Mon.-"I will glory in my Redeemer..." Day went too fast. Made a new school/job schedule. Ate too much junk yesterday and am paying for it today. Why do I do that? Got back into teaching piano to Susan. Called Lindsay and told her Phil's idea for a homemade door to write their family values on. Caught up with dear Sara. Made homemade caramel pudding. Correcting Vocab and history. Got a point by point, verse by verse explanation of Sunday's sermon from Susan. Read about Jesus' temptations in chapel and realized anew that Satan tempted Jesus to use His Deity to escape the pain of His humanity. I'm so glad He did not. And now He knows what it is like to be weak and He prays for us and gives us grace when we are tempted.
649-For friends who would do anything they could to help me.
650-For the reminder to be thankful.
Tues.-Country music in my head this morning. "I wish nothing but the best for you.." Decided to look around my blog a bit and hit 'stat's. Called Lindsay to check out what it meant. I'm excited but nervous to see how many people have been reading something I wrote since I started writing. I wasn't going to write this, but I know there are a few friends who would find it interesting as well. There are 9,681 hits in-U.S.; 504-Russia; 395-Germany; 395-Netherlands; 209-S.Korea; 199-France; 178-Canada; 150-United Kingdom; 132-India; 94-Slovenia. The article most read-350 times-was a book report on 1,11 Corinthians. Second most read was 'Wounded Watchman.' Third-Hertzler Doings. I know this isn't a huge amount of people in comparison to what other bloggers may have reading their blogs, (Janelle gets 500-1,000 hits a day on her website-www.journeythroughgrief.com) but in comparison to my own narrow idea of what I thought might be happening with my blog, it was a surprise to me. I hope people who don't know Jesus want to know Him after they've read my blog and I hope that those who love Him, love Him more. Took Susan out to Farmville for co-op today and had lunch at Miller's with Dianna. Ran some errands and bought a small book at Barnes and Nobles called 'Good Grief.' Read it outside in the sun and finished it. Talked with Sara and her foot is broken and she has to wear a cast for 6 weeks. But still she offers to come help me and loves me more than herself and I am overwhelmed by her selflessness. Susan and I got supplies at Walmart. Easter egg business ingredients, her birthday party chili ingred., hot dogs, etc, and scrapple ingred. We had a loaded cart. Came home and made some egg salad for supper. Phil and Philip put a door in for a lady and then picked up calves from Steve R.
651-I am thankful for Christmas in February-the use of Michael's gift to me; a Barnes and Nobles gift card.
652-I am thankful for the girl behind the counter at Barnes and Nobles who recommended a mocha white chocolate peppermint coffee drink that was out of this world.
653-I am thankful for the luxury of time to myself to sit in the sun, drink that coffee, and read a book that comforts me.
654-I am thankful for a friend who decided to forego the work in front of her to have lunch with me.
655-I am thankful for a son who comes home from work and plays card games with his sister.
Wed.-"Oh, the glory, of Your presence...We Your Temple give you reverence..."Great sleep last night. Second night of sleep in a row after little sleep for weeks. Spent several hours with Susan in chapel with story of Jacob and Rachel and Leah-poor Leah, we always say, but what about poor Rachel? Where was she during the wedding ceremony? Did she get to have a nice wedding a week later? The girls were still mad at their father years later when Jacob wanted to leave the area. "Didn't our father sell us like slaves?" they asked. "Yes, let's get out of here." Something like that anyway. We didn't spend several hours on that story alone. We also read from Eat That Frog and read a whole chapter in History about Colonial life. I was finally getting to my exercises around 3 in the afternoon. Alli stopped in for a little. Made salmon loaf with brown rice, green beans, and salad for supper. It was a rainy, thundery, day. It lightninged at one point and Angel was frozen with fear in the back porch and when we opened the door, she insisted in parking herself in Susan's room. Susan left her door open and after awhile she came out while we read and wanted to be right next to Susan instead of laying on her blanket.
Took Susan to CC tonight and stayed and saw some friends I haven't seen for awhile.
656-I am thankful that Susan's friend, who is a guy, says he wants to be just like Phil when he grows up.
657-It's the most wonderful time of the year---Susan's making Chocolate covered peanut butter, butter cream, and coconut eggs!
Thurs.-Deep sleep. "Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father...There is no shadow of turning with Thee..." There it is again. 'No shadow of turning.' James says that every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father of Lights with whom there is no shadow of turning. People come and go. But there is no shadow of turning with Him. He's here to stay.
Ran some errands in Appomattox. Cleaned up some outside. Got to bed before 9 and when Phil came to bed 10 min. later, I was sound asleep.
658-I'm thankful for forgiveness from those with whom I have lost my cool.
Fri.-"And I will glory only in the cross...And I will place my hope in the Lord Jesus Christ..." Listening to Hebrews/James when I go to bed and when I wake up. Weeks of listening and I kept hearing a verse from Hebrews 10:19,20-"..having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh." The veil was His flesh. Just as His body was torn from His crowned head to His nail-scarred feet, so was the veil in the temple torn from top to bottom when He cried, "It is Finished!" In the Old Testament, the children of Israel built a tabernacle. The veil was made to separate the Holy of Holies from the other holy places in the tabernacle. Only the High Priest could go behind the veil to make an offering for the sins of the people. Jesus was in the Old Testament, wasn't He? He was the veil. He was the High Priest. He was the spotless lamb sacrificed for the sins of the people. He was the scapegoat, carrying the sins of the people outside the camp. He was the Rock from which the living water poured forth. Was the Holy Spirit there too, in the pillar of fire? Was the Shekinah Glory in the pillar of cloud that led them by day? Eternity will hold the revelations of Christ from before the foundation of the earth until its final day. In fact, He is the foundation of the earth. All things are held together by the power of His word. He is all and in all. He is the chief cornerstone, holding the building of His church together with His plumb line of truth and grace. He is its strength. Open my eyes to see you Jesus, for you are everywhere present. You are in sorrow. You are in joy. You are in compassion. You are in discipline. You are in death. You are in life. You are! You are! You are! "I AM! I AM! I AM!" Holy, holy, holy, holy, God.
We were getting ready for Susan's party tomorrow. I did some wash and made a chocolate marvel cake for when the Lucas's come over in the eve. of her birthday. Made chocolate filled cupcakes for when her friends come tomorrow. Made baked potato salad and macaroni salad. Cleaned the house a little too. Susan was helping Philip with cattle, going to Lynchburg's auction with him, etc. She made some buttercream eggs today. Freeman and Alli took a train up to Gil and Lindsay's and brought a little gift for them of 4 peanut butter eggs. Phil and I went out to Farmville to pick up his truck. I drove the big truck back home and it was pouring down rain. I felt much safer in that big truck. Registered for Cleansing Stream Retreat in Richmond and am so excited. They told us we can be a participant or part of the ministry team because we've gone through it several times before. This time, we want to be a participant.
Sat.-Thinking about Jesus-the new and living way to the Father. Hebrews 10. The veil was not living. It kept regular folks from entering the Holy of Holies where God dwelt. Jesus was the new High Priest, interceding for the people, carrying their sins, being the complete sacrifice. He is the Living Way to the Father-the only way to God-through the torn veil, His body, which was broken for the sins of us all.
Today we got ready for Susan's party. The guys cleaned up the mancave in case it rained. Susan helped everywhere. I cleaned the house and got vegetable prepped for the chili. Philip and Michael chopped 4 peppers-green, yellow, orange, red; 4 onions, and 2 huge clusters of celery. Michael browned venison and sausage. They set up cement blocks and a grill over a fire and began to build the fire as kids started coming around 4. They fried a pack of bacon in one pot and threw it together with all the ingredients in a bigger pot and brought it to an almost boil. It's Philip's famous chili so I won't give away any secrets. It was out of this world. Not one hot dog disappeared from the pack and we have lots of leftovers of macaroni and potato salad.
Susan had friends from New Life, Calvary, camp, CCA, Cousins, Co-op, and between us all, I think there were 25 people here. For memories sake, I write their names here. Betty and Kelly, Carleen and Amber, Michelle M., Austin G., Bethany, Tommy, Michelle, Jeremy and Amy M., Jeremy S., Joseph B., Natalie and Cecelia, Lydia D., Lydia P., Graham, Jenny, Haley, Mandy, Black Matt, Philip, Michael, and I. Philip and Michael officiated the party. Michael prayed for her after we sang and before we ate. The kids talked, played volleyball in a circle, and played some sort of wild tag hide-n'-seek game in the dark. No one got hurt and for that I had prayed. Haley spent the night since she lived so far away. About 8 of them stayed later, standing close around the fire, talking, talking, until close to 11. Phil and I had made different plans at the same time. So, we'll have our family party together tomorrow. Delbert, Clint, and Phil went to Pa. early in the morning and met Steve F. at Mom and Dad's for breakfast to hear about Africa. It sounds like they had a grand old time. He got home around 9.
659-I am thankful that although Freeman and Alli couldn't be with us, they were with our family which art in Connecticut-Gil and Lindsay and the girls.
660-I am thankful that 15 years ago, during a snow storm, Phil took me to the hospital in his red truck that we still have, with a plow in front, in order to have our precious baby girl.
Once we got there, she decided to put her birth on hold and the doctor said, "You are not going anywhere in this weather."
Sun.-Happy Birthday dear Susan! What a wonderful gift you have been to all of us and to all who know you! Haley helped Susan and Philip with a calf this morning. She loves cattle and goes to the auction in Lynchburg too. Michael took Haley and Susan to CC. Haley's family met her there. After church, we went to free Diesel and fed him and Bella. Came home and had leftovers and got to see Jordan. I had just been saying that I haven't seen him for such a long time and there he was! We had a little party for Susan in the eve. with chocolate marvel cake and cookies and cream ice cream.
661-I am thankful for Susan's friends and the way that they love her.
662-I am thankful that I got to see Gil and Lindsay today, larger than life, during the missions offering.
663-I am thankful that Sara cares about the pain in my foot, and how hard it is for me to stand, and here she has a cast on her foot.
664-I am thankful that Jesus loves me this I know.
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