Guest Post - A Work In Progress

Today I'm sharing a post from my dad.

A Work In Progress

By Stephen Van Nattan
Edited by Mary E. Stephens

That is what we are. When a person hears the Gospel, understands it, and confesses faith in Jesus Christ, a process starts. No one ever was made perfect the instant they were born again.

1 John 2:5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

"Perfected" in this text means COMPLETE. The cup is empty, and it is filled in time. The yarn is woven by grandma's hands, maybe for many days, and eventually the sweater is completed.

So, how do we keep the process going forward and not stop and live an unfinished life?

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

There is NO WAY you can arrive at Christian perfection in a moment of time. It takes a lifetime for most of us. We must stop this clever trick of using this fact to explain our slowness and sin as we move through the process. If you know you are not making progress toward perfection, you are backslidden. You need to repent and get back in the race with the rest of the saints on their way to perfection.

But, there is a caution here. I will illustrate.

Ed had been born again for years. He loved the Lord and participated in leadership in his local church., Ed also smoked. He was one of the few people who smoke in moderation and not in addiction, and smoking was a pleasure to him, not a burden.

Ed was walking downtown, and a lady from his church came along with her young son. Ed always removed his cigarette and held it to the side instead of smoking while talking to people. The lady and Ed chatted for a while, and as they parted, the young son told his mother, "Mommy, it must be OK to smoke, Uncle Ed smokes."

The boy considered Ed a godly man. When Ed heard the boy's words, he was smitten deeply. He decided on the spot to stop smoking if his choice would cause a boy to violate the teachings of his mother. Ed quit cold turkey never to smoke again.

That is how we are perfected. The key is that Ed was ready to be taught by the Holy Spirit. When the scene played out, which was clearly planned by God the Holy Spirit, Ed did the right thing and moved on to perfection.

Are you teachable? Can the Holy Spirit arrange for you to have a life experience, or read some text from the Bible, and you will at once see God talking to you and move on to perfection?

That is exactly what the Apostle Paul is talking about here:

Philippians 3:12-14 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Get this straight please...

1. The great Apostle clearly did not consider himself a completed (perfected) work. Stop parking in front of your failures.

2. Follow after. Grab ahold (Apprehend) of the life God offers you just up ahead.

3. Keep PRESSING toward the mark. This is Paul using the public games of Rome again. The prize is perfection, and it is a race to be run to win it.

Again, are you teachable? Are you still running the race? If you do this, you WILL reach the prize one day. We are not talking about sinless perfection, a doctrine of devils taught by some. We are talking about arriving where God wants you to be.

One last question we have to answer: How do I know when I am perfect the way the Bible teaches?

Jesus answers:

Matthew 5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

As long as you have something you need to deal with in your life in order to be like God, you are still a work in progress.

So, you will never be as perfect as God in this life. What does this mean? It means you will never stop running in this race until you are in the presence of God.

Don't stop now, please.

Don't worry. Anything you do not get right now will be taken care of by Jesus:

1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

A Tale of Two Guardian Bands - A Story from My Dad

 

Kijabe mission station where RVA is located.
Taken from the air around the general time this story occurs.

2 Kings 6:15-17 And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

Hebrews 1:13-14 But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? 

For Father's Day I am sharing a true story from my dad's childhood in East Africa during the Mau Mau Uprising. Both of my parents attended the Rift Valley Academy boarding school for missionary children in Kenya when they were kids, as did their living siblings. As I was growing up I remember hearing this story told by different family members separately, but usually various ones together, and it left a tremendous impression on me. As you will see as you read, if God hadn't intervened at that time, both my dad and my mom likely would have died as children and I would never have been born. 

We are not superstitious people, but we do know that sometimes God steps in and alters the course of nature or man's evil intentions through the ministry of His angels. Usually we are never the wiser to this, but once in a long while He pulls back the veil for His purposes (there is always a biblical purpose) and lets people get a small glimpse into that world of spiritual warfare that is around us all the time. As with Elisha and his servant in 2 Kings, and as with Daniel when the angel came to answer his prayer for understanding and told him that he had been delayed in the spiritual world by the prince of Persia (a spiritual entity, since a man could never stop an angel), there are times when we are given a small look into what is happening there that we are unaware of usually. 

I hope you enjoy reading this and are encouraged to know that, no matter how grim the situation may appear around you, "they that be with us are more than they that be with them." We are not always "recued" in this flesh, but God is always victorious in the end.

He Shall Give His Angels...

P.S. My dad mentions the "pseudos" without going into much detail as to what they were. They were spies who posed as Mau Mau to infilterate them and find out what they were doing - a seriously dangerous job. As he mentions there were a few white men who did this - by dying themselves black. But they had to speak the language like a born native.

Listening to God's Voice with Your Feet In Motion - Guest Post

Here is a thought from my dad, Stephen Van Nattan, about listening for God's leading. Often times we have to be moving before we hear His voice telling us which way to go.

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THAT VOICE 

Isaiah 30:21 And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.

Scott McNealy — a co-founder of Sun Microsystems said this about decision making: "It’s important to make good decisions. But I spend much less time and energy worrying about 'making the right decision' and much more time and energy ensuring that any decision I make turns out right."

In Isaiah above, we see that there are times we "turn" to the right or left. So, how do we make sure that, when we "turn," we end up making a decision that, as McNealy said, "turns out right?"

1. Do not stop your progress in life by standing still..... take a turn and keep in motion. The captain of a ship cannot steer a ship that is not in motion. You will not hear the voice behind you if you are dead in the water.

2. But, be very alert to hear if a voice tells you to go another way. That is how to make sure your decisions turn out right. Scott McNealy seems to be alone in the task of making sure his decisions are the right ones. You are never alone with Jesus Christ. 

So, in terms of knowledge, do not hide in a corner and shut out everything around you. That will get you no knowledge upon which to act in wisdom. Keep looking for knowledge, BUT, listen for the voice behind you that says, "Click out of there my son, that knowledge is rubbish and will only destroy your peace and fellowship with me."

We had to leave our work with Sudan Interior Mission in Ethiopia in 1974 because of a Marxist coup. Christian Ethiopians were being accused of being the friends of Imperialists, and the mission decided to quickly downsize from 300 missionaries to 12. National Christians should not have to suffer persecution for being the friends of Americans. Only for being the friends of Jesus Christ. 

We were among the first to leave. We did everything to get ready, sold most of our possessions, and moved to the mission headquarters to wait for a flight back to the USA. But, we could also move on to join another mission somewhere else in the world and continue being missionaries. We were in motion but also wondering if we might hear the voice of God behind us.

The word got to George Machamer of Gospel Furthering Fellowship in Kenya, the next nation south of Ethiopia. My wife and I had grown up in Kenya as kids when our parents were missionaries in the region. George Machamer took it upon himself to send us a letter inviting us to join the GFF at once and move to Kenya to help in the work. 

There was that voice, and it came in the mail like a voice out of the blue. We then moved to Kenya and became part of the work of the GFF.

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My comment:

As many of us focus on giving thanks to God this week, consider some ways that He has led you in directions that were a surprise - maybe they even seemed scary or disappointing at the time. Can you look back, as my dad does, and thank Him for taking you away from something and to something else? We don't always know the reasons this side of Heaven, but we can often know that it was definitely the Lord who led us. 

Maybe you are stuck in your life at the moment and don't know where to go next. How can you start to move forward? By doing even the most basic right things commanded to Christians in scripture. This will open up the way for God to direct your steps to where He wants you to go, or perhaps to something He wants you to do right where you are.

Psalm 85:13 Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps. 

Even though we sometimes feel like we have no idea what we should be doing or where we should be going, with His voice behind us and His righteousness setting us in His steps, we have a great deal of guidance. As it has been said, if you don't know what God's will is for you, do the things that you can clearly see from scripture are God's will - pray, study His word, testify of the gospel, be part of a local church fellowship, grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus, do good to all men, etc. And keep moving forward, even if it's "only" in these most basic things. The voice of the Lord will lead you in the bigger matters as you go. 

As we have some big decisions looming ourselves at the moment, I'm saying this to myself as much as anyone.

And just in case we forget how powerful God's voice is:

Psalm 29 

A Psalm of David. 

Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength.
Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
The voice of the LORD is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the LORD is upon many waters.
The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.
The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars; yea, the LORD breaketh the cedars of Lebanon.
He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn.
The voice of the LORD divideth the flames of fire.
The voice of the LORD shaketh the wilderness; the LORD shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh.
The voice of the LORD maketh the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests: and in his temple doth every one speak of his glory.
The LORD sitteth upon the flood; yea, the LORD sitteth King for ever.
The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace. 

2 Corinthians 9:15 Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. 

Feel Good Friday - My Dad Remembers George Bennard

George Bennard

He wrote The Old Rugged Cross. He and his wife visited Emmanuel Mennonite Church of Downey, California in 1954, and they sang George's hymn, and then he preached the Gospel.

A fourth grade boy was sitting on the front row in awe. Just to think, that hymn I had sung so many times, and that nice old man wrote it. I was only a kid, but I still remember the moment, a rare epiphany for a young boy. My Dad took their picture, which you find [at right].

Many years later, the boy was a man and married, and he and his wife were on deputation speaking about their going to Ethiopia as missionaries. The church was Granville Bible Church in Michigan, just west of Grand Rapids.

After speaking in the evening service, Pastor Boger found me, and he had a very old frail lady in tow. He said she was the wife of George Bennard, and my jaw dropped. I had seen her back in fourth grade, and she showed the effects of over 90 years of her journey. George Bennard had died in 1958. She said she was so pleased to know we were going to the mission field, and she handed me a twenty dollar bill.

That was possibly the most precious gift I had every received. Some day, I will see them both in The Glory again, and we will sing The Old Rugged Cross for the Savior who died on that cross.

In one person's life, there are rare events that are beyond price. They are special moments God gives us that we never forget. They are given to us to fire our imagination, light the fire of passion, and send us on down the road feeling like God has been planning things so well for us. Do not let go of any of those moments. They are eternal, and all the actors will be there around the throne to welcome us to the eternal gathering in Heaven with our Lord.

- by Stephen Van Nattan

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Ephesians 5:18-19 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

Hebrews 11:4 ...he being dead yet speaketh.

Christmas for Lonely People

Christmas Eve for Lonely People

Here is a blog post written by my dad. I only wish I’d seen it yesterday. But it isn’t too late to show compassion on someone today or this week.

By the way, don’t forget New Year’s Eve. Some people, unmarried young adults especially, get very stressed about that when they have nowhere to go and/or no one to go with. If you run across someone like that invite them over or take them to your church function with you on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day.

John 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. 

Matthew 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. 

1 Corinthians 13:4-5 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own...

James 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. 

Random Questions - How Well Do You Know Your Dad?

My dad loved to play with his kids on the floor when we were little.
My two younger brothers and my sister are with him here.

How well do you know your dad? 

He is sitting in front of the TV, what is he watching? Probably a documentary, something about trains or something about another country.

Usually, what dressing does he eat on his salad? Something he concocted himself with pickle brine and herbs.

Name something he hates? Traffic

You go out to eat, what does he order to Drink? Decaf coffee, sweet tea or water.

Favorite music to listen to? Old hymns, YouTube videos of churches that use the Red Backed Hymn Book.

What is his nickname for you? When I was very little - Mary Sunshine.

When he's being sentimental it's about? My mom or something from his past.

What is something he likes to collect? Heirloom seeds and seed catalogs, true accounts of explorers from history.

What would he NEVER wear? A muscle shirt, anything effeminate.

What is his favorite sports team? Rocky and Bullwinkle.

You bake him a cake for his birthday, what flavor is it? Pineapple Upside-down Cake.

What is his favorite animal? I'm not sure there's one that qualifies, but probably something from East Africa.

What could he spend all day doing? Working in his garden, writing, doing stuff on the computer, reading.

Hard Questions - Are You Riding On Past Victories?

Originally published Dec. 2013. Edited.

My dad used to tell us, “You can’t coast on past victories.” What he meant was that things we did in the past for the Lord aren’t “enough to last a lifetime." We have to keep pressing forward, finding new things to do for Christ, and striving against sin in the present. Past victories may be sweet memories, even invigorating, but they don’t suffice to justify our existence today.

We would think it strange if an unemployed and poverty stricken man enjoyed boasting of the $50 an hour he once made but showed no interest in finding a new job. If a father asked his child, “Well, son, have you been obedient today?”and the boy answered, “Well, I was last week,” the father would be quite unimpressed. Boasting of past blessings and victories is pretty much the same.

Martin Lloyd-Jones had this to say:

“I have always found it depressing to listen to the kind of people who, whenever you meet them, will always for sure tell you the story of their conversion many years ago. They tell you that story every time. I have known people do exactly the same thing with revival. There is always something about an initial experience that is remarkable and outstanding. And a time of revival is so amazing and wonderful that it is not surprising that people go on talking about it. But, if they give the impression that they have had nothing since that wonderful experience, that ever after they have been walking through a wilderness, and travelling through a desert, then it is absolutely wrong. Their idea of the Christian life is of a dramatic experience, perhaps at the outset, after which they just trudge along, living on the strength of that and partly keeping their eye turned backwards as they go forward.”

My family had a friend who once said something to this effect – “They talk about revivals and how we need to get all fired up again for God. I don’t want to go up and down all the time. I would rather just live with a steady zeal all the time.”

What are you doing? Are you riding on past victories with nothing to speak of from recent times? If so, what can you do to get back into “active duty” as it were? Or, are you one of those Christians who lives a roller coaster life plunging to defeat or lethargy then bounding up to exultation and zeal after a good “revival”, only to follow the same path of descent again before long?

It is something worth thinking about.

The apostle Paul said, Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12-14

Paul was not content to “rest upon his laurels,” as it were, yet if anyone had room to boast in accomplishments he did. Instead he left us an example of pressing forward – whether it was in the body (during his missionary journeys) or in spirit (during his prison years).

Hebrews 6:1-3 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this will we do, if God permit.

The Christian life is one of moving forward, of not lingering indefinitely over the foundations. We should never stop growing in grace. And, while we are stedfast and unmoveable we should also be abounding in the work of the Lord.

2 Peter 3:17-18 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

1 Corinthians 15:57-58 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

A Few Things from My Dad

Since last Sunday was Father's Day here in the U.S., I thought it would be interesting to share a few things written by my dad that I hope you might enjoy.

My parents attended a missionary boarding school when they were growing up in East Africa. They had a lot of experiences there that were unique to that type of environment. My dad, being of the prankster temperament, made quite a few of those unique experiences for himself. We grew up listening to these stories and we never got tired of them.

The Night the Donkey Came to Pray - This one is a particular favorite because my mom was involved in the situation, albeit in a non-active sense.

My dad is also a poet. Among my earliest memories is him singing "The Fox" to me. It is a long poem, but he learned the whole thing, more or less, and he would sing it from start to finish for us when I would ask him to "Sing us the fox song, Daddy."

Well, my dad also sometimes writes his own poetry, and here is one of them:
Musings from My Front Porch - My dad wrote this when we lived in Tennessee. The photo is of the very porch he was sitting on. :-) The shed and house in the distance is Charlotte's place as well.

Last but not least, my dad is a Christian. He was a missionary for a short time during my early life and later a pastor for much longer. Some years ago he wrote this study on the Gospel of John to help people know for sure if they are truly born again or not. Because of this page, my dear friend Theresa came to know the Lord Jesus Christ as her Savior after living most of her life thinking she was saved when, in fact, she was not. [Read Theresa's story here.] I am very thankful that the Lord used my own dad to bring her to a realization that she did not understand the Gospel and what it really meant to be born again, and that because of that she eventually came to true salvation. I hope that it has helped others and that it will continue to do so.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ

His Mother's Sorrow

Kola Ndoto Hospital, Tanzania in the 1940s.

A true story from my dad about his mother's miscarriage in Africa.

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Romans 12:15  Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.

Writing Challenge #5 recently went up on my blog. I was blessed and honored to have my own dad decide to take on the challenge and write something. He posted it in the comments there, but I felt like it was important that this get shared in a place where it wouldn't be so easily missed.

As some of you may remember, I have had a burden this year for some young mothers who had their children go straight to heaven from their wombs through miscarriage. As Mother's Day approached this year I've been wondering what I should post. I'm often burdened at this holiday for the women who are outside of the "happy mother" category. When I read this true story from the life of my grandparents by my dad, I felt that the Lord had given me something that needed to be passed on.

CONTINUE READING.

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NOTE: A couple different people have told me that they tried to leave a comment on this blog post, but I never received it for moderation. If you left a comment and it was never posted, I probably didn't get it. If you have something you especially want me to know, please send email.

Blessed Quietness at The Enchanting Rose Blog

Photo property of Stephanie at The Enchanting Rose.

Here is a lovely post by Stephanie at The Enchanting Rose featuring the hymn "Blessed Quietness". Since that is the hymn which my dad named his web page after, and since this is his birthday, I thought it would be a nice post to share with my readers today. :-) Please go over and enjoy her encouraging post and beautiful photos.

Card Making: The Edible Cookie Card

Since my dad's birthday is this coming up I thought it would be fun to share a card my mom made for him some years back.

Mom and I made Dark Pfeffernusse for my dad for his birthday that year.  It is his favorite cookie of all time.  It is also connected with his Mennonite background, so it has fond memories for him as well. While we were making them, somehow the idea came up that Mom should make letters to spell "I love you!" to make him a special "greeting card."  :-)  We baked them and they were stored at my house so that Daddy wouldn't stumble across them before his birthday.

You might be able to do this with peanut butter cookie dough, but it needs to be something that doesn't rise or spread a lot while baking.

To make the card, we covered a piece of sturdy cardboard with foil and then Mom "glued" the cookies to it with some plain white icing.

I made a little card for her to add using one of my own designs made on the computer (with one of my own photos), and she added a card with her signature.

As you can see from this picture, my dad quite liked his card.  Who wouldn't like an edible birthday card made with one's favorite cookies?  Haha!  :-)

Speaking of Fathers…

 

Proverbs 17:6  Children's children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers.

Our thanks, O God, for fathers who follow in Thy way,
And who, with glad and trusting hearts, exalt Thee every day.
Our thanks, O God, for fathers who show, by word and deed,
Commitment to Thy will and plan, and Thy commandments heed.
Our thanks, O God, for fathers who meet Thee oft in prayer,
And who, for all life's toil and care, find strength and wisdom there.
How blessed are the children who in their fathers see
The tender Father-love of God, and find their way to Thee.

by Lois S. Johnson  [Source: The Enchanting Rose]

My grandfather reading to his children.

My brother entertaining his son while my mom gave him a haircut.

My dad tuning my piano.  He supported our family for years mostly through piano tuning.

A small portion of the fruit of my dad’s labors in the garden.

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Some thoughts on adoption:  Thoughts from the Past – Adopted

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But in case you don’t have a godly, loving dad, here is an important reminder.

(Note: This is not posted for the express purpose of supporting these people’s adoption goals, but for the video content itself.  I know little about the family.)

John 1:12-13  But as many as received him [Jesus Christ], to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:  Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

1 John 3:1-2  Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

1 John 5:11-13  And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

The Thousand Word Project– Let Us Eat Lettuce

This is some of the beautiful lettuce my dad grew here last winter.  There are some foods I like just because they are beautiful!

Red Noodle Beans and An Idea that Failed

 

Last year my dad grew these beautiful Chinese red noodle beans (Baker Creek Seeds).  They were really beautiful to look at, and when cooked from fresh they were quite good – definitely good enough to grow again.  The down side was that they did not can or freeze well.  Perhaps we didn’t know the right trick, but they became very soft and mushy when we tried to process them for longer term storage.  Of course, canning beans required pressure cooking, which was more than these could stand up to.  The take away for us was that they are good for producing a large amount of summer food, but not so great for long term storage.

The flowers on them were pretty and looked like a typical bean blossom, only these grew on vines so they were more reminiscent of sweet peas.

I had cooked them before, I think, and knew that the gorgeous red would fade some when they were cooked, but one day I got the idea that since they were “noodle beans”, maybe I should just cook them whole like noodles.  Bad idea.  This is what they looked like on the plate:

Yeah.  Any gardener will know what those look like – earth worms.  Yuck!  :-)

Another reminder that presentation IS an important part of good food. :-)

From Mom’s Collection - Home – A Poem

 

This poem presents a somewhat idealized picture of home, but I really like it.  It is something that we should be striving for in Christ Jesus.  My mom copied this out onto a sheet of lined paper and decorated it with a bird sticker (the vintage lickable kind).  I think she liked it too. :-)

Mark 5:19  Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.

 

Home

Home is the place where hearts are one,
Where love and kindness reign;
A place of rest when day is done
From life’s corroding strain.

A shelter in the time of storm,
However low or great;
A cheering fire by which to warm,
Though coming soon or late.

The heart of father kind and true,
Whose wise, protecting care,
Will help and guide in all we do
And shield from every snare.

The love of mother, in whose heart
The fruits of kindness grow;
Always ready to bear her part,
And point the way to go.

Where all its inmates live to serve,
To comfort, cheer and bless;
And all display and help preserve
The air of peacefulness.

A home that Christ Himself may share
And make it His abode;
Where weary ones forget their care,
And leave their heavy load.

It matters not how rich or poor,
The home whose law is love
Reflects from Heaven’s open door
The Better Home above.

-- Mary V. Harris

I love the thought that our homes can be a reflection of our heavenly home.  I wonder how we would change our homes if we applied this more to the choices we make and the things we do. 

Matthew 6:10  Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

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Painting by Hans Andersen Brendekilde

Monthly Challenge – April

 

If you don’t know what the challenges are about, please read the first one. :-) 

Are you enjoying the challenges?  I’m finding it quite…well, challenging, but in a good and sort of exciting way.  I’ve made a long list of possible challenges, so it’s also interesting to decide which ones I should use each month.

This month’s challenge is a little different.  The point in this one is to get us to expand our local horizons a bit, to learn a little more about our own local area.  If you have kids, grandkids or nieces and nephews old enough to enjoy the challenge you choose to do, I recommend you take them along and expand their lives too.  You could also do this with a friend or your spouse or, in some case, with your pet.  The more the merrier. :-)

Here’s the challenge.

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Explore a road or street you have never been down before.

And/Or

Visit a shop, park, cafe or a small museum that you have never been in before.

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When I was a kid my dad would every so often say, “Let’s go on an explore.”  Sometimes he would do this spontaneously when he saw a road he wanted to investigate and he had an idea where it ended up.  Other times it meant he was going to take us somewhere that he had been recently where he found something interesting.  Occasionally it was a longer trip that took up more of the day and a picnic lunch was involved, or maybe eating out somewhere.  It was always more or less exciting, though sometimes I felt a little uncertain about it as I got older, being a rather unadventurous type myself. :-)  But, in retrospect I know it was good for me, and I saw some things that were really neat and even awe-inspiring.  Our family found some favorite places due to his eagerness to “explore”.

I remember some of them well.

Sailor’s Pines near Croton, Michigan was breathtaking.  It is an old growth forest of white pines that is privately owned, but the public is welcome to come and see this living history.  [Photo from Plants Amaze Me.]  We found violets blooming there in autumn!

Camp Newaygo Wetland Trail near Newaygo, Michigan was a favorite destination because it was close and not overly long.  We took friends there more than once.  [Photo from Plants Amaze Me.]

I don’t remember for sure who first found the Roane County Park near Harriman, Tennessee, but it became a favorite place for my family to go when we lived near there.  My husband and I had our first date there.  (I like Texas, but I do miss that park.)

My dad and mom were also inclined to explore some shops and try interesting restaurants.  I remember a few places, including an amazing toy store in Michigan, some great restaurants, Indian and Asian shops, and a fascinating small town museum.  Then there was the Roy Rogers Museum that we used to visit when we lived in California.  Lots of great memories.  :-)

In March 2014 my husband and I explored some of the country roads in our own local area.  One that was a little farther afield was really interesting.  After growing smaller and smaller and rougher and rougher, it opened out into a nice street with a number of large modern houses on it.  Those people are probably not bothered by a lot of unwanted traffic out at the end of that country road! :-)  (See photo at the top of this post.)

We also accidentally turned onto a dirt road right behind a water truck, which, as it turned out, was going to spray the road!  Yuck!

This is what our car looked like when we got home.  At least we got a laugh out of it. :-)

So get out there and do a little exploring this month, if you’re up for the challenge.  You may find a treasure, some great memories, a great “special spot” for repeated visits, or a funny story. :-)  Even if you’ve lived in an area for a long time you may find some little nook you never knew about before.  If not, you can share something you know about with family or friends.

Enjoy!

Ecclesiastes 3:11  He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

Random Acts of Blogging – Lately Around Here…

 

Hello!  Here are some photos I wanted to share with you of things that have happened in my little world lately.  :-)

We had an ice storm at the end of February that gave us these pretty icicles along our eaves.  Since we don’t get much snow in these parts, I tend to photograph whatever “frozen stuff” we do get. :-)

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Doesn’t this chocolaty dessert look mouth-watering?  Strange to say, it wasn’t.  Neither my husband nor I were very impressed with it, and neither of us are particularly picky eaters.  I invented this myself, but it was a dud.  Oh well.  Some you win and some…

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I asked my husband to pick up some flowers one day when he was doing the grocery shopping.  I expected him to bring home a small bunch of inexpensive flowers such as button carnations.  Instead he came home with these beauties!  He said all the other flowers looked “scrappy”, so he got a more expensive bouquet!  I was not complaining. :-)

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One evening recently some of us cooked our supper over my brother’s portable fire pit.  It was a lot of fun!  Here my husband was helping get the fire going so that we could cook hot dogs and sausages.  The night was lovely – just the perfect temperature for being outside by a fire.

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Another day a friend came over with her children and we had a nice visit.  Here is “Big Brother” looking at the chicken yard.

“Little Sister” had a grand time playing with some of my soft furnishings.

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Some sure signs of Spring:

Evening Primroses
(Photo actually taken a few years ago).
A Quote from my dad:
”I love these flowers. They tell me winter is past, even if we get another cold snap. Also, you have to see them late in the day which gives you one last cheerful message from God before dark.”  - Steve Van Nattan

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Just for Fun – Real Life with Baby Blues

 

Some Baby Blues for you today. :-)

Feminism Vs. Real Life

He Has A Point

Girls and Boys Interpretations

I Wonder How Many Boys Have Done This?  (One of my own nephews has tried it so far – with not good results.)

Don’t Bother Asking, Mom

Try Obedience School

Thousand Word Project – Peaceful River

 

Photo taken by my dad.
Adjustments and graphic work by me.

In Honor of Godly Fathers

 

Proverbs 17:6  Children's children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers.

Here are a couple links to things I’ve posted on the Home Maker’s Corner in the past about fathers.

In Honor of Fathers

Only A Dad

My dad holding me as a baby.