Devotional Thoughts Update, Continuing

The Word for You Today


1.  The benefits of memorizing scripture:

• prayer life strengthened
• witnessing more effective
• counseling more in demand
• changed outlook
• mind becomes more alert
• enhanced confidence
• faith solidified

2.  How to memorize scripture:

• choose a time free from outside distractions
• repeat the reference every time you repeat the passage
• read each verse several times, as a whisper and out loud
• break passage into natural phrases, learn one phrase at a time, adding phrases 
• learn a portion perfectly rather than a long passage poorly
• review verse throughout the day, several times
• use the verse, speaking it orally in conversations, in opportune moments, in your daily situations

3.  God Will Bring You Through

• you must listen to God, not man
• God's purpose overcomes man's plans
• whatever you've lost, God can restore

4.  Empowered for a Purpose

• you must spend time in God's presence building a relationship with Him, then carry His Word to those hurting around you
• God has only one reason for filling you with His Spirit, that's to pour you out in service to others

I Chronicles

• ...get to know the God of your fathers.  Worship and serve Him with a clean heart and a willing mind, for the Lord sees every heart and understand and knows every thought.  If you seek Him, you will find Him. (28:9)
• ...who will follow my example?  Who will give himself and all that he has to the Lord?  (29:5)
• Everything we have has come from you, and we only give you what is yours already!  For we are here but for a moment...our days on earth are like a shadow, gone so soon, without a trace.  (29:4-5)

Romans

• We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials for we know that they are good for us---they help us to learn to be patient.  And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady.  Then, when that happens, we are able to hold our heads high no matter what happens and know that all is well, for we know how dearly God loves us, and we feel this warm love everywhere within us because God has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.  (5:3-5)
• ...the more we see our sinfulness, the more we see God's abounding grace forgiving us.  (5:20)

Psalm

• Lord, who may go and find refuge and shelter in your tabernacle up on your holy hill?  Anyone who leads a blameless life and is truly sincere.  Anyone who refuses to slander others, does not listen to gossip, never harms his neighbor, speaks out against sin, criticizes those committing it, commends the faithful followers of the Lord, keeps a promise even if it ruins him, does not crush his debtors with high interest rates, and refuses to testify against the innocent despite the bribes offered him---such a man shall stand firm forever.  (15:1-5)

Devotional Thoughts Update

I'm way behind on my devotional thoughts.  While the girls were here, I concentrated on their activities, but I still had my daily devotionals.  It may take more than this one blog to get them up to date, but with it being 98 degrees out, I think I'll stay inside and blog some.


The Word For You Today:

• Looking forward to better days?  When your desire to go forward becomes greater than the memories of your past, you will begin to live again
• You will win!  With every opportunity God gives you there comes obstacles, but you must rise above them.  That is how you grow and mature.  The most secure place in the world is in the center of God's will.
• Real growth requires seasons of struggle as well as seasons of success.  Seasons of struggle destroy pride in your own ability and increases your dependence on God.
• It's time to move on.  To get beyond the past, you must forgive...and keep no forgiving until the past no longer has a hold on you.
• Closing the door the right way involves:  closing the door with grace; with forgiveness; with promises fulfilled; with courage; in God's timing.  When God closes the door, it's time to move into the future He has prepared for you.
• Your destiny is a desire that won't let you go.  It will be more than a job, it will be joy.
• Giving your best means rising up early and prepare for the challenges of the day through being with Jesus; and it focuses on endurance, not speed.
• Nothing will change in your life until it first changes in your mind.  God sees you as a new creation, so start thinking and acting like one!
• You can change your family without argument or discussion...do it through prayer.  You can do nothing of eternal value until you have prayed.
• It's wonderful what God can do in just one day (recall creation), so give Him all the days you have left.

Proverbs

• The man of few words and settled mind is wise; therefore even a fool is thought to be wise when he is silent.  It pays him to keep his mouth shut.  (17:27-28)

Psalms

• God is kind and merciful, slow to get angry, full of love.(145:8)
• The Lord is fair in everything he does, and full of kindness.  He is close to all who call on him sincerely.  He fulfills the desires of those who reverence and trust him.  He hears their cries for help and rescues them.  He protects all those who love him, but destroys the wicked.  (145:17-20)

Romans

• So, it is that we are saved by faith in Christ, and not by the good things we do.  (3:28)
• Being saved is a gift; if a person could earn it be being good, then it wouldn't be free---but it is!  It is given to those who do not work for it.  For God declares sinners to be good in his sight if they hive faith in Christ to save them from God's wrath.  (5:5)

What a Week that Was!

The girls went home over a week ago, and I have not had a moment to update their last couple of days.  We were at the beginning of our annual district conventions and Family Camp as Daddy and the girls headed back home on Sunday, July 10th.  Let me finish their visit first.


On their last Friday here, I bribed them into helping me clean and organize their stuff, their room before going to the beach.  We had run into Vicksburg for a little shopping and errands run, and Grandpa was at a golf tournament all day that day.  Princess helped me make some chocolate scotcheroos and a fruit salad that day, and Big Sis made the key lime pie.  We were planning a big dinner for Daddy the next day.


We got the rooms cleaned and the bags packed, and then, true to my promise, I took them to the beach for two hours...twice as long as usual.  Daddy arrived in the night, and slept in a little bit the next morning.  We had our big dinner at noon, and then Princess and I took a nap while Big Sis spent her last time at the Craft Barn.  Grandpa, Daddy, and us girls all took a pontoon boat ride in the late afternoon, and then went to Jaspare's for subs and pasta for supper. We hit the snack bar for ice cream, and then watched our last movie together.


Sunday morning Daddy and girls headed back home with a very loaded car.  I sent all of the ceramics home with them, along with a shelf unit to display some of them.  They arrived safely back home in the late afternoon.  We sure missed them this past week!  Life isn't the same without two girls coming up the stairs in the morning to give me a hug and a big smile and twinkly eyes.  Even the dogs have missed their attention.  We are still adjusting to the quiet life again.


Sunday morning was the first Sunday of our annual Family Camp, and our District Supt., Dr. John Seaman, was the speaker.  That night was the ordination service, the kick-off of the annual District Assembly, which ran through Monday.


Monday night our Family Camp speaker was Dr. James Diehl, and he shared the pulpit with Dr. Bob Broadbooks, alternating each night/morning.  Our Bible teacher was Dr. Chic Shaver.  I tried to attend most morning services and evening services, working at the office in between.  It was a full week.  The musicians were the Michigan District Music leaders across the district...a praise team of strong leaders and voices.


Our friends, Bonnie and Fred, from Florida had arrived while the girls were here, and they are spending two months in our cottage next door.  They have many friends on the grounds...lots of social outlets.  The cottage porch is such a great gathering place.  


The camp meeting services were very well attended, and they were very Spirit anointed!  Many at the altar this past week.  May God continue to work in their lives as they leave the mountain top and head back to the main stream of life.  I did get to some of the 7 a.m. prayer meetings also...a great way to start the day.  My friends Judy and Kay were here staying with their mother, so I had plenty of time to visit with them throughout the week also.  


Now we have a week off before our next youth camp comes from Chicago Central District, and then a week of Girls' Camp and then our final camp of the summer...Boys' Camp.  After Family Camp, we feel like we've crested and started back down the hill to a less busy time on the campgrounds.  But we do still have those three camps, and then a big hoopla Labor Day weekend, when we will have the Nazarene Evangelists' Gathering for the first time.  That will be a great time!


One reason I haven't blogged for a while is that our Internet at home was down/disabled.  I need to blog my daily devotional material from June 26 to date, but just not feeling like it right now.  Perhaps another day this week.  It's going to triple digit heat index for a while, so staying inside may give me an opportunity to get the blog up to date soon.  Thanks for checking in.

And the Beat Goes On!!

With only a couple of days left with the girls, I want to capture the last two days before I forget our activities.  What I am not capturing, and I wish I would, are the cute expressions, the cute sayings, thoughts, the creative ways both girls have in living every day life.  It's like you have to be there to truly enjoy it.  So I stick mostly with activities, but life is so much fuller with all the chatter and antics that go on along with the activities and the down times.


Tuesday evening the girls helped me out in the yard, weeding, dead-heading flowers, spraying for weeds and bugs, and watering.  We did half the front yard on Tuesday night, and half the front yard on Wednesday night.  It looks very lovely.


Wednesday we went to Meijers to do our shopping, and did our banking in Vicksburg (for the office), and mailed the flip flops out to Susan.  Paid $1 for them at a yard sale, and $6.45 to ship them.  But they were orange, her favorite color, and she couldn't be with us this year for family festival, so we wanted to let her know we were thinking of her as we went to the yard sales on our golf cart.


Most of this week I have been going to office for a couple of hours in the morning (6-8) and again in the evening (7-9) to try to keep up with my work out there.  The girls stay with Grandpa during those times.  


We've had terrific beach weather this week, so that's been a daily activity, in the afternoons for an hour or so each day.  Big Sis has been riding her bike almost every day.  Today she put together a ceramic vase she made last year and some wild flowers she picked here on the grounds and made a nice arrangement for Miss Nancy, her housekeeping friend.  Tonight she took a bike ride with her, and Princess took a golf cart ride with her.  


We delivered brownies to Miss Dorris and Miss Kitty this morning, and we shared some with Miss Norma after she spent time with the girls at the playground and riding bikes.  


We put out our yard sale again today, and kept adding things as we cleaned the basement (girls' room) and went through outgrown clothes.  Our trip to the beach today was with two of the Lewis girls, long time friends of the girls.  Both of those girls and another friend of Aria's all got to choose a Barbie Doll from the collection we got at the yard sale last weekend.  It's a great way of the girls learning to give and share, which they do very well.  Both girls are so loving and caring...not selfish nor self-focused.  


Princess pretty much has John 3:16 memorized, as well as the Lord's Prayer (from last year's Grandma Camp).  She's had fun taking a bunch of pillows and making a "house" around her room and bed downstairs.  She even has a storm shelter under her bed!  


Well...two more days.  We're having too much fun, which will soon come to a close for this year.  But every moment has been a memory!

Family Festival and Beyond

Sunday morning when we got to the Tabernacle for the morning service, we found that there were 105 children that would be marching around the Tabernacle waving the American Flag in honor of celebrating our American freedom.  Little Princess decided she wanted to be part of that.  When the march was done, the children went to the Learning Center for their own service, but Princess decided to stay with us and Big Sis.


When the service was over, we headed to the Dining Hall for our Sunday dinner.  After dinner, we rested for a while before taking a pontoon boat ride on Indian Lake.  It takes about an hour to go around the lake at a leisurely pace.  We saw lots of boats, jet skis, tubing, a fun packed lake!


Sunday evening we went to the Olivetians' (Olivet Nazarene University) concert at the Tabernacle.  Sunday morning our building was packed, probably 1500 people there.  Sunday night the crowd size was about 400 or so.  Still a good turn out for a holiday weekend night.  Following the concert (Princess fell asleep) we went to the snack bar.


Since I couldn't sleep well, I finally went to the office at 3 am to catch up on some work.  I came back home and went to bed at 5:30, and slept a couple of hours.  Monday was a full day, and I needed to be part of it.  Big Sis was back in the Craft Barn while Princess rode the ponies....about six times!  It was a free pony ride, and the line was short.  We had lunch at the snack bar, and then I took the girls to the beach for an hour.  They had friends to play with, and the time went by too fast for them!


I had mowing to do after supper, so Grandpa took the girls to the ball field to practice golf club swings with wiffle balls.  At dusk we went out on the pontoon boat to watch fireworks for a couple of hours.  Quite a show, both Sunday and Monday nights!  


Today we slept late this morning, watched a video and played around the house a bit.  We set up a yard sale, donations only, and we took down the 4th of July decorations.  We made some cookies, and then after lunch went back to the beach with our new friends (the Smalley children).  Princess is napping right now, and Big Sis is watching a movie (Chitty, Chitty, Bank-Bang).  This should take us up to supper time.  Now I need a nap!!

Family Festival 2011 - Part 1

Every year over the 4th of July (or weekend closest to the 4th) ILNC puts on a three day Family Festival to celebrate our freedom and our families being together.  This has been a tradition for over 25 years.  When it started we tried to bring our boys up to the campground to visit their grandparents, and to take part in the festivities.  


As they left home, married, moved to other states, we made it a family tradition to set aside those first few days in July to all meet at Indian Lake Nazarene Campground.  No matter where we lived in the United States, July 4th was the time for us to come together to celebrate that we are family, and to be grateful for our freedom.  I think this may be the first year that our sons are not here, just our granddaughters...but at least we have the girls!!


Family Festival activities kicked off yesterday morning at 8:30 at the ILNC Breakfast Buffet at the Dining Hall.  Prior to that there had been a 5K walk/run (which we did not participate in...perhaps in future years).  After breakfast there was a Bike Around the Lake, which we also did not do, nor were we involved in the Volley Ball and Basketball Tournaments, nor the Dodge Ball Tournament.  Instead, the girls chose to spend their time in the Craft Barn painting ceramics....something they've been doing for two weeks, but love it enough to keep starting new projects.  I bought a small shelf unit just to display their ceramics, and it's already overloaded!!  Oh, we did go to garage sales on the grounds also...didn't get much.


While Big Sis stayed at the Craft Barn, Little Princess chose to go on the Extreme Obstacle Course (inflatable), play Air Ball (another inflatable), and do the Quad Bungee Bounce.  She was too small to do the Bumper Cards, and chose not to do the Climbing Wall and Zip Line.  She also rode a toy tractor in the Kiddie Car Races.


It was so hot yesterday...93, with a heat index of 102.  We kept drinking water, and finding places in the shade, and riding around with Grandpa on the golf cart to cool off.  Our lunch was at the Snack Bar.  Other events we did not participate in was the Indy 5oo Golf Cart Race, the Horseshoe Tournament, and the Outside Family Flick after dark.  Oh...Big Sis did go on the Zip Line twice in the afternoon.  Flying through the air was another fine way to cool off!.  We went to Vicksburg to Jaspare's Pizza for supper.  The girls ordered spaghetti, while we had a pizza.


The other event that we did participate in, thanks to Big Sis, was enter Tuxedo and Miss Kefli (our two small black dogs) in the Dog & Pet Show.  They were dressed for the occasion (hat for Keflie, scarf for Tux), and they performed some tricks (speak, play dead, sit, shake).  They ended up winning a red ribbon for second place!  They were very hot, though, and needed to get back into air conditioning.  


After supper I went to the Smith and Smith oldies, but goodies concert while the girls helped Grandpa prepare the tabernacle for this morning's service.  And it is time to head on out to service...so I will complete this in part 2, when Family Festival 2011 is over (Monday night).

Friday - July 1, 2011

Wow...half of 2011 is over.  Time just keeps picking up the pace as the band plays on!


Yesterday was a more relaxed day.  I spent a little bit of time at the office, but mostly I just spent it with the girls.  We headed into Vicksburg to do banking and shopping, and we stopped at two garage sales along the way.  Both girls made some nice purchases with their own money.  I bought a small shelf unit for their ceramic display, and it's already full!


After lunch we headed to the beach for a couple of hours...very relaxing time.  Then it was time for Big Sis to work at the Craft Barn until supper time.  Princess and I watched a video and she rode her bike around the block and we walked the dogs.  


After supper I cleaned the cottage next door for my nephew and his wife who are coming in from California for the Family Festival this weekend.  They will be here until Monday.  The girls stayed with Grandpa, doing whatever they chose to do, until it was time once again for Big Sis to head back to the Craft Barn.  I visited her at work to see what her chores were and to observe the ceramics she is working on.  She so enjoys being over there, and loves painting ceramics!  She's made some for friends, choosing their favorite animal and color.


We made it an early to bed night for Princess.  She watched "Winnie the Pooh" and then went to bed and fell asleep very quickly.  She had purchased a Queen's crown at one garage sale and wore it to lunch, and she had a sun dress on today, so she looked very much the Princess.  She liked to wear the crown upside down.  She also purchased her own Barbie doll with a purple dress...purple being her favorite color.  She bought a bag of beads and a little purple pouch.  The big purchase was a play oven that really bakes, along with a play mixer and blender and two baking packages (cookies).  I have a feeling we'll be baking today.


Big Sis bought a soft green pillow, a make-up kit, and a furry white cat that looks real.  We tried to buy a dresser for her room back home, but it sold just as we got there.  We'll keep looking.  


Today is the beginning of our annual 4th of July celebration, called Family Festival.  It will run through Monday, and each day there are plenty of activities going on.  There will be many garage sales here on the campgrounds the next few days.  Senior High camp will dismiss after lunch, and the weekend crowd will start filling in.  We usually have about 3,000 people here...our largest event of the year.  


I'm excited for the people to see our renovations and new sports equipment.  We have redone the snack bar, the four unit efficiency cabins, and the tabernacle bath.  Our District Superintendent's cottage is in the process of being painted.  Our new sports equipment are:  Frisbee golf, tether ball, nine square, human Foosball.  We also dressed up the playground with fresh bark.  Indian Lake Nazarene Campground is a great place to be!!  For sure, the girls love it here!