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!
This post was originally shared in 2019, but here we are again today, two years later. Not much has changed since then...we still miss our son every single day, but life does go on, and we like to remember to good times, the happy days we had together. So that will be our continued new song of life...as we give thanks to the Lord or the sweet memories we had together while we could. And we have great hope for the day when we will all be reunited in heaven again. So thankful for that great hope through Christ Jesus our Lord.
"Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, bless His name;
Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.
Declare His glory among the nations,
His wonders among all peoples.
For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised..."
Psalm 96:1-4
Today marks the 5th7th anniversary of the date that our dear son Matthew entered heaven's gates. I always like to remember him this way...goofy and fun loving and full of laughter...
This was our last family portrait together three months before he passed. Our family had all gathered to celebrate his 41st birthday:
It's been five seven years...and a lot has happened in those five seven years...things that Matthew hasn't been here with us to enjoy or participate in...but I don't want to be sad today. I want to celebrate his life...not his death. I want to remember the happy times we had together...and look forward to the time we will all be together again someday forever.
You may ask me how I can "Sing to the Lord a new song!" when we have had such sorrow. Well, I can sing because of Jesus...because of Jesus, Who died for me and for you and all of our loved ones...so that we can one day celebrate together again in heaven.
I can sing, because Jesus told His disciples in John 14:1-4, 6
1. "Let not your heart be troubled;
you believe in God, believe also in Me.
2. In My Father's house are many mansions, if it were not so, I would have told you.
I go to prepare a place for you.
3. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself,
that where I am, there you may be also.
4. And where I go you know, and the way you know...
6. "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
And so today, as we remember Matthew, I am singing a new song in my heart.
In my humble opinion, Labor Day is the end of summer, and the day after Labor Day is the beginning of Fall...that's just how it is in my mind...September means people go back to work from their vacations, kids go back to school, the air starts a perceptible shift toward "cooler"...(well, here in Florida it may be a bit imaginary, but a girl can hope, can't she?) and I start to celebrate my favorite season of the year...Autumn, fall...my birth-month (September)! When I was in school I remember football games and cheerleading,
(for those who do "black and white Wednesday blog posts, this will be my B&W offering for this week...)
bonfires, homecoming...happy days...
But nowadays, I'm just getting a little bit into the spirit of fall...little dabs here and there, nothing quite so active as in days of yore...
Brought out a few fall things for the table and the china cabinet
And the front door...
The local flea market got a bit more active this past weekend after a sluggish, hot summer...and I found this lovely item that I just couldn't resist:
Yes it is an aluminum old tea kettle...and no, I'm not using it on my stove to boil my water for tea, but I am reserving it for use if we need it for a campfire...or if the power goes out and we need to boil water on the Coleman stove we bought last year for the hurricane...You just never know when you might need it...and I trust there will not be any hurricanes this year...please, Lord? I know some are already suffering from the effects of tropical storm Gordon, which missed us except for some rain...but I pray for those who are in its path that they will be safe.
Another sign of "fall" are these "Sand Pears", which were given to me this morning by our friends who attend our home Bible Study.
You can read the link for more information on this type of pear...they are very hard and not quite ripe yet, so they will sit out for a few days and see when they ripen if they are edible. I understand they are quite crisp and not like the kind you buy in the store...but they should make good pear sauce or maybe even a cobbler once they ripen...I'll let you know...
And fall also means churches get more actively preparing for their fall and winter ministries...the choir resumes practice after a summer break...and hubby and I decided to join our church choir. Last night was the first practice, and this is what I brought home...homework!
These are just a few of the songs we'll be working on...and then we will soon begin practicing for the Christmas Cantata as well.
I saw this article on Facebook yesterday: "Singing as a Natural Form of Therapy" by Professor Sarah Wilson and what I gather from this is that singing is really good for your brain and for you personally. After last night's workout/ introduction of these songs, I can say that I haven't worked my brain quite that hard in a long time...or my voice! This could make for an interesting autumn!! But singing for the glory of the Lord is something that I have always enjoyed doing, and haven't been able to do much of in a long time, so I am looking forward to the challenge! May God be glorified and the people be blessed by our choir's offering of praise. Kudos to our director and our pianist and the sound man! They have a lot to keep up with as well!!
So, what things are you looking forward to this fall? Taking any trips? I would love to do a fall trip to the mountains, but I'm not seeing it in our foreseeable future. But I think we will be busy enough practicing our scales and tuning our "instruments'" (voices) for singing...
Whatever you enjoy doing, make it memorable! Take pictures and share them with us! And have a blessed and happy autumn!!
This morning I sat down on the front porch, not the Secret Garden because the bench is too wet from all the rain, and realized that it had been a month since I had written in my little Secret Garden Journal. I've been a little "out of it" for the past several weeks, and am just now beginning to feel like my mind and body are starting to work again in sync with each other! (I know, that is debatable at all times). But I do feel better and stronger...and just want to praise the Lord for His love and kindness and healing power!
As I sat there on the porch, listening to the birds singing their praises to God, their Creator, I couldn't help but start singing as well. And since we live out in the forest...and our nearest neighbors aren't real close (and the closest ones are away from home right now anyway), I just opened up and belted it out...and it felt so good to sing, I kept singing and singing and singing...kind of like the energizer bunny who kept going and going and going...
This little bunny sat out in the yard and kept eating his breakfast...not minding my singing at all.
And this sweet little wren sat up in the sycamore tree next to the porch and listened in...until she saw me looking at her and then she flew away...or maybe it was the singing...Anyway...
The first song that came to my mind was "Jesus, I Am Resting, Resting..." You may not be familiar with that old hymn...I talked about it once or twice before here, and here is a video of the song:
Here are the words that brought such peace and comfort to my heart today:
"Jesus, I am resting, resting
In the joy of what Thou art;
I am finding out the greatness
Of Thy loving heart.
Thou has bid me gaze upon Thee,
and Thy beauty fills my soul;
For, by Thy transforming power,
Thou hast made me whole.
Refrain:
Jesus, I am resting, resting
In the joy of what Thou art;
I am finding out the greatness
of Thy loving heart.
Oh, how great Thy loving kindness,
Vaster, broader than the sea!
Oh, how marvelous Thy goodness
lavished all on me!
Yes, I rest in Thee, Beloved,
Know what wealth of grace is Thine,
Know Thy certainty of promise,
And have made it mine.
(Refrain)
Simply trusting Thee, Lord Jesus,
I behold Thee as Thou art,
And Thy love, so pure, so changeless,
satisfies my heart;
Satisfies its deepest longings,
Meets, supplies its every need,
Compasseth me round with blessings;
Thine is love indeed!
(Refrain)
Ever lift Thy face upon me,
As I work and wait for Thee;
Resting 'neath Thy smile, Lord Jesus,
Earth's dark shadows flee.
Brightness of my Father's glory,
Sunshine of my Father's face,
Keep me ever trusting, resting;
Fill me with Thy grace."
(Refrain)
From this beautiful song I just kept going through my old hymnbook and sang several more songs...I won't write all the words for you...you can look them up for yourself...but here are the ones I sang today:
"May the Mind of Christ, My Savior"
"Fill Me Now"
"Blessed Quietness"
"Be Thou My Vision"
"Open My Eyes That I May See"
It gave me such joy to sit and sing all of these songs out loud. There is something very freeing about opening up our hearts and voices and just singing out praises to God...we don't have to wait for Sunday to do that! Just pick up an old hymnbook or other praise songbook and start singing...it really changes something inside of us when we do this. At least it does for me...and I imagine it does for you as well. No wonder the birds never stop their singing! They offer up their songs to God all day long...and so should we!!
After a couple of days of rain and chilly wind, it is finally sunny enough to sit in the Secret Garden this evening. And it feels so good to be here! Lord, I've missed our daily communion. This has become "our special place", and I feel cheated when I don't get to come sit awhile with You each day.
I come to You as a soldier, reporting for duty, standing at attention, saluting my Savior with my whole heart, ready for orders. And I hear You saying to me instead, "At ease, soldier." And then You spoke to me much like You spoke to Martha of old...
"Martha, Martha, (Pamela, Pamela) you are worried and troubled about many things.
But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."
Luke 10:41-42
And I sat down in the garden, and said, "Yes, Lord...You know me so well. You've seen me tossing and turning at night, and stressing over earthly things that I have no control over. Forgive me, Lord. I keep forgetting to "let go and let God" handle these details of life."
And then I was directed to look at the book of Colossians, Chapter Three. And it was as if the Lord was speaking directly to me through the Apostle Paul's writings:
Verses 1-2
1. "If then you were raised with Christ,
seek those things which are above,
where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.
2. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth."
I commend to your reading Verses 12-17, but I was directed toward verses 15-17 in particular:
15. "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts,
to which also you were called in one body;
and be thankful."
16. "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly
in all wisdom,
teaching and admonishing one another
in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."
17. "And whatever you do in word or deed,
do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through Him."
Such a peace came over my spirit, as I realized that what I've been doing is exactly what the Lord wants me to do here...sharing His Word with my friends and anyone who will listen..."teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs...singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."
I don't have to have all the answers or be the smartest writer...just share God's Word...especially the Psalms and hymns, and spiritual songs...and do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus...giving thanks to God the Father through Him...and He will bless this place and bring peace and joy to all who come.
Thank You, Lord, for teaching me this truth today.
Thank You for helping me to
fix my eyes on things above
and not so much on things of the earth.
And Thank You for giving me
this opportunity to serve You.
Amen.
Even the chickadee seemed more at ease today, and didn't seem to mind my being there.
Today, 12/20/16, is the 24th day of Advent! I hope you will enjoy going caroling with us in this delightful Christmas village of yesteryear!
Open the Window today and what do you see? Ah! Yes! We are going caroling! There is nothing I can think of that evokes more pleasant Christmas memories than going caroling with our church friends and family ~ and don't you just love this vintage caroling book? I discovered a real treasure trove of these old familiar caroling booklets in the bench of the organ that came from my parent's home. Some of them go back to my childhood and beyond...
Those of you who grew up with me will recognize the advertisement on the back of this caroling book...from the Bank of Tavares...which used to be the only bank in our little town back in the day...the kind of bank where everyone knew you by name...and the tellers and bankers went to church with you and their kids were your friends and school-mates. Ah! yes...such memories!
Sing along with me as we ride along in our "one-horse open sleigh!"
I hope you are enjoying this caroling experience as much as I am! It's a shame that more people don't actually go out caroling anymore, from door to door, house to house...and get invited in by the grateful people to have a cup of hot cocoa and some Christmas cookies, or some Christmas wassail and fruitcake...as our little group warms up by the fire while visiting with the people and having such a merry time together...
And then it seems that we always close our little concert with:
"Silent Night, Holy Night,
All is calm, all is bright,
'Round yon Virgin Mother and Child,
Holy infant so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace..."
followed by a joyful chorus of:
as we gaily dance out the door and onto our next place to start all over again!
What a wonderful way to continue to prepare our hearts for the Advent of the KING!
"Rejoice! Rejoice!
Immanuel
shall come to thee,
O Israel!"
"There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse,
And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.
The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon HIM,
The Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The Spirit of counsel and might,
The Spirit of knowledge and of
the fear of the LORD.
His delight is in the fear of the LORD,
and He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes,
Nor decide by the hearing of His ears;
But with RIGHTEOUSNESS He shall judge the poor,
and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
He shall strike the earth with
the rod of His mouth,
and with the breath of His lips
He shall slay the wicked.
Righteousness shall be the
belt of His loins,
and FAITHFULNESS the
belt of His waist."
Isaiah 11:1-5
"And in that day there shall be
a Root of Jesse,
Who shall stand as a banner to the people;
For the Gentiles shall seek Him,
And His resting place shall be
glorious."
Isaiah 11:10
I hope this little caroling adventure has brightened your day! Perhaps it will inspire you to actually go out and do some caroling for real! I am sure there are people around you or in the local nursing homes, hospitals or retirement homes who would love to hear some Christmas carols. So gather up some of your friends and go out and cheer someone up today!
"I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever; With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations." Psalm 89:1
Today I chimed in on an interesting discussion on facebook about hymns vs. contemporary music, etc., which is a "debate" that has been going on for some time now. It appears that the church is pretty divided on this issue...and then again, there are many who have compromised and split it down the middle...half hymns, half choruses... They each have their place in our worship services...and the most important thing is this: Just SING!!! If you look in the Bible you will find many many references to music, especially in the Psalms. I will just share a few with you...and this expresses my feelings pretty much exactly:
"It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night, on an instrument of ten strings, on the lute, and on the harp, with harmonious sound." Psalm 92:1-3
"Oh come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For the Lord is the great God, and the great King above all gods." Psalm 95:1-3
"Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! Sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, bless His name; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples. for the Lord is great and greatly to be praised...." Psalm 96:1-4
"Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! For He has done marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory. " Psalm 98:1
"Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth; Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises. Sing to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of a psalm, with trumpets and the sound of a horn; Shout joyfully before the Lord, the King. Let the sea roar, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell in it; Let the rivers clap their hands; Let the hills be joyful together before the Lord, for He is coming to judge the earth. With righteousness He shall judge the world, and the peoples with equity." Psalm 98:4-9
"Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing." Psalm 100:1-2
"Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations." Psalm 100: 4-5
"I will sing of mercy and justice; To You, O Lord, I will sing praises." Psalm 101:1
Need I say more? Oh....but there is one more verse I want to share with you...Did you know that God also sings to us? Yes, He does...according to Zephaniah 3:17 ~
"The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing."
To sum it all up: SING TO THE LORD...REJOICE IN THE LORD...SING NEW SONGS, SING OLD SONGS, JUST SING AND PRAISE THE LORD ON HIGH, FOR HE ALONE IS WORTHY OF OUR PRAISE! I LOVE HYMNS, I LOVE CHORUSES, I LOVE SINGING TO THE LORD ALL DAY LONG......JUST SING!!! DON'T FIGHT ABOUT WHAT SONGS ARE BEST...GOD JUST WANTS US TO SING AND FIGHT BACK THE DEMONS WHO ARE TRYING TO KEEP THE MELODY OF PRAISE OUT OF OUR HEARTS AND MINDS. OH, SING TO THE LORD A NEW SONG! FOR HE HAS DONE MARVELOUS THINGS! HIS RIGHT HAND AND HIS HOLY ARM HAVE GAINED HIM THE VICTORY!!!!!! (PSALM 98:1) SO, PLEASE, PEOPLE OF GOD: SING!!!!!
"Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty firmament! Praise Him for His mighty acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness! Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; Praise Him with the lute and harp! Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes! Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with clashing cymbals!! LET EVERYTHING THAT HAS BREATH PRAISE THE LORD! Psalm 150: 1-6
