HOMESICK

Yes, homesick.

Homesick for my old home – my old town, my old friends, my old church.

Homesick for my family.

It's been a rough couple of months.  Especially at the holidays.  Yes, I spent time with family and friends – but the time together made me even more acutely aware of the fact that I live away from them now.

There are activities that I know I would get to be part of if I was "still in town" – dinners, get-togethers, football games…

It's made me feel lonely and isolated – it's made me feel sad.

But it has also made me realize one very deep Truth…

I'm a foreigner.

You are too.

I suppose all of us in this country, unless we're Native Americans, are really just *imports*. Our ancestors came from another country. I'm one generation removed from my Scottish roots – (Aye, I'm just a wee lassie…call me McSharon). But, this isn't quite what I have in mind.

I'm talking about being foreigners on earth.

Because, you see, as believers we don't quite belong here.

Our home is somewhere else.

The Bible tells us that God has planted eternity in the human heart – and don't we just sense the truth of that? Doesn't your heart have a longing that you can't quite describe – and you can't quite fulfill – with anything or anyone or anywhere on this humble planet?

Don't you yearn for Heaven?

The blessed assurance is that we hope for a future that is promised – it's just waiting for us. Jesus told us that He went to prepare a place for us – and I believe it's the Truth!

And until that day, there will always be a part of us that doesn't belong here. There will always be a part of us that feels out-of-place. There will always be a part of us that lives like a sojourner in a foreign land…

But…(the glorious BUT!)…we have a future and a hope. We have a home just waiting for our return.

Listen to these wonderful words:

"'I will bring them back from Egypt and gather them from Assyria. I will resettle them…until there is no more room for them all. They will pass safely through the sea of distress, for the waves of the sea will be held back, and the waters of the Nile will dry up. The pride of Assyria will be crushed, and the rule of Egypt will end. By my power I will make my people strong, and by my authority they will go wherever they wish. I, the LORD, have spoken!'" (Zechariah 10:10-12)


Though these verses originally spoke to another audience, I believe that we can apply them to our current situation. This pictured return from Egypt and Assyria can be a symbolic way of expressing the hope of our future return to our heavenly homeland, and to our eternity living in the presence of God.

We believers will be gathered and returned from many countries around the world. We will be emancipated from slavery to sin, freed from captivity – we will return to Heaven triumphant!

Here's what I think God is saying to us:

"I will bring you back from Earth and gather you from all the countries of the world. I will resettle you in heavenly mansions…until there is no more room for you all! You will pass safely through the sea of death, for the wages of sin will be held back, and the power of the enemy will dry up. The pride of Satan will be crushed, and the rule of his authority will end. By my power I will make my people strong, and by my authority they will go wherever they wish. I, the LORD, have spoken!"

WOW!

I like the sound of that, don't you?!

So, in many ways, this old world just isn't "home" is it?

A poem I wrote on that thought:


HOMESICK

We are strangers on a lonely planet
Sinful sojourners who don't belong,
Caught between the cross and glory
Our longings for home are deep and strong.

Ransomed from death by perfect Blood
Given the chance to be re-born,
And yet we live in a sinful world
Waiting for Heaven, our hearts are torn.

We are soldiers in an occupied land
Ruled by a prince with evil intent,
Striving to win against his deadly ways
We struggle along, crippled and bent.

Now torn in two, we're not comfortable here
Yet we hear the faint strains from above,
So we live by our faith and we patiently wait
To return to God's Presence and Love.

Yes, we are pilgrims on a lonely journey
Finding ourselves barely able to cope,
But never lose sight of the prize, of the goal
And the Savior who lives – the source of our hope.

© Sharon Kirby
September 21, 2002


Yes I am lonely.

Homesick for my old home – my old town, my old friends, my old church.

Homesick for my family.

However, I hold on to this one overriding HOPE…

I will have eternity to spend with my family and friends.

We will have ALL THE TIME we want in Heaven.  Whatever time apart we mourn now, will forever be wiped out in the glorious Home we will all share.

And we will never again have to say good-bye.

So, fellow sojourners, live like you don't belong here. Yearn for eternity. Walk the earth, but keep your eyes on Heaven. Remember with confidence the hope we have for the future.

One day we will return to our homeland – and we will be led in triumph by the LORD God Himself!

Saying Good-bye 

Hello Mountain Home! 

What is the one thing you're most looking forward to in Heaven?



Linked today with:

Joan at SHARING HIS BEAUTY

Michelle at HEAR IT ON SUNDAY, USE IT ON MONDAY

Tracy at WINSOME WEDNESDAY

Charlotte at SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS
Bonnie at  FAITH BARISTA
Pamela at A SHELTERING TREE



BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

"FAN THE FLAME" FRIDAY - Fortitude

Welcome to "Fan the Flame" Friday.

This is a weekly post that will be "short and sweet" (kinda like me...)

Just a word and a phrase, a sentence or a question...just a little something to "fan the flame" of your creativity!


Today's word: fortitude

What does the word fortitude mean to you?

Do you consider yourself a person of fortitude?  Why or why not?

What is the one thing that requires the most fortitude out of you in your earthly life?  How about in your faith walk?


Let me know what you think!!



"Moreover [let us also be full of joy now!] let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance.  And endurance (fortitude) develops maturity of character (approved faith and tried integrity). And character [of this sort] produces [the habit of] joyful and confident hope of eternal salvation."  (Romans 5:3-4, AMP)



"This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you…For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1:6-7)


BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

STURDY STOCK

No, this is not a post about a particularly hearty bowl of chicken broth.

It's about me.

About the *stuff* that I'm made of.

*Sturdy: healthy, strong, vigorous, stalwart, rugged, tough
*Stock: lineage, family, ancestry, descent

When I moved to the mountains I thought I would fit in just fine.  After all, I reasoned, I still go tent camping, sleeping right on the ground.  I have an inner *pioneer woman* whose heart loves the wilderness.  A new mountain home should be a piece of cake.

I thought so…

However, to my great dismay, I have found that there lurks within me a remnant of *Off the Hill*, California, "DIVA girl" behavior.

There's no other way to explain the hissy fits I've been having lately.

When you live in a remote(ish) area, there are many challenges to face. Most are just a matter of convenience.

Like living in a two-story house for the first time - (I've fallen twice).  Like busing your own trash to the dump.  Like driving into town to get the mail. Like having to drive down the hill to go to the bank, or CVS, or a mainstream market.   (Or any sort of "chain" place…I mostly miss Subway).

Yes, we do have a gas station in town – if you want to spend around 30 cents/gallon more.   (I don't…)

And the snow.

Beautiful, and fun to play in – not so much fun to travel in.  Just ask Eddie, my car.

And it's really, really cold.  I'm just not used to having to bundle up in my own house.

You see, we're trying to save on heating costs – propane is WAY more expen$$$ive than natural gas, by the way.  (Yes, I hear you people in the Midwest and back East - or anywhere else with snow - chuckling at my naivete…)

So, I have been confronted on a regular basis by things that are just downright inconvenient – including a remodeled kitchen that isn't quite done yet.  (Oh, boo hoo).  And then, there are some things that are frustrating, difficult, bothersome, and challenging.

I thought I was a pioneer woman.

I have come to find out – I am a wimp.

I am very dismayed about this.

I really, really thought that I was NOT a typical prima donna diva…

I don't get my nails done, I don't wear much makeup, my hair is colored but not immaculately styled.  I don't wear designer clothes or high heels – in fact, mountain clothing is one of my favorite things up here.

But, I am evidently a convenience junkie – who is woefully challenged when challenged.

I am not Abraham – who left his homeland with faith and fortitude.

I am an Israelite, whining about the meat back in Egypt.

On a semi-regular basis, "The Hub" asks me:

"What is wrong with you?"

And all too often I reply:

"It's hard living up here."

The Lord and I have had many talks about this.  About why He has brought me up here.  I'm still struggling with it.  Wrestling with the struggles. Trying to "make peace" with my new home.  Especially with the fact that it does NOT feel like home to me.

At some level, I feel like this is a spiritual battle.

Evidently I am also a bit of a faith diva, too.

When the going gets tough, I want to get going…in the opposite direction.

(Jonah is my soul brother).

I don't think the enemy wants me up here.  I'm not sure why.  But I know that God prompted this move.  And that fact alone accounts for the spiritual warfare.

That's part of what I'm learning – if God wants you somewhere, Satan will fight against you.  First he'll try to keep you from going.  And if that doesn't work, then he'll try to keep you unhappy and ineffective where you are.

Hmmm.

I'm thinking about those Israelites again.

Yes, they moved when God said move.

But then they spent years grumbling about it.  They fought against His clear direction, they did not appreciate His constant presence, they missed His blessings for want of something else.

Wow.

I am convicted.

Another thing about those Israelites.  They never saw the Promised Land.

I am reminded of a certain scouting report:

"After exploring the land for forty days, the men returned…They reported to the whole community what they had seen and showed them the fruit they had taken from the land.  This was their report to Moses: 'We entered the land you sent us to explore, and it is indeed a bountiful country—a land flowing with milk and honey. Here is the kind of fruit it produces.  But the people living there are powerful, and their towns are large and fortified. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak!  The Amalekites live in the Negev, and the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the hill country. The Canaanites live along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and along the Jordan Valley.'"


(translated into Sharon-speak): "It's so hard here."


"But Caleb tried to quiet the people as they stood before Moses. 'Let's go at once to take the land,' he said. 'We can certainly conquer it!'

But the other men who had explored the land with him disagreed. 'We can't go up against them! They are stronger than we are!'  So they spread this bad report about the land among the Israelites: 'The land we traveled through and explored will devour anyone who goes to live there. All the people we saw were huge.  We even saw giants there…Next to them we felt like grasshoppers, and that's what they thought, too!'"  (from Numbers 13, NLT)


(translated into Sharon-speak): "It's so hard here."


Those ten spies were divas, in my opinion.  And they got the whole bunch of Israelites complaining.  A bitter spirit is easily spread.  And it grows once it is given a foothold.  I know – I've got some bitter roots that have taken hold in my heart.

Only Caleb and Joshua saw the possibility in the new land.

Why?

Because their eyes were firmly fixed on the Lord's presence and power – not on the obstacles.

Whining is for wimps – courage is for conquerors.


So, I'm praying…hard.

Because I want to see the Promised Land up here.  I want to see God in all of this.

I want to be made of sturdier stock.

I want to be one of the two spies who looked to the future and said with spiritual faith and fortitude:

"We will surely conquer the land."


Lord, please help me to focus on You.  Take my eyes off the difficulties, and show me the opportunities and blessings that are just waiting for me up here. Give me direction this year.  Uproot my bitterness, quiet my complaining, melt my stubborn and stony heart.  Grant me the courage to be a conqueror.

Make this mountain my home.


"'The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good.  If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us.  Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.'" (Numbers 14:7-9, NIV)

Sharon of Sturdy Stock

(YES!  That is a knee brace - my version of sturdy!  LOL!)

What's keeping you from entering your Promised Land?


Linked today with:

Joan at SHARING HIS BEAUTY
Michelle at HEAR IT ON SUNDAY, USE IT ON MONDAY
Tracy at WINSOME WEDNESDAY
Charlotte at SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS


BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

WHO WON THE "POLL" POSITION?

First of all, I want to thank all of you who voted on my poll!

I always appreciate your input.

The results of the poll were as follows:

Add photos: 12
No photos – keep things the same: 7


But, I have a (small) confession to make.  I have been thinking about this photo/no photo thing for a while now.  And I had pretty much made up my mind about what I wanted to do.  However, I wanted to see what you thought out there in Blog Land.  I wanted to make sure that *my* decision wasn't way off from *yours*.

"The Hub" and I really enjoy taking photographs, and we certainly live in a beautiful setting.  And I have always been intrigued by the idea of *painting pictures with my eyes*.

Can you detect my "leaning"??

So, in an effort to be "as wise as Solomon" – here's what I've come up with.

I will be adding photos to my blog posts – maybe not every one – but for the most part.  But…(here's the effort to make everyone happy)…I'm going to add the photos at the END of my posts.  That way, those of you who didn't want photos can just read the post and skip the *photo op* at the end.  To those of you who wanted photos, the picture will be a P.S. at the end of the post.

Easy cheesy.


Hope this format works.

At least let's give it a whirl for a while and try it out – OK?  OK!


"Give me an understanding mind so that I can govern your people well..." 
(1 Kings 3:9, NLT)


BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

"FAN THE FLAME" FRIDAY - Freedom

Welcome to "Fan the Flame" Friday.

This is a weekly post that will be "short and sweet" (kinda like me...)

Just a word and a phrase, a sentence or a question...just a little something to "fan the flame" of your creativity!


Today's word: freedom

What does the word freedom mean to you?

What is the difference between the *freedom* of "doing your own thing" - and the freedom of obedience?

If you had to pick, what is the one thing that gives you the biggest sense of freedom in your walk with Jesus?


Let me know what you think!!


"So if the Son makes you free, you will be truly free."  (John 8:36, NCV)

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."  (Galatians 5:1, NIV)



"This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you…For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1:6-7)


BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

DOWN IN THE DUMP

No, not down in the DUMPS – but literally, down in the dump!

One of the fun little challenges up here in the mountains is the fact that we have to "bus" our own trash.  (Well, to be honest, it's "The Hub" – not "we").

So, about once every two weeks or so, he makes the trek down to the dump.  It's about a 10-minute drive out of town – which is easy to do right now, but might provide a little more fun when we get ***snow*** up here - (yes, I wrote this before the last flurries of fun...)

One day he asked if I wanted to accompany him.

Well, sure, why not.

My sons actually remodeled a home up here about 6 years ago, and that involved several (many, a bunch, tons) of trips to the dump.  I never made the traveling team on that.

But, I've always been a little curious about the dump.

I had visions of those pictures I've seen on TV.  You know, a huge landfill of stratified refuse, with a bulldozer moving all the muck around.  I had visions of alleyways between the towers of rotting…well, rotting everything.  

And oh, I could only imagine the smell!

But, curiosity got the better of me, and so I hopped in the car for the dump-dumping extravaganza.

The first thing I learned is that our dump is more accurately called a "transfer station" – which I figured was just a politically correct way of saying "smelly, disgusting pile of trash."  You know, kinda like how I call my (dyed) gray hair – pigment-challenged follicles.

So, armed with a new bottle of waterless soap, I jumped in the car.

Soon we turned off the main road onto the side road to the "transfer station."

A winding road took us far into the mountains.  This made sense to me.  I figured the longish drive was to keep the smell away from the more populated areas.

As we turned the corner, I caught my first glimpse of the dump.

And got the shock of my life!

There before me lay a circular area (like a parking lot) full of dumpsters all lined up side by side.

What?!?

No landfill?  No towers of trash?  No smell???

Nope.

Just one very well-organized place to leave your junk.  Dumpsters labeled "Ashes" – "Normal Trash" – "Recyclables" – "Cardboard" – "Metal" – bigger dumpsters for "Bulky Items" – and one for "Electronic Waste."  Also a place in the back for "Green Waste" (branches and leaves and such).

I was astonished.

It was so…well, so un-trashy.

Yes, I get it now, I thought to myself.  Here we "transfer" our trash to the dumpsters, and then someone else "transfers" it to…well, actually I don't know where – must be a landfill somewhere else!

No mess, no hassle.

(A sidenote here:  Do you guys that live somewhere else in the country have Waste Management?  I'm not kidding – "The Hub" and I have traveled in the western United States a lot, and all we seem to see is Waste Management dumpsters.  I seriously think these people have a monopoly on trash).

I looked at "The Hub" with wide-open eyes.  And then, with a smile, I said, "Can I come here again?" 

It was just so easy.

And you can bring ALL of your stuff here.  No rules.  

Down below where my parents live, the city has a limit on how many cans you're allowed to put at the curb.  Where we used to live, we could ONLY use the trashcans provided by…yes, you guessed it, Waste Management.  AND, you couldn't fill them heavier than 50 pounds.  AND, if you wanted to get rid of anything else, like a crummy couch or mattress, or something bulky like that – you had to schedule an appointment for pick-up.  And you were only allowed to do that like twice in a year.

Up here, the sky's the limit.

It almost makes me want to be more "trashy" – wait, that didn't quite sound right…

Well, I'm sure you're wondering where I'm going with all of this.  I'm hoping this is an amusing little story – but you know that I'm always looking for that *God lesson* in life.

Here's what I got thinking about.

Lots of times I look at my life and it seems like a hodge-podge of junk. Useless feelings, crumpled up thoughts, discarded goals, rotting problems – my own little pile of trash.  

Sometimes I get out a bulldozer and move things around a little bit – but the stinky piles still remain.

What a mess, I often think to myself.  What a mess.

Lord, I often feel like a dump.

But does HE see me that way?

Oh no!  

In His Sovereignty, He has created a well-organized "transfer station."

His blood, my sin.  His death, my life.  His resurrection, my eternity.

It's a good deal.

No rules.  There are no limits to the refuse I can leave at the curb for Him to take care of.  And He doesn't care how I "can" it – it can come in tears or in anger.  No limit to the "poundage" of my junk.  And those bulky things? The BIG stuff? 

Yup, He can handle that too.  (And not just twice a year).

Yes, the sky's the limit.

In gratitude for His perfect "waste management," I look at Jesus with a wide-open heart, and say with a smile, "Can I come here again?"


Are you "dumping" your trash at the foot of the Cross?

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HAVE YOU DONE YOUR *SHARON* DUTY and voted on the sidebar? C'mon, VOTE!

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Linked today with:
Joan at SHARING HIS BEAUTY
Michelle at HEAR IT ON SUNDAY, USE IT ON MONDAY
Tracy at WINSOME WEDNESDAY
Charlotte at SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS


BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

"FAN THE FLAME" FRIDAY - Uphold

Welcome to "Fan the Flame" Friday.

This is a weekly post that will be "short and sweet" (kinda like me...)

Just a word and a phrase, a sentence or a question...just a little something to "fan the flame" of your creativity!


Today's word: uphold

What does the word uphold mean to you?

In what ways does God personally uphold you?

What is one verse that serves to uphold you with God's Truth?


Let me know what you think!!


"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."  (Isaiah 41:10)

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DON'T FORGET TO VOTE ON THE SIDEBAR!  Thank you...thank you very much.
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"This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you…For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1:6-7)


BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

BETWEEN A ROCK AND A TREE PLACE

The wondrous adventure of mountain living continues…

So, right before the first of the year, I had to come back down the hill for a dentist appointment.  I. HAD. TO. COME. DOWN.  You see, I had already postponed this appointment once, and I just couldn't do it again.  

My appointment was on a Thursday morning – therefore, traveling day was Wednesday.  However, when I woke up on Wednesday morning, I was rather shocked and dismayed to see the weather outside.

Oh, blustery blizzard blowing…and cold, cold, cold.

Yup, a rainy snowy-slush was pouring down, the wind was gusting hard, and it was like 28 outside.

I was scared.

I waited until early afternoon, and realized that the weather was NOT going to break, and I had to get going.

"The Hub" has lived in the mountains before.  He has driven in the snow.  He has four-wheel drive.  Eddie the Explorer, my car, is a snow virgin.  Inexperienced and naïve, scared to death to venture out.

Me, too.

But, my pearly whites had a date to keep.

So, I packed up, gave "The Hub" a big hug good-bye, and drove off into the sunset – (Was there a sun?  Hard to say with less than 50 feet visibility…)

A little background here.  Our house lies at the end of a steep road, with multiple switchbacks on the way up…and the way down!

So, I got around one switchback curve, riding my brakes all the way, when all of a sudden – I started to slide.  Fortunately, I managed to finally stop.

But I was scared.

Time for reinforcements.

An answer to prayer, I actually had cell phone signal – which I usually NEVER get until I reach town.  I called "The Hub"…

"I'm scared.  I don't think I can do this by myself."

And that's all it took for my Hero Husband to hop in his Jeep and come to the rescue.

He told me he would follow me down until I got down the hill a little further. Awesome.

Well, I managed to get around one more switchback before I started to slide again.  Only this time, I wasn't able to stop.  No control whatsoever, I slowly glided my way into a tree.  Not hard enough to dent my car, but that was it for me driving.

A quick musical-chairs switch, and "The Hub" was now in the driver's seat…literally.

Only he didn't do much better.  He started to slide, and slowly glided right into a huge boulder at the side of the road.  Not hard enough to dent my car, but definitely stuck.

Now what?

Well, we both hopped in the Jeep, drove back home, got some snow chains, and went back to rescue Eddie.

Can you picture "The Hub" putting chains on in this bitter winter storm?  I can, because I stood right next to him for moral support.  Might I just mention that by now the storm was not playing nice.  No more slushy stuff, it was now pelting us with these perfect little snowballs of hail.  The ground looked like it was covered with tiny Styrofoam pellets.

OK, so the chains are on.  Time to get this show on the road.  So, "The Hub" went back to my car, and tried to back up.  No traction.  Eddie was burning a pretty hot skidmark in the road, but he wasn't going anywhere.

I prayed – oh boy, did I pray!

Finally, the car moved just barely far enough for "The Hub" to turn the wheels away from the boulder, and he slowly (and oh how closely!) inched past.

I have no idea how my car escaped scraping the entire left side of the body, other than some big old angel just pushed it past that boulder!

The rest is history.  

Chains came off in town, the weather broke within ten minutes of driving out of the mountains, and I arrived safely in Orange County.

All I have to say is that I am going to drive the rest of the winter with chains on – rain or snow or shine.  Not really, but maybe…

You know, it made me think about how I've been feeling lately about life.

It's pretty blustery out there, and often it's cold and lonely.  The roads are slick, full of switchbacks, and visibility into the future is dim.  

Sometimes I feel like I have to ride my brakes all the time.  Because, so often I feel like I'm starting to slide.  No control, unable to stop circumstances, unable to negotiate the curves.

I get scared.

Time for reinforcements.

How often my prayers are desperate cries for help…

"I'm scared.  I don't think I can do this by myself."

And do you know that that's all it takes for my Hero Savior to come to the rescue?

That's all – a cry for help.

And He has agreed to follow me, very closely – in front and behind me – until I get down the hill a little further.

Awesome.

Mountain driving can be pretty tricky, often frightening.  Just like life.  It's not for the faint-hearted.

But when you feel faint of heart, there is help.

There is a kind friend, with wounded hands, who is strong enough to hold on to you tightly.

So don't ever forget – (and that means you, too, Mrs. Sharon) – in every storm, and through every blustery blizzard that blows, there is One who will rescue us.

One who will stand...

Between the rock and the tree place…

The Rock, The Vine – our Hero.


How has Jesus rescued you lately? 


(EDDIE UPDATE (12/31):  Unfortunately, Eddie did not make the trip back UPHILL.  He is currently stranded a few switchbacks down the road from our house.  Chains didn't work - too icy, too steep.  Did I mention that "The Hub" is the only one with 4-wheel drive?  Will keep you posted.  I miss my car!)

(EDDIE UPDATE (1/1):  Another valiant try, this time with the expen$ive chains - but still no luck.  Eddie has to spend another day and night in the winter wilderness.  I offered him some chicken soup, but he said he'd rather just pout.)

(EDDIE UPDATE (1/2):  Well, after one heart-stopping Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, I am happy to report that Eddie is back home.  Where he will remain until Spring - (not really, but just maybe...)  "The Hub" will be entering the Indianapolis 500 race this year - yes, his skills are just that good.  Eddie felt like he let us down, but I told him he did very, very well for a 14-year-old snow virgin!)

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IMPORTANT:  I am conducting a poll - let me know your opinion and vote at the top of the sidebar.  Pretty please...with sugar on top!

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Linked with:
Joan at SHARING HIS BEAUTY
Tracy at WINSOME WEDNESDAY
Charlotte at SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS


BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

NEW CHANGES FOR 2013

So, a new year begins!

How does the time fly by so fast?  I know that I'm not getting any older...ahem.

This year I'm doing something different with my daily *quiet time* with the Lord.  I thought it might be interesting to read a little less Scripture, but to delve into each passage in a deeper way.


To aid this journey, I am taking these *tools* along for the ride:


A Year with Jesus, Making His Peace Your Peace, by R. P. Nettelhorst.

Life Application Study Bible Devotional, Daily Wisdom from the Life of Jesus, the Gospels, by David Veerman and Neil Wilson.

The One Year Experiencing God's Presence Devotional, 365 Daily Encounters to Bring You Closer to Him, by Chris Tiegreen.

Meet the Bible, A Panorama of God's Word in 366 Daily Readings and Reflections, by Philip Yancey and Brenda Quinn.


I'm also using three short prayer devotionals:


Grace for the Moment, from devotionals by Solly Ozrovech.

The Power of Prayer, by E. M. Bounds.

365 Pocket Prayers for Women, by Ronald A. Beers.


Check out the sidebar.

I'll have updates (hopefully daily), and you can also scope out my Word for 2013, and the verses that will prove inspiring as I seek God's direction in my life.

Looks like it's going to be a *pondering* year for me - (would you expect anything different?!?)


What new plans do you have for the upcoming year?

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IMPORTANT:  I am conducting a poll - let me know your opinion and vote at the top of the sidebar.  Pretty please...with sugar on top!

P.S.  I realized that one of my options was a little misleading.  But when I tried to eliminate it, I had to start all over again.  Grrr.  

As of 3:30 PM, PST, on Sunday (1/6), the votes were:
4 - Add photos
1 - No photos, keep things the same

Thanks for the ones that voted - sorry they got "uncounted" when I fixed the poll!!  I will remember them, though!  :)

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(NOTE: Did anyone catch the redundancy of my title - NEW Changes for 2013.  Is there any such thing as OLD changes??  Hmmm.  LOL!)


BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

"FAN THE FLAME" FRIDAY - Firm

Welcome to "Fan the Flame" Friday.

This is a weekly post that will be "short and sweet" (kinda like me...)

Just a word and a phrase, a sentence or a question...just a little something to "fan the flame" of your creativity!


Today's word: firm

What does the word firm mean to you?

What do you think it means to stand firm in the Lord?

What challenges weaken your firm faith legs?


Let me know what you think!!


"Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong." 
(1 Corinthians 16:13, NLT)

"Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." (1 Corinthians 15:58, NIV)


"This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you…For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1:6-7)


BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"