Abba's Girl

The last week our weather has been sunny and unseasonably mild even for southeast Texas. Highs in the 70's, lows in the 60's. The birds seem to be enjoying it, people are outside working in their yards, the numbers of walkers and joggers has increased in our neighborhood over the last week. Later this week when our version of winter returns, I think many people will be disappointed. Winter is not over; though I love winter, I must admit the glimpse of spring buoyed my spirit and increased my joy. The same thing happens when we put our trust in someone or something other than the Lord which is called idolatry; though we don't hear much about such a thing in many churches today. When we first trust in the idol, all seems well, then before we know it life is not good. In fact by the time we realize the someone or something was a false god, we are heading downhill at a high rate of speed about to crash into the bottom of a pit. Climbing out of the pit is usually a long pr...

A woman who made a big difference in my spiritual life died suddenly yesterday. Though she was older than my parents, in the back of my mind it is as if I thought she would be here for a few more decades. Edith met my father at Christ Church Cathedral when he became a member. She met mom after my parents were married there and mom joined the church. Edith also took care of me in the nursery for 3 years at Christ Church. I used to joke she was 12 at the time. In the 1970's we moved to Sugar Land and landed next door to her best friend. It was great catching up with her. In the early 1990's Edith became a member of my prayer team at church. She (along with April) was my prayer partner for years and years. She worked tirelessly behind the scenes at Calvary Episcopal Church for years. I learned much about serving the Lord from Edith. She always had an encouraging word and a smile. Our joke was she would attend my annual New Year's coffee with bells on; she usually wore a...

I am not a morning person. It does not matter if I sleep 2 hours or 8 hours, I am a zombie when I wake up each day. The first thing I do is head for the coffee pot and hope I do not sin before I walk into the kitchen. However, there is one thing I like about the morning. The quiet time in the Word and prayer before the man is awake and before our dog is awake and turbo charged for the day. (I am so thankful the dog sleeps late.) As I wind up my quiet time, the Cardinals are beginning to sing, I hear Black Belly Tree Ducks as they fly over our house. Streaks of sunshine are beginning to make themselves seen in the morning sky, the moon is fading. I am always so aware of God in these small bits of nature. I am thankful for this day. I hope I sense the presence of God through out the day and I am a good witness to Him and extend His love to all those whose paths I cross today. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock a...

I cannot believe tomorrow is January 15 and it is time for another Siesta Scripture Memory Team verse! I continue on in John chapter 1, verse 4: In him was life, and the life was the light of men. (ESV) I've fallen in the love with the ESV and decided to use it for memory work because I am not as familiar with it as I am some of the other translations. I use it to hand write books of the Bible as well. (There are are too many I's in this post.) As American Christians we are able to freely buy Bibles and worship. Many of our brothers and sisters in Christ do not have the same luxury; many are in danger from radical members of other religions and or radical governments who oppose all religions. As I memorize Scripture this year; I hope I remember them. Again, feel free to leave your verse/verses in a comment.

It was exciting to view the Lproof.org blog and see the number of women committed to memorizing Scripture this year. I am memorizing the 1st few verses of John 1 in the ESV this month. Hopefully by the end of the year; I will know the verses in the ESV and not combine the ESV, NIV, and KJV. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Feel free to leave your memory verses in a comment.

Every year in December I host a coffee. My husband describes it as 50 women descending on our house with much laughter following their arrival. Methinks he exaggerates because I've never invited more than 25 and it is an open house, therefore ladies are coming and going for 3 hours. (I might add - he makes his escape from our house pretty darn quick.) This year as I looked at the calendar to set the date and send invitations, the Lord clearly impressed my heart with no coffee this year. I did not schedule the coffee this year. Had I not listened, the coffee would be tomorrow, 2 days after our family suffered a big loss. As a result of listening and obeying, I did not buy the food, send out invitations, and then have to cancel it. I saved myself a lot of trouble. The loss we experienced was not something we ever saw coming. We went from total joy and making plans to emotional heaps. But we know that we know, we will meet this precious child who briefly touched our lives in hea...

This morning as I sipped coffee and read Psalm 33; I thought how easily people can become so engrossed in what the government is or is not doing, their eyes become glued to the world. We need to focus on Jesus and His Word. Psalm 33 reminds us of what the Lord is doing. Not what He might do, not what He did, but what He is doing. Brothers and Sisters in Christ, take your eyes off the media and turn them to Jesus and His Word. Feast on PS 33 and be blessed. 1 Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright. 2 Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings! 3 Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts. 4 For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness. 5 He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord. 6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their h...