let us therefore cast off the works of darkness…| Mid-day meditations

4 / 9 / 14

^”Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:
For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.”
Luke 12:51-53

“If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.”
John 15:18-20

“For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light”
Ephesians 5:8

“What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.”
Romans 6:21-22

“Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”
1 Peter 1″13-16

“The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.”
Romans 13:12

I have both tasted and seen that the Lord is good || Random ;)

4 / 8 / 144 / 8 / 14

“O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.
The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.”
Psalm 34:8-10

“O taste and see”. What awesome splendor is wrapped up in those 4 words! “O God, I have tasted Thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more.” He is good! :) We often stop at verse 8 with “O taste and see” and completely forget the promises & command wrapped up in the verses that follow. As promised in His Word, there is no want for those who fear & seek Him. Through times of peace or war, through trial, rejoicing, temptation, famine, prosperity, persecution, and even death the Lord promises to never leave nor forsake His saints{Deut 31:6}. He promises to be “our guide even unto death.”{Ps 48:14}! We truly don’t need any more than that, do we?! :) I have tasted and seen the goodness of the Lord. [:

“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
Hebrews 13:5

Well, it has been quite a busy 4 weeks around here and running off of espresso has become a norm. ;] My mind has been left somewhat cluttered with “loose-ends” that I need to shore up! ;) By the grace of God alone, 2,500 photographs taken, edited, and prepared for our Garlands of Grace Spring release, long nights working, and a few major work-related hiccups have added to the beauty of a somewhat crazy and very busy month! Hence, blogging has been randomly non-existent. But here I am, finished with a few major hurdles and life should return to a moderate level of busy! Or not? ;) We shall see what the Lord has in store for the days ahead and I look forward to seeing His plan continuing to unfold before me but for now, how about randomness in pictures from my iphone and a few from the camera? Keep on trusting the Lord, friends! He is worthy and He is faithful. :)

hover for descriptions and enjoy!

Weekend project :)

Apron for Emmi. Finished!

Spring Flowers from Ruth!

“Every word of God is pure:

He is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.” Prov 30:5

Cupcake in a jar for a friend! :) “The fear of the Lord is clean,

enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.” PS 19:9-10

More freshly picked bouquets from the kiddos :)

He bought me rolos :D

Freshly baked Bread “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”

Rosettes ready to ship!

Farm Fresh Eggs! “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.”

Sunset! “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.”

Thank you cards songbirdcardco.com

Sunrise “From the rising of the sun to its setting The name of the LORD is to be praised.”

Sprinkles from a friend! :)

“And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”
Jeremiah 29:13

How does your garden grow? :)

4 / 1 / 144 / 1 / 14

Just happened to catch this adorable sight on the way in to make dinner. :) Keeping her garden well watered in style! ;)

“As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him: rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.”

Colossians 2:6-7

{not so} Scary ;]

3 / 28 / 14

“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”
Isaiah 41:10

Consider the lilies how they grow…

3 / 26 / 143 / 26 / 14

they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?

And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Luke 12:27-32

Consider the work of God….

3 / 23 / 14

“Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?”
Ecclesiastes 7:13

“Can you by searching find out God? Can you find out the limits of the Almighty?”
Job 11:7

“Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.”
Psalm 145:3

“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”
1 Corinthians 2:9

Well, hello Spring! :) || a random post

3 / 22 / 143 / 23 / 14

“For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;
The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land”
Song of Solomon 2:11-12

“Winter is past”! :) The country is slowly starting to melt after a lengthy freeze, windows are open, a fresh breeze is flowing through the house, and [yep] birds can be heard chirping their lovely song. Seeds are being planted, after-dinner walks enjoyed, and icecream becomes a household staple. ;) YES, it is finally Spring! With the beginning of each new season, there is so much hope and anticipation{whether it be nature’s seasons or life’s seasons}! What lies ahead, only the Lord truly knows{and really, isn’t that in itself extremely exciting?!} :) But one thing we can be confident of, in any and every season of life[whether a season of joy or sorrow or health or sickness, whether there be mountains or valleys], The Lord’s promises are true and He promises to be our Strength our Shield{ps 28:7} our Guide{ps 48:12} our Peace{eph 2:14} our Portion{lam 3:24} our Provider{phil 4:19}. In ever season, every single day, every second of the day, He truly is Jehovah Jireh! Every breath breathed, every beat of the heart, every step taken is a tremendous miraculous blessing provided from the Lord! Each season is a gift from Him…. Yes, even the cold winter or hard seasons of life!! I am extremely excited to see what the Lord has in store this spring and thankful for the tremendously cold winter and all the Lord taught me through & in it. :) Seek the Lord diligently{heb 6:11} & trust Him with all your heart{prov 3:5} ALWAYS. He is Jehovah Jireh and He is faithful! Happy Spring y’all! (:

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.”
Psalm 28:7

randomness from the camera and iPhone! :)

Dad & Emmi! <3

Budding trees!! <3

Happy Abel! :)

Work

Micah lookin’ Lovely! :D

Spring time Latte

Kitty love :)

Ruth! <3

Happy Breakfast! ;)

Evening walk with this crazy girl! :)

Wonderful combination ;)

“Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he comes and rains righteousness upon you.”
Hosea 10:12

♧ Leprechaun deterrent ;)

3 / 17 / 143 / 17 / 14

Shrieks and screams and giggles and [yes] a few groans could be heard around the breakfast room table this morning as half of my siblings showed up without green on. Pinches were parsed out by those who remembered to put their green on as those without green scrambled to their rooms after bible study to find something with the slightest semblance of the lovely emerald-green color! For those without a green article to put on, Lydia offered up her services to make “Leprechaun deterrents”. ;) Quite handy and they seem to do the job! Though a few in my family would love to claim some Irish heritage I will be the first to admit we are 145% gypsy. ;] A friendly & random reminder to put your green on today! ;)

^”And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.”

Colossians 3:10-12

Cute Little Artist ❥

3 / 14 / 14

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength”
Isaiah 26:3-4

Teach me Thy will and Thy rich promises in me fulfill….

3 / 12 / 143 / 12 / 14

“And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.”
Psalm 40:3

“For He is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of partition between us”
Ephesians 2:14

I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.

I need Thee every hour, in joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide, or life is in vain.

I need Thee every hour; teach me Thy will;
And Thy rich promises in me fulfill.

I need Thee every hour, most Holy One;
O make me Thine indeed, Thou blessèd Son.

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”
Psalm 23:1-3

Bread Baking with Mom ♥

3 / 11 / 14

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
Proverbs 22:6

“And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst.”
John 6;35

will not return void! :]

3 / 8 / 14

“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”

The Word of God is “alive and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword”. It is “given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”! It’s to be our meditation day and night{ps 1:2}, it is a lamp unto our feet and light unto our path{ps 119:105}. It is called “a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart”{Heb 4:12}! It is pure true & by it we are sanctified{John 17:17}. The Lord promises His Word “shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper whereto I sent it.”{Is 55:11} “How shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.” Soak up the Word of God, don’t neglect it, hide it in your heart, delight yourself in it, meditate on it, for it will not return void! :]

“Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.”
Psalm 119:1-2

Side note: due to an unkind head cold {which is making me a little light headed & more typo prone than usual ;)} and a busy month of work this post is via the iPhone and very abridged. ;) I have a million and two photos to post and ,Lord willing, I will post extremely soon. :] until then hop over to my cooking blog for a new recipe!

I will sing unto the LORD….

3 / 3 / 14

“I will sing unto the LORD, because He hath dealt bountifully with me.”
Psalm 13:1

“O sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the Lord, all the earth.
Sing unto the Lord, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day.
Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people.”
Psalm 96:1-2

“They shall abundantly utter the memory of Thy great goodness, and shall sing of Thy righteousness.
The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.
The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.
All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord; and thy saints shall bless Thee.”
Psalm 145:7-10

By the breath of God frost is given…

3 / 2 / 14

“He giveth snow like wool: he scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes.He casteth forth his ice like morsels: who can stand before his cold”
Psalm 147:16-17

“By the breath of God frost is given: and the breadth of the waters is straitened.”

Job 37:10

My Cleaning Crew :)

3 / 1 / 14

It is Saturday which means everyone reports first thing for cleaning duty at my house! The morning is spent cleaning out dressers, vacuuming, mopping floors, and yes occasionally even cleaning peanut butter and jelly fingerprints off the wall. ;) Once everyone finished their designated spots and made their way outside to enjoy the beautiful weather, I started mopping the kitchen and quickly found myself with 2 very eager helpers! Made mopping so much more enjoyable. And of course, all that cleaning works up quite an appetite so a little picnic was quite necessary! ;) Love my little moppers. :)

“Do all things without murmurings and disputings: that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.”
Philippians 2:14-16

“For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light” Ephesians 5:8

“What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.” Romans 6:21-22

“The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.” Romans 13:12

“O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.” Psalm 34:8-10

“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” Hebrews 13:5

“And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13

Just happened to catch this adorable sight on the way in to make dinner. :) Keeping her garden well watered in style! ;)

“As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him: rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.”

Colossians 2:6-7

“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” Isaiah 41:10

they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?

Luke 12:27-32

“Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?” Ecclesiastes 7:13

“Can you by searching find out God? Can you find out the limits of the Almighty?” Job 11:7

“Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.” Psalm 145:3

“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9

“For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land” Song of Solomon 2:11-12

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.” Psalm 28:7

“Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he comes and rains righteousness upon you.” Hosea 10:12

Colossians 3:10-12

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength” Isaiah 26:3-4

“And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.” Psalm 40:3

“For He is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of partition between us” Ephesians 2:14

I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord; No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.

I need Thee every hour, in joy or pain; Come quickly and abide, or life is in vain.

I need Thee every hour; teach me Thy will; And Thy rich promises in me fulfill.

I need Thee every hour, most Holy One; O make me Thine indeed, Thou blessèd Son.

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” Psalm 23:1-3

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6

“And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst.” John 6;35