Solitude

What a wonderful thing, I forget this. I went camping this weekend with my young married small group, and what fun! Great conversation and connecting with people! It was wonderful, but during the day they were all headed to climb Mt Pilchuck and after a very long stressful and tiring week, and having climbed it recently I opted out. I did however want to do a little hike, but not one that was 2000 ft up is all! :-) And I was a little stressed about teaching woman at church the next day and feeling less prepared than I wanted to. So I headed to a Tiny hike to Bear Lake. Its less than 1/2 mile I think, so great to lug up some heavy books and sit by a lake and study etc. But when I got to the trail-head it had moved, down the road about 2 miles in fact. There was a wash out on the road. I had no idea how far at the time so I started walking, ended up with a perfect easy walk along a road, and the last bit on the trail, sat at the lake, even had some worship music on me, didn't see a soul, but sparkling water, glimpse of snow caped peaks, and birds and bugs all along the way.

 I walked away realizing I had no memory of the last time I was alone, I live in a house full on people, my husband is home when I leave and when I get home, we are spending every spare moment with people before we move, all wonderful but complete solitude is a great thing non and then.
I realized when I started working full time I much I had gotten used to being home in the house alone during the day and its odd now not to have that time built into my life, so I have to find the time to make sure it happens. I came alway feeling as if I had spent a day at the spa, thought maybe less clean, but completely refreshed!

Testimony

I do love my old Bible. I have a little ESV pocket bible I used most of the time these days as its with me and I carry it around. But I have my old Amplified bible, the first bible I bought myself as an adult.
I am starting a study on Hebrews with our young married small group, (I have a feeling we might still be called that well past 10 years married but I digress) and we have a commentary but otherwise are simply looking at the scripture together, so I pulled out  my old bible. At the same time I have been asked to share my testimony with a small group of woman who I study with, we each take turns and this is my week. So flipping through my old bible has so many memories, notes written, cards and pictures tucked into the pages. Small notes of encouragement and prayer that were slipped to me and I tucked into the pages, just to be found and be encouraging yet again these many years later.
But the best thing I found was my testimony, just after I bought the bible I was in bible school in England, and one of the things they had you do was write out your testimony so you could share it, as an outline or something if you were asked to speak. What a joy to view that testimony of my 20 year old self. Somethings it seems nothing has changed but when I look at what God has done in my life between now and then, and how shocked that 20 year old me would be if I could give her a sneak peak, is amazing. What a joy to now share again with these ladies in a few days all the things, all small but added up over the years are amazing to me. Each little way God has blessed or guided me was nothing big or even impressive at the time really, but all together 8 years worth its an impressive thing to me all He has done. And I do hope I never forget it, and it continues to encourage me going forward, look what He did before, surely there is more of that to come.
Bless the Lord all my soul and in all my ways acknowledge Him!

New Challenges - Old Words

I went to the church's womans retreat as I do much years this last weekend and was very challenged about my practice and habit of quiet time. Its interesting how this seemingly simple thing is so difficult for many long time believers, you would think we would have sorted this out long ago and yet the more we talked about it the more we saw how most of us struggled and did not have a good habit of it. So we have agreed to do a 50 day challenge of spending time in the word and in prayer each day for 50 days. Its been great already as the group decided to start yesterday and I already almost excuses it away and would have put it off and "just started tomorrow" but we all started together to there I was finishing my first days quiet time at 11:55pm. Nothing like sneaking in under the wire.

But last night as I was about to get started on the new book I picked up a few months ago, John: a Study of the beloved disciple by Beth Moore,  I was going to take a Bible to bed with me, and I wanted to leave my study bible by the couch were I like it and my small one in the bag I take to work, so I went to the family bookshelf's in the living room where all the family bibles are kept. What a discovery, I have not looked though them in so many years, and what I found lines up so very well with my Heritage of Grace theme. I loved the pages I found so much I took some pictures of them.
This was my Mother Mothers bible, from 1941

 This one I am unsure about, but it has the date 1893 and I love the writing in it.

Here is my Fathers Bible, in the front page he has written "bought after my conversion Klostermuhle June 1972" He has also written "remember Medulin" which I looked up and is a place in Croatia which I know is were he made the decision to follow Christ, as the side of a lake, just as the many disciples, came to follow Him. and as you can clearly see the reference to Easter which is an interesting choice, I wonder what he was thinking when he wrote that.

This is the inside of that same bible from my Dad after his conversion. I love seeing his writing in the margins, you can see faintly all the other pages writing also, and his handwriting is exactly the same, I would know it anywhere.

This last one of my Mothers Bible and all the notes she has in the front, ranging from 1974 to 1990. The first says in her clear unmistakable "Mother writing" "Either this book will keep me away from the devil or the devil will keep me away from this book" And another from 1982 the year I was born " the bible is only boring to those who disobey it or don't claim its promises."

What wonderful quotes she had in her bible, the same one she clearly carried well over 20 years. From the time of her wedding until long after we moved countries and she was home schooled three school ages kids, through each birth and many other hardships.  

There are many other wonderful books on the shelfs some from family members who had the word now on this shelf in their own hand and never claimed it as there own. Its been there through the generations, some grasping it for dear life and other laying it aside and not making it theres, but through it all its been there and available to any and all who might come and seek comfort in its pages. May I learn the lessons of the past and seek this book as my parents have all these years. 

Blessed

I have been so inspired by so many woman’s blogs, and encouraged to remember to be grateful, and as I consider my blogging to have an excuse to turn my eyes on Him, and readjust my focus throughout the day.

I feel so amazingly blessed, and yet life is hard and I have very little in my day to day that is not challenging or difficult, and yet I feel blessed. I also feel full of joy and peace though very little in my day to day is particularly pleasant or fun. Isn’t God amazingly good! Only He can give us these inexplicable emotions that have no logical connection to our condition. I love this about our God. And so I will start listing the many things He has blessed me with, lest I ever forget.

1.      1.         My husband wrapping me in his arms when I get home at night
2.       The fall, wonderful leaves changing
3.       A job, even if just for now and His perfect provision just when we need it
4.       For new life when you first hear a pregnancy has begun
5.       The view out my work window, to snow capped peaks many days and the beautiful place I am blessed to live.
6.       For wonderful rain and fresh air while you walk with hot coffee in hand
7.       For my car breaking this month when I have the money to fix it and not the last few months when I wouldn’t have been able to.
8.       Whispered conversations with my husband in the dark late of night in the pillows
9.       For woman of God who encourage me daily through their questions and conversation about this walk we share
10.   A beautiful hot cup of tea on a cold afternoon
11.   The silence of a walk in the snow, may there be many more
12.   The wonderful Advent season to come
13.   Family who bless many days and sometimes not but for always being there to turn to
14.   Wonderful Godly parents who have always pointed my way to Christ in everything they did
15.   Little opportunities to serve people with God’s love
16.   Small quiet still moments with God in my day
17.   A home to live in, even if it’s not mine
18.   My homes beautiful surroundings that I enjoy each and every day
19.   Warm bread from the oven
20.   Food made with another’s loving hands

If I do 10 a day it will take 100 days to reach 1000 which was the challenge, I have a good start today but we will see as the time goes on how hard it is to come up with 10 each day.