This Little Surprise

 A little surprise came to us on Saturday evening.

We found this kitty on our back porch, begging to come inside.  She's still young, not fully grown.  I picked her up and she seemed quite tame, and she definitely knew what "inside" was.   

She stayed the whole night, and since we couldn't let her starve, we fed her.

 

She's still here.  We're not sure where she came from, but she's not a stray.  She is very used to people and indoors.  

 

Today it was so nice I had to go outside to do my school.  The cats where out with me, and this one seemed quite preoccupied by the dozens of flies. 

 

 Close up - isn't he cute??? (haha - sure...)

 

Maybe God thought we needed another cat to make up for Squirt's death.  It's kind of funny, for they are the same size. :)

Soon we'll have to come up with a name - do you have any suggestions???  

**Please forgive the terrible lighting.  The sun was shining brightly and she is one  

black cat!**

It's Monday

It's Monday again, and I thought I should link up to Allie's photo challenge again.  The theme is pets - and I have always loved this picture.  Squirt and Molly were such good buddies! :)

Oh, and speaking of cats, I have a bit of a surprise to share, but you'll have to wait a bit!

Snow Camp - Chapel Messages

Sorry for taking pretty much forever for posting this.  It was taking a while to write and eventually slipped my mind.  Thankfully I have a good friend who reminds of my forgetfulness. :)
(Click here for part one)

One of the things I look forward to the most at snow camp is the chapel meetings.  Our speaker, this year, was Jon Kopp.   We had heard him speak before (in '09) and really liked him.  I was excited about what I might learn, and almost dreaded what I might be convicted of, because I was pretty certain he would speak on something that would get my attention.

This is our group that went (in '09).  

The guy in the whitish dress shirt to the right is Jon Kopp.

I was right.  Pastor Jon did speak on something that would be convicting.  Actually - he spoke on the same thing that he did the last time.  And if you'd be so willing as to keep on reading, I'd like to share my testimony.

The theme of Pastor Jon's messages was "idols".  Friday morning the message was taken from James 4:4-6

"Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. ⁵Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?

 ⁶But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble."

He went on to say that when there are idols in our life, we are friends with the world.  Whoa!  In my heart, I knew that there were idols in my life, and what I just heard was not a very comforting thought.  If all that this man was saying was true, and it was, then I must be the enemy of God!   This is when my heart began to pound a little faster, and a little harder.  I couldn't be the enemy of God, How on earth could I have a true relationship with an enemy?  I knew then, that I had to get that idol out of the way.  Pastor Jon opened up for an invitation after the message.  I wasn't going to go, not at first.  I wanted to handle it on my own.  But then I couldn't help it, I needed to talk with my counselor.  So I left where I was standing and walked to the next room where I was able to share with my counselor that the computer was my idol.  The computer had always been fun to play on when I was young.  Though I don't play games any more, I still spent a large amount of time on it.  It got to the point last year that the computer came before my devotions.  I always knew this was wrong but never wanted to do anything about it.  Pastor then started a devotional challenge which I joined.  I was able to get into the habit of not only having time with my Lord everyday, but having that time before anything else.  Even so, I still knew I spent too much time on the computer, and that it very often brought more excitement then God's Word.   This was my idol and I needed to get rid of it.


Right now I am thankful for a forgiving and patient God who cares so very much for me.  For I do fall over and over again.  But something is different now, the computer isn't first in my life.

I know this pictures has nothing to do with what I was talking of.  I just really liked it.  Oh, and mom took this about a week ago.

In His Steps - Sheldon

As I mentioned earlier, I had been going through our older books.  I came across "In His Steps" and decided to read a page or two.  I was soon several pages into the book and was really liking it.   It is so good! 

That's him - sorry it's at such an angle.

This book makes me ask the question, "What would Jesus do?" very often.  Before I really never thought about it, but nowadays I have made better (wiser) decisions because I have stopped and asked myself, "What would Jesus do?"  

I really would recommend this book - it's really good!  

My good friend, Kim, has just finished the book and written a bit about it on her blog.  You should go read what she has written!

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On another subject, if you would like to listen to some really good music, you should go to Abiding Radio!  The music is beautiful!

Squirt

Even though she started weak and small,

she somehow managed to grow up just fine.

She had a fun personality - always wanting to play and usually rumbling with purrs.  She was almost afraid to go outside, at least it seemed.  So it was a big surprise when Heather and I were coming home one evening and she was up by the mailbox (we have a long drive way, and this would be a long walk for her).  This past Friday we found out that she had been hit by a car and died.  

I will miss her

 

In My Weakness

Here are the words to a song that I couldn't help sharing! They are so very good! 

When living life for Jesus Christ becomes too hard a task, 

When obedience means sacrifice that seems too much to ask,

That's when I learn that my own strength isn't really strength at all

And I find rest in humbleness, When I surrender all.

In my weakness He is strong

In my need, He leads me on.

When I come to the end of all I am

And I place my trust in Him,

That's when His strength begins

In my weakness.

When failures in my human strength, have weakened all my pride

And ruined hopes, in fallen dreams, have crumbled me inside

It's then by grace I finally see the strength of Jesus Christ

 His victory is real in me, when weakness fills my life.

Had Jesus not been man,

He could not have sympathized with us;

and had He not been God, 

He could not have saved us.

"For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin." 

- Hebrews 4:15

[photo taken by my Mom]

Spring Is Almost Here

I just found these this afternoon

Are You Proud or Humble?

I just read this on someone's blog and just had to share it.   

Are you proud or humble?  For me, I would definitely have to say that I am a very proud person. :(

Proud People:

Focus on the failures of others
A critical spirit , fault finding
Self-righteous
Independent, self sufficient spirit
Have to prove they are right
Claims rights; have a demanding spirit
Self protective of their time, rights, and reputation
Desire to be served
Desire to be a success
Desire self advancement
Have a drive to be recognized and appreciated
Wounded when they are overlooked
Think of what they can do for God
Feel confident in how much they know
Self conscious
Keep other’s at arms length
Quick to blame others
Defensive when criticized
Work to protect their own image and reputation
Do not want others to find out about their sin
Have a hard time saying, “I was wrong, please forgive me.”
Tend to deal in generalities when confessing sin
Concerned about the consequences of their sin
Sorry they got caught in their sin
Wait for other to ask forgiveness when there is a misunderstanding
Compare themselves to others and feel worthy of honor
Blind to their true heart condition
Don’t think they have anything to repent of
Don’t think they need revival, but everyone else does.
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 "Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished."- Proverbs 16:5

"An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin." - Proverbs 21:4

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Humble People:

Sense their spiritual need
Compassionate
Can forgive much
Esteem others better than self
Recognize their need for others
Yield the right to be right, Meek in spirit
Self-denying
Motivated to serve others
Makes others a success
Desires to promote others
Thrilled God would use them at all
Rejoice when others get lifted up
Know they have nothing to offer God
Humbled by how much they have to learn
Not concerned with self at all
Takes the risk to love
Accept personal responsibility when wrong
Open and humble
What matters is what God knows
Willing to be exposed
Quick to seek forgiveness and admit failure
Acknowledges specific sin
Grieved over the root of their sin
Genuinely repentant
Takes initiative to reconcile
Compare themselves to the holiness of God and feel desperate for His mercy
Walk in the light
Have a heart attitude of repentance
Sense their need for a fresh encounter with God.

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"Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud." - Proverbs 16:19

"A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit." - Proverbs 29:23

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Antique Coffee

It seems I got caught in this "vintage" photography and never got out - because today while working on spanish on the kitchen table I happened to look up at our old coffee maker sitting on the sideboard and just had to take some pictures of it.  

So much for spanish...but here are the pictures!

The fancy handle

Inside the coffee maker

Where it comes out

Something Vintage

Today I was in search for something vintage - I soon found that the best place to look is my parents bedroom.  Mom has so many interesting old things in there...I spent a large bit of time up there taking pictures. :)  Though I am only posting pictures of the thread spools and money, there were cameos, necklaces, a brush and other bits and pieces.  

First, I was delighted to find these old thread spools.

Mom believes these were used in factories.  Aren't they neat?

 This dime is either from 1898 or 1899 - I couldn't tell

These two are dollar coins, and there is 99 years difference between the two.

Ever wonder, How many fingers have touched that old coin - and who were they? 

The Love of God

"It was love.  Love had compassion upon the fainting multitudes and fed them in the wilderness and by the sea.  It was love that walked the darkest hour of night, the roaring waves of raging Galilee to bring deliverance to those distressed sailors battling with an angry sea.  Love crossed the lake in the tempest to cure the demon possessed.  

Love halted the passing of the funeral and gave the young man alive to the astonished mother.  Love stood before the windowless tomb of a departed brother and spoke resurrection words till the sleeping dead heard and hurried from the grave of death to walk among the living."  (From The Love of God, by John Matthews)

It was love that sent Christ to suffer and die on the cross to save us from our sins.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." - John 3:16

Looking At It From A Different Angle

I found this book on our shelf in the living room.  At the moment I was trying to study for a test, and I couldn't seem to concentrate.

I opened it up and starting reading a bit.  Then I decided to take some pictures, for I had not taken any for weeks!  It was, by the way, very good to finally get the camera out.  I didn't even know where it had gone off to, and had to ask mom. :S

Generally when I look at a shelf of books I see many splashes of color behind a great diversity of titles.  I see a book that looks appealing and pick it up.

And then I open it up and look at the words - and if they seem at least somewhat interesting, I begin to read. 

But this time I decided to take a look at the book from a different angle.  So I took a closer look at the pages, not the words.

It was fun - you should try too!