Thankful Thursday-Good Friday

This week I have been reading over the words to a song that has been running through my mind…and playing on my iPod.  Good music is a great way to focus on God’s truths.  It helps to fill my mind with right thinking about God.  This song, So High the Price,  has helped me focus on the deep love that caused Jesus to extend His mercy and His grace to provide salvation.  One of the lessons I have learned in studying Genesis this year is that when God created the world for mankind, His most precious creation, He did so knowing that man would choose their own way over a relationship with Him.  Knowing this, He planned salvation first, so that a relationship with God can still take place.  The price would be His Son’s sacrificial death in my place.  The cost was high.  His love overwhelms me and His grace and mercy are lavishly given! 

Lord of glory, reigning in His majesty
Ruling long before the worlds were formed
Yet when darkness claimed His own
He stepped from heaven’s throne
To bear a cross and wear a crown of thorns

So high the price He paid, the nails, the cross , the grave
Such pardon He bestowed, such grace he showed
No greater sacrifice, He gave His very life
So deep the love, so high the price

Son of God so willingly He took our place
Clothed in robes of frail humanity
Fragile flesh and blood, priceless crimson flood
Offered up for sin at Calvary

So high the price He paid, the nails, the cross , the grave
Such pardon He bestowed, such grace he showed
No greater sacrifice, He gave His very life
So deep the love, so high the price

Buried like a beggar in a borrowed tomb
Everything for nothing so it seemed
But death could never stand
Against the nail-scarred hands
And power of heaven’s resurrected king

So high the price He paid, the nails, the cross , the grave
Such pardon He bestowed, such grace he showed
No greater sacrifice, He gave His very life
So deep the love, so high the price

Easter Cards

I could have included this on my last post but I thought it might be a little long.  Here are my Easter cards I made for my kids and family.  They might just see it here before they actually hold it.  Like I mentioned in my last post, I tend to be running late!

This is the card I pinned from Pinterest.

It is from a blog I like to visit, Dawn’s Stamping Thoughts.  I just changed the sentiment.  I really liked the purple and yellow together, even though my paper was different. 

Then I decided I wanted to change the sentiment to a Bible verse.  So I printed it out from my computer onto different colored paper.

Today in my mailbox I got two cards from Elaine and Nolan. 

This scribble is from Nolan

And this if from Elaine.  Do you see the capital letter E ?

You know I’m going to enjoy this book mark!

Cards and letters are just hard to replace with email and texts!  Hope you enjoy something that comes in the mail this week!

Easter Fun

This post is just some fun stuff I have made for Easter this year.  One good thing (and the list is not long) about always running behind is that this banner I started last year was easy to complete this year!  Here is the idea I saw and followed. Their banner was designed to hang down on a wide ribbon.  I think that is where I went astray last year…I never bought the ribbon.  This year I didn’t take time to run to Joann’s either so I went with punching holes in the corners and hanging it over our fireplace.  I think I am a little disappointed that the letters do no stand out more…especially in a photo.  But I did like using the floral paper and  I love the spring colors.  I was thinking I might do a “He Is Risen” banner also.  Maybe I could start it this year and finish it next!

I tried to scrunch the squares up to get it in a photo.  It just was hard to capture the entire thing and to have no shadow. 

Here’s a close up of just one letter…the banner spells “easter.”

I am filling in for one of the Sunday School teachers at our church for a couple of months.  It has been fun teaching older kids.  I have the 4-6th grade girls.  I made these little treat boxes for them last week.  We won’t be having class this Sunday because of the Easter drama the church is presenting.  You can find the video tutorial for these at my chic’n scratch.  She’s one of my favorite blogs on cards and paper crafts.

I picked up a couple cute stamps at Hobby Lobby recently…thinking of my grandkids.  I love this little girl, she has a Bible in her basket.  All I did was stamp them on paper ( you know I ‘m a big stamper, right?) and punched them into tags.  I tied them to a  for a milk carton full of jelly beans for Elaine and Nolan.

I didn’t make these plants but they have been fun for me to watch this Easter season…Christmas cactus in bloom!  Last year I watered the plants for one of our residents when he leaves for the winter.  This year he is not returning.  He decided to sell and stay in Arizona.  His kids have been clearing out the house and they gave me the Christmas cactus plants…and a pretty nice wrought iron stand they set on.  I had wanted to repot them every time I went to his house and watered, they were in such small pots.  So, now I did.  I don’t know if that motivated them to bloom or just why, but bloom they have.  I find it interesting that my Christmas cactus and his are both blooming now for Easter.  Also interesting is that my cactus used to be a pink flower but it is more red now.  They are really pretty. 

I hope you do some fun things this spring and Easter!

Thankful Thursday

I think I saw this little quote on Facebook… “When you are going through hard times and you are wondering ‘Where is God?’, remember the teacher is always silent during the test.”   It has bugged me every time I think of it, I just don’t think I agree with that.  It does not seem to ring true with all the admonitions God gives in His Word to “Trust Me”.  I do believe God tests us, but I think it is always an open book test!  And I know we go through difficult things but that is not a surprise to God.  He is the one who told us,  “In this world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world!”  (John 16:33) 

How thankful I am that God does not leave us floundering about, but His Word is an anchor for our soul because it finds its hope in Jesus Himself.  I do not believe that His promise to us could be very trustworthy without that hope.  Here’s just a few of His promises that have been filling my heart and mind lately….Hebrews 13:5-6, “I will never leave you, nor forsake you.  The Lord is my helper;  I will not fear:”  Nahum 1:7, (our Mom’s favorite), “The Lord is good.  A stronghold in the day of trouble;  and He knows those who trust in Him.”  Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”  My favorite crisis verse is Psalm 9:10, “And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; for You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.”  God’s Word is full of promises to help and to not fear and to trust Him!! 

The past few weeks have been like a whirlwind for my sister Robin.  After feeling sick and going to the doctor, she went from a diagnosis of a bladder infection to gallbladder issues.  But an ultrasound revealed a large mass on one of her ovaries.  After receiving the results of an MRI, she was given an appointment with an oncologist.  Her first appointment landed her right in the hospital facing surgery.  They removed a large tumor, the size of a loaf of bread, from her ovary and did a complete hysterectomy.  She just went home on Wednesday.  So now she waits for all the pathology results. I think that all of this would be a bit overwhelming.  I am sure she and my brother in law and their family have had their moments.  But how thankful it makes me to know that their trust is that firm, soul-anchored-to- God’s Word kind.  That though the circumstances of their life are topsy turvey, their hearts are settled, trusting, and at peace. 

My sister is one that always has a big smile to share with others, regardless of what is going on and how she feels.  I love that about her.  She would do anything to help you out.  And she has done that for so many people.  You reap what you sow, and she is now reaping in these circumstances, a harvest of friends visiting, praying, loving, and doing things to help.

Whatever difficult things you are walking through right now, don’t think that God does not care or that He is just watching to see how you do on the test.  If you know Him as your Savior, He is walking right beside you.   Take the Open Book test, spend some time in the Psalms and find your own favorite scriptures you can trust and cling too.  I bet you’ll get an A+!!!

Thankful Thursday

I know the calendar says that the first day of Spring isn’t until next week, but we have had some gorgeous days yesterday and today.  I am giving into spring fever…the tulips and daffodils are pushing up through the cold hard ground and that is just how I feel.  Although we have not had a lot of snow this year, it has been a dreary winter.  I don’t remember seeing Colorado’s blue skies as much as normal.  I think I’ve had what my Mother calls the Winter Blues.  So I am very thankful for the coming of Spring this year.  The signs are everywhere, in the flower beds, on the budding trees.  I planted primrose last year.  I have planted it before at our house but for the first time, it has come back!  The robins have returned and the birds are chirping in the mornings.  You wouldn’t believe the duck action on the ponds!  The bees are waking and buzzing in the hive.  Even Gypsy seems to have a spring in her old step…she’s not so content to stay inside.  Nature seems to be getting energized and I am ready to do the same. 

Looking forward to Spring causes me to be thankful that when God created the world, seasons were a part of His plan.  I’m so thankful for the variety that each one brings.  And because I’m fickle just about the time I’m longing for a change, the season will do just that!   But for now, I am going to be thankful for the season of Spring!

Gypsy’s favorite way of spending winter days!

For lo the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone,
The flowers appear on the earth;
The time of singing has come
And the voice of the turtledove
Is heard in our land.
Song of Solomon 2:11-12