Special thoughts and an update

A friend shared the following with me and I pray it will bless you as it did my heart. (Following the quote is a little more of an update on 'current events'.)
Olive

“I pray that you, being rooted and established in love . . . “ — Ephesians 3:17

I don’t plan to write a lot this week. A friend of mine that I’ve known since high school sent me three quotations on Facebook the other day, and I want simply to pass them on to you. They truly are quite profound. Each is taken from the book Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing.

"The very first step in approaching God is to know and believe the love that He has to us (1 John 4:16); for it is through the drawing of His love that we are led to come to Him." P. 104-105

"The one thing essential for us in order that we may receive and impart the forgiving love of God is to know and believe the love that He has to us." P. 115


"Know and believe the love that God has to us, and you are secure; that love is a fortress impregnable to all the delusions and assaults of Satan." P. 119

It would seem that our salvation, our security, our growth in Christ—everything is rooted and grounded, dependent simply on knowing and believing in the love God has for us. Not just knowing that He loves us, but coming to a knowledge of, an encounter with, and a belief in the kind of love, the nature of the love He has for each of us.

Do you know what love is?


Do you know the love with which He loves you?

Better yet, do you have the courage to believe it?

These quite possibly are the most important questions we could answer. For it seems that everything depends on them.


May knowing and believing His love become paramount in your life this week.

I wish you God’s best. "

Now for a little more on what is going on in our little 'corner'.

First a few garden notes.
Our 'tomato tree' is slowing down. We only got about a dozen tomatoes from it yesterday. They are smaller and are beginning to 'crack' easier, but they still taste very good. What has been interesting to me has been how that these yellow tomatoes seem to last a whole lot longer than the red tomatoes. The red ones may start 'going bad' at times within a day or two of picking. The yellow tomatoes we have been able to keep for a week or more. That has been especially nice since we have had so many yellow tomatoes coming on. Thank the Lord for the harvest.

Now for a little about our activities.
My hubby hasn't had 'paying' work for several months but we seem to be able to 'keep busy' nonetheless. We have been slowly redoing some of the garden areas around the houses on the farm here. The one that is finished is looking very nice with the yellow and purple button mums that we bought. I want to put some pansies in but they weren't in the stores yet a week or two ago. They should be coming in soon.

A dear friend of ours was in the hospital for a short time last week. We spent time with them and have also been able to help some after they returned home. They are still having quite a bit of pain so we try to help where we can.

Quite a while back I began taking a portion of scripture and 'digging' into its meaning. I look up the meanings of the words and ask God to help me write it in more of a current style without losing the original intent. When I got sick with lymes disease earlier this summer my brain just couldn't seem to handle that level of activity. More recently I have been getting back into the "Word" in the 'digging' sort of way. I had begun studying Psalm 68 before I got sick. For anyone who might be interested in my current 'results' I posted Psalm 68 in the Paraphrase link to the right. It is rather 'long' but there were some very interesting thoughts as well as some expansions on my picture of God that I have received from this passage. Here are a few that blessed me (using my paraphrases)

4 Worshipfully celebrate - with songs, music and even dancing – the Creator God who ‘carried’ you through difficult times. Even use His most sacred name, JEHOVAH, with rejoicing as He smiles at you.
There are a number of passages in this Psalm on God's desire for worship.

11 - 12 The Lord taught the song and many people learned it for a multitude of women joyfully shared with God’s family the good news that the opposition leadership had been cast out and fled. 13 You who have rested in God’s love are protected by Him – likebeing ‘under’ His covering ‘wings’.

This is definitely worth our efforts - to tell others that the opposition to God has been cast out. There are many more gems but for now I'll just share one more. (You are welcome to read the whole passage as you wish.)

) 20 Our Mighty One, our Supreme God, saves. Our loving Lord delivers even from disease and death. 21 But this same strong God irritatingly agitates those who hate Him, and those who persist in doing wrong get a defensive attitude against Him.

I need to be going for now. Until we meet again may the God who is Love fill your heart with His Peace and His JOY in believing.

Bringer of Peace

Transitions

Transitions
This past week our son left for Michigan with the express purpose of getting married.
I'm not the bride's mom so haven't been kept much in the loop - may be just as well.
I'm not even sure of the date but at present it may be in October.

Transitions
Since my bout with acute lyme disease earlier this summer I felt it best to 'back out' from leading a children's division in our church, at least for this year. I have been still helping some part time but it is definitely a change. Today I was in the adult class. It is nice but different. One big difference of course is that I am not the 'teacher/leader' and therefore should not do all the talking. It is good for me.

Transitions
We are heading into fall soon. Our tomato plants are slowing down. We have had some 50+ degree nights and that often causes some plants to change. We do thank the Lord for the bountiful crop of mostly yellow tomatoes but some red ones as well.

Transitions
A couple of weeks ago we finished cleaning the weeds off of the electric fence for the horse field. Then we began cleaning up the flower beds near the door into the farm house. We had given another person the responsibility of keeping them and as a result they became wilderness patches. We have been digging up and sifting the dirt to reduce the root mass that had accumulated during the past three years. We have finished one and begun on the second one. I planted some herbs and mums in the first bed and hope to get some pansies planted for the winter. If the weather doesn't get too cold we may get pansy flowers until next spring from the plants planted now and in the fall.

A really nice transition
Even before I had the accute lyme illness it had seemed that my brain just wasn't working well. I am still taking some supplements specifically aimed at restoring the immune system's ability to 'fight'. It seems that this past week or so I have been able to concentrate especially on spiritual topics with more clarity, praise the Lord. I have returned to working with Psalm 68 where I had sort of left off before I got really sick. It is making a lot more sense and I have been enjoying the stretching it seems to be taking to get a feel of what God was expressing through this Psalm. There is a lot to this portion of scripture. When I feel more comfortable with my explorations I may post it on the paraphrase link, but that may yet be a little while.

Well, that is a little update of a few things going on in our little part of the world. With my hubby out of work we have been able to get more things done around the farm place here where we live. We are down to one working vehicle - our old clunker pickup - and we are thankful for the wheels. My hubby's brother also lives here and we have been eating the midday meal oftentimes with him and another friend who also lives here. I am thankful for the fellowship.

It is getting time for me to do other things so will close for this time and leave with you who have read this far with my wish of peace for you just now.

Father in heaven, grant Your peace as well as Your joy to all who care about us. Thank You.

Bringer of Peace