blog is a many splendored thing

© Copyright  John Brightley  and licensed for  reuse  under this  Creative Commons Licence . Psalm 51:7 - (KJV) - Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.   This morning’s commute was like riding through a winter wonderland.  There was a light frosting of snow on the trees and bushes.  Not enough to make driving too miserable but I did need to slow down so I wouldn’t find myself slipping and sliding all over the country roads I travel to and from work. The roads were just a little slippery, and the snow was blowing off the trees and housetops making little snow storms along the route; but, really, all things considered, it was just beautiful.  I found myself thinking about how the roads looked yesterday.  They were clear of snow and ice and easy to drive; but they were also dark and dingy, unremarkable in appearance, and they lacked luster. Then I had a funny thought!  I...

Written by Carisa Stahl Please pray for Mary, she had a tooth pulled today. We have gardened a lot over the years and have tried various things. Today's post is about our plans for this year. We've been busy planning our garden and working toward starting plants. Chuck set up 3 shelves with a florescent lights above each one- the top light does not show in this picture. A friend of Nathaniel's brought him 10 trays (for scrap metal) that a local fast food place was throwing out. They are perfectly fine except for looking grungy and 10 trays is exactly what fits under the grow lights. The top light does not show in this picture. Jeffrey and I worked on modifying Styrofoam cups to start seeds in. There are  six slits cut in the sides of each cup- 3 from the bottom and 3 starting below the rim and going half way down. Then you mix Styrofoam peanuts with your seed starter mix and put that in the cups. This helps ...

Seeds of Doubt Needless Worrry Written by Mary Carol Poggemann It occurred to me today that I allow Satan to sow my garden with seeds of doubt. Sometimes, more often than not, I live in a world where I don’t have all the facts. And in those times it’s all too easy to let my negative thoughts run wild. Doubt is the first step toward being disobedient to God; He did not make us to doubt but to Trust and Obey. When we disobey, the doubt takes over our lives.

Written by Mary Carol Poggemann God has a lot to say about the people who we eat with, those that we spend time with, our associates, our co-workers, and our friends.  He cautions us to be careful and to “consider diligently” what is before us; but, that caution doesn’t apply just to the food before us, it also extends to the ideologies that are before us. Proverbs 23:1-3 (KJV) - When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee: And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.  Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat. Have you ever sat down to dinner with someone who started out friendly and cordial; someone you thought a friend; but by the end of the meal, you were sick to your stomach?  You were not sick because of the food set before you; you were heart sick because of the poison that spewed out of your friends’ mouth during the meal. Discontented people try to make others as m...

Written by Carisa Stahl Recently while visiting another church the pastor showed a picture of a skimmer bird. They feed from the surface of the water. He said the picture reminded him of a quote in the front of his doctrine text book in Bible college. "The surface of the Bible is skimmed  but the depths are ignored." Too often that quote is too true, even with pastors preaching sermons. Sometimes we read our Bibles more than at other times. Sometimes we read it because reading our Bible is what a "good Christian" is supposed to do but it is not really our hearts desire.  Not only should we be reading our Bibles but we should be studying it, memorizing, and meditating on it.  I remember a big question in Bible college, "How much (quantity of verses) should we be reading? One answer has stuck in my mind, "If you don't have time to read a whole book a chapter is better than nothing. If you don't have time to read a whole chapte...

Written by Carisa Stahl For several years in a row my daughter Amy has chosen a word for the year. This year her word is, "Choose". Mary chose, "Constancy". I had no intention or desire to choose a word for the year. Back in January I was online and saw a news video clip where teachers had chosen a word for the school year. Their word choice was written on their hand and held up to the camera. The word NOW popped out at me and I felt that the Lord was prompting me to choose that as my word so I looked up definitions for the word, "now", chose the chorus from a Patch The Pirate Song, and chose a Bible verse and made a poster. NOW is not necessarily my word for the year, I am thinking it may be my word for the rest of my life. Nine years ago I had health problems that put me in bed for a few months- barely able to even get up to the bathroom. Life was a struggle. Not feeling well is a good excuse for not accomplishing things. I still don't feel t...