Random Happenings...

It's a good morning here at the Walker's house. Steven's off to work, since about 5:30 this morning. He's such a hard worker! The Lord has blessed me with a wonderful husband!

Ryan has had his breakfast and is all clean again. His high chair too...that was a mess to clean up!!! haha It's a lot of fun now that he's eating by himself now! Breakfast, lunch and dinner are great adventures now to the little guy! How much food can he actually get in his mouth??

I'm in my normal morning routine-- get up, get Ryan up, read email and blogs and sometimes chat with my dad...like I'm doing right now!!! I'm going to go get some quiet time to read here in a few minutes. I want to delve back into Mark. I've missed reading the last several days and I really, really miss it!!!

I have to finish some laundry and pack bags for us. We're headed to the big city of San Antonio to visit Steven's family for the weekend. So, I'm off to be diligent and get my work done! Talk to you all next week sometime!!!

Book Recommendation

Hey everyone! I've just spent the last two hours while my son was napping reading the moving conclusion of Francine River's A Voice in the Wind, the first book in her Mark of the Lion series. Let me just say, it was one of the most moving accounts of a true Christianity I have ever read. Though fiction, this story is based on the historical accounts of early Christians being tortured and martyred throughout the Roman empire.

I was so moved as I read of this young woman's faith, so small and uncertain in the beginning, but great and unfailing as she learned to lean on Jesus for her strength! I wouldn't recommend this book for young readers, but I definitely would encourage everyone else to pick up this book. I was challenged and convicted as I read, and I am looking forward to reading the next two books as soon as I can get to a library or a book store!

~A Shout-out (to borrow a term from my dear Jamie!) to Vivian Risse for pushing me to pick up this book -- Sister, what a blessing it was!!!

I'm way too excited about this...

Can I just say...I succesfully added URL to my blog for the first time!!!!
Yay for me!! I think I'm finally learning something! Thanks to those who gave me much needed asistance...you know who you are!!! :)

Welcome, Sarah!!!

Hey everyone! My friend Sarah has entered the world of blogging! Let's make her feel welcome!

Psalm 145

Hey Blog world!

I have had a difficult couple of days. This morning though, the Lord woke me up with a refreshed spirit. I wanted to share a few verses of this Psalm with you all, but when I attempted to use only a few verses, the rest wouldn't let me go! So, I hope you will take a few minutes to read through all twenty-one verses. I pray that they will bless your soul as they have mine this morning!

Psalm 145


I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name forever and ever.

Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name forever and ever.

Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.
One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.

I will speak of the glorious honor of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works.

And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: and I will declare thy greatness.

They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness.

The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.

The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.

All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD; and thy saints shall bless thee.

They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power;

To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom.

Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.

The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down.

The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.

Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.

The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.

The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.

He will fulfill the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.

The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy.

My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD: and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.

Amen

Mother's Day

God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love!!!

Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful mothers out there! May God continue to give you grace and strength to minister in your special capacity!

Hey Everyone!

Check out our Jamie's Friday prompt. I left my comment on her site. Check it out there if you're interested!

Looking to Jesus

I Need Thee, Precious Jesus

Frederick Whitfield, 1829-1904

I need Thee, precious Jesus,
For I am full of sin;
My soul is dark and guilty,
My heart is dead within:
I need the cleansing fountain,
Where I can always flee,
The blood of Christ most precious,
The sinner's perfect plea.

I need Thee, precious Jesus,
For I am very poor;
A stranger and a pilgrim,
I have no earthly store:
I need the love of Jesus
To cheer me on my way,
To guide my doubting footsteps,
To be my strength and stay.

I need Thee, precious Jesus,
I need a friend like Thee,
A friend to soothe and pity,
A Friend to care for me:
I need the heart of Jesus
To feel each anxious care,
To tell my every trial,
And all my sorrows share.

I came across this hymn this morning as I was practicing. It spoke to my heart in a special way. I wanted to share it's words with you.

Hebrews 4:14-16
Seeing then we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
For we have not an high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy to help in time of need.

The Lord has seen fit to visit our family with physical, bodily trials recently. Steven's mom has had stroke-like symptoms, difficulty breathing and walking; she has also suddenly begun to lose her hearing. His dad has just this week gotten word from his doctors that he will have to go through some extensive surgery to remove his artificial hip, clear an infection and once again have his hip replaced. He will be enduring 6-9 months of recovery and rehab.

When these trials of life come our way, what are we to do? How should we respond? Are we justified in becoming angry with God for allowing these things, for not exercising His sovereignty by keeping these things from us? I will borrow words from our Brother Paul--GOD FORBID!!!

Romans 8 is often quoted during times of difficulties..."All things work together for good...." I think that we often forget the rest of that verse and the verses following. "All things work together for good to them that are called according to HIS PURPOSE. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn of many brethren." (Rom. 8:28, 29)

What a rest we will experience when we learn that these hard things come because it is God's purpose to make us into the image of His Son, our Christ!!! Is there any greater reward?

I know that this lesson is not easy to learn. Submission to providence is easily talked, taught and preached about, but to actually put it into practice-- What a glorious accomplishment that is-- an accomplishment impossible to attain outside of God's goodness and grace and the empowering of the Spirit!

Romans 8:35-
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
NAY, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

My prayer is that I would find my rest(trust) in Jesus my Lord, that my heart would be submissive to God's hand in my life and my family, and that I would not entertain one errant thought towards my Saviour. Christ died for my sin; He has seen fit to make me His daughter. Can I do anything else, but trust and obey and follow on though I cannot see the path, though I do not understand the way? If ever He loved me once, I KNOW, without any doubt, that He will love me always, even unto eternity. I can take my burdens, my needs, my failures and unfaithfulness to Him and KNOW that Jesus will hear, forgive and give me strength to persevere!

My question for all of you today is this: What are the trials of your heart and life today? Are you trying to figure things out in your own strength or are you looking to Jesus, trusting that "He doeth all things well"? Are you trusting Him to provide?

I hope and pray that you will find some comfort in the thoughts I have shared today, but more importantly, in reading God's word and searching these things out for yourself. My desire is to be a help to others because of all that God has brought me through already and all He is teaching me now. May my God be glorified today through me!

Thoughts and questions on prayer -- taken from my pastor's Wednesday evening devotion--

What do we ask from the Lord when we go to him in prayer? Are we concerned with His glory, His holiness? Or are we merely focused on setting our needs before Him? Yes, we are supposed to ask that we may receive, but should all our focus be on ourselves, or is prayer more than that?

In Matthew 6, we find the Lord's model prayer. Notice that Jesus himself begins with petitioning the Father for the holiness of His name--"Hallowed be thy name." Is our heart's desire the holiness, the sanctifying of God's name?

As my pastor shared with us last night, we can only pray our heart's desires. This requires us to train our hearts and minds to seek, not just our needs and the needs of our brethren, but the holiness of God! "Seek ye first the kingdom of God."

Do our lives, our prayers, our actions reveal our desire to see God's name glorified and preeminent?

Do our lives, the way we live, the things we do, the choices we make express the desires we bring before God in prayer? Are we hypocrites that pray one thing in our closets, but live a life completely opposite of all that we've just asked from God?

We must live our lives in such a way to sanctify the name of God and honor Him above all! From Pastor Scott's message last night, "We can only make a difference when we ARE different!" This difference begins, not with our hearts, but with God's word! Desire it, live it, give an account of it!

"Our Father, who art in heaven, sanctify thy name!"

New links...Explanation for my lack of blogging! :)

Hey everyone! I've been surfing around the web and have discovered two more encouraging, educational sites.

The first is "Girl Talk." While I haven't read everything these women have to share, I've been impressed with what I have read. It is at least a place where Christian women in all walks of life can find some encouragement in the everyday things!

I also added a link to CBMW, The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. Again, I have not perused the entire site, but I did come acroos some helpful resources. I hope you will take the time to check it out.


My life has been unusually full the past few weeks, but I will be trying to post something a bit more personal soon! The Lord has been dealing with me about keeping my priorities straight, and this blog has to come after many other responsibilities! So, be patient with me. There will be more normal posts soon!