What Do You See Outside YOUR Open Window Today?

What Do You See Outside YOUR Open Window Today?
Remember: "When God closes a door, He always opens a window!" You never know what might be out there waiting for you!

Tuesday, June 27, 2017

The Secret Garden Chronicles: I Will Bless The Lord At All Times

"I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
and let us exalt His name together."
Psalm 34:1-3

The last couple of days I was a little "under the weather" and didn't feel much like writing or doing anything to speak of!  But this morning I feel so much better...and I want to praise the Lord for His goodness and kindness and great mercy.  

We've had a lot of rain here lately, and everything is lush and green and growing like a jungle!  In my few ventures out into the yard, in between swatting mosquitoes, I managed to take a few pictures of the crepe myrtles blooming so profusely...so I thought I should post them for posterity...to remember in the lean years when things don't bloom so well:

 Notice the wisteria vines along the fence...they really came back strong after we cut them all down to put up the new fence!

 In the Memorial Garden...definitely looking more like a memorial "jungle"....

I was just thinking about the statement I wrote above: "so I thought I should post them for posterity...to remember in the lean years when things don't bloom so well".... and I thought to myself, 
Isn't that exactly what the Bible is all about?  God's Word was written many years ago, when the Lord was speaking through His prophets and servants and when Jesus, God's Son actually walked upon the earth, and it was written for a future generation...for the "lean years" when perhaps things might not be going so well...so that a future generation would know about and remember God's promises and words of hope and salvation...The Bible even tells us that:

"This will be written for the generation to come,
That a people yet to be created may praise the Lord."
Psalm 102:18


And again in Psalm 78:5-7

"For He established a testimony in Jacob,
And appointed a law in Israel,
which He commanded our fathers,
That they should make them known to their children;
That the generation to come might know them,
The children who would be born,
That they may arise and declare them to their children,
That they may set their hope in God,
And not forget the works of God,
But keep His commandments."


Yes, it is good to record God's blessings and times of encouragement and answers to prayer...so that we can reflect and recall them in the "lean years", and be reminded of God's faithfulness forever!


This lovely deer was walking through our yard early one morning, and I was blessed to able to snap a couple of pictures before she darted back into the woods...

"O taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints!
There is no want to those who fear Him."
Psalm 34:8-9

So, perhaps these words of praise and encouragement will bless you today...and if you find yourself in the midst of a "lean year", be reminded of God's goodness and kindness and mercy...and remember that He never changes...He will always be there for you...

"The poor man cried out,
and the Lord heard him,
and saved him out of all his troubles!"
Psalm 34:6

Have a blessed day, my friends!!!

17 comments:

  1. I love Wisteria, it looks like clusters of grapes when it's in bloom.
    Dr. Charles Stanley said in his sermon last Sunday, 'the bible was written to the men of the old testament, but FOR us today!' Good post. Hope you'll feel even better tomorrow!

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    1. That is encouraging, Sylvia!

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    2. Yes, that IS encouraging, Sylvia...and Sandi! God's Word is ever living...ever inspired...ever ready to help and bless us and teach us about the God Who Loves Us!!!

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  2. "Notice the wisteria vines along the fence...they really came back strong after we cut them all down to put up the new fence!"

    Well...that's a message if I have ever heard one!

    Enjoyed this one today, Pamela.

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    1. Oh my! Yes...isn't that amazing? God speaks even when we say things we never realized the double message there...Yes...sometimes we have to be pruned in order to come back stronger...wonderful insight, Sandi! Thank you for bringing that to light!!

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  3. Your words, Scriptures and photos have certainly blessed me today, Pamela! And I loved the image of the "lean years," those times when, perhaps, we don't feel God, but still keep the faith and trust in His promises. Just beautiful!
    Blessings to you!

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    1. Isn't God marvelous? He takes the simplest of messages and applies it to our hearts in such a mighty way...often when we don't even realize what we are saying at the moment...God blesses it and uses it for His glory. God's Word is ever-living and always teaching us.

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  4. Pam, It appears that wisteria thrive after pruning (kind of like what happens when we get our hair trimmed)--it's beautiful. Your insights here are solid--God's Word is for all seasons, all times of life. And yes, it's good to have record of His past blessings when we go through those hard, difficult, lean times.

    Blessings!

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    1. I love what God did here today. He brought all of these thoughts out from so many different perspectives...amazing! Our God is an awesome God!!

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  5. Such great refreshment here today, Pamela. The colors, the Scripture, the deer! All of them so beautiful. As I read this morning, this verse caught my attention and I think goes along with your blog today. "Yes, in the way of Your judgments, O Lord, we have waited for You; The desire of our soul is for Your name And for the remembrance of You." Isaiah 26:8 NKJV
    We've been singing a song at church called "We Will Remember" which recounts the works of His hands. Part of the lyrics,
    "When we walk through life's darkest valleys
    We will look back at all You have done
    And we will shout our God is good
    And He is the faithful one.
    We will stop and give You praise,
    for great is Your faithfulness."

    I pray that you will feel better soon.

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    1. Thank you Nonnie! I do feel better already! I woke up feeling much brighter and stronger! And all of these comments today on a simple message show me that God is in this all the way...we are one big family, sharing what the Lord is teaching each of us through His Word and times of worship and praise. I love the song you shared. I've never heard that. Wonderful message. Thank you for your thoughts today. I feel so blessed.

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  6. The book of Esther never once mentions God but he is there throughout.
    We don't see Him sometimes and He seems silent sometimes but, His word is always with us and us a lamp to our feet in the "lean" times.
    I look at life as school. We learn about God, He learns about us through the things we do and go through.
    Your Crepe Myrtle is just lovely! I am so glad you shared it.

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    1. I LOVE the book of Esther...and even though God is not named...His Presence is surely apparent in the ways He took care of Esther and His chosen people. You are right about our "life school". Every day is a new lesson, hand-picked for us from our Master...for He alone knows exactly what we need to learn! Thank you for seeing that and sharing it with us. You are a blessing.

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  7. Love your post today, the crepe myrtle is so pretty. We've had lots of rain too, everything is pretty, green and growing.

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    1. Thank you Mary. It's wonderful to see the blessings of the Lord upon our land...even when it means more work for us to keep it trimmed and under control! We are truly blessed people.

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  8. How wonderful to have such profuse blooms from the crepe myrtle! And I love your analogy of memoralizing the time it bloomed so well for the "lean years" too. Sometimes I wish I could hold all the beauty in my heart that I see each day and never let the moment go, and sometimes it hurts to know it will change soon, but then again, there is a lesson in that too... we just enjoy every moment to the fullest and realize that change will again bring something wonderful into our lives. I do love your little sweet space where you go to meditate on the Lord and praise Him! Hugs to you today :)

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    1. Oh Marilyn, thank you for visiting. I've missed you, and I need to go see what you've been up to lately in your lovely home/land. I totally understand what you mean about "hold all the beauty in my heart that I see each day and never let the moment go..." That applies to so much more than just the majestic beauty of God's creation...but also the happy moments with loved ones and treasured friends. That is why I love to take so many pictures. It somehow helps to plant those memories in my heart and mind a little more keenly!

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