Seasonal Changes

Though recent temperatures say otherwise,summer is nearly over.The sun sets earlier now.It is colder in the mornings.I hear a symphony of crickets each night as I drift off to sleep.Their familiar chorus eases my mind and lulls me to sleep.I slumber peacefully.The season of harvest is upon us.The time of pumpkins and scarecrows.Of cornucopias spilling their abundance over a freshly mowed pile of hay or upon a glistening dining room table.It is the season of God's bounty and of our gratitude for His bounty.And we rejoice in His goodness to us!What are you rejoicing about today?

Blessings Abundant~Sharon

Books Books,Books

But beyond this my son,be warned:the writing of many books is endless and excessive devotion to books is wearying to the body.

Ecclesiastes 12:12(NASB)

I completely understand excessive devotion to books.I am a confirmed and life long bibliophile!I have loved books since childhood.Reading came so easily to me that I do not even recall learning how to read.It is as if I came from my mothers womb knowing how.Now I know that is impossible.It's just that I did'nt struggle to learn it.I am grateful for that.It is a gift from God.A world of adventure awaited me in books.Places I have never seen.Things I have never done.It also developed within me a love for God's word(once I was saved).And that is such a good thing.In addition to God's word I also enjoy reading a variety of other things.Fiction,non-fiction,poetry.The list is endless.I am just so thrilled that the Christian market has just exploded with every genre of book you can think of.It is so beneficial and such a blessing to read something that is honoring to God.There is much stuff written that is not.I am currently reading a book on journaling by Ronald Klug"How To Keep A Spiritual Journal."It's from our local library.I hope to get my own copy some day.It's full of helpful tips on how to keep a journal of your walk with God as well as other types of journals.I highly recommend it.How about you?What are you currently reading?

Blessings~Sharon

Bountiful Harvests

You crown the year with a bountiful harvest;

even the hard pathways overflow

with abundance.

Psalm 65:11(NLT)

Image courtesy of Designs by Tyra 2005

An Answer

I saw my PCP yesterday afternoon.I was incredibly glad I did.Turns out I have Strep.I don't think I've ever had Strep.I don't think I ever want it again.It explains all the odd symptoms including the rash on my abdomen.Apparently this thing can migrate to other parts of one's body and cause rash,fever,etc.I am not sure where I got it from.It may have been my granddaughter who has had it fairly often for some reason.She is always full of hugs and kisses for me when she sees me.But I do not know.I am on Amoxicillin for it.I pray it is over soon.My body may feel like crud but my spirit is soaring today.I thank God for that.I had anawesome time with Him this morning.Amazing how time spent with Him can help us through so much on a physical level.Pray for me if you think to.I have much to do here but need to rest instead.Thank you.

Blessings~Sharon

Please Pray For Me

It's been raining here lately.Alot.The leaden skies have poured down their precious moisture and I have rejoiced.It's felt good.Refreshing.It's also been raining in my life personally.I see my local PCP today at 12:50 PT.I have something odd going on physically.Low grade fever,mild sore throat,sniffles and headache.And a red,warm to the touch and swollen abdomen(left hand side mostly).So I once again covet your prayers on our behalf.I am believing God for good things on this.I want to once again be free like this butterfly pictured above.Free to soar.To fly high above.Warmed by His sunshine.And blessed even when it rains.

Blessings~Sharon

photo courtesy of www.freestockphotos.com

Petitioning the Father

It's been rough here the last few days.We've had many errands to run and some were doctor's appointments of various kinds.In addition to that we babysit for a full 8 hours yesterday.Don't get me wrong,we love our granddaughter.But we're not in our 20's any more.And our bodies remind us often.But what has been harder than this was the emotional drain I felt the last few days.I received word from a friend here in town this week that her husband has prostate cancer.She also mentioned that a mutual friend of ours who now lives in Colorado has stage 3 breast cancer.A dear e-mail friend of mine just passed away a month ago from colon cancer.I know she is with Jesus now but I miss her presence in my life.Much like the man pictured above(at the Wailing Wall),I have had many reasons to petition the Father this week.To pour out my heart to Him on behalf of my dear friends who are feeling a range of emotions right now.I've even asked the Father why He is allowing so many of my friends to be affected by this awful disease.I don't have any answers yet.I may not have them this side of heaven.But I must continue on,petitioning the Father to grant my friends peace in the midst of the storm and strength for what lies ahead.And healing.Healing on every level that God may be glorified in it!In closing,please lift up Dave and Mary and their family and friends as well as Steve and Patti and their family and friends in prayer.I know they will appreciate it.I sure do.

Image courtesy of www.freestockphotos.com

Rejoicing While Waiting

It's another lovely summer day here in Oregon.It's not going to be too terribly hot and the skies are clear and so very blue!Though it is still August on the calendar I think we may have an early Autumn.It's been down into the 40's in the morning.Some trees are already beginning to subtlely shed their verdant green coats for their fiery red and gold ones.I am happy as the season to come is my all time favorite.It has always blessed me to go from Summer to Autumn.Summer's heat always wears me down.Makes me sluggish,weary.I eagerly wait through the heat knowing it will soon cool down.Sometimes it's the same with unanswered prayers.We pray,laying our requests before God.If the delay is too long,we may begin to grumble,just like we may do when summer's heat lasts too long for us.But just like the arrival of Autumn's chill and fiery color,God's answers will arrive.Always on time.Right when they're supposed to.And,while we wait,we need to rejoice(I need that reminder alot).Rejoicing when the heat is on is imperative,I think.It makes the waiting time more bearable.It brings honor and glory to God.It can even bless those around us.My devotional this morning said something similar.In closing I want to share it with you here:

...and again I say,Rejoice.~Philippians 4:4

Rejoice,My child,rejoice.

Let praise fill your heart and overflow from your life.

Believe in the efficacy of prayer-even your own feeble ones.

My ear is open to the sighs of My children.

While you wait to see the changes prayer can bring about,rejoice in faith

and drive away the scavengers of doubt that would take away your

sacrifice of praise.Praise and faith stengthen and nourish

one another.That is why Paul says,"with thanksgiving let your requests be

made known to God.

Taken from"Volume 1 Echoes of Eternity:Listening to the Father"

by Hal Helms

Photo courtesy of www.freestockphotos.com

Love

"Love is kindled in a flame, and ardency is its life. Flame is the air which true Christian experience breathes. It feeds on fire; it can withstand anything rather than a feeble flame; but when the surrounding atmosphere is frigid or lukewarm, it dies, chilled and starved to its vitals. True prayer must be aflame.

~E.M Bounds~

Rest For The Weary

It's been another good day here.I've had energy.Joy.All the things needed to have a good day.It was not so just a few months back.Undiagnosed sleep apnea left me dragging through the day.Exhausted.Not rested.Lacking in joy.Weary.Through the grace of God I was tested for and received a diagnosis of OSA(obstructive sleep apnea).I now sleep at night with a bi-pap mask on my face and extra oxygen too.It's not as scary or horrifying as it sounds.It has given me a new lease on life.I saw my sleep doctor today.I have good news.I am now down to only one sleep event per hour.A sleep event is where someone actually stops breathing briefly.At it's high I was up to 69 events per hour.No wonder I was sleepy all day.My body was weary.I was not getting quality rest.But I am now.Thank you Jesus.My daily life and the bi-pap's computer smart card are showing the results.My body was not the only thing to suffer during this time.My spirit was suffering too.I was too tired to get up early and spend time in God's word.Not so now(what a gift).I have recently been using some online bible studies at Anne Graham Lotz's website(www.annegrahamlotz.com) .She is Billy Graham's daughter and these studies are great.Very conducive to journaling if,like me,you love to write.I am currently doing her study entitled"An Open Letter to the Weary."It is excellent and I highly recommend all of these studies.If you're weary today,weary in spirit,take heart,and be encouraged by the following scripture.They are from the study I mentioned earlier.

For I have satiated the weary soul,and I have replenished every sorrowful soul.

~Jeremiah 31:25 NKJV

And let us not grow weary while doing good,for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

~Galatians 6:9 NKJV

Blessings~Sharon

A Gift?Yes!

It's another beautiful summer day here.We awoke to crystalline,blue skies,sunshine and a wonderful north wind.We ran some errands early.As Steve and I chatted we both discovered we had desired to clean our carpets this week with the steam cleaner.For whatever reason we had only just now shared our mutual desire.Smile.We drove back home slowly through town,savoring the sun's warmth and the cool wind.Simply delicious.Definitely divine!The wonderful smells emanating from local Mexican restaurants tickled our noses with their tantalizing scents.We arrived home and began the task of vacuuming our rugs in preparation for the real task of steam cleaning them.As I helped with the vacuuming I was amazingly pain free in my right knee.I had recently been diagnosed with osteoarthritis in it.I was actually loving the vacuuming.I know that sounds strange.Who,in their right mind,loves housework?Big grin.As I vacuumed I realized that,this too,was a gift from God.Though many would not see it this way,I do.And here's why.My husband and I have endured many afflictions in our bodies over the last 5 years.Things that God allowed.Things that laid us low on every level.Physically.Financially.Emotionally and spiritually.There were days that we just muddled through.Sometimes we did not even feel well enough or pain-free enough to do the simplest of tasks.Then there is the emotional and mental aspect of chronic pain or illness that wears you down.Depression is common when faced with life altering illnesses and pain(s).All of this combined can definitely affect one's spiritual life.Where is God?Why did He allow this?Does He still love me?Will I ever be pain free?My husband and I have faced all of this.Whether shared or unexpressed,we've both felt it.And the end result has been immense gratitude for the little things.Like a sunny day.A cooling north wind in the summer.Or even feeling good enough to clean one's carpets!All gifts from God,however simple.What simple gifts has He bestowed upon you today?

Blessings~Sharon