Xanga

 

 

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.

James 1:2-4 (The Message)

 

~~~

Thank You, Lord, for each disturbing, painful, and humbling experience

each problem

hindrance

disappointment

demanding duty

everything that triggers anxiety in my life.

 

I thank You because each difficulty is an opportunity

to watch You at work.

 

I rejoice that You plan to enrich and beautify me through each problem

conflict and struggle

that through them you expose my weaknesses

needs

hidden sins

self-centeredness

and especially my self-reliance and pride.

 

I’m grateful that you look beyond my superficial desire

for a trouble-free life

instead

You fulfill my deep-down desire to glorify You.

 

 Inspired by 31 Days of Praise by Ruth Myers

Posted in Day 18 of my Prayer & Praise Journal

 

 

 

 

A Mailing & More Donuts!

 

We had four great helpers (Lois, Harold, Glenn, and Rachel) to get the 2,881 single issues of Highway News in the mail today. 

 

 

Cerwin and I are thankful for their willingness to donate two hours a month to put labels on the magazines.

 

 

 

 

 

When I read on Facebook that my sister-in-law Brenda was making donuts today, I left a reminder that we lived next door!

She responded with a note:  Stop in after 11:00 a.m.  Cerwin could not turn down that invitation, so picked up our donuts on the way home from the post office.

They were delicious!

 

  

 

 

Have you ever come on anything quite like this extravagant generosity of God, this deep, deep wisdom? It’s way over our heads. We’ll never figure it out. 

Romans 11:33 (The Message)

 

~~~

 

Thank You, Lord, that You work all things together for my good

bad things

good things

ordinary things

extraordinary things

stressful things

peaceful things.

 

I stand amazed at the complexity

and mystery

of Your wisdom.

 

Your wisdom makes it safe for me to trust You.

It makes me willing

to safely commit

my location

and situation to You

knowing that You have the right to shift me

anywhere on life’s checkerboard.

 

My soul delights

to hide in the secret of Your presence

take refuge in the shadow of Your wings

eat delicacies from Your table

drink my fill from the river of Your delights.

 

I am delighted to have You as my dwelling place

where I can settle down

feel secure

be content

anywhere on earth.

 

You are my blessed home

where I can enter

be at rest

and know that I will live in Your house

forever.

 

Inspired by 31 Days of Praise by Ruth Myers

Posted in Day 17 of my Prayer & Praise Journal

 

 

 

 

An Apple Fritter and a Half-eaten Donut

 

My sister and her daughter Chelsey stopped in today with two each of freshly-baked apple fritters and donuts, and half-a-dozen donut holes.

So why am I showing you the above picture?  Because I ate the donut holes while we visited – they were really tiny.  Then, about an hour later, I took a bite out of one apple fritter.  When Cerwin came home, he ate the apple fritter out of which I had taken a bite. 

By the time I started supper – this is all that was left.  As I make this entry, the apple fritter is in a small box – by itself.  The plan is that it will be part of Cerwin’s breakfast, but I wonder if it will last that long?

It is good for my body’s sake that she only bakes donuts once a year!

 

 

 

 

God’s Spirit doesn’t make us slaves who are afraid of him. Instead, we become his children and call him our Father. God’s Spirit makes us sure that we are his children.

Romans 8:15-16 (Contemporary English Version)

 

~~~

 

Thank You, Lord

the high King of heaven

enthroned far above all other powers

for bestowing on me the royal dignity of

being Your heir

one of Your daughters.

 

Thank You

that I can exult in Your marvelous grace

that I have been linked to the greatest of purposes

to know

love

and glorify You.

What an honor!

 

Thank You

for continuing to cut and polish this diamond in the rough

for intruding in my life

for making me a new person in Christ

for giving me an inheritance

that I will enjoy forever.

  

Inspired by 31 Days of Praise by Ruth Myers

Posted in Day 16 of my Prayer & Praise Journal

 

 

 

 

Highlights From Our Weekend Retreat

 

Camp Hebron is located in the beautiful Peter’s Mountain area of Halifax, PA.  We were pleased to see several deer outside our meeting room.

 

 

 

 

Several early arrivers getting acquainted on Friday evening

 

 

 Anna Ruth and Glen helped me with registration.

 

 

 Suppertime

 

 

 As part of the opening service we were pleased to hear from Penny.  She was saved out of witchcraft about twenty years ago – when the trucker she was traveling with stopped at the Harrisburg chapel.

Our theme was God’s faithfulness.  Penny’s testimony demonstrated His faithfulness.

 

 

 On Saturday morning Jake shared his story – an interesting testimony of God’s faithfulness.

 

 

 Following his testimony, he was commissioned for service with TFC.

Left to right:  Scott Weidner (TFC President & CEO) Jake and Jane Wise, and Bunny O’Hare (Director of Chaplains).

 

 

 Prayer of Commissioning

 

 

 Scott shared an informative update on the ministry, reminding us that TFC will be driven by our mission statement – even as we and the trucking industry are being challenged by the economy.

 

 

 

 

 A delicious salad

 

 

 Lunch in a bread bowl

 

 

 Saturday afternoon was for relaxing and fellowship.

 

 

Bunny and Peg brought the movie Fireproof along for our late afternoon viewing.  Wow!  What a fabulous movie.

 

 

 By late afternoon, the kitchen crew was preparing for a Sweetheart Banquet. 

 

  

 The dining room was beautifully decorated.

 

 

 The fireplace added a cozy atmosphere.

  

 

 A light snowfall added to the enchantment of the evening.

 

 

 Dottie and Gene have a cottage on the grounds and arrived with snow sprinkled on her hair, his hat, and their coats.

 

 

 Bunny surprised Peg with a Valentine dog.

 

 

 Reflection in a mirror

 

 

 Penny visiting with Harold

Cerwin, Charlie, and Glen catching up on each others lives.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Some of us considered starting the meal with dessert.

 

 

 

 

 

 Waiting for dinner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The buffet line

 

 

 Equila Phelps presented the evening concert – beautiful and fun.

 

 

 This morning we woke to a pretty winter wonderland.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Sam – who oversees retreats – was looking through the Fish Wrapper for a good joke or story.

 

 

 Communion was served by Howard Jones, President Emeritus.

 

 

 Howard serving Inge

 

 

Because we focused on God’s faithfulness to TFC in the past, we spent some of the weekend remising on the past.  Wendell Boyle has been active in TFC since the 60s, and shared some very interesting stories.

 

 

 It was a relaxing, wonderful weekend.

 

 

 

 

[Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.

Philippians 2:13 (Amplified Bible)

 

 

~~~

 

 

Thank you, Lord, that you are at work in me

to break old habits

eliminate bad patterns of thought and action.

flush away my anxieties

remove my resentments

untangle all the snarls in my soul

banish my guilt.

 

Thank you for the people in my life who cause and encourage me to grow

most doing it unknowingly.

 

Today I am feeling especially grateful that You are longsuffering with me

that I can come to You every day

every time I mess up

and You never sigh in frustration,

“Oh, no, it’s Doris again. When will she ever get her act together?”

 

Thank You that, for my sake

You are mighty in power and wisdom

and full of understanding and longsuffering.

 

Inspired by 31 Days of Praise by Ruth Myers

Posted in Day 15 of my Prayer & Praise Journal

 

 

 

 

 I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. 

Ephesians 3:16 (The Message)

 

~~~

 

Thank you Lord for the Holy Spirit

Who dwells within me

fills me with Your fullness

strengthens me with Your power

makes Christ’s love real within me

enables me to experience incredible spiritual blessings

delivers me from the viewpoints and values of the world

renews my mind.

 

I praise You for the tremendous power of the Holy Spirit

that enables me to cope with life

prepares me to do Your will

empowers me to be more than a conqueror.

 

I am so incredibly grateful that through the Holy Spirit I can

grow

develop my gifts

enlarge my capacities

escape past mistakes and sins

and move forward with confidence and joy.

 

Inspired by 31 Days of Praise by Ruth Myers

Posted in Day 14 of my Prayer & Praise Journal

  

 

 

 

Visitors & Cabela’s

 

 

 We have overnight guests who wanted to visit Cabela’s, so Cerwin and I decided to go with them. 

 

 

 I didn’t have a shopping list like the other three, so I just enjoyed a photo safari.

 

 

 I find the fish tank interesting and fascinating.

 

 

Our TFC friends, June and Murray Kuehl (who are visiting from Kitchener, Ontario, Canada) and Cerwin were waiting for me when I arrived at the restaurant.

Murray and June came a few days before TFC’s Winter Retreat to enjoy a few days in the area.

 

 

 We decided to have soup and a sandwich – and wanted something unique – instead of the usual chicken, turkey, or beef.  All four of us chose smoked buffalo.

 

 

 My half sandwich and cup of wild rice soup.

 

~~~

 

A continuation of my photo safari

 

 

 

 

 

The store wasn’t real full on Thursday, so I had opportunity to look for details that I missed in prior visits.  This bird was something I never noticed before.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 The end of my safari

 

 

 

 

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

1 John 3:1 (New International Version

 

~~~

 

Thank you, Lord, that I have a place in Your Kingdom

forever!

 

How amazing that You drew me to Yourself

accepted me

welcomed me into Your everlasting love.

 

How amazing that I should be called Your child

that You know me better than I know myself

and You still love me

because Your love is not based on my performance.

 

How amazing that I am precious in Your site

that you love me.

 

Inspired by 31 Days of Praise by Ruth Myers

Posted in Day 13 of my Prayer & Praise Journal