DarjeelinGirl

my daughter Zoe’s blog. Stop by and welcome her to the blogosphere!

There are a bunch of quotes from books that I’ve been reading and people I’ve heard the last 6 months that I’ve been meaning to post here. So before I archive this journal, I’ll post them now:

On the importance of pouring our hearts out to Him about everything:

Our battles are first won or lost in the secret places of our will in God’s presence, never in full view of the world… Lose it there and calamity, disaster, defeat before the world are as sure as the laws of God. ~ Oswald Chambers

On finding our “calling” or “ministry” right in front of our faces based on 1 Timothy 5:8:

The essence of love is meeting needs and our most important assignment from God is to meet the needs of those who are closest to us. We tend to use the people closest to us instead of meeting their needs… Lord keep me from looking beyond the needs of those who are closest to me and from using (or disregarding) my loved ones for my own purposes. ~ I didn’t write down the source, but I think it was a devotional by Neil Anderson…

Colossians 2:17 has always been a favorite verse of mine. This quote from Holiness, Truth and the Presence of God speaks to it:

For most people, our sense of reality, and hence our security, is often rooted in the familiar. How difficult it is to grow spiritually if our security is based on the stability (consistency) of outward things. Our security must come from God, not circumstances (or habits or patterns) nor even relationships. Our sense of reality (purpose/focus) needs to be rooted in Christ… Even people who have been delivered from adverse situations are often drawn back into hardship. Why? Because adversity is familiar to them… So also we must at times leave the camp of what seems normal and predictable and begin to seek after God… Go outside the camp…
~ Francis Frangipane

Again from Francis in the same book:

Every time the Lord is revealed, two things occur: we see truth and we see our need for grace.

Which led me to the following mathematical formula:

truth + grace = transformation
truth + 0 = fear/hypocrisy/pride
0 + grace = debauchery/failure/impotence/destruction

And some would argue that without truth, grace doesn’t even exist…

From Rekindling Your Spirit:

Most of us don’t realize that the cross can also take your PAIN (not just your sin). ~ Paul F. Singh

Here’s a prayer that I gleaned from a friend of mine. It blesses me as a benediction to my morning time with God:

Everything I do today belongs to You. Life of Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, You are my strength, my hope and my power. Everything I do today, whether in prayer or normal living, belongs to You alone.
~ John Musick

And a blessed paradigm shift from another friend at bluer:

The gospel isn’t about us - it’s about God. It’s what God does to us. ~ Dan Lukas

To hear his whole message, click here.

The thoughts contained within are solely this author’s and in no way intend to serve as doctrine of any kind:

2/7/05 after the dishwasher backed up and flooded the kitchen and the basement ceiling and set off all the fire alarms at 11:00pm:

Maybe heaven isn’t just a physical place - maybe it’s a state of being…? And the closer we grow to You the more heavenly and the farther apart, the more hell? Maybe were still in the process of being created? Maybe just being physically born is just being conceived and earth is the womb? And those who reject You are like spiritual abortions? And physical death is really our real birth for those whose umbilical cord is connected to You through Jesus? And Jesus is the umbilical cord?

Well, if that’s the case, there’s an awful lot of fetal distress going on…

2/9/05

Is suffering all about the killing of sin? Troubles happen and we feel grief, fear, anger - is not the objective to endure, walk through that and not sin, not complain, not run to false comfort, not lash out? It is to come to You, pour out to You, praise You, worship You…

2/20/05

I Corinthians 15:35-58. We are just seeds here? That’s a neat imagery. It’s also kind of funny considering how we watched Bugs Life last night. “Here. Pretend this is a seed…” “It’s a rock…” Father, seeds here on earth look nothing like what they grow into. So we are probably going to look really different after we get to heaven…

5/19/05

You are the Great Shepherd and it appears that many shepherds in our culture have forgotten that they are sheep first before they are shepherds. Better to be lead sheep than a wayward/headstrong/independent/self-sufficient shepherd.

It’s time for a new journal. It was interesting to see my heart/life in a big picture, holistic sort of way. The last 6 months focused mostly on the struggle and agony of being a single mom. I had been talking to Him about John 12:25 “The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” I told Him that I hated my life and for all I cared, He could have it, but I thought He’d be getting the short end of the stick. That didn’t seem to bother Him. What really blessed me this morning is the big picture of His heart for me. Repeatedly, and little did I see it until I just reveiwed the whole thing, this is His response:

2/26/05
My grace is sufficient for you. My grace is more than enough for you. My grace is enough and so much more. You are so much stronger than you think. I am your strength. You are ok. I won’t abandon or neglect you. I’ve got you covered.

4/15/05
Understand that you don’t have control even when you think you do. Lean into, rely on Me. Pause and talk to Me throughout the day. It’s not their fault. You can’t have your way - that’s not what freedom is. Your life is not your own. It’s Mine. I will take care of you and them.

4/19/05
I Corinthians 6:19-20 You are not your own. You were bought with a price. You belong to Me. You are Mine.

5/16/05
My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in (your) weakness. 2 Cor. 12:9 You are weak and vulnerable, but you are safe in My arms. I am carrying you and protecting you. Through, in your weakness, you will see Me come through. I will move through you…

I share this for all other struggling single moms (and who aren’t?) and for anyone else who hates his life in this world. He’ll trade ya.

Gek = Someone who is not yet a geek. Someone who may be drowning in codexes and dummies books from the library, and the more she learns, the more she doesn’t know but wants to do. Someone with a computer that is in constant danger of being reckoned to the compost bin. Someone who should never own a sledgehammer.

Good Gek: Someone who just keeps swimming and may still become a jr. geek by the time she’s 80 years old.

Bad Gek: Someone who whines and complains and gives up.

UPDATE: This is where all this is coming from. Believe you me, it didn’t look like that when I started.

Someday, besides running a business of 12 classes, writing curriculum, editing books, educating 3 kids, taking care of a home and 2 cats, I’m also gonna become a computer geek. Last night I dreamed I was creating a web site, only I was in the machine, walking on the page of code that I wrote as I created it. Then I discovered that all codes were acronyms for items on the menu at McDonalds.

(Mark, WHEN are you gonna get that psych degree? I volunteer to be your doctoral thesis.)

Stretch out with your peelings and go organic!

Grocery Store Wars!

On the last day at Living Waters Homeschool Nature Camp we learned about polishing rocks and geodes. Rock polishing sure is a good spiritual analogy for Christian growth and maturity. Both take consistent tumbling, friction and patience.

Geodes present a good lesson in spiritual principles as well. The beauty within is unimaginable from the outside sometimes… The helmets sure were necessary. Little shards of rock often shot in multiple directions.

This geode was a tough nut to crack. We eventually needed the help of a couple dads to give it some good hard WHACKS! What a beautiful suprise lay within!

Those are the highlights of our 2005 Homeschool Nature Camp. This is the 4th year we’ve gone. It’s pretty much our yearly family vacation. Even though it was cold this year, it was worth every minute.

Horseback riding at Felton Farm. Zoe’s Strawberry had a mind of his own - definitely dominated by wherever the tufts of grass were… Anna gives Kitty a ride in her hood.

Josiah enjoys a ride on Butterscotch, while Anna gives Baby a ride upon Strawberry.

During the summer, Living Waters is a camp for kids. This year they will have groups camping in a wagon train, circled up around an open fire. We got to try them out… for about an hour. WAAAAAAY too cold this year, kids. Maybe next year will be warmer…

In Nature Session II, we learned about separating hydrogen from the oxygen in water. We blew up the hydrogen, but it wasn’t enough to send a rocket into space. It just made a loud BOOM!

We learned about the filters naturally created by God that clean our water: grass, rock, sand… But because of misuse and pollution these days, we still need to purify drinking water with a special system.

These are the two cutest scientists you’ll ever meet.

Da DA DUM! The CLIMBING TOWER!

The bunk on Day 2 (and pretty much throughout the rest of the week).

Our cozy cabin and bunks at Living Waters Bible Camp. Notice the difference on Day 2… We slept in Bluebird. We were grateful for it’s turbo charged heater. But lest you think we wimps, no bathroom. That was 20 yards away in the community bath house. I would have taken pictures of the heavenly snow that fell precious and light one night, but it was too bloomin’ cold to care at 1:30AM!

The nature feeder outside the main cafeteria/lodge window. Mr. Racoon visited on a daily basis.

Nature Session I where we learned about caring for and restocking rivers with trout. Zoe measured the temperature of the water. Other’s measured the speed and depth of the stream, while Josiah maintained accurate, scientific records. Zoe helped Joy (camp staff) release a healthy trout to his new home.

A first-hand account of Terri Schindler’s final hours.

HT: Baylyblog

Yep, it’s that time of year again - Garage Sale Season.

This week is Teacher Appreciation Week, and Sunday, May 8 is my birthday and Mother’s Day! Wow! According to the calendar, I sure am special this week!

Cows With Guns.