The weather has been funny lately. On Thursday evening at street preaching it was so chilly that I wore my pink sport jacket with my purple corduroy jacket over top and then my cowboy boots. But, yesterday was nice and warm. I don’t think the weather can make up its mind. It’s almost been feeling like fall.
The kids are back in school now, but our next-door neighbor, who we really do like a lot and get along with well, have been gone on vacation for two weeks. Boy, it sure is nice to have quietness.
It seems like it’s been a long time since I wrote a journal post, and a lot has been happening lately. God has been doing some good things in our church. The upcoming months are going to be busting with activity. In September (I can’t believe it’s just around the corner!) we’re going to be having a baptismal service (Sept. 14th) and the very next Sunday we’re having Friend Day and a meal after the special service. It looks as though some people who used to come to our church a looooooooong time ago are going to be coming back. I’m trying not to get my hopes too high, because I’ve been disappointed before when people have said they would do something and then haven’t, but it is an exciting thought. God is working!
Anyway, then in October we’re going to be having company (I can’t wait!!!). That also means we’ll be having a special speaker at church. I love having special speakers in. It happens so rarely. Then in November it’s starting into the birthday/holiday season already. This year has flown by!!!
We had a really fun family night last night. Mom and I made a yummy Taco dinner, which tasted extra good to me. After the guys cleaned up dinner (Friday night is “guy night,” when the males in our family get to do the kitchen cleanup, and needless to say that makes us girls very happy) we got together and tried to come to a conclusion as to how we should spend our family night. Several suggestions were made, and finally we decided to take a long walk. We walked several miles. That felt good, and when we got home we all felt good and tired and Dad certainly couldn’t say that we didn’t get our exercise for the day. (chuckle) Lydia got some cute pictures which I’m going to steal from her and add to my own few pictures of the evening.
Josiah gave me a ride on the back of his Koga; I should feel very privileged. (chuckle)
After we got home Dad and Josiah began hauling old wood out from behind our shed, which, if you don’t know, is a good place for a mouse to make a home. The only mouse my parents can put up with is me, so we decided to de-house any mouse who’d made its home behind the shed. Josiah, my pyromaniac brother, had a blast feeding the fire, and “poking” it, which he informed Dad is the best part of having a fire. (chuckle)
While the guys got the fire started, Lydia and I discussed a project I had in mind. Most of my sunflowers were dead and looked quite sad, so Lydia and I decided to rip the dead ones out and try to replant. I’m not too sure we’ll be able to have more sunflowers before it gets cold out, but it’s worth a try. We cut down the old dead sunflowers and, with much difficulty, tried to pull the stumps out of the ground. When I planted the sunflowers this summer I dropped the seeds in handfuls, so they would grow in clusters. The roots of about 12 sunflowers grew together, all entwined in each other. Several years ago I planted sunflowers individually and it was amazing how much easier it was for them to get knocked down and pulled out of the ground when they were standing alone. This year, however, when they grow close together there was a strength that made them almost indestructible. There is strength in numbers. Lydia and I briefly discussed the spiritual aspect of it all. When a Christian is planted off by himself the devil can come and easily destroy it without much trouble, but when Christians are growing up together in church, there is a strength that makes them almost indestructible as a whole. That reminded me of a verse in Hebrews that goes something like this: “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Dad has often talked about the protective umbrella of the church; God takes care of those who abide in His dwelling place. And that reminds me of another verse in Ecclesiastes: “He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.” A Christian who leaves the spiritually-protective umbrella or the “hedge” of the church is just plain foolish!
Anyway, where was I? Oh yes...the sunflowers. We got my little garden looking all neat again. I was pleased, but when Mom came to the back door and saw that most of the sunflowers were gone, she made a sad noise…sort of like a sigh mixed with a moan. Suddenly I felt a very sick kind of sadness inside. If I had realized that cutting down my almost-dead sunflowers would make Mom sad I wouldn’t have done it. A little later, as I quietly sat watching the fire flickering in the darkness, I had the thought that if there is one thing I wish it’s that I’ll never disappoint anybody I love. I know that’s almost impossible. After all, I can’t be perfect all the time, but I hope I never make a foolish decision in life that would cause somebody I love a whole lot to be very sad because of what I did…or didn’t do. It’s a very terrible thing to break somebody’s trust.
As the evening grew darker and the fire glowed brighter, Mom brought a big bowl of popcorn outside to where we sat on the patio, and we drank hot chocolate. Dad read our Sugar Creek Gang book, The Tree House Mystery, to us. The Sugar Creek Gang books rank among my favorite books. They are a perfect blend of exciting mystery and deep spiritual values for everyday living. As you read them you’ll learn more about God’s marvelous creation and get a deeper appreciation for life and how wonderful it is to just be alive!!! Throughout the book you won’t miss the subtle lessons about living a clean, honorable, and godly life that pleases God. It’s the story of six Christian boys and their adventures and spiritual victories, written in a fun, warm, and homey style that will leave you feeling convicted and moved to love the Lord Jesus more and more. (Boy, this sounds something like an advertisement, doesn’t it?)
Anyway…As we were reading on the patio, with our nice little campfire going in the yard nearby, Dad’s reading suddenly got interrupted by the sound of a window slamming. Whenever we dare to have a campfire our neighbors get annoyed. It doesn’t bother me, because every Saturday night for the past several weeks we’ve had to endure their parties, which means we get to “enjoy” their rock-and-roll “music,” if you can call it that. I think they can put up with a little wood smoke. It’s sort of ironic that they like the sounds of Hell, but they don’t like the smell…and wood smoke smells gooooooood compared to what it’s going to smell like down there.
Josiah let the fire burn down, since it was getting late. He had a lot of fun blowing and poking and spraying any burning wood that fell out of the fire with his water gun. He doesn’t have any brothers to pester, so I guess spraying burning wood is the next best thing. (chuckle)
We all went into the house and watched a movie Dad borrowed from Mr. Kamps called “Epicenter,” about Ezekiel 38 and 39 when Russia and other eastern countries sweep down on Israel to destroy it and God intervenes and sends fire and hail and brimstone and supernaturally slaughters all of Israel’s enemies. Dad preached about this back in February, I think. You can hear the messages on our website; they were preached in English. Anyway, Dad is reading the book right now and said it’s really interesting, so I might read it. It’s so neat to see Biblical prophesy being played out before our very eyes! If you’ve been keeping up with the news about Russia and the eastern countries, then you know what I mean. Christ’s coming is just around the corner. That is one exciting thought!!! =)
Okay, this post is too long already, so I’m going to go now. God bless!
No comments:
Post a Comment