Happy Thanksgiving!

May your stuffing be tasty;
May your turkey be plump,
May your taters 'n gravy have nary a lump,
May your yams be delicious,
May your pies take the prize,
May your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off of your thighs!

In All Points

Something really stood out to me this past week of revivals and youth rally.  When we get thoughts into our minds that are diametrically opposed to Christ and His principles, we know they are from Satan.  Does that mean we have sinned and Satan has put these thoughts there?  No!  We cannot keep these thoughts from coming into our minds, but what we do with them while they are there, is another story!

     The Bible says that Jesus was “tempted in all points as we were, yet without sin.”  Look at the temptations in the wilderness.  Satan came and “talked” to Jesus in each of the temptations.  Yet He did not sin!  Jesus was still sinless because he chose not to dwell on that which He knew to be wrong, but instead responded from scripture and rebuked Satan and made him flee.

     Many times I have been fearful of my salvation because of reoccurring evil thoughts. (especially after confessing a spiritual failing)  But I now know that when these thoughts come, it is an opportunity to glorify Jesus by refuting the lie of the devil.  When we stand on the firm word of God, we glorify Him, and the devil will flee.  Those thoughts are the work of the devil and when we acknowledge who the author is and rebuke him, my salvation is strengthened and the devil’s is weakened!  Praise God!!

Thus, that which Satan sought to entrap me in has become the tool to strengthen my faith in my faithful and loving Lord!

Spoon Fed

The past two weeks, Aimee and I have been trying to get our daughter to eat by herself.  She knows how to do it and has done so quite often, but lately she has just decided that if it was something she was not all that cracked up about, she wouldn’t feed herself.  She will let you spoon it in if you want, but she makes no effort to do it.  What do you do?  Let her go hungry till the next meal?  Or maybe tape the spoon in her hand and let her sit in the high-chair till she has eaten a decent portion?  How do you deal with it?

     Today is the beginning of our meetings with Collier Berkshire.(sp?)  We were asked this morning if we have time for revival?  Do we make or take the time to spend earnestly in prayer for our own regeneration?  I was struck with the analogy of my daughter.  I have so often been doing my own thing that I don’t want to spend the time or take the effort to feed on God’s Word.  I don’t mind at all, going to church and letting myself be “spoon feed” but to sit down and dig for myself, Uh Uh, I don’t do it!  I am just like my daughter and I wonder, what is God feeling?

A Potbellied Stove

Quote of the day!

“When your mom first got married, she had no problem staying warm at night because she had an “Armstrong Heater.” Now all she has is a potbellied stove!”
-for the sake of this mans safety, he shall go unnamed!

An Invention of Necessity

The other night at the quilt club meeting I go to, I heard quite a few of the ladies bemoaning that fact that you cannot sharpen rotary cutter blades.  These blades can cost between $5-15 a piece and you might go thru several in a year’s time.  I looked online and found two sharpeners.  One that was mass marketed and all but worthless, and another that cost $895.  I made a simple decision, I can buy a lot of blades for that price!!

One thing I am so grateful for, is that my grandfather took the time to teach his boys to think outside the box.  To work with their hands and figure a way around problems.  Many businesses have brought problems to my father and grandfather, asking them to figure out how to fix them.  This is everything from a commercial machine to cut the corn off the ear, to a huge press at Caterpillar® that needed a moving table to transport parts away from the press after they were molded.  I have been blessed to grow up under their tutelage and God given wisdom.  Neither my father, nor my grandfather, are proud men.  They humbly go about their work, whether it is “big” or seemingly insignificant, they pursue it with the same attention to detail.

I reaped the benefit of that this evening.  Because they sought to teach me think, try things, even if they didn’t work, I succeeded in my project tonight.  I (We) built a machine to sharpen rotary cutter blades.  Were they there watching over my shoulder as I ran the lathe?  No.  But I felt the blessing of their guidance, and the legacy they gave me.

Thank you, Daddy and Grandpa!