A Cat in My Lap~

02/10


I know I have a lot to do,
So many things - see them through.
There are clothes to clean, grass to mow,
Cookies to bake, seeds to sow.
But I really can't do all these things in a snap.
Because, you see, there's a cat in my lap.
He stretches and rolls and gives me a wink,
From his sleepy gold eyes - just a small blink.
I smooth his long tail and tickle his tummy,
He yawns and purrs to tell me that's yummy.
The telephone rings. The paper boy taps.
No move do I make.
There's a cat in my lap.
Bright sunlight dances across the floor,
To warm my small friend just a bit more.
A happy prisoner am I in my chair -
Some moments of peace - not a care.
I think I'll take a little nap,
With this soft, furry ball, a cat in my lap.
~ Karen Boxell ~

02/10

Note: There once was a season when Calvin loved to be held. He was so tiny when we adopted him as an orphaned kitty in our neighborhood, so it wasn't unusual to see me toting him around, hammocked in my shirt or jacket, cuddled and content to be held in those early days.
However, now he's toooooo busy and very independent. He lives to go outside to prey on whatever moving matter he can find, but as oft as he enjoys, he comes in for refreshment and a nap, which I can't help but disturb because he's so cute! He's well trained to expect lots of snuggles and kisses!

Calvin is much longer now, but he still enjoys a good stretch out on the floor (most of the time), but this particular afternoon he took liberty to stretch out on the couch!! Ugh!
Do you think he thinks... "If I can't see her, she can't see me" ?

The Master's Will

If the Lord sets you to guard a lonely post in perfect stillness from all active work, you ought to be just as content as to be in the midst of the active warfare. It is no virtue to love the Master's work better than the Master's will.

Hannah Whitall Smith~

Photo: White-marked tussock moth caterpillar

His Robes for Mine

His robes for mine: O wonderful exchange!
Clothed in my sin, Christ suffered ‘neath God’s rage.
Draped in His righteousness, I’m justified.
In Christ I live, for in my place He died.

Chorus:

I cling to Christ, and marvel at the cost:
Jesus forsaken, God estranged from God.
Bought by such love, my life is not my own.
My praise-my all-shall be for Christ alone.

His robes for mine: what cause have I for dread?
God’s daunting Law Christ mastered in my stead.
Faultless I stand with righteous works not mine,
Saved by my Lord’s vicarious death and life.

His robes for mine: God’s justice is appeased.
Jesus is crushed, and thus the Father’s pleased.
Christ drank God’s wrath on sin, then cried “‘Tis done!”
Sin’s wage is paid; propitiation won.

His robes for mine: such anguish none can know.
Christ, God’s beloved, condemned as though His foe.
He, as though I, accursed and left alone;
I, as though He, embraced and welcomed home!

Words by: Chris Anderson

His Words are Our Life and Seed

Corn Plants popping up 3/11

His Words are not mere air or lines, but our life...a seed.
...we pray to be good soil that His word may unfurl in us, grow up in us, the Word made flesh, us becoming the thanks in all things.
Ann Voskamp~

"A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be? And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.

Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience. Luke 8:5-15

Welcome, Jesus!

Katherine's recent sewing project for the Laundry/Sewing room...
~A Rod pocket swag w/ribbon ties.

In the evenings, the panel is untied for privacy.
Until we finalize our plans for the room we thought we'd have a little fun with the materials we had...fabric and ribbon.
Right now the walls are just primed, but maybe we'll paint the walls golden yellow and keep them!!
If we choose not to, we'll just snip off the chain loops the ribbons are threaded through, and cut off the 1/4" seams which were sewn around the edges of the panel and reuse the fabric.

Thank you, Meme, for the box of fabric you gave us!
I love this 'garnet and gold' combination, don't you?

Christ is the great master secret of all happy home life!
The spirit of Christ alone will enable us to live
together in perfect peace and love.
The presence of Christ in the home is a perpetual blessing . . .
we cannot be selfish,
we cannot wrangle and strive,
we cannot be bitter and unkind,
we cannot be irritable and unreasonable,
when conscious of the presence of Christ.

If only we can make Christ an abiding guest in our home, and if we can keep ourselves aware of His being with us, our household life cannot help but grow wondrously sweet!

(J. R. Miller, "Secrets of Happy Home Life", 1894)

"Bless the LORD, O my soul"

"O LORD my God, thou art very great;..."

"O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches...

The glory of the LORD shall endure for ever: the LORD shall rejoice in his works.

He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth: he toucheth the hills, and they smoke.

I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.

My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD....".

Reflections from Psalm 104

So very grateful for a refreshing day with friends recently at the beach...a much needed fun retreat for all of us!

Quiet Doing

"No one is endowed with all gifts. Everyone has his or her own particular excellence or ability. No two have precisely the same gifts, and no two are called to fill precisely the same place in life. The role of the lowliest and the humblest with the fewest gifts is just as important as the most brilliantly gifted. The great life in God's sight is not the prominent one, but the life that fills the place it was made to fill and does the work it was made to do. God does not ask great things; He asks only simple faithfulness, the quiet doing of what He commands." ~J.R. Miller