I love Autumn! Everything changes so fast, one day it's summer and hot and the next day it's fall. All of the Canada geese are flying onto the lake, the leaves are changing, and the animals are getting fuzzy. It's supposed to get below freezing this week so I need to finish picking the rest of our vegetables. Myles and I are getting tired of picking 20 to 30 pounds of tomatoes a day (along with peppers, cucumbers, squashes, melons......) but we keep reminding ourselves about how we will feel in the middle of winter with no fresh veggies to pick. He is doing great in school and has settled into High School easily. We went over to Aaron and Tuyet's house for a Sushi dinner yesterday, they both should be Sushi chefs, what a spread. THEY ARE GETTING MARRIED!!!! Finally after seven years of being together they are going to make it official in June 09 in California. I couldn't imagine having a better daughter in law than Boo, we love her so much.
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Congratulatins to Aaron and Tuyet!! WOWOWOWOWOWOW that's awesome.
A Finished Work
Monday, October 06, 2008
“God began doing a good work in you, and I am sure he will continue it until it is finished.”
Philippians 1:6
The message of Jesus to the religious person is simple: It’s not what you do. It’s what I do. I have moved in.
Religious rule-keeping can sap your strength. It’s endless. There is always another class to attend, Sabbath to obey, Ramadan to observe. No prison is as endless as the prison of perfection. Her inmates find work but never find peace. How could they? They never know when they are finished.
Christ, however, gifts you with a finished work. He fulfilled the law for you. Bid farewell to the burden of religion. Gone is the fear that having everything done, you might not have done enough. You climb the stairs, not by your strength, but his. God pledges to help those who stop trying to help themselves.
Your garden harvest is beautiful, wish I could have joined in. Maybe, one day!! Much love and continued prayers to all!! ~k8
Our Courteous Christ
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
“The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.”
Mark 10:45 NKJV
I had never thought much about the courtesy of Christ before, but as I began looking, I realized that Jesus made Emily Post look like Archie Bunker.
He always knocks before entering. He doesn’t have to. He owns your heart. If anyone has the right to barge in, Christ does. But he doesn’t. That gentle tap you hear? It’s Christ. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock” (Rev. 3:20 NASB). And when you answer, he awaits your invitation to cross the threshold…
And when he enters, he always brings a gift. Some bring Chianti and daisies. Christ brings “the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). And, as he stays, he serves. “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve” (Mark 10:45 NIV). If you’re missing your apron, you’ll find it on him. He’s serving the guests as they sit (John 13:4-5). He won’t eat until he’s offered thanks, and he won’t leave until the leftovers are put away (Matt. 14:19-20).
Hey all!! Starting to enjoy the beautiful fall!! It's a stunning day in Northern Virginia!! God is good, the beauty, the colors . . .WOW!! Have a great day!! ~k8
Jesus Dispels Doubt
Thursday, October 09, 2008
“They were fearful and terrified…but Jesus said, ‘Why are you troubled?…It is I myself!’”
Luke 24:37-38
They had betrayed their Master. When Jesus needed them they had scampered. And now they were having to deal with the shame.
Seeking forgiveness, but not knowing where to look for it, the disciples came back. They gravitated to that same upper room that contained the sweet memories of broken bread and symbolic wine…
They came back. Each with a scrapbook full of memories and a thin thread of hope. Each knowing that it is all over, but in his heart hoping that the impossible will happen once more. “If I had just on more chance.”…
And just when the gloom gets good and thick, just when their wishful thinking is falling victim to logic, just when someone says, “How I’d give my immortal soul to see him one more time,” a familiar face walks through the wall.
My, what an ending. Or, better said, what a beginning!
Hey all!! Hope all is well! How's Myles doing in school? I'm sure he's doing great!! Kaitlin's been home on fall break, it's been great to have her. You all . . remain in our thoughts and prayers!! ~k8
Help from the Holy Spirit
Friday, October 10, 2008
“The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness.”
Romans 8:26 NEB
The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness. What a sentence worthy of a highlighter. Who does not need this reminder? Weak bodies. Weak wills. Weakened resolves. We’ve known them all. The word weakness can refer to physical infirmities, as with the invalid who had been unable to walk for thirty-eight years (John 5:5), or spiritual impotence, as with the spiritually “helpless” of Romans 5:6.
Whether we are feeble of soul or body or both, how good to know it’s not up to us. The Spirit himself is pleading for us.
Hey all!! How's everyone?? Everybody on this side of the coast is doing well. Kaitlin's been home on fall break, she goes back to school on Sunday :o(. But she'll be travelling through the mountains of VA, and the leaves are beginning to turn, so her travels will be beautiful and colorful. Much love and continued prayers to all!! ~k8
Jesus Resisted Temptation
Monday, October 13, 2008
“He was tempted in every way that we are, but he did not sin.”
Hebrews 4:15
When his accusers called him a servant of Satan, Jesus demanded to see their evidence. “Which one you convicts Me of sin?” he dared (John 8:46 NSAB). Ask my circle of friends to point out my sin, and watch the hands shoot up. When those who knew Jesus were asked the same question, no one spoke. Christ was followed by disciples, analyzed by crowds, criticized by family, and scrutinized by enemies, yet no one person would remember him committing even one sin. He was never found in the wrong place. Never said the wrong word. Never acted the wrong way. He never sinned. Not that he wasn’t tempted, mind you. He was “tempted in every way that we are, but he did not sin.”
Lust wooed him. Greed lured him. Power called him. Jesus—the human—was tempted. But Jesus—the holy God—resisted.
Well . . . fall break is over, and Kaitlin headed back to college, it was nice to have her home for a little over a week. She called it 'back in the 703' LOL. Hope all is well with you! Much love and continued prayers for all! ~Aunt K8
An Act of Grace
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
“I lay down my life for the sheep.”
John 10:15 NIV
Our Master lived a three-dimensional life. He had as clear a view of the future as he did of the present and the past.
This is why the ropes used to tie his hands and the soldiers used to lead him to the cross were unnecessary. They were incidental. Had they not been there, had there been no trial, no Pilate and no crowd, the very same crucifixion would have occurred. Had Jesus been forced to nail himself to the cross, he would have done it. For it was not the soldiers who killed him, not the screams of the mob: It was his devotion to us.
So call it what you wish: an act of grace; a plan of redemption; a martyr’s sacrifice. But whatever you call it, don’t call it an accident. It was anything but that.
Hey Myles!! Today would have been your Grandma Dink's 83rd birthday. she was a riot, and i know for a fact she would love you, and you'd be crazy in love with her!!! Much love to you and to ALL!! ~Aunt k8
Take Risks for God
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
“Well done good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.”
Matthew 25:21 NKJV
Use you uniqueness to take great risks for God!
If you’re great with kids, volunteer at the orphanage.
If you have a head for business, start a soup kitchen.
If God bent you toward medicine, dedicate a day or a decade to AIDS patients.
The only mistake is not to risk making one…
He lavished you with strengths in this life and a promise of the next. Go out on a limb; he won’t let you fall. Take a big risk; he won’t let you fail. He invites you to dream of the day you feel his hand on your shoulder and his eyes on your face. “Well done,” he will say, “good and faithful servant.”
Hope all is well with you all!! It's a beautiful day today . . . tomorrow Scotty-boy turns 25, BOY do I feel OLD!! Have a great day! As always, you remain in my thoughts and prayers! ~aunt k8
Absurdities and Ironies
Thursday, October 16, 2008
“Father, into your hands I commit My spirit.”
Luke 23:46 NKJV
As Christ gave his final breath, the earth gave a sudden stir. A rock rolled, and a soldier stumbled. Then, as suddenly as the silence was broken, the silence returned. And now all is quiet. The mocking has ceased. There is no one to mock.
The soldiers are busy with the business of cleaning up the dead. Two men have come. Dressed well and meaning well, they are given the body of Jesus.
And we are left with the relics of his death. Three nails in a bin. Three cross-shaped shadows. A braided crown with scarlet tips.
Bizarre, isn’t it? The thought that this blood is not man’s blood but God’s?
Crazy, isn’t it? To think that these nails held your sins to a cross?…
Absurdities and ironies. The hill of Calvary is nothing if not both
Good Morning to all!! today is Scotty Boy's birthday. 25 years old today! OUCH. I'm going to get my walker and get off to work. Hope all is well! continued prayers to all! ~k8
God’s Mighty Angels
Friday, October 17, 2008
“The angels are spirits who serve God and are sent to help those who will receive salvation.”
Hebrews 1:14
Chiffon wings and meringue sweetness? Perhaps for angels in the gift books and specialty shops, but God’s angels are marked by indescribable strength. Paul says Christ “will come with his mighty angels” (2 Thess. 1:7 NLT). From the word translated mighty, we have the English word dynamic. Angels pack dynamic force. It took only one angel to slay the firstborn of Egypt and only one angel to close the mouths of the lions to protect Daniel. David called angels “mighty creatures who carry out his plans, listening for each of his commands” (Ps. 103:20 NLT).
No need for you to talk to angels; they won’t listen. Their ears incline only to God’s voice. They are “spirits who serve God,” responding to his command and following only his directions. Jesus said they “always see the face of my Father in heaven” (Matt. 18:10 NIV). Only one sound
matters to angels—God’s voice.
Hey all! It's really fall today in Nor. Virginia. I LOVE IT!! Hope you're enjoying some great weather too. Much love and continued prayers to all!! K8
Fretting is Futile
Monday, October 20, 2008
“You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it.”
Matthew 6:27
No one has to remind you of the high cost of anxiety. (But I will anyway.) Worry divides the mind. The biblical word for worry (merimnao) is a compound of two Greek words, merizo (“to divide”) and nous (“the mind”). Anxiety splits our energy between today’s priorities and tomorrow’s problems. Part of our mind is on the now; the rest is on the not yet. The result is half-minded living.
That’s not the only result. Worrying is not a disease, but it causes diseases. It has been connected to high blood pressure, heart trouble, blindness, migraine headaches, thyroid malfunctions, and a host of stomach disorders.
Anxiety is an expensive habit. Of course, it might be worth the cost if it worked. But it doesn’t. Our frets are futile. Worry has never brightened a day, solved a problem, or cured a disease.
WOW . . .isn't that the truth. Hope all is well. It is getting colder each day, actually a frost this morning. Much love and continued prayers to all! Aunt k8
Brag About That!
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
“Don’t praise yourself. Let someone else do it.”
Proverbs 27:2
Demanding respect is like chasing a butterfly. Chase it, and you’ll never catch it. Sit still, and it may light on your shoulder. The French philosopher Blaise Paschal asked, “Do you wish people to speak well of you? Then never speak well of yourself.” Maybe that’s why the Bible says, “Don’t praise yourself. Let someone else do it.”
Do you feel a need for affirmation? Does your self-esteem need attention? You don’t need to drop names or show off. You need only to pause at the base of the cross and be reminded of this: The maker of the stars would rather die for you than live without you. And that is a fact. So if you need to brag, brag about that.
Great advise!! Hope all is well with all of you. We're looking forward to a couple of neat events. Marine Corp Marathon this weekend. i'm only running the 10k portion with Brian Marshall, and then Bring on New York City!! Much love and continued prayers to all!
~Aunt K8
Come to Me”
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
“Come to me, all of you who are tired and have heavy loads, and I will give you rest.”
Matthew 11:28
Come to me…The invitation is to come to him. Why him?
He offers the invitation as a penniless rabbi in an oppressed nation. He has no political office, no connections with the authorities in Rome. He hasn’t written a best-seller or earned a diploma.
Yet, he dares to look into the leathery faces of farmers and tired faces of housewives and offer rest. He looks into the disillusioned eyes of a preacher or two from Jerusalem. He gazes into the cynical stare of a banker and the hungry eyes of a bartender and makes this paradoxical promise: “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matt. 11:29).
The people came. They came out of the cul-de-sacs and office complexes of their day. They brought him the burdens of their existence, and he gave them not religion, not doctrine, not systems, but rest.
Beautiful day in Nor. Va. . . hope you all are enjoying the same great weather, crisp and cool!! Much love and continued prayers for ALL! Aunt k8
Jesus Knows
Thursday, October 23, 2008
“I am the one God chose and sent into the world.”
John 10:36
God with us.
He knows hurt. His siblings called him crazy. He knows hunger. He made a meal out of wheat-field grains.
He knows exhaustion. So sleepy, he dozed in a storm-tossed boat.
Most of all, he knows sin. Not his own, mind you. But he knows yours.
Every lie you’ve told.
Person you’ve hurt.
Promise you’re broken.
Every deed you’ve committed against God—for all sin is against God—Jesus knows. He knows them better than you do. He knows their price. Because he paid it.
Heading out to work . . . beautiful crisp fall morning. Much love and continued prayers to all!! Aunt k8
The Embers of Love
Friday, October 24, 2008
“God has given us the Holy Spirit, who fills our hearts with his love.”
Romans 5:5 CEV
What if you’re married to someone you don’t love—or who doesn’t love you? Many choose to leave. That may be the step you take. But if it is, take at least a thousand others first. And bathe every one of those steps in prayer. Love is a fruit of the Spirit. Ask God to help you love as he loves. “God has given us the Holy Spirit, who fills our hearts with his love.” Ask everyone you know to pray for you. Your friends. Your family. Your church leaders. Get your name on every prayer list available. And, most of all, pray for and, if possible, with your spouse. Ask the same God who raised the dead to resurrect the embers of your love…
Isn’t it good to know that even when we don’t love with a perfect love, he does? God always nourishes what is right. He always applauds what is right. He has never done wrong, led one person to do wrong, or rejoiced when anyone did wrong. For he is love.
Sad day today . .. Aunt Celia's mother in law died today. She was a crazy neat lady, who had a perpetual smile and a booming laugh!! She will be missed!! Much love and continued prayers to all!! ~K8
Words of Hope
Monday, October 27, 2008
“Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that…we might have hope.”
Romans 15:4 NIV
Encourage those who are struggling. Don’t know what to say? Then open your Bible...
To the grief stricken: “God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you’” (Heb. 13:5 NIV). To the guilt ridden: “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1 NIV). To the jobless: “In all things God works for the good of those who love him” (Rom. 8:28 NIV). To those who feel beyond God’s grace: “Whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 NIV).
Your Bible is a basket of blessings. Won’t you share one?
Love this blessing . . . . it's so true!!! have a great day! much love and continued prayers for all!! ~ Aunt k8
Choose Love
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
“Those who live in love live in God.”
I John 4:16
From the file entitled “It Ain’t Gonna Happen,” I pull and pose this suggestion. Let’s make Christ’s command a federal law. Everyone has to make God’s love his or her home. Let it herewith be stated and hereby declared:
No person may walk out into the world to begin the day until he or she has stood beneath the cross to receive God’s love.
Cabbies. Presidents. Preachers. Tooth pullers and truck drivers. All required to linger at the fountain of his favor until all thirst is gone.
Don’t you ache for the change we’d see? Less honking and locking horns, more hugging and helping kids. We’d pass fewer judgments and more compliments. Forgiveness would skyrocket.
Wild idea? I agree. God’s love can’t be legislated, but it can be chosen. Choose it, won’t you? For Christ’s sake, and yours, choose it.
Snowing where kaitlin is . .. just bleak and raining here. Much love and continued prayers for all .. . .so Myles .. . how was golf? ~Aunt k8
Work Can Be Worship
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
“Everything you do or say should be done to obey Jesus your Lord.”
Colossians 3:17
Have you seen the painting The Angelus by Jean-Francois Millet? It portrays two peasants praying in their field. A church steeple sits on the horizon, and a light falls down from heaven. The rays do not fall on the church, however. They don’t fall on the bowed heads of the man and woman. The rays of sun fall on the wheelbarrow and the pitchfork at the couple’s feet.
God’s eyes fall on the work of our hands. Our Wednesdays matter to him as much as our Sundays. He blurs the secular and sacred. One stay-at-home mom keeps this sign over her kitchen sink: “Divine tasks performed here, daily.” An executive hung this plaque in her office: “My desk is my altar.” Both are correct. With God, our work matters as much as our worship. Indeed, work can be worship.
I actually have this picture . ..given to me by my sister Terry. It reminded me of Dwayne's grandparents. Much love and continued prayers for all. Aunt K8
Life is Long Enough
Thursday, October 30, 2008
“All the days planned for me were written in your book before I was one day old.”
Psalm 139:16
No person lives one day more or less than God intends. “All the days planned for me were written in your book before I was one day old.”
But her days here were so few…
His life was so brief…
To us it seems that way. We speak of a short life, but compared to eternity, who has a long one? A person’s days on earth may appear as a drop in the ocean. Yours and mine may seem like a thimbleful. But compared to the Pacific of eternity, even the years of Methuselah filled no more than a glass…
In God’s plan every life is long enough and every death is timely. And though you and I might wish for a longer life, God knows better
I'm heading to New York City . . . will write again when I'm back. I'm going to do the New York Marathon!!! Much love and continued prayers for all!! ~Aunt K8
The Muck and the Mire
Friday, October 31, 2008
“God will show his mercy forever and ever to those who worship and serve him.”
Luke 1:50
For thirty-three years he would feel everything you and I have ever felt. He felt weak. He grew weary. He was afraid of failure. He was susceptible to wooing women. He got colds, burped, and had body odor. His feelings got hurt.
To think of Jesus in such a light is—well, it seems almost irreverent, doesn’t it? It’s not something we like to do; it’s uncomfortable. It is much easier to keep the humanity out of the incarnation. Clean the manure from around the manger. Wipe the sweat out of his eyes. Pretend he never snored or blew his nose or hit his thumb with a hammer.
He’s easier to stomach that way. There is something about keeping him divine that keeps him distant, packaged, predictable.
But don’t do it. For heaven’s sake, don’t. Let him be as human as he intended to be. Let him into the mire and muck of our world. For only if we let him in can he pull us out.
Happy halloween!! I'm off to New York . . . have a great couple of days!!! Much love and continued prayers to ALL!! ~k8
Glimpses of God’s Image
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
“Everything comes from God alone. Everything lives by his power, and everything for his glory.”
Romans 11:36 TLB
The breath you just took? God gave that. The blood that just pulsed through your heart? Credit God. The light by which you read and the brain with which you process? He gave both.
Everything comes from him…and exists for him. We exist to exhibit God, to display his glory. We serve as canvases for his brush stroke, papers for his pen, soil for his needs, glimpses of his image.
Have a blessed day!! Just back from New york, awesome experience. Now I'm OFF to VOTE!! Much love and prayers to ALL!! Aunt k8
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