Monthly Archives: May 2008

A David Song

Psalm 16:1-11

1-2  Keep me safe, O God,
I’ve run for dear life to You.
I say to GOD, “Be my Lord!”
Without You, nothing makes sense.

3  And these God-chosen lives all around-
what splendid friends they make!

4  Don’t just go shopping for a god.
Gods are not for sale.
I swear I’ll never treat god-names
like brand-names.

5-6  My choice is You, GOD, first and only.
And now I find I’m Your choice!
You set me up with a house and yard.
And then You made me Your heir!

7-8  The wise counsel God gives when I’m awake
is confirmed by my sleeping heart.
Day and night I’ll stick with God;
I’ve got a good thing going and I’m not letting go.

9-10  I’m happy from the inside out,
and from the outside in, I’m firmly formed.
You canceled my ticket to hell-
that’s not my destination!

11  Now You’ve got my feet on the life path,
all radiant from the shining of Your face.
Ever since You took my hand,
I’m on the right way.

The Message

Chronological reading of the Bible

I had said that I was going to read the Bible in historical order after I completed the 90 day reading schedule.  Well, I let life get in the way of my time with God, and I can sure tell it.  The spiritual warfare is all around me and I’m fed up.  I’m starting today on the chronological reading, and putting God first, just like He does for me!!

After some research, this is what I’ve come up with for a historical or chronological timeline reading plan.  (Read the book as it was written.)  I did find a couple that varied slightly, and this one is broken up into a yearly plan.  Since I completed the Bible in 90 days reading, I’m pretty used to reading around 12 to 15 pages per day.  That’s what I’m going to stick to, especially since it’s summer vacation around here.  I’ll adjust as I read, and can post that schedule if someone wishes.  I miss my daily dose of His Word!! 

To find the schedule, just click on the Chronological Reading of the Bible page.  Remember, that is the yearly plan. 

 

A David Prayer

Psalm 17:1-15             1-2  Listen while I build my case, God,

the most honest prayer You’ll ever hear.

Show the world I’m innocent-

in Your heart You know I am.

3  Go ahead, examine me from inside out,

surprise me in the middle of the night-

You’ll find I’m just what I say I am. 

My words don’t run loose.

4-5  I’m not trying to get my way

in the world’s way.

I’m trying to get your way,

Your Word’s way.

I’m staying on Your trail;

I’m putting one foot

in front of the other.

I’m not giving up. 

6-7  I call to You, God, because I’m sure of an answer. 

So- answer! bend Your ear! listen sharp!

Paint grace-graffiti on the fences;

take in Your frightened children who

are running from the neighborhood bullies

straight to You.

8-9  Keep Your eye on me;

hide me under Your cool wing feathers

From the wicked who are out to get me,

from mortal enemies closing in.

10-14  Their hearts are hard as nails,

their mouths blast hot air.

They are after me, nipping my heels,

determined to bring me down,

Lions ready to rip me apart,

young lions poised to pounce.

Up, GOD: beard them! break them!

By Your sword, free me from their clutches;

Barehanded, GOD, break these mortals,

these flat-earth people who can’t think beyond today.

I’d like to see their bellies

swollen with famine food,

the weeds they’ve sown

harvested and baked into famine bread,

with second helpings for their children

and crusts for their babies to chew on.

15  And me?  I plan on looking

You full in the face.  When I get up,

I’ll see Your full stature

and live heaven on earth.

The Message

 

Where have I been?

I’ve been on a little bloggy hiatus that was not planned.  Oh, how I wish I could tell you a wonderful story about warm beaches and spending time with the fam, but I cannot.  I’ve been here all along.  Lost in my own world. 

I’ve been under attack lately, and I just figured out that I’m to blame for that.  Physically, spiritually, financially, and mentally under attack, but it all stops now.  I rebuke satan in the holy and precious name of Jesus Christ, and take away the hold he’s had on me!  I will no longer allow myself to fall into his traps, and wallow in self pity.  I will rejoice and be glad in all the blessings that God has given me.  He gave His Son for me, and I will forever praise Him!  He healed my ear and returned my hearing after 2 different antibiotics.  All of a sudden I could hear, and to top it off we were in church!  He helped me complete all the tasks I had committed to, and on time.  He’s given me a great husband, who works very hard to support us, and loves us very much.  We are all healthy and safe.  We are not hungry or cold.  We have what we need, and then some.  He’s also blessed me with wonderful parents who pray for us, and we have a great relationship.  And friends, great friends I can share with.  I am truly blessed. 

Works for Me Wednesday

 

I’m back from bloggy hiatus just in time for another edition of WFMW by Rocks In My Dryer.  I wanted to share with you my excitement for “urban gardening.”  This is also known as container gardening, but I just love to think of myself as an urban gardener!  This will work for you if you lack the space for a large garden, don’t want to till up your land, or your husband is testing your gardening abilities before he wants to prep the land for you.  (Mine is the latter.  I’m showing him though)

I have an old tractor tire in the back yard that the previous owner had planted flowers in.  I broke up the soil and filled it in with potting soil and fertilizer, then planted a couple of tomato plants, peppers and a cucumber.  There’s also a watermelon in the middle.  Then I have a tomoato plant that I bought in a large container that is meant to stay.  I have 3 lettuce bowls/planters in the front of the house, growing romaine, red leaf lettuce, spinach and parsley.  We have had salads with dinner twice now, and leftover lettuce in the fridge for another.  I have spinach that needs to be cut now, and the new lettuce is growing in!!!  I am so excited to not have to buy the expensive bagged salads now!!  In doing a little research, I found that lettuce is very hardy and grows well like this.  I have 4 big planters left to fill with soil and a couple more cucumber and zucchini plants when payday rolls around. 

The tire and planters are also not easy for rabbits to get to since they are elevated. 

If you’re like me and want to grow your own food, I suggest you try this.  It’s fun and easy!  The weeds are not taking over any of it, and I’m seeing fruits of my labor! 

Works for Me Wednesday

This weeks edition is a little different.  I’m supposed to share what Doesn’t work for me.  I’m feeling lousy right now, so my list might include some whining.  My apologies. 

What doesn’t work for me..
1.  My homemade pizza dough never rises.  Could it be that I am just too impatient to wait for it to rise?  Maybe.  Or maybe I just like trying to stretch it to enormous lengths without making holes in it! 

2.  My husband going out of town for business and leaving me to single parent our 3 kids.  Why does he get to have great dinners out while we eat cereal and frozen chicken nuggets? 

3.  Transferring my photos from my digital camera card to the computer.  It’s not hard at all, but I just can’t seem to stay on top of it.

4.  Overcommitting myself.  It doesn’t work for me to say yes to so many things at the same time.

5.  Jason Castro’s hair.

6.  Much to my dismay, clipping coupons does not work for me.  I have a stack waiting to be clipped right now. 

7.  Relying on my kids to pick up after themselves.  Is it really too much to ask? 

8.  Losing weight and exercising.  I’m personally not comfortable with my weight, but I think my body is.  It keeps going back to it’s comfortable weight.  Could it be the chocolate addiction? 

9.  Not having a meal plan doesn’t work for me.  If I don’t have one, I’ll start thinking about what’s for dinner around 5 pm, or when someone asks me that question…” what’s for dinner”? 

10.  This ear infection doesn’t work for me.  The ringing is driving me crazy and I can’t even think.

If you’ve made it this far, Thanks!  For more insightful ideas, please visit Rocks In My Dryer.

Diagnosis

Ear infection for me.  That’s why I haven’t been able to hear out of my right ear since Friday, and I have this horrible ringing that’s driving me CRAZY!  Did I mention the loss of hearing and horrendous ringing?  Oh yeah, and the equilibrium is all messed up..

Oh what a night

Be forewarned, if you don’t want to read a bunch of ramblings, move on.

I couldn’t carry on a conversation with Brooke after school today, because she and her boyfriend were continually texting one another.  Note to self—read her texts before she deletes them!

She wouldn’t do her homework before dance.  She said there was plenty of time afterwards.  We dropped her off and then ran to Target.  I’ve totally sort of over committed myself with a few projects.  I’m making teacher scrapbooks for teacher appreciation week, letters for a sign for an anniversary party, and something (100 somethings) that talks about World Vision and the girl sponsored by IAX.  I need paper for all of these things, and it would seem that I’m all out.  Zach needs shorts too, Brooke wants cookie dough, and Matthew just had a bad case of the wants.  Everything he saw, he wanted.  After a long and stressful time shopping, we went to pick up some Taco Bell.  Everyone else had that idea too.  There were 8 cars in front of us.  EIGHT. 

Oh, and that homework.  Yeah, I had to help with it.  What upsets me is that it was coloring, cutting and pasting.  Isn’t that what Kindergarteners do, not middle schoolers?  Maybe I’m wrong…
Anyway, it was over an hour past bedtime when this was completed.  I tucked her in and thought it was time to get busy on those projects.  She then came out of her room, grabs my cell phone and proceeds to call hers.  Then she picks hers up out of the chair and starts to go to her room.  I said she needed to put the phone up in her bag, and go to bed, because it was too late to be texting.  I’ll spare the details, but I’m a mean mom, and most of her friends don’t even have a bedtime.  I pray that in 15 years she’ll like me.  Did I mention that Brian is out of town and I’m single parenting?  Maybe that’s why I’m stressed. 

It’s also election day here, and quite frankly I’m sick to death of hearing all of the muck these candidates have to say. 

Cheer Speak

Cheerleaders wear uniforms, not costumes.

It is a squad of girls, not a team. 

( This is for any mom out there who doesn’t know the cheer lingo.  Hopefully I can help you before you embarrass your daughter.  It’s too late for me!)

Matthew-ism

As I looked out the living room window at the bird feeders, I saw the male cardinal.  The male and female are normally together, but this time he was alone.  I called Matthew over to the window, and he whispered,         ” Yeah, that’s the carnival with the short hair and sunglasses”. 

The female has a mohawk, and very little black on her face around her eyes.  The male has a lot of black around his eyes, thus the sunglasses.  And no matter how clearly I enunciate c-a-r-d-i-n-a-l, he still says carnival. 

That youngest boy of mine!  He makes me smile :)