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Category: fall

Little things

Little things

This afternoon I was in the car, coming home from a long day of classes. We took a back road instead of the main one, and it was a bit quieter, a little more peaceful, and definitely more beautiful.
We were heading towards the sun that was just starting to think of setting, and the light was filtering through the trees. Annadale (the road we took) has some stone-fruit orchards along it, as well a few cow pastures well dotted with oak trees. As the sunlight struck the orchards at a twenty degree angle they turned gold, but only as we were looking through them. If we turned to look back, the orchard had resumed its normal dusky late fall appearance.

The semester is drawing to a close, and my biology professor has only one major subject to cover before we prepare for the final: how we got here. We have covered the entire body, tip to toe, from before conception to after death, and all the wonder of it. Now we get to try to understand how such a marvel could evolve. Somehow, I just can’t wrap my mind around it.

a day spent shopping

a day spent shopping


street shot, originally uploaded by Lizi Beth.


Shopping, in the lovely autumn weather. Oh, there are few things as lovely!!!! Except, maybe, shopping in the springtime, or the crisp winter………… :)

Oh, fall is glorious!

Mom and I went looking for fabric for the wedding. We found a little tiny shop in Los Altos called Thai Silks that had amazing prices, and ……….. we found some really gorgeous material.
Now, to start sewing.

*for all interested in progress regarding the wedding plans: Mom and I also bought the flower girl dresses.

p.s. Some pictures to get started:

Wedding Preparations
from the mouth of Ben

from the mouth of Ben

Ben and I were working on his math homework yesterday when I heard him mutter to himself, “Now that is just vulgar.”
Vulgar?
What?!!! Since when does an eight year old boy know words like “vulgar”? Hmm. I do not think he knows what it means, but I am curious to know how it got into that little noggin of his.

This I Know

This I Know

Jesus loves me! This I know,
For the Bible tells me so;
Little ones to Him belong;
They are weak, but He is strong.

Jesus loves me! He who died
Heaven’s gate to open wide;
He will wash away my sin,
Let His little child come in.

Jesus loves me! He will stay
Close beside me all the way;
Thou hast bled and died for me,
I will henceforth live for Thee.

Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.

– Anna B. Warner, 1860, “Jesus Loves Me”

Jesus loves me, this I know. He does love. He has loved. He always will, for longer than always, for eternity.
Christ’s love for me, imperfect and riddled with scars from sin, should never cease to amaze me. Yet, sometimes it does. Sometimes Christ’s love seems as expected, ordinary and commonplace as having milk in the refrigerator. But it isn’t. It is a miracle.
The love of God is what salvation hinges on.
It is unmerited.
Full of grace.
Freely bestowed.
Abundant and overflowing, overwhelming.
Never ceasing, even when I turn away.

Jesus loves me, this I know …

Learning – to trust and obey

Learning – to trust and obey

2007-10-22 fall leaf, silver maple, originally uploaded by Lizi Beth.

 When we walk with the Lord 
 in the light of his word, 
 what a glory he sheds on our way! 
 While we do his good will, 
 he abides with us still, 
 and with all who will trust and obey. 

 Not a burden we bear, 
 not a sorrow we share, 
 but our toil he doth richly repay; 
 not a grief or a loss, 
 not a frown or a cross, 
 but is blest if we trust and obey. 
 
 But we never can prove 
 the delights of his love 
 until all on the altar we lay; 
 for the favor he shows, 
 for the joy he bestows, 
 are for them who will trust and obey. 
 
 Then in fellowship sweet 
 we will sit at his feet, 
 or we'll walk by his side in the way; 
 what he says we will do, 
 where he sends we will go; 
 never fear, only trust and obey. 
 
 Trust and obey, for there's no other way 
 to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
-John H. Sammis (1846-1919), “Trust and Obey”





I have been learning – and re-learning – to “trust and obey” recently. Learning through tears, through pain, through joy and laughter, and everything in between. I used to sing this song rather glibly, hardly paying attention to the lyrics I was singing. But I heard it again the other night, and pondered it.
Trust.
Obey.
All on the altar we lay.
Trust.
Obey.
I desperately want to see my plans happen, or at least solidified. But each time I try to finalize a certain project, it gets foiled. This project is very dear to my heart, and I have shed many tears over it. Finally, I gave it to Him. Finally, I relinquished my control and trusted.
What will happen? I do not know. But I am learning to trust and obey. Trusting when there seems no hope seems foolish. But I am learning.




 




 








							


	

			




						
							



	
		
	
	
	
		Subtracting and Adding

					

				Subtracting and Adding
			

		
				

			
 


		

			

	
			

				
Know therefore that the LORD your GOD, He is GOD, the faithful God, Who keeps His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commands.


-Deuteronomy 7:9


Give to the wind your fear
Hope and be undismayed
God hears your sighs and counts your tears
God will lift up, God will lift up, lift up your head
God will lift up your head
God will lift up your head
God will lift up your head
Lift up your head
Leave to His sovereign sway
To choose and to command
Then shall we wandering on His way
Know how wise and how strong
How wise and how strong
How strong is His hand
God will lift up your head
God will lift up your head
God will lift up your head
Lift up your head
Through waves and clouds and storms,
He gently clears the way
Wait because in His time, so shall this night
Soon end in joy, soon end in joy
Soon end in joy, soon end in joy
Soon end in joy, soon end in joy
God will lift up your head
(Soon end in joy)
God will lift up your head
(Soon end in joy)
-“god will lift up your head”, by jars of clay


Sometimes it seems as if God is only ever taking away, never blessing. Those times are when you are overwhelmed by sorrow, and cannot see His hand. But He is there, He does see your tears, and He will come through. He always takes away before He gives. There must be a need before He can fill it.


Sunday He took a friend Home.
I went to that man’s funeral today. And grieved. Grieved for the man’s wife, his children, his grandchildren. Grieved for all the hundreds of people who had lost a dear friend. That included me.
God will lift up your head.
Yes.
I know.
I know.
But I still grieve.
It seems as if this year has been one of extreme emotion, swinging from joy to sorrow to joy and back to sorrow again.
God has been subtracting.
I am ready for Him to add.
Maybe He already is.


In the meantime, I will trust.
He has hitherto been faithful, and I know that He will continue to be so.
Even though my eyes are blinded by tears and I can hardly see my way, I will trust Him.


For such is God,
Our God forever and ever;
He will guide us until death.


-Psalm 48:14
yet even death cannot part us from Him or His love (Romans 8:38-39).


So I trust.






							


	

			




						
							



	
		
	
	
	
		Autumn

					

				Autumn
			

		
				

			
 


		

			

	
			

				

The month of carnival of all the year,
When Nature lets the wild earth go its way,
And spend whole seasons on a single day.
The spring-time holds her white and purple dear;
October, lavish, flaunts them far and near;
The summer charily her reds doth lay
Like jewels on her costliest array;
October, scornful, burns them on a bier.
The winter hoards his pearls of frost in sign
Of kingdom: whiter pearls than winter knew,
Or empress wore, in Egypt’s ancient line,
October, feasting ‘neath her dome of blue,
Drinks at a single draught, slow filtered through
Sunshiny air, as in a tingling wine!


Helen Hunt Jackson


							


	

			




						
							



	
		
	
	
	
		A Bit Of Time Together (away from home)

					

				A Bit Of Time Together (away from home)
			

		
				

			
 


		

			

	
			

				








Lake Tahoe Vacation





Daniel, Anna, Leitha (a friend), and I went up to Lake Tahoe on Friday. We met the rest of the family at a friend’s cabin, and spent two very wonderful days with them. It was a short break from the normal routine of work, school, ministry, work, school, ………………
I only wish it had been longer!