It is Well

Time keeps slipping past here. School is drawing to a close for the year (yay!), and summer busyness is approaching. Miss Daisy found this Josh Wilson version of "It is Well with My Soul." Music speaks to us around here, and we love Josh's guitar style, so I hope you enjoy it, too!

Part the Waters, Lord

Every year.

Every day.

Every hour.

Every minute.

Every moment.

How easy it is to forget that all of our strength comes from You, Lord.

You are the Rock we cling to. Our very life...each breath we take belongs to You.

We need you. Part the waters, Lord



When I think I'm going under, part the waters, Lord
When I feel the waves around me, calm the sea
When I cry for help, oh, hear me, Lord and hold out Your hand
Touch my life
Still the raging storm in me

Selah

May is here!

I've been busy purging and decluttering finding things for a garage sale. A friend called asking if I'd like to add some things to her sale, and it was just the motivation I needed.

I've always felt that God wants our homes to be ordered and reflect Him and not the chaos that we sometimes allow to come in, so it's been nice to bring some peace to our home by reducing piles and things of the world. The process never seems to end, but I feel myself relax as order is restored.

I've started a new Beth Moore study on Daniel. Instead of working through it on my own like I did with Esther, my mom, sister, cousin, and Miss Daisy are joining me. We did Session 2 today.

Piles

You didn't think I'd do it, huh? I'm one of those odd people who files AND piles, so I'm not sure what the experts do with that. I'll be the first to admit that some of my filing is actually just vertical piling, but let's not go there.

I had a friend in college who had this spot on the floor of her room affectionately called "The Pile." That was the first place to look for something missing...or even just something. Ah, the memories. So, not to let go of that, I've continued the tradition in my own home.

Most of my piles are revolving piles. The most visible pile really just depends on where you are standing at any given time. There is the kitchen counter/desk pile (very small after yesterday's sorting), the schoolwork to grade pile that often camouflage's my paper project pile (it's actually smaller than usual, too), the list pile (see previous post), the cookbooks to go through pile, the books to read pile, the pile of things for Mr. Tech to go through, and I think it's safe to say that Miss Rose has several piles of who knows what in her room. Laundry piles could count since they are definitely revolving, but they are contained and maintained.

My veritcal piles er..files are a topic for another post...another decade...

Now I've got the purging bug again. I might have to continue to post about my eye sores, because they are always better in a day or two afterward. Hmmm...in that case, the next topic is The Rose Room...enter if you dare!

Lists

I'm thinking I need a list to keep track of my lists. There's the daily list, the long term project list, the school books list, the kids' chore list (not sure where that is currently), the blessings lists, the prayer request list, the music list, practice lists, the grocery list, recipes to try and so on. I even have a "things that come to me when I should be sleeping" list beside my bed. Then there are those lists that get everything crossed off except one or two items, and then I have to decide whether to keep the list or find another list to put it on.

Tune in later for a post on Piles. Did I mention I have a small pile of lists on my desk?

Life Givers

Each time I've sat down to blog, I've had a more humorous post in mind, but it hasn't seemed to fit my day yet. The Lord has been showing me His Grace through other beautiful women serving Him, and so the lighter will wait for another day.

I've been reading "The Thousand Gifts" by Ann Voskamp and was most recently touched by the thought that in giving thanks for our blessings we can then turn and bless others. We are blessed so that we can bless.

Have you ever noticed how when you really need to hear something that God shows you again in a different way? The last two days found me at our local homeschool conference, and I was blessed to sit in on Lisa Wilson's class called "Life Giving Women." My notes don't do the talk justice, but I could see the Lord weaving the threads together to help me see more clearly His plan for me, so here are some highlights.

Life Givers are GOOD: Right, beautiful, fine, and excellent.

They are BOTHERSOME. They go to God and pour out their needs and never cease asking. They ask Godly women around them to help them and sit at their feet and listen.

They are HUMBLE. Self-condemnation can be an idol. "Don't rehearse perfection as if it were redemption."

Life-Givers take Minutes and sculpt them into Moments. They create Atmospheres and Moments.

They seek ways to BLESS OTHERS.

They NOTICE others and their needs, which is even more important than praise. They LISTEN.

They SEE THE BEST. They know how to receive imperfect gifts. "A critic is one who leaves no one unstoned."

Joy blocks out worry and fear! (on the neurological level! You can't be joyful and worry at the same time!)

Life-givers believe the TRUTH not lies. They focus on the Goodness of God. If He has called you, He has equipped you!

"Taking thoughts captive is not a gentle business." -Elisabeth Elliot

Life-givers cover the sins of others with GENTLENESS. "A woman loses her power when she loses her gentleness." Gentle moments are marked as most percious.

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Recognizing our blessings....Giving thanks...Blessing others...Giving Life...Being light in a dark world. Calming the storms around us by grounding ourselves FIRM and DEEP in the Saviour's love, word, and power. He is our SUSTAINER, the ultimate Life Giver who gave His life for us--YOU and ME!

Words of Grace

Miss Rose has been studying Jesus, the Word and that words are so important that God himself came as the Word to show us the way. Here is her verse for today:

[Eph 4:29] Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

Our evil tongues are tempted daily to utter words that tear each other down, but we can choose for them to bless others. Grace from our mouths to edify others. Words spoken in kindness heal, soothe, nurture, BLESS.