Mary's Song

I’m bursting with God-news;

I’m dancing the song of my Savior God.

God took one good look at me, and look what happened—

I’m the most fortunate woman on earth!

What God has done for me will never be forgotten,

The God whose very Name is holy set apart from all others.

His mercy flows in wave after wave

On those who are in awe before Him.

Mary’s Song in Luke 1:46-50 (MSG).

She is dancing and singing to her Lord.

Thankful for He has chosen her to carry our Savior.

But the song takes on new meaning to me when I apply to myself --

because what He has done for me will never be forgotten.

Because of salvation,

 I’m the most fortunate woman on earth! 


Go to Spiritual Sundays for more sites of God's truth.

Memory Making Days

I enjoy those times that your day isn't planned but turns out to be memory-making day. I had a couple like that this week. The first time was when my husband went on a ride with a friend and I.

Enjoyed the cold ride in a field trial.

The other memory day was a trip downtown with my daughter and grandkids. I always love walking through the Peabody.

Next, a good grilled shrimp poorboy at Flying Fish, a quick walk down Beale Street to Schwab's Store 

 then met my son-in-law for a walk around the Mississippi River.

Thankful for these kind of days.

The Morning Star

Before we read the familiar story of our Savior's birth in Luke 2, this verse in chapter one speaks of His coming...

 "Because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace." Luke 1:78

"...you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the Morning Star rises in your hearts."  (2 Peter 1:14)

Who is that Morning Star?

"I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning  Star." (Rev. 22:16b)

To read inspiring words about our Lord go to Spiritual Sundays

Looking A Lot Like Christmas

 In today's busy world, I am thankful for my daughter and her family and their desire to portray Mary and Joseph, an angel and a wise man (boy) in a Christmas parade.

"I have no greater joy than to hear my children are walking in the truth." 3 John 1:4

 My Littlest Angel with Tootise Rolls in her cheeks.

Mary holding a real baby

My Wise Man who said it felt like he was wearing a "dress".

To read about more spiritual truths go to Spiritual Sundays

Focus

    As someone who loves photography, the word. "focus" has my attention.  You can try to capture a beautiful scene but if your picture is not in focus, then the finished result is not what it should be.  This is the same in my life. 
In Beth Moore's study "Believing God" Beth wrote, 

     "God has promised to never leave us or forsake us. When we choose to walk with God rather than off the path to handfuls of other options, we find His perfect will for our lives. We find out promised land. I have discovered that if Satan can't get to me with destruction, he will try to get to me with distraction. We have only one turn on this green earth. We will never get to do this again. We cannot do a hundred things to the glory of God, but we can certainly do a few. What you and I need is focus. Day in and day out. Eyes on the goal. In our frenzied life styles we are desperate for simplicity: for a hundred things to narrow down to one."

   As the Christmas season approaches, I want to focus on Christ not the distractions of the season.

"But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Phil. 3:13b-14.


For my Spiritual truths go to Spiritual Sundays

Thankful for our Missionaries

I have posted this picture before but I thought of it again this Thanksgiving weekend and what the picture represents to me.

It is a picture of the hands of a friend's mother and of my friend's first grand-baby. This friend and her family have served as missionaries for about 30 years in a foreign country. I was able to be at the hospital here in the states when the child was born and my friend sat by a computer through the night to get the message she was waiting for.

This family has made so many sacrifices through the years in order to tell others of Jesus. As a grandparent myself, the sacrifice of living so far from family would be the hardest.

Luke 18:22 "I tell you the truth, Jesus said to them, no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and in the age to come, eternal life."


So today, I offer a prayer for my friend and others who serve.  Thank God for you and I pray you receive many times as much in this age and in the age to come.
For my spiritual truths go to Spiritual Sundays.

Two Pretty Girls

A friend asked me to take a few pictures of her family.

These two little girls looked like trouble.

 "You both look this way and smile"

 "Come on, and sit up." Somehow I lost control.

 "Like my shoes?"

 "No, No, girls, both of you sit up....please."

 "You know, this does feel better"

"Such beauties!"

Life's Difficulties

I am always amazed how trees and plants that God has created will survive even though certain events in their life have caused their lives and growth to be difficult.

What can we learn from this?

When a vine slowly wrapped around this tree, it had to adapt. It could no longer grow straight, but it still grew and produced. 

2 Cor. 12:3 "Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak then I am strong."

These plants grew into glass containers. Trapped in situations of out their control but they continued to flourish. 

Sometimes circumstances seem to overwhelm us; life as we have known it has changed and we cry out, "Father, I don't understand."

I Cor. 13:12 "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face. Now i know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." 

When there is a source of constant pain and problem in our lives...

2 Cor. 4:17 "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

When our burden is so heavy and we feel alone...

Matt. 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

His grace is sufficient...then I am strong..I will know fully...eternal life...rest for my soul. What beautiful promises God has given us.

You can find more sites about our Lord at Spiritual Sundays

A Safari Trip

My daughter, grand kids and I recently went to a "drive through safari park" about an hour away. Such a fun place.

 We were all so brave till heads started popping into the window then there were squeals and windows rising.

This guy was a bully. He had found out the trick of sticking his head in the feed bucket and it makes you drop it. He also produced a lot of cow slobber down our window.

 Jerry is my favorite. Such sweet eyes

 Feeding the babies was fun

The zebras were beautiful

Maybe I should have read the sign...too much sugar for kids and they had to dance just to let go of some energy.

A good memory making day.

 

This is My Father's World

 This is my Father's world,

         and to my listening ears

         all nature sings, and round me rings

         the music of the spheres. 

         This is my Father's world: 

         I rest me in the thought

         of rocks and trees, of skies and seas;

         his hand the wonders wrought.

 This is my Father's world,

         the birds their carols raise,

         the morning light, the lily white,

         declare their maker's praise. 

         This is my Father's world: 

         he shines in all that's fair;

         in the rustling grass I hear him pass;

         he speaks to me everywhere.

 This is my Father's world. 

         O let me ne'er forget

         that though the wrong seems oft so strong,

         God is the ruler yet. 

         This is my Father's world: 

         why should my heart be sad? 

         The Lord is King; let the heavens ring! 

         God reigns; let the earth be glad!

Go to Spiritual Sundays for more sites about our Father

     

For more scenes with fences go to lifeaccordingtojanandjer