Reposing in the Refiner's Fire

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,

Is laid for your faith in His excellent word!

What more can He say than to you He hath said—

To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?

“Fear not, I am with thee, oh, be not dismayed,

For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid;

I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,

Upheld by My gracious, omnipotent hand.

“When through the deep waters I call thee to go,

The rivers of sorrow shall not overflow;

For I will be with thee thy trouble to bless,

And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

“When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,

My grace, all-sufficient, shall be thy supply;

The flame shall not harm thee; I only design

Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.

“The soul that on Jesus doth lean for repose,

I will not, I will not, desert to his foes;

That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,

I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.

Lilac Melodies

Sometimes, flowers from a friend is just what the heart needs to sing again....even if it is only a pix!

The Pain and Pleasure of Learning

If I knew what my moments, days, months and years would have consisted of, would I have willingly faced them? Would I be willing to relive those same time frames with all the lessons given and learned, wounds received and inflicted?

I have had the luxury of reading several Lamplighter Publishing Rare Collector Series books this week. They are beautiful books from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries that portray Godliness and the beauty of Biblical character qualities couched in the loveliest stories. More than once, the parallels of my days have corresponded amazingly with these books.

While reading "Joel...a boy of Galilee", I was given a new peer perspective of the life of Christ. All these scriptures pooled together in an instantly new, spider webbed understanding as I filtered it through my own recent events.

• Christ came at the 'appointed' time. He did not drag His feet despite knowing the pain He would endure.
• He humbled Himself every moment.
• He never explained Himself or tried to defend Himself. He just praised GOD, spoke from the Bible while being a living example.
• He asked once for relief, for GOD to take the cup from Him, but then asked for GOD's will to be done, not His own.

How often have I come up against a struggle or pain in my life and asked GOD to please remove it!? I cannot count how many times I have lived this scenario. Life is painful at times....but it is nothing in comparison to what Jesus chose to endure. If we are to be like Christ, then we should expect nothing less than what He experienced.

Hebrews12:1-7
Jesus, the Example


1Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
2fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
4You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin;
5and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons,
"MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD,
NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM;
6FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES,
AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES."
7It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?

Here is the closing paragraph from Lamplighter's "Sweet Revenge" which has become a dear prayer:

     'And Martin Hope is going his way unnoticed except by the One Who takes note of all that is done for His sake. The people of Brentwich love him because he is the best friend they have when their poor bodies are overtaken by pain and weakness. Foxy loves him in return for the unwavering devotion which he has ever shown as a friend; but no one thinks of making any sort of fuss over him, and he never expects or wants it. He pursues his way, doing 'whatsoever his hand findeth to do with his might', and leaving the results in the hands of Him who never forgets the humblest service that is rendered to Him, and in His name.'

Touched by a Patch of Grass

Despite the oddity of this picture, I saw a tender sweetness in it.

Here is a screen for smoothing the lawn prior to and after seeding

and in the midst of it all is a thriving patch of grass

fulfilling what it was designed to do, namely, GROW!!

The grass did not take inventory of its locale, its environmental properties,

or the contribution it would have on the surroundings.

Instead, the grass just did what it was hard-wired to do.

It grew and subsequently gave me great delight

and gave me a sweet lesson!

IF....In the Midst of it All

I memorized this poem in seventh grade and it has been the most singularly useful piece of knowledge from my elementary education (aside from rudimentary math skills!) and has been one of my anchors in difficult times. This week could have been one of the worst imaginable, yet GOD has sustained me with His stength, confidence, incredible love and Words in His love letter to me. I am amazed at His faithfulness, His nearness and tenderness in a troubled time.

IF you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
' Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,
if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

GOD's Rosebud

A new minister

was walking with an older,

more seasoned minister

in the garden one day.

Feeling a bit insecure

about what God

had for him to do,

he was asking the older preacher

for some advice.

The older preacher

walked up to a rosebush

and handed the young preacher

a rosebud and told him

to open it

without tearing off any petals.

The young preacher

looked in disbelief

at the older preacher

and was trying to figure out

what a rosebud

could possibly have to do

with his wanting to know

the will of God

for his life and ministry.

But because of his great respect

for the older preacher,

he proceeded to try to unfold the rose,

while keeping every petal intact.

It wasn't long

before he realized

how impossible

this was to do.

Noticing the younger preacher's inability

to unfold the rosebud

without tearing it,

the older preacher

began to recite

the following poem...

"It is only a tiny rosebud,

A flower of God's design;

But I cannot unfold the petals

With these clumsy hands of mine."

"The secret of unfolding flowers

Is not known to such as I.

GOD opens this flower so easily,

But in my hands they die."

"If I cannot unfold a rosebud,

This flower of God's design,

Then how can I have the wisdom

To unfold this life of mine?"

"So I'll trust in God for leading

Each moment of my day.

I will look to God for guidance

In each step of the way."

"The path that lies before me,

Only my Lord knows.

I'll trust God to unfold the moments,

Just as He unfolds the rose."

Silent Shearing

Today I learned and experienced many things first hand. During each moment, I realized that my day today was nothing in comparison to the Suffering Servant. Here is how Isaiah described Him in chapter 53:

"He was despised and forsaken of men,

A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;

And like one from whom men hide their face,

He was despised and we did not esteem Him

Surely our griefs He Himself bore,

And our sorrows He carried;

Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,

Smitten of God, and afflicted.

But He was pierced through for our transgressions,

He was crushed for our iniquities;

The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him.

And by His scourging we are healed.

All of us like sheep have gone astray,

Each of us has turned to His own way;

But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all

To fall upon Him.

He was oppressed and He was afflicted,

Yet He did not open His mouth;

Like a lamb that is led to slaughter,

And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers,

So He did not open His mouth."

This evening, the only one I could turn to was this Suffering Servant, so I sang to Him

"What a friend we have in Jesus,

all our sins and griefs to bear,

what a privilage to carry,

everything to GOD in prayer."

"Consider My Servant..."

"And the Lord said to Satan, 'Have you considered my servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning from evil.'
Then Satan answered the Lord "Does Job fear God for nothing? Hast Thou not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands and his possessions have increased in the land. But put forth Thy hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse Thee to Thy face.'
Then the Lord  said to Satan 'Behold,  all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him.' "

I trust GOD enough with my days, that if God should see fit to test me all the way to my earthly grave, I long to hear Him say as he did regarding Job...

"Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God."

The Clarity of Dimentia

On the bus ride home this evening, a new rider got on board and sat at the front side-facing seats. After about sixty seconds he spoke up and mentioned that the previous bus just passed him by, though he was standing at the stop. Nobody responded to this lost hagaard man with what appeared to be beginning stage dimentia. He was pleasant and well-dressed, just slightly askew.

After a long, silent moment, a mentally handicapped woman sitting across from him responded that it had passed her by too. After a few more sentences, an ex-con on parole joined in the conversation about the inconveniences and heartlessness of public transit.

These three had a common denominator: a lack of social inhibition. Dimentia, mentally handicapped and law-breaker mingled into a lovely exchange that any of us riders could have nodded in experiential agreement with and participated, but nobody spoke.

I smiled from my seat near the back and wished I could have put in my two cents worth! Mass transit is terribly inconvenient and sometimes down right insulting to both freedom and schedule, yet it does bring some joy and amusement when you strike up a conversation with a common denominator!

Seeking

My name means 'seeking one' with the literal translation being a bee.

It has always been my desire to seek after the things of GOD, to put Him first in my life. Although I frequently take hold of the reigns to steer my way through life's obstacle course, I do revert to my overlying commitment to GOD.

I found this fabric and loved it not only for its blue and white qualities, a favourite of mine, but because it represents me in so many aspects. I am going to embroider about a third of the bees to add additional texture and dimension, eventually making it into a tablecloth for tea.

The Lap of Luxury

Sweet Zoe!

Apparantly, she got separated from the herd and was crying like a baby. Her mom, Oreo, kept on eating. My sister, the "Nanny Goat" went into the pasture, squatted in the grass and called her name. Zoe came at a dead run, crying, with lop ears flopping up and down. My sister picked her up, Zoe tucked her head under my sister's chin, heart racing and nickering sweetly!

Oh to know the sound of the shepherd's voice!

No Kidding!

Oh! The patience of mothering....

......and the sweetness of nap time!!!

Aren't these sweet!?

I believe this is the epitome of free range chickens!

The Nanny Antedote

My sister has become a Nanny for several goats. This is my favourite picture as it captures my sister's care so well! She had to provide extra care to one of the kids after the mother abandoned all three at birth. Two had not survived by the time they were discovered and the one found alive needed a week of tender care and bonding to recover sufficiently.

Choosing to Remain Small

GOD is not confined to my view of Him as Shepherd, Lord, Ruler, Creator, Jehovah, Saviour. My views are tainted by my own humanity and life experience.

• The greatest shepherd who ever lived does not tend his sheep as well as the Master Shepherd.
• The best artist can only immitate a mere shadow of what has already been created by the Master Creator.
• The best father and provider can only provide within his means and abilities. This is nothing compared to the infinite resources and blessings of our Heavenly Father and Provider.
• The greatest rescue story of all time has never sacrificed so much as the rescue that took place on Calvary for every person who has ever lived and who is yet to be born.

IF GOD who is infinitely greater, bigger, more powerful can reduce Himself to a speck of dust to walk amongst us as a faithful servant and sacrificial lamb, then how much more should I desire to remain a servant to my Master who has called me by name. I should not desire to be loved and valued by mankind, only to bear the love of HIM WHO loved greatly. As I mirror Him each moment and meld my heart to His, may He alone be seen and get the glory.

I choose to remain small to mankind and great in His eyes!

Blessed Be the Name

For the past two weeks, I finished house and animal sitting for two different families. During this time, a journal full of events happened, but here are a few pages from that journal that note the give and take most poigniantly.

A pair of nesting Muscovy ducks from house #1 had no place to bathe. Although I visited the used childrens stores in town for a yard pool, I found none. However, in the woods at house #2, I found a brand new saucer sled with a 2.5 inch water capacity. This would be in the GIVE category.

My initial arrival at house #2 was met by opened doors and windows and two absent teens. Upon further discovery, the indoor cat was now outdoors in moose, bear and lynx territory (only the day before had a large lynx been photographed in the yard). TAKE. Another day I found the dogs outside with nobody home, but fortunately the largest breeds have electronic fence collars on which keep them nearly contained, but not safe.

As the midnight sun burned the candle at both ends of the day, the internal clocks of the teenagers switched modes, and friends came through the house by way of the electronically wired doors that verbalized which door on which level was being accessed at any time. Sleepless nights and concern for everyone's well-being ensued, as well as wondering how to relay necessary information to the parents. This again in the TAKE category.

Every day I scouted and kept an Eagle eye for the lost cat, until by day five I knew every rock and brush in the surrounding area. As I closed the bedroom blinds with my contact lenses out, I again surveyed one last inventory of my well known rocks; alas, this time I recognized one out of place! I grabbed coat and boots and shepherded my way down the hillside near her and called her to safety. Her voice was gone, she was shaken, cold and hungry, but unharmed. GOD had answered my impossible prayer. She never left my side the remainder of my time at the house. During that first night in safety, she laid across my neck with her tail and half the forest floor draped around my face, suction cupped by the pitch dots, while all four feet played a game of twister on my facial features. She could not get close enough and we neither of us noticed any discomfort; so great was our mutual gratitude of safety. GIVE GIVE GIVE.

Day five at house #2 also brought the departure of one of the teens to Columbia. I was very concerned for her safety, so much so that I was not at rest about it, feeling almost nauseous. Her blond naivete and sweet disposition did not lend itself to my confidence in the departure to her unsafe destination. TAKE.

As she left, she gave me the keys to her car to drive for the two weeks of her trip. GIVE.

After 24 hours of using her vehicle, her parents, who just arrived back in town, informed me that she was returning home due to illness. She would need to TAKE her car back, but infinitely more, GOD was GIVING her safety and GAVE me abundant peace of mind. I was amazed at His goodness to my mothering heart!

It was very overwhelmingly difficult to face walking home from work today. I had nothing left in me, the sleepless weeks and long work day had TAKEN its toll, but as I waited at the bus stop, a friend texted me to say that she was sorry that it had been so long. She just wanted me to know she was thinking about me and was caught up in mothering and work. What a gift she GAVE when I needed the extra encouragement.

It often feels like I am plucking daisy petals while saying "He Gives" "He Takes". Even when it seems like I have ended on something being taken, I desire to see what GOD has given me as a result.

"The Lord gives, The Lord Takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord".