Celebration of a Homecoming

Anna's homecoming memorial service was truly a celebration. Her family was full of the grace of God, not without sorrow but sorrowing with hope. Everyone connected with Anna, whether family, friends, coworkers was deeply affected by her life and thus also her death. To see her precious parents graciously greeting hundreds of people and even giving comfort to others was amazing. The greatly participated in the service with reflections and songs. Displays of Anna's saddle and pictures and drawings in frames, some from Anna's bedroom, notes to her fiance, her Bibles and study books.

I think just now of the song "Oh may all who come behind me find me faithful" There is a verse that talks about after I am gone and all I've left behind is sifted through, may the clues that they discover and the memories they uncover lead them to a life of Christ. That was certainly true in Anna's case.

I believe God placed the thought in my mind to get, not a sympathy card, but a congratulations card on your new home. Since Anna's obituary was written in the first person as though she had written it herself, I addressed our card to Anna to give to her parents. I wrote: "Anna,  Most parents have a hard time when their child moves out on their own.  But since you have moved in with Someone they trust it makes it a little easier on them." With a PS "See you at the family reunion."

Please continue to pray for Anna's family. She has 3 precious brothers and 1 sister who shared a room with her. They will have a sink hole in their lives for many months to come. God bless you Coons family.

Tea Time Tuesday & Prayer for Friends

I put the draft for my post together on Saturday. But I can't keep from adding a prayer request for our dear friends. Their 18 yr old, Christian, sweet Anna got thrown from her horse on Friday. Her injuries were so severe that she died in the hospital on Sunday morning. She was well loved by family, fiancée, friends, coworkers and those who didn't even know her personally. It is such a shock to all. See my previous post.

With that said here is my Tea Time Tuesday. For sharing tea and conversation with others go see Katherine at Tea Time Tuesday

The weather is warming up enough for me to enjoy my favorite spot. This is what I call my prayer bench.

I don't usually dress it up this much when I come out here. But I thought since I was inviting guests to my private garden I would pretty it up a small bit. I usually just grab a hot mug of tea and my Bible and say

 "I'm goin' to my bench."

Saturday when I went down the road to a country store to get earthworms for the garden I found this jar of "Wild Maine Blueberry Preserves". I thought that looked like a great tea time treat. A lot better than worms!

My hyacinths are starting to bloom at the ends of the bench.

Good thoughts, memories and meditations are always blooming out there.

This is my view looking out over the neighboring field.

...and thanks for visiting with me!

Anna Has Gone Home To Jesus

Our dear friends are trying to cope with letting go of their sweet daughter Anna. Anna went to be with Jesus in heaven around 8:30 this morning. This is such a shocking, sudden loss in their lives. As her daddy just said "If God would have asked Annie to do anything that would make a difference in somebody's life she would have gladly done it."

I know God has a perfect plan for all things and doesn't make mistakes. When He asks some sacrifice of us that alters our life completely it gives us "A New Kind of Normal" as author Carol Kent wrote in her book of that title.  She dedicates her book to others who are living in their own "new kind of normal". She has reached out to many where the end of the story did not turn out the way they would have chosen. No happily ever after, except for the hope and help we have in God. Subtitles of the chapters of the book:

1.  When Despair Tries to Take Me Under.. I Choose Life
2.  When I Wonder What God Could Possibly be Thinking...I Choose Trust
3.  When I Desperately Want Relief from Unrelenting Reality....I Choose Perseverance
4.  When I Feel Oppressed by My Disappointment and Sorrow..I Choose Gratitude
5.  When I Want to Keep My Feelings to Myself.. I Choose Vulnerability
6.  When Nothing Goes According to My Plan.. I Choose Relinquishment
7.  When I Want to Point the Finger.. I Choose Forgiveness
8.  When I Want to Give Up.. I Choose Purposeful Action

Anna, any life you ever touched is going to feel a missing part of that life. May we who are left here to continue on, find the purpose and lesson that God has for us. May He exceedingly and abundantly bless your family a hundred fold for making the sacrifice that He has required of them. We love you Anna. Thank God "There is a "Hello" after "Goodbye". "We WILL be with you far longer than we are without you"
Hello After Goodbye-Legacy Five (click to hear)

Saturday of prayer for a friend and gardening.

Today I would like for everyone to join me in prayer for a dear friend. Anna, 18, and a sweet Christian girl, had an accident with her horse on Saturday. A vehicle honked and spooked her horse. She was thrown into a culvert. My understanding is she got herself to her grandmother's house and collapsed. She has split her liver and detached the main arteries to her liver. She is in critical condition in an Ohio hospital. Her precious parents and 4 younger siblings are camping out at the hospital with emotional ups and downs as Anna has the physical ups and downs of such a serious condition. Her life is on the line and she is so loved. Julie had taken her senior pictures not long ago and she is engaged to a Christian young man who also waits with the family.

This weekend Rick and I got a start on the garden. He has been working hard planting seeds in trays for a week or more. He also has spent some time using the tiller. That is hard work bless his heart! Lori pitched in and dug some holes for plants last night. We planted some purchased plants that are ok to set out in cooler weather, broccoli and cabbage. Then he and I worked the soil for the next two rows with hoes and rakes and mixing in a stack of fine leaves that have been sitting over the winter.  The ground here has so much clay in it and over the past years Rick has worked in some other soil and lime. He had also started a compost pile a few months ago and we have been adding our egg shells, banana peels, etc. Today I made a trip down the road to a country store to buy some earth worms that we added to the compost pile and the garden. I hope those worms know their home address now as we need their help for the soil! This is our first time trying that.Anyway, the next two rows will be lettuce. My hubby said I looked pretty good with a pitchfork in my hand and I said I always did want to be a farm girl!

Seeking More of the Pearl of Great Price

Rick and I were talking about this on the way to church services this morning: How we want to be Pearl seekers. The Bible talks about how that a man sold everything he had to buy the Pearl of great price. That Pearl is Jesus.

The Sunday School lesson was great with much participation, studying on II John. Verse six says "this is love, that we walk after his commandments."  It was good to study with others who understand that love is not a syruppy, mushy type that overlooks sin but obeying and living God's commandments. We don't really love someone unless we live God's truth and proclaim it. Verse seven says many deceivers are in the world proclaiming and confessing Christ but not living it, these are deceivers. We need to be students of the Bible personally. We can't just sit back and expect someone to tell us what we should do or we could be taught by a false teacher. We need to know the Bible and God for ourselves. We need to train our children to discern both good and evil. Next week will be a continuation of this book.I am looking forward to it.

Tonight's sermon was in Mark 10:17-31 The lesson of the rich man tested by being asked to sell his abundance and give to the poor. Verses 30 and 31 talks about how we will have to set every relationship we have be it family or friends in line behind Christ  and the gospel.. It says there will be persecution and there is when we stand for the truth of God's Word and holiness. It will not please many because they are not interested in truth, only in what makes them feel good.

A Low Tea To Share on Teatime Tuesday

I have learned from Lady Katherine, the host of Teatime Tuesday, that a tea on a coffee table is called a low tea. That is what mine is today. I serve you on my imported rock coffee table. I have used my mini cake plates that I recently made from Dollar Tree items.

The dainty spring teapot  sits on top of a cup.

Napkins are embroidered doilies from my mothers collection.

This basket was used at Easter when I was growing up to hold our colored eggs.

The tea offered is one of my favorite teas: Kalahari Red Tea, Highlands Honey flavor. It is a mild flavored, non caffeine herb tea. And our simple snack is chocolate hazlenut spread on crackers.

I am delighted that you chose to join me for my evening low tea and thank you for the return invite at Lady Katherine Tea Parlor.

Get A Breath of Fresh Air from God Today!

The word revival is used so commonly. Some people are scared of it and to others it just indicates a boring few days of extra church services that they must endure. But think of words like restoring, curing, resuscitating, bringing new life." That is what revival truly is. It is a gift of God to a person and that new life can be "breathed" into your heart right in your own home! And you can get that new strength and vitality on a daily basis.

How we need revival!  That is my thoughts this morning as I lay awake in bed. I shouldn't say "my thoughts" because I am nothing in myself, the meditations had to come from God. As I feel the burden of many situations I long for God to deliver me out of. He reminded me that even though there is much going on around me that concerns me greatly, that even in the midst of that I can't let Satan sidetrack me from the concern for souls that so greatly need Him.  As the scripture below says, don't be overtaken by all that is going on in my world or the world around me.

"34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. 35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man."
Luke 21:34-36

Paraphrased that verse is saying: "And watch, that you aren't soaked and saturated with the abundance of things in this life that you miss out on God" Don't be overtaken with all the good things and don't be overtaken with all the problems either.
Hebrews 12:1 says  "...lay aside every weight"

Reading also in Psalms 34:19 "Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all."  Have confidence in God. There is nothing happening that He and I can't handle together.

I am looking for God to do great things today. He is a great, big God and none of the things that concern me are to big for Him.