quietly

leave it all quietly to God

my soul

the past mistakes

that left

the scars.

all bitterness

beyond control,

that mars

His peace,

demands its toll.

confessed to Him

. . . and left . . .

it would,

like all things

work together

for my good,

and bring release,

I would be whole.

so

leave it all quietly to God

my soul.

- ruth bell graham -

lead to victory

before the winds that blow do cease,

teach me to dwell within thy calm;

before the pain has passed in peace

give me, my God, to sing a psalm;

let me not lose the chance to prove

the fullness of Your enabling love.

o Love of God, do this for me;

maintain a constant victory.

-amy carmichael-

time value

T. G. i. F

Today GOD is First

" In the past, nobody had a watch, but everyone had time. Now, everybody has a watch, but nobody has time. "

those lines have been on my mind lately. when i look at the days gone by and how i spent time, all the more that i see that time is spinning so fast, but, i'm standing still in most of them. how many todays have come and gone when i failed to put God first. how many moments and memories were missed when i failed to connect and communicate positively with the people closest to my heart. it does take strong and firm resolve to put our life in perspective and to reclaim the time that has gone past. for you dear reader, make time . . . make time . . . make time to bring kindness, to bring sunshine, to give heartfully, to love truthfully and to grow spiritually. only the great Lord can decide when time ends. and while we can enjoy the privilege of time, let us make time to meditate, to celebrate, to create... may our blessings be many and may grace come abundantly. the time value is in our hands. let's make the most of it.

many thanks to www.heartlight.org for providing positive resources for christian living!

g r a c e

" and God is able to make
all grace abound to you,
so that in all things at all times,
having all that you need
you will abound in every
good work. "

2 corinthians 9:8

many thanks to heartlight for the great picture shown here. http://www.heartlight.org.

thanking You

today,
i am thankful
for:

1. simply being alive today
2. friendship and meaningful conversations with my bestfriend
3. passing my english proficiency test. hurrah!
4. the taste of juicy, delicious white peaches
5. the scent, taste, texture & versatility of ginger
6. rest and respite - and beginning again
7. daily provisions and protection

love our neighbor

14 The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbour as yourself."
15 If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

Galatians 5:14-15 NIV

l l l l l l l

what does it mean to really love our neighbor? it's more than a smile, a hug, a cheery hello, or a helping hand. we are called to show the character of Jesus in us and we are commissioned to point our neighbor to Jesus' gift of grace and salvation. loving a neighbor means denying our own pride and prejudice as well as embracing and including someone who could be unlovable, lonely, deprived or lost . . . because at one time in our lives, we have been any or all of this.

l l l l l l l

1 Blessed are all who fear the Lord,
who walk in His ways.
2 You will eat the fruit of Your labour;
blessings & prosperity will be yours.
Psalm 128:1-2 NIV

l l l l l l l

May I bear the slight and slander I receive, Lord, with Your graceful serenity and may I put justice and reason in Your hands, Mighty God, not in mine. May I model your fairness & faithfulness in all that I do. In Jesus' wonderful name, Amen.

l l l l l l l

Peace, blessings, grace and love be yours today and always . . . . . . .

i n v i c t u s

Out of the night that covers me,
black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
for my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
my head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find me, unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

by William Ernest Henley

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

i know this poem from memory and i'm thankful to my mom who rehearsed this with me, replete with the actions and emotions that the poem shares. having recently seen the movie with the same title, i must say that it is a reflective meditation of this poem, which almost becomes a prayer for the victorious. while we do not have complete victory over who we are and who we can become, there is One that makes this victory complete in us. may You seek Him and find Him, when you seek Him with all your heart... God Bless :-)

o p e n

in the daily asking
comes all the making

mind capturing
heart embracing
hand caressing
feet considering
body moving

opportunities expand

cheery smiles
sunny talks
restful walks
on calm ocean

steady rhythm
blissful symphony
upbeat tempo
runs with the flow
on unchartered dreams

possibilities extend

happy birthday frazzy

this is frazzle, our resident Abyssinian pet.

he's a delightful little creature with a baby face and bright smart eyes.

he's tri-color: golden brown, black and white.

he's got a cute little mohawk hair.

he's very expressive, often jumping around when excited.

he also consistently stands up even when not asked.

he's been a wonderful blessing.

thanking God that he's been healthy and happy.

happy birthday frazzy!!!

His promise

" For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
-jeremiah 29:11-

Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
-jeremiah 29:12-

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."

-jeremiah 29:13-

~o~ ~o~ ~o~ ~o~ ~o~

welcome back to _huggin_ !!! been away for quite some time and it's wonderful to be posting back. the entries from hereon forward are lovingly dedicated to my great Redeemer. may you be blessed and may the hand of Life and Love guide your path . . .