Catching Up

So much happens in a given week that i lose myself in the activity or even silence. As much as i enjoy music i have enjoyed more silence this semester. There are so many places in the house that I just enjoy sitting and thinking --in one of the great chairs, watching outside, or settling on the front porch. Daniel has only put one rocking chair together so it is only one at a time that we are enjoying our porch at this point. Beth Pope, a friend that comes over to pray and visit about every 3 weeks told me last time she was here she wanted to see another rocking chair out there when she comes next time. I guess that will be a project for Daniel during spring break.

Daniel has totally planned our spring break camping trip to Caprock Canyon State Park. We leave in the morning. He has sent me the packing list and we are both working on it. We have the tent and bikes ready. We have talked about the books we will take and that we want to have a time of walking and praying while relaxing and playing games. What a life!! God has been so faithful in our lives. We feel very blessed. Reminds me of Psalm 124 that we studied this week in my Bible study.

Psalm 124
A Song of Ascents, of David.
1"Had it not been the LORD who was on our side,"
Let Israel now say,
2"Had it not been the LORD who was on our side
When men rose up against us,
3Then they would have swallowed us alive,
When their anger was kindled against us;
4Then the waters would have engulfed us,
The stream would have swept over our soul;
5Then the raging waters would have swept over our soul."
6Blessed be the LORD,
Who has not given us to be torn by their teeth.
7Our soul has escaped as a bird out of the snare of the trapper;
The snare is broken and we have escaped.
8Our help is in the name of the LORD,
Who made heaven and earth.

The Message says in the first verse: If God hadn't been for us —all together now, Israel, sing out! I love it, we have much to sing out about!!

Another JOY in my life this past week was seeing Cailyn thru skype of course, paint. Water color actually. A care package came from some families at Fairlane church of Christ, their supporting chruch and in it came paper and water colors. How fun for us to see her paint and say "purple", she tries to trace her hand and of course she gets paint on her hand. Alison just took her shirt off and away she went painting. Grandparents out there, if you are not in the same town as your grandchildren, you better look into skype. It doesn't matter how far away or how close, skype opens a whole new world of communication. It is the BEST!! check it out!!

Life is picking up speed!!

We are feeling very comfortable and settled in many ways. Daniel is still hanging things for me as items come to the forefront. The latest item that has gone up is a beautiful piece my friend, Janice Attaway, sent us. Janice took over for me at the ticket office at the high school, but we have known each other since our children were small. She made this piece herself, and it happens to be the name of our congregation, so we are thrilled.

We found ourselves needing a second car because the one we were driving wasn't safe for long highway trips. We, well I, searched on Craigslist for about one week and found about 11 cars I thought would be ones we would want to look into. Daniel went through the list and picked the top 4. I emailed our number 1 choice, and the owner emailed back saying, "Hi Cathie, This is Dickie Porche. I received your email about the car we are trying to sale." Well, long story short, they are parents of one of the couples from our Sunday school class in CS. We saw the car on Monday and bought it on Wednesday. God just handed it to us. Funny how easy somethings are!!

We are enjoying having groups in our home and the latest was a group of married folks from Hope. (our congregation is called Hope church of Christ) We enjoyed dessert and laughed at some of our embarrassing moments during our married lives. There was young and old. Daniel and I are nearly the oldest in our congregation. We want to begin to introduce to our CS friends all of the people God is bringing into our lives. In the picture you will see from left to right, Philip and Janet Jergins (Janet is Lynn Spivey's sister), KB and Laura Massingill (KB is one of the elders), front and center is David and Kayla Christianson, and our youngest couple Heather and Kent Akers, our youth minister and wife (married on July 28th)

I have begun a study with the ladies at Hope on the names of God, and it has been wonderful. As we get to know Him better, our worship becomes more meaningful. A study of Psalms has also come my direction on the ACU campus. I'm getting to know a few women on campus through this study, and I'm definitely learning lessons from Psalms that I have never known. The funniest thought I have had is: Your family has walked all the way to Jerusalem and it is time to enter the temple. There comes the time for the men to continue on up the 15 steps into the next area of the temple and this is the time in which you, a woman, do not get to go any further. Your husband goes and experiences all there is beyond the court of women. Now it is time to walk home and of course as a woman you have a zillion questions for your husband. What was it like, did it have a particular smell, who did you stand by and what were your feelings as you experienced this event???? Just think, the veil has been torn and we are able to enter into God's presence without anyone or anything keeping us from Him. Praise be to God! Poor guys, they probably wished after that long walk home that their wives could have gone on into the temple further. hahaha!! Or maybe you aren't like me with all of these questions??!!

More about the court of the women, http://www.bible-history.com/court-of-women/index.html Click on the illustration and any others that interest you. Peace!!

Peaceful and Satisfied!!

"I'm satisfied and at peace" was the phrase I kept thinking as i settled in to have some time with God. I was sitting in my new house, in the bedroom, in a comfy chair, a blanket covering my legs, and my little table on my side. I had my little handmade chapel from George Skyrock, my prayer journal from Haley Edmiston (it is from Thailand and it is the journal i used to write prayers in for Baby T, the first go around and it is time to pull it out again), my prayer journal that i'm almost finished with that Shanna French (one of the young wives we met at A&M church )gave me, my coffee cup from Debbie and Jim Murphy, my chai tea that Hannah introduced to me, and a candle. I thought i had it all when about that time I heard Haley start playing a sweet, quiet praise song on her guitar just in the next room. Ahhhh, my heart feels so taken care of. Thank you, Lord Jesus.

Those that know me well know i love books and resources. I went to the ACU library today looking for a resource and found some interesting reading.

1. Christian Counseling Today, Vol. 15, No. 4 is a wonderful issue on Relationships. Check it out. I have tried to find it online but couldn't find it. But i did find a wonderful article from another issue on prodigal children. http://hfbcshrinkwrap.wordpress.com/2008/01/28/rebellious-children-the-prodigal-of-piper/

2. Sacred Parenting, http://www.garythomas.com/. If this book is anything like his others, it will be very practical and have strong Godly teaching. The information on the back says it is not a how-to book but one that teachs parents how they will learn about God through their children. I have almost finished another one of Gary Thomas' books, Sacred Marriage and recommend it to both married and singles.

3. I, Isaac, Take Thee, Rebekah I heard the author, Ravi Zacharias speak years ago on Focus on the Family and ordered the CD of his sermon that he has now written a book about. http://books.google.com/books?as_auth=Ravi+K+Zacharias&source=an&ei=saaJScjxNaKBtwfF2LmfBw&sa=X&oi=book_group&resnum=4&ct=title&cad=author-navigational

is for Captain, Chief Cornerstone, Christ,Our Life, Crown

Joshua 5:14 (King James Version) And he said, but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my Lord unto his servant?

Psalm 118:22 (NAS) The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief corner stone.

Colossians 3:4 (NAS) When Christ,who is our life, is revealed,then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

Isaiah 28:5 (NAS) In that day the LORD of hosts will become a beautiful crown. And a glorious diadem to the remnant of His people.

Girlscout Cookie - Game Night

Daniel and I tried out the whole evite method of inviting some ACU students over for a game night. We served only Girlscout cookies. Yum Yum!! When we got up on Sat., 17th, we thought we might need to reschedule because we had only heard from one person. We had invited 33, knowing some couldn't come. Well, we decided from the history we have had with aggies we would go ahead and whoever came would be great!! Am I glad we did, 22 showed up. Some came in cars of 6-7 people. Great evening. We had a table of farkle, a table of catch phrase and the last word, and on the floor was of course 42!! Our house has been opened up to what God has for us and we are excited to have had these students. Janet and Philip Jergins joined us too!! What great friends, they kept cele for us from July to Dec. since we could not have a dog at the rent house. We feel blessed here in Abilene.

is for Banner, Beginning, Branch, Bread of Life

Not surprising, my friend, Chelsa and I decided we would teach about the names of God for our ladies Bible class this semester. I'm excited. Our class is small but we pray God will bring us who He wants us to have this experience with. It is quite a transition from the A&M church to our small congregation. We truly feel we are in a mission field and have much to learn. Haley Edmiston, who lives with us, told me yesterday, just get in there and learn. Good Advice. That is what I will do. We know God is guiding us and will show us what He wants accomplished with this community in Abilene He has called us to.

Banner: Exodus 17:15 Moses built an altar and named it The LORD is My Banner

Beginning: Colossians 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

Branch: Jeremiah 23:5 The days are coming,declares the LORD,
when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch,
a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land

Bread of Life: John 6:48 I am the bread of life

is for Advocate, All in All, Ancient of Days

As I unpack I find treasures. One of the treasures I found was a 3-page typed document entitled "Living and Praying in Jesus' Name". It has names for God in ABC order. This is a game I play with myself in the car or in situations that I need to distract myself. I start with A, and then B, on to C and end with Z - trying to think of names of or for God. Try it for yourself. Send me new ones!!

Advocate: I John 2:1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin and if anyone sins,we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous Jesus.


All in All: Col. 3:9-11 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.


Ancient of Days: Daniel 7:13-14 In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

Angel of His Presence: Isaiah 63:9 In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.

(Alphabet graphics courtesy of http://www.rennysniche.com/)