Philippians 3:14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

When you first start something you start with the intention of a goal.  Sometimes the goal gets a little skewed and foggy.  I suppose you could say this blog started out this way.  I just knew that when I started writing, that my thoughts were to somehow  convey that there is a God and He is mighty, sovereign and quite powerful with His beauty all around us that so often is forgotten with daily life.  Somehow I knew if there was someone out there reading this I had hoped that they would start to see Christ in everything. That maybe by posting pictures, bible verses an encouraging word to direct a thought upward towards Him that maybe, just maybe a reader or two could see what I see, which is the Sovereignty of God.

When my hopes and dreams have at times disappeared and I feel as if my world has fallen apart it is here that I see the hand of God and realize that it is He alone that has all things under control and the enemy that I have come known in this world has such a limited power.  Look at who formed us.  He is the maker of all things.  By His own words it is He that calls the rivers to dry up. He alone is the one that has all knowledge. It is hard to comprehend the magnitude of His knowledge and how my knowledge is so very, very limited.

Mark 4:39 And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, Hush be still; And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm.

It was in the wind that fear arose. And it was by His words that all became motionless and quiet. Sometimes those are the days that are most needed. His calming words to quiet  the heart that so easily get distraught over the storms of life. Take heed “Hush and be still”

2nd Corinthians 7:9-10 I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us.  For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.

These pictures that are resembled are death and life.  Have you ever considered 2nd Corinthians as a truth for your life?  Have you ever been disciplined by the Lord and chastised for an error that was brought to your attention?  Discipline from the Lord comes from Hebrews 12:3-11 among other various passages.  God wants a heart that follows after Him.

He wants you to follow in His footsteps.  There seems to be a promise in these scriptures that when discipline is brought on by God for you and I it brings such sorrow. If you are a believer in Christ it would be hoped that you would press into God and repent of an iniquity which leads to salvation and sanctification.  It is the proud heart that can not recognize this chastisemnt from God and will turn to the world and the worlds ways producing death and no peace.

I will end with 2nd Corintihians 7:1  Therefore having these promises beloved let us cleanse ourselves from all delfilment of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

The fall is a busy season for our family.  Recently we went up to the mountains to cut firewood for the winter season.  It is easy to ponder and consider what the Lord has done when it is quiet. The boy’s and my husband went to the higher mountain side to cut wood with the chain saw while us girls and some friends that we took gathered the wood and stacked it in the trailer. While stacking the logs, God sent the breeze to hear the quaking aspens and the whispering pinetrees.  I was able to do a sketch and journal during a quick lunch break.  One of the many family memories I have is watching our family work together.  God made each family unique with qualities and gifts that He has ordained. My family goes hunting, smores on a cold nights (on an occasion), pizza and a movie on friday nights and family worship time in the evenings (most evenings)among other fond memories. Our time together is becoming more limited as the children grow up.  However, the memories will be with me forever of my dear family that God has blessed me with. May the Lord bless you and give you much joy as He has given me. Happy Fall!!!

Traveling to Texas last week in the heat of the summer for a nephews wedding and my husbands parents 50th wedding anniversary  was incredible. Marriage is a gift from God. If you have never studied on the word covenant, oath or promise in the bible it is an amazing study worthy of learning.  While the trip there and the union of family was enriching the trip home was another adventure I would care to not repeat.

We left later from my husbands brothers house than we expected. Stopped at his other brothers house to pick up floaties for our crying Elijah that we just bought the day before for swimming that he insisted we get. Left there to go to his sisters house to pick up  our older son and ventured off to mom and dad’s home to pick up something that they wanted to give us. Meanwhile, the night before our airconditioned car was no more, as it decided to quit. Leaving later than we wanted on Sunday started the day in the muggy Texas heat of about 107 and continued on to our state of Colorado.  Oh, did I tell you our transmision went out? As it was there were many stops of cold ice water, ice cream at dairy queen, and a meal at a fast food restaurant eventully got us home much later then we intended the drive to be. Tired, hot, and sweaty, we all took showers and went to bed by 11;00.

Two days later after some good rest, I went to pull weeds and saw this pinecone on the ground with mulch around it and found the beauty in the simple things. It was so busy before the trip and during the trip that it felt good to see things through God’s eyes. I read more of my Hebrews study and was able to enjoy what the Lord had given me for that moment. It is amazing that so many distrations can pull you away from the simple things, like the beauty of a pinecone.

Hebrews 6:1  Therefore leaving the elementry teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God.

A few weeks ago I bought a butterfly kit for my younger three children. In the kit you receive a caged netting and five catapillars that you send away for.  On the day of their arrival, the catapillars are safe in their little box provided awaiting there for us to watch their different stages of life. In the first stage the catapillar climbs up a stem or branch of a tree and hangs upside down to shed its skin.

The next stage is the Chrysalis stage in which it provides a protective coating around the body in hopes to soon be a butterfly. However, just before this beauty emerges the Chrysalis turns clear and you can start seeing the wing markings of this creature.

As of right now I am studying the book of Hebrews.  In the verse above the author of this book reminds us to press on to maturity, looking towards the goal. When I was 17 and a new believer in Christ my walk had become quite sloppy and I stumbled a bunch! When we lost our child eleven years ago my sloppiness became an aggressiveness towards the gospel and preaching. That also was sloppy. Now in my mid forties I have calmed down and am learning to become more gentle in spirit. Still sloppy but, hope to become more like these butterflies that have emerged into the beautiful creatures that God created. Only through Christ can I do this.

2nd Chronicles 26:1-23, 26:10 He built towers in the wilderness and hewed many cisterns, for he had much livestock, both in the lowland and in the plain. He also had plowmen and vinedressers in the hill country and the fertile fields. For he loved the soil.

Having had a down pour of rain last night was pleasure to my ears. The smell was delicious! The lightning and thunder in the summer afternoon used to be so common in Colorado. However, it has not been as frequent as it used to be, so when the afternoon rains come it certainly brings a peace and one of gratefulness.

In reading 2nd Chronicles 26 the people of Judah make Uzziah a king and ruler over them. Uzziah was an upright man doing what was right in the Lords eyes. Because of this God prospered him. As verse 10 reads it appears King Uzziah was a gardener and had fertile fields with a love of agriculture.  He produced much with what he had. God continued on blessing this man  until His heart turned proud in verse 16 and became unfaithful to the Lord.  If you know anything about the priesthood in the old testament, you would know and understand that it was God who appointed who was to be priest and burn incense in the temple.

However, Uzziah appears to want to do things his own way and because of his unfaithfulness and lack of honor for the Lord in verse 20 the Lord smittens Uzziah with leprosy.

Uzziah started strong but stumbled when he had so much. This year in our garden our produce is lacking as I planted vegetables where they should not have been.  The soil began lacking in Nitrogen.  I should have planted beans and placed the pumpkins and zucchini in another spot of the yard. As it is I became proud of my gardens the last two years and felt I could do it again with much fruit. Unfortunatly for me, I stepped over my boundaries and figured production would happen anyways. Lesson learned in the garden and in the word, He reigns

Jeremiah 8:7 Even the stork in the sky knows her apponted seasons, and the dove, the swift and the thrush observe the time of their migration. But my people do not know the requirements of the Lord.

At this time of writing there are wildfires that are near by our home with possibilities of evacuation. I came across this verse the other day and could not stop thinking about the last of this verse: But my people do not know the requirements of the Lord. Is it possible that we are in a time of various judgemets from the Lord? Has the fear of God left our country? Is it time for America to fall in order that God may be raised up again? I suppose if we have to fall the good that comes out of suffering is obedience similar to what Jesus had to go through. It says He learned obedience through His suffering. Perhaps it is time for suffering in order to learn obedience and understand what our God requires from us.

Mathew 8:20 Jesus said to him, “The FOXES  have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

When reading the passage in Mathew 8:18-22 Jesus makes this statement above. He was teaching, making disciples , healing, His life was busy, occupied doing the things of the Father. Yet, He was also born as a human being perfect in every way for the final end to soon come of the crucifixion and salvation to this world of sinners.

When Jesus continues in this passage He was exhausted in need of a little rest. Do you ever find yourself in need of a little rest? The picture on the side should be a reminder that like us, Jesus had to lay down for some tranquility and refresh His body and mind.

Keep scripture close to you when needing that refreshment. It is the Word of God that will give life to your soul.