This old couple is hanging around my house. They seem to think that there will be more snow. We will see, although they are usually right. What fun to make a snowman and decorate it with various things! Good job for the young ones.

What is on your heart today? Do you feel glad to be back in routine as I do, or are you longing for the holidays to come back? No matter where we might be Jesus is the answer to every need. He promised to be our all in all. His is our joy and song, our redeemer, our provider our Prince of peace. The list goes on and on. He said that we would be complete in Him, so why do I feel so mixed up?

Often for me, I loose my focus and get off into some unknown territory because I have allowed a fear to grab hold of me and before I realize it, my eyes are on it. Next, my head moves down, and I am looking at my circumstances, and not at God. As soon as I realize this I turn back and look at Jesus, and declare that He is sovereign over me.

Fear can only grab us if we believe that it is true. I try to do the thing that I seem to be afraid of so that I can see that there is nothing to be afraid of. Of course this isn't something that I can always go head to head with, but it has worked when I can do it. I used to be so afraid of getting up to speak in front of others. The only way to break this was to do it, so I did. It's not my favorite thing, but I am more relaxed now. I used to hate calling people on the phone, so I forced myself to call others, and now it doesn't bother me. My point is that God's word tells us not to be afraid. There are 365 fear nots, in the bible, one for each day of the year. Believe God's word and put fear to rest.  "If you abide in My word, you are my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:31b-32

This bird reminds me of a little chick a dee that I saw in my garage yesterday. It was scampering around looking for food, and it probably found some crumbs in my garage! This is not the first time this has happened. I need to get some seed and put it out, away from my dogs who think everything is for them.

We think that everything is dead in the winter. I don't see it that way at all. The other day I watched four squirrels chase each others bushy tails as they played in the woods. What a winter wonderland it must have been for them! We can just imagine what they would be saying thanks to cartoons.

My point is that even when things seem dead, there is life working in them to bring them to fullness. Maybe you are going through a dormant season spiritually. Every time you pray, it seems like your prayers are bouncing off the ceiling. It doesn't seem as if God is hearing you and you wonder what is going on!

It is in these times that we are growing the most. The struggles bring us strength just as exercise builds our muscles. Nothing good happens without some good work put into it. So it is with our relationships, especially with God, because we can't see Him with our physical eyes. His presence is ever real and closer than we can grasp, but we have to put on our spiritual armor so that these truths are not stolen from us. Read the Word of God, meditate on it, keep it in your pocket, or close at hand.Ask a friend to pray with you over the phone, or through texts. I have heard some of the most beautiful prayers in a text message. Just as real and as useful as if it is spoken.  love you so much!

Hope everyone had a great weekend, and that you are braving the cold. This is my houseplant that I have had for over 10 years. It never gets too big because I haven't allowed it to. I want it to stay this size because it is easier for me to have it this way.

Sometimes I think about repotting it, but there are always more important things to do. I hope that I don't think this way about my relationship with God. Do I have more important things to do than to grow in the Lord? This is a daunting question. No, I don't think so!

I want to grow in God, and I put Him first everyday, but sometimes it takes just a little bit more prayer and studying the word to get to another understanding of His grace and truth in our lives. This doesn't have to take time out of our busy schedules, it can be as simple as carrying cards with pertinent scriptures on them to read when we have a moment.

Sometimes I will take a prayer break in the middle of all the activity by closing my eyes for a few seconds and checking in with God. This helps me to remember that I am centered in Him, and that He is closer than I could ever imagine, because He lives inside me. {I don't recommend that you try this while driving!}

My life is hid in Christ, but that doesn't mean that I am not heard or able to influence. My influence because I am in Christ is much broader and more impactful than ever before. Even in the mix of adult children living in my home!

This tree is so sweet! Decorated by children and outside for all the world to see. I hope you have had a really good week. It went fast for me, but I suppose that is always good because if you have a bad day, you know it will be over soon. A new day will come shortly and God is good to start us off afresh and anew.

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end, they are new every morning, great is your faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, says my soul, therefore I trust in Him!" {Lamentations 3:22-24}

I never expected to find this verse in Lamentations! It is so full of life, and I thought this book had a lot of crying. It does, but you never know when you will find a nugget of encouragement among hard times. In fact, some of my worse times in life have been the times when I received the most life-giving truths. I remember when going through post-partum depression I was looking out the window at the grey skies and feeling the Lord say to me, I am always just above those clouds, no matter what the skies may look like, I am always shining down on you. That was almost 15 years ago, and I still remember it clearly.

Even in our hard places we learn of God's faithfulness and love that never gives up on us. We may give up, but He is still holding us, and He never lightens His grip. What faithfulness from the Almighty one who give us grace upon grace. Sing His praises loud and clear, He is more than enough for you!

This coffee shop is in Stony Brook, N.Y. and at Christmas time children decorate the trees put outside for them. Mostly girl scouts troops and the like. It's nice to walk around and look at each one. Yesterday it was 49 degrees in N.Y. ! For January, that has got to be a new record.

My daughter Rachel is home until Sunday, so I am taking every moment to be with her. Nothing too exciting, regular errands and a few outings like that. She works in the Chicago court system on her way to being an attorney. Life around here is very slow paced compared to what she is used to. It's good for her to be here, where she grew up.

Having a grown child who lives in another city is challenging. I pray, trust God for her life, and know that He is working in her a far greater work than anything I could imagine! Do I miss her, of course! But again I'm trusting God to do what I have been praying for all her life, that she will be all that she can be for His honor and glory.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and he will make your paths straight."  {Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV}

We don't like that word, submit, but please remember we are not referring to any person here, but to the Lord God Almighty who is faithful and true, and loves us with an everlasting love.  He is not a man, who will lie, and deceive, NO, this is the one who formed you out of dust, and gave you your own individual looks, abilities, and strengths. Any time He wants to help me to be more like Hm, I want to obey.

Lord, help me to say yes, when you want to kill the fleshy part of me that gets in your way. I know my sisters who are reading this want to obey you too. BY your Holy Spirit, we can live a life that is far greater than our own lifeless ways. You fill us to overflowing so that we can give a drink to those who are weary along the way. Amen.

I know it isn't summer, but I enjoy looking at pictures from my garden. I can look at the barren ground, and imagine what will be in a few months. How would I admire the flowers if I had them every day? The butterfly was a one day event. How miraculous this little creature is, when we think of humanity and the great intricacies of our brains, but yet God made these tender creatures as well.

What wonders of God's kingdom are about to  be lavished on us this coming year? What riches of His grace will we uncover in His word, or hear in church? What miracles will we see that perhaps we have been praying about for years? We cannot limit God to our circumstances when He wants to pour out Heaven on us, and show us His glory.

Scripture says,"We have not, because we ask not", or we ask incorrectly. When our will lines up with God's best, you can be sure that He will "open the windows of Heaven and pour you out a blessing."Scripture can be distorted when we think that God will give us according to our lustful desires. This is not at all like Him, and will not happen.

Winter can be seen as bleak and lifeless, but it actually is full of potential! Inside of every tree and bush is the nucleus of life, just waiting to happen. It is unseen, for now, but will be revealed at the right time. So it is with the untouched that God has placed in us! All of His potential has been made available by His Holy Spirit. All we have to do is cooperate. 

"You have given a banner to those who fear You, That it may be displayed because of the truth.   Selah   {Psalm 60:4}

Banners have always been about celebration. As we pack up Christmas, and unpack a brand new year, we can celebrate that God celebrates over us with love. It says in Song of Solomon, 2:4 "He has brought me to His banquet hall, And his banner over me is love." That is a banner that all of us long for, and He has given to us, because we seek after him. As His child, Jesus wants to keep us safe and as we obey His word, we are kept. We are not given this place of rest because we earned it, but simply because we walk in His precepts.

Life can be so terribly complex when we wander away from truth. I have been sick this past week, and I can tell you for sure, when you're body isn't well, it can effect your spirit. We are interconnected, spirit, soul, and body. When you add to that changed schedules for the Holidays, kids getting under each others skin, and family visiting, life can seem out of order, ah, yeah, because it is.

This is an ornament from my tree. I was admiring it, and it slipped out of my hand and broke. I am glad that my joy, love, and faith do not depend on that ornament! How easily things can change and burst into pieces if we are not careful. Put people in tight quarters, with lots of cookies, and things can go awry!

Think of this month as a great jumping off point. A clean slate, a place to get alone with God, and receive your marching orders for a new year! There is excitement, joy and adventure in God, because His mercies are new every morning. Great is His faithfulness!