Prayer for our Troops

I started this day out thinking I had nothing new to write about.  I have been a little dry lately, but as God would have it I have something big to write about today.  

In December I did a post and introduced you to my son, Jeremy, who is serving with the Army in Iraq.  I get to talk to him almost everyday and this morning he asked me to gather my prayer warrior friends together to pray for tomorrow's election in Iraq.

  

Jeremy is asking for prayers for the security during the elections.  He is a part of a company that provides security for convoys and I guess they must all be on high alert as they prepare for this day.  Which will probably be our tonight.  So if you stop by here and read this post, will you please lift up our troops as they serve this nation in Iraq.  

 This is a picture of his platoon Sargent saluting our flag as it marches by him at the deployment ceremony.

Jeremy is the one on the left, the tallest one in this picture.  

There is so much I want to say, but I hope you can read in-between the lines.  As much as I want  my son to come home safely, all mothers want their sons' and daughters' to comes home safely.  My prayer has always been that God would protect him physically, mentally and emotionally.  That he will watch over him and give him clarity, confidence and wisdom.  That He will let not a hair on his head be harmed that no weapon formed against him will prosper and that He will hide him in the shadow of His wings.  

I pray this prayer

 and God's Word in Psalm 121 over our young men and women in the United States Armed Forces serving overseas and especially for those in harm's way in Iraq and Afganistan.

I lift up my eyes to the hills--

where does my help come from?

My help comes from the LORD,

the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip--

he who watches over you will not slumber;

indeed, he who watches over Israel

will neither slumber not sleep.

The LORD watches over you--

the LORD is your shade at your right hand;

the sun will not harm you by day

nor the moon by night.

The LORD will keep you from all harm--

he will watch over your life;

the LORD will watch over your coming and going

both now and forevermore.

Thank you LORD Jesus, 

praise You, praise You, for 

You are the Everlasting One, the Almighty,

 completely existing One, 

Name above all Names, praise Your Name.

In Jesus name I pray, Amen.    

Scripture Memory 2009

Isaiah 61: 1-3

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, 

because the LORD has anointed me

to preach good news to the poor.

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

to proclaim freedom for the captives,

and release from darkness for the prisoners, 

to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor

and the day of vengeance of our God,

to comfort all who mourn,

and provide for those who grieve in Zion--

to bestow on them a crown of beauty

instead of ashes,

the oil of gladness

instead of mourning,

and a garment of praise

instead of a spirit of despair.

They will be called oaks of righteousness,

a planting of the LORD 

for the display of his splendor.

I chose this verse as my memory scripture because, I know phrases but not the whole verse or it's address.  My desire is to know it and to own it.  I want to know where it is and what it says and why it says it.  I want to know when to apply it in prayer or how to apply God word in counsel.  And I want it quick.  Right there just waiting for the Holy Spirit to bring it to the forefront of my mind when just the right words are needed.  I can't do that unless I put forth the effort to learn, dig, hide and know.

I love this verse because it says that God sent Jesus to preach, proclaim, release, comfort, provide and bestow.  

And that he came for the brokenhearted, the captives and  prisoners, 

for those who grieve, and mourn, 

to bestow beauty, gladness, praise and righteousness

 instead of ashes, mourning or despair. 

 For the display of God's splendor.

Now with NIV translation, Strong's Concordance, and Webster's dictionary:

The Spirit {breath, wind of heaven} of the Sovereign {excellent, supreme} LORD  {undisputed existing One, Jehovah, Be} is on me, because he {Be, Jehovah} has anointed {smeared, painted} me to preach {announce salvation} to the poor {humble, needy}.  He has sent {extended, stretched out, set free} me to bind {wrap, cover, hold, make firm} the broken {maimed, crippled, destroy, torn} hearted {mind, understanding, wisdom, inner man, soul, conscience, seat of appetites} to proclaim {call unto, cry out, to summon, invite, appoint, be chosen} freedom {liberty, pure, free run} for the captives and release from darkness {dismal, gloomy, dark view of the future} for the prisoners {those who are bound}, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor {pleasure, delight, acceptance, desire, will} and the day of vengeance {revenge, avenge oneself, vengeance be taken for blood}  of our God, to comfort {console, repent, have compassion, ease} all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion--

to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes {worthlessness}, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.  They will be called oaks of righteousness {what is right, just, normal, vindicated, deliverance, of people enjoying salvation, of God as covenant keeping in redemption}  a planting {to place or act} of the LORD for the display of his splendor {glory, beauty}. 

Happy Birthday Nicholas

This is our daughter Shana's little boy.  We are so proud of her as both a daughter and a mother.  I haven't had the opportunity to introduce her to you yet and this seems like the perfect opportunity.  Nicholas is our youngest grandchild.

For now, that is, we have one due in late March, baby Anah Grace

Sweet little baby boy.

Look at how smart he is.

This was Nanoo and Papaw's first trip to see him and he was trying to talk.

(In case you can't tell, he is talking in this photo.)

Proud parents Quang and Shana.

Cousins, Tyler and Nicholas

Shana, Nicholas and Nanny, (Great-Grandmother)

We had had a big day at one of the last Yankee ball games 

played in the original Yankee Stadium.

Thanksgiving plate, anyone?

Yes, this is our fine china!

My how he has grown, 

Shana, Nicholas, Aunt KP and Tyler

We love you little man, see you on Saturday.

An Afternoon with the Horses

These animals are so beautiful, that they need no explanation or any words from me.  

I hope you enjoy this afternoon as much as I did and ellie.

The next four shots are a great series.   

This mare is looking out from behind this tree and as I keep approaching her response is priceless.

It ends with her run back to the group.

My Ellie girl.

Thank you once again for letting me share my day with you.  

Do you not know?

Have you not heard?

The LORD is the everlasting God,

the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He will not grow tired or weary,

and his understanding no one can fathom.

He gives strength to the weary

and increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary,

and young men stumble and fall;

but those who hope in the LORD

will renew their strenth.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary, 

they will walk and not be faint.

Jeremy's favorite verse.  Isaiah 41:28-31

Amen and Amen. 

 

Memories of Mam-ma

I have wanted to take pictures of this house for a while now. 

Every time I pass by, it calls to me.  

I wonder what life was like here?  Were there children running and playing?  I imagine the sound of the screen door slamming and momma yelling.  I can hear the sound of booted footsteps walking off this porch, going out to do a days work and then the shuffling of tired feet coming home in the evening.

This old house was built sometime in the 1920's, I suspect.  It looks hard and lonely to me.  Perched high on a hill with no trees for shade or comfort.  The area is surrounded by cotton fields and I try picture the couple who lived here.  

Were his shoulders broad and strong and his leg like iron from driving the mule to plow the land.  I wonder if she was use to this kind of environment or if this was like a foreign land to her?  Her skin weathered from the harsh realities of too much sun.  Cold wind out of the north blowing at the back door and to the west the hot, dry, dusty spring wind, sweeping this years' crop by.  

It tells of days gone by and hard times. 

Fought by the toughest of those among us.

  

Maybe they carved out a life for themselves and their family here.  Maybe, the genius of it's location came in the summer.  When the breeze from the south ushered in blessed relief from the west Texas heat.  Maybe they sat on this old front porch and listened to the sounds of crickets and watch as the fire-flies danced by, laughing at the simple joys of life, resting in the contentment that came with putting in a good, honest hard day in the fields.

I remember spending summers with Mam-maw and Pappaw.  They lived in a house built in the 1920's.  It was two story, with electricity but no running water.  I remember her scolding me if I even looked at the well when she drew water.  And yes, the out house was out back.  

My grandmother raised three boys and my dad was the middle son.  

They tell of the story when they went to town and finally bought the new out-house that she had been dreaming of.  They brought it home and then had to go somewhere so the boys were left to set it up.  My dad and his older brother fought over who was going to get to go in there first.  My dad was the second one to use that new out-house. 

 

When he got his chance to go, he decided that he was going to smoke a cigarette.  So he rolled up a vine something and smoked it.    While he was in there burning that vine he heard 

Mam-ma and Papaw drive up.  He hurriedly put it out and ran outside, acting like nothing had happened.  Later that evening, Mam-ma, excited to finally get to use her brand new out-house, stepped out on the back porch, to the site that she has never forgotten since as she watched that brand new out-house burn to the ground. 

I love the simple life they had back then or at least the idea of it.  Not that I would want to go back and live in those times.  God put us here in times such as these for a purpose.    

We heated water on the stove to warm the bath water, poured it into an old number 2 wash tub and took our baths on the back porch.  Now that was fun for us kids, but I bet it was cold in the winter.  Burrrr.  And we drank water out of a ladle from one of those white porcelain buckets with red trim.  At least that what hers looked like. 

In the mornings I would wake up to no one in the house and run, calling her name all the way through to the back porch, much the same way my granddaughter, Sarah, does today. I remember stepping out-side in my red satin 'little girl' pajamas and hearing her call me from the barn.

  I remember the dew on the grass as I ran down the hill to help her.  I didn't help milk the cow to much, she said she was afraid they might kick me, could be she was afraid I might turn the bucket over. I was a town girl, after all.  I think she let me one time but I couldn't get much milk out and soon ran off to do other things.  I remember her gathering fresh eggs every morning and me being eager to reach up into that nest and pick one up for myself.  She warned me about the chicken snakes that might be up there.  

My best memory of her was during one of the summers I spent at the farm.  I was the mud pie queen and I made mud pies, everywhere.  And her dirt was the best.  She had a mean rooster that summer and she warned me about that rooster.  

I'm beginning the get the picture that I required a lot of warnings.

But, I had to make mud pies.  It was mid morning, she was in the kitchen getting lunch ready when I came running by as fast as my feet would take me, which was pretty fast if fear was involved.  That rooster was right on my heels.  She hit that back door and I'm not exactly sure how she did it but that rooster was no longer chasing me.  I think he became very afraid for his life.  If I remember correctly, we had fried chicken that night.  Yep, she rung that roosters neck!.  I sat on the back porch and waited for her to come out of the chicken coop.  I asked her what happened and she said and I quote, "that rooster won't ever chase you again"!  

Mam-ma's favorite scripture is John 14:1-4

"Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God; trust also in me.  In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you.  I am going there to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.  You know the way to the place where I am going." 

Our family's sweet matriarch is turning 98 this February, I didn't realize this was going to be a story about her or I would have posted her picture here.  If someone knows how to do that after entering the text please let me know.  

I am grateful that my fore-mothers knew how to love their children.  These women through perseverance passed down a legacy of love that I strive to pass down to my children and watch with approval as they pass it on to theirs.  

We love because he first loved us.

1 John 4:19     

  

Scripture Memorization Challenge ~ 2009

Hi beautiful ladies, I just can't stay away from you very long.  So, today is the day for me to take down the Christmas tree.  I know I'm late but I have good reason.  I am going to organize the storage room.?/*@!  Right after I get through checking on all my friends and visit for a little while, then I'll organize that storage room and then I'll get those decoration put up.  Yes?  

I don't know, it's not looking so good, is it.?  

Hey I am so excited about the scripture memorization challenge that is going on all across this country and the world, really.  If you haven't heard about it and want to, check out Beth Moore's blog at LPM scroll down to the one titled "Anybody Game" she'll take you through it and take notice of the number of women who have committed to memorize 24 scriptures this year.  I think the number is at 3,000 and counting.  Wow, that is soooo goood!   There really must be an annointing on this because I already have mine almost down.  Still working on the last verse but this is really good for me. 

So, how 'bout that.  What a way to start a new year, wielding the sword of God's Word.  My desire is to not only memorize (although that is an excellent start) but also to really dig deep and dissect it, to know it, to own it and most of all to know when and how to apply it.  

There are many times when I am in front of someone and I just don't know how to finish . . . I, I don't have enough to go the distance, you know?  I need more, more knowledge, more courage, more tools, more quivers in my bag.

Philippians 1:9-11  "And this is my prayer; that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ--to the glory and praise of God.   

So what do you say?  Want to join me for a more of Jesus year?   

Ok, so now to take down those Christmas decorations.   I know I will feel better and have a lighter load on my shoulders when I just do the thing.  Funny how sometimes I spend more time putting off a chore than it takes to do the job.  

Oh well, that is another rabbit to chase at a later time.  But a life truth none the less.

Ok, here's the update, it's 4:00 pm central time and It's done.  Yep the tree is down!! how about that.  I dreaded this job all day and it took  2 scrawny hours to get the job done.  

Oh well, I don't want to think too much about what that says about me.  I am just going to enjoy the fact that it is done!  Yea.                  

What . . . happend?!!?

Sometimes I sit here and ... I got nothing.  I had something when I was in the kitchen and then I finished what I was doing, walked up stairs sat down and ...nothing, nada, zip!!!!  It's gone, it was going to be sooooo good, but now I guess I have to go back to the kitchen and see if I can get it back.  So stay tune, we'll see

School Gal

Hey friends, I want introduce you to my new "blogger" friend.  She is a lovely young lady and very impressive writer.  Go by and visit her and give her a friendly "bloggers" welcome.  

She is School Gal @ ampm101.blogspot.com

Love you all and Happy New Year!