A Jar Full of Treasures

Believe

2011-12-21T14:05:00.004-06:00

^16-18"This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person's failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him". John 3:16-18 The Message

The message is simple, the meaning profound...believe.

Merry Christmas and may you enjoy the precious gift of Jesus today and everyday.

Every Single Day!

2011-04-08T15:35:00.002-05:00

God presses so many things on my heart as I quiet myself before Him. On one particular morning I was touched by God's faithfulness to me and to my family. What the Lord gently whispered to me was...Sweet child, every single day I am faithful to you. Each morning as the sun rises, so do the mercies I pour into you. This picture of God's mercies started forming as the words to the beautiful hymn "Great is Thy Faithfulness" by Thomas O. Chisholm swirled around my mind...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. In my illustration I wanted to communicate how daily God is pouring out His mercies...that each day is a gift.

The Lord also challenged me that morning to make a sure effort to open my eyes to see the mercies He is showering on me. It is really easy to grumble and complain...well at least it is for me. But when I see His mercies, large and small I am humbled and I am grateful.

I hope that you too will open your eyes to God's mercy that is new for you every morning.

Only in Austin!

2010-12-28T14:41:00.003-06:00

Austin is known for wanting to keep itself weird...bumper stickers all over town declare this desire. But at Christmas time the sweet and endearing qualities of my neighbors all over Austin can be seen as I drive here and there. I don't know how long this tradition has been going on, but when we moved here almost 7 years ago one or two cedar trees along Capitol of Texas highway was magically adorned with shiny tinsel and colored ornaments the minute the calendar turned to December. Over the years more and more trees would be decorated by the mysterious elves and now this is proving to be a trend not only on the original patch of cedars...but trees all along this highway and beyond.

Some of the trees are very beautifully decorated, while some are kind of goofy (pink flamingos?) and some very sweet (She said yes!). Mixed together, they are shimmery, shiny, joyful expression of the joy in the hearts of the people that live around here...and have probably become a tradition that is planned for and thought about long before most people even begin to think of anything ho ho ho-ish! These tree decorators must share a bond...a secret society of holiday fun partakers...and only they know who they are. Some might think this is weird, but to me it is wonderful...and you never know I just might join them next year!

Oh, by the way...every ball and string of tinsel is gone from every tree by the end of January!

what I am most thankful for

2010-11-29T16:38:00.003-06:00

I am thankful for so many things! There is the list that never changes...health, my husband's job, my savior Jesus and my friends. But this year I am realizing that I am especially thankful for something, that not too many years ago I enjoyed daily. What was that daily blessing? Having our whole family together. Once those little birds leave the nest, it is really difficult and rare I am finding, to round them all up at the same time! This was the last time we were altogether last July! What a fun time we had making the road trip from Austin to visit our oldest son in Nashville. Our times together, even though rare are a sweet treasure that I am most thankful for.