Getting the New Year Started off Right!

 This is how I felt when I was beholding the beauty of the skies this evening...What a beautiful way to start off the New Year!!!

Psalm 19 NKJV

 1 The heavens declare the glory of God;

And the firmament shows His handiwork.

2 Day unto day utters speech,

And night unto night reveals knowledge.

3 There is no speech nor language

Where their voice is not heard.

4 Their line has gone out through all the earth,

And their words to the end of the world.

In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun,

5 Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,

And rejoices like a strong man to run its race.

6 Its rising is from one end of heaven,

And its circuit to the other end;

And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

Psalm 8:3-5 NIV

3 When I consider your heavens,

the work of your fingers,

the moon and the stars,

which you have set in place,

4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them,

human beings that you care for them?

5  You have made them a little lower than the angels

and crowned them with glory and honor.

Psalm 104:1-4

1 Bless the Lord, O my soul!

O Lord my God, You are very great:

You are clothed with honor and majesty,

2 Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,

Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain.

3 He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters,

Who makes the clouds His chariot,

Who walks on the wings of the wind,

4 Who makes His angels spirits,

His ministers a flame of fire."

‘Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth 

by Your great power and outstretched arm. 

There is nothing too hard for You.  

Jeremiah 32:17

I hope you enjoyed those beautiful views of the sunset and the moon rising into the clouds as much as I did. I apologize for so many pictures, but it just kept changing, and it was all so amazing! We are thankful for the clouds, because there is a prediction of some rain tomorrow!  We are truly hoping that is the case!! Our "Still NO Waters Pond" is in great distress!  So we are praying that 2026 will turn that situation around and provide the much needed rain. I will keep you posted.

So, how did YOU start out the New Year?  We actually had our traditional New Year's Day dinner last evening...the southern tradition, that is, of Black Eye Peas cooked with some ham, Collard Greens, Cornbread, Rice, and also a Meat loaf (which isn't the tradition but it's what we wanted).  And do I believe this will bring us "good luck" in the New Year? No, I don't believe in luck, bad or good. We just eat it because it's the southern traditional meal for New Years and it's a fun way to start off the New Year. When we lived up north we often had pork roast and sauerkraut on New Year's.  Whatever the local tradition is, we enjoy trying it.

Anyway, I cooked the food and we took it over to Benton and Rose's house since they were busy working on a project and didn't have time to stop and cook.  

Here's my plate: (Sorry, I had already started eating it before I remembered to take a picture)

Here we are, and yes, thankfully we are both feeling much better than we were and it was fun to get out of the hoouse and be with the kids at their house for a change...

Rose's sister Tina and her son Charles were there helping them with their special project...

Charles and Benton (and John too)

After supper Tina and Charles had to head back to their home about an hour north of us, but we settled down with the kids in their living room and they put a fire in the fireplace and we enjoyed visiting in their cozy Christmassy home. You can see Sugar and Spice there also...

So what's the big project they were working on? Well, they have a shed that mostly has been used for storage, but they've been wanting to fix it up to use it for a possible guest cottage in the future, so they needed to insulate it and put a few more windows in...

Here's Rose with new window #1,

And Tina getting ready to install window #2:

And Benton showing me both of those new windows and also the wall insulation:

Charles and Tina both working on the other side, doing a little bit of wiring and more insulation....

and here's window #3 on the other side and that wall insulated...

Eventually they will finish insulating the ceiling and then will figure out the rest of the interior layout. They won't be able to install a real toilet due to the distance from their septic tank, but they will put in a sink and shower and whoever stays out there will have to use a "honey bucket" or a camper toilet. There will be a small kitchenette as well.  Except for the "honey bucket" thing, I wouldn't mind staying there myself,  but I'm not so sure about that honey bucket idea. A toilet is one of those "necessities of life" for many of us older folks...

But all that notwithstanding, it is a great idea and a lot of fun. They have wanted to do this for a long time, and now I hear that two of Rose's other sisters from Minnesota may be coming down for a visit in February, and so the goal is to have it ready by then!  They are the younger more outdoorsy type who won't mind the inconvenience so much...and it should be a lot of fun!

So, that's how our New Year has started out so far!  I'm excited for them, and happy to see things starting out in a positive and productive way!

Next on my agenda is to get the Christmas decorations/tree put away, but I am not in a big hurry and will take my time. We enjoy the lights of the tree and other things, so I kind of hate to put it all away while it is still so dark so early! Then again, some days I just want all the clutter out of the way, so we'll see which side of me wins out. LOL.

I hope you are starting out the New Year in a positive and productive way too!  

Here's a positive thought from the book of Revelation:

Revelation 21:5 a  NKJV

5 Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.”

I am looking forward to that day.  Amen.  Be blessed my friends.

Light of the World~Thursday Morning Worship and Praise!

We have another beautiful "moonrise" this morning here on Still Waters Pond.  As I stepped out into the darkness to see this sight before it fades away into daylight, my heart was filled with joy and wonder.  I know, it's just the moon you might say...but when I think about how God placed the moon and stars in the heavens for us to enjoy, well, I have to say I was overcome with thankfulness and a sense of God's presence right here with us.   

I couldn't help but start singing the song our choir sang for the anthem this past Sunday, "Here I Am to Worship".  I don't have a recording of us singing it, but here it is with the "Maranatha Singers" for you to listen to while you enjoy these pictures taken this morning at 6:30 a.m. on Still Waters Pond.

"Light of the world

You stepped down into darkness

Opened my eyes, let me see

Beauty that made this heart adore You

Hope of a life spent with You

Here I am to worship

Here I am to bow down

Here I am to say that You're my God

You're altogether lovely

Altogether worthy

Altogether wonderful to me

King of all days

Oh, so highly exalted

Glorious in heaven above

Humbly You came to the earth You created

All for love's sake became poor

Here I am to worship

Here I am to bow down

Here I am to say that You're my God

You're altogether lovely

Altogether worthy

Altogether wonderful to me

Well, I'll never know how much it cost

To see my sin upon that cross

Well, I'll never know how much it cost

To see my sin upon that cross

Well, I'll never know how much it cost

To see my sin upon that cross

Well, I'll never know how much it cost

To see my sin upon that cross

Here I am to worship

Here I am to bow down

Here I am to say that You're my God

You're altogether lovely

Altogether worthy

Altogether wonderful to me

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Tim Hughes

Here I Am to Worship/Call lyrics © Capitol CMG Publishing

Psalm 8:1-9

1 "O Lord, our Lord,

How excellent is Your name in all the earth,

Who have set Your glory above the heavens!

2 Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants

You have ordained strength,

Because of Your enemies,

That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.

3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,

The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,

4 What is man that You are mindful of him,

And the son of man that You visit him?

5 For You have made him a little lower than the angels,

And You have crowned him with glory and honor.

Common Buckeye Butterfly, from our walk yesterday afternoon

6 You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands;

You have put all things under his feet,

7 All sheep and oxen—

Even the beasts of the field,

8 The birds of the air,

And the fish of the sea

That pass through the paths of the seas.

(The Sand Hill Crane Family Came by for a visit recently)

9 O Lord, our Lord,

How excellent is Your name in all the earth!

Sunset, Wednesday afternoon 

Sunrise, Thursday morning

Thank you for singing along with me on this glorious Thursday morning.  I know this is two days in a row of moon pictures, but these beauties are only here for a short time and then they go away for another month...so I hope you don't mind enjoying God's glorious creation in the heavenlies with me for another day.  I'll get back to the mundane things of life soon enough, but for now, let's just be thankful for the gifts God gives us to enjoy while they last.  

Have a glorious day, my friends!

Wednesday Treasures

Philippians 4:8-9  NKJV

Meditate on These Things

"8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 

9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you."

This morning's "Moonrise" on Still Waters Pond, around 6:30 a.m.  

And then there's this one:

Apparently I moved the camera as I was taking the picture.  At first I wasn't going to include it here, but then thought, why not? It's pretty interesting in it's own way.

However, it made me think about this passage of Scripture, where Jesus is talking to His disciples as He sends them out:

Luke 10:2-3, 17-20  KJV

"2 Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.
3 Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.

17 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.
18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven."
 

Some very thought provoking words to start this day.  And it reminded me of a story I read last night on Facebook that I thought was interesting and share-worthy:

"I did not write this. Across the world, wake up! This is a MUST read!!!

When I was a HS sophomore – decades ago! – my World History teacher was Mrs. Holloway, but we all called her Granny Holloway. She was a slight woman, scarcely 5 feet tall, seemingly fragile, but full of vim and vinegar….you know the type. She could speak for hours about the Fall of the Roman Empire, the Inquisition, the Industrial Revolution, and the World Wars. She never sat while she lectured, never stood at a lectern, but moved around the room making eye contact with all of her students. She was demanding too, and I can’t remember how many papers were sent back to me because she would note “you can do better than this, Miss Schaal.”

One day during class, an office aid interrupted her lecture to hand her a note. She read it silently, apologized, and said she needed to leave the room. We knew it had to be important because Granny Holloway stopped lectures for no one.

We sat in the room talking to one another when the door opened, and in walked Mrs. Abels, another teacher in our HS. She explained to us that Granny had been faced with an emergency, a serious one, and it was questionable if she would even be returning to finish out the semester. We were stunned. Would we get a chance to tell her goodbye? Would we get updates, so we would know she was ok? Mrs. Abels assured us that we need not worry, that Granny was safe but needed time away, and that the best thing we could do for her, and the best way we could show our devotion to her, was to be cooperative with her replacement. Mrs. Abels confirmed that she had been asked and had agreed to step in as Granny’s replacement.

Cheer up, she told us, this could be a good thing. Other teachers still believed in endless homework and projects with deadlines and hard work. She would not bring that into our class. She believed in clean slates. If there were grades that we did not like, she could give us a chance to bring them up. She asked us what suggestions we had to make the semester a better learning experience. Someone mentioned that lectures were boring and we wanted more films. Done, she said. Someone else mentioned that a free day now and then would help us if we needed to catch up on work in other classes. She didn’t see a problem with that. She asked us how we felt about an end-of-semester party. Um, yeah, sounded very good to us. And on and on. Mrs. Abels listened intently and agreed to all of our suggestions, continually emphasizing that her concern was that we have a good learning experience and enjoy the semester. She also reminded us that we were lucky to not be sent out to other classes where we would be working to catch up, and that of course this was all for Granny.

Near the end of the period, shortly before the bell rang, the door opened and Granny sauntered in with her usual Granny Holloway attitude. “How did they do?,” she asked. “Marvelous,” said Mrs. Abels. “They were completely in my hands.”

Granny then faced us and said “And that, my students, is how a dictator takes over a nation. Not with guns or tanks or laws or mandates. They do it using false promises and gifts”

I can’t remember a lesson all through 12 years of public school that made such an impression on me, and has stayed with me.

We are among wolves in sheep clothing, many are being deceived.
Stay awake! And buckle up.
Put on the FULL armor of God, we are going to need it in the days to come."

The Armor of God  Ephesians 6:10-17

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 

11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 

12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 

14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 

15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 

16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 

17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

And with that, I will close for this morning.  Just some things to think about during these turbulent days.  Let us not be deceived...and may we always keep our "armor" on...don't go out without it!  

1 Peter 5:7-9  New King James Version

"7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world."

May God be with each and every one of us today and always.

Amen.

Thursday Thankfulness/Friday Foto Friends

 Here it is Thursday evening, and it's been a beautiful day! We had some wonderful rain showers earlier and it cooled things off a bit. I can't believe it's actually only 79 degrees at 6:00 p.m.  We haven't seen that in a while!  So hubby and I were able to take a much needed walk. It's been so hot and humid lately that we've had to forego our daily walks, except for a jaunt to Walmart to walk around where it is cool. (plus needed to buy a few things as well).  So #1, I am very thankful for this little bit of cooler weather while it lasts!

#2.  Actually, now that I think about it, it was quite lovely this morning when I first got up. So lovely, in fact, that I couldn't restrain myself from going outside and watching the "moonrise".  I know, you think the moon rises at night! Well, this morning it seemed like there was more of a "moonrise" than a sunrise. 

Psalm 19:1-6 is one of my favorite passages...Thought it would go along nicely with these pictures that I took while I was running around enjoying the morning "moonrise".

Here it is, in order of its appearance this morning:

1. The heavens declare the glory of God;

And the firmament shows His handiwork.

2. Day unto day utters speech,

And night unto night reveals knowledge.

3. There is no speech nor language

Where their voice is not heard.

4. Their line has gone out through all the earth,

And their words to the end of the world.

In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun,

5. Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,

And rejoices like a strong man to run its race.

6. Its rising is from one end of heaven,

In this photo if you look above the trees, you can actually see the sunrise in the east and the sunbeams rising up from behind the trees.

And its circuit to the other end;

And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

(And also from Psalm 19, my life verse:)

14. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

Be acceptable in Your sight,

O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.

What a beautiful way to start the day. I'm sorry I didn't get it posted until tonight, but it's also a good way to end the day, right?  God's beauty is everywhere around us if we just take the time to look and appreciate all that He has given us to enjoy.

#3. Thankfulness:  Yesterday afternoon I had the joy and privilege of spending some time with a young lady that I am pleased to know.  You'll never guess what we were doing!  

It has something to do with these pine needles:

Actually we were gathering them up and putting them into bags. Why? Well, because this dear lady does something very special with them. And she prefers to remain anonymous, so I will honor her wishes.

The hurricane a couple of weeks ago knocked down a lot of big pine branches on the lot next door, and these pine needles were just laying there waiting to be picked up.

And here's why she wanted them:

This very talented lady makes these baskets out of pine straw, to give as gifts to people. This one was for a dear friend, and I would say she must be very dear to her, to work this hard to make such an amazing gift!  But not only that, this sweet young woman also puts together special baskets (not the pine baskets) to give to people who are fighting cancer and are going through chemo. She puts things in the baskets that they can use for their comfort, along with little cards of encouragement.  I can only imagine what such a gift would mean to someone who is suffering the ravages of cancer and treatment. I know it would be a wonderful blessing to receive.  This young lady has lost a dear loved one to cancer, so she has a special reason for wanting to do something for others who are going through this.  I know I was blessed just hearing about it.  

#4.  Thankful for some unexpected gifts from unexpected sources. God always has ways of blessing us when we least expect it.

#5.  I heard from my brother (from North Carolina) recently. Sadly, his wife's brother just passed away, and he lived not too far away from where we live.  They will be coming down next weekend for a kind of celebration of his life with my sister in law's family, and then they hope to come visit with us on Saturday morning before they head back home to N.C.   Although I am sorry that it is under such sad circumstances, I am glad that I will be able to see my brother and his wife. We haven't seen them since last fall.  Clifford is my next to the oldest brother, but our oldest brother passed away several years ago, so now Cliff is my oldest sibling. Our sister Doris is next in line after him. (and then me, the baby).  Anyway, this has also encouraged me to get busy on some projects that need to be done around this house before "company comes".  

#6.  Just thankful to God for our health and for the ways God provides for us on a daily basis.  Each day is a gift from God, and that we are well aware of.  

Romans 11:33-36  NKJV

33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! 

How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!

34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord?

Or who has become His counselor?”

35 “Or who has first given to Him

And it shall be repaid to him?”

36 For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things,

to whom be glory forever. Amen.

And with that I will close this post for tonight.  I pray that your day has been blessed as well. Perhaps you can share something you are thankful for today.

Good Night dear friends!