Grace: A Christmas Story

It all started in a garden.

Simple beginnings for such a complex, multi-faceted story.
But a garden it was. A beautiful woman, a whispered lie that sowed a poisonous seed of doubt, a single bite of luscious fruit (yes, sin can taste heavenly at the time), and the future course of nations and peoples and colors was to be forever altered.

It started in paradise.

Suddenly, harmony gives way to greed. Greed gives way to jealousy. Jealously gives way to hatred and murder. Paradise is lost. What a tragic place this once flawless earth has become. Its Maker can hardly bear to look on it any longer.

Grace.
Still there was grace.

The Creator chose to extend His grace and favor on one man and his family. Through that one man, though the rest of humanity was to be wiped out, humanity would yet live on.

One drop of rain followed another. And another. For forty days and forty nights this cycle continued, until there was no dry ground to be found, from the lowest valley to the highest mountain. The only break in the vast horizon of rising water was a large boat which held the survivors of this great phenomenon of nature.

The Maker’s grace was alive and well.

Humanity begins to thrive once again. The thud of hammers and the scrape of stones are heard. Man has begun to seek his own glory over the glory of his God. A tower of dizzying height is being constructed to showcase the majesty of human development and skill.

But is God not sovereign?

Confusion reigns supreme over the construction plans as one man can no longer make out what his neighbor is saying to him. God is the God of all communication as well as everything else. Separate languages are born.
Nations are formed.
Grace still abounds.

One man is called out from among many. A beautiful convenient is made. It spells salvation to a select group of sinners. The Creator has not forgotten His creation.
A child is promised to this chosen man and his aged, barren wife. From this child of promise, a blessed nation will arise. A nation favored by God. At long last, when hope is all but given up, the child is born. His parents raise him with love and care until the day when God calls the proud father to sacrifice his most prized possession— his promised son.
Shock.
Inward turmoil.
An agonized release of that which is most dear brings a father to lay his son on the alter, determined to give back to the Creator that which the Creator has graciously bestowed.

Grace.

In a sudden twist of events, a sneak preview of a greater story yet to be told, the child of promise is spared and a lamb is provided to die in his place.

The child grows and becomes the grandfather of twelve men whose names will be preserved in history as the twelve tribes of Israel.

Israel— the favored nation of God.

For many years, this nation grows quietly, under oppression. Israel serves in slavery in a pagan land.

Grace.

God has not forgotten His convenient.

A man is raised up to lead the chosen people from their bondage. Israel leaves its oppressors and begins the long journey to the Promised Land. The Creator leads the way, a pillar of smoke by day and a pillar of fire by night. He who has promised is faithful.

Generations come and go. The day comes when Israel finally inhabits the land of promise. A system of government is set in place. Permanent houses are built. A temple for the Creator is constructed.

Within the walls of that temple, a drama is played out over and over. A sinner brings a lamb to the priest to atone for his sin and the sins of his family. The lamb’s blood covers the sin of the sinner. Because of the innocent, the guilty goes free.
Grace. Grace. Grace.

It is the day of prophets, priests, and kings.

Priests, to speak to God on behalf of the people.
Prophets, to speak to the people on behalf of God.
Kings, to keep the people united as one body.

All but a shadow. A dim reflection of a greater something to come. The prophets, one by one, begin to foretell of a Chosen One. A Messiah. Immanuel—God with us.

The problem is grave. It dates all the way back to a garden. A great Savior is needed. Israel waits with breathless expectation for this unfathomable wonder that is to come.

Silence.

400 long years pass with no new word from God. Still Israel watches for the long awaited Messiah.

An ordinary day finds a common Israeli girl face to face with an angel. Divine silence has been broken. The unthinkable is quietly proclaimed behind a closed door. In nine months, God will be a visible, touchable reality. A warm body in the arms of a teenager.

One angel, one virgin, one incredible impossibility.

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14

An unnatural, miraculous pregnancy is carried to term. A tiny, trembling body is delivered in a cow’s stable. The climax. The unreal reality.

Salvation is wrapped tightly in strips of cloth.
Sinless perfection cannot speak, but simply grips His mother’s finger in His tiny fist.

The ultimate expression of grace.

The Creator has come to live with His creatures, as a creature. Fully God, yet fully man. A glorious, glorious impossible.

Grace. Who can fathom it?

But this divine life doesn't end in a stable. No, this Baby grows to manhood. All part of a plan, a drama played out in the mind of God before time began.
He experiences our joys and our sorrows. He laughs and He cries. He blesses the children and touches the contagiously diseased.

Sinless.
Perfect.
This is why He has come.

In a garden, sin entered into joy and harmony.
In a stable, perfection entered into pain and heartache.

Horror.
The creatures do not understand that God is walking among them. Murderous hatred burns within them. Cruelty pours from their corrupt hearts. This was not the Messiah they were expecting. He does not dance to their tune.

Two men stand before a blood-thirsty crowd. One is a murderer. The other, the sinless God incarnate. Which is to be released, asks the judge?
The murderer is released to the adamant mob, who screams for the blood of the Creator to be spilled.

Grace.

This is the final Lamb. The final sacrifice. God in the flesh takes on the sin of humanity and accepts the punishment on Himself. He lays His life down willingly. Because of His obedience, humanity is forgiven.

Prophet.
Priest.
King.
He is all three. He is the final fulfillment.

A quiet Sunday morning reveals an empty tomb. The pivotal point of Christianity. The Creator has defeated death. He is risen from the dead.
No longer are the creatures held captive to their depraved nature. No longer is the nation of Israel the only recipient of this infinate grace. Because He lives, so shall I.

Oh, how little we deserve this grace.

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father. And from His fullness have we all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has made Him known.” John 1:14-18

May this beautiful Christmas season leave a fresh impression upon you. May the very notion of grace stretch your mind to it's very limit.

Merry Christmas.

posted by Lydia

LIFT

Hello my Blogger friends! It's me the long lost sister. (hehehe) This video shows what I've been doing for the past three months.

God is at work in this world. Being at LIFT (Leaders In Further Training), I've been able to better prepare myself for whatever Kigdom work He has planned for me. I'll be going back in three weeks for another semester and am so excited to build on what I learned this past semester.

posted by: Caroline

My Heart Is Filled

My heart is filled with thankfulness to Him who bore my pain. Who plumbed the depths of my disgrace and gave me life again. Who crushed my curse of sinfulness and clothed me with His light. And wrote His law of righteousness with pow'r upon my heart

~

My heart is filled with thankfulness to Him who walks beside. Who floods my weaknesses with strength and causes fears to fly. Whose every promise is enough for every step I take. Sustaining me with arms of love and crowning me with grace

~

My heart is filled with thankfulness to Him who reigns above. Whose wisdom is my perfect peace, whose every thought is love. For every day I have on earth is given by the King. So I will give my life, my all, to love and follow Him

By Keith Getty & Stuart Townend

This has become one of my favorite hymns. I am so thankful for these men of God who are able to put rich words to music. It was wonderful to hear our little congregation sing this celebration of the Gospel for the first time this past Lord's Day.

Carissa

Thanksgiving Day

"We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in numbers, wealth and power as no other nation has ever grown.

But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us.

It has seemed to me fit and proper that God should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November as a day of Thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father Who dwelleth in the heavens."

~Abraham Lincoln, Thanksgiving Proclamation

posted by Lydia

Musing...

"It should be no surprise that He wants everything in us. We are all His doing, nothing comes into being, has breath, has anything, without HIM, so it follows that our little deaths and tremendous joys should begin and end with HIM. Thus, the orgin of our daily wars.

"My little wars come and go....I fight on the front lines of desire and longings...I pull myself away with head lowered and a heart aching for the power to believe-- that in giving up all of these games, I will not lose a step (as He withholds no good thing).

"I still hear the enemy's shouts, trying to convince me that my retreat is in vain, yet I have chosen somehow (God only knows that at times it's like bridling a bucking bronco!) to keep silent in my world of feeling and dreams, wishes and desires, and to lay them down at the alter of God, walking away believing there are, indeed, higher stakes in all of this than mere desires.

"We both know that seeking to save one's own life is the very thing Jesus warned us not to do. Christ has never told us to seek what we want, He has told us to seek only Himself! I'm finding that this war will rage, I suspect, until my dying day, but I hold onto the hope that it brings me nearer, dearer, closer to Him."

~Taken from Quest for Love by Elizabeth Elliot

posted by Lydia

The Whisper

Are you listening, my distracted child?
I have something to say if you’ll hear.
Your thoughts, they’re so anxious and wild
They reflect your soul like a mirror.


Why do you break your heart and reel with doubt?
You cry that your glassy world has become rough.
You say I’ve taken things you cannot live without;
My child, am I not enough?


You’ve heard much of my all-sufficiency,
You once professed that yes, it is true.
Yet you experienced pain, now you scoff my efficiency,
And claim my tender mercies can’t possibly be for you.


Have my attributes met their match in your life?
Can my unchangeableness ever change?
Your suspicious distrust cuts your Father’s heart like a knife,
Oh you who think that you are outside of my range.


All my children experience deep hurt in their walk;
Did you honestly think you were the first?
I tailored your trial to make your world sway and rock
And drive you to me with your unquenchable thirst.


You look with hopelessness at the pain ahead,
And wonder how you will possibly survive.
I ask you to live moment by moment instead,
And allow my sovereignty to be your stay and drive.


I know that your heart is aching, I do;
I ask you for your unwavering trust.
My grace is sufficient, my mercies are new;
Watch me raise my masterpiece from your dust.



written and posted by Lydia

Preserving

I was blessed to have a bit of extra time at home one day to spend in the kitchen with my mom. We now have all the corn we need to freeze along with some jars of yummy peaches for those cold winter nights when a taste of summer is most needed. A sticky but rewarding morning.

Carissa

August in the Adirondacks

For my dad's birthday in August, four Putneys took the beautiful drive up to Blue Mountain Lake in the middle of the Adirondacks. It was a lovely, sunshiny day. Perfect for a drive and a day out of doors.

The museum is set up on a hill overlooking Blue Lake. After touring the museum, it was easy to imagine rich ladies and gentleman coming on steam boats across the lake to stay in rustic lodges away from the hustle and bustle of city life. The museum had several interesting displays of life in the early 20th century. Everything from boating, to logging, to hotels/lodges and Adirondack chairs. It was a fun, local history day. I loved this sweet little school house. It was a one room school house in the Adirondacks until the '60s. I would have liked to have been a one room school house teacher here. :)

This was how roads were cleared of the feet and feet of snow we get around these parts. Horses would pull this through the town, flattening all the snow. The Spring was a mess however. Feet of compact snow turns into ice that melts and freezes, melts and freezes. I like our modern way over this funny contraption.

This was my favorite building we saw. The craftsmanship was amazing. Beautiful and intricate designs all made from smooth branches. It made a very lovely summer home.

Not a very clear picture, I know. But all I could think about when I saw this buggy was that it was a 1910 version of a mini-van. This is what those families of six would need to get to church. I laughed a little over the thought.

Abby and I got pretty tickled over this sign. We know about those nasty "Punkies"!

And, to keep with the Adirondack theme, even quilters acknowledge these bugs from the "Divine Providence".

A bumpy ride into the Adirondacks.

4 out of 6 Putneys. Can't wait for there to be six again. Six is a good number.

Carissa

Sister Time

~Love, love my sisters!~

This being our first summer apart, we truly cherish the moments we get to spend together....even if it is just for a short time enjoying sunshine on the beach.

Caroline and Lydia are both working for the summer at a beautiful camp in the heart of the Adirondack mountains. We are all so thankful to God for the doors He has opened to them this summer, but they are very much missed at home.

~

Short little visits like today are very precious.

Carissa

Oh the deliciousness of summer!!

It is like looking for little treasures in each pod. I have been marveling at the design ~ how each pea is attached to the pod and grows until it is big and fat, ready to burst out of its shell

It is the smiple things in life that tend to amaze me the most....

Carissa

Chickens

I have been thinking a lot lately about raising chickens. You might say that it has become a obsession of mine....but then, it's alright to dream. Right? :)

Above is the ideal hen house I would like to start out with. My mom found the plans for me at lowescreativeideas.com. Right now, with the size of our yard and neighbors not that far away, it is not reasonable for me to have a large flock. Maybe someday.....just not now. For right now I would love to have just a few chickens to be able to learn about them and have a little fun.

I love the way some of the breeds look. The Rhode Island Red is a very popular breed and most likely the one I would begin with. They have a more docile personality and are good layers.

The hen house pictured above holds three birds. Perfect for getting my feet wet.

A few fresh eggs for homemade mayonnaise and maybe eggnog.

Manure for the compost pile.

The happy, contented noise of chickens talking amongst themselves.

And a wanna-be country girl learning and loving the experience.

Someday.....

Carissa

Pull-Apart Honey Rolls

4-4 ½ cups gluten free all-purpose flour

3 tsp. xanthun gum

¼ tsp. cream of tartar

½ tsp. salt

3 tsp. active dry yeast

½ cup oil

2 tbs. honey

2 large egg + 1 large egg white

2 cups of warm milk (about 100^oF)

Mix 4 cups of flour, xanthun gum, cream of tartar and salt. Mix in yeast.

Add the oil, honey and eggs and mix until the wet ingredients get incorporated into dry mixture.

Add milk in a slow and steady stream mixing continuously. Once the mixture begins to hold together turn up the speed of the mixer to medium and beat for 6 minutes. The dough should be thick and smooth but tacky to the touch. And more flour by the tablespoon until the right consistency is reached.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide evenly into 24 balls.

Place balls into a 9x13 baking dish. Allow to rise for about 30 minutes or until balls are 1 ½ times their original size

Glaze:

½ cups sugar

2 tbs. butter, melted and cooled

1 tbs. honey

1 large egg

While rolls are rising, mix glaze ingredients. Generously brush tops of rolls with glaze.

Bake of 18-20 minutes until lightly browned.

All-Purpose Flour Mixture:

½ cup rice flour

¼ cup tapioca starch/flour

¼ cup cornstarch or potato starch

~An absoultly delicious treat with strawberry jam and a cup of tea.~

Carissa

Peacemakers

"Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God."

Matthew 5:9

This is the seventh of the beatitudes: and seven was the number of perfection among the Hebrews. It may be that the Saviour placed the peacemaker the seventh upon the list because he most nearly approaches the perfect man in Christ Jesus. He who would have perfect blessedness, so far as it can be enjoyed on earth, must attain to this seventh benediction, and become a peacemaker. There is a significance also in the position of the text. The verse which precedes it speaks of the blessedness of "the pure in heart: for they shall see God."

It is well to understand that we are to be "first pure, then peaceable." Our peaceableness is never to be a compact with sin, or toleration of evil. We must set our faces like flints against everything which is contrary to God and His holiness: purity being in our souls a settled matter, we can go on to peaceableness.

Not less does the verse that follows seem to have been put there on purpose. However peaceable we may be in this world, yet we shall be misrepresented and misunderstood: and no marvel, for even the Prince of Peace, by His very peacefulness, brought fire upon the earth. He Himself, though He loved mankind, and did no ill, was "despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief." Lest, therefore, the peaceable in heart should be surprised when they meet with enemies, it is added in the following verse, "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Thus, the peacemakers are not only pronounced to be blessed, but they are compassed about with blessings. Lord, give us grace to climb to this seventh beatitude! Purify our minds that we may be "first pure, then peaceable," and fortify our souls, that our peaceableness may not lead us into cowardice and despair, when for Thy sake we are persecuted.

From Charles Spurgeon Morning & Evening - March, Day 17, Evening.

I was blessed by this short devotional of Pastor Spurgon. So often I am tempted to fall into the world's unrest and chaos. It is, of course, by no means "peace at all cost". As Spurgon says, "We must set our faces like flint against everything which is contray to God and His holiness." No compromises for those called to a holy life. But instead God's children are called to have a heart and mindset ready to exchange unrest and disunity for a opportunity to spead the Gospel of Peace.

I have been challenged.

"But the Fruit of the Spirit is.....peace" Galations 5:22

Carissa

Changes

Father I know that all my life

Is portioned out for me,

And the changes that are sure to come

I do not fear to see;

I ask Thee for a present mind

Intent on pleasing Thee.

I would not have the restless will

That hurries to and fro,

Seeking for some great thing to do

Or secret thing to know;

I would be treated as a child,

And guided where I go.




Wherever in the world I am

In whatsoever estate,

I have a fellowship with hearts

To keep and cultivate;

And a work of humble love to do

For the Lord on Whom I wait.

So I ask Thee for daily strength,

To none that ask denied,

A mind to blend with outward life

While keeping at Thy side;

Content to fill a little space,

If Thou be glorified.

And if some things I do not ask

In my cup of blessings be,

I would have my spirit filled the more

With grateful love to Thee,

More careful, not to serve Thee much,

But to please Thee perfectly.

In service which Thy will appoints

There are no bonds for me;

My secret heart is taught the truth

That makes Thy children free.

A life of self renouncing love

Is one of liberty.

~Anna L. Waring~


Making a re-appearance into the blogging world (due to peer pressure, of course) to document some monumental changes. Stay tuned, faithful readers.

posted by Lydia

Resurrection Sunday

"I can't understand it,"

Says the finite mind,

Seeing the earth-bound Creator,

Leave paradise behind.

"What foolishness is this?"

Quips the carnal head,

"This all-powerful God incarnate

Has no where to make His bed."

"He's dead, evil's won,"

Assumes the sin sickened heart.

But that cross wasn't the end,

It was only the start.

See, the plan was so much bigger,

Than our blinded eyes could see,

As this powerful God incarnate,

Bled to death upon that tree.

This plan goes way back in time,

Way back to eternity past,

When it was decided this Savior's sacrifice,

Would be the very last.

Before the foundations of the earth,

Before sin was even known,

This Christ was slain in the mind of God,

That His greatness might be shown.

As only a black, black backdrop,

Puts a diamond on full display,

So our sin set off the Savior's perfection,

As He laid down His life that day.

"It was all for love's sake,"

Realizes the regenerated soul,

"It was the highest expression of mercy,

And my redemption was His goal."

It all snapped into sharp focus,

The day He rose from the dead,

As He laid aside the pain of humanity,

And took up majesty in it's stead.

He's now the ultimate High Priest,

Both human and divine,

He loved, He purchased, He intercedes,

And I call this Savior mine.

Hallelujah! He is risen!

Happy Easter.

written and posted by Lydia

New Esty Item!

Listening to True Women '08 while I sew.....

Doing some stitching.....

The finished product!

I've recently stared selling on Esty. To see this apron and other items, come visit me at http://www.etsy.com/shop/RubiesInTheRough?ref=si_shop

Blessings!

posted by: Caroline

Say What?

Ever find yourself looking for that perfect word to express the situation only to run into the harsh reality that *gasp* it doesn't exist? Have I got news for you. According to a highly informative magazine article I just ran into, there's a word for that.

All it requires is ditching the English language. Who needs it anyway?

5 Expressions That Ought to Exist in Our Native Tongue But Don't

Jayus (Indonesian)- a joke so poorly told and unfunny that one cannot help but laugh.

Toska (Russian)- may refer to a deep spiritual anguish, a less morbid dull ache, an unfulfilled longing, a vague restlessness, lovesickness, or perhaps even...

{{ insert mournful violin music here }}

boredom.

Oh, SUCH toska!

Iktsuarpok (Inuit)- to go outside to check if anyone is coming.

Tingo (Pascuense, Easter Island)- the act of taking objects one desires from the house of a friend by gradually borrowing all of them.

Oh yes, there's a word for that.

Tartle (Scottish)- the act of hesitating while introducing someone because you've forgotten his name.

Wow. Leave it to the Scots to encompass the whole embarrassing situation in two measly syllables.

Isn't it good to know that the power of expression is within your grasp? And WHAT is wrong with you, English language? I think I'm feeling some toska here. Until next time, this is your resident word nerd.

posted by Lydia

Of Possessions and White Knuckles

Dear long time, faithful Rubies in the Rough readers (should you happen to exist)- no, you're not having a deja vu. This is a re-post from waaay back when! Old post from the old blog while I wait for inspiration for a new post for the new blog. Got that? Good. Proceeding...

Lydia never thought of herself as an particularly possessive person.

Sounds like the corny beginning of a how to, self-help article doesn't it? But, it was true. Possessions were always way down there on the List of Lydia's Priorities. Or so I thought.

So when the Lord began to reveal to me that I was holding onto "things" too tightly, I almost laughed out loud.

"Me, Lord? But that's silly! You know that money means nothing to me!"

Well, guess what.

He wasn't talking about money.

No sirree.

Money isn't the only form of possession, as I later reluctantly pointed out to myself. How about friends? Family? Loved-ones in general? These were the "things" I was keeping an emotional and mental death grip on. Ouch.

"Let go of that and come follow Me." The very words of the Jesus I claimed to follow, and they burned in my mind. This was the very thing I thought I'd never have trouble with. But if I insist on keeping a firm hold on things, how am I ever to keep a firm hold on Christ? The only option is to let go of one to gain the other.

In her book Lies Women Believe , Nancy Leigh DeMoss addresses the following subtle lie that few of us would care to admit to: God is not really enough. She says,

"When it comes down to it, we don't believe that God's word is truly sufficient to deal with our problems...I need God's word plus these eight books from the Christian bookstore; I need God's word plus tapes and conferences and counselors. Sure I need God. But I need Him plus close friends; I need Him plus good health; I need Him plus a husband; I need Him plus children; I need Him plus a job that pays enough; I need Him plus a house with a microwave, a washer/drier, a garage, a fresh paint job..."

When I am clinging to the people in my life, am I not more or less saying that God isn't enough? And when a Christian says that God isn't enough, is that not an offensive testimony of a holy God to a watching world? This exert from John Piper's book Don't Waste Your Life seems to go hand in hand with what we just heard from Nancy Leigh DeMoss.

Why don't people ask us about our hope, he asks?

"There is no doubt if we lived more like this [like Christ is more precious then life], the world would be more likely to consider whether Jesus is an all-satisfying Treasure. He would look like one. When was the last time someone asked you about "the reason for the hope that is in you"? That's what Peter said we should always be ready to give an answer for: "Always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you" (1 Peter 3:15) Why don't people ask us about our hope? The answer is probably that we look as if we hope in the same things they do. Our lives don't look like they are on the Calvary road, stripped down for sacrificial love, serving others with the sweet assurance that we don't need to be rewarded in this life... If we believed this more deeply, others might see the worth of God and find in Him their gladness."

Looking to anything other than Christ for our joy and satisfaction does not make much of Christ. Not only does it not make much of Christ, it actually makes Him look cheap and commonplace.

"He's good for some aspects of life," says my behavior, "But He's certainly not enough for all."

I stand horrified at the implications of this, my perceivably "small" sin: holding human relationships above my heavenly, all-consuming relationship. How could I ever bear to make my precious Savior look this way?

As I've discovered the hard way, releasing my emotional grip on people I love very much is painful. But to whom, or more accurately, Whom, am I releasing them? Only to a heavenly Father who loves us so very deeply, He sent His only Son to save us from eternal damnation. Wow. When was the last time you allowed that reality to actually sink in?

My times are in Thy hand;

My God, I wish them there;

My life, my friends, my soul, I leave

Entirely to Thy care.

My times are in Thy hand;

Why should I doubt or fear?

My Father's hand will never cause

His child a needless tear.

~William F. Lloyd

posted by Lydia

Lord's Day

"'Yes, every act of obedience is an act of worship,' he said.

'But why don't we learn that sooner? Why do we waste our lives before we learn how to live?'

'I am not sure,' he returned, 'that we do not learn as fast as we are willing to learn. God does not force instruction upon us, but when we say, as Luther did, "More light, Lord, more light," the light comes.'

I questioned myself after he had gone as to whether this could be true of me. Is there not in my heart some secret reluctance to know the truth, lest that knowledge should call to a higher and a holier life than I have yet lived?"

~From Stepping Heavenward by Mrs. E. Prentiss

posted by Lydia

God is {{Not}} my Valentine

I serve a God of love,

I am His and He is mine,

He loves me extravagantly, this is true,

But He is not my Valentine.

I serve an awesome God,

He inspires awe and fear,

The mountains smoke, the earth shakes,

And men tremble when He is near.

My God's very nature demands reverence,

No half-hearted lip service will do,

Yet though He is so staggeringly holy,

He condescends to love me and you.

He showed this love at a powerful cost,

But how flippantly we take the sign;

And with what sort of ridiculous irreverence

Do I call this God my "Valentine"?

The fact that this mighty, awesome God

Is the Lover of my soul

Is beyond my finite comprehension;

Why should any other "love" be my goal?

I take this God at His mind-boggling word

Though I simply cannot understand

"I love you with a love that you don't deserve

And no one can snatch you from My hand."

This is what I choose to celebrate

On this day of romantic love;

The fact that I have this incredible Savior

Who's powerful love is more than enough.

So steal my heart, my soul's Desirer,

Make Yourself my only Love;

Cause me to be pure and blameless,

A holy handmaiden of the One above.

You know my desires inside and out;
Take over my mind anew.
Conquer my every affection,
Help me give them all to You.

You're not my "Valentine", this I know,

But my heart belongs to no other,

So satisfy the longings deep in my soul,

Never let me look to another.

written and posted by Lydia

This Old House - Painting

Oh colors, colors! So many to choose from!

This old house has been smelling a great deal like paint over the last week. There is something so fulfilling about choosing a beautiful color and covering up the old, dingy walls.

Remember this? This was my room when we first moved it. The fish were removed as soon as I had the free time. I do not miss those ugly, cold fish eyes staring at me.

Unfortunately, as the story generally goes in these old houses, there was a nasty messed up wall of lath and plaster underneath the paper. I have come to loath lath and plaster with a passion. So, for Christmas I asked for sheet rock to cover up that lath and plaster. I got my wish. I love, LOVE, my dad!

So I now had a lovely new wall to work with and this week it was finally painted.

I love my green room. It is such a soft, soothing color. And it is reminiscent of Spring (wonderful to look at when all the world outside my windows is white and gray)

These are my inspiration paintings. I have always like Claude Monet, ever since we first studied his paintings when I was about seven. When visiting any major museum, my first thought is, "Are there any paintings by Monet?"

The Skiff

The Japanese Bridge and The Garden at Vetheuil

I hope to continue adding to my collection as the years go on (hoping for another trip to the National Art Gallery someday).

The color pallet that Monet uses for his paintings are some of my favorite hues. I could paint a entire house using his blues, greens, yellows, and creams.

So, another room down.....on to the next! More pictures to follow!

Carissa

I do not ask to see the way

My feet will have to tread;
But only that my soul may feed
Upon the living Bread.
'Tis better far that I should walk
By faith close to His side;
I may not know the way I go,
But oh, I know my Guide.


And if my feet would go astray,
They cannot, for I know
That Jesus guides my falt'ring steps,
As joyfully I go.
And tho' I may not see His face,
My faith is strong and clear,
That in each hour of sore distress
My Savior will be near.

I will not fear, tho' darkness come

Abroad o'er all the land,

If I may only feel the touch

Of His own loving hand.

And tho' I tremble when I think

How weak I am, and frail,

My soul is satisfied to know

His love can never fail.

His love can never fail,

His love can never fail,

My soul is satisfied to know

His love can never fail.

posted by: Caroline

Our Trip to NYC

Abby has been studying Egypt in history so we took a trip to the Metropolitan Art Museum.

As we entered the city we saw this poster. I'm not sure what it was for, but we thought it must be how people go tubing down the Hudson - fully suited.

Almost as soon as we got there Lydia found a friend.

More cool things......
I was taken with this shield.

Calling of Joan of Ark

NYC Library....

The original Winnie the Pooh!

Out on the streets.....

Way down at the end of this street you can see the Empire State Building.

Broadway!

You can't see in this picture, but this is the clothing district.

The the windows had bolts and bolts of material in them!

The Time Square ball.

posted by: Caroline