Finding Joy in Him

Through Every Season

Year: 2010 (Page 7 of 7)

The Parable of the Sower

January 19, 2010 / / 0 Comments
I am working on my newest art project.  I heard Joseph Prince teach on the Parable of the Sower a few weeks ago.  It was very good as all his teachings are.  He pulled out truths from all three of the gospel accounts.  I want to illustrate the truths with photos on the kid’s bathroom wall.  The things that stood out to me were:
1) This parable is the key to all the other parables. (Mark 4:13)
2) If you don’t understand the Word, hold on to it, listen again.  The Devil is anxiously waiting to pounce and steal it from you because he knows what kind of fruit it can produce.
3) Trouble and persecution come BECAUSE of the Word.  When they come, hold on to it  tight.. it will develop good character in you.  Don’t be deceived into thinking that it’s not worth it or that God’s word isn’t true.  Even when it doesn’t look like it, it is.  “Did God say?”  is the Devil’s line.  Our line is “God’s word says,..”
4) The fruit comes through perseverance.  (Luke 8:15)  And sometimes gradually; first 30 then eventually 100 fold.
Here are the words I am using for art.  

As a farmer was sowing his seed, some fell on a footpath 
and were trampled on and the birds come and ate them up.
When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes immediately and snatches away what was sown in his heart, 
so that he may not believe and be saved.  Luke 8:12
Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where there wasn’t much soil; they sprang up quickly, but when the sun came up the plants were scorched, and withered away because they didn’t have deep roots.
Those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy, 
yet have no depth of character (firm root) in themselves, 
last only a short time. 
When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, 
they quickly fall away.  Mark 4:13
Other seeds fell among thorns that 
grew up and choked out the tender plants.
Those who hear the kingdom news but are overwhelmed by worries 
about all the things they have to do and all the things they want to get. 
The stress strangles what they heard, and nothing comes of it.  Mark 8:19 

Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced 
a crop that was thirty, sixty, 
and even a hundred times as much as was planted.
The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear, understand, 
and embrace God’s word and through perseverance produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as was planted!  Matthew 13:23
Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.

Perfect Mix Match

January 10, 2010 / / 2 Comments
We’ve been collecting furniture for quite a while now.
My bedroom furniture is a rainbow of colors.
My sweet mother-in-love gave me this hope chest that belonged to her mother.
We bought the set of chest of drawers when Judi was a baby.

We found the bookshelves for a deal at Pier 1 Imports.
The sewing machine cabinet belonged to my Mamalene.
We replaced our waterbed with this cast iron bed when we moved to Texas.
Each piece bears battle scars from the many moves.

I never owned a nightstand until today.
I am very excited because not only does it blend in perfectly with my rainbow
of battle scared furniture but it has a twin!

Don’t they match perfectly with my bed spread?  I love the birds.
We went to several furniture stores.
Have you seen how much furniture cost new?
I was just about ready to buy some Wall Mart build-it-yourself furniture
when I decided to check Craig’s List and found this set of nightstands
at an antique store down the road.
They’re made of REAL wood.
They came assembled and a little distressed to match the rest of my room.
And they were less than half the price of new.
(Big smile.)  Yay! And Thank You Jesus.
J

What’s in Your Bible?

January 9, 2010 / / 1 Comment
I spent the week unpacking books.
It was difficult because I haven’t settled where they are all going to go yet.  I am short one nice big closet for keeping scrapbooks and the books I am saving for grandchildren.
I noticed Thursday that I’ve collected quite a few Bibles.
Two were given to me last year on my birthday.
I grew up reading and loving the King James Bible my parents gave me.
Then when I started reading passages to the kids,
I felt like I needed a dictionary to explain almost every other word.
I wanted God easily accessible for them with out Mr. Webster or me in between.
So I bought my first non-King James Bible.
Now I love the easier to read versions and I am unfortunately
developing a growing resentment towards people who talk in “thee’s and thou’s.”
Jesus didn’t speak in a antiquitified language.
The Bible was written in the most modern, accessible language of its day.
We recently went to see the Blood and Ink exhibit.
It’s amazing to learn about the sacrifices made
for the Bible to be translated and distributed in everyday language.
The stories of the thousands of people killed in the name of the church
for possessing and reading the Bible are horrific.
In houses past I’d strategically put a Bible in each room.
This time I am toying with the idea of putting most of them in one spot
so I can just go to that spot and pick witch one I want.
I called to ask my Mom what she thought about the idea.
She wasn’t home.. so in a moment of weakness I asked my dad.
 Ergo the explanation of the King James version above.
My dad would be happy to know that our church here reads
the New King James version of the Bible.
This is where I put them for now.  My favorite version (The Message) is on top.
The King James my parents gave me is on bottom.
Oh, boy! Maybe I should get a shelf.
I have two New King James versions.
And another King James that belonged to my Mamalene.
Missing from the stack is a parallel Bible that I will probably keep in my room.
And the NIRV that I keep with our school books to read with the kids during school.
Honestly, most of the non-King James versions were gifts.
Don’t Bibles make good gifts?
I have the confess that The Message was a gift to myself.
I found it at the Unclaimed Baggage store.
The Bible I read most is on http://www.biblegateway.com/.
I love it because I can read my favorite versions side by side.
I love to find a verse or a chapter and chew on it from different points of view.
I’ve been known to use the different versions
to write my own version and call it “Jenny’s version.”
Sacrilege.  Right?
Not only that but I’ll use my version for art work or the kids memory work.
I am probably scaring them for life.. don’t tell my dad.
It’s just that one version will express one part so well then
I don’t want them to miss the meaning of the other part in the other version.
I rarely read more than a chapter at a time.
I don’t think reading a Bible should be a race, but a time to pray and meditate.
The Holy Spirit loves to show me new things in His Word.
My favorite version on Bible Gateway is the New Living Translation.
Maybe I’ll find a hard copy at a garage sale sometime.
The thing only thing I don’t like about the online version
 is that you can’t write notes in the margin.
I should look into finding one of those ministries that collect
old Bibles to give to people who don’t have one.
I could probably part with a few.
But to get to my title,
I could never part with the ones with notes in the margins.
I love to go back and read the King James version
that my parents gave me for that very reason.
My favorite, favorite Bible is a small new testament that I carried with me
through High School and  the beginning of my married life.
There is so much good stuff in there.. so much revelation written in the margins.

I’d kinda stopped writing in the margins ..
since I started reading the one online and write my own versions.
I have a collection notebooks of notes and prayers that I started years ago.
None of which I’d want my kids to read now, but one day.
My Mamalene’s King James Bible has notes and red check marks and underlines by her favorite passages.  It’s a treasure.
I feel a connection with her when I read it and
SOOO blessed to have a heritage of faith.
When I read her notes I remember how she loved God
and strove to become like Him.
My favorite memory of her and Granddad was that
every night before bed they would read a chapter of the Bible.
No discussion.  Just a short prayer and time to go to bed.
I always wanted to carry on that tradition with my kids.
It didn’t translate quite that way but I hope the kids will fondly remember
“Jenny’s version” of the verses we memorized and our morning prayers
and the Bible studies and discussions we did through the years.
Here’s one of my favorite passages from my Mamalene’s Bible.
In the front cover of her Bible she has a newspaper clipping that quotes WM. A. Ward, “Difficulties are never designed to discourage, dominate or destroy us, but to deepen us.”
A few more notes from Mamalene’s Bible
 To be used of God 
1) Much time in secret prayer
2) Complete disregard of self
3) Life filled with doing good things
We must come to the place where we can live the sacrificial life 
then we can go out and witness.
The only thing that will solve problems of individual, country 
or the world is for man to have a right relationship with God!
Thou will keep him in perfect peace who trusteh in Him 
because his mind is stayed on Me.
How to Study the Bible
1) Is there a lesson to learn?
2) Is there a blessing to enjoy?
3) Is there a command to obey?
4) Is there a sin to avoid?
5) Is there a new truth to carry with me?
Love,
J

Walking on Water

January 9, 2010 / / 2 Comments
It’s been snowing for a couple of days now.

Joel and Judi went out and took these photos for me.
See the foot prints on the lake?

Joel is wearing my flip flops.

Judi is wearing Joel’s shoes and the monkey face robe she got for Christmas.

Sally is fascinated with the water.

Do you think she wants to be a duck?
J

Sweet Sixteen Getaway Part 3

January 7, 2010 / / 0 Comments
I am not a big mall person.  Judi likes malls so I go.
But the Opry Mills mall was very impressive.
It has a merry-go-round in the food court.
It has an Aquarium restaurant with a 200,000 gallon tank
and a game room where you can pet stingrays.
We actually ate at Tony Roma’s.  It was very good. 
One of the first stores we went in was Gibson’s Showcase.
They had a window where you could watch them build guitars
and mandolins.

Joel and Judi went straight for the basses.
Judi would like an acoustic bass.. they had one on sale for $600.
I wonder if she’s willing to pay for half.
We surprised ourselves by doing most of our shopping at Outdoor Word.
We found Judi a red 4 in one coat 30% off.
She hasn’t owned a real coat since we moved from IL.
And Mike and I found wind chimes for our back patio.

Sweet Sixteen Getaway Part 2

January 7, 2010 / / 0 Comments

If you’ve never been to a Gaylord (http://www.gaylordhotels.com/), you should visit one.  We’ve been to the one in Dallas, too and they are impressive.  They come complete with a mini shopping mall and restaurants.  Although you don’t have to spend the night to visit, be prepared to pay for parking.  They are a great place to take a walk and pictures on a cold winter or hot summer day.

This antebellum house is restaurant.

Indoor Waterfall

The thing that motivated us to go was that we heard
that they have the best Christmas decorations.

Bigger than life nativity.

I am still getting the hang of self photographing.
Must remember not to tilt my head.

A little better.

One of the kids’ favorite words is “Haagen Dazs.”  
They love to say it with a heavy accent.
Our first time to actually try their ice cream.
I got the coffee mocha chip. It was perfect.

They had orchids growing in their trees.

We had these growing in our yard in FL.

They had a whole 30 ft Christmas tree made out of poinsettias.

Sweet Sixteen Getaway Part 1

January 7, 2010 / / 0 Comments

For Judi’s birthday Joel, Judi, Mike and I went to Nashville to shop at the Opryland Mills mall and see the Gaylord Opryland hotel and to eat some great food.

Our room hid behind the palm trees.

See Mike sitting on our balcony?

It was a really nice room.
The pictures on the wall reminded me of my flower pictures at home.

Mike said he wants to live in an atrium.
Can’t complain about the cold.

You could see the “river” tours passing by below.

Ice Princess

January 7, 2010 / / 1 Comment

After 4 years warm years in Tampa and 5 in San Antonio,  Judi doesn’t remember much about all the snow we got in IL.  

So what does she wish?  In Montgomery she wished for and got a snow fall both winters when they only normally get one every 6 years.  
Now in Madison she’s wishing bigger wishes.  She wants to skate on our lake.  Last year it didn’t snow here until March.  She’s already had one snow fall and our little lake is starting to ice up.

Ground’s frozen.

The lake’s getting there.
The ducks found a warm spot.
Burrrr!
J

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