Sabbath Keeping

"Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. 

And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, "Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?"

And the woman said unto the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, "Ye shall not eat of it, 

neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die."

And the serpent said unto the woman, "Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the 

day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, 

knowing good and evil."

~ Genesis 3: 1-5 ~

"The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose."

~ William Shakespeare ~ 

"Be ever engaged, so that whenever the devil calls, he will find you occupied."
~ St. Jerome ~

"Satan trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon his/her knees." ~ William Cowper ~

"If you don't set the tone for the day, the devil will set it for you." ~ Joel Osteen ~

"For where God built a church,

there the devil would also built a chapel."

~ Martin Luther ~ 

"You can hide from the devil but he'll always find you." ~ Allen Iverson ~

"One of Satan's most deceptive and powerful ways of defeating us is to get us to believe a lie. And the biggest lie is that there are no consequences to our own doing. Satan will give you whatever you ask for if it will lead you where he ultimately wants you." ~ Charles Stanley ~

"And so it is that both the Devil and the angelic Spirit 

present us with objects of desire 

to awaken our power of choice." 

~ Rumi ~ 

"When you make a mistake and the devil comes and tells you, 'You're no good,' you don't have to take on the guilt and condemnation he wants to put on you. No! You can immediately confess your mistake to God, thank Him for forgiving you and cleansing you with the blood of Jesus, and move forward in the victory of His grace and forgiveness." ~ Joyce Meyer ~

"We must remember that Satan has his miracles too." 

~ John Calvin ~ 

"Those who play with the devil's toys will be brought by degrees to weld his sword."
~ R. Buckminster Fuller ~

"Satan, the leader of dictator of devils, is the opposite, not of God, but of Michael."

~ C. S. Lewis ~ 

"Satan tries to counterfeit the work of God and by doing this he may deceive many. To make us lose hope, to make us feel miserable like himself, and believe that we are beyond forgiveness. Satan might even misuse words from the Scriptures that emphasize the justice of God in order to imply there is no mercy." ~ Dieter F. Uchtdorf ~

"Hell is the highest reward the devil can offer you for being a servant of his. 

~ Billy Sunday ~

Since that day in the Garden, Satan has lied to all of us: You're not pretty enough. You're not thin enough. You're not good enough. You're not smart enough.

You're not ______________________ (fill in the blank with Satan's lying whissssssper) enough.

And the worst lie of all: God doesn't love you. (Which is, basically, what he told Eve. "IF God loved you, He would allow you to eat of the fruit...")

LIES! ALL LIES! Lies from the father of lies! 

God loves each and every one whom He has made in His image. Our heavenly Father canNOT love us any more than He loves us nor can He love us any less! Your choice is to (a) believe his lies or (b) don't believe his lies. Yep, it's only one of two...believe or don't believe.

God says, "You are enough...not because of anything you've done but because of my gifts of grace and mercy. Grace being you get what you don't deserve and mercy being you don't get what you do deserve.

YOU ARE ENOUGH.

"...He (Satan) was a murderer from the beginning, 

and abode not in the truth, 

because there is no truth in him. 

When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own:

for he is a liar, and the father of lies."

~ John 8:44 ~

"...I am come that they may have life 

and have it more abundantly."

~ John 10:10 ~

Please pray for ~ Sharon ~ Gladys ~ Jim ~ 

Sabbath Keeping

"I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart;

I will tell of all your wonderful deeds."

~ Psalm 9:1 ~ 

"When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light, 

for your life, 

for your strength. 

Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living. 

If you see no reason to give thanks,

the fault lies in yourself."

~ Tecumseh ~ 

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend." ~ Melody Beattie ~

"When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around."
~ Willie Nelson ~

"Rest, and be thankful."

~ William Wordsworth ~

"Those blessings are sweetest that are won with prayer and worn with thanks."
~ Thomas Goodwin ~

"Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy and change ordinary opportunities into blessings. " ~ William Arthur Ward ~

"Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others."
~ Cicero ~

"The unthankful heart discovers no mercies;

but the thankful heart will find,

in every hour,

some heavenly blessings."

~ Henry Ward Beecher ~

"Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it."
~ William Arthur Ward ~

"Life without thankfulness is devoid of love and passion.
Hope without thankfulness is lacking in fine perception.
Faith without thankfulness lacks strength and fortitude.
Ever virtue divorced from thankfulness is maimed and limps along the spiritual road."
~ John Henry Jowett ~

"The thankful receiver bears a plentiful harvest." ~ William Blake ~

"There are three requisites to the proper enjoyment of earthly blessings: a
thankful reflection, on the goodness of the giver;
a deep sense of our own unworthiness;
and a recollection of the uncertainity of our long possessing them.
The first will make us grateful; the second, humble; and the third, moderate."
~ Hannah More ~

"Gratitude is the sign of noble souls." ~ Aesop ~

"We ought to give thanks for all fortune: if it is good, because it is good, if bad, because it works in use patience, humility and the contempt of this world and the hope of our eternal country."
~ C. S. Lewis ~

"When it comes to life the critical things is whether you take things for granted
or take them with gratitude."
~ C. K. Chesterton ~

"Be thankful. God has commanded it--for our good and for His glory. God's command to be thankful is not the threatening demand of a tyrant. Rather, it is the invitation of a lifetime--the opportunity to draw near to Him at any moment of the day." ~ Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth ~

"It's one thing to be grateful.

It's another to give thanks.

Gratitude is what you feel.

Thanksgiving is what you do."

~ Tim Keller ~ 

"If I succeed, I will give thanks.

If I fail, I will seek His grace."

~ Max Lucado ~ 

"And it came to pass, as He went to Jerusalem, that He passed through the midst of Samraria and Galilee. And as He entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when He saw them, He said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, "Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?" There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And He said unto him, "Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole." 

~ Luke 17:11-19 ~ 

Prayer requests ~ Sharon ~ Rebekah ~ Timmy and family ~ 

If you've ever tucked me in prayer, thank you. If you've ever read my blog, thank you. Please know, if you've ever left a comment, public or private, you've been held in prayer. I am so very grateful to you; thank you. In this season of Holy Days, please concentrate on the precious gifts...family, friends, life, food, water, shelter, a Bible to read, the fact you're reading this on a computer... . Perhaps we've all felt as did Agatha Christie, "I like living. I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable, racked with sorrow but through it all I still know quite certainly that just to be alive is a grand thing." To which I add...Amen and amen!

Truly, I am both grateful to you and thankful for you. Happy Thanksgiving!

P. S. Computer woes...ahhhh! I count it all joy I can make a lovely pan of shortbread. lol

Sabbath Keeping

"...as your days are so shall your strength be..."

~ Deuteronomy 33:25 ~

"True enjoyment comes from activity of the mind

and exercise of the body;

The two are ever united."

~ Wilhelm von Humbolt ~

"Exercise should be regarded as tribute to the heart."

~ Gene Tunney ~ 

"The body needs its rest and sleep is extremely important in any health regimen. There should be three main things: eating, exercise and sleep. All three together in the right balance make for a truly healthy lifestyle." ~ Rohit Shetty ~

"Walking is the best possible exercise."

~ Thomas Jefferson ~

"Old minds are like old horses.
You must exercise them if you wish to keep them in working order."
~ John Adams ~

Do you treat your body like a tent or a temple? Why?

"There is no better exercise for your heart than reaching down and helping to life someone up."
~ Bernard Meltzer ~

"To feel much for others and little for ourselves;
to restrain our selfishness and and exercise our benevolent affections,
constitute the perfection of human nature."
~ Adam Smith ~

"Making excuses burns zero calories." 

"There are six components of wellness: proper weight and diet, proper exercise, breaking the smoking habits, control of alcohol, stress management and periodic exams."
~ Kenneth H. Cooper ~

"The only way to get that fat off is to eat less and exercise more." ~ Jack LaLanne ~

"The Holy Ghost brings back memories of what God has taught us. And one of the ways God teaches us is with His blessings; and so, if we choose to exercise faith the Holy Ghost will bring God's kindnesses to our remembrance." ~ Henry B. Eyring ~

"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, 

who is in you, whom you have received from God? 

You are not your own, you were bought at a price. 

Therefore, honor God with your bodies."

~ 1 Corinthians 6: 19-20 ~

Please pray for ~ Sharon ~ Jim and Gladys ~ 

Sabbath Keeping: Dear Dave

Dear Dave,

The last Dear Dave letter I wrote, I wasn't sure if  I'd ever write again but the sixth anniversary of your Homegoing, today, falls on Sunday. I was torn between the usual Sabbath Keeping post with quotes and Bible verses or writing you so I chose both. Before beginning this letter, I typed "Dear Dave" in the blog search box and re-read those letters and posts I wrote to you and was reminded of C. S. Lewis who said, "Isn't it funny how day by day nothing changes but when you look back nothing is the same?" For almost six years that has, somehow, been true but in the last few months enormous changes have taken place. Over the last six years enormous changes have taken place in me as well.

Thistle Cove Farm relocated from southwest Virginia to southside Virginia and, just like God, He allowed me to see this new farm some three or four years ago, all the while knowing His plans were being worked out and I wasn't ready. I believe God had to break my heart in order to make me whole (a continual process, eh?)  but it's only when we're I'm broken His light can get in. Otherwise I am simply filled with myself with not much no room for Him and me with myopic vision and unable to see the larger view.

(A wiser man than I said, "It is well to remember that the entire population of the universe, with one trifling exception, is composed of others." (quote found on Kathy's Laughing Dove blog.))

When my our (God and me) new farm came up for sale, one photo showed WVU cut into a hay field and of course I thought, "It's a sign because that's where you and Cathy (the love of your youth) went to university. Then, the years dragged on (and on and on and...) and as hope dimmed, I began praying truly for God's will, not my own, but I continued searching for a new farm in southside VA. (Anyone who says it's easy to discern God's will in their life is either delusional or they are praying for what they want. Micah 6:8 tells us God's will on a broad scale but when it comes to making the smaller personal decisions, I've found it to be an extremely difficult, yet faith building, process.)

Earlier this year I re-visited that web sale page and found out the property price had dropped. Additionally, folks who wanted to buy the southwest VA farm were able to get their finances in order and make another offer. Long story short, it all worked out and the dogs, cats, horses and I have moved to a place you would love! Dave, there's a stocked pond and I can just see you fishing (with or without a hook -smile), or sitting on the deck enjoying life or...ta-da!...running to Walmart just six miles away and with NO mountains to cross!

It's still Big Sky country but the house is little more than half as small with more than twice the acreage and has open fields, woods, paddocks, barn and a pond. (oh, but I mentioned that...smile.) One of the first things Mom said was, "Dave would really like this place" and she's right. You would love this new farm and, more importantly, it would please you to know you (through God's provision) were instrumental in my purchase of same.

The Bible says "God is the same, yesterday, today and forever..." and His plans are continually being worked out for my good and His glory. Dave, it's so easy to sometimes often forget life, farm, animals, my plans aren't about the here and now, it's all about the here after. God is preparing us for a richer in the way that matters most eternal life with Him, His Son, that great cloud of witnesses, the angels...eternal life in Heaven and all we have to do is believe. But again, you know all that because you made your peace with God five days before you died and are now in Glory! I often sing a song "I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene..." and now Dave, you, like Gabriel, are standing in the presence of God! It fair boggles my mind and I'm having church right here, right now, typing this letter! Glory!

Dearest Dave ~ I am happy, content, enjoying life, this farm, these animals, being closer to family. Because you made your peace with God, I am at peace with no worries or nagging thoughts about your eternal Home. Those decades of asking, "Dave, would you like to go to church with me today?", of you watching me have morning Bible reading and devotions, all those years of you asking me to pray...I like to think believe God used me to help lead you to His Son and even though I wasn't the perfect wife, nor you the perfect husband, we, with God, were perfect for each other. You grew me into the wife you wanted me to be and I am grateful. We grew our friendship into love, our house into a home and I am grateful. I am grateful for a new beginning, a new farm, a new location where people are welcoming me into their lives, their homes, their hearts, their church. I am grateful to God for His plans for my life, plans to prosper me and not harm me, plans giving me hope and a future both now and for all Eternity in Heaven. Perhaps that's what my grave stone should read: Grateful.

Tu manques a moi