Monday Monday ~ Blessings

 Psalm 96:1-6

Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!

Sing to the Lord, all the earth.

2 Sing to the Lord, bless His name;

Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.

3 Declare His glory among the nations,

His wonders among all peoples.

4 For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised;

He is to be feared above all gods.

5 For all the gods of the peoples are idols,

But the Lord made the heavens.

6 Honor and majesty are before Him;

Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.

Happy Monday! I thought I'd start out with that beautiful Swallowtail Butterfly enjoying sipping the nectar from the Bottlebrush Tree in our yard.  When I first planted that bush, it was small, and I really didn't think about how large/tall it would get. I mainly wanted it for my butterfly garden area so it would attract butterflies and hummingbirds. 

 It is definitely doing exactly what I wanted it to do! My only complaint is that it is getting quite tall and is starting to obstruct a part of our view of Still Waters Pond!

I thought about transplanting it to a different location not quite so central to our view of the pond, but then we wouldn't be able to see the hummingbirds and butterflies when they are on there...so I guess we can sacrifice the one to be able to enjoy the other, and yes, we can still see the pond.  And actually, once the blooming season is over and the hummingbirds and butterflies have moved further south for the winter we can trim the bush back down to a more reasonable level and let it grow stronger before the next blooming season begins.

Oftentimes in life we do have to learn to make some sacrifices of something that seems really good to achieve something even better.  It's not always easy to do, but when we think about the overall bigger picture, it makes sense. 

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 seems to sum up this thought about making sacrifices in our lives now for that which is greater for us in the long run...that is, for eternity!

"16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, 

yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 

17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, 

is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 

18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, 

but the things which are not seen are eternal."

That is a good reminder for me today.  It seems like lately I've been making little sacrifices here and there in being able to do some of the things I enjoy because of my hubby's health issues, and then even this past weekend because of my own health issues. Nothing serious, just a virus of some sort, but I had to forego attending a baby shower at our church on Saturday and then also church services yesterday.  But I definitely didn't want to "share" any germs with the expectant mother or anyone else, and it was truly better for me to stay home and rest and get over whatever this is. Today I am just kind of washed out and still tired, so it is definitely best to just stay put and rest and recuperate.  

Friday evening we invited the kids over for "Taco Friday" (instead of "Taco Tuesday"). I was feeling fine then, and we wanted to give them a break from their kitchen redo that they were tackling all last week.  And no, they didn't get it finished yet, but at least they made some good progress. I will definitely post pictures when the job is done. 

And lest you think we don't pay enough attention to our Grandpuppies now that we have our own porch kitties...here's Rose holding Spice up to look out the window above the curtain we put up to keep the pups from seeing the cats out there.  Apparently the cats were not in sight at this moment or she wouldn't have been able to hold a squirming pup for long...LOL. 

And there's Sugar waiting her turn to look out the window, with her doggie toy squeaking away... LOL.

They sure are sweet pups and we enjoy them coming to visit...but the curtain idea really helps keep them from going crazy over seeing the cats.  At one time Sunshine peeked up over the curtain while sitting in the chair that it was fastened to, so we had to distract the pups really quickly and Sunshine was satisfied that there wasn't much going on so he moved on.  Blackie also peeked once as well, and again, quick thinking inside averted a noisy uprising. LOL.  

I guess there isn't much else to share today. I just wanted to check in with you and let you know I'm still here. I didn't get around to read very many posts over the weekend so I am a bit behind in knowing how all of you are doing.  Hopefully I will get caught up this week.  

Oh, one more special story...This is a picture of my dear friend Sharon and her son Robb. Sharon passed away from cancer in 2019.  Sharon adopted Robb when he was about two years old. Although Sharon was single, she raised Robb with so much love and care. He had some special needs and life was pretty challenging for them for a while, but with God's love and guidance, Robb grew to be a very fine young man.  They lived here in Florida for a good while, which is where we became acquainted, and we became their "Florida Family".  However, Sharon was originally from a very large family in Minnesota, and in her final days she went to live with one of her sisters there until she passed away.  Robb also went to live in Minnesota and eventually got a good job and met a very sweet young lady.  

We have stayed in touch with Robb through Facebook and also other family members. I was very thrilled and blessed to receive these pictures from Robb over the weekend:

Meet baby Ellie!  I knew she was expected, but she came a little bit early, so this was a pleasant surprise:

And here's Baby Ellie and her happy Mama:

Of course my first thought was how happy my friend Sharon would be to know that her Robb is now a Daddy, and that he has grown to be a very responsible and thoughtful man.  I know Sharon would've been thrilled to be a grandma, and I hope she can see Baby Ellie from heaven.  Who knows about these things? Only God knows for sure, but I have a feeling Sharon already knows all about little Ellie, and if people in heaven can pray for us here on earth, you can well imagine that little Ellie has been bathed in heavenly prayers and love ever since her conception.  

Psalm 139:13-16

"13 For You formed my inward parts;

You covered me in my mother’s womb.

14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Marvelous are Your works,

And that my soul knows very well.

15 My frame was not hidden from You,

When I was made in secret,

And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.

And in Your book they all were written,

The days fashioned for me,

When as yet there were none of them."

I wish they weren't so far away, as I would love to play surrogate Grandma for little Ellie, but thankfully Robb has many doting Aunts and cousins and family members nearby who will definitely make sure that Little Ellie gets LOTS of "grandma"  kind of love.  She will be much loved and blessed for certain. I know that she will be added to my prayers and who knows? Maybe I'll get to meet her and hold her someday. 

Okay, that's all for now. Thank you for listening. Have a blessed and wonderful week my friends.

Tuesday 4 Planning

 Planning

Seeing Ahead

Welcome back friends to Tuesday 4!

A wise man once said that most people fall into their lives. They don't plan and carry out what they would like to do, they just fall into things through circumstances. Others plan and prepare for life. They know the kind of person they want to spend their life with, the kind of family, home or job they wish to have and make a concerted effort to follow through.

So what about you?

1. Did you plan to be where you are right now in life or did you just end up where you are?

I really don't think I had a whole lot to do with it. My life has been entirely in God's hands since the beginning of time. I may have thought I was the one making the plans, but come to find out it was God all the while.  It was nice of Him to let me think I had something to say about it...but in reality it was totally up to Him all the time.

13 

Psalm 139:13-16

"13 For You formed my inward parts;

You covered me in my mother’s womb.

14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Marvelous are Your works,

And that my soul knows very well.

15 My frame was not hidden from You,

When I was made in secret,

And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.

And in Your book they all were written,

The days fashioned for me,

When as yet there were none of them."

2. What plans did you make for your future and what plans do you have for the future now or are you just marking time?

Well, again, I know this probably doesn't make sense to a lot of people today, but truly my plans were not my plans.  We kept thinking that one day we would end up living in a certain place and working at a special place that we always dreamed about. My hubby spent a lot of  his years of study and career "plans" preparing for that hoped for event. After many attempts to reach that goal only to be rejected time and time again we finally realized that was not what God's plans were for us at all. Those were our dreams, but in hindsight we can now understand why it was not the best thing for us and we are thankful that God protected us from doing what we thought was right when it really wouldn't have been right at all. 

8 

Isaiah 55:8-9

“8 For My thoughts are not your thoughts,

Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.

9“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

So are My ways higher than your ways,

And My thoughts than your thoughts."

Our plans for the future now are to live life to the best we can each day, giving thanks to God for His provision and protection and health.  We are very thankful for the ways He has provided for us in our retirement years, as we truly did not have a plan.  We served God in the pastoral ministry for the majority of our working years, along with also working in the field of education. We did not end up with a good pension plan due to frequent moves and being in very small churches, etc., so what little we were able to attain has been taking good care of us, again thanks to God's provision and careful budgeting.  However, we do not regret living the kind of life that we lived. It was interesting and fulfilling and rewarding in ways that are way beyond our earthly expectations.   I believe the best is yet to come.

3. Do you live where you want to live or would you have done things differently when planning where to live?

We enjoy living where we live now primarily because this is where our kids are, and we have a good church and a convenient community in which to live. It is affordable and peaceful.  If we could have planned differently or had more financial ability, we might have chosen to live in the mountains or someplace "cooler" than where we are now, or at least where there is more of a change of seasons.  But we have learned that every place has its good points and drawbacks.  Yes, Florida has hurricanes. However, thankfully we live in the part of the state that rarely is hit by the full force of hurricanes. We are in the more north/central part of the state, at least an hour's drive from either coast.  It seems to be the best place to be to avoid the brunt of those storms. We are very thankful for that.  Oh, and it was 69 degrees this morning when we woke up! That's a good sign that fall is on its way! Of course, it made it up to 90 degrees by the afternoon...but still, we will be thankful for what we can get!

4. What is planned for this coming Autumn? Trips or plans with family or friends?

vacations? holiday plans?\Reading list?

I am excited that we are actually going to be taking a little trip later this month.  We have a family reunion coming up in North Carolina, at my brother's daughter's home. 

(pictures from their home when we were there before)

We have done that several times in the past, but the last one was in the fall of 2019, 

before the big ugly "C" word.  We haven't been all together again since then.  We will be traveling with our kids and then after the reunion is over we will head over to the mountains in north Georgia for a few more days, staying at an Airbnb with the kids.  We are really looking forward to that...and pray the weather will be a bit cooler...and maybe we can get some fresh apples and enjoy some fall fun around the firepit and make some s'mores.  

That's all the plans we have for now, which is really a lot for us!  

I am writing this on Labor Day evening. We had a lovely day...again some things were planned, and some things were not.  We started out the morning by laboring as we rearranged some of the living room furniture, per hubby's request. He wanted to move his recliner and side table closer to the TV because he seems to be having difficulty seeing it from a distance. So we moved everything around, switching chairs, tables, lamps, etc.  He lived with it for most of the day, and then this evening he decided that it really wasn't working out the way he hoped it would. And so we put it all back the way it was originally.  One good thing was we were able to sweep up the dirt from under the chairs and tables and clean the floor a bit better! LOL. 

   

And then the best part of the day was the kids came over for supper, bringing most of the stuff to make spaghetti and garlic bread and dessert (a pumpkin roll!! Yum). I made a salad.  We had a lovely evening...a fun way to end a laborious  labor day. LOL.

I hope your day was filled with some joy and relaxation, if at all possible!!

Thank you for joining in to make Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4 a success.

Monday Monday and Celebrations

It's Monday again!  The beginning of another wonderful week! I hope your Monday is going well wherever you are and whatever you are doing.  I am trying to get some housework done today as we begin preparations for a big event here next Monday, Labor Day!  But first things first!

Yesterday after church we celebrated our #1 son's birthday as promised:

Here's the birthday boy Benton, enjoying his steak dinner.

Thankfully our #3 son Scott came and grilled the delicious steaks for us, which our DIL Rose brought for the occasion:

She also brought some shrimp so we had "surf and turf", baked potato, salad and Hawaiian rolls.  I noticed the price of the Hawaiian rolls had gone up considerably, so I only bought one package  and told everyone that was it, so don't go crazy on the rolls! Our son Scott, who is the Hawaiian roll "connoisseur" quipped it was the high cost of shipping them all the way from Hawaii that did it!  LOL. Funny...I guess everyone took me seriously because there were quite a few rolls leftover, so I sent them home with Scott to enjoy. He will create interesting sliders and other mini-sandwiches with them for a few days. He loves them so much sometimes in the past I have given him his own package of them as a gift. LOL. 

So after dinner was over we sang Happy Birthday to Benton. Can you tell everyone is singing here?

Rose baked a delicious yellow cake with Lemon Curd Buttercream Frosting. It was very very good. She was frustrated because her oven decided to malfunction in the middle of baking the cake, and she actually ended up having to bake a second cake because the first one was ruined. The second one still had issues while baking, but she managed to get it done enough and actually it was very good and moist. However, a new stove/oven is on the shopping list for them this week. Rose loves to bake, and not having a decent oven is not a good thing. 

Here is the traditional birthday blowout picture. Everyone has to have one, regardless of how goofy we may look! LOL. Actually, we had to do this one over because the first time he blew them out I didn't click the camera quickly enough and missed it...so we had to relight the candles and do it again! LOL.

Here's our sweet grandpuppies Sugar and Spice, watching the festivities and wondering when they would get some cake? LOL. (or maybe it was the steak they were wanting...)

Here's a family pic with me in it...thank you Scott for doing the honors, but we should have figured out how to get the whole family in at once. We usually do, but it takes perfect "timing". 

Next came the opening of gifts. I didn't get pictures of everything, but this one was "fun" because he's over 50 now and his body is breaking down...especially the knees! Hopefully the Dr. Scholl's inserts will help.  Oh, he did get the Fuller Brush electrostatic sweeper for Dixie Cottage, but I forgot to get a picture of that. I'll have to take one at the store next time. 

I guess that's all the pictures for now.  But next week on Labor Day we are having a big "Shindig" here (who remembers that word and TV show?  You'd have to be my age at least to remember that!)  I may have mentioned before that our extended family has a lot of August birthdays and anniversaries, and so we decided to get together on Labor Day here at our house to celebrate.  So that's why I'm starting my housework projects today since we will be working at Dixie Cottage all the rest of the week in the mornings, and by afternoon I don't feel like doing a lot of "hard work", so I'm trying to do a little bit each day and hopefully everything will get done that needs to be done. Of course, the danger is if I clean too much now I'll have to do it again before Monday! LOL.

So that's about it for today. 

What kind of plans do you have for your week and/or Labor Day? Oh, we will be having a sale at Dixie Cottage this week, everything in the store is 10% off, and some items are also marked down lower. So I expect we will be busy. 10% may not seem like much until it is large piece of furniture or some other more expensive item...then every "penny" off really helps. 

Okay, that's it. I think.  

Some thoughts about how marvelous it is that God created us and we have birthdays to celebrate:

from Psalm 139:13-16

"For You formed my inward parts;

You covered me in my mother’s womb.

14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Marvelous are Your works,

And that my soul knows very well.

15 My frame was not hidden from You,

When I was made in secret,

And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.

And in Your book they all were written,

The days fashioned for me,

When as yet there were none of them."

Speaking for the Silent Ones...Revisited Again January 24, 2019

I wanted to share this story again today in light of the horrendous new bill (Click HERE for more information on that.)that was signed into law in the state of New York this week.  I cannot begin to tell you how sad and angry this has made me feel...and I can only imagine how God must feel...

But I wanted to share a personal story with you about why I believe in the sanctity of life and also in the wonderful choice of adoption as the alternative to abortion.

Read on as I revisit a story originally written back in 2010:

Originally written July 31, 2010:  Today I received a special gift from a dear friend...even though she is a person *whom I have never had the privilege of meeting in person*...we are dear friends, nonetheless.  My friend Cyndi* is a very gifted person...and one of her many talents is that she creates beautiful baby dolls.  Her dolls are each uniquely created either in memory of or as a special tribute to someone who lives, once lived, or should have lived.
(*See the added note from 2013 at the bottom for an update on this...)

Baby Elva - On the day of her arrival, July 31, 2010

Baby Elva, One Year Later - July 31, 2011-- still such a good baby!!!

Baby Elva Celebrates Her 1st Birthday...

The gift I received is "Baby Elva", named in honor of and as a tribute to my Grandma Mursch, known to those who loved her as Elva Hill Mursch.

I am so pleased to share with you her story:

Way back in the year 1895 there was a little baby girl born somewhere in Pennsylvania.  Her birth parentage is uncertain...her ancestry is hidden from our search...we know absolutely nothing about how or where her life began...but we now know that she was born on a snowy frigid December day in the year 1895, and that her birth name was Elva Sowers.  I have recently discovered that a young man named Abraham Lewis Smith, (a relative? the father? an uncle?) actually adopted her and gave her the name of Elva Smith when she was about six months old. The certificate of adoption that has surfaced states that "the welfare of the said minor child will be promoted by such adoption, and that the mother of the child consents thereto."  **

We don't know why her mother gave her up for adoption...nor do we have any clue as to why her father or grandparents did not claim her.  What we do know is that Mr. Smith and little Elva somehow ended up as boarders in the home of George and Mary Hill around the year 1900.  Some time after that Mr. Smith decided he could not keep young Elva, and she was consequently adopted by George and Mary, and she was then given the name of Elva Hill.

My Grandmother Elva and
My Grandpa William Mursch

George and Mary Hill could not bear children of their own, and so they gave Elva  a home and loved her as their own. To their credit, they also fostered and adopted several other precious children and gave them the opportunity to live happy and productive lives as well.  Young Elva grew and prospered in rosy health and strength under the tender care of these people...so much so that she lived to be 89 years old, and was the mother to four of her own precious children, including my father, and eleven grandchildren...of which I am one.

Of course this story goes on and on in the lives of all of the current and future generations that have emanated from her life.  We have become a vibrant, healthy, strong family tree...a tree that would not exist if my great-grandmother had not chosen life...if my great-grandfather had not allowed my grandmother to be born and had instead insisted on ending the life of the child he had fathered...whether legitimately or not...we will never know.  What we do know is that she lived, and because she was allowed to live, here I am. **UPDATE ON THIS STORY HERE!

Have you ever thought about where you would be today if your grandparent had been aborted instead of being allowed to live? I have thought about that so many times...and have thanked the mysterious great-grandmother for allowing my Grandma to live.  I know, you are probably thinking that it wasn't like that at all...probably the poor mother was too sick to survive the labor and delivery of her child...that happened a lot back then...but even so, today the "poor mother" would be encouraged to end the life of her unborn "fetus"... the "fetus" would never know the difference..."after all, it's not a human until birth"...so they say... I wonder...what does God say...?  The Psalmist seems to think that God has a different viewpoint...

"For YOU formed my inward parts; YOU covered me in my mother's womb.  I will praise YOU, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are YOUR works, and that my soul knows very well.  My frame was NOT HIDDEN FROM YOU, WHEN I WAS MADE IN SECRET, AND SKILLFULLY WROUGHT IN THE LOWEST PARTS OF THE EARTH. YOUR eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.  AND IN YOUR BOOK THEY ALL WERE WRITTEN, THE DAYS FASHIONED FOR ME, WHEN AS YET THERE WERE NONE OF THEM." 

Psalm 139:13-16

Yeah, this is something that I think about a lot.  I know there are many who do not share my thoughts on this subject... But here's one more thing to think about...What would have happened if Mary had decided to abort her illegitimate child, Jesus?  What if Joseph had demanded that she be stoned...or the baby be aborted, because of the possibility of her committing fornication prior to their marriage? Hmmm, now that's something to think about! Yes, abortion certainly has an impact on the whole human race. 
I am so thankful that my Great Grandmother chose life...and that little Elva Sowers Smith Hill lived, was adopted and  grew up to become my Grandmother.

Elva Sowers Smith Hill Mursch.

December 27, 1895- December 16, 1984

My Dad, "Billy" Mursch

The Mursch Children and a neighbor boy
Paul, Bill (my Dad), Ruth, Marion and neighbor

"Elva" (My Grandmother) on a camping trip/hike with her
children: Lto R: Paul Mursch, Billy Mursch(my dad), Ruth Mursch,
Elva Mursch, and Marion Mursch...somewhere in the Adirondack Mtns.

My Grandma Elva Hill Mursch, circa 1950's

Grandma and Grandpa Mursch and most of their grandchildren and three of their great-grandchildren,

July 1969

The Mursch family July 1969

Paul G. Mursch, William H. Mursch, Marion Mursch Ryder, Elva Sowers Hill Mursch, William Fred Mursch, and Ruth Mursch Gammie

Grandma (Elva) and Grandpa, (William H. Mursch) probably in the 1930's.

Mursch Family 1982 - Grandma Mursch above front right.

The William F. Mursch Family 2005

Grandma (Elva), far right, and Grandpa Mursch with their four children
and my mother, when my mother met the family for the first time! Circa 1940

These pictures are only part of the Mursch Family tree...the part coming from my Dad, William F. Mursch's branch of the tree.  Add to that the families from his siblings, and all of their children, and their children's children, and so on and so on...What a big empty space there would have been if my Grandmother Elva had not been allowed to live!

Thank you, Lord, for the gift of the real "Baby Elva", my grandmother, and for all the other precious babies who have been given a second chance to live because their Mamas chose "life" instead of the "easy way out" of a difficult situation. And Lord, for all those sweet and precious little souls who didn't get a chance to live because of the choices made for them...we know they are safe in Your arms today.  We pray for those parents who made those decisions, whether in ignorance or deliberately, that somehow they would find the peace of forgiveness and rest for their own hurting souls. We ask this in Jesus' Name, Amen.

Postscript:  7/11/2013  *I wanted to add this picture to this story...

Earlier this year (2013) I was thrilled and privileged to actually meet in person my

dear friend "Cyndi", the creator "birth mother" of my sweet baby doll "Elva".  Cyndi and 

her wonderful hubby traveled all the way to Florida from Minnesota to meet me and to have 

a reunion with her beautiful baby Elva!  This is a friendship that began on Facebook, and God

has blessed that long distance connection with a true friendship...a precious friend I will always

be thankful for. Doesn't God work in mysterious ways? Yes, He truly does...and He loves to 

bless His children with good things and heavenly joy even here on earth! 

I am blessed beyond measure and I give God the glory.

Great things He has done!!!

"Baby Elva" on her "6th" birthday, 7/31/2016.  Still such a sweet, adorable baby...a precious gift!

8/1/2017: I wanted to add this post-script regarding the "back story" of "Baby Elva".  I've never shared this part before, and as I was relating it to a friend on Facebook this morning, I thought I should add this part of the story so that perhaps others will understand "Baby Elva's" significance even more:

My friend who created "Baby Elva" started making these dolls as a way to work through her grief over the death of her daughter, who was 8 months pregnant when she was killed by her husband. So my friend lost not only her daughter but her grandchild at the same time. She started making these babies and giving them to people as a way of bringing comfort to those who were grieving. She gave this gift to me when she first heard that our son Matthew was diagnosed with cancer. She knew that I would need something to hold and rock and love during that time, and she was right. I've never actually told that part of the story before, and I guess I should, because "Baby Elva" became a real comfort to me when we didn't know what was going to happen with Matthew. Plus, she became a sweet little "baby" to enjoy and she brightens our day. A lot of people, especially the men, don't quite understand it...but that's okay. "Baby Elva" has accomplished her mission with us...she makes us smile...and sometimes cry. But tears are cleansing... Interestingly, our "Baby Elva" arrived at our home on July 31. I didn't know it at the time, but that is also my friend's daughter's birthday. So now, when Elva's "birthday" comes around, I remember to pray for my friend who is still grieving over the loss of her beautiful daughter and grandchild. So now you know the "back story" behind Baby Elva.

Below is a link to some Scripture references regarding how God views us since before our birth, or even before being formed in the womb.  God places a very high value on each and every child, regardless of who we are or where we came from.  

https://www.openbible.info/labs/cross-references/search?q=Romans+8%3A29

**Stay tuned for further updates on this story of the birth and heritage of Elva Sowers Hill Mursch.UPDATE on her story HERE 12-27-2020 

Discoveries and Stuff

One of the "joys" of retirement is having the time to work on "projects" that you've put off until...well, retirement!  I know we all have those little "lists" in the recesses of our minds of the things that we hope to accomplish when we finally have the "time" to do so.  

A word to the wise:

• Retirement doesn't really give you any more time than what you had before.  
• There are still only 24 hours to every day, seven days in a week, etc., etc., 
• If you don't organize and prioritize your time wisely, you will still be wondering when you will ever get those "projects" done.

So, here I am, about 3 months into my retirement, and my list is still there...and it seems to be growing instead of shrinking.  Of course, I've had a few interruptions here and there. My retirement began a few days before Thanksgiving...and then there was Christmas...and of course January is always busy recovering from the holidays and getting used to the fact that it is a New Year...and then there was company coming again in February, and so on and so on. All good stuff. Happy stuff! I wouldn't change a moment of it! But NOW...it is time to get to that "list"!  

One of the first things on my list is to reorganize our closets and dresser drawers. Trust me, it is a project that is long overdue.  So yesterday I was determined to get started on my side of the closet and dresser.  

Of course, dresser drawers can lead to many discoveries. I should never have started with my small top drawer. That is the one where I store my first big journal,(click on the link for more about that), odds and ends of pictures, scraps of stuff that need to go into a scrapbook or other permanent places to preserve them, old jewelry, and, well, just stuff! 

Among these "treasures" I discovered an envelope with my Dad's handwriting on it:

Apparently he had been going through some boxes of old pictures and discovered some copies of our wedding pictures, among other older photos of me as a child, and decided to give them to me on our 35th wedding anniversary.  (Hmmm, that would have been almost 12 years ago now, so this envelope has been stuffed in my drawer for 12 years...yes...this job is long overdue!)

Of course, the envelope alone is a treasure to me, because my sweet Daddy has been gone to heaven now for almost five years, and to have something that he put together and presented to me in his latter years is pretty special.

Anyway, back to my story...you can see how easily I get side-tracked with memories and "stuff".  

In amongst the wedding pictures was this photograph that I truly don't recall ever seeing before:

This was me at age six, striking quite a pose! I had to study this picture for a few minutes to be certain that it really was me! But it has my name written on the back in my mother's handwriting, so that cinches it! 

Upon looking at this picture my first impression was that I was quite a sassy little ham. Anyone who knows me well would probably corroborate that impression...and most likely state that nothing much has changed in the numerous years since!

I'm not sure why this little photo has captivated my imagination so much, but I have not been able to get it out of my mind. Hence, here I am even writing about it today! I look at that sassy little girl and see such determination and purpose in her stance. I am standing in front of a "closed door"...Oh my goodness! That is another revelation that has just now this moment occurred to me!  Standing in front of a CLOSED DOOR? Perhaps looking toward an "OPEN WINDOW"...the future?  MY future?  

Wow!  Little did I know at that precise moment in time just what my future would hold. My life was still a mystery awaiting discovery. But guess what? GOD knew! God knew me!  God knew who I was then, and who I would become. How do I know this?  Listen:

"For You (GOD) formed my inward parts;

You covered me in my mother's womb.

I will praise You,

for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Marvelous are Your works,

and that my soul know very well.

My frame was not hidden from You,

when I was made in secret, 

and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.

And in YOUR book they all were written,

the days fashioned for me,

when as yet there were none of them."

Psalm 139:13-16

God knew who and what I would become...and even though my accomplishments are not that great in the world's view, I trust that they are exactly what God had planned. I know that my life is not over yet, and God may still have some new discoveries and plans to fulfill in and through me.  It will be a continual adventure until the day He calls me home. 

Until then, this is my prayer:

"Search me, O God, and know my heart;

Try me, and know my anxieties;

and see if there is any wicked way in me,

and LEAD ME in the way everlasting."

Amen.

Psalm 139:23-24

How about you?

Oh, Clap Your Hands!

"Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples!

Shout to God with the voice of triumph!

For the Lord Most High is awesome;

He is a great King over all the earth.

He will subdue the peoples under us,

and the nations under our feet.

He will choose our inheritance for us,

the excellence of Jacob whom He loves.

God has gone up with a shout,

The Lord with the sound of a trumpet.

Sing praises to God, sing praises!

Sing praises to our King, sing praises!

For God is the King of all the earth;

sing praises with understanding.

God reigns over the nations;

God sits on His holy throne.

The princes of the people have gathered together,

The people of the God of Abraham.

For the shields of the earth 

belong to God;

He is greatly exalted."

Psalm 47

When I first read this Psalm yesterday morning my first reaction was to 

CLAP MY HANDS!

And then I wanted to 

SHOUT TO GOD WITH THE VOICE OF TRIUMPH!  

Why?  Because

"THE LORD MOST HIGH IS AWESOME; HE IS A GREAT KING OVER ALL THE EARTH!"

And that was a good enough reason for me!  Let me ask you, do you ever get so excited over the way God works, and the marvelous things that He does, and the beauty of His Holiness...the glory of His power...the awesomeness of His majesty...the power of His love...and the mystery of His grace...

There are not enough words to describe Him, not enough ways to express this...I just have to 

"CLAP (MY) YOUR HANDS!

SHOUT TO GOD WITH THE VOICE OF TRIUMPH!

SING PRAISES TO GOD, SING PRAISES!

SING PRAISES TO OUR KING, SING PRAISES!

FOR GOD IS THE KING OF ALL THE EARTH;

SING PRAISES WITH UNDERSTANDING!"

If you have never felt this way about our marvelous and awesome God, just start counting your blessings.  Look around you at the magnificence of all creation...look into the heavens and try to count the stars and try to understand that God not only "counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name..." (Psalm 147:4)... and this God of the universe, Who created and named every single star

(Image Credit: Photos.com)

in every single galaxy...also knows my name.  He knows me inside and out...He knew me before I ever took my first breath...

"For You formed my inward parts;

You covered me in my mother's womb....

My frame was not hidden from You,

when I was made in secret,

and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

Your eyes saw my substance,

being yet unformed.

And in Your book they all were written,

The days fashioned for me,

When as yet there were none of them!"

Psalm 139: 13, 15-16

"Oh, that  men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness,

and for His wonderful works 

to the children of men!

Let them exalt Him also in the assembly of the people,

and praise Him in the company of elders."

Psalm 107:31-32

Wow!  All I can say is, "Glory!"  Sing along with me this Doxology of Praise:

"Praise God from Whom all blessings flow;

Praise Him, all creatures here below;

Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Amen."

NEED I SAY MORE?

Oh, and by the way, if you are ever told that you should not clap your hands in praise to God,  you may need to find another place to worship...Just saying...