A snowy road through a mountain pass at the side of a stream. by Gear$Head

Good morning, beloved!

Another one of those beautiful mornings! The birds are singing, it is quiet and Chris Tomlin is singing on Pandora..coffee in hand, I sit and abide. I have been reflecting on my book choices these last few days. I normally fall back on the librarians (which I’m not sure I’ve talked much about this…I LOVE the library.) Yet, I’ve been coming up dry with them lately, so I’ve been praying for ideas for the kids and for me. Lo and behold, I have come across some treasures! I have to share with you!

My list:

1. Heaven is Here by Stephanie Nielson (she has quite an amazing story and she has given me much to think about as a wife and mom, however, I will tell you as a Mormon her theology and mine do not match)...http://nieniedialogues.blogspot.com/
2. I’m reading more..if you like I’ll add more but..

For the kids:

1. The Heart of the Shepherd by Rosanne Parry . Joshua and the kids and I listened to this in the car. We sat in the DRIVEWAY to finish this one. Tears rolling down our cheeks…it was a beautiful, beautiful story. We loved it.
2. The Candymakers by Wendy Mass. The book starts and we all had our opinions and our favorites yet by the end everything was turned on it’s head. What a wonderful book! Only downside that we could see? We wanted candy!

Onto the Word of God!

Good morning, sweet Jesus! We welcome YOU into our presence! We worship YOU! You are our God!

Remember that list I made from 1 Thessalonians 5:15-19? I have to revisit it today for me and for my family..

1. No evil for evil.
2. Aim to show kindness.
3. Seek to do good to one another and everybody. (anyone left out there?)
4. Be happy in your faith.
5. Rejoice.
6. Be glad-hearted..continually, always. (gee, anytime we get a chance to be sad?)
7. Be unceasing in prayer. Pray perseveringly. ALWAYS.
8. Thank God in everything. No matter what. Be thankful. This is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus..why? He’s the Revealer and Mediator of that will.
9. Do not quench (suppress or subdue the Holy Spirit)

Phacelia vallis-mortae near Sandy Valley Road east of Columbia Pass, Spring Mountains, southern Nevada (elev. about 1200 m) by Stan Shebs

I need to print that out today. Why did I come back to that today? Yesterday was one of those days with one of my kids and I needed to have it in my hands. I needed my hands to be full and I needed my head to be full of His Word instead of frustration.

For some reason, Youtube doesn’t seem to be working for me…but here’s a link to Natalie Grant‘s video Human..

And then Paul comes back with this encouragement

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oxytheca_perfoliata_5.jpg by Stan Shebs

1 Thessalonians 5

²³ And may the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through [separate you from profane things, make you pure and wholly consecrated to God]; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved sound and complete [and found] blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah).

²⁴ Faithful is He Who is calling you [to Himself] and utterly trustworthy, and He will also do it [fulfill His call by hallowing and keeping you].

Did you need to hear that today, beloved? I sure did. He’s keeping you. Don’t run out from under His keeping. You can’t. Just hold on. He’s holding you.

Pray on, beloved. Hold on…