Such a Comfort . . . Please Last Longer!

This is the semester I learned all about fashion . . .

This Semester . . .

Chap. 6, Humility in Daily Life, Andrew Murray

"I knew Jesus, and He was very precious to my soul: but I found something in me that would not keep sweet and patient and kind. I did what I could to keep it down, but it was there. I besought Jesus to do something for me, and when I gave Him my will, He came to my heart, and took out all that would not be sweet, all that would not be kind, all that would not be patient, and then He shut the door."-George Foxe)

Chp. 5, Humility in the Disciples of Jesus, Andrew Murray

"In His resurrection He received from the Father an entirely new life, the life of man in the power of God, capable of being communicated to men, and entering and renewing and filling their lives with His divine power. In His ascension He received the Spirit of the Father, through whom He might do what He could not do while upon earth, make Himself one with those He loved, actually live their life for them, so that they could live before the Father in a humility like His, because it was Himself who lived and breathed in them."

Humility, Chp. 4 Humility in the Teaching of Jesus

"If once we learn that to be nothing before God is the glory of the creature, the spirit of Jesus, the joy of heaven, we shall welcome with our whole heart the discipline we may have in serving even those who try to vex us."

Humility, Chp. 3 Humility in the Life of Jesus

"Here we have the root and nature of true humility. It is because this is not understood or sought after, that our humility is so superficial and so feeble. We must learn of Jesus, how He is meek and lowly of heart. He teaches us where true humility takes its rise and finds its strength - in the knowledge that it is God who worketh all in all, that our place is to yield to Him in perfect resignation and dependence, in full consent to be and do nothing of ourselves."

Humility, Chp. 2 The Secret of Redemption

"The life of God which in the incarnation entered human nature, is the root in which we are to stand and grow; it is the same almighty power which worked there, and thence onward to the resurrection,which works daily in us. Our one need is to study and know and trust the life that has been revealed in Christ as the life that is now ours, and waits for our consent to gain possession and mastery of our whole being."

Humility by Andrew Murray

I've been reading an old book by Andrew Murray called Humility. It was suggested to me by my friend Debbie who is to me an example of humility. The chapters are exceedingly deep, and I found that one reading did nothing for me. After considering that this was something I wanted to read steadily I decided to read each chapter 5 times before continuing on to the next. This is proving a good plan for me, and Humility is becoming ingrained in my day in day out thoughts.

CHAPTER 1: Humility, the Glory of the Creature
"Humility, the place of entire dependence on God, is, from the very nature of things, the first duty and the highest virtue of the creature, and the root of every virtue."

Our Littlest Cowboy Among the Bluebonnets

Bluebonnets, The Texas State Flower

“Bluebonnets have inspired the poet’s pen, the artist’s brush, the cowboy’s dream, and the legislator’s eloquence throughout the broad spaces of Texas. Their royal beauty and enchanting fragrance have a particular message which speaks to the emotions with compelling directness.”

–Mary Daggett Lake, 1926

The Clan gets bigger . . .

Little Nora Jane joined our family March 16, 2012. She almost missed seeing her Auntie Ticky, but came just in time before I had to head back. She's so beautiful. A lot like Elsa Rose was. I don't understand how those girls are so pretty right away. Looking forward to getting to know this little girl better.

My Lovely Average Kitchen

I've been thinking about the cooking shows that have become a favorite American pastime. I even enjoy seeing the impossibly well- equipped kitchens. I usually jot down a quick list of ingredients if the meal interests me, but rarely do I try to reproduce what I see. I forget and life goes on. But, I do remember the kitchens! Oh the lovely kitchens! I see myself floating through them while my family waits expectantly for dinner. I envision the clean-up crew it takes to come behind the cooks while they splatter grease and drip syrup from one end to the other. I dream of the professional appliances sparkling, inviting. Then the show ends. I walk into my kitchen. Not the same thing at all. Kitchen envy strikes! The clean up crew is me with a little help along the way from the kids or my overworked husband. My ice maker gives me headaches. My oven doesn't cook evenly. My glasses have water spots. The disposal doesn't work at all, just makes a grinding ugly sound. The cupboards are in need of a serious scrubbing because of greasy kid fingers opening and shutting them. I could talk myself into a serious discontent here. But the truth is what matters isn't it? I love my kitchen and I love to cook! I doubt if a Viking stove would make anything taste better. Fact: the kitchen does not a cook make. My family truly enjoys eating what I make in my not so perfect kitchen. I'll admit a time or two my pizza was not cooked on the bottom because of that darn oven, but overall it works well. The precious faces that circle my table at the end of a day and eat the food that I prepared don't take into consideration the not so state of the art appliances or the less than sparkling milk glass. They do appreciate the investment of a healthy hearty meal served by a wife and mother not exhausted by working for someone else to buy and maintain a professional kitchen. I have a hunch that many times those beautiful professional kitchens are only used to heat up frozen pizza or Marie Calendar pies. What a pity.

Puppies!

The only thing these Border Collie puppies bring to mind is toddler! No kidding. This is what toddlerhood was like for this mom. Only with puppies there's more than I ever had at one time. I compare these 4 cuties to having 15 month quadruplets. They are going to their "forever homes" soon, and then I will enjoy the quiet. Yes, I will. For now though, we laugh, stumble (because they are forever at our ankles), fill their bowl with puppy food (alot), and snuggle. There is the problem of my tomatoes. They love to eat my tomato plants. I keep telling myself that Spring is coming and I can plant more. Aren't we blessed to enjoy God as we care for these little creations of His?

Sin: As Bad As All That

"What makes sin sin is not first that it hurts people, but that it blasphemes God. This is the ultimate evil and the ultimate outrage in the universe."

"The glory of God is not honored.

The holiness of God is not reverenced.

The greatness of God is not admired.

The power of God is not praised.

The truth of God is not sought.

The wisdom of God is not esteemed.

The beauty of God is not treasured.

The goodness of God is not savored.

The faithfulness of God is not trusted.

The promises of God are not relied upon.

The commandments of God are not obeyed.

The justice of God is not respected.

The wrath of God is not reared.

The grace of God is not cherished.

The presence of God is not prized.

The person of God is not loved."

John Piper, Overview of Romans 1-7, 09/02/2001