Behold the Lovely Springtime - by Fanny J. Crosby

Behold the Lovely Springtime

Behold the lovely springtime!
We hail its rosy hours,
We welcome back the sunshine
And cool, refreshing showers;
There’s beauty all around us,
And music everywhere;
O praise our great Creator
Who makes the earth so fair.

Come, children, join the chorus,
Ring out in joyful strain
A song of love to God above;
The spring has come again.

Our youth is like the springtime,
Our hearts are like the flowers;
Our smiles like playful sunbeams
That cheer its passing hours;
And may our deeds of kindness,
As one by one they fall,
Be like the gentle raindrops
Our Father sends to all.

Each tender bud and blossom,
From out its dewy leaves,
Gives back to God who made it
The sweet perfume it breathes;
Then let us give to Jesus
Our youthful hearts today,
And in life’s happy springtime,
Begin the heavenly way.

Fanny J. Crosby

Ecclesiastes 12:1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;

Song of Solomon 2:12 The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;

Letters to My Friend - Until You Eat It

Psalm 34:8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. 

When my mom was a little girl she hated oatmeal porridge. Sometimes when she refused to eat it, her mother made her sit at the table until she had finished it. As I recall, on one occasion she was still sitting there when lunch time rolled around. I don't know when she finally did get it down, but it was a hard lesson for her.

My Gramma also taught her children to eat the things they didn't like first so that they could get them out of the way. This works pretty well, since once the serving of what you don't like is gone, you're free to enjoy the rest of your meal. It did backfire on my mom's youngest brother once when he was a little boy. He didn't like peas. He and his siblings were guests at someone's home without their parents being present, and they were served peas along with the rest of their dinner. My uncle ate his right down so quickly that the lady was impressed and, remarking that he really loved peas, she generously gave him another helping. Thankfully, his siblings spoke up and told her why he had gobbled his peas down. Being a very understanding and gracious lady, she told him he didn't have to eat the second helping, much to his relief.

Years later, when we were kids in our own home, I remember my mom putting food in the fridge that one of us had refused to eat. The offender was told they would have eat it at the next meal (probably before they got anything else). It seems like my sister might have pushed this through two meals once, but I don't remember clearly. Much of the time, however, we were made to eat the food one way or another.

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An Open Letter to Christian Parents

Dear Christian parents,

There is a lot of information being put out by various groups about how to raise “good, godly” children. There are various methods promoted, some even will imply or say outright that their method is the best and will absolutely give the desired results “if followed correctly.” Some go so far as to form cult-like groups to keep their children “safe” from not only the world, but also from the real or imagined problems with other Christian groups and people - and I do mean real Christians, just to clarify.

I'm a married Christian woman who has no children. But, I watched my parents raise two much-younger siblings, and I have observed a lot of friends and other people with their children, and I'd like to share some thoughts with you. I know some people get all uptight about single or childless people having opinions about raising kids. I understand that because I know how intrusive some people are with their uninformed opinions. However, I also know that some of us see real problems and, because we know our thoughts are not welcome, we are afraid to say anything. Sometimes they are things that would actually be helpful to you if you would stop to consider our perspective. So, I'm writing this with the hope of helping someone who may be feeling overwhelmed with some aspects of raising children in this day we live in. I doubt any honest parent would say they haven't been overwhelmed!

1. There is no foolproof plan.

The Pearls, Bill Gothard (ATI, IBLP), your pastor, Voddie Baucham, the Duggars, James Dobson, S.M. Davis, Tedd Tripp, Scott Brown, and dozens of others, do not have a perfect plan. They are not experts on your children. Even you don't know everything about your children. Only your children’s Creator can claim that role. Only their Creator should claim that role. In fact, when parents become obsessed with knowing everything and controlling everything about their children very bad things can happen. Just sayin'...

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Letters to My Friend - What Heritage Are You Leaving Them?

Dear Friend,

Psalm 16:5-6 The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot. The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.

In honor of Mother's Day I was thinking that I would post something From Mom's Collection since I haven't posted anything there for awhile. As I was poking through my file folder with loose pages and bits I began to appreciate again how much my mom loved poetry. A majority of what I have in her collection is poetry.

Both of my parents taught me to love poetry as I was growing up. My dad quoted poetry to us from the time we were kids - still does sometimes. :-)  He also would read poems in church services occasionally. He loves old hymns so much he once traded The Treasury of David by Spurgeon for an antique Methodist hymnal.

My mom collected poems more than she quoted them or read them out loud to us. She also loved hymns and songs. She, in turn, had inherited her interest in poetry from her mother who always enjoyed a well-written poem with something worthwhile to say. Gramma had a number of poems she could quote from memory.

Continue Reading Here.

Short Thought - Little Mountain Church House

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Luke 6:47-48 Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. 

1 Corinthians 3:11-15 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

Psalm 11:3-4 If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD'S throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men. 

Ephesians 2:19-22 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. 

Sadly, these days there are many people who don't have a church from their childhood that taught them the way, the truth, and the life in Jesus Christ. Some never went to church, some went to churches that were not walking in the truth. I have more than one church that I look back to in my childhood where I heard God's word taught and preached and it became the foundation of my life, by God's good grace and mercy. 

Parents, what foundational church memories are you laying in your children's minds and hearts? Are you making sure they are regularly in the fellowship of a local church assembly where God's true word is taught and preached? Are you making sure they see the joys and sweetness of being part of a group of people who are following the Lord in sincerity and truth, where love is pure and good, and where there is accountability and support through the tough times? Grandparents, aunts and uncles, older siblings, friends of younger children, are you striving to do what you can to help some other parents' children get to church where they can learn the truth of the Lord and where they can know that Jesus loves them too? Many a young person has been taken to church faithfully by someone other than their own parents or even relatives. Maybe you can help some children have these foundational memories in some way, even if you aren't the parents. It's something to think about.

And here's something else to think on: There are going to be more babies born in hard places and to people who don't want them as the abortion laws are tightened and changed in some places. Those kids will seldom be loved and nurtured in God's ways if they are born to mothers who would have killed them if they could have. If you are going to celebrate the changes in abortion laws in favor of the unborn, you need to have a plan to reach them with the gospel as children. To save their lives in the womb only to let them grow up in misery, want, and abuse is not much improvement over being born straight into heaven in my humble opinion. 

Matthew 18:4-7 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! 

Mark 10:14 But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. 

Dear Struggling Mother, We See You...

Dear Struggling Mother,

We see you. We see you and we are not judging you the way you may be feeling judged. No, I'm not speaking for everyone. Obviously I can't. But there are more of us than you may think.

We see you struggling with that baby that is giving you sleepless nights or is constantly sick. We see your tired eyes and that you don't believe that it will ever end. Sometimes we wish we could do more to help. We also know that this time is limited and won't last forever. We can't make it go away. We watch and feel your pain as you stand quietly and try to politely listen to that lady who has lost touch with reality offer more "helpful" advice than you need. We know she is thinking that somehow that will make it better. You know it won't and we know it won't, and we appreciate your frustration and your patience with people hard to bear. We see you. We're on your team. Even, when we forget ourselves and are that "helpful" lady.

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A Selection of Things for Mother's Day

I started to write something for today, but it isn't finished. I know, we've been down this street before. Anyway, here's a selection of things that might encourage of bless you today. :-)

Tender Strength - A photo and some thoughts from my own family history.

From Mom's Collection - A selection of items that my mom saved over the years. A variety of topics.

Mother's Question - A poem with a thought provoking question.

A Christian Mother's Life - A poem.

In Honor of Mothers - Scripture and pictures.

Bless the Hands and Hearts - A prayer.

Thorns - An encouragement for mothers whose babies died before birth.

I Love Homemaking... - Rejoicing in the the lovely work that God has given.

Temple Grandin Talking About Autism

Temple Grandin, the lady famous for being one of the first diagnosed with autism and then going on to become a well-educated, functioning, contributing person, talks here about autism and things that can be done to help children who have it. As a person who is highly artistic and also suffers from an anxiety disorder, I feel very strongly about art and hands on creative things being removed from school curriculum. I also hope this gives someone a better understanding about helping children and adults with autism and related disorders.

God allows some things for reasons that we do not understand. Through history, many of the great artists and highly skilled people in special areas such as mathematics, linguistics, music, technology, and other things have been or are somewhere on the autism spectrum. Helping children with autism find the things they are good at and helping them increase those skills is very important. For Christian parents, you may help them find that one thing or those few things that they can do that will be truly productive to God's glory and give them a sense of being useful in this life. This is important for everyone.

Also, as a side note, I agree with Ms. Grandin that it is wrong to breed animals for food or our enjoyment in such a way that they suffer or have problems. Proverbs 12:10 A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.

I do not remember there being any profanity or using of God's name in vain in this video. If I have missed something I apologize. Please leave a comment.

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Good Reads for Bad Times

This has been a rough year. My own family has been through a lot - in addition to the coronavirus stuff and the lock-down. Sometimes I find I need to read things that are more uplifting and encouraging for awhile and avoid anything that is too dramatic, too intense or too morbid. Here are a few books (and some poems) that can be helpful for those times.

For family reading:

The Sugar Creek Gang books by Paul Hutchins.

These books are Christian fiction geared towards kids. We recommend the books prior to the 1990's editions because they made some changes in the books later that weren't great. (Why update a good thing?) Plus the older books give a look into how people used to live in mid-western rural American farm country. There are lots of details of life that are now forgotten or little known.

The stories follow the adventures of the Sugar Creek Gang - a group of boys who live in rural Indiana. The adventures are varied and interesting from catching crooks to going on vacations in the north woods, visiting a missionary in Cuba, snowstorms, and visiting Chicago. They include a lot of roaming around in the woods, learning to be responsible, doing their chores faithfully, learning people relationship skills, and working towards the goal of seeing various people become real, born again Christians. There is also an emphasis on growing in the Christian walk throughout the books. There is a lot of humor as well as some difficult lessons. These books are bit exciting for some kids, but enjoyable for the adults reading them out loud as well. I always like the parents of Bill Collins (the storyteller character) in these stories because they seem like people I would like to have for friends of my own. :-) There are some books that deal with some more sensitive subjects - the destructive aspects of alcohol consumption and the use of bad language are repeating themes that I recall, but some other things are addressed as well.

Here's a website about the series.
For the older editions I recommend looking on AbeBooks and Ebay. Possibly Amazon as well.
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The Grandma's Attic books by Arleta Richardson.

These are Christian fiction based on true stories. These stories take place in Michigan back in the old days and follow the adventures of Mable O'Dell from her childhood into adulthood, marriage, and motherhood. The first books in the series have stand alone chapters - each one being a separate story with the biblical lesson given from "Grandma" (Mable herself). These books are fun and there is a lot of humor from the real life stories and events. Some stories are also more serious or heartwarming. Part way through the series the format changes to each book being a continuous story with a plot. These later books follow Mable through her later education and teaching years and then into marriage and motherhood.

These books can be enjoyed by adults and children alike. I took the first book and read some of the stories to my mom when she was staying in the rehad hospital and memory care facility in the last weeks of her life because the stories were interesting and only one short chapter long, so she could follow them. She really seemed to enjoy them a lot. :-) (She had read them to us when we were younger.) My husband also read some of them out loud to me during our pre-marriage months when I was sick and not able to do much. :-)

These books will probably also have to be purchased second hand either online or locally.
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The Jungle Doctor books by Paul White

These books are Christian fiction based on true stories. These stories take you back to British East Africa to a hospital in Tanganyika (now Tanzania) and follow the adventures of a missionary doctor and his African assistants. (There is an English nurse - called a "sister" - as well, but she doesn't figure as much in the stories.) These books give a great insight into the thinking of the African people in that place and time. There is drama, humor, and a lot of encouragement and adventure. The biblical lessons are very clear. The books can be enjoyed by children and adults and the books do not have to be read in order, although there is an order to them. (A more recent publication of these books has them out of order, which was a puzzle to me.)

Note: Some difficult subjects are sometimes dealt with. Also there are medical situations that may be a bit much for squeamish people. :-) There are also Bible quotes that are translated from the local African language back into English or perhaps come from the RSV. Look them up in your King James Version if you would like.

These books are sometimes available on Amazon, but can also be purchased second hand online. I do not know if the more recently published editions have been altered.
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And here are a few fiction stories that are just fun or sweet without being Christian.

The Little House on the Prairie books by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

I doubt that I need to say much about these to explain them because they are so well known, but these books follow the adventures of the Ingalls family as they moved around in the United States frontier in the early days. They are fiction based on a true story and, while they have a fair bit of struggle, they are also inspiring for learning to live through hardships and survive.

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For adults and young adults:

Then I will recommend two fiction books by Grace S. Richmond. These books were written years ago and have a winsome vintage quality that I personally find to be gentle and enjoyable.

Strawberry Acres - [Spoiler Alert] Follows the adventures of a family of four young adult orphans and their uncle as they shift from city life to country life. This book has it's humor and a little romance, but I think it is also good to encourage you to get out and dig in the dirt and grow things, which is a good way to cheer up in and of itself. :-) It's also a good reminder to make the best of a difficult situation and not assume that something that looks bad can't be turned to something useful.

A Court of Inquiry - This book follows four adults through their relationships with various young ladies in a country boardinghouse. It initially presents various types of young women for the consideration of the reader. Then later it shows where these various young women end up as married women. It is a humorous commentary on human nature - especially young female human nature. Obviously it is from a by-gone era, but it still has its charms and is applicable to modern young women in some ways. :-) This book has an element of romance as well, but it is not exactly the main story.

These books can be enjoyed by young people as well as adults. They have been reprinted and are for sale on Amazon (or at least one is), or you can find them free in various ebook formats or to read online at gutenberg.org

Strawberry Acres
A Court of Inquiry

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Last but not least, I recommend the poems of Annie Johnson Flint for encouragement and edification in the truth of the Lord. These poems have been a great help to me during various dark times of my own life. Miss Flint experienced some very difficult things in her own life, and God helped her to pass on the comfort and courage He gave her to us in the form of poetry.

The Poem of Annie Johnson Flint

FREE Scripture Coloring Pages to Print

Here are several coloring pages that I have published here on the blog. I thought someone might find them useful during this time when so many are stuck at home for various reasons. Follow the links to find the links to uncolored copies that you may download for free.

Please keep in mind that ink jet printer ink may not be compatible with alcohol based markers, so you should test them before using them on your printed pages to see if they dissolve the black ink or not. If they do, this could damage your pens. Water based pens and colored pencils should be fine.

Free Coloring Page - Stained Glass "Window"

FREE - Scripture Coloring Page - Leaves

FREE Bible Verse Coloring Page for Grown Ups - Romans 8:28 - Crazy Quilt

Free Coloring Page - Bible Verse - 1 John 4:10-11

Just for Fun - You Might Be A Missionaries' Kid If...

My mother and her brothers. Tanzania, 1957.

Finding a beak in your chicken soup doesn't shock you.

You have to fight panic when people drive on the right hand side of the road.

You like Marmite, and you're not British by birth.

You've been lost in a large, foreign airport and knew what to do.

You can actually pronounce Welsh town names.

You know that skirts and robes are not exclusively women's clothes in other parts of the world.

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Making A Man

Hurry the baby as fast as you can,
Hurry him, worry him, make him a man.
Off with his baby clothes, get him in pants,
Feed him on brain foods and make him advance.
Hustle him, soon as he's able to walk,
Into a grammar school; cram him with talk.
Fill his poor head full of figures and facts,
Keep on a-jamming them in till it cracks.
Once boys grew up at a rational rate,
Now we develop a man while you wait,
Rush him through college, compel him to grab
Of every known subject a dip or a dab.
Get him in business and after the cash,
All by the time he can grow a mustache.
Let him forget he was ever a boy,
Make gold his god and its jingle his joy.
Keep him a-hustling and clear out of breath,
Until he wins - nervous prostration and death.

Nixon Waterman
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Maybe this is how we got to the point where boys grow up much too fast - or refuse to grow up at all.

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Painting by Mary Casset

Tutorial for Making Paper Snowflakes

A simple tutorial for making paper snowflakes. To copy the various designs shown pause the video.
Enjoy! :-)
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Job 38:22 Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail, 

Snowflakes are beautiful,
Pure and white,
And like God's children,
No two are alike.
- unknown

Free Vintage Paper Dolls

Here is a link to some free vintage paper dolls from 1917 over at The Old Design Shop.

Vintage Paper Dolls

Click on the lower pictures for larger images and save and print from them. 

Thought from the Past - Schools As Social Agencies

Here is an item copied years ago from The Fairhaven Fundamentalist:

A new mantra has crept into the stream of discourse about government's role in social services. Identified as an African proverb, it is, "It takes a whole village to raise a child."

This statement is false, if not ridiculous. It takes a family, especially a mother and father, to raise a child, and most parents don't want the whole village butting into the raising of their children because they know that, if the village usurps parental prerogatives, the village will teach children behavior the parents don't want them to learn.

The "Whole Village" mantra is not merely a rhetorical flourish or poetic license. It is the indicia of a major initiative of the social services professionals to expand their turf at the expense of parental authority and responsibility.

The key to catching most or all school children in the social-service web, whether their families want such services or not, is the categorization of children as "at risk," a magic phrase used to authorize the state to do whatever it wants with children. The more children who are designated as "at risk," the more personnel and funds the public schools can demand ...

No issue in America today is more important than education. We must not allow the public schools to teach children that parents are irrelevant and that the government will be their baby sitter, their nanny, their doctor, their nurse, their psychiatrist, and ultimately their employment agency. Our goal must be to teach all children how to read, to know about our great American heritage, and to be educated to fulfill their individual God-given potential.

 ... Copied [Disclaimer on source.]
(I apologize that I did not record the date of this item.)

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Comments on previous article by Mary E. Stephens (updated Oct. 2019):

Here is another good reason to teach your kids at home. The less your children are in the "village," the less opportunity the "villagers" have to tear down your standards. These "villagers" WILL try to "educate" your children with their "values" if you give them the chance, whether it's by sending them to the public school or letting them watch T.V., play ungodly games (computer, video, board, etc.), or any other unprofitable thing.

Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

If you are supposed to beware, then why would you let man "spoil" your children by these very things?

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Who Is the Best Mother in the World?

Luke 11:27-28 And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

If we were to discuss who might be the best mother in the world probably the example of Mary the mother of Jesus would come up. After all, she was chosen to be the mother of the Messiah, right? What greater honor could be given to any woman?

According to Jesus Himself, the honor of hearing and keeping the word of God is a greater blessing than bringing the Messiah into the world. That is an amazing thought.

In fact, we read in Luke 8:20-21, And it was told him by certain which said, Thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to see thee. And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it.

So not only is it more blessed than bearing the Messiah to hear and keep God’s word, but Jesus calls those who hear and do God’s word His mother and brethren. In other words, they are His close family members.

No matter who you are, or whether you have children or not, you can do this today.

Continue Reading.

Links Worth Reading - Technology's Negative Effects On Children and Babies

Psalm 78:2-4 I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done. 

Some time back my husband and I were eating in a local restaurant. A mother came in with her daughter who appeared to be around 8 years old. They ordered and were waiting for their food. The girl had crayons and a coloring book or paper. The mother was glued to her smart phone. At some point the daughter after trying to communicate with her mom and being ignored or rebuffed started to cry. The mother told her in a harsh voice that was too loud for the situation that this was, "unacceptable behavior" and ordered her to stop crying. The mother was obviously highly annoyed to be interrupted in whatever she was doing on her phone by her daughter's need for attention. Dear reader, I wanted to get up and go over to that table and tell the mother that her behavior was "unacceptable." She shouldn't be loudly rebuking her daughter and that she should be paying attention to her daughter instead of being totally engrossed in the cyber world. Then maybe the girl wouldn't feel like she had to cry to get her attention! I didn't do it, but I have to admit that I was angry inside seeing that little girl be treated that way by her mother, and I am still sad for her.

This article is really worth reading. It addresses a serious problem with technology in many areas relating to childhood. I recommend it to anyone who is a parent, grandparent, aunt, sibling, or in any other way associated with children - pretty much all of us.

Excerpt: "Today’s children are being deprived of the fundamentals of a healthy childhood, such as:

• Emotionally available parents
• Clearly defined limits and guidance
• Responsibilities
• Balanced nutrition and adequate sleep
• Movement and outdoors
• Creative play, social interaction, opportunities for unstructured times and boredom"

Read it here: The Silent Tragedy Affecting Today's Children

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Is Ultrasound a safe option during pregnancy? I had heard some things in the past about the possibility that ultrasound was not as safe as it is reported to be. One man I know said that if they had children his wife was not getting any ultrasounds. Some situations may warrant one for safety purposes, but recreational, gender identification, and entertainment factor ultrasounds are highly questionable, and often repeated ultrasounds for "diagnostic purposes" should be avoided if at all possible. Some folks like to blame all the autism and various other problems on one source - often vaccines. I feel that there are multiple reasons for why children are suffering from so many disorders that were much less common in the past. One that people often don't think about, and I seldom hear mentioned is ultrasounds.

This article is informative and thought provoking, and it is written by a doctor who practices integrative medicine.

Perils of Peeking Into the Womb: Ultrasound Risks

Excerpt: "This recent study suggests that the seemingly benign practice of obstetrical ultrasonography is one practice that deserves urgent reassessment. Researchers exposed pregnant mice at 14.5 days gestation (a neurologically vulnerable window) to 30 minutes of fetal ultrasound and assessed the pups’ behavior at 3 weeks of age. They found that the exposed pups were significantly less interested in social interactions and had significant levels of behavioral hyperactivity, in the presence of an unfamiliar mouse."

Evening Song - For Me to Live Is Christ, to Die Is Gain

Philippians 1:18-21 What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice. For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Thoughts from the Past: Crippling Fear

[Originally published, 7/2012; Edited, Dec. 2017.]

Proverbs 24:10  If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.

Deuteronomy 33:27  The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms…

Last Sunday evening a thunder shower started during the church meeting and kept on for a long time.  It was still going when we were leaving the building to head home. My friend Michelle and her littlest girl, Lucy, were going out the door at the same time I was. Another lady – a guest – was trying to help some with Lucy as she was starting to cry. Lucy started howling even more, and, assuming that it was partly because this lady was a stranger to her, I stepped in and picked Lucy up to carry her out. Well, she continued to cry and then began to writhe as toddlers will sometimes when they want to be put down. So, I put her down. To my consternation, she almost promptly fell over onto the cement. She was acting like she couldn’t function. I tried to lift her onto her feet, but she wouldn’t use her legs, she just kept them bent. 

All this time her mom, whose arms were full was saying encouraging things, but Lucy paid no attention to her. Eventually, when I was trying to hold her up and she was refusing to stand, her dad saw what was happening came out to assist, saying he would get her. I didn’t dare let go of her till he had her in his hands because she would have fallen backwards and hit her head on the cement.

She continued to cry as her dad paused to talk a minute, explaining to me that she was scared of the thunder. Still, she would put her head down on her dad’s shoulder and let him comfort her a bit, but when the thunder crashed again (and it wasn’t really loud thunder), she would howl and writhe and maybe even throw herself around a bit as if she wanted to be put down. She was perfectly safe in his arms. He wasn’t going to put her down – that would have only meant another fall for her as her fear was so overwhelming that she apparently forgot how to walk when it happened. But, she wouldn’t be comforted, she wouldn’t be assured, she would not rest in the safety of her father’s arms and be at peace. As the lady who had tried to help earlier said, Lucy probably was frightened because she did not understand the storm.

Speaking to my husband later about this little by-play, it crossed my mind how we are like that at times with our heavenly Father. Something happens that we don’t understand, or perhaps we are made frightened by events going on around us in the world or are fearful about the future; but rather than standing on our own two legs of faith, as it were, we begin to thrash around and stumble and become so overcome with our fear that we even fall and may injure ourselves, figuratively speaking. Fear can have very real physical effects. It can be debilitating. 

Perhaps our brothers or sisters in Christ see it is necessary to come along side of us and try to help to keep us on our feet, though that is a blessing, there is only so much they can do, especially when we refuse to be helped.

Ultimately, we need to rest in the everlasting arms of our heavenly Father. Yet, how often do we thrash and howl and writhe even while the Lord is trying to bring peace and comfort to our troubled minds and hearts! How apt we are to resist the very One who is …the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;  2 Corinthians 1:3! We are so overwhelmed by our own terror that we can’t realize that we are safe in the arms of God, and even more we fail to hear His word and believe it. We can’t even comprehend it because we are allowing ourselves to be governed by the spirit of fear.

2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 

Fear is a natural response in some situations, and it is a useful reaction to keep us from injuring ourselves, attempting foolish things, going into dangerous situations and such like. When people say that “fear is sin” in a blanket statement they are misrepresenting the thing, which is unhelpful. But, fear is also something that can be totally unfounded, irrational, or exaggerated far beyond what a situation may call for. This is why our adversary uses it to his advantage.

1 Peter 5:8  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 

The roaring of the lion causes fear and panic in those who are candidates to be his victims. But, as Christians we are told to be sober and vigilant – not so panic stricken that we can’t function properly. I know this can be very hard. As a person who deals with anxiety struggles, I know that it can be very easy to allow ourselves to be overwhelmed to the point of uncontrollable fear.

I find it interesting to note the verses just before and just after 1 Peter 5:8. First regarding the Lord, it tells us: 1 Peter 5:7  Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. And, then regarding the roaring adversary it continues in 1 Peter 5:9, Whom resist stedfast in the faith…

Getting back to little Lucy, though, and her refusal to accept her father’s comfort and care, another verse comes to mind. Colossians 3:15  And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

The key there is in the letting. God gives us a choice in this matter. Lucy’s father could not make her be comforted or at peace. She had to choose that. As a toddler, this was something hard for her to do. We understand that, and I’m sure our heavenly Father understands our struggle as well since …he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust. Psalms 103:14 That is a blessing. But, I know Lucy’s dad would have liked to see her accept her safety in his arms and be at rest. How much more do you think our heavenly Father would be blessed to see us rest in His infinite, all powerful, sustaining arms? How much more does He know that it is for our good to accept His admonition to let His peace rule in our hearts?

Isaiah 41:10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

John 14:27  Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Vintage graphic: source unknown

Three Fun Watercolor Texture Techniques

Here is a tutorial from Teela Cunningham for three interesting watercolor techniques. These would be fun to do on greeting cards, or just fun experiments for the kids to do with their watercolor paints.

NOTE: Parent supervision is advised for younger kids using the bleach method.
Also please Do Not leave your paintbrushes sitting in the saltwater or bleach water solutions! I recommend not leaving them in any water, but these solutions could cause damage to brushes. Also, I'd suggest using a cheaper or older brush for the bleach solution as it might cause some damage to the brush even if you rinse it soon afterwards.