A Hymn of Faith

Though the fig tree may not blossom,

Nor fruit be on the vines;

Though the labor of the olive may fail,

And the fields yield no food;

Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,

And there be no herd in the stalls --

Yet I will rejoice in the Lord,

I will joy in the God of my salvation.

The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer's feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills.

Habakkuk 3:17-19  These beautiful Old Testament verses end with the notation "To the Chief Musician"  and were to be used in worship.  

                    I'm joyfully joining Spiritual Sundays

AWOL

Like many of you, I've been BIZ-E since the beginning of the year. When I started blogging last July things were in a lull, but no more!    I do admin and event planning for one of the ministry departments of my church, and we've started the year off with a busy Calendar of Events.

 

Hubby and I did have a chance to run down to "the river" for a few days.

We out ran a storm on the way down

 And found beautiful, crisp weather when we arrived

Mr. D worked on the cabin for a couple of days

And then we had a fun day of adventure

 

 

 

 

I created a junque garden from old bottles and bed springs we found

And enjoyed the sunrises

and sunsets

Back in town, I'm continuing to work with a non-profit 

collecting donated furniture and household goods,

  and storing them until they're needed by someone

moving off the streets into their own apartment.

  

 The apartments and utilities are paid for

by local agencies for several months,

until the homeless person gets on their feet.

  It's a great program.

And I'm endeavoring to keep my new year's commitment

• Watch what you eat
• Exercise
•   Pray every day    

Some days are more successful than others.

I've added a challenge to that - taken from a letter I received last year:

  "Focus your prayer life, your bible study, and your giving

toward the determined goal

of breaking loose from what has governed you in the past, 

and take a fresh hold on the power of God's grace and righteousness."

I'm still trying to find a rhythm to working, volunteering,

leading a life group, keeping a couple of consignment spaces filled

and most importantly taking care of Mr. D.'s

bookkeeping and filing (ughh) .

 

Although it feels like things are starting to level off

 I'm still working it out.

Blessings,  Susy

I'm joining Spiritual Sundays

Metamorphosis

I'm hearing from a number of people that they're fasting in January ~
for spiritual reasons.  Some are seeking direction or a desired outcome, and others want to become more sensative to the inner voice of The Lord.



In November of 2008 I went on a 52 day fast, and it changed my life.

It all started on a Sunday morning at church when my pastor taught that if we felt "stuck" in our circumstances, we needed to change the way we think.  He referred to the scripture that says, in part, "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed  by the renewing [complete renovation] of your mind".

Wow! 52 days, you say.  "How'd you do it?"  Well, it wasn't a fast from food ~ it was a fast from wrong thinking.  

On this particular Sunday I determined I was going to spend extra time every morning fellowshipping with the Father, reading the bible and studying.  I started the next day, and was soon led to the book of Nehemiah.  As you recall, he oversaw the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem in 52 days. I knew my fast was to last 52 days.

Interestingly one of the first insights I gained was about finances and the kingdom principle of seed time and harvest.  On  the second day I made the huge decision to close my retails stores, after eighteen years of business. I went to my friend's office and sobbed.  Although I knew it was what I was supposed to do, I was grieving the "loss"and didn't know what to do next or what the future held.  My thoughts ran between excitement, fear, faith, and panic.

Every day I diligently got up extra early and spent time transforming my thoughts (and my words) until they eventually conformed to God's word.  There were many days of wrestling, tears, and doubt ~ but about the half-way mark (as I looked back) I began to see a shift in my thinking and my faith started gaining traction. I began believing for the seemingly impossible.  At the end of the 52 days my heart had been established and there was a wall of protection built around it that no fear, doubt, or unbelief can penetrate.

What I learned during those precious days became the foundation of what I needed for moving out of the old and into the new.   It's kept me anchored, focused, and moving forward.  Today I'm able to say

A heart that trusts forever sings
And feels as light as it had wings
A well of peace within it springs
Come good or ill
Whate'er to-day, to-morrow brings
It is thy will.


I'll be flitting over to Spiritual Sundays

The Lord Will Provide

It was late Fall 1999 and the world's thoughts were turning toward the new millennium.  Many were fearing Y2K and what the year 2000 would bring.  I'd come across an old devotional at the flea market, dated 1900, and the entry for January 1st seemed the perfect antidote.  

I had 5,000 bookmarks printed with the quote and put them in a holder on the checkout counter at my store.  Almost every person took one, and most had me put a copy on the top of the Christmas gifts we wrapped for them.  One pastor took 500 for his congregation.  By the time the New Year arrived, only a handful of bookmarks were left. 

~this is what it said ~

"Write deep in your heart this New Year's day this word of sublime confidence,
Jehovah-Jireh. It tells you that you can trust God always; that no promise of his ever fails; that he doeth all things well; that out of all seeming loss and destruction of human hopes he brings blessing. You have not passed this way heretofore. There will be sorrows and joys, failures and successes, this year, just as there were last year. You cannot forecast individual experiences. You cannot see a step before your feet. Yet Jehovah-jireh calls you to enter the new year with calm trust. It bids you put away all anxieties and forebodings --- "The Lord Will Provide"."

It was true then, and it's  true today 

 

Happy New Year

and May You Be Blessed Beyond Measure

xo Susy

Birds-on-a-Branch Christmas Greetings

 

To all my family and friends ~

a very blessed and Merry Christmas.
May the day be full of happy celebrations, shared moments, and the makings of beautiful memories.

"For unto you is born this day

in the city of David a Saviour,

which is Christ the Lord."

Luke 2:1

CHRISTMAS  BLESSINGS,
Susy

I'm joining Spiritual Sundays

      

          

Teddy Bear Photo Shoot

Something special that comes out
at Christmas time at my house
is a furry little bear,
who sits in a doll rocker
near the fireplace,
and makes me very happy because....

 

....this little bear was made from my mother's mink stole

I  had a larger bear made for my sister,

and the sweet lady who created it

 

surprised me with a smaller one

made from the leftover materials

The pads of his little feet are from the lining of the jacket.

 

                                                                      

For me, part of the makings of a Merry Christmas

is the nostalgia of Christmas's past,

family traditions, childhood memories, old photos,

and reflecting on happy times with loved ones.

 There are other bears in the house

[in the no-husband-traffic-zone]

A trio of buddy bears on an old dressing table chair

A cutie made from vintage chenille
sitting atop a hanky box

And this loved-to-pieces Teddy was mine as a little girl!

He once had a squeaker tummy. Ha! and fur

And this is the darling little girl he belonged to

                                                    

I still have that crocheted dress too (somewhere)

 

We All  Wish You a Beary Merry Christmas 

xo Susy

I'm joining 

Vintage Inspiration Friday

Show and Tell Friday

 and

Spiritual Sundays

just to send Christmas Blessings