Thank you to Sharon for sharing this award with me.

I would like to pass it on to some other special friends: Lori, Ginny, and Jennifer.

And for a bit of fun..... What are you?? I am Mayonnaise!!! LOL! I found this at Deby's site:

You Are Mayonnaise

You tend to be a very quiet, introverted person. You're happy to sit back and let stronger personalities shine. You value loyalty and harmony. You try to bring people together. Your taste in food leans toward simple comfort foods. You love holiday meals as well as old school favorites like mac and cheese. You get along with mustard and ketchup personalities. You have an unlikely alliance with hot sauce personalities.

What Condiment Are You?

Change of Plans

How plans can change when you least expect!! A couple weeks ago, I was basking in the idea of time off. Even thogh school had begun and teachers were returning to work, I had nothing on my calendar other than one day of subbing last Tuesday. God had other plans! On Wed. I had a meeting about a possible position, and on Thursday I started in as a full-time one-on-one aide for a student who is new to the country and to the English language. What an interesting, challenging, and fun opportunity! I am thankful for the flexibility God has given me and the strength He gives day by day. My prayer is for wisdom and to know how best meet the needs of this sweet child.

Who Am I?

I have liked this song since the first day I heard it, and I just saw an incredible video at YouTube. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Thankful Thursday

It's still Thursday, so I thought I would join in with Iris at Sting My Heart, and others. I so appreciated her verse on seasons. We are entering the autumn season here in the northeast with trees turning color early this year. Fall seems more like the beginning of a new year more so than January. I guess that comes form being a teacher and homeschooling. But I find myself in a new season, one I didn't know about ~ that of being an empty-nester SAHM with a husband too young for retirement! He's still a "workaholic", still so busy and often gone for meetings with one of his two jobs. Often I find myself alone. Generally I don't mind, but other times...... anyway, this is a thankful post, so what am I thankful for?
* God, who saved me and shows me grace and mercy
* my husband who works so hard
* having eyes to read with, ears to hear music, a tongue to taste all the wonderful tastes there are
* having the opportunity to work one on one with a student who needs help learning English
* my son, my one and only special gift from God, and his wife of nearly 2 years
* all the blessings we have that I take for granted

*for having music on my blog again - yea!!!

I know there are so many other things I could write, but since it is late and I am now back to teaching (unexpectedly - to me, not to God!), I need to end for now.

summer's end

Teachers have returned to school; tomorrow will be the first day for students. The beginning of sschool symbolizes the end of summer, yet we are just now getting some good summer weather! I am glad I am just a substitute teacher. I am not ready to return to school. I am trying to go off an anti-depressant.... I'm not sure if it was working as it should have; I'm not sure if I should go off it now....

There is so much to do - not just things that should be done like the normal household chores, but fun things - crafting things, yet I sit or read or do nothing. I have much I want to do, but the motivation isn't there.... I can just sit and look at life around me - the trees, flowers, birds, etc. Why? I don't know. Why am I even writing this?? Who cares? I guess that is why I have been so quiet here. I don't have much to share, or if I do, I don't have the follow through to do it. I haven't got any great words of wisdom or encouragement or comfort. I haven't got any deep thoughts to share.... OK, I will share this:

I have been reading Ezekiel as I try to continue reading through the Bible this year. I have been reading a lot of fiction about the Amish. I think I am drawn to the quiet, peaceful, non-materialistic, simplictic lives they lead. Two books I have recently finished are Hidden by Shelley Shepard Gray and Anathema by Colleen Coble. They both dealt with domestic abuse (not within the Amish families) too. I went shopping with a friend yesterday and we found some wonderful buys on flowers. I bought over $80-90 worth of flowers & 2 shrubs for $16.00!! Now I have some color on my front steps. On the way home we stopped to take pictures of flowers that look so pretty. Does anyone know what these are?

8/27 - Thank you Sarah for letting me know the name of these flowers..... Cleome or Spider Flower. Yeah! I'm so happy to know!!!!

God's Gifts

I never fail to be amazed at God's creation. My backyard is my sanctuary. I love to see the flowers, watch the backyard visitors, hear the birds,and watch the raspberries ripen. They are all gifts. Unfortunately we have been invaded by a pest that I am growing tired of - Japanese Beetles! It seems I spend much time picking them off the raspberry leaves and from the leaves of a tree in front of our house. The blessing from these pests came the other morning as I saw a dragonfly on a raspberry branch. It was sitting there with it's wings spread. I didn't expect it to still be there after I ran to get the camera, but it was! A gift! I thought I would share it with you. Gifts are best when shared, aren't they?

It's it beautiful? I've never seen one that stayed in one place for so long. So, in spite of the trials (bugs eating my leaves), there was a blessing. I had to take the time to be still, to slow down, and see the gift. I hope you enjoy the photos. God's blessings to you~

"Friendship is a Sheltering Tree" part 2

I decided to share with you the devotional I gave at the secret pal gathering yesterday.

Friendship is a Sheltering Tree

"Flowers are lovely; love is flower-like, friendship is a sheltering tree."
Samuel Taylor Coleridge 1772-1834

I have a tree in my back yard that reminds me of this quote . Though it is not very big, there is something about it's shape that looks so inviting. I thought this quote would be a good topic for our secret pal devotional. I decided to begin by looking up definitions of the words.

Friendship - a relationship between two friends. ** Don’t you hate it when you look up a definition and it uses a word that you have to look up and then that one uses another word and it goes on and on??!! OK, so, what’s a friend? **

**Friend – a supporter, a confidante, a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

One can be a friend to another, but in order to have a friendship, there must be reciprocation. Each one must be a friend to the other. It takes two in order for friendship to exist.

Shelter - to shelter means to cover, to protect from danger, to give security, to defend

Tree – a tree gives shade and protection; it is larger than a bush or shrubs. It is sturdy and strong. It can usually withstand storms and winds.

As I looked at these definitions, I can understand why Coleridge said that friendship is a sheltering tree. A true friendship is one in which each person attempts to be a secure, safe place of refuge for the other, a place of rest and relaxation, one that will remain throughout the storms of life.

In 1 Sam. 20, we have a good example of friendship with Jonathan and David. Although Jonathan would be the likely one to succeed King Saul, he knew that God’s choice was David. Jonathan did all he could to warn and protect David when Saul tried to kill him. They made a vow to each other and David promised to take care of Jonathan and his family/descendants. They were true friends.

As I thought about friendship, I could see that it is a picture of what God desires with us. He is our sheltering tree. He is our protection, our refuge, our security and our defender. David speaks of the shelter he has in God.
Ps 61:3 - For You have been a shelter for me, A strong tower from the enemy.
Ps 61:4 - I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings.
Ps 143:9 - Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies; In You I take shelter.
Joel 3:16 - … the Lord will be a shelter for His people, And the strength of the children of Israel.

God is our perfect friend. He is loving and giving. He knows us well, accepts us, and loves us. He has given His best and sacrificed for us. …. But we are His friends?

Is it even possible to be a friend and have friendship with the almighty God? It’s hard to get a grasp of His greatness, all his “omni’s” (omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresent) and think about Him wanting us for His friends. But according to Scripture, we can be called His friends.
James 2:23 - And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." And he was called the friend of God.

Jesus said in John 15:14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you..

Through Christ, we can have a friendship with Almighty GOD. We can communicate with Him, listen to Him, read His word, share our joys and sorrows, & trust in His care and comfort. Because of His great power, God may not “need” or rely on us, but He can and does use us to be His hands, feet, eyes, ears & mouth to help accomplish His will. When we obey Him, we show that we are friends with God.

So the next time you take the time to sit and relax under a nice shade tree, remember that friendship with God is the best sheltering tree that we could ask for.

©July 1, 2008 J-ME