Comfort, comfort my people...

As the year draws to a close I have been feeling a little restless. This morning I happened to read Isaiah chapter 40, and somehow, I feel peace again. I believe I am going to make this my inspirational chapter for 2010. I can't think of a better way to conclude my 2009 blog posts than with Scripture, so I thought I'd share it here with you.

¹ Comfort, comfort my people,
says your God.

² Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and proclaim to her
that her hard service has been completed,
that her sin has been paid for,
that she has received from the LORD's hand
double for all her sins.

³ A voice of one calling:
"In the desert prepare
the way for the LORD;
make straight in the wilderness
a highway for our God.

⁴ Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain.

⁵ And the glory of the LORD will be revealed,
and all mankind together will see it.
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken."

⁶ A voice says, "Cry out."
And I said, "What shall I cry?"
"All men are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field.

⁷ The grass withers and the flowers fall,
because the breath of the LORD blows on them.
Surely the people are grass.

⁸ The grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of our God stands forever."

⁹ You who bring good tidings to Zion,
go up on a high mountain.
You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem,
lift up your voice with a shout,
lift it up, do not be afraid;
say to the towns of Judah,
"Here is your God!"

¹⁰ See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power,
and his arm rules for him.
See, his reward is with him,
and his recompense accompanies him.

¹¹ He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young.

¹² Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand,
or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens?
Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket,
or weighed the mountains on the scales
and the hills in a balance?

¹³ Who has understood the mind of the LORD,
or instructed him as his counselor?

¹⁴ Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him,
and who taught him the right way?
Who was it that taught him knowledge
or showed him the path of understanding?

¹⁵ Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket;
they are regarded as dust on the scales;
he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust.

¹⁶ Lebanon is not sufficient for altar fires,
nor its animals enough for burnt offerings.

¹⁷ Before him all the nations are as nothing;
they are regarded by him as worthless
and less than nothing.

¹⁸ To whom, then, will you compare God?
What image will you compare him to?

¹⁹ As for an idol, a craftsman casts it,
and a goldsmith overlays it with gold
and fashions silver chains for it.

²⁰ A man too poor to present such an offering
selects wood that will not rot.
He looks for a skilled craftsman
to set up an idol that will not topple.

²¹ Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood since the earth was founded?

²² He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth,
and its people are like grasshoppers.
He stretches out the heavens like a canopy,
and spreads them out like a tent to live in.

²³ He brings princes to naught
and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.

²⁴ No sooner are they planted,
no sooner are they sown,
no sooner do they take root in the ground,
than he blows on them and they wither,
and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.

²⁵ "To whom will you compare me?
Or who is my equal?" says the Holy One.

²⁶ Lift your eyes and look to the heavens:
Who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by one,
and calls them each by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,
not one of them is missing.

²⁷ Why do you say, O Jacob,
and complain, O Israel,
"My way is hidden from the LORD;
my cause is disregarded by my God"?

²⁸ Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.

²⁹ He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.

³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;

³¹ but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! God bless you in 2010!

I Heard the Bells...the Story Behind the Song

As I was reading my Advent Devotional this morning, my heart was touched by the story behind the song "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day." The song was written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow on Christmas Day, 1863. He wrote it out of heartache and anger.

In 1861, His wife died in a tragic accident. Her gown caught fire one night and she died the next morning. Longfellow was also badly burned in effort to put out the flames. That same year the Civil War broke out. Two years later, his 16 year old son that had run away to join the Civil Army was severely injured in the war and sent home.

Here is the poem that he wrote in his despair:

I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head
"There is no peace on earth," I said,
"For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men."

Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound the carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn, the households born
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

You can see how the sorrow and gloom of the war and the loss of his wife lingers in stanzas two, three, and four.

But he didn't stop there. Catching an eternal perspective and the real message of Christmas and Christ Himself, he wrote two more stanzas:

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men."

Till ringing, singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

Maybe you too, are mourning this Christmas as Longfellow did many years ago. Perhaps you may have a son or daughter in the military that is absent from you, or someone close to you that you have recently lost. Or maybe you just need to feel the peace that comes from celebrating Christ's birth. Whatever your situation, I pray that you will capture the true meaning of Christmas, and hear the bells ringing in your heart "peace on earth, good will to men."

Merry Christmas From our Household to Yours!

My friend recently created this card for us and I thought it was perfect to share here. Thanks, A!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!

Emmanuel, God With Us

For the past 5 weeks our church as been doing a series called "Moments with the Master." It has been all about moments in scripture where different people had life changing encounters with Jesus. We started with the scene of Jesus on the cross, and worked backward to today, the Birth of Jesus. Each week everyone was handed a circle as we walked into the sanctuary, and each week we wrote on them our own moments with the Master and posted them up on the wall.

Today, we were shown how God can take all of our hardships, our prayers, and our brokenness, and turn them into something beautiful. During the message, all of our post-its were transformed into something marvelous. The giant murals were finished and we sang the worship song "God With Us" by Mercy Me. I took a picture, but it hardly captures the moment. Look closely. Can you see the picture of Jesus on one wall, and the star on the other?

Matthew 1:22-23 "Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

'Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.'"

God be with you and bless you this Christmas and in the upcoming year.
~Melissa

A Christmas Surprise

When Rachel asked us to share a Christmas memory this morning over at Home Sanctuary, my mind began spinning with tales of Christmas' past. First I thought of marching through the woods to find the perfect Christmas tree as a child. Years of opening one present on Christmas on Christmas Eve and the anticipation of a stocking filled with little treasures brought a smile to my face. Then there were the Christmas dinners! Oh, we never had a very fancy spread, but you could always count on a full house. Our doors were always open to employees from our store that didn't have anywhere else to go. Never let it be said that there weren't enough seats around our table.

Yes, I have many fond Christmas memories. There is one though, that my thoughts landed on this morning that is very dear to my heart. It was nine years ago, and we were spending Christmas at my in-laws. I had been married to my loving husband for six years by then. It was no secret that we were trying to get pregnant with our first baby at the time, but with much difficulty. In fact, we'd been trying for almost four years with no results. With the support and prayers of family and friends and the help of doctors, we held out hope that one day we would become parents.

I love spending Christmas with my DH's family. They open one gift at a time so that everyone can share in the excitement. We didn't have much money that year, but we did have one gift that we put under the tree for his parents. It was one simple envelope. We were sure to place it way at the back, hidden under all the other gifts and it was marked "Open Me Last."

When my Mother in Law finally held the envelope in her hands, she questioned the mystery of it all. We told her that it was a Christmas surprise. You could feel the suspense in the room and all eyes were on her as she opened it.

In the card was a photo and a note. The note went something like this:

"Dear Mom and Doug, in 7 months you will be a Nana and Papa! We're having a baby!"

The photo was a copy of my first ultrasound. Tears began to roll down my Mother in Law's cheeks as we announced that we were finally pregnant. It was a Christmas miracle and the best gift that year. God had answered our prayers.

RL is 8 years old now, and she has three brothers and a sister! To hear the entire story of my journey into motherhood, you can read this post.

Thanks for letting me share my Christmas memory here. I look forward to reading some of yours also.

May God bless you as we reflect on the story of His birth this Christmas Season.

Siesta Scripture Memory 12.15.09 "Light"

I thought that as long as I was posting about lighting candles, (see below) I would also post my last memory verse for the year. If you do not know what I am talking about, then you can read about it here. I joined with thousands of other "Siestas" back in January to memorize 24 Bible verses in 12 months. What a great year it's been! God has really shed some light on His Word for me in 2009, and I look forward to what He has to teach me in 2010. That said, my final verse is John 8:12:

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

May His light shine on you this season and always,
~Melissa~

A Small Thing Lit Up

Today's Small Thing over at Home Sanctuary was to light some candles. One of my decorations that I bring out every year around this time is my Partylite Snow Globes. I don't think they make them anymore, but they sure are pretty. They hold a tealight on top, play music, and have a motor in them that makes the snow blow. A couple of my motors don't work any more, but they are still beautiful. Rachel asked to see a picture.

Here they are, all lit up. You'd be amazed how hard it was to get a good picture. I had to actually turn my flash off to keep it from reflecting off the glass.

I lit up other candles all over the house too, and it sure did smell nice. Thanks, Rachel, for another great Small Thing! :)

Are You SnowMiser, or HeatMiser?

I'm determined not to get grumpy about snow this year. Normally I'm more like the HeatMiser, but this afternoon, I took Rachel's advice over at Home Sanctuary, and "Captured a Moment." (Or two or three...) I'll let the pictures do the talking.

When I don't know what to pray, I sing...

Take My Life - Francis R. Havergal

Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee.

Take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise.

Take my hands, and let them move at the impulse of Thy love.

Take my feet, and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee.

Take my voice, and let me sing always, only, for my King.

Take my lips, and let them be filled with messages from Thee.

Take my silver and my gold; not a mite would I withhold.

Take my intellect, and use every power as Thou shalt choose.

Take my will, and make it Thine; it shall be no longer mine.

Take my heart, it is Thine own; it shall be Thy royal throne.

Take my love, my Lord, I pour at Thy feet its treasure store.

Take myself, and I will be ever, only, all for Thee.

"Show Me Your Glory"

Have you ever woke up with a great song running through your head? I LOVE it when that happens. Then I know it's going to be a really good day! The song playing in the background is the one that was on my heart this morning. I just know that it's because God has really got me thinking about His Glory and how I won't fully know the greatness of it until I see Him in Heaven one day.

In Exodus 33:18 Moses encountered God and said "Now show me your glory." I've been asking God to do the same for me this week in His Word, and here is some of what I've found.

1 Chronicles 29:11
Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power
and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom;
you are exalted as head over all.

Psalm 63:2
I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.

Psalm 19:1
The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Psalm 96:8
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
bring an offering and come into his courts.

Luke 2:14
"Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

These are just a few examples He's shown me.

Hang on to your coffee and scroll down for more about how I got "back on track" this week when God showed me a glimpse of His glory.

Siesta Scripture Memory 12.1.09 "GLORY"

Well, I'm a day late, but better late than never. Yesterday Rachel Anne over at Home Sanctuary challenged us to pick something in our lives that we needed to "get back on track." My decision was an easy one. Lately, I have been lacking in regular devotion time with the Lord. It's a variety of things that I let stand in my way, really. I got off track on my "read through the Bible in a year" plan a couple of months ago and felt defeated. I wasn't able to fit the Fall Bible Study at Church into my schedule, so that was disappointing. Family, home, holidays...the list goes on and on. In the process of living, I forgot to tap into my Lifeline, Jesus. It's time to remedy that.

This time of year, I get a daily advent devotional in my in-box, in preparation to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus. The scripture readings and devotional topics vary, but they all focus on one thing. Jesus Christ, Son of God. Yesterday the topic was "Glory." Here's what the authors had to say about finding glory in Christmas:

For one thing, you find glory throughout the biblical account of what happened at Christmas. Mary gave God glory in response to the news that she would bear the Savior of the world (Luke 1:46). When the angels announced to the shepherds that Jesus had been born, they sang out, "Glory to God in highest heaven" (Luke 2:14). And when the apostle John wrote about Jesus, he said, "And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father's one and only Son" (John 1:14).

Glory. It's just one of the many traits of the Father. And we can see it in His Son, Jesus. That brings me to my memory verse for the first half of December, John 1:14. I like the New Living Translation best.

So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

May you recognize His glory in your life today and always,
~Melissa~

Thankful Thursday, Thanksgiving Edition

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Today we are together as a family and we are so very thankful for each other and the love that we share. Here is a collective list of some other things that we are also thankful for in our lives.

We are thankful that Uncle Paul is finally home from Afghanistan! :) Welcome home Uncle Paul. We missed you very much.

We are thankful for birthday fun this month. It was a happy birthday for LR on the 11th, Mom on the 22nd, and CD on the 23rd.

We are thankful for the roof over our heads, the food on our plates, and the clothes that we wear.

We are thankful for Max, our dog!

We are thankful for all of our friends.

We are thankful that we have a church to attend and that we have the freedom to worship whenever we want.

We are thankful for books!

We are thankful for school!

We are thankful for all of our toys.

And now we're going to watch the Thanksgiving Day Parade together! Have a great Thanksgiving all, from our family to yours!

Company Girl Coffee 11.20.09

Good morning! This cup of coffee is for all of my young mommy friends out there in blogger land, and all the new moms that have or may eventually cross paths with me. It is a journal entry from March 13, 2002 and I was five months pregnant with my second child.

"Today I read about a woman's calling to love her children. I am so excited about increasing our little family from three to four, and the chance to finally be a stay at home wife and mom, turning my full attention and love towards building a home sanctuary."

"It says in Proverbs 14:1 'The wise woman builds her house...'"

"I must admit, that I am a little scared. I have so much still to learn about being a mother! How will I teach my little ones to love Jesus? To pray? How will I learn to discipline them in love? Or teach them to respect their elders and authorities? Loving them comes naturally, but there is so much more to raising children. The more I read and pray, the more I realize how much there is to this magnificent calling from God! Oh how I need to pray more! Oh how I need to glean instruction from the woman that Titus 2:3-5 speaks of!"

"Proverbs 24:3-4 says 'By wisdom a house is built and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.'"

"Lord, help me to obtain wisdom, understanding, and knowledge through You!"

Well, I am still praying ladies! And I am praying for all of you new mommies and mommies with pre-schoolers and newborns. I have been there. My first three babies were a year or less apart in age. I leaned heavily on scripture, prayer, and the love of family and friends as I grew into my roll of motherhood. Still do!

Proverbs 3:5-6 is one of my favorite passages. I like the Amplified version:

"Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths."

I am so thankful to be a mom. I am in a different season now, where my youngest of five is going to be three next week. I look back on my baby years with fond memories of rocking, snuggling and yes, late nights and moments of worry and discouragement.

Know that if you are in this place right now, I am praying for you. You are not alone. God is with you and He will "direct and make straight and plain your paths."

God bless you in your journey!
~Melissa~

Siesta Scripture Memory 11.15.09

For memory verse 22 I have chosen Colossians 2:6-7 "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness."

There are so many things that I love about this verse! I just had to include it in my memory verses for the year. Let me break it down a bit.

Continue to LIVE in HIM
ROOTED and BUILT UP in HIM
STRENGTHENED in FAITH and
OVERFLOWING with THANKFULNESS

When I read the words "rooted and built up in Him," my thoughts immediately go to Psalm 1:1-3.
1 Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.

2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.

Verse two is what this entire journey of memorizing scripture has been about for me this year. I have really grown to delight in God's Word! His promises are unending. By His Word I am strengthened in my faith, and my heart overflows with thankfulness.

As Psalm 130:5 says, "I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope."

Company Girl Coffee 11.13.09

Wow! Another week has flown by and it's Friday again. As much as I love coffee, tea has been my choice beverage this week. I have been sipping an herbal blend that is supposed to help my cold. Yep. I've gone through all the symptoms. Sore throat, headache, stuffy nose, cough. In spite of all that, I'm in pretty good mood. It's been a pretty good week here.





Sunday night we celebrated my little girl's 5th birthday. (Even though her birthday is actually on Veteran's Day.) We had friends and family over for dinner, presents, and of course, cake! My friend Andrea did the girls' nails and hair. She also brought a special crown that lit up and everything! Add a favorite princess dress and you've got one beautiful birthday girl! :)

***Company Girl Coffee, Part II***

Hot cider anyone? I had to step away earlier because I just couldn't sit at the computer any longer. My head was too foggy! It is snowing pretty hard outside now, and I just warmed up some apple cider on the stove for my kids after a playful snowball fight. I don't know if we're in for a long winter like last year or not, but the first snow of the year (actually, this is our second) is always the most fun. :)

I've been listening to the Lifeway Women's Ministry Leadership Forum that Rachel Anne invited us to off and on today. There has been some really great interviews! I really appreciated the one about Minister's wives, because I fall into that group. I've mentioned before that my husband is a Worship Pastor. He is that, and oh so much more! Recently, he programmed the services from this Sunday to Christmas. He wrote monologues, planned videos, and will even be giving one of the sermons next month. He wears many hats in our church, and I am so proud of him.

Well ladies, I'm going to go fill my tea-cup, grab a warm blanket, and kick up my feet on the couch with a good book. Have a great weekend everyone!

~Melissa~

Company Girl Coffee 11.6.09 "Stormy Weather"

Good Morning! It's quiet here this morning. Other than the high gusts of wind outside my window, that is. I love the wind though. We got a lot of wind storms on the Island I grew up on so I'm used to it.

Speaking of storms, I've had quite a few "mini" storms in my life this week. Let me back up and give a huge, warm, sunny HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my grandmother! She turns 96 today! I admire her so much. She's a strong, independent woman for 96! On Sunday though, she took a fall and fractured her hip. Gave us quite a scare. She has been in the hospital all week. They did a partial hip replacement on Tuesday and she seems to be recovering just fine. Like I said...strong woman! I love you Grandma!

The next storm the winds blew in was of personal nature. On Wednesday I sat down to help my 7 year old son with a school project. He was supposed to build a mobile. There were very few limitations. It had to be no bigger than 12 inches wide and 14 inches long. It needed to be need, balanced, and colorful. Other than that, sky's the limit! I should preface this story with a little info about myself. I am not what I would consider "creative" when it comes to things like this. Creative writing...could do it all day long. Creative projects? Not so much. So I gathered the materials we have around the house to make a base and had JS pick out some things from our craft corner that he liked and we set to work. Long story short, I called in my creative friend to help finish the job. I think we just needed some new perspective. JS wanted some big, colorful rectangles hanging from it, and I couldn't, for the life of me, figure out how to fit them in. Thanks A, for helping to calm that storm! :)

Yesterday I took my oldest three to their school's book fair before school started. JS was the first one to find the book he wanted. RL didn't have much trouble either. BC, my 6yr old was very disappointed to find out that his first choice was sold out. He had his heart set on it. The tears began to well up in his eyes and I could see the storm was coming. Fortunately, so could the Librarian. She took our money and said that she'd see if she could order some more. In the mean time, she had him pick out his next favorite and set it aside, just in case. Thanks to our school Librarian, for showing love to my son!

About 2:15pm yesterday I got a call from the school nurse. JS had complained of a sore throat (which I already knew about) and had a fever of 102. (Which had developed since school started.) I got off the phone, woke up my youngest two from nap, and headed to the school. Since there was only a half hour left of school by the time I got there, I requested that my other two kids leave class early. I was greeted by three teary eyed children when I got there. One, because he had to wear a mask on his face and go home early, one because she was missing the last half hour of her movie, and one because he was missing music class. After a short conversation in the car about how sometimes parents have to make tough decisions, I promised the kids I would make it worth their while to come home early. We had movie night with popcorn and hot cocoa. Needless to say, I will be taking my son in today if he still has a fever and a sore throat. Strep is going around at his school right now and I don't want to take any chances.

So, I'm hoping that today the storms will stay outside, and it will be a pretty smooth sailing type of day. The thing is, I'm still here. I don't want you to get the wrong idea and think that I'm complaining. Things might have gotten a little rocky this week, but every storm eventually came to an end. There are storms in life, but all can be navigated safely if we look to the One who commands the seas.

Psalm 107:28-30
Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
and he brought them out of their distress.

He stilled the storm to a whisper;
the waves of the sea were hushed.

They were glad when it grew calm,
and he guided them to their desired haven.

Thank You, Lord, for the storms. I look to you when the winds rise and the waves seem to crash around me. For you are my desired haven. I praise you in the storms of life. You are my faithful navigator.

Amen!

Conversation with a Teller

I had an interesting conversation with a teller this morning that I don't believe was by chance. Especially after my post on hope last week. I was in the bank to cash some checks because we are saving up for some beef and trying to keep the money separate. Somewhere in the conversation I happened to mention that my husband is a Worship Pastor. That opened up the floodgates.

She told me about her childhood church and how when her mom re-married they got converted to Mormon. We talked about her grown daughter's church and what she didn't like about it. She asked questions about my church and I gladly answered her them. When I told her we used to work at the church down the street she wanted to know what denomination it was and what they believed. At one point she mentioned that before she moved here she did the study "Purpose Driven Life" with a friend, that lead to her eventual baptism and attendance at their church. She expressed her sadness when she moved from there and told me that she hasn't found a home church here that compares.

Normally, I would invite this woman to my church. But under the circumstances, I felt compelled to invite her to my old church instead. She lives not a mile away from it and I think she would feel welcome there. I told her the name of the Pastor and the service times. If I go back to the bank in the near future, I might even take her a connect card from LCN to further encourage her to visit there.

I walked away wishing that I could have done more. I prayed all the way home that in some way, God used me to touch this woman's life. Even though I didn't "present the gospel" to her, I saw it as an opportunity to encourage her in her existing faith. It was a brief encounter, but a meaningful one. I encouraged her in the best way I know how: by sharing my own experience with her and letting her know that there are good churches out there.

No, this meeting was not by chance. I don't often go in to the bank. I prefer the drive-through because I usually have a car load of kids. But this morning, I was kid-free, and something in my spirit told me to park, and go inside for a change. I'm glad I did.

Hebrews 3:13 "But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness."

Siesta Scripture Memory 11.1.09

Hebrews 10:23 "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful."

I thought this a fitting verse to tie together all of the verses that God has shown me this year about hope. Yes, I still have 3 memory verses left in the year, but I couldn't wait to store this treasure in my heart.

May you hold unswervingly to hope, because He who promised is faithful...

~Melissa~

Company Girl Coffee 10.30.09

Yesterday Rachel Anne over at Home Sanctuary posted a really terrific devotion about Jesus, our King. Her willingness to share from her own personal experience really got me to thinking and brought a lot of scriptures to mind, but one in particular is on my heart this morning.

1 Peter 3:15 "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,"

There's that word "hope" again. I sure have been coming across it a lot lately. The greek word here is "elpis," pronounced "el-pece." It's origin is from the word "elpo," meaning "to anticipate, usually with pleasure." Another definition is "the expectation of good."

HOPE. We throw the word around casually in everyday conversation. "I hope you have a nice day." "I hope you feel better soon."

What I truly desire though, is that Hope shines through in my life. Christ is my Lord and my King, and the reason for my hope.

Now I've come full circle to Romans 5:1-2 and my post Cup of Hope, from last week.

"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God."

Rejoicing in my King,
~Melissa~

SNOW

Perhaps I spoke too quickly when I said it snows here on or shortly after Halloween! This morning, October 29th, I woke up, grabbed my cup of coffee, and taking advantage of the quiet house set to reading my devotions. The first kid to wake up was my 2yr old. He crawled up on the couch with me and snuggled in. Then, out of his mouth with excitement came not the normal "good morning mama," but "snow mama!" I looked out the window and sure enough, it was snowing. It has changed to mixed snow and rain now, but I can't help wondering if this is a sign of things to come.

Here are a few verses that sprang to mind as I was lamenting the cold snow outside:
Psalm 51:7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Isaiah 1:18 "Come now, let us reason together,"
says the LORD.
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.

Isaiah 55:9-11
9"As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

10 As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Psalm 147:16 He spreads the snow like wool
and scatters the frost like ashes.

And perhaps the most appropriate for this season in my life as a wife, mother, and homemaker:

Proverbs 31:21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

The Sights and Smells of Fall

This morning it is cold outside. I woke up to our first official "frost." There is was, blanketing the lawn, toys, and windshields of our vehicles sending a signal that winter is just around the corner. We usually get our first snow on or shortly after Halloween here. So before winter settles in, I thought I would share a few of the sights and smells of Fall around our house.

Leaves...piles and piles of them! My daughter was disappointed because they finally started to build up in the yard, and then the rain hit! We never had a chance to rake them and jump in them. Yesterday the weather cleared and she went outside and started to rake. There are still plenty of leaves yet to fall, so hopefully the weather will stay clear this week.Toothless grins! LR, who turns five in 17 days, just lost her first tooth yesterday! It's been wiggly for a while now. She was so excited. My baby girl is growing up.Cookies! Friday my DH got into baking mode and whipped up a batch of sugar cookies to cut, bake, and decorate with our kids. They turned out great! The close up picture turned out blurry, but my MIL called it the "Easter basket" cookie. There are sprinkles of every kind piled high. It was decorated by a very eager 6 year old. :)Cinnamon rolls anyone? This morning I got motivated and the smell of cinnamon filled the house as I baked up a nice surprise for my children. (No, sorry, they are not homemade!)This week we will have some pumpkin fun. I'm looking forward to letting my kids show their creative side painting pumpkins. Last year I had my own fun and after Halloween I made the pumpkins into pie! Pumpkin pie is another sight, and smell that I love, love, love, this time of year. I keep a bunch of pumpkin spice candles on hand to fill my home with that fresh baked aroma. :)

While we are on the topic of aroma, a passage of Scripture came to mind this morning when I was baking cinnamon rolls.

"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?" -2Corinthians 2:14-16

The "fragrance of life." Now that's a fragrance worth wearing. In any season. How will you spread the aroma of Christ today?

~Melissa~

A Cup of Hope

"And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." -Romans 5:2b-5

Good morning girls! I only have a minute or two before the kids are up and things get crazy around here. I wanted to share this passage today because it has been on my heart a lot lately. I've been listening to a sermon that my DH preached back in June. (The one I sent to Rachel.) I have a lot of friends that are currently walking through some tough trials and I have been praying this scripture over their lives.

Here are some things that stand out to me:

1. We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God... this is an amazing thing! The glory of God is so incredible, SO powerful, that it is our source of hope.
2. We rejoice in our sufferings... wait a minute! We're supposed to rejoice in our sufferings? Remember what I just said. The glory of God gives us hope, and if we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, then we can rejoice in our sufferings.
3. Suffering produces perseverance... God knows that when we suffer trials, it is hard. He wants us to walk through them, (and He never leaves our side) so that we can develop perseverance. Paul realized this when he asked God to remove the thorn in his flesh. Three times he asked, and God said "My Grace is sufficient for you." -2Corinthians 12:7
4. Perseverance produces character... when we walk through trials, it builds character into our lives. The kind of character that we want to model for our children. My kids' elementary school has a motto "character counts." They give out awards to the kids who model good character to their peers. I want to teach the kind of character to my children that will stand the test when they have to make tough decisions, or walk through difficult times of their own.
5. And character produces hope... did you see that? AND character produces hope. We've come full circle here. It's a process. You can't jump from suffering to hope. There's those two small things in between. Suffering produces perseverance, in turn produces character, in turn produces hope. BUT through it all, remember #1. We rejoice in the HOPE of the glory of God. Hope is there all along. It is the starting point, and the ending point! We just have to look to the Source.
6. And HOPE does not disappoint. Why? "Because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom God has given us."

Whew! There's a lot to take in there. I'm still processing it myself.

For my friends, whom I love, that are in the suffering stage right now, know that I am praying for you. God is faithful, and He will see you through. For those of you out there that have persevered, built character, and are walking with hope right now, take a minute to think about who you can be praying for that is in need of hope.

May the God of peace bless you all this weekend!
~Melissa~

Company Girl Coffee 10.16.09

"Your promises have been thoroughly tested, and your servant loves them." -Psalm 119:140

Welcome to Company Girl Coffee! This is my memory verse for the second half of October. If any of you have read Psalm 119, you know that it's a long one! 176 verses to be exact. This little nugget jumped off the page at me and reminded me how faithful God is to keep His promises to us.

For example: We got our growth hormone test results back for our daughter this week and she is not growth hormone deficient. She has Ketotic Hypoglycemia, which can be monitored through her diet, and she will most likely grow out of it. Praise God!

And also: Last month we lost all the meat in our freezer...worth a large sum of money. We've been offered half a cow but we need to come up with the money to pay for it. This would feed our family for probably a year. My husband was offered a video project this week, not knowing what they would pay him. The couple payed him $300, which is a big chunk of the money we need.

Those are just two examples of His faithfulness. I could go on and on about how He has provided for us. I test His promises again and again and He always comes through. He is a good God. A loving God. A trustworthy God.

How are you leaning on His promises today?

Have a great weekend all!

Faithfully and completely His,
~Melissa~

Company Girl Coffee 10.9.09

Good morning! Coffee's on, or if you would like, I also keep a variety of hot teas around this time of year. Our weather turned VERY cold overnight here! I should be used to it by now. We pretty much have Indian Summers and early Winters.

We've had quite a week here emotionally. It started off normal with a pretty boring Monday, but then things picked up on Tuesday. I finally took my daughter to be tested for Growth Hormone Deficiency. It's one of many tests that she's been going through to test for Hypoglycemia. It all started back in July. You can read that story here.

The test was only supposed to take 4 hours. We went to check in and that was the first delay. The check in was all the way across the hospital from the fusion center. Then, the pharmacy had a problem sending up her meds for the procedure. I am still not sure what the mix up was there. So a test that was supposed to start at 9:30am was now starting at 11:30am. Of course, there was a problem putting the IV in. I have yet to see anyone get an IV in my daughter on the first try.

For the next three hours, they drew blood every 15 minutes while I read to my daughter, and waited. I watched her go from perfectly healthy, to pale, tired, and very upset. I know all the signs. At one point in the test they almost had to stop because her blood sugar dropped below the designated "stop test" level. A second test showed it was still ok. My daughter was anything but ok. Don't get me wrong. We were at a children's hospital, so she was being cared for well. But I knew that when the test was done, we were going to be there for at least the afternoon, possibly admitted overnight.

My concerns were confirmed when the test was finished and she was given a cracker and some Gatorade. She began to throw up and the attending nurse called her doctor. He told her to change her IV to a sugar water solution to bring her blood sugar levels back up and he'd be in to see her at 4:15pm. Eventually, I got her to keep some ice chips down. By the time the doctor stopped in she was looking a little better, but still didn't want to try food. He said that if she wouldn't eat and drink on her own by 8:00pm, they would have to admit her. Thankfully, I finally got her to eat some of the mashed potatoes that were with my dinner and then she had a dinner plate of her own around 7:00pm.

We made it home by 8:30pm with instructions to feed her a snack before bed and wake her up for another snack at 1:00am. I kept her home on Wednesday just to restore her energy level before sending her back to school. We should have our test results back at the beginning of next week. Hopefully we'll know once and for all what the problem is and what we can do to help her.

Over all, I am a very lucky mom. I have five pretty healthy kids. We have our little problems here and there but nothing serious. I am thankful for that. I am also aware that there are parents and children out there that are not as fortunate as we are. So my friends, if you are one of those parents, or if you know someone close to you that is experiencing some tough times with a child of their own, please share with me. I will add them to my prayers. I am not one of those people that says "I'll be praying for you" and then forgets. I consider it a privilege to pray to our awesome Lord on your behalf.

Thanks for sharing coffee with me today....and for sharing your lives with me.

From my heart to yours,
~Melissa~

Company Girl Coffee 10.2.09

Good morning! The little boy that I watch is taking a nap and my youngest two are playing nicely, so I thought I'd take a minute for a coffee post! I hogged all the coffee this morning due to a horrible night's sleep, but it's feeling like fall out there finally, so I can offer a cup of hot apple cider!

Does anyone else ever wish you had a tape recorder going in your head when you get a good idea to write about but don't have time to sit down and do it? That's been me all week. I've resorted to keeping a notebook nearby at all times so that I can just quickly jot down what I'm thinking. Sometimes it's a scripture that comes to mind, sometimes it's an entire devotional. Other times, I just wish I could sit down and write about what my kids are learning in school, and here at home. I've always been a big journal person, but this season in my life is tough to find time for one blog entry a week, let alone my personal daily journal!

This morning I was really meditating on my current memory verse. It's Hebrews 12:28 "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe".

This verse has really been applicable in many areas of my life as I have thought about it in the past 24 hours. There are so many things in this life that cause us to be "all shook up." There are the major natural disasters, like the 7.6 earthquake that happened two days ago in Southern Sumatra, Indonesia. Then there are the personal shakers. Sometimes it might be an unexpected bill that throws the budget for a loop. It could be that things are getting a little shaky at work, as they are for my DH right now. Or maybe it's just a random phone call, like the one my friend got yesterday, that shakes you up. Whatever the cause may be, we all have shaky moments.

But there is One who will not be shaken. He is Jesus Christ. He is our Rock, our Stronghold, and our Fortress. So whenever I feel like my world has been shaken, I am going to remember Hebrews 12:28. And I am going to be thankful, and worship God acceptably with reverence and awe. I might even give a shout "Hallelujah!" because God deserves my praise no matter what the circumstances might be. :)

Have a great weekend all. Don't forget to stop by for more great Company Girl Coffee over at Home Sanctuary!

Siesta Scripture Memory 10.1.09

How fitting that my 200th post would be on October 1st, and it would be about my memory verse! I have had so much going on in my life lately that I have felt a little shaken. God is so good though! As I was reading my Bible and wondering what verse to pick to memorize this time around, Hebrews 12:28 jumped off the page at me!

"Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe"

WOW! Talk about perfect timing. I am so VERY thankful that God's kingdom cannot be shaken!

What a great God we serve!

Company Girl Coffee 9.25.09

Hello friends! By now you must have read Rachel Anne's funny story over at Home Sanctuary! I laughed out loud when I read it. It's ranks right up there with some of her funny donkey stories. If you haven't read any of those, I would encourage it!

Speaking of funny stories, I have one that's sure to give some of you a good chuckle. I promise there are no critters involved. You see, I have been deep cleaning my master bedroom this week. I know, it's a little late for Spring cleaning, but something got into me and motivated me to start some serious cleaning/decluttering around here!

We've lived here for five years now, and for five years I have been saying how much I dislike the peach curtains hanging in my bedroom. I will admit, they are great quality curtains. They are lined, so they keep the warmth in and the light out. Peach just isn't in my color pallet as on of my favorites. There has always been something more important on our list of "home improvement" so I've just put up with them over the years.

Well, in my major cleaning frenzy I decided to take them down and wash them. Whew! Were they dusty! I figured I'd be brave and wash them here at home to save some money. So I set my machine on "hand wash, cold". I only put in one set to test what would happen. You can probably guess what's coming next!

When the cycle was finished I pulled them out of the machine and held them up to take a look. UH OH!

"Honey, I shrunk the curtains!"

I hung them up to dry, just in case it was only the way the moisture made them hang, but alas, they had definitely shrunk. This wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the fact that only one side of them shrunk. The taffeta front side was now shorter than the lining.

I called my mom because I knew she would get a laugh out of it, and laugh she did. Through her laughter she joked "Come on now, you can't tell me that part of you wasn't hoping that would happen!" She's right. Part of me was probably wishing that those peach curtains would be ruined for good. (Sorry, for those of you who adore the color peach.) Now, if I were any good at sewing, or if I even owned a sewing machine, then I could probably fix the problem. Instead I think I'll just call it a day and chalk it up to lesson learned. For now, blinds will have to do.

Anyone want some slightly ruined but now very clean peach curtains????

I plan to continue with my deep cleaning in another room of the house next week. You never know what else I can find to ruin...um...I mean, clean!

Have a great weekend all! Thanks for dropping in for coffee!
~Melissa~

Company Girl Coffee: What's holding you together?

Good morning! Grab a cup of coffee and let me give you something to think about this morning. I am sure that most of you have heard the phrase "pull it together", or something like it, at some point in your lives. Maybe you've seen it in the movies with the infamous face slap, or perhaps you have even said it to yourself out loud, in a frenzy. I know that I have given myself the "come on now, pull it together" pep talk several times over!

Of late, I have not felt at all like I have it "all together." Quite the opposite, actually. Most of the time I feel like I'm losing my mind. Between school starting for the kids, me supplementing our income by babysitting here at home, (which I am very thankful for) and my husband's busy work schedule at the church, I have been quite overwhelmed.

Last night at our worship night, I finally found some peace again. It came to me in this verse:

"He is before all things, and in him all things hold together." -Colossians 1:17

I know now that I don't have to "have it all together!" He is before me when I am doing the dishes for what seems like the gazillianth time. He is before me when my two year old has the flu. He is before my husband in the middle of a crazy busy week. He is before me in the morning when I am trying to get the kids off to school on time and in the afternoons when I am helping them with their homework. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. When I feel like my world is falling apart around me, He is holding it together for me!

Isaiah 43:2 says "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze."

So even though I am weary and I feel like I'm struggling to keep my head above water right now, God is with me. And He's with you too. He is the super glue of our lives!

Thanks for stopping by for coffee. Have a great weekend everyone!

~Melissa~

Pockets of Time

Today over at Home Sanctuary, Rachel Anne asked us to think about what we can accomplish during small "pockets" of time during the day. This is a list that I have made before, but I often revisit, and revise it as I think of new things to do.

De-clutter my Car: Are you early for a meeting or waiting to pick kids up at school? De-clutter your car! Gather up all the recyclables, including plastic bottles, soda cans and paper, and put them in a bag. Put all trash in another bag. Use a damp cloth or disposable wipe to clean all surfaces. Group any remaining things that you need to remove from your car later, such as clothes and newly purchased items. When you leave your car, take all the trash and recycling with you. Remove the other items as soon as you get a chance.

Prep for a Meal: When you have an extra 15 minutes at night or in the morning, use it to prepare a meal. Slice some sourdough bread and make your favorite sandwich for a bag lunch. Or your meal prep might include tossing some meat, spices and vegetables into a slow-cooker or crock pot.

Clip, Sort, and File Coupons: If you are a coupon clipper like me, you might have a stack set aside to sort and put away! Coupons can be organized with minimal time and effort. That way when you think of something you need or find something on sale, you don't have to shuffle through a mess of coupons to find the one you need!

Match the Socks: Grab a container and pile all solo socks inside. Match what you can.

Clean up "Message Central:" Wherever messages are taken, clutter seems to arise. Go through any miscellaneous messages or notepads and discard items no longer needed. Test the pens; get rid of those that don't work. Clear off your answering machine.

Clean Off The Fridge: If you have kids' artwork wallpapering the front, consider featuring them in an alternative style. If you keep reminder notes on the fridge, straiten them up and remove outdated notes.

Sort the Mail: Gather all the mail into one place. Don't read the mail--just make piles. Create a pile for garbage, one for bills, one for to-read items and additional piles for other people in the home (i.e. give to husband, child, mother.) When done transfer the piles for others to somewhere they will see them. Put the to-read items in a place you will read them. Toss the junk in the garbage. Return the bills to the inbox.

Go through the Bills: This is best to complete after the task above. Remove all bills from their envelopes and lay flat. Staple of paperclip those with multiple pages. Tuck the return envelope around the bill. Throw out all the miscellaneous offers included in the bills. Stack them in three piles... receipts/file only (if you use auto-pay), to pay within the next 14 days, to pay after 14 days.

Wipe Down the Appliances: Grab the Windex and wipe down the front surfaces of your kitchen appliances.

Clear the Junk Drawer: Empty the drawer entirely. Go through each item and either throw it out or return to its proper place. There is no reason to use up prime storage to hold "junk."

Wipe Down the Microwave: Give your microwave a thorough cleaning--inside and out!

Wipe Down a Shower Door: Spray the front and back and let it "set" for a couple of minutes while wiping down the vanity area. Return and wipe down the shower door. Go ahead...set your timer! You'd be surprised at how much you can get done in only 10 minutes.

Wash a Window: Wash a window (inside or outside--your pick). Be careful on this one though, if you only have 15 minutes you need to have the discipline to stop at one window!

Match-Up Your Media: Return CDs, DVDs, video games and computer programs to their proper storage cases.

Go through Your Media: Do you need to keep the install disks to printers you no longer own or programs you no longer use? Get rid of any unneeded items to make it easier to find what you do need.

Check the Medicine Cabinet: Check the expiration date of all vitamins, prescriptions and medicine cabinet supplies, discarding any expired items.

Toss 10: Find 10 things in your house to donate or throw away.

Sweep the Entry Way: Take a moment to sweep the outside entrance of your home.

Wipe down your mirrors: Take your Windex and and clean a few mirrors in your home.

Change a light bulb: Quit walking by that burned out light bulb! It only takes a couple of minutes to replace it with a new one.

Load or unload the dishwasher: If you don't have a dishwasher then put the dishes in the sink to soak, or put away the ones away that have finished drying.

My list continues on, but you get the idea. The important thing is to take advantage of those priceless pockets of time during your day that you don't actually have anything "scheduled." Sometimes if I only have five minutes, I take a water break. I fill my cup, sit down, and enjoy an ice cold glass of water while I re-focus. It's important to take time for yourself too!

Thanks Rachel Anne, for the reminder that there are so many things you can do in small increments of time!