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

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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