Blessings Abound

Giving thanks today in community today.

For your many gifts Lord, the abundant blessings ... thank you.

A party to celebrate the first birthday of a little one who the doctors didn't expect to do well (if she lived at all) ... let alone thrive!

Peeking into the sanctuary yesterday to see if our extended family had arrived, and seeing my father-in-law in the pew surrounded by his grandchildren. No small miracle, as this is the 2nd time that he's been to church in 14 years.

Prayer ... watching my father-in-law walking down the hallway to the pastor's office yesterday with a group of men (and the miracle that he actually willingly went with them)... Later hearing my husband tearfully share how these precious men of God lifted up his father (who isn't a Christian, yet) to the Lord, and how my husband only happened to go into the office by chance, as the gentleman he was talking with was called for...he had no idea he would find his father there, surrounded by godly men, praying for him. Hearing how he saw the evidence of the work of the Spirit as his father left that office in tears. Praise you Father, for obedient, Spirit-led men of God!

A legacy handed down. Hearing the passionate words of a young man at church last night as he stood up and shared how thankful he was for the church, that he was welcomed and accepted, and felt at home; and then shared how he would not forget the legacy that his father left him, that he was raised better than he was living, and was right then turning to Christ and living for Him ... a poor retelling of a beautiful moment to be sure. But, a very clear reminder that those words of Proverbs ring true- Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. And also these words from Ephesians 6:4 -
Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. Clearly, this young man's father heeded these commands, and though his son wandered away; his father's teaching, and the work of the Spirit brought him back home.

Obedience to the Lord's voice, as our pastor stood up last night and said, "God said, "Let my people speak tonight, you will be surprised by what you hear." so I have no sermon for you. I want some of you to tell not only what the Lord has done for you, but why that makes you want to do something for Him." The testimony of the young man above is only one of the amazing things that were brought forth last night. All because one man chose to listen to that small voice and obey. May I be so quick to move out of my comfort zone and obey His voice!

Monday morning mess - a sign of family life, and lots of it!

Singing birds

Autumn breezes

Cousins giggling

Tea kettle boiling

Holiday preparations

A few moments to think and write, and give thanks

For these blessings, Father, thank you. May I in turn be a blessing to others.

Care to join in the thanks giving or read other gratitude journal posts? Stop by Holy Experience today, you'll be glad you did!

Finding Joy in the Simple Things

Thank you, Lord for the joy that comes from enjoying the simple things of life with those I love.

Gathering leaves, a simple activity that opened our eyes once again to the beauty of God's creation that often goes unnoticed. What an array of color, size, shape ... simply amazing!

A picnic in the park after church. Simply delightful!

Simple food- cheese, bread, olives, grapes. Simply delicious!

Simple drink- water, pure and clean, a gift we take for granted. Many do not have this simple blessing; but we who do can help provide it for them. (click here to see how)

Simply beautiful dessert- Banana nut muffins, a gift from one of the homeless gentlemen to my children after church yesterday. The homeless giving food to the minister's well-fed family ... He who has so little, giving what he does have away to those who already possess so much. A glimpse of the Joy to be found in the upside-down Kingdom of God! May I always be so eager to bless others with whatever I find in my hands. (update: I discovered last night that Danny isn't technically "homeless". ... Humbling to realize that because I see him at the shelter, the soup kitchen, and wandering the streets in his wheelchair, I just "assumed" he was homeless. No, he does have a room in one of the boarding houses in the neighborhood ... I'm not sure it is a lot better than the shelter, however; he just has to pay to stay there. At any rate, he has very little compared to my family; and it was such a wonderful example of using what you have in your hands to bless someone else, even if it is a little container of muffins that you were given at the soup kitchen. His gift to my children (and me) was priceless.

Finally, a simple grace from a children's book of prayers that says it so sweetly:

Thank you for the world so sweet,
Thank you for the food we eat,
Thank you for the birds that sing,
Thank you, God, for everything!
~Edith Rutter Leatham

Yes, Lord thank you for everything, we are so very blessed. May we all find Joy in Your Presence this day.


Giving thanks in community today, care to join us? Visit Holy Experience today.

A Thankful Heart

The unthankful heart... discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweep through the day and, as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings! ~Henry Ward Beecher

So much to give thanks for ... the lovely as well as the unlovely.

Just a few things from yesterday, my Monday was a bit manic, but I still wanted to participate in giving thanks in community...

sleepy girls who preferred to snuggle in bed rather than greet the sunrise with Mom- We have that liberty as they learn all day everyday in our "home school", so there is no need to hurry out the door to "school".

living room scattered with toys- A sight which made my husband comment that the living room looks like we've got a bunch of kids living here, as he picked his way thru the maze of their playthings, how lonely this house would be without the sounds and sights of children playing.

cereal strewn kitchen floor - A testimony of the Healer's power, as the little strewer (my niece)has far outperformed the doctor's prognosis and is eating and creating messes with great joy; and I try to remember that every mess she makes is a gift.

counter filled with dishes waiting to be washed- yes, we have plenty of good food, something that should not be taken for granted.

2 birdcages in serious need of cleaning- homes to birds that start the day singing, a reminder that we should be so joyful.

roses fading in water-filled vases- a gift for my girls for helping someone last week. They love to help others, and are a great reminder to always do what you can, even if it is a very small something.

Just a few snippets of life at the Love home this week, all things for which to be thankful for.




Care to join us in giving thanks? Stop by Holy Experience today and join the Gratitude Community.

How to Pray: For Beginners

Prayer is as natural an expression of faith as breathing is of life. ~ Jonathan Edwards

I agree, but in the beginning, the discipline of prayer sometimes doesn't come easily.

Thankfully, God knows and understands our frailty to even pray, and sends the Spirit to intercede for us.

In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;
and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. Romans 8:26-27



O God, forgive the poverty and the pettiness of our prayers. Listen not to our words but to the yearnings of our hearts. Hear beneath our petitions the crying of our need. ~ Peter Marshall

Never let the enemy tell you your prayers aren't "good enough" for God. Think how delighted we are when our children utter those first attempts at words. I think our Father feels the same joy when His children first attempt to voice their prayers. Just breathing His name is enough to get His attention, and the blessing of His Presence.

Showing up is the first step. "I'm here, Lord." After all, it is communion and relationship that He wants from us. He already knows our needs ... He wants our time and our hearts!

Call out His name ... Lord Jesus. He will answer!

Changing Seasons

For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together. For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad. ~ Edwin Way Teale

Our family is spending the first days of autumn gathering together ... packing up our household for a move into the city.

Once there, like nature, we plan to do some sowing and scattering abroad ... seeds of love and life in any bit of fertile soil we find! We are also noting promising spots for the next community garden project. I've got a couple of favorites selected, now to convince others that this will work ...

Our move should simplify life for us. It will put us closer to where we need to be, give us more free time as we won't be spending hours driving back and forth each week, and in general just be a better place for us to dwell.

I may be absent for a while, but will return when I've got the Love Nest properly fluffed and in order.

Autumn Blessings!

New Beginnings

Pondering this beautiful post and the Lord's timing today. Ann has such a lovely way of expressing her thoughts, it's always a joy to read her words.
Today's entry touched me deeply, as the Jewish New Year will also be a day of new beginnings for my family. As only the Lord can do, He orchestrated it beautifully without me having a clue until I read today's post at Holy Experience.
You see, on Saturday my husband and I have a very important meeting. In our realm, it is called a Church Planter Assessment. What that means is that we get to spend the hours from 12:00-3:00 pm answering lots of questions from our local director of missions, a representative from our state convention, a fellow pastor, and perhaps others. It promises to be somewhat nerve wracking for this woman who prefers the comfort of a backspace button to correct her frequent errors of speech. Nevertheless, this assessment will help these gentlemen see where we are in regards to our church plant, and prayerfully will encourage the entities represented to provide my husband with financial support so that he may spend more time on ministry and less time working 2 jobs to provide for his family.
Regardless of what happens in the assessment (which we have been assured will go great, no worries), this new season promises to be one of great change and challenge for us. Some changes have already taken place, many more will come in just a few short weeks, and I know the Lord has some planned that He will surprise us with at just the right time!
In light of the new year, the new season, I think a celebration is in order. I'll be perusing the links in Ann's post again and reading my copy of Celebrating Biblical Feasts to put together a little Rosh Hashanah observance for our family.
If your family observes the Biblical feasts and holidays, I'd love to hear how you celebrate them.
And, if the Holy Spirit leads ... Would you whisper a little prayer for us in the coming days?