Riverbend Ramblings

I am so ready for a brand new year! I've made a list of things that I'm going to try to do in 2014. I'm not going to share my whole list with you, but here are seven of my goals:

1. Spend more time in the Bible. I do my best to read God's word every day, but I don't always take the time to meditate on it and apply it to my life. I'm going to dig a little deeper this year.

2. Get rid of a lot of our stuff. We have too many things that we don't need or use. I've got a huge project planned to declutter our home, and I'll be doing a series of posts to track my progress.

3. Make more memories. Our family spends a lot of time together, but I have to admit that I'm not that creative when it comes to planning memorable moments. The kids are growing up quickly, and we only have a few years left with them at home. I've already started compiling a list of memory-making things for us to do together this year.

4. Encourage my family to eat quality food. I've gradually been getting away from eating processed foods myself, but it's a bit more challenging to get the kids to make healthy choices. We've already made some improvements with what they take to school for lunch each day, but I'm hoping to see them make better choices during those times when they are choosing their own food.

5. Step outside of my comfort zone. I always get nervous when I have to speak or sing in public or deal with a person about a difficult situation, so sometimes I shrink back from doing things that I really need to do. The Lord has been dealing with me in this area of my life, and I know that He will give me the confidence and peace I need.

6. Blog more. I've gotten really lazy with my posts over the last few years and have neglected to document chunks of our family's life. I've got a plan for this, too.

7. Take more photos--and actually get some of them developed. I take pictures and then keep them stored digitally. I think I will really enjoy getting more developed and holding the actual photos in my hand or framing them.

These are just a few things that I'm going to be working on in 2014. What goals do you have for the coming year?

Labels: Goals, My Thoughts, Projects

Labels: My Thoughts, Prose

Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work. -II Thessalonians 2:16, 17 KJV

I read these verses this morning, and they have been on my heart and mind all day. Think about these two words: everlasting consolation. If you are in Christ Jesus, He will never fail to bring you the comfort you need. No matter what you are facing, He will give you the strength, hope, joy, and courage to overcome distresses and disappointments. People may fail us, but our Father never will. I like that His consolation never ends because it's everlasting. Christ has given us hope through His grace. What a blessing!

 

 

Labels: Bible Verses, My Thoughts

I don't get emotional over blog posts very often, but I've been teary-eyed after reading Ann Voskamp's last couple of posts.

Read Part 1 and Part 2.

Sometimes you just need a different perspective.

Labels: My Thoughts, This N That

Yesterday Steven and I attended a funeral service for the mother of one of our church members. Actually, it was a funeral mass. It was the very first time that either of us had ever been inside a Catholic church. What a new experience!

There was quite a large crowd gathered to honor the life of the 92-year-old woman who had passed away, but only a small group seemed to be of the Catholic faith. The majority of people there were just as unsure of the protocol for a funeral mass as we were and, unfortunately, we somehow didn't pick up the order of service as we entered. That would have been helpful. We just sat in a pew near the back and took it all in.

The music was beautiful, the organist talented, and the priest eloquent. He spoke highly of this well-loved, generous, and joyful lady. He also prayed for the dead and went through many other rituals. He said that this dear lady was "now beginning her journey to be with her heavenly Father," and that, "hopefully, she will soon cross that great sea to be with God." Those words didn't seem very comforting to me because they lack assurance. For those of us who are in Christ Jesus, our journey is complete the moment we pass from this earthly existence.

Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.  II Corinthians 5:6-8

My purpose is not to debate the tenants of Catholicism. There are some very good people who are Catholic, but that doesn't mean that they (or any other religious person) are going to heaven when they die just because they adhere to a set of rules. God's word, the Bible, doesn't tell us to follow a pope or confess our sins to a priest. God's word doesn't tell us to pray for the dead or pray to idols.

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;  I Timothy 2:5

You might be a good Catholic reading these words right now, but maybe you've never heard the wonderful news that Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay for all of your sins and reconcile you to God. It's not something that you have to wonder about and fret over; you can know for sure.

These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.  I John 5:13

The Bible tells us that we all have sinned and that, because we have sinned, we deserve death. God provided a way for us to escape eternal death when His Son, Jesus Christ, willingly died on the cross to make the payment for our sins.

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;  Romans 3:23

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.   Romans 6:23

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  Romans 5:8

Being religious doesn't get us into heaven. Going to church, giving money to help others, or getting baptized doesn't save a person's soul. Our salvation is found in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. We have to put our faith and trust in Him alone and not in the good works that we do.

But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.  Romans 4:5

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;  Titus 3:5

You can know for sure that you will spend eternity in heaven with the Lord.

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.  Romans 10:9-10, 13

That 92-year-old woman did just what these verses told her to do. Just over a year ago she realized that if she could do enough good things to get her into heaven, there would not have been a reason for Jesus Christ to die on the cross. She put her faith and trust in Him. She didn't need a priest to pray her into heaven at her funeral; she was already there with her Saviour.

Labels: My Thoughts, Scripture

Last December I decided that it was time for me to step away from blogging for a while. I quit reading blogs for the most part, too. I started blogging during the last millennium - 2006 to be precise - and I guess I just finally got tired of it. Some of you reading this have been blogging for as long or even longer than I have been. Maybe you've gone through a similar phase.

Social media has changed so much since I started this blog. Back in 2006, Facebook and Twitter were itty bitty babies. We weren't "pinning" anything but the slits in our skirts. Blogging was the best way to keep in touch with far-away friends and family, and after our family moved from Florida to Georgia, Riverbend Ramblings became my online journal. I starting reading blogs written by like-minded women and formed friendships with a few of them. I got to "know" their families and pets, celebrated milestones with them, and prayed for them when they went through difficult times. Many of those women are no longer blogging. Now it seems like most of the blogs I read are driven by advertisements and are filled with beautiful pictures of perfect homes and DIY projects. It's just a lot different than it used to be. I think that discouraged me a little bit. I missed my little group of blogging buddies, lost interest, and stepped away.

I'm still hoping that some of the gals that were in my little circle will start writing again. I've kept them in my feed reader just in case. But I'm not blogging for them; I'm blogging for me. This week marks the seven year anniversary of my first blog post. Here's the picture I used for my very first blog header.

Those babies aren't babies anymore. Bookworm is begging for her driver's permit, Mickey Mouse is looking less like a boy and more like a man, Curly Girl is almost as tall as I am, and Lil' Nut can outrun us all. The many memories on these pages are priceless.

So, I'm back. I'm over my slump and raring to go. And I hope you'll join me on the next leg of this amazing journey.

 

Labels: Bloggity News, My Thoughts

Labels: My Thoughts

Labels: Bible Verses, My Thoughts, Quotes

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." James 1:5

Labels: My Thoughts

It's December 31st. Tonight we'll be ringing in 2012 at our church's annual Watch Night service. There will be great singing, a message from our pastor, food, fellowship, and testimonies shared as we praise God for His goodness.

As I was thinking today about how fast this year has flown by, one of my favorite hymns came to mind. It sums up how I feel about 2011.
~~~~~~~~~~
Great is Thy Faithfulness
by Thomas Chisholm

Refrain:
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.

Refrain

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Refrain

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Refrain
~~~~~~~~~~
No matter what may happen in the coming year, I know I can continue to count on my Saviour's faithfulness! Happy New Year!

"I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations." Psalm 89:1

Labels: Blessings, Hymns, My Thoughts, Special Days

No matter what you are facing today, remember that God is faithful! Those around us will let us down and fail us, but God always keeps His word. Isn't that so encouraging?

For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth. ~Psalm 33:4

Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. ~I Thessalonians 5:24

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. ~I Timothy 1:7

God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. ~I Corinthians 1:9

Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds. ~Psalm 36:5

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Standing on the Promiseslyrics by R.K. Carter
Standing on the promises of Christ my King,
Through eternal ages let His praises ring,
Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of God.

Refrain:
Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises I now can see
Perfect, present cleansing in the blood for me;
Standing in the liberty where Christ makes free,
Standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord,
Bound to Him eternally by love’s strong cord,
Overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword,
Standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises I cannot fall,
List’ning every moment to the Spirit’s call,
Resting in my Savior as my all in all,
Standing on the promises of God.

Labels: Hymns, My Thoughts, Scripture

~ laughter
~ a shiny sink
~ thunderstorms
~ snuggling with my baby
~ home cooked meals
~ finding bargains
~ sunshine
~ springtime decorations
~ day trips
~ silly kids
~ date nights
~ housecleaning
~ reflection
~ fun stuff
~ lots of reading

and above all else:

Labels: Blessings, Daily Life, Favorite Things, My Thoughts

Labels: My Thoughts

Labels: My Thoughts, Quotes

Thanks so much to all of you who have been praying for me. I am so thankful for the power of prayer! I have received emails and cards from people all over the world letting me know they are praying. Last Friday I began having severe pain and made another trip to the hospital. Tests revealed an abscess in my abdomen. The surgeon had warned us that this was a possibility following surgery because of the severity of the peritonitis. The doctor wanted the radiologist to drain the abscess, but because of the holiday weekend, the radiologist wanted to put it off. So, I spent the next couple of days waiting. I couldn't have anything to eat or drink, so I was pretty miserable with just the I/V fluids. The hospital is no place to be on a holiday weekend! Sunday morning I had another CT scan done. It revealed that the abscess was a couple of centimeters smaller. They wanted to wait and do another scan the following day, but we asked my doctor if I could go home on antibiotics to wait it out because I was just miserable in the hospital. He agreed, and I came back home late Sunday. Yesterday I went to see the surgeon. He believes that the abscess will resolve on its own. I have a rather large incision on my stomach from the most recent surgery. The staples were removed last week, but the surgeon had to open part of it to release fluid that had built up. The opening in a bit larger now and looks awful, but the surgeon said it is healing. My amazing husband, who has taken such great care of me, continues to act as my "nurse". He's taken a break from his responsibilities at church for the last few weeks and hasn't left my side except to catch up on sleep. He is constantly looking for ways to make me more comfortable or fixing me a meal. We've had families from church bring food. Our moms have taken care of the kids for most of the past month. I feel blessed to have so much help! I have felt so out-of-touch lately, but I guess that's to be expected. I missed all of the year-end activities at school and Lil' Nut's kindergarten graduation, but I'm thankful to those who stepped in and took on many of my responsibilities to keep things running smoothly at school. I haven't worried about any of it, because I know that it's all out of my control. It has been encouraging to be able to watch our church services live via the internet. It's not the same as being there, but it's close. Right now I'm just taking things day by day. I go back to see the doctor tomorrow, and hopefully I'll get a good report. I am not taking any pain medication now; it really slows down the healing process. Thanks again for lifting me up in your prayers, and thank you in advance for continuing to do so. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. ~James 5:16b

Labels: Blessings, Daily Life, My Thoughts, Prayer Requests

In my last post I wrote about looking back and treasuring each day God gives me. That was close to being my very last blog post ever. Just two days later, after the Sunday morning church service, I began experiencing the worst abdominal pain of my life. Steven rushed me to the hospital where I underwent countless tests and eventually a full abdominal exploratory surgery which showed that my intestines had been perforated in two places during the laproscopic procedure that had been done earlier this month. The repairs were made, and after seven excruciating days in the hospital, I came home. I don't have the strength or words to express what this has been like. I know that everything is a part of God's plan. I know that He has given me the most amazing man in the world who has been by my side through every dark moment. I know that each day is full of new challenges, pain, and frustration. Most importantly, I know that my Saviour has never left me alone. He is holding me in the palm of His hand, and that's the very best place for me to be.

Labels: Daily Life, My Thoughts, Prayer Requests

May 14, 2007 From time to time I like to look back through photo albums to remember what has happened in our family's history on a particular date. This picture was taken exactly three years ago today. We were living in Georgia at the time, Mickey was visiting his grandparents in Florida, and Pastor Steven and I took the girls to Stone Mountain for the day. We had so much fun with our giggly girls. They all looked hilarious with their 4-D glasses on. Lil' Nut was still just a tiny thing. As my babies continue to grow and face new stages, it's good for me to reflect on how quickly the pages of the calendar turn. Three years have passed in the blink of an eye! Instead of dwelling on the many mistakes I've made as a parent, I want to savor each day God gives me with my children, make new memories with them, and point them to the One who loves them even more than I do.

Labels: Family Life, My Thoughts, The Kiddos

Mother's Day/Get Well flowers Happy Monday! I hope your week is off to a great start. I spent today in much the same way that I've spent each day for the past week--resting quietly at home. I had surgery a week ago to remove recurring abdominal adhesions. After being in pain for several weeks, I'm relieved to have all this behind me now. This is the third, and hopefully last, abdominal surgery I've had. That's the tricky thing about abdominal adhesions; you don't know that they are causing problems until you have a major issue. God has been so good through all this! I have truly felt the prayers lifted up on my behalf, and this has been a very smooth recovery. I've been taking things s-l-o-w-l-y and plan to get back in the office for an hour or two each day later this week. The kids have been staying with their grandmas so that I could take it easy. Yesterday my mom brought the little girls over and fixed me lunch for Mother's Day. We had a nice little visit before they went back to my mom's house to go swimming. I've missed having the kids here at home, but it has been such a blessing to have others willing to care for them. After spending so long lying around, it's time to get moving again and get rid of this stiffness. Today I took a walk down the street a little ways. I'm going to take another walk when it cools off this evening. Even this early in May the temperature is already close to 90 degrees each day. I had checked out a huge stack of books from the library to read while lying around, but I'm just halfway through my second one. It was too challenging to make my mind focus on anything for a few days, but now the book I'm reading has captured my attention. Two of the kids are back at home now, so I'm off to pop a tray of lasagna made by one of the gracious ladies in our church into the oven for supper. It's been so nice to not have to any cooking or cleaning. :) Enjoy your week!

Labels: Daily Life, My Thoughts

Yesterday's nasty weather hit close to home last night--literally. A tornado touched down in the subdivision right down the road from us while we were sitting down to supper. Fifty people are now homeless, but miraculously no one was injured. I didn't even know that anything had happened until I left the house this morning and saw all the emergency vehicles. We later learned that the same tornado hit a house just four doors down from my in-law's house. They never heard a thing, either. I am so thankful for the Lord's protection! I spent a couple of hours at the hospital today with my good friend Alesha. Her sweet little boy underwent emergency surgery this morning and is recovering tonight. I am praying that there won't be any complications and that he will be able to go home sometime this weekend. I'm sure that Alesha would appreciate your prayers for Isaac. These two unexpected events remind me that difficulties often arise when we least expect them. There are things that we have no control over. What a comfort it is to know that our Saviour has promised to never leave us or forsake us! We can trust His faithfulness. ~~~oOo~~~ I Know Who Holds Tomorrow by Ira Stanphill I don't know about tomorrow, I just live from day to day. I don't borrow from it's sunshine, For it's skies may turn to gray. I don't worry o'er the future, For I know what Jesus said, And today I'll walk beside Him, For He knows what is ahead. Many things about tomorrow, I don't seem to understand; But I know Who holds tomorrow, And I know Who holds my hand.

Labels: Daily Life, Hymns, My Thoughts, Prayer Requests

"Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:" Psalm 103:1,2 I just want to praise my Saviour for His grace and mercy. I am truly blessed beyond measure! There is so much hurt and sin in the world today, but this world has no hold on me. Walking with Jesus gives me such peace. I am so thankful for the salvation that is in Christ Jesus!

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus by Helen Lemmel O soul, are you weary and troubled? No light in the darkness you see? There’s light for a look at the Savior, And life more abundant and free! Refrain: Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace. Through death into life everlasting He passed, and we follow Him there; O’er us sin no more hath dominion— For more than conquerors we are! His Word shall not fail you—He promised; Believe Him, and all will be well: Then go to a world that is dying, His perfect salvation to tell!

Labels: My Thoughts