I Follow the Shepherd

On my way home from the grocery store, (after making a slight detour), I checked out one of my favorite sheep locations, I found these sheep and lamb relaxing under this large tree on a beautiful spring morning.

We're studying the ten commandments in my Sunday School class. My teacher read an interesting paraphrase that she found in some Lifeway material:

"Blessed are they who need no substitutes.
Blessed are they who honor God's day.
Blessed are they who honor God's name.
Blessed are they who honor their parents.
Blessed are they who value life.
Blessed are they who keep their marriage vows.
Blessed are they who respect the property of others.
Blessed are they who love the truth.
Blessed are they who learn the art of contentment."

                  I like this snap between the fence posts with the two horses grazing close by.

Almost twenty years ago now I wrote an article regarding God's name. If you can't read it or enlarge it on your screen, just click on it and save it to your "pictures" as a .jpg.

God's name is powerful. As I wrote in the article, when I hear God's name taken in vain, I always whisper in my mind, 'I love you. Your name is wonderful'.  

                                                         Just love seeing those baby lamb!

Do you follow the shepherd? His name is Wonderful!

Abe Lincoln and Kindness

Recently I purchased Abraham Lincoln's Daily Treasure: Moments of Faith with America's Favorite President, edited by Thomas Freiling. I thought it would be an interesting read, and I love to read about people of faith in the past.

The other morning I read "On Acts of Kindness" and thought you'd enjoy this piece: "One morning President Lincoln asked Major Eckert, on duty at the White House, 'Who is that woman crying out in the hall? What is the matter with her?' Eckert said it was a woman who had been expecting to go down to the army to see her husband, but because an order recently had gone out prohibiting women from visiting the army, she could not see him. Mr. Lincoln sat moodily for a moment after hearing this story. Then suddenly his face lit up with pleasure. 'Let's bring him up.' The order was written, and the man was sent to Washington. It was spur-of-the-moment decisions like this, small acts of kindness, that endeared Lincoln to the American people. Do you take a break now and then to show an act of kindness? It will not only make you feel better, but it will help give you a reputation like Lincoln's."

As we all know, it is the little things that one does that makes a big difference. I always find it inspiring to read of the lives of others and learn what they've done to make a difference.

                    The girls were taking a rest one day, and I caught their pensive mood.

I knew I was not going to be able to do a lot in my gardens this spring while my body was trying to gain strength and energy. I was able to rake up some leaves and debris in April, but mainly I just watched as plants started growing. But this month of May I have been astonished at the health and beauty of the gardens. Just knowing I didn't do anything to enhance them this year, the gardens are full, the flowers are blooming and the beauty is delicious!

       This is the 4th spring for my first garden. Jerry put down a stone path that isn't quite complete.

                                                  The two Wiegelia bushes are in bloom.

My gardens are full of perennials, and for the most part, there is little care needed. But because of my illness this year, my joy is especially full, knowing I didn't do anything to help. If you're not a gardener, there's always hope that one day you'll find yourself digging in dirt. I was 63 when it happened for me!

This is the 3rd spring for my second garden. Poppies are blooming, the Geranium bush next to it is in bloom, pale blue flowers, the Pulmonaria in the foreground is in bloom, and the Clematis are too, although hidden. And there are babies in the church birdhouse.

 

And I'm proud to tell you that my friend, Roy Thomas, published his first book and it's on Amazon. I worked with Roy at the Baptist Center in Columbia for 16 years. I consider him a dear friend  and fun guy! Click on the following link to read more.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Tale-Tiggy-Tabby-Mr-Thomas/dp/0692404732/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1432051239&sr=8-1&keywords=the+tale+of+tiggy+the+tabby

 

 

 

I leave you with this picture of my 91 year old mother. During her trip to Oklahoma and Texas a few weeks ago, my cousin got her on this Longhorn.

 

 



What an anchor!

 

 The allium is a strange flower with its long, tall stem and bud at the top. This one has started opening.
















"Anchor yourself to God's Word. No matter what storms arise, His truth always stands firm and prevails. Every form of earthly security may disappoint you, but Scripture will not. It Cannot!  Backed by the awesome power of Almighty God, His promises are fully accomplished and absolutely victorious."  Charles Stanley, Every Day in His Presence

 

"Backed by the awesome power of Almighty God" caught my eye. What a truth! The quote is from the May 7th devotion, titled Anchored. 1 Kings 8:56 is the verse Stanley was writing about.

There is nothing that compares to the power of Scripture. It's alive. It's truth. It's real.

         You can see the little flowers as the bud continues its opening process-- tiny flowers.

Following are some quotes I perused about Scripture:

"Every Christian must refer always and everywhere to the Scriptures for all his choices, becoming like a child before it, seeking in it the most effective remedy against all his various weaknesses, and not daring to take a step without being illuminated by the divine rays of those words."  Pope John Paul

"However powerful and learned he may be, the Bible always sets man face to face with God, reminding him thus of his frailty and his weakness.  Paul Tournier (1898-1986)

"All things desirable to men are contained in the Bible." Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)

"There came a time in my life when I doubted the divinity of the Scriptures, and I resolved as a lawyer and a judge I would try the book as I would try anything in the courtroom, taking evidence for and against . It was a long, serious, and profound study; and using the same principles of evidence in this religious matter as I always do in secular matters. I have come to the decision that the Bible is a supernatural book, that it has come from God, and that the only safety for the human race is to follow its teachings."  Salmon P. Chase (1808-1873)

"Nobody ever outgrows Scripture; the book widens and deepens with our years." Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892)

"The Bible does not thrill, the Bible nourishes. Give time to the reading of the Bible, and the recreating effect is as real as that of fresh air physically."  Oswald Chambers (1874-1917) 

 

"I am sorry for men who do not read the Bible every day. I wonder why they deprive themselves of the strength and the pleasure." Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924)

 

"It is not possible ever to exhaust the mind of the Scriptures. It is a well that has no bottom." Saint John Chrysostom (c. 347-407)

 

                        The allium completely in bloom is a lovely, delicate flower, in bloom now.

"Backed by the awesome power of Almighty God . . ." Now that's an anchor!

Down in the Mouth

The only time I've gotten out for a photo shoot I found these sheep on a hillside. I like the color of spring in the snap. Of course, the sheep and lamb ran away when I stopped.

"Down in the Mouth." What a funny phrase. Of course, we all know it means being sad, depressed, low-spirited, filled with melancholy. That's sure a fair description of Eeyore, whom I well associate with. Yes, I've been "down in the mouth" lately.

When something serious happens to you it causes you to think strongly about your life and what you do. I suppose I've been in that frame of mind recently. I've thought about the time and effort I put into photography--just how many pictures of fawn can I take? my writing for my blog--do I really have something useful to say, and does God still want me to write encouraging notes.

Yes, I have a mother living with us and see to her care, and Jerry has his own physical ailments that we deal with. But, is there more? Sound familiar?

Recently I read these words by Tricia Goyer in her devotional "Amish Peace": "It is not uncommon for Americans to go through what is referred to as a midlife crisis. Men and women realize their mortality more clearly as the years tick by, and they desire a change in their day-to-day situation. Some may make good choices, such as turning away from selfish pursuits to serve other people. Others focus on self-indulgence and pursue things they wish they had had before, whether it be a new place to live or a different kind of work."

Continuing, Tricia said: "It's not uncommon for those who believe in God to have spiritual midlife crises too. Maybe they had expected that life with God would turn out differently. Yet the level of their devotion to God--their commitment--becomes evident when doing good is hard. Aren't you glad that God does not leave us alone in our efforts?"

There is some color in the second garden. That's my own little lamb to enjoy.

I don't feel like I'm having a mid-life crisis, but my journey with cancer is giving me cause to consider what I'm doing. I find my energy level is still low, and it prohibits me from doing things I yearn to do like working in my garden. Who I am hasn't changed. I'm still the extreme introvert whose emotions cry at the thought of any thing the least bit emotional. I prefer writing to talking--which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

The world will continue to change, and more than likely, I will not. I do want the fervor of finding fawn and snapping their picture, making note cards to share God's creation; I do want to be filled with inspiration to write posts that may encourage others, and I do want to continue writing notes to cheer the hearts of others with God's love.

Doing good is becoming harder as I experience the maladies of age and aches. May my season of "down in the mouth" be exchanged with "Those who trust in the Lord will find new strength . . ." Isaiah 50:31a

   This sweet snap came from the Shenandoah National Park website. The cub was born in Jan/Feb.

I feel like I do so little, and yet I can't do more. The years have taken their toll, and I must accept what life has given me. The phrase "little is much when God is in it" just popped into my mind and as most of us know, it's the title of a song written by Kittie L. Suffield, 1924

 

The refrain goes like this:

"Little is much when God is in it! Labor not for wealth or fame;
There’s a crown, and you can win it, If you go in Jesus’ name."

The third verse seems to fit me:

"Does the place you’re called to labor, Seem so small and little known?
It is great if God is in it, And He’ll not forget His own."

Before they all started running away I managed to get this snap off. One's nursing at the top of the hill.

Yes, Eeyore and I have been friends for a very long time. Eeyore may be blue on the outside, but I believe there must be a heart of gold on the inside doing those small things to encourage others. Least I'd like to think that. May I be as worthy.