Garvan Gardens

Obstacles

              So I've wanted to go to Kohls this week and it's been a challenge to get there.  Yesterday, it started hailing as we were in route to get there, so we turned around and went back home.  Today, we loaded up to go and the battery on my van was dead.  After some help from the jumper cables and my dad, we did make it to Kohls but the battery was dead again.  We are now in the process of getting a new battery.
             This minor obstacle was truly a blessing with God's timing and protection wrapped up in it.  We have plans for every day after today that included the use of the van.  We are all thankful for the obstacle to be close to home and easily fixable.
             We also had a desire for snowcones today.  We thought all would be okay as long as we kept the van running.  Well apparently the battery was running lower than we expected.  While Karla was in line getting our snowcones, my air machine, that runs off the battery, shut off.  It is one of my worst fears to have the mask on and no air.  I panicked but then it came back on...whew.  I got Karla's attention, we switched machines and we got our snowcones.  Hey, we came for snowcones and we weren't leaving without them.. ha.

A Prayer for All

            Sometimes when we just don't have the words to pray, we can use verses of prayer from the Bible.  I think this one from Romans 15;13 is a good one for everyone.  It covers our anxious thoughts and doubts with the fountain of hope.  It promotes the decrease of us with the increase of Him, thru more joy and peace in our lives. It is all a result of our trust in God alone that these peaceful things will abide in us.
            By believing and trusting in God's will, joy and peace are produced.  We pray that our hope and faith would be steadfast and strong despite whatever trials of strife that we go through.  The Holy Spirit is our guide and reassures us of our confidence in our Hope.
           This is my prayer for my friends that are believers and going thru a challenging time in their life.  May they see His faithfulness in the past and use those thoughts to trust Him more with their present and future days.

Bitter, Sweet

              Why does everyone not embrace God's sacrifice for them?  I think this caption's message is one answer.  'Till sin be bitter, Christ will not be sweet.'  Until we recognize ourselves as sinners, then we will not appreciate the gift of forgiveness that only Christ offers.  Romans 7; 24-25  ''What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!''  'As unpleasant as it may seem, recognition of our own moral wretchedness is at the heart of Christianity. The story doesn't end with that, of course--it's precisely because God rescues us from our wretchedness that we serve Christ.'

              People are too confident in themselves and the things of this world so they don't see their need of a Savior.  Revelation 3;17 ''You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.''  'If we were to look at ourselves the way God sees us even when we have it all together, we would see something totally different.  In fact, His grace is only a “sweet sound” when you know how deep it had to go to clean you up!'

             May we all see our sin of self-sufficiency and not turn away from our need for Jesus in each of our lives.

Competition

James 1;9-11  ''Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.''

          As I went through BJ's Plants and Produce, I enjoyed looking at all the pretty flowers they had for sale.  I have to limit my wandering eye because it gets expensive quick.
         We are as unique as flowers are and will also wither away.  A petunia can't be a rose, so why not be the best petunia you can be.  Compete with others and become bitter, compete with yourself and become better.  It's not a fair fight to compare ourselves with others because no one's journey is the same.  'Some thru the waters, some thru the flood, some thru the fire but all thru the Blood.'
         Grow and bloom in the garden where you were planted.  Fertilize yourself with God's resources and you'll be His true creature of beauty.

Foto Friday

Gloria and Lilly visited Thursday

Betsy and Lydia brought their kids
over for a playdate Tuesday

Jack likes a good morning massage

Enjoying the 80 degree temps

Jack loves the spring weather

J.C. Potter is our neighborhood pig

Prayer Power

             The storm's a coming and we cannot stop it.  What shall we do?  We should turn our worries into prayers.  Psalm 4;1  ''Answer me when I call to you, my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; have mercy on me and hear my prayer.''
             The trouble is that most often we don't call out to God, but rather we let our fears control us with worry.  'Prayer should not be regarded as a duty which must be performed, but rather as a privilege to be enjoyed, a rare delight that is always revealing some new beauty.'  Over and over again God says, “Ask of me, and I will” and “If my people will humble themselves and pray, then will I . . .” and “Ask and it will be given to you.”
           '' Moreover, there is scriptural evidence that there are times when our failure to ask God for something results in his holding back on the blessings or protection he wanted to provide.  Ezekiel 22:30-31  ''I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one. So I will pour out my wrath on them and consume them with my fiery anger, bringing down on their own heads all they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord.”  No matter how you interpret passages like this one, one thing is clear: God wants us to pray.'' [faithgateway.com]
             When we feel drained, like our cell phone batteries, we should plug into our true charging power.....prayer.  It is always available but you must be willing to connect with that outlet.

My Mask

           Yesterday was the first time Lydia has brought her kids over for a playdate.  Her oldest son, 4 or 5 years old, is the most well spoken kid I know.  He is confident, articulate, matter of fact and has definite leadership skills.  On the way over to my house, he asked his mom the question that many are afraid to ask.  'Why does Angie wear a mask sometimes?  Did God make it that way?  Why did God make it that way?' Good questions from the mouth of a babe.
           The answer lies within muscle weakness.  The muscles that inflate and deflate my lungs are affected by a nerve disorder.  So, I'm like a bicycle with an old tire that needs air pumped into to make it ride better.  My mask gives me room air, not oxygen, so that my muscles can still work but with less effort and energy by me.  If you see football players on the sideline with a mask, they are getting oxygen to refuel their energy level quickly because of shortness of breath.  It's kind of the same concept.
           God did graciously provide my mask.  I used a more confining system for 13 yrs when I only needed help when I slept.  My mask is a great thing that allows me to be out and about like I want to be and not being stuck in and home bound.  Of course that means a lot more pride swallowing than I ever thought possible..  I care more about what makes me happy than what other people think of me.........a great lesson for all.
          We learn by asking questions so I'm glad to hear this little one is seeking wisdom and getting understanding.

Fooled by the Weatherman, but Fun Times

           Yes, it was supposed to be warm this afternoon but the cold wind blew that assumption away.  Lydia and Betsy brought their kids over for a fun day outside.  I can tell you they made the most of it despite the temperature dropping.  There is just something special about a creek and kids.  Yes, these pictures will prove it.  I look forward to having them over again in the warmer days ahead.

Every Day

              'Through it all, through it all, oh I've learned to trust in Jesus, yes I've learned to trust in God.''  Life is a learning process and hopefully we have gained a greater trust in God because of His faithfulness throughout our journey.
              We had a very good message last night on 'Being Conscious of God.'  Are you aware of God's presence and work in everything in your life?  Or do you dismiss it as good or bad luck?  Our lives are filled with highs, lows and plateaus but wherever you are, He is there with you.  When you consider that then you will be comforted.  He is our Hope.
             May we remember that a bad day does not mean a bad life.  His mercies are new every morning and great is His faithfulness.

Hope

            Hope is the trust and feeling of expectation for a desired thing to happen. Sometimes we get caught up in the weariness of our circumstances and our hope of better days starts to fade.   Job 6;11  ''“What strength do I have, that I should still hope? What prospects, that I should be patient?''
            We can see how weak our own strength is when we get sick for a few days.  So why do we trust in ourselves so much?  Strength is eventually a progressive weakening process in our bodies.  No one can maintain and sustain their peak strength level for a lifetime.
           Don't lose hope, because believers are promised a new body after the death of this broken one.  2 Corinthians 5; 1-3  ''For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked.'''
          I think we are all a little like Job.  We have doubts and questions but we must also have the faith of Job.  He could see past the earthly pain and knew God was to be faithful in his rewards later.  So, 'Keep Up The Faith.'

Foto Friday

Jack tuckered out

Tux with her cardboard mouse
from Nancy Hancock

Snuggle time

Rikki, the garden raccoon, before
his makeover

Rikki after his makeover

Art project collaborators
Angie n Karla

Zaedi in her birthday outfit

Nell and Zaedi's visit

My dad and Zaedi playing

The squirrel Jack is after

Pressure

          'Pressure..... Pushing down on me, pressing down on you... No man asks for.'   We all have daily pressures that weigh down on us and that we want to escape from.
          Isaiah 30;20   ''Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”
          Our trials in life are meant to pull us closer to the Lord.  More of You Lord and less of me.  In Psalm 71, David talks about the Lord as his refuge, confidence, deliverer, and hope. 'Stop running from what you should be facing. You've got to face the pressure, face the storm, face the issue, and if need be, face the Lord. Trade in that false and temporary security we feel by trying to escape. Trade that for the real security of the peace of Almighty God.'
         May we all look to God for the answers to our life's pressures.  ''Unless we respond correctly to conflict, we limit our potential to grow, because we aren’t learning what the Lord is teaching. Also, we can develop an unforgiving spirit, which leads to bitterness and resentment. Eventually, such an attitude can destroy relationships.  There is also a positive way to handle conflict. Luke 23:34 reveals how our Savior responded when He was wrongly accused, unfairly judged, and killed for something He didn’t do. Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” [intouch.org]

Sweets

       Who else has a mouthful of sweet teeth?  Actually, I'm not a big candy eater but I do have a sweet craving once in a while.  Yesterday was one of those days.  We were down in the Rivermarket area and Brown Sugar Bakeshop popped into my head.  Karla agreed that it was a good idea.  We circled the block twice looking for a parking spot and wouldn't you know it they were closed for spring break.
       Today, we took care of my sweets craving at our good ol' standby, Tutti Frutti.  It is the place 'where sweet dreams come true.'  I recommend the banana taffy, birthday cake and salted carmel flavors.
       What we crave, we will most likely satisfy..... make sure it is good for the mind, body and soul.

You're a Piece of the Puzzle

          I am doing a puzzle card game with a few people.  They don't know the finished picture until they receive all 9 pieces in the mail.  I send about 1 piece a week but they don't know when to expect them.
          Life is a puzzle of a million or more pieces.  We certainly can't see the whole picture yet, but God can.  He knows what pieces fit and belong in our picture.  As with a wrong piece, sometimes we try to force things into our lives that just don't belong and it causes a problem.  Some things in our lives fit perfectly and form a straight line edge of protection around us.  Some people search for that center piece their whole lives and try to fill the void, that only God can fill, with other pieces of life.
         Why does God give us pieces to our life puzzle one at a time and make us wait?  1. To give us patience, endurance, and humility. 2. To make us hold on to a dream even when it seems improbable. 3. To prepare us for the goal.  But perhaps the most important reason is this:  4. To teach us that He’s just as interested in the process as the goal.

You Can't Hide

      Whether it feels like it or not, Spring is here.  So it's time to get your feet ready for sandals and flip flops. If your not going to hide behind socks, then get out your salt scrub, buffer, clippers, nail polish, and razor [if needed].  Winter hiding is over.
      As Adam and Eve tried to cover their sin with fig leaves and skins, we too falsely think we can hide from God. God is all-knowing, ever present with us, and all powerful.  Nothing is hidden from Him and nothing is beyond His power.  'During the end times of the church age, people will grow weary; they will stumble and fall.  However, those who rely upon the Lord for strength instead of their own power and abilities will be renewed.  They will not just walk or run but they will soar like eagles.'
      Isaiah 40; 27-31  ''Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God"?  Do you not know?  Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.''
       Hebrews 4; 13 ''Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.''
       We will all be held accountable for the lives we have led so don't try to hide what is obvious to God.  Only thru Jesus can your debt be paid in full.