"No New Year's resolutions here because I have discovered that God has His own agenda that He will accomplish in His own way in His own time. I am resolved to know more of Him each day however."

I absolutely loved this quote I found on facebook this morning...I just had to share it. I've never been one for resolutions either, I always disappoint myself; that I don't fail at! So these words above really summed up for me why I don't try to set unrealistic goals for myself at the beginning of each new year...there is a much better plan. His.

GRACE

A FEW WORDS ABOUT GRACE
BY WILLIAM R. NEWELL (writer of the hymn, At Calvary)

I
The Nature of Grace

1. Grace is God acting freely, according to His own nature as Love; with no promises or obligations to fulfill; and acting of course, righteously, in view of the cross.
2. Grace, therefore, is uncaused in the recipient: its cause lies wholly in the GIVER, in GOD.
3. Grace, also is sovereign. Not having debts to pay, or fulfilled conditions on man’s part to wait for, it can act toward whom, and how, it pleases. It can, and does, often, place the worst deservers in the highest favors.
4. Grace cannot act where there is either desert or ability: Grace does not help-it is absolute, it does all.
5. There being no cause in the creature why Grace should be shown, the creature must cease from trying to give cause to God for His Grace.
6. The discovery by the creature that he is truly the object of Divine grace, works the utmost humility: for the receiver of grace is brought to know his own absolute unworthiness, and his complete inability to attain worthiness: yet he finds himself blessed-on another principle, outside of himself!
7. Therefore, flesh has no place in the plan of Grace. This is the great reason why Grace is hated by the proud natural mind of man. But for this very reason, the true believer rejoices! For he knows that “in him, that is, in his flesh, is no good thing”; and yet he finds God glad to bless him, just as he is!

II
The Place of Man Under Grace

1. He has been accepted in Christ, who is his standing!
2. He is not “on probation”.
3. As to his life past, it does not exist before God: he died at the Cross and Christ is his life.
4. Grace, once bestowed, is not withdrawn: for God knew all the human exigencies beforehand: His action was independent of them, not dependent upon them.
5. The failure of devotion does not cause the withdrawal of bestowed grace (as it would under law).

III
The Proper Attitude of Man under Grace

1. To believe, and to consent to be loved while unworthy, is the great secret.
2. To refuse to make “resolutions” and “vows”; for that is to trust in the flesh.
3. To expect to be blessed, though realizing more and more lack of worth.
4. To testify of God’s goodness at all times.
5. To be certain of God’s future favor, yet to be ever more tender in conscience toward Him.
6. To rely on God’s chastening hand as a mark of His kindness.

IV
Things Which Gracious Souls Discover

1. To “hope to be better” is to fail to see yourself in Christ only.
2. To be disappointed with yourself, is to have believed in yourself.
3. To be discouraged is unbelief, as to God’s purpose and plan of blessing for you.
4. To be proud is to be blind! For we have no standing before God in ourselves.
5. The lack of Divine blessing, therefore, comes from unbelief and not from failure of devotion.
6. Real devotion to God arises, not from man’s will to show it, but from the discovery that blessing has been received from God while we were yet unworthy and undevoted.
7. To preach devotion first and blessing second, is to reverse God’s order, and preach law, not grace. The Law made man’s blessing depend on devotion; Grace confers undeserved, unconditional blessing: our devotion may follow, but does not always do so in proper measure.

Looking Forward

I really am looking forward to this year. And when I realized that, I had to ask myself why. {I do that a lot, I sure hope everyone else asks theirselves the tough questions too.} So anyway, I was surprised to find that the answer is because I'm a rebel. No, really, I am. Especially with myself, {you should see me argueing with myself over a diet! I always win...} but this time it's because last year was sort of shaky at best, and this year is being feared to be REALLY bad. So I hear. And that's the thought behind my rebellion; I refuse to believe that this year is going to be bad. Just because we may lose our money or jobs, and maybe even our guns. And not because we are threatened by those who seek to harm us, whomever they may be. I also refuse to believe this year is looking hopeless because, well I believe there is just too many reasons to have hope.
This picture displays 6 reasons for me to have hope. God put them in my life to show me that He is in charge and He has always had good plans for those who love Him and seek Him. Not good in the way we tend to think of good, but good in God's way of thinking. Which is of course perfect and holy.
Now, don't get me wrong, I have plans for this year and they do involve money and savings and beauty and comfort. But I also know I can never truly enjoy any of these things, or anything else for that matter, without the love and grace and hope that only God the Father can provide. I desire above all to learn deeper and deeper about the love of God. For it is out of that love that true justice and mercy are found. Also where I learn to love others the way God would have me to do. As He commands me to do.
These 6 children of mine (only the short oldest one on the end is from my womb, but whose counting??) seriously, I take the fact that these 6 children have been and will be looking to me, whether they know it or not, for what I place my hope in. And my world view as well. I take that responsibility very seriously, and thankfully so do the other adults in their lives. This picture has really struck me as a symbol that I've always had hope and will continue to for as long as God supplies it. And His promises are forever. Although I may have times where I don't see hope, I have faith it's there. Hope is a word I never thought much about until recently. I hope it's because I'm learning more about it. I really hope so.

Happy New Year!!

I sure hope to enjoy this coming year with an attitude of serious playfulness. Continuing to take things as they come and keep a proper attitude. I'm letting Mags here be the example: she is thoroughly enjoying the surprise blizzard Oklahoma received over Christmas. Something we aren't used to at all. Although it did cause some postponements and even some serious tragedy, it was a welcome change of pace for many. Me included. We ended up having Christmas a few days later but in the meantime we played and relaxed and enjoyed the time off. (We actually still have one more Christmas gathering to attend and I can't wait!)

This is me on the end, my husband Darrin, my Mom and then my Dad. Four people I happen to love and admire. Yeah, I said four...if God can love me in spite of me, then so can I.

Today I am still looking at mounds of housework, Christmas decorations to put away, and a gob of eggrolls to make. The tradition of me making eggrolls on New Years Eve began when I was a stay at home Mom many years ago (OH, how I miss those days). Back then I had all day for the process. The last two years I haven't felt like coming home from work and doing all the slicing, dicing, browning, draining, rolling, pinching, frying, cleaning...do you get the hint, it's labor man!! And homemade eggrolls are totally worth it, but from now on the tradition is going to have to wait for New Years day. And so then I can make some pot-stickers and fried rice too!!
If I was one of those picture taking bloggers, you would see the labor of love in all it's glory. But you'll have to use your imagination on this blog. But I'll try to help. Picture a big red metal colander full of browned hamburger, caramelized onions and garlic, thinly sliced cabbage and shredded carrots all seasoned with soy sauce and several other secret herbs and spices. Now picture a dark brown counter-top nearly white from being smeared with a cornstarch/water slurry that's brushed onto eggroll wrappers with a cute blue silicone brush. OK? Now picture a large silver sheet pan piled high with at least 32 lovely little bundles of Chinese heaven waiting to be deep fried to a golden deliciousness and then another large shiny silver sheet pan lined with paper grocery bags soaking all the excess peanut oil. MMMmmm, here it comes...now picture a platter overloaded with the crispy little yummy's that are just waiting to burn the tip of someones tongue because they simply can't wait for them to cool.
Way to go, who needs a camera??!!!!

I know it's shocking...

but I'm back.
And not with any boring explainations of why I was gone. Just, I'm back. For how long, or how often, I don't know, but I am looking forward to putting my thoughts back on my blog.
I've been well, very well. And learning so much about my Lord. And trying to enjoy the changes He brings into my life, no matter what I think of them.
One thing I have been learning about are the doctrines of grace. Amazing. It truly is amazing. I'm so thankful to be learning about the attributes of my God and Savior.
I hope to share much about that soon.
Have a Happy New Year!!

Headed to the Big D...

Dallas that is...Kati is on spring break and we are going to Dallas to see what we can "cram in" in 4 days. We are going to Matt and Teresa's wedding on Saturday and we are planning to help with that on Friday and Saturday. But Wednesday and Thursday we hope to find some great Thai food, see as much art as we can stand, get lost in the Highland Park Mall (I actually did that last December) and hopefully we can find some off the chart places. Kati even wants to try to find some garage sales there - this is the same little girl who would have a fit in the car if she even thought I looked at a garage sale with intentions of pulling in! Now she wants to go to them on vacation!!
Of course she did just sign a lease on her first apartment in her college town. She is doing just wonderful in school and I'm so happy she enjoys it. So I'm sure she is anxious to start filling up her new pad. -they probably don't say that anymore on any campus... But I am very grateful she wants to spend this time with me and I plan to enjoy it to the fullest.
And right now I should be packing but I'm blogging and playing with my dog...my mind is already on vacation!!!
I better go so I can get my body on vacation as well...

7th in the 7th

I was just checking out blogs today in between loads of laundry and I came across a wonderful idea for a post...The 8th in the 8th. That means looking into your computers files of pictures, finding the 8th picture in the 8th file. Then you tell about that picture. Well, to be honest, my eighth folder only had one picture in it. Not sure why, but I got to thinking, hey, it's Sunday afternoon, it's the Lords day and He likes the number seven...so I went to the 7th folder and used the 7th picture. And this is it. I'm so glad it was a good one!! So beautiful. And with such sweet memories. This picture was taken on a Sunday afternoon in April of 2007 in North Carolina. Specifically, this is the campus of North Carolina State University, near Winston Hall, very close to the Memorial Bell Tower. I was with my Mom and we had gone on our first vacation together (our only so far, but we plan to fix that soon).We went to a wedding of her first cousins son. We stayed in a nice hotel right next to the college. So on Sunday after church we walked over and snapped photos and had the nicest walk. It was one of our highlights. But then again, we had MANY! I'll have to share some of those photos here as well. Soon. I love going down memory lane.