Virtual Field Trip--Hastings' Potato Patch!

Good Morning Everyone!

This looks like a great day for a field trip--a virtual field trip!  So follow the link below to see where Austin and I are going to take you today! :)  We are guest posting over here: Hastings' Potato Patch

Hope you enjoy the trip!

~Susan

Hiding Psalm 27 in My Heart--verse 3

Good Morning Everyone!

We are smack dab in the middle of working on memorizing verse 3 this week, in our beautiful chapter of Psalm 27.  I definitely need to spend some more time working on this verse, but my major accomplishment was I DID get my entire chapter and the first letter helps laminated and posted up in my shower--yea for me!  Much easier for me to remember to review my verses before I go to bed each night now that they are staring at me in the shower and I can't help but to read them when I am standing in there! ;)

I had some thoughts I wanted to share with you about verse 3--a Bible story that God reminded me of last night, and I felt it really did help reveal a bit more about this verse we are working on memorizing this week.  I love it when God does that--connects for us one part of the Bible with another.

So here is this week's verse:
"Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident."  Psalm 27:3

And the story that God reminded me of?  It was about a man who had this very thing happen to him--quite literally!

You see, it went like this. . . the king of Aram was at war with Israel.  And it seemed that every single time he went to attack Israel, the Israelites were already prepared for him!  It was driving him crazy!  The king thought one of his officers must be a spy--and be leaking out this information ahead of time to the Israelite king, but when he demanded of his officers to tell him which one of them was doing this, they told him it was not them, but Elisha the prophet.  In fact, they went on to tell their king that Elisha could tell the king of Israel "the very words you speak in your bedroom."  (2 Kings 6:12)

So somehow thinking that he would be sneaking up on prophet Elisha, the king of Aram sent his army to surround the city of Dothan where Elisha was.  An army was very definitely encamped against Elisha--yet his heart did not fear.  War was definitely arising against him--yet he was confident.  Why?  Was he confident in himself?  Not at all!  I will let the Bible speak for itself:

"Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city.  When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city.  'Oh, my lord, what shall we do?' the servant asked.
 'Don't be afraid,' the prophet answered.  'Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.'
And Elisha prayed, 'O LORD, open his eyes so he may see.' Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha."
  2 Kings 6:14-17

WAS an army surrounding Elisha, wanting to do him harm?  Oh yes--that army was very very real.  But no less real was God's army, which was surrounding the king of Aram's army!  Just because they were not at first visible to the human eye did not mean they were not there.  And when Elisha prayed for his servant's eyes to be opened, the servant was able to see God's army that had been there all of the time.

I love the end of this Bible story.  Elisha prayed to the LORD to strike the people with blindness, and suddenly the Arameans were blind.  Elisha then led them right into the city of Samaria--the heart of their enemies territory.  After they were inside the city, Elisha prayed for the LORD to open their eyes, and there they found themselves inside the city.  Can you imagine their fear?  The king of Israel saw them and asked Elisha "Shall I kill them?," but Elisha told him no--but to feed them instead!  To give them food and water-- to prepare a great feast and entertain them like honored guests!

From enemies to honored guests!  Not THAT is a twist to a story!  And listen to the end of the story:  "So he prepared a great feast for them, and after they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them away, and they returned to their master.  So the bands from Aram stopped raiding Israel's territory."
  2 Kings 6:23

Because of treating their enemy well--because of this feast--Israel had peace for years.

Our enemies may not all become our friends, no matter how kind we may treat them.  But whatever army is encamping against us--be it a physical army,  cancer army, or any other type--we can know that God and His army are right there with us.  And that His army is greater than whatever army is surrounding us.  He is able to carry us through, no matter what.

And THAT, my friends, is GOOD NEWS!

~Susan

Hiding Psalm 27 in My Heart--verses 1 & 2

Photo Credit:  Jody Ohlsen Collins--used by permission

Good Morning Everyone!

I have been meaning to share with all of you about my newest memory project for several weeks--but alas, thinking about it in my mind somehow does not equate finding the time to sit down and actually post about it!  But as they say, better late than never, and in this case it is not too late to join in with me if you would like to memorize with me! :)

The passage I am working on currently is Psalm 27.  I am not very far into it--on our memory schedule we are doing just one verse a week, and taking time off for the holiday weeks.  So far we have memorized verses 1 and 2, and then had this past week off for Thanksgiving.  So today is the day the memory group will be starting in on verse 3, so you see, we really aren't that far into this chapter and if anyone desires it really WOULD be fairly easy to catch up with the rest of us and join in the fun and blessings! :)

Even though today starts us onto verse 3, I would like to share about verses 1 and 2 with you here today.  So far, I have these two verses written up on index cards and taped to my bathroom mirror.  I try and remember to review my verses whenever I am in the bathroom, especially when I stand at the mirror curling my hair each morning.  I figure if I am going to be standing at that mirror anyway, I might as well be doing something more productive than staring at ME! I would much rather be staring at God.  Beholding Him.  Changing into His image. . . My plan today is to get the chapter laminated so I can post it in my shower.  I like to laminate the entire chapter and post it on one shower wall, and laminate just the first letter helps and post it on the opposite shower wall.  That way I can study, review, and quiz myself each evening when I take my shower.  You would be amazed at how just two very short review times each day--morning and evening--can really add up and help me to learn precious Bible gems!  Normally I would have wanted to start out immediately with the verses posted in my shower, but life has been a little bit crazy around here recently, and I just haven't dragged out the old laminator and fired it up.  But today that is high on the priority list!  I am tired of having to squint around the shower curtain to read the verses posted on the mirror and make sure I repeated them correctly--I need those verses in the shower as well and today's the day!

Anyway, on to the lovely verses! :)

"The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?  The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

"When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall."

Psalm 27: 1&2

Aren't those beautiful promises?  A couple things that stood out to me in these verses:   The LORD is my light and my salvation--with a light, you are safe even when surrounded by darkness.  A light helps you see obstacles in your pathway.  A light helps keep you from stumbling.  A light can even be a barrier to keep wild animals away.

The LORD is the stronghold of my life--have you ever visited a fort?  I have been able to tour several in different locations.  A fort is usually built up on the highest point of land in the area.  This helps it remain safe, as others must come from below to attack it.  The design of each fort varies, but they are usually all built with strong, thick walls, and often have a high tower from which the people inside could see a long way off and prepare for any attack that was coming.  My God lives in heaven.  He knows the end from the beginning.  He is the Alpha and the Omega.  He was here before I was born, here during my lifetime, and will be here after I pass away.  There is no "attack" that surprises Him.  He knows the enemy, and is well prepared to fight him off for me.  In fact, the war has already been won.  The battle was fought on a cross.

When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh--when I first read this, I only assumed it in a figurative way.  Well, I still believe that is a good way to read this verse, but last night in the book we are reading as part of our daughter's bedtime I read aloud of a missionary who was surrounded by cannibals who wanted to literally assail him and eat up his flesh!  Immediately this verse came into my mind--and I realized that perhaps it could be taken as both figuratively AND literally!  It was amazing to read of how this missionary put his trust in God.  His danger was real--VERY real--and he could see it with his own eyes.  This was not a fear that was just something made up in an overworked imagination--no, his danger, his enemies, were very very real.  Just as ours is--even if we do not see him with our eyes.  But so is our God--even if we do not see HIM with our eyes.  And no one can snatch us out of His hands!

So on to verse 3--that is what I will be working on this week.  I hope you will join me in memorizing this beautiful passage.  It does not have to be memorized perfectly to be a blessing--any time at all spent meditating on God's Word will bring abundant blessings to you!

Please share with me in the comments what words or phrases stood out to YOU in these verses.  And if you have blogged about these verses, feel free to share a link to your blog post so I can go visit! :)

Have a beautiful week with your Savior!

~Susan

Oatmeal Patties--Eating Healthy Makes Cents!

Hi Everyone!

This week's healthy, inexpensive recipe is brought to you in response to a FB question from my friend Pam.  Their family ends up traveling together quite a bit at meal times, and she was looking for some variety of something to put in sandwiches instead of only peanut butter and jelly.  I understand this need so very well!  If you do not eat meat, you can do things like cheese and egg salad for variety--but once I had to cut out dairy from my life, well, it became a choice of peanut butter and jelly or jelly and peanut butter! :)  I LIKE peanut butter and jelly sandwiches--I really do--just not all the time!  And while my tongue loves the taste of some of the meat substitutes out there--my pocket book does NOT like the expense and besides that a lot of them are not really all that healthy.  Just look at the long list of ingredients--if you can't pronounce it, it probably isn't good for you to eat!

ANYWAY, so came about my own personal search for things to stuff into sandwiches that were both healthy and--as always--I wanted them to be cheap as well.  Today's recipe definitely fills both of these requirements.  So instead of sharing the recipe only with Pam, I thought I would post it here on my little blog in case others would like it as well.  I hope your family ends up loving it as much as my family does!

~Susan

 Oatmeal Patties

2 cups water

4 Tablespoons soy sauce

2 tsp. honey

2 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. sage

2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning

2 cups quick oats

Combine water and seasonings in a saucepan and bring to a boil.

Add oats and turn heat down to medium. Cook for around 5 minutes until it is thick, stirring constantly.  You are basically making oatmeal--just for the water, you are using seasoned water.  

Remove from the burner and use two spoons to shape into the size patties you want.  Most of the time I make smaller patties and use them on small rolls that I make, but this time I was wanting to use them with regular sliced bread sandwiches, so I made them larger.  I use nonstick baking sheets in my pans.  If you do not have these, just give your pans a quick spray of nonstick spray.

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until they are slightly browned on the bottom.  If you try and flip them over and they are still soft like oatmeal, they need to bake longer.  Once they are brown on the bottom, flip them over and bake 15 minutes longer.  In the above picture, the patties closest to me have not been flipped over yet, the patties farther away from me have already been flipped.

And there you have it.  Yummy Oat Patties, fresh from the oven!  The above picture shows this recipe doubled, as I like having enough for my little family to eat for two meals.  I enjoy cooking--but I am so busy all the time that having leftovers the next day is a real blessing.  I love these in sandwiches with lettuce and tomato and a bit of onion--yum!  You can also tear them into smaller pieces and add into any pasta dish for extra yummyness! 

These patties freeze great! And remember--eating healthy does not have to cost a lot!

I Sing the Mighty Power of God

Good Morning Everyone!

We studied this hymn in homeschool today, and this version with pictures was so beautiful that I wanted to share it with you! :). Hope you like it as much as I do!

I Sing the Mighty Power of God

Enjoy!
~Susan

Virtual Field Trip--Washington New Hampshire church (Part 2)

Hi Everyone!

It's a chilly day today in my corner of the woods, but that doesn't mean we can't go on a field trip!  Especially when we can take that field trip while curled up next to the wood stove fire!  Today my son Austin is guest posting over at a site especially for Seventh-day Adventist homeschoolers, so if you would like to take a fun trip grab your mug of hot chocolate and come along with us as we finish our tour of the Washington, New Hampshire church and learn more about why it is important in Adventist history!

Washington, New Hampshire church (Part 2)

Hiding Psalm 27 in My Heart

Photo Credit:  Jody Ohlsen Collins--used by permission

Happy Sabbath Everyone!

I hope you are having a chance to rest and spend some time with God today.  I love the Sabbath!  It is, in my opinion, the very very best day of the week.  A time we can say STOP to our crazy-busy lives, a pause in time, a weekly holiday with our Creator and Redeemer.  And we don't have to feel guilty about not doing or working during these sacred hours, because our Creator actually TELLS us to pause and rest.  He tells us the most important thing we can DO is to BE with Him--it is not an achievement we must strive harder and better for.  He just wants to spend time with us--because He loves us.  Breathe.  In.  Out.  In.  Out.  Sigh. . . Can't you just FEEL the stress of the week start to depart?

Anyway, I wanted to take a moment and tell you all about the new memory challenge I am participating in.  It actually started this past Monday, so I am a bit late in sharing about it, but it is still not to late to join us if you would like to!  :)

We will be memorizing Psalm 27--the whole chapter, but it is not too long and our pace will be a very doable one verse a week.  We will even be taking off for Thanksgiving and Christmas weeks, since often we are so busy with extra activities during those times.  Anyway, so even though this first week is already over, it would be super easy to hop in and join us--and I promise that you will be blessed!

If you are at all intrigued, hop over to the Do Not Depart site and read all about it.  You can find the link here: Memorize Psalm 27
Also at that link you can find free resources to print off and help you in memorizing.  I have especially been helped by the first letter helps.  I like to print out the chapter I am working on, and then print out the first letter helps, and then glue them back to back with glue stick.  Then I run them through my little laminator--this is not necessary, but is only because my background is teaching and I can't help myself.  I love laminating things! ;)  Anyway, that copy I can carry around and ask my daughter to quiz me sometimes--I turn the sheet with the first letter helps on my side, and the full chapter on her side, and she checks me as I recite my verses.  I also laminate the chapter and post it in my shower, then laminate the first letter helps and post those on the opposite shower wall.  I have found this as a good way to review myself every day when I am getting clean.  Soap washes on the outside--God's Word washes on the inside! ;)  You would be amazed at how much you can learn just reviewing each day in the shower!  And I am going to be standing in the shower anyway, I might as well make good use of the time!

Well, that's it for this little invitation.  Go read all about it at the link I gave you--it really won't be as hard as you think, and I promise you will be super blessed!  Don't worry about whether you can finish the entire chapter or not.  Each verse of God's Word that is hidden in your heart will be a blessing--so I hope you will consider joining me! :)

~Susan

Light Oat Waffles--Healthy Eating Makes Cents!

Good Morning Everyone!

Thank you for all the positive responses on my Carrot Soup recipe I posted last week!  You all are a brave lot, because so many of you were very excited about trying that recipe--and "Carrot Soup" just isn't a commonly heard of type of soup!  But I hope you do try it and love it as much as I do.

Ever since posting that recipe last week, I have been dutifully taking pictures of different foods as I make them--because, quite frankly, almost ALL of the foods I make on a regular basis are on the economical side of things. . . So I have the recipes and I have the pictures--what I do not usually have is the time to post!  But I thought I would try and make some time this morning, so am posting this even as I am at this moment munching happily away on my plateful of Oat Waffles! :)  The one picture you won't see is a waffle all arranged in a pretty way on a plate and ready to eat.  Why?  Because I ate it--and then thought about that final picture!  But there will be enough pictures to help you know if you want to make these or not, and what stages should look like if you do decide to.  :)

So here it is--my VERY easy famous oat waffle recipe. . . alright, so it may only be famous in my own house, but it certainly IS famous around here! :)  As far as amounts go, I normally will double the recipe amounts, two different times, so in reality I am making four batches of this recipe.  This is to feed four people as a meal, and our family is really three adults and only one child.  This will make enough for all of us to eat like little piggy wiggies, and still have some left ofr the two kids at least to have the next day.  Leftovers heat wonderful in a toaster oven, which will re-crisp the waffles after they become sort of limp from sitting.

Light Oat Waffles

2 1/4 cups water

2 cups regular rolled oats (old-fashioned)

2 Tab. whole grain flour

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. vanilla flavoring

2 Tab. sesame seeds

Place all ingredients except sesame seeds in blender and blend until creamy.

It will look like this--and will be a bit on the runny side but will thicken a bit more as it sits.

Preheat a non-stick waffle iron on high for 5-8 minutes.  This is important, make sure the waffle iron is hot before you put the batter in.  I have two waffle irons, a round one and a large square one, and I will heat both and run them at the same time.  This helps you get more ready for a whole family to sit down and eat them at the same time--otherwise, people can eat in shifts as the waffles come out hot, or you can keep them warm in an oven until you have enough to all sit down, but they will soften and not retain their crispness. 

When waffle iron is ready, sprinkle some sesame seeds on the bottom of the waffle iron, scoop some batter into the iron, and then sprinkle the top batter with more sesame seeds.  Close lid and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until it is lightly browned.  DON'T peak until it has baked at least 10 minutes.  Peaking too early can result in your waffle being torn in two as you open the waffle iron.  Don't ask me how I know this.  Just trust me.  ;)

Eat right away or cool on baking rack before freezing.  If freezing, separate waffles by wax paper and freeze in Ziploc freezer bags.  This turns it into your own convenience food of frozen toaster waffles!  I like to heat them in my toaster oven, but I believe a regular toaster would work the same way--you would just have to tear them in half or whatever size needed for your toaster.

And there you have it.  Really, eating these waffles is just as healthy as eating oatmeal for breakfast.  And with the main ingredients being oats and water, they are super super cheap on the budget as well.  We like to eat them with peanut butter and applesauce and granola on top, or my favorite is with a spread of home made jam.  Today's waffles were eaten with home made strawberry jam and some had orange marmalade jam on them.  Yum yum yum!

Hope you enjoy!  And a big thank you to those who shared some of their healthy, inexpensive foods with me last week.  I am looking forward to trying some of those recipes!  And since today I am posting a healthy breakfast food, what is YOUR favorite healthy breakfast food?

~Susan

Creamy Carrot Soup--Eating Healthy Makes Cents!

Hi Everyone!

I thought I would start a little mini-series today.  It may be "very" mini, as I don't have a lot of time to post on this little blog, but I still wanted to at least do a little bit.  I have been thinking about how often people have the idea that they can't afford to eat healthy--that it costs too much, and that it is too complicated.  Well, I have a smattering of recipes that would argue those thoughts--especially the ones about eating healthy costing too much.  And I just thought I would like to share some of those recipes with you.  

I have no idea how often I will post them, due to lack of time, so this will be a very sporadic series.  But be that as it may, I will share when I can and I hope these recipes help someone.  :)

The first recipe I wanted to share with all of you is for Carrot Soup.  Now I KNOW what you are thinking, because quite frankly the words "Carrot Soup" didn't exactly tork my gibs either!  But once I sampled it, I knew it was a recipe to stay!  And with this being Fall and all, it is the perfect VERY inexpensive meal for those cold days.  These ingredients are inexpensive all the time--but if you have an Aldi's store near you, this week you can make this recipe for dirt cheap, since they currently have a two pound bag of carrots on sale for only 49 cents!  Don't worry if you missed it--they will bring this carrot sale around again.  And every time I see it, I buy a couple extra bags of carrots.  They store well in the fridge, and I know that I am going to put Carrot Soup on my menu! :)

Creamy Carrot Soup--serves 2

1 lb. carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks

1 small onion, diced

1/4 c. instant oats

1/2 c. non-dairy milk (or extra water)

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. allspice

salt to taste

1.  In a medium saucepan, combine 2 cups water, carrots, onion, and oats over high heat.

2.  Bring to boil, then reduce heat to medium.

3.  Cook, stirring frequently, until carrots are fork-tender, about 5 minutes.

4.  Let cool a bit, then transfer to a blender in batches and combine with non-dairy milk.  Blend until smooth and creamy.

5.  Transfer back to saucepan and stir in ginger and allspice.

6.  Gently reheat, adding in salt to taste.

~~~~~~~~~~

Now, the amounts you see in the pan in the picture are this recipe tripled.  For my family of four, I triple the recipe except I do NOT triple the ginger but only double the ginger.  This is just for my own taste preferences, plus if I make food "too" spicy my youngest does not like it.  So this is my compromise.  But adjust things to your taste.  Also, for the tripled recipe amount I add in 2 tsp. salt.

Hope you enjoy this yummy soup!  And I would LOVE it if you leave me your "go-to" healthy and cheap recipes in the comments section!

Have a beautiful day--and eat healthy!

~Susan

To Know God--today's blessing

Hi Everyone!

Just wanted to pop in for a minute and let you all know that I am indeed alive and well.  Just way too busy to post as often as I would like to!  If only I had someone to follow me around all day and take notes and post for me whenever one of my brilliant ideas crosses my mind. . . just kidding, just kidding! ;)

But seriously, I wanted to share a couple paragraphs from my quiet time reading this morning.  One of the things I am currently reading through is the book "To Know God" by Morris Venden.  It has been SUCH a blessing already, and I am not even half way through, so a huge "Thank you!" to my sweet friend Lisa who kept her eyes open and found me a copy, since I believe it is out of print.

Anyway, I was reading this morning about having assurance of salvation.  And I thought these two paragraphs explained things so very clearly that I wanted to share them.  So here they are:

"When you use the word faith, you are introducing a relationship element.  Even though grace is the gift of God, it must be received by us.  And no one can be saved until he accepts the gift that God has provided.  Faith demands relationship, one party trusting another.  It is possible to accept someone today and reject him tomorrow.  It is possible to be married today and not be married ten years from now.  In the same way it is possible to accept God's grace at one point and reject it at another.  In order to have the continuing assurance of salvation, we must accept God's grace on a continuing basis (Matthew 24:13).

"This brings us to one of the major texts that tells how we can be assured of eternal life.  John 17:3: 'This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.'  There is something more to salvation than to accept God once.  And that is to continue to accept Him, today, tomorrow, next week, and every day until He comes again. So eternal life, including our hope of eternal life, is based totally on God's grace, but His grace must be accepted on a continuing basis.  And that is what knowing God is all about."

--To Know God, by Morris Venden, p. 45

Isn't that precious and clear?  We must accept God today, tomorrow, next week, and every day until He comes again.  This is what I want in my life.  Jesus--every single day.

I pray that you want the same!  May you accept Jesus today.  And then tomorrow do it again, for always.

~Susan

Praise ye The Lord, the Almighty

Good Morning Everyone!

Thought some of you might enjoy this hymn that we studied in school yesterday--I loved the beautiful pictures put with it!  How much we all need to remember to praise God more--worry about things less!

Hope you enjoy this!
~Susan

Praise ye The Lord, the Almighty

Virtual Field Trip--Washington New Hampshire Church (Part 1)

Good Morning Everyone!

Well, school has been in session long enough this year that it is time we took another field trip!  My son Austin and I are guest posting over at another blog this morning, and we are going on a field trip so come along with us as we explore another part of our Adventist History!

Washington New Hampshire Church Part 1


~Susan

Thought for the Day

A thought for today--from some of my Bible study this morning:

"When every other voice is hushed, and in quietness we wait before Him, the silence of the soul makes more distinct the voice of God.  He bids us, 'Be still, and know that I am God.'"
---Ellen G. White, The Ministry of Healing, p. 58

A simple thought--quietness.  But how often it is difficult to find!

Pausing. Stopping.  Sitting.  Being.  Listening to God's voice.

May you have quietness today, and hear Him speaking to you.

~Susan

Monday Strength

Welcome to a new week Everyone!

This morning as we have started our home school for the day, one of the items for our learning today ended up being this very well known hymn by Martin Luther.  We always like to search for an on-line version of the hymn we are studying so we can listen to it and learn it just a bit better.  My daughter found this version of our hymn today, and I thought I would share it with all of you.

No matter what things you or I are facing in this new week, there is one thing we can be assured of--and that is that our God is a Mighty God.  He is strong and will save us, and we can run to Him in our times of trouble.  May this song be a blessing to you, and may it live in your heart this whole week.

A Mighty Fortress

~Susan

I Am the Vine--verses 23-27

Good Morning Everyone!

It has been awhile. . . Sorry I missed the last couple weeks in posting.  All last week I had a sick little girl.  Not seriously sick, but just enough to make her miserable--AND enough that she didn't feel like doing anything by herself!  So time found to spend on the computer for me became zero.  But that's alright--she needed me more than my little blog needed me.

Nonetheless, time marches on.  More specifically, the Bible memory schedule is marching on.  I missed posting for two weeks, and now this week is the very last verse in the chapter!  So time to play catch-up just a bit!  Our last few verses are as follows:

"He who hates Me hates My Father also."  v. 23

"If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father."  v. 24

The part which stood out to me in these verses was specifically verse 23--"He who hates Me hates My Father also."  The two are one--the Father is the Son and the Son is the Father.  They do not operate separately or in different directions, but always together.

"But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law. 'They hated Me without a cause.'"  v. 25

"But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me."  v. 26

In these verses I especially noticed what Jesus said about the Holy Spirit.  He sent the Spirit to continue His work on earth, and this Spirit is called the "Spirit of truth."  It reminds me. . . I have started recently to (once again) read the Bible through.  Starting in Genesis and going all the way through until I reach Revelation.  In times past, I have been most successful in doing this in a fast paced way--that just works for me, to read the Bible through the same way you would read another book.  But this time, I am wanting to read through slower--stopping, pausing, researching, reflecting, but still hope to steadily read my way through once again.  Anyway, I just recently read the account of the fall in the Garden of Eden.  How Satan tricked Eve, how he lied, how he deceived.  He is the exact opposite of the Holy Spirit, whom is referred to here as the "Spirit of Truth."  Unlike Satan, the Holy Spirit is a helper we can trust.

"And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning."  v. 27

I can't help but ask myself--
What witness will my life show?

I am far from perfect.  I didn't even accomplish the goal I set for myself to memorize John 15 word perfect.  I thought I could do it--I had been successful with Isaiah 55. . . but not this chapter.  Oh, I have memorized a LOT more of it than I used to know before attempting, that is for sure.  But I am not going to be crossing that finish line along with the other people in the Bible memory group who are working on memorizing the same chapter. . .

Or am I?

For that is when it came to me.  I know now what kind of a witness my life will show.  My life will show the runner who was running the race thinking all was well--but then tripped and fell.  The one who has completely lost all chances of winning--of even finishing.  The one for whom all hope is lost.  But God.  At that moment, God came along in the race, and instead of passing me by as I lay there crumpled on the track, He stopped and picked me up.  And holding me close to His heart, He starts running again.  I am doing nothing except weighing Him down, but He will not leave me behind.  And together--in His strength, we will cross that finish line.

Because He is my vine.  If I abide in Him I will bear much fruit.  But without Him, I can do nothing.

Have a beautiful week with your Beautiful Savior.  And above all, abide in Him.

~Susan

Virtual Field Trip--Joseph Bates' Home

Hi Everyone!

School has been in session for a few weeks now, so that can only mean one thing--it's time for a field trip!  My son Austin and I are guest posting over on a home school blog today, taking everyone with us on a virtual field trip!  So if YOU are ready for a field trip as well, follow the link below and come along with us!

Joseph Bate's Home

~Susan

I Am the Vine--verses 21 & 22

Good Morning Everyone!

Each week seems to go by faster and faster, doesn't it?  It must have something to do with the fact that our home school has started up again--but I am still determined to complete this John 15 project. And we are almost done!  As mentioned before--I may not have it all word perfect, but I have much more of this passage hidden in my heart now than I ever had before!  And all time spent in God's Word is a blessing!

This week our verses are 21 & 22:

"But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.  If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin."

Did the same thing stand out to you that did for me?  The phrase "but now they have no excuse for their sin" seemed to leap off the page when I first read it.  I couldn't help but ask myself what WOULD be a "good" excuse for sin???  Is there EVER an excuse for sin???

We were all born into a sin-filled world.  It is what we are used to.  What we grew up with.  Does that mean we have an "excuse" for sin?  What about Adam and Eve?  They were completely unfamiliar with sin, having lived in a sin-free garden.  So just because they had had no way to understand how terrible sin was--did that mean they had a "good" excuse for sinning?  I don't think so. . .

As I thought about this phrase, I really could not think of what might be a good excuse for sin.  Oh, I am not talking about someone who has sinned in total ignorance--I do understand that sometimes that does happen.  But for most of the time--the reality is that there just isn't a time when sin is excusable.

I ran across this quote as I was doing a bit of research on these verses, and thought I would share it here:
"Those who have an opportunity to hear the truth, and yet take no pains to hear or understand it, thinking that if they do not hear they will not be accountable, will be judged guilty before God the same as if they had heard and rejected.  There will be no excuse for those who choose to go in error when they might understand what is truth.  In His sufferings and death Jesus has made atonement for all sins of ignorance, but there is no provision made for willful blindness. . . "  SDA Bible Commentary Vol. 7A p. 1145

No provision made for willful blindness.  Oh Lord, take away my stubborn spirit--and open my eyes to You and Your love today.

~Susan

I Am the Vine--Break Week!

Hi Everyone!

You would "think" I would learn and move my memorizing schedule downstairs where I have my quiet time each morning instead of keeping it posted on my bathroom mirror--but not me!  So I have ended up getting a bit "off" from the schedule. . . last time I was working on two verses, but didn't realize those verses each had their own individual week for memorizing.  And then this week is supposed to be a "break" week--which I do need, as I am having trouble keeping up with everything that is going on in my life!

This past week our homeschool started up again after a summer break.  I do not normally break completely during the summer--for good reason (your children's brains turn to mush!).  But this summer found us in the middle of a kitchen remodel, and when the sink and counters left the house so did my ability to do anything except cope!  Fortunately the lovely new counters and sink are in place now and working just fine, so the family is once again being fed! ;)  But having a break completely from our normal schedule made things a bit difficult in getting back into the routine.  Add on top of starting homeschool the big brother going back to his college classes and my hubby going back to his teaching--all on the very same day--made for a huge change all of a sudden for all of us.  But I "think" we are over that hump now, fortunately!  This week brings our homeschool to the end of the second week of the new school year, and things are starting to go along pretty well.

Back on the memorizing front things have not been going as good as I would like them to.  Not only have I been mixing up the memorizing schedule, but I also have not been able to keep up with memorizing as well as I would like to.  The previous memory piece went a lot better for me--and I am not exactly sure why.  It is true that John 15 has a lot of repeating in it (I am the vine!), and that seemed to mix me up right from the start.  The previous passage I learned--Isaiah 55--did not have that.  So I know that is one part of it.  And as already mentioned, we have had a LOT of other things going on in our family and home--and kitchen remodeling sort of has a way of putting one in a "survival" mode. . .   Be that as it may, when I repeated my verses recently to my daughter  I was actually surprised (and pleased!) to find that I could repeat pretty firmly through verse 16.  No, it may not be up through verse 20 like I am supposed to be up to, and it may not be without a prompt or two when I came to a "stuck spot," but it was much better than I had thought I would do.  At first I was tempted to feel discouraged--and tell myself that I had failed.  But I don't really believe that.  Although I may not have this memory passage as well as I was able to learn the first one I tried, no time spent in God's Word is wasted--whether we are memorizing or simply meditating, reading or listening.  And so I plod along.  And I would rather be spending time in God's love letter to me and only be "so so" at memorizing it than to be doing something else entirely without God but be really good at it.

And so I will happily plod along--with God.

Have a beautiful week with your beautiful Savior!

~Susan

Virtual Field Trip--William Miller's Home

Hi Everyone!

This has been a super busy week, as it has been the start of our homeschool classes.  But all good week's need a field trip if at all possible--we were actually able to sneak a little one in as we went to a nature talk and met an opossum, a screech  owl, a great horned owl, and a pine snake.    And if I can ever figure out how to downsize the pictures on my phone so I can e-mail them to myself, I will share pictures!

But in the meantime, today I--with my son Austin--am guest posting a Virtual Field Trip to William Miller's home.  Who is William Miller you ask?  Well click on the link below and find out!

And have fun on your field trip!

Field Trip to William Miller's Home

~Susan

Lilla Rose Sale!

Hi Everyone!

Just a quick post to let you know that the beautiful Lilla Rose items are on sale for their new styles--and an even bigger sale for some of their lovely retiring styles.  It is only for a few days, however, so if you see something you like don't wait to order--no back ordering on sale items either, so when it is out it is out.  This is my absolute favorite company for beautiful hair accessories--you can read a longer spiel of my thoughts on Lilla Rose things if you click on the "Lilla Rose" tab there at the top of my blog.

I like these so much, that I do sell them off of my web site and receive a small commission on each item that is purchased through me.  I appreciate your business--anything I earn always ends up making it's way back to Lilla Rose as I order something for my daughter or myself! ;)  So thank you in advance for using my link below as you shop--I greatly appreciate it!

http://www.lillarose.biz/SusansSpot/index.html?id=6SBw6hd5



~Susan

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

P.S.--And for my sweet friend who is recovering from chemo and growing your hair back (you know who you are!), my offer still stands.  Whenever you want something from the Lilla Rose company, it's my treat!  If you want some bobby pins or a head band while your hair is still short, you just let me know.  If you want to wait until your hair is long enough to use a flexi clip in it, that's fine too.  I told you I would gift one to you, and I haven't forgotten my promise! :)   You are BEAUTIFUL, and a Lilla Rose item is just going to compliment your beauty that is already there!

I Am the Vine--Verses 19 & 20

Good Morning Everyone!

New week--new verses!  And at least I am not quite as late in posting this week as I was last week.  Maybe there's hope for me to be on time before the chapter finishes, anyway! ;)

This week our verses are 19 & 20:

"If you were of the world, the world would love its own.  Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you."  John 15:19

"Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.'  If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.  If they kept My word, they will keep yours also."  John 15:20

If you were of the world--did this phrase jump out at you like it did me?  Through no choice of my own, I was born into this world--a world filled with sin.  Part of me wants to argue and say "but I AM of this world--what choice do I have?"  God had a choice.  Jesus had a choice.  We were loved so very much that no sacrifice was thought too high in order to save us.  Jesus willingly gave up his home in heaven to be born here on this dark planet.  He knew full well where He was going--and what the end of the story would be.  But remember--while we humans usually look at death as the end, Jesus overcame death.  The real end will be us living in heaven with Him.  And they lived happily ever after.

And so a choice did become mine.  A choice of whether to accept Him or not.  A choice of whether I want to live with Him in His home--one where there is no sin.  Because the disciples did not conform to the ways of the world, the world hated them--just as it hated Jesus.  Just as it will hate you and hate me.

My study Bible had in the notes section this statement:  "Those in intimate relationship with Jesus should expect the same opposition from the world as Jesus experienced."  After all, if we are following Him, how can we expect different treatment?  How can we expect to arrive at a different place than He arrived at?

Which is right back with the Father.

And they lived happily ever after.

In your walk with Jesus today, when you feel pressed in and troubled, remember He understands.  And don't forget the ending.

~Susan

I Am the Vine--Verses 17 & 18

Surprise!

Yes, I really am still around!  Have just been a bit swamped lately.  We were gone traveling for two weeks, and really, for me it takes around two weeks to get ready to go--then I am gone for two weeks--and then it takes another two weeks to get caught up on laundry and bills and grocery shopping once I return home!  I'm not all caught up yet, but I'm working on it!

But in spite of all the craziness (I have not even mentioned the new kitchen counter and kitchen sink, which meant everything was torn up for a looooong time!  Do you know you use your kitchen counters quite a bit so it is hard to cook without them?) I am still here, and still working on plugging away on John 15.  I may be struggling a bit with this memory project--but at least I'm still here.  And every morsel memorized is beautiful.  Every minute spent in quiet reflection on God's Word blesses me.

One thing that has helped me a little bit is I accidentally got ahead a bit on the memorizing. The last time I posted on here I posted on verses 15 & 16--I hadn't realized that for that week, the schedule only had us memorizing one verse--verse 15--and that the following week was also just one verse--verse 16.  So without knowing it, I had already spent time reflecting and writing about one of the verse that was actually scheduled for a week when I was traveling.  :)

But I am back now, and this week we have two verses--verse 17 & 18--so here I go, trying to jump in and keep going:

"These things I command you, that you love one another."  John 15:17

"If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you."  John 15:18

Just think about these verses for a little while. . . God has commanded us to love one another.  So this means that we are supposed to love our families, right?  Well most of the time that is easy enough.  But what about loving that co-worker who keeps putting us down?  Or the customer who yelled at us even though we were doing our job as fast as we could?  How do we love someone who has stabbed us in the back?  In our strength, truly this is impossible.  But nothing is impossible with God.  I can't. But He can.

So let's just say that we are successful.  We love our families--our co-workers--and even that disagreeable customer.  Everything is perfect now, right?  Wrong.  Because even when we love others, there are going to be times when they are not loving us back.  We may still be put down, yelled at, or stabbed in the back.  So do we quit?

What is our example?  Jesus left a perfect heaven to come down to our sin-filled earth.  He was loved by some--yet hated by many.  And in spite of doing everything perfect--He really DID do everything right--He was rewarded by a cross and a crown of thorns.  So what did He do?  Did He quit because we weren't appreciating the sacrifice He was giving?  No.  In spite of the hate, He still loved.

And if we are going to be like Him, we need to love too.

I found this quote in my study that I felt fit this week's verses really well:

"Many who profess His name have lost sight of the fact that Christians are to represent Christ.  Unless there is practical self-sacrifice for the good of others, in the family circle, in the neighborhood, in the church, wherever we may be, then whatever our profession, we are not Christians."  Desire of Ages, p. 504, by E.G.White

Not even Christians.  Without love for each other, we are not even Christians.  That strikes my heart, and I know that is not how I want to be.

Have a beautiful week with your Jesus--and love one another.

~Susan

I am the Vine--verses 15 & 16

Good Morning Everyone!

Our verses for this week are John 15:15 & 16:

"No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you."

"You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you."

Servants to Friends.  Did you catch that first part?  Jesus instructed His disciples to think of God as a friend rather than as a taskmaster.  Yet we are the created ones--He is the Creator.  We are the ones who messed up His creation.  How He can call us friends is beyond my thinking.  It seems more "right" that we be called His enemies!  After all, look what we did to Jesus on the cross!  But then Isaiah 55:8 & 9 whispers across my mind. . . "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, says The Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts."  And instead of leaving us in our muddy sin, He reaches down and picks us up, cleaning us up once again.  And He calls us His friend.

Go and bear fruit.  What does it look like to bear fruit?  What does it FEEL like?  Sometimes it is wonderful!  We see people we have prayed for come to know The Lord as their personal Savior.  Yet sometimes it hurts--"every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit."  John 15:2  Do we trust Him?  How much?  "Whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you."  But what if He doesn't?  What if you asked Him to heal your loved one--and they died anyway?  Do we trust Him then?

"Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him."  Job 13:15

Do I trust Him enough to still abide?  Do I trust Him enough to wait?

"And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying.  There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." Revelation 21:4

He calls me Friend.  Do I call Him my Savior?

~Susan

I am the Vine--verses 13 & 14

Good Morning Everyone!

Our verses for this week are some of the most beautiful verses in the Bible.  God IS love, and these verses are ALL about that love. . .

"Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends." John 15:13

"You are My friends if you do whatever I command you."  John 15:14

Not very long.  Not very complicated.  Yet how to really understand and wrap my brain around a love that is so big, so great.

Greater love has no one than this. . . Jesus did exactly this.  He lay down His life for us.  For me.  For you.

What more could He have given?  He gave everything--because He wanted to be able to live with me in heaven.  He would miss me too much if I wasn't there.  So He called me "Friend."  He laid down His life for me.

But.  Am I willing to call HIM "Friend?"  Am I willing to obey Him?

Are you?

Have a beautiful week, walking with your very best Friend!

~Susan

I am the Vine--verses 11 & 12

Good Morning Everyone!

We are moving right along with our John chapter 15 project!  It is hard to believe we are this far into it!  I do not have it all down as firm as I would like, but I do fairly well when I review using first letter helps.  My goal now is to move more into using the Scripture Typer app for some better review so I can get off of the first letter helps eventually. . . but we'll see how it goes!  At least I know I am hiding more of it in my heart than I ever had before!

This week our verses are 11 & 12:

"These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full."

"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."

The first thing that really stood out to me when I read these verses was God's joy remaining in us, and our joy being full.  Think about that for a minute--what exactly IS "full?"  Full means--well, FULL!  If your glass is full and you keep pouring juice into it, what is going to happen?  It overflows!  It cannot possibly expand to contain any more at all, no matter how much you may want it to!  If my drawer is full and I keep putting more things into it, the drawer will stop working, because it is TOO full.  Eventually I suppose the drawer might be pushed into falling apart, if things were continually being put into it beyond it's capacity.

Now think about joy--do we have a capacity limit for joy?  I know what it feels like to be full of food--especially after a Thanksgiving feast!  But what exactly would it feel like to be full of joy?  I read in my study of these verses that it is the absence of Christ from the soul that makes people sad.  If that is true, then the opposite would also be equally true--the presence of Christ in the soul would make people glad!  So very glad, that the happiness bubbled out of you and spilled onto those around you!

Which moves me to the second verse for this week--verse 12.  What would it look like if we were loving each other as God has loved us?  Instead of a "me first" world we would live in a "you first" one.  Instead of building ourselves up by perhaps putting others down, we would look for ways to lift others up.  When you really think about a world like that--there would be no crime, for who would steal from another if they were treating them and loving them as God had loved THEM?  Yes, in our sinful world we would still have things we couldn't control such as sickness, but it still starts to sound and look a lot more like heaven--if we were truly loving others as God has loved us.

I found this statement in my reading this morning, that I thought illustrated this beautifully:

"Love to man is the earthward manifestation of the love of God.  It was to implant this love, to make us children of one family, that the King of glory became one with us.  And when His parting words are fulfilled, 'Love one another as I have loved you' (John 15:12); when we love the world as He has loved it, then for us His mission is accomplished.  We are fitted for heaven; for we have heaven in our hearts."
Desire of Ages, E.G. White, p. 641

THAT's what I want!  I want my joy to be full.  I want to look at others as God looks at them.  I want heaven in my heart.

Have a beautiful week, walking with your Savior!

~Susan

Breathing Room--Part 4

Hi Everyone!

Well here it is--Part 4 and the final part of the Breathing Room series.  I have to say, while ALL of this series have been good, trust me when I say that this final part is not good--it's GREAT!  Really!  As I sat at our church group and watched it, there were parts where I just felt like "How does he KNOW what goes on in our house?" sort of thing!  And some of the insights that the pastor shares are VERY profound.  But I don't want to give too much away, because you really really really need to go and watch this one yourself--so here it is!

http://findbreathingroom.org/choosing-to-cheat/

May this be as much of a blessing for you and your family as it has been for our family.

~Susan

Point Park--Part 1

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=8tXtC-Qzegg

Hi Everyone!

Just wanted to share a little video with you all that my son Austin made.  In our area we are surrounded by Civil War history,  as Chattanooga was a very important gateway to the rest of the southern states.  Anyway, so if you have any Civil War history buffs in your family, I hope you enjoy this short history lesson! :)

I am the Vine--verses 9 & 10

Good Morning Everyone!

I am a little late in posting for this week, but I will cling to the expression "Better Late than Never!"   So after having last week as our "Break Week," which--by the way--was very helpful for me in continuing to review the first few verses, it is time to start marching on.

This week, our two verses are John 15: 9 & 10:

"As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you:  abide in My love.  If you keep My commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love."

As I read over and thought about these two verses, what seemed to be the summary of the two could be just four words:  Abide in My love.  I thought it was neat that it isn't just the command "Abide."  It isn't just a "stay there and be quiet" kind of command, as a superior might order someone under them.  Jesus--and the Father--certainly ARE superior to us, their created beings--yet we are not ordered around, but rather kept safe--in Their love.  As if we are Their treasure.  And Jesus' love will cause the disciples to live and to love the way that Jesus loved them.

I found something which spoke to me as I was looking through different study guides and commentaries.  This following paragraph, which stresses the importance of God's commandments, I thought others might also enjoy:

"We need to be anchored in Christ, rooted and grounded in the faith.  Satan works through agents.  He selects those who have not been drinking of the living waters, whose souls are athirst for something new and strange, and who are ever ready to drink at any fountain that may present itself.  Voices will be heard, saying 'Lo, here is Christ,' or 'Lo, there;' but we must believe them not.  We have unmistakable evidence of the voice of the True Shepherd, and He is calling upon us to follow Him.  He says, 'I have kept my Father's commandments.'  He leads His sheep in the path of humble obedience to the law of God, but He never encourages them in the transgression of that law."
                                        --SDA Bible Commentary, Vol. 7A p. 1099, E.G.White

The True Shepherd.  The True Vine.  How will we know His voice or His commandments if we are not studying the Word which He has given to us???

Have a beautiful week, abiding in God's love.

~Susan

When I Cry

Good Morning Everyone!

This past weekend has been hard.  You see, a dear friend of mine had a son around the same age as my son.  Three years ago, "J" was diagnosed with leukemia, but had received chemo treatments and had been doing great.  Their family was just up in our town in May, as they all attended their two daughter's graduation from the college where my husband teaches.  My friend and I sat in our living room and talked about how great "J" was doing, and how he would most likely come to attend college here as well, like his sisters did.  But then several weeks ago everything changed.

A fever sent "J" to the hospital, and because he was considered high risk due to his leukemia he was admitted.  Things went from bad to worse.  Prayer warriors around the country were constantly lifting "J" up in their prayers.  We would see little miracles--at one point he was on life support, but actually rallied around and was able to start breathing on his own and was removed from all life support measures!  Slowly, ever slowly, we could see our prayed for miracle starting to happen.  He was able to drink a liquid nutrition drink on his own.  But then 24 hours later his body was fighting new, multiple infections.  It was more than he could fight, and Friday afternoon, July 4, he passed away.

I felt sick.  Literally.  I was so upset when I read the message that I couldn't even speak and tell my husband what had happened.  All I wanted to do was throw up.  Since my friend is my sister-in-Christ, in a small way I felt as if I had lost a son or a nephew as well.   This was not the end I had prayed for.

Fortunately--this is not the end.

I know that "J" is currently sleeping.  In the Bible, Jesus referred to the death of Lazarus as a sleep.
"These things He said, and after that He said to them, 'Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.'  Then His disciples said, 'Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.' However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep.  Then Jesus said to them plainly, 'Lazarus is dead.'"  John 11:11-14

David also referred to death as sleep.  "Consider and hear me, O Lord my God; Enlighten my eyes, Lest I sleep the sleep of death."  Psalms 13:3

I know that "J" is no longer in pain nor does he know anything.  "For the living know that they will die; but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten."  Ecclesiastes 9:5

I know that "J" is simply waiting--he is not currently in heaven praising God.  "For in death there is no remembrance of You.  In the grave who will give You thanks?"  Psalm 6:5

When Jesus comes the second time, the judgement will take place. "And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened.  And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life.  And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books."  Revelation 20:12

And I know at that time there will be no more death.  "Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people.  God Himself will be with them and be their God.  And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying.  There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."  Revelation 21:2-4

I know Jesus is coming soon.  "'And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.'  Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city."  Revelation 22:12-14

So while I may be crying now, "J's" story is not finished.  This is not the end.  It is only the close of one chapter.  Because Jesus loves him too much to not return for him.  "Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb?  Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you.  See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands;  Your walls are continually before Me."  Isaiah 49:15-16

Someone on Facebook shared the following song with my friend, "J's" mom.  I thought it was beautiful--and so very true.  Hope you can find some comfort in it as well, and know that when you are hurting, God hurts too.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_2LF_TZ6Pu8

And in the meantime, I am waiting for God's end to "J's" story.  Because this isn't it.

Have a beautiful week, walking close by your Savior.

~Susan

Breathing Room--Part 3

Happy Sabbath Everyone!

Just wanted to share the link for the next "Breathing Room" talk.  Our family has been SO blessed by this series, and we are thankful that our church showed it so we would become aware of it and therefore watch and learn from it.  One friend of mine who is also watching it at the group at church commented today that it is all stuff we already know--but it is so easy to lose track of and to forget.  I agree with her completely!

Today's talk is on having breathing room in the area of your finances.  Something lots of people don't want to talk about--money, that is--as it reminds them of budgets which so many people associate with deprivation.  I, however, have learned that budgets do the exact opposite--they do not bind--they free!  But anyway, I digress, because the pastor in this talk is not talking about budgets.  Go pull up a comfy chair and click the link to find out what breathing room and money have to do with each other!

http://findbreathingroom.org/dollars-and-sense/

Enjoy!

~Susan

I am the Vine--Break week

Photo Credit:  Austin Menzmer

Hi Everyone!

Well, we have made it this far--through eight verses and this week is the first week scheduled as a "break" with no new verses to learn.  In a word--Phew!  I am thankful to be at this point, as I want to use this week to review and better cement in my mind the first eight verses.  I think I would like a break every four weeks, but the next and final break in the schedule won't come for another eight weeks I believe.  One thing I AM sure of--I will be more than ready for that break as well, as I am sure I will be needing to use it to review and better learn the part of John 15 we will have covered.

Overall, however, I am still very pleased.  And even when I have not learned word perfect that week's verses, I am finding that as I move on and just keep reviewing daily even while adding in new verses I am starting to remember better the verses that were originally not as firm as I would like.  So onward and upward! :)

One of the study resources I have used for digging deeper into learning about the book of John is a sermon I found on YouTube by Pastor Elizabeth Talbot.  I was SO very blessed by listening to her sermon on the book of John, I wanted to share it with you all here.  And I thought the break week would be the perfect week to do that since I do not have any thoughts to share with you on new verses this week.

So--follow the link below to find the sermon--I promise you will be richly blessed for your time!

Have a beautiful week with your Jesus!

~Susan


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mI7YdkKubiw&list=PLM6TM_3xeMZFitWlSURm8vBPPJurQ5JpG

Breathing Room---Part 2

Happy Sabbath Everyone!

Today at church I had an opportunity to watch Part 2 of the "Breathing Room" presentation by Andy Stanley.  I was very blessed by this presentation, just as I had been by Part 1 of this series, so wanted to share the link here so anyone who might be interested could also watch it.  It will be well worth your time spent watching, I promise!

This message today is especially meaningful to me, as I have a dear friend whose young adult son is at this very moment fighting for his life in the hospital as his body tries to fight the leukemia which has come back.  If you are reading this and wouldn't mind saying a prayer for "J" and for his family, I would much appreciate it and I know the whole family does too.

I hope you are enjoying a blessed Sabbath, and have been able to spend beautiful time with your Creator and with your loved ones.

~Susan

http://findbreathingroom.org/time/

Lilla Rose Sale time!

Hi Everyone!

Just wanted to let you all know that the Lilla Rose company is having a summer sale right now--for two days only.  This sale will go quick!  They are having 10% off of EVERYTHING, plus free shipping if your order is $40 or more.  There are SO many pretty hair things to choose from on the site--these are my absolute FAVORITE hair items EVER--both for myself as well as for my daughter.  In fact, we both love them so very much that I became an independent Lilla Rose consultant!  Which basically means I get to buy things all the time on a discount--yea--and I do earn a small percentage off of anything that a person orders through my Lilla Rose web site.  I ONLY recommend these because I love them and personally wear a Lilla Rose hair item almost every single day!!!

The company has also released their special July Flexi-of-the-Month a bit early, so it is available to order NOW.  You can see the picture of what they look like below--Alison and I both think they are adorable!  Flexi-of-the-Months are normally only available for THAT month, and when they sell out they are gone, so if you are at all interested don't hesitate to order.  Trust me--I have waited before, and then they were sold out of the size I wanted.  :(

Anyway, if you are looking for pretty hair things for yourself or as gifts, feel free to follow the link over to my site and see all the pretty items Lilla Rose has.  And yes--drooling IS allowed!

http://www.lillarose.biz/SusansSpot/index.html?id=6SBw6hd5


Hope you are enjoying a wonderful, summer day!

~Susan