on the other side of the earth at bedtime.

A little boy said, "Aw! That's not true. It is just that the earth spins really fast."

The little girl came back with, "Only when the wind is blowing!"

After experiencing the wind in Kansas City, I could see her reasoning!

Well, however it is that I am able to see a golden sunrise or the pastels of a sunset, may it always make me grateful to my Heavenly Father.

Many, Lord my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can compare with you; were I to speak and tell of your deeds, they would be too many to declare. 
Psalm 40:5 NIV

Springing Up

I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God!

For he has dressed me 

with the clothing of salvation

and draped me in a robe of righteousness.

I am like a bridegroom in his wedding suit

or a bride with her jewels.

The Sovereign Lord will show his justice 

to the nations of the world.

Everyone will praise him!

His righteousness 

will be like a garden in early spring,

with plants springing up everywhere.

Isaiah 61:10-11 NLT

A Grand View!

This fence and the lovely trees surround a retirement community

on Harry Truman Road in Grandview, Missouri.

The Truman Family Farmhouse still stands on the property near by.

From his room, a young Harry wrote letters to Bess Wallace, 
a young lady he befriended in school in Independence, MO.
Did Bess ever dream they would someday be 
President and First Lady?

Easter Sunday

 

I attended the worship service at beautiful Redeemer Church 

in the Westport community of Kansas City

 Then strolled through Jacob L. Loose Park, 

site of the Battle of Westport during the Civil War.

Accompanied by my son, Cameron.

YOU ARE LOVED

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The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: 
"I have loved you with an everlasting love; 
I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.
Jeremiah 31:3

Jesus spoke to them again, saying,
“I am the light of the world.
He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness,
but have the light of life.”
John 8:12