Welcome to my "Open Window"...a place of hope, encouragement, and adventure as we journey down the road from "Closed Doors" to the new opportunities God places in our pathway. I hope you will take the time to go back and follow the trail of mixed blessings and fears, failures and triumphs from the past and side-trips in the present. Perhaps it will conjure up some of your own special memories, and be an invitation for you to share with others. I look forward to spending this time with you!
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!
It's Friday already! Wow! And I realize I haven't had much to say this week, however, I want to thank each of you who left kind comments on my previous post. They are each one appreciated. There were, however, a couple of comments that I had to delete! One left a very negative political comment that was inappropiate no matter which side of the aisle one is on. Name calling and ugly slurs will not be tolerated. Sorry. This one was another anonymous commenter, thankfully. I'd prefer not to know who it was.
The other comment actually had a name attached, but it is a commenter I don't really know and who often leaves comments that usually have nothing to do with my post, and hence it appears to be a spammer. But this time this "person" made the comment with words that stated that my post was pretty much worthless and therefore why do I even blog? (paraphrasing...I deleted it so I don't remember the exact words). But it made me stop and think. Why DO I blog? Sometimes I do feel like my posts are not all that great, and I often question myself about it's worth. I'm not asking for commendations here...I'm basically talking to myself. The thing about social media is that people can take pot shots at you and disappear back into the woodwork without realizing the hurt or harm they may have done. Or maybe that was their intent. Whatever the reason, it made me question myself and if I weren't a fairly strong person I would be tempted to run away and hide. But I've taken stock and thought about it and realized that yes, there's always room for improvement, and I will endeavor to do better in the future, but I will be careful to check my own responses and comments to be sure that they cause no harm but only encourage and lift up the person. Certainly we can all use some constructive criticism from time to time, but it needs to be done with love and respect for each other. Enough said on that subject.
I mentioned the other day that I was looking forward to reading the newest Jan Karon book, "My Beloved", as soon as I could find it. Well, I found it at our public library and I think I was the first person to check it out! I can't wait to start reading it! This is her latest book in the Mitford series, which we all thought she was finished with, but she just couldn't let it all end. I hope to start reading tonight, right after I finish this post!
This has been a pleasant week, without too much going on. We've taken a few walks, and I was surprised to see this Great White Egret along our walking pathway. Normally we see them in or near water, but the water was across the highway you see in the distance. I guess he just wanted to come take a little walk in the woods. He was a lovely sight to see.
This past Monday was our grandson Noah's 26th birthday. We did finally get to talk to him and had a wonderful conversation, which was a real blessing to us. He sounds good and we are always thankful to hear from him. He lives in Maine, so we don't get to see each other very often. Every call is priceless to us.
Noah, last year on a trip out west
I've been enjoying this pot of Penta growing on my front porch. The light pink bunch is a separate flower pot that I put in the middle of the others, which were already there. The pink ones were a birthday gift from my neighbor (and her daughter) across the street...the same lady that I got our "porch kitties" Sunshine and Blackie from. She is doing better, but is housebound and needs some caregivers to come and help out from time to time. She's a dear lady and I am thankful to have her as my neighbor.
Speaking of Sunshine and Blackie...here's where Sunshine spent the whole day today, sleeping on the glass table on the back porch:
He's feeling kind of blue, I think, because his buddy Blackie has been MIA again. He was here yesterday morning for breakfast, but he'd been gone the day before and then all day yesterday after breakfast, and all day today. I don't know where he goes or what he's doing, but he has been doing this almost every week...taking off for at least a day or two and then he shows back up as if nothing was unusual. Sunshine stays right here close to home and watches for him to show up.
I feel sad for him because they are such good buddies and I know he's lonely. Hopefully Blackie will show back up soon.
(Older picture)
Speaking of neighbors, our new neighbors in the new house next door to us have agreed to come over and feed the kitties every day while we are on our little mountain vacation next week. I am so thankful for them being willing to do that! That's a real answer to prayer.
I don't remember if I've shared with you our new Ladies' Bible Study for this fall/winter:
The back description says: "You're not the only one who...struggles to trust God's plan for your life; wants to maintain control in the midst of the chaos; prays for a well-marked map from Jesus--but rarely gets one."
I think we all need to have a better understanding in our lives about how to trust God's plan for our lives, even when we can't understand what on earth He's doing. We want to be the one in control, but life just goes so much better when we let go of our own will and let God be in charge. It's not easy for us to do that, but there is so much more peace when we do.
I am thankful for this weekly time spent with other ladies, studying God's Word and sharing our own life experiences about letting God be in control.
I am also thankful that today has been a rainy day, pretty much all day long. Little by little our Still Waters Pond is getting "revived and refreshed" with new water. What a blessing!
This makes me think about this song, "Fill My Cup, Lord". When I was a counselor at the Methodist Youth Camp the summer after I graduated from high school, (many moons ago), that song was our theme song. We would go to area churches in between camps and our team would sing this song. So it became a very meaningful and favorite song for me. It is based on the story from John chapter 4, where Jesus meets the Samaritan woman at the well. Here is the song:
1
Like the woman at the well, I was seeking
For things that could not satisfy.
And then I heard my Savior speaking—
“Draw from My well that never shall run dry.”
Chorus:
Fill my cup, Lord;
I lift it up Lord;
Come and quench this thirsting of my soul.
Bread of Heaven, feed me till I want no more.
Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole.
2
There are millions in this world who are seeking
For pleasures earthly goods afford.
But none can match the wondrous treasure
That I find in Jesus Christ my Lord.
Chorus
3
So my brother if the things that this world gives you
Leave hungers that won’t pass away,
My blessed Lord will come and save you
If you kneel to Him and humbly pray—
Chorus
Songwriters: Richard Blanchard
John 4:13-14
13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”
Sitting in the Secret Garden this afternoon was a challenge. Lately I'm finding that I'm a bit less attentive to the Lord and more interested in what's going on around me. I am easily distracted by the birds
and bees
and flowers
and trees...(palmettos!)
and it seems as though God has to keep snapping His fingers to say, "Oh Pam, I'm over here! Please look at Me!"
And so I open my Bible, seeking the Lord's face and His words, and this is what I find:
"But from there you will seek the Lord your God,
and you will find Him if you seek
Him with all your heart and with all your soul."
Deuteronomy 4:29
Ah, Yes, Lord God...perhaps that is the problem...I'm seeking You with my head and not my heart and soul. In my head I know that's what I ought to be doing, but like a child I need to be directed to seek You fully with all my heart and soul...and all my senses tuned into Your voice.
"Ho! Everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;"
Isaiah 55:1
This reminds me of a song that I loved to sing so many years ago, but haven't heard it in so long: (click on the link to sing along with the song)
Jesus said to the woman at the well in John 4:13-14
"Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again,
but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him
will never thirst.
But the water that I shall give him will become in him a
fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."
And with the woman at the well I cry,
"Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst,
nor come here to draw."
(John 4:15)
Yes, Lord! I'm thirsty for Your living water...I tend to run dry when I try to do things in my own strength, and I get off the track of where You were leading me...I know You have a plan for my life that is higher than my plans and thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9), and I also know that Your Word is true, and it will accomplish what YOU please...and will prosper in the thing for which You sent it...(Isaiah 55:11), so please guide me. Keep me on the right track here, Lord, I pray. I want whatever I do to bring glory to You...and not to me. Because when I get my eyes off of You and back on to me, I run dry...I get thirsty...and I lose my way. Thank You for bringing me back into the right place. This is my prayer today, Lord. Amen.
