Peace

It is unusual for us to see a dove at our birdbath. This one looks quite fluffy and stayed around long enough for some photos on Saturday.

On Sunday I was reading a devotional by John MacArthur called Drawing Near and on this day the title of the devotion was The Cushion of Peace.

I’ll share part of what I read and found so encouraging.

…”Christians can experience a cushion of peace in their souls regardless of their troubled surroundings. That’s because they belong to God, who is the source of peace; serve Christ, who is the Prince of Peace; and are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, who is the agent of peace. Galatians 5:22 says, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, [and] peace.” When you become a Christian, God grants you the gift of peace…

God is not only the source of perfect peace, but also its purest example…

God wants everyone to know that kind of peace. He created the world with peace and sent His Son to offer peace. Someday Christ will return to establish His kingdom and reign in peace for eternity…”

My prayer for you is that you have this cushion of peace.

John 14:27

27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Truth for Today #9

Thursday March 3rd

On Thursdays my posts will include verses that stood out in my readings from the Bible during the week. One, two, three or maybe more. If you have a verse/verses that you read during the week and would like share, leave it/them in the comments and I will add it/them to the post. Let’s dig deep in God’s Truth this year!

John 14:27
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Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
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John 16:33
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I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
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Philippians 4:4-7
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Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
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From Vera:
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‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭3:16-17‬ ‭ESV‬‬
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“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
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From Cheryl:
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Hebrews 7:25
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“Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” ‭‭
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From Jan C.
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Psalm 10:17-18 ESV
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“O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted;
you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear
to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,
so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.”
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From Patricia:
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Hebrews 6:10

God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.

Galatians 6:2

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Surprise!

Dan, Jamie and Addy surprised us royally with an unexpected stop at our house on their way home from a vacation on the Oregon Coast. All our kids knew about this surprise that was on it’s way. They kept Dear and me in the dark until they pulled up in our driveway. We were shocked in a happy happy joy joy way! We enjoyed them under our roof for 20 hours before they made the final leg of their journey home.

We gave Addy time with mommy so she could get used to her new surroundings after spending 8 hours in the car traveling up from the Oregon coast.

I got lots of snuggles and kissed those cheeks and when I wasn’t holding her I was snapping some photos. She spent some time getting reacquainted with Gramps.

Aunt Katie blocked Addy’s escape route off the blanket while Addy stretched and scooted getting some good exercise before it was time to go to sleep.

Time for jammies with a little prayer that she’d be able to sleep through the night after a few rough nights in Oregon. Thankfully Addy was able to sleep through the night and was ready for lots of visiting and attention on Saturday.

Aunties and Uncles arrived for our Swedish Pancakes breakfast and we took turns being entertained by Addy. Addy was very interested in her aunties and uncles. Auntie Laura got some extra noises and raspberries from Addy.

She can really move and scoot and push herself up on all fours.

Uncle Josh got some good snuggles in and Addy was very interested in his beard.

She is active and curious and strong.

It was like Christmas in August. We traditionally take a walk after Swedish Pancakes on Christmas morning. We took this selfie after our morning walk to burn some of the calories we added up at breakfast. Addy is under the white hat in her baby carrier having fallen asleep during our walk. I borrowed some of these photos from Laura.

She looked a bit dazed when we pulled her out of the front pack waking her up. Addy loves to stick her tongue out, blow raspberries and work those eyebrows of hers.

Expressing herself with Auntie Katie.

She’s also on to all of us and knows when we are taking photos with our phones or cameras!

A friend of Jamie’s handed down this Johnny Jump-Up which has proven be be enjoyable for Addy. We had one years ago for Josh and Dan. We never tried it for Katie. They really have improved the design with extra padding and comfort.

It was a quick overnight visit and the kids were in some horrendous traffic heading home over the pass. Thank you Dan, Jamie and Addy for going the extra miles to visit us and enduring the horrible traffic you encountered going home! See you in two weeks! This time we’ll do the driving.

Hoping for God’s Peace to all who visit my blog!

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. John 14:27 (ESV)

Are you going to try to see the eclipse tomorrow with the proper eye protection? We will get a partial eclipse in the Seattle area from just after 9am until 11ish. It kind of makes me nervous. We are going to don two of Dear’s welding helmets and sit on some lawn chairs  in our back yard and see what we can see. Time will tell how long we last…

P is for Pop!

I just returned last night from a week in Southern California. This is my dear old Pop. He is 92 years old and he is living with my sister Kathy and her family. We had lunch together on Sunday and enjoyed some story telling from him on his family’s escape out of Russia to Persia in the early 30’s and his time living in Iran before he, my mom and sister Kathy immigrated to the U.S.A. I provided dessert for our meal together which happened to be a pastry ring that looked a lot like this Bear Claw Pastry I bought from the same bakery on Saturday morning on my way to the hospital to see my BIL. Proof is in the Pudding on my re-fluffing.

The name of this bakery caught my eye because of Pondside’s name for her husband on her blog…The Great Dane!

My Pop had stood up from the table to go get more comfortable as my sister opened the box that the pastry ring came in and he looked at it and promptly sat down again saying “Oh!” He really enjoyed the pastry with soft yummy dough like my mom used to bake.

Since we are on the letter P for ABC Wednesday started by Mrs. Nesbitt and carried on by Roger and the ABC team here are a few more P’s I encountered in Southern California.

I was staying with my sister Vera in Huntington Beach and took a walk down to the beach my last morning in town where these palm trees line PCH (Pacific Coast Highway).

My BIL is still in very serious condition and I thank you for your prayers, a very powerful P word. Prayers are supporting my BIL, sister and their children as they pass through this storm. In the midst of the storm God is our Peace.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. John 14:27 (ESV)

Peonies and Purple Blooms

Time for ABC Wednesday and the letter P! Thank you Mrs. Nesbitt, Roger and the whole ABC Team!

I love all the shades of purple that are growing in my yard right now. My lilac blooms are almost full.

Pansies and the ground cover have purple blooms.

I have the promise of more peonies this year than last.

More perennials that are purple.

And here’s my Bible Verse Card for the Letter P!

And on the subject of peace here are some words from the Prince of Peace, Jesus;

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” John 14:27

I’m continuing to enjoy a peaceful week at this old house. We had some very warm weather here on Monday. It reached 76 degrees in our town. Tuesday is another story. Hopefully I’ll be able to mow the lawn before the rain comes in.

Do you have promises of more blooms in your yard?