beautiful feet

Those feet, the ones that I used to feel pushing on my abdomen from the inside out, are now woman’s feet…my sized feet. They still seek out puddles in which to jump, grass to run and frolic, and attempt to fly in air for cartwheel fun, but the toenails that used to have dirt underneath are now painted hues of pink, yet another indicator of turning from girl to young lady.

These feet have left the country for what I used to call a concrete jungle. We now realize it is hopscotch heaven, where youngsters giggle, ride bikes, and look for places to crouch in play of hide and seek. These feet still stand on scooters, but now run to help little friends on tricycles. These are helping feet that want to grow up, but still like to play.

These feet stand on level ground. They have been trained in the way they should go. I pray that they will not stray from the path before her, that they would be shod with the gospel of peace, continuing to learn “how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” (Rom 10:15)

finding my way

My devotional at Faith Lifts today...

(p.s. Kudos to dear daughter for the new template!)

Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life.

No man cometh to the Father, but by me.

John 14:16

I have a confession to make.

I am directionally challenged. I can easily get lost in a mall, forget the way to my car in the parking lot, and would never be caught in a new locale without my GPS.

Just yesterday, I was on the way to my new home and found that the usual road on which I travel was closed. My GPS could not pick up a signal and I found myself detoured, lost in an unknown neighborhood. I called my husband who had access to Google maps and had him help me maneuver and find my way.

“What direction are you heading, Angie?” he asked.

“I dunno. It’s noon and the sun is straight overhead. How am I supposed to know?” I answered.
My husband, on the other hand, has a gifted sense of direction. I used to joke that I could blindfold him, spin him around, and he could automatically point north. As a firefighter he had to know every street and route to make it to emergency calls. Now, as a helicopter pilot, it is imperative that he knows directionality for cross countries and even be able to navigate through zero visibility flight conditions.

Just months ago, before a big move to our new home, I had a recurring dream of being on an expressway and coming upon a mix-master, a spaghetti bowl of entrances and exits. I would always awake with a panicked feeling of not knowing which road to take. I suppose it wouldn’t be too difficult to interpret that particular dream.

Recently, I have been amused by my eight-year-old son who has taken up collecting compasses. They are more than just little trinkets to him. I watch as he takes each one outside, turn, and find his way through an imaginary obstacle course, obviously predisposed to follow in his father’s footsteps.

Oh that I would always follow in my Father’s footsteps. How I need Holy Spirit to cut through emotions, my flesh which seeks to walk by sight, and the unknown. I pull out the compass of His word. It lights the path before me. Whether [I] turn to the right or to the left, [my] ears will hear a voice behind [me], saying, “This is the way; walk in it” (Isaiah 30:21).

Growing in Grace ~ Magazine for Ladies

August has arrived! Every issue of Growing in Grace Magazine is special, but my heart skipped a little beat when I saw this particular issue...


Olivia and I are thrilled to be part of this wonderful resource for young ladies. I am so proud of my daughter who is able to share a little more this month. In case you haven't seen her photo in previous posts, this is my little girl on the cover who is growing in grace. In addition to our own articles, there are many more interesting pieces by such talented young ladies.

Please note the giveaway and contest as well. Enjoy!

perhaps you have noticed...

I haven't been blogging much lately, but I have started

• Because its okay to just say what you have to say. If that makes for a long post, fine. Short post, fine. Frequent post, fine. Infrequent post, fine.
  


• Because its okay to not always be enthralled with the sound of your own typing.
  


• Because sometimes less is more.
  


• Because only blogging when you feel truly inspired keeps up the integrity of your blog.
  


• Because for most of us blogging is just a hobby. A way to express yourself and connect with others. You should not have to apologize for lapses in posts. Just take a step back and enjoy life, not everything you do has to be "bloggable".
  


• Because if you blog without obligation you will naturally keep your blog around longer, because it won't be a chore. Plus, just think you will be doing your part to eradicate post pollution. One post at a time. . .

I am simply busy living life, enjoying my family, our new home, and new friends. We live in the best cul-de-sac ever. There are so many friendly moms and kidlets.

In my free time, I came across a fun bloggy thing to do. It is from Wordle. It takes random words from your site and creates a word cloud. You can customize the colors, shape, etc. This is my place "wordle-ized".

(Give a little click and you'll see it better!)

Also, if you are looking for excellent word-based teaching, you must visit Sidharth and his team at Imrah Ministries. They have a wonderful series going on. Grow in the word and in your relationship with your Abba.

Hope you all are having as good of a summer as I am.

Peace,
Angie

sunday prayer by ulrike

My dear sister in Christ, Ulrike, sent this prayer to me today. It is such a confirmation to me as God's word has ministered this very truth to me these past few days. My husband has officially left his job of twenty years to begin a new endeavor so this promise is such a comfort to me. Thank You Lord! I pray this will touch your heart at the point of your need today. God bless you all.

Luke 11:11-13 "If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?"

Most Holy Father God, many of your children have parents who sacrificed a lot to provide the very best for their children and even children’s children. Yet nothing compares to your goodness and generosity and perfection. All earthly parents fall short in comparison. May those three little words "HOW MUCH MORE" become ingrained in our spirit when we become too satisfied with the things of earth. You have so much more in store for us, not just in the future but here and right now. One of those blessings is the presence of your Holy Spirit in our lives. We ask and gladly receive him in Jesus name, for without him we can do nothing worthwhile, which brings glory to your Holy Name. We trust the Holy Spirit to safely guide us in the path of righteousness all the way home into your eternal presence. Amen and Halleluiah!

are you wilted?

My devotional at Faith Lifts today...

“I’ll water it later,” I thought as I noticed a houseplant that was beginning to wilt. It was only slightly under-watered and I was very busy getting ready for a big vacation so I did not have time to tend to it.

This same thing occurred two more times. Each time I noticed the plant, it hung lower and lower until finally the leaves were facing the ground as if downcast. If I had not taken the time to finally water it before our vacation, it surely would not have made it.

Likewise, when we get caught up in the busyness of life and put off the watering of God’s word to our hearts, we too can become wilted and downcast. We have a hard time overcoming the many difficulties that come up in life.

When we meditate on His precepts day and night, we are like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. We prosper at whatever we do (Psalm 1:2-3).

Let us be careful to not procrastinate as I did with my plant. The rewards are great. We are full of life and rejuvenated. We are able to bear fruit that can be offered to others for their nourishment. Our faces will be radiant and lifted up, as with my plant that was finally watered, giving glory and praise to our Maker.

praise walking

Rarely a day passes without my morning or evening walk.

There is so much to take in. Praise cannot help but burst forth!

::

sparkling dew on tapered blades of green
gradients of azure, a celurean scene

praise walking

clumps of flowers arrayed by His creation
birds on rooftops, swooping down in elation

praise walking

secret shady trails with creek
rays of sun through branches leak

praise walking

rhythmic breaths in counts of three
with me Holy Trinity

praise walking

special offer

Sunday morning. I am up before the sun, before kids are awake, and the demands of the day pull me in all directions. I stretch under the covers and in my laziness, reach for the remote control.

Click. Paid programming appears as the title at the top of my television. Cindy Crawford persuades me to give her my money so that I can have the same flawless skin that she has. Oh my, an introductory offer at $29.95. I am tempted.

Change channel. More paid programming. I contemplate purchasing a sweeper that swivels and goes places that my current clunky vacuum cannot. That handy little thing would fit just right behind my laundry room door. Even the kids could use it. This is a definite possibility.

Change channel. Again, paid programming. An exercise video that promises to make me firm in six weeks. Hmmm, I would love to have those abs.

Change channel. No surprise this time—paid programming. I am offered a program guaranteed to give me a financial makeover through purchasing real estate. Nah, too complicated. I just bought a house and don’t care to go through that again.

Click. Power off. I sit up in bed, turn on the light, put on my glasses, and open a book in my lap. The pages teach me about the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight; a cleaning that can turn my scarlet sin as white as snow; One who exercises kindness, justice, and righteousness in all the earth and can open the floodgates of heaven pouring out so much blessing that I will not have room enough for it.

Best of all, it is free! Purchased and paid in full by Jesus. A free gift that only needs to be received. The toll free line is easily accessible by simply opening your heart to His promises. How can you refuse this special offer?

endless gift list

At Ann's direction, I will no longer number my gift list. This gift list is endless because the gift Giver's love reaches to the heavens, His faithfulness to the skies. Praise God for His goodness...

Little hands clasped tightly behind my neck

A puppy kiss on my ankle

.
Stopping my car for ducks crossing

.

A good book

Macromoments with Photo Buffet

The sound of kids playing outside

A new BOAZ

Reconciliation

Adding another feather to my collection

The art and intricacies of a feather



New flowers

Enjoying the Bloshoi Ballet with my son

Witnessing kids playing footsies under the kitchen table

Afternoon nap in the heat of the day
.
Morning and evening walks...ears listening, eyes watching, heart pumping
.
Rosemary and thyme at my fingertips

New recipe with pancko breadcrumbs

Roses--I always wanted a bush, but never knew I would have a dozen


Hearing mom tell stories from her youth

Friendly neighbors

Daughter's growing pains...being conformed into the image of Christ

A long overdue rain shower

Radical fun


Walking in the rain

Bike rides and more bike rides

Wild sunflowers

Hearing husband's voice on the phone

Sewing with Grandma

Another Father's Day with my dad

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

i can see

my new specs

Blurry vision, recurring headaches, eye twitching, and the realization that I am inching closer to my fortieth birthday, prompted me to have my eyes checked. After a thorough examination, sure enough, the doctor could not believe I had gone so long without glasses.

I recall when she slipped the magical lens in front of my eyes how the letters before me came into focus. Even the white background behind the letters was illuminated, turning from gray to bright white. How had I endured this fuzzy focus for so many years? It seemed so normal to me.

On the way home from the clinic where I finally picked up my glasses, the best way I know to describe my new vision is to say that all of a sudden things had a high definition quality about them. There was a new depth to my eyesight. No longer did I see just a tree along side of the road. I could also see the detail of leaves.

This made me question. How are my spiritual eyes lacking? In what areas am I walking in darkness and do not even realize it?

Oh Lord, with the psalmist, I ask, open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law (Ps 119:18). I want to see the world through the lens of your word, my spiritual vision illuminated and magnified by faith!

listen for the alarm

The following is my post at Faith Lifts. The site is back up after undergoing some administrative changes. It is such a wonderful place of encouragement.

Where we have recently moved there is a railroad track several blocks over. I remember hearing the unmistakable sound of a train when we first visited a church across the street from the tracks. The pastor did not miss a beat as he preached, but my husband and I could not ignore the vibrations and howling of the horn. We exchanged looks, raising our eyebrows, but everyone else in the congregation was dazed and seemingly unaware of the noisy obtrusion.

As we considered moving to this city by the tracks, I questioned if I would be able to handle this regular visitation. I am such a light sleeper. Would it wake me up in the middle of the night? Would I become immune to its sounds?

The deed is done. We are now a few weeks into living at our new house and yes, I have adjusted to the noise of the locomotion. Now, when I do become aware of its passing, it produces a kind of a homey feeling inside.

What worldly things traverse through our own lives that we have become accustomed to as I have that train? Perhaps at first, we were shocked at their presence, but after they pass through repeatedly, the continuous exposure somehow moves from repulsive to acceptable. It settles in and takes residence if we allow it.

In 2 Corinthians we learn that we are to “come out from among them, and be ye separate… (v. 17).” Furthermore, we are taught that “friendship of the world is enmity with God (James 4:4).”
How do we know what is acceptable to Him? When one gets closer to the heart of God by knowing His word and is “transformed by the renewing of your mind”, then you can “prove what is [the] good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God (Romans 12:2).”

Let us carefully weigh the barrage of worldly intrusions. When the things of this world come in like a freight train, and the Holy Spirit causes the alarm of the horn to go off, hear it, and do not ignore the warning. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. (Romans 12:9)