Yes, I Will

This is not my usual weekend wrap up post. One of those will probably come in some form or fashion later as Tucker takes a nap one day and I have a bit of time. I have a fun dog story to share.

Today however is part of an email I shared with my small group earlier today. I decided to share it with the blog too.

Yesterday at church the second song just really captured my attention. I had not heard it before and texted our music guy this morning asking for the name of the song. I am putting a video link of the actual group who sings it with the lyrics that I found on Youtube.
I was so taken with the song and felt the Holy Spirit talking to me about that I pulled out a piece of paper to jot some notes so I wouldn't forget.

Here is part of my email.

“I choose to praise, to glorify the name above all names.” 

I have been a lover of all things space, stars, moon, and planets since I was a little girl. I followed the steps to the moon before most people my age really cared and I still follow the cosmos news. The most interesting part of all of that is that not one single thing I have ever heard or studied including the universe was formed billions of years ago has ever discounted my believe in a real big God. All that I see and the intricacies of it all just point me more to a god that is far bigger than I can imagine. 

Life can be difficult and in the trials of life we can lose focus of how big that God really is. I remember going to see Old Faithful in Yellowstone and how disappointed Jeff was that it wasn’t more powerful in its spewing forth from the earth. Why the buffalo were roaming on top of it just moments before it erupted! However, it isn’t the power of it that made Old Faithful  famous. It is in its name…faithful.  Just think with our Heavenly Father we get faithful and powerful. 

I have met those who don’t see it like I do. They have gotten caught up in either the delivery of God’s Word or science, or something has not steered them toward the faithfulness and powerful God I love, but I pray that my words and my actions make them take a second look at Him.

Life can be overwhelming a bit…

• Harsh words on social media

• The news…politics alone

• Cancer

• Aging parents

• Raising children really never ends

• Images to make you feel like you are not keeping up

• etc., etc., etc.

I thought of a line from a book I read many years ago. Two sisters were talking that had just been through a tough time of loss. They were discussing that things were finally looking up and life seemed settled. They knew they needed to celebrate these moments, because around the corner lay the next trial. IT was not written as a Debbie-downer statement and I didn’t read it as such, but a true picture of life. Life is ups and downs, hills and valleys, and walking that journey with faith in a God who does see and care. Much like the image in the move “The Shack“ of the overview of the maze. God sees and is guiding us through that maze.

The lyrics of the song were so powerful.

“ I count on one thing, the same God that never fails will not fail me now. In the waiting, the same God who’s never late is working all things out. Yes, I will lift you high in the lowest valley. Bless your name. Sing for joy when my heart is heavy all my days. Yes I will!

Such powerful lyrics and so Scripturally based. Here are a few verses for you that I thought of from the song that if you have time you can look over and maybe even read the chapter each is from on a different day this week.

No pressure now…God takes whatever time we have to offer and uses it for Hs purposes.

Psalms 19:1-3

The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. …

Psalm 37:25 

I have been young, and now I am old; Yet. I have not seen the righteous forsaken, or his descendants begging bread. 

This same verse is in 

Hebrews 13 again, but as I was looking it up this verse from that chapter caught my eye. 

15 Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.

Romans 8:28

And we know that God causes everything to work together[a] for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

I guess to summarize I will say sometimes the bad stuff is not going away, but our perspective can change which I think is the message of the song.

The song.

https://youtu.be/NrTv39-lG4M

Weekend Wrap-up

I am a tad bit late to be doing a weekend wrap-up, but better later than never I guess. The hubby, mom, the dogs, and I left for the Auburn house Friday afternoon. It was definitely a low key weekend. We passed a lot of traffic headed to the beach. In fact, Auburn was very quiet. I felt like even our neighborhood there was deserted. I think everyone was at Lake Martin or at the beach. 

We had no great excursions other than eating at Acre and going to the farmer's market. I did a lot of reading and cross stitching and just relaxing.

Me trying to pose in my dress to go to Acre.

We did a lot of sitting around, but sometimes that is just what you need.

Our friends who have a house in the same neighborhood were there also, so Jeff had someone to do stuff with. We went out to eat at my favorite restaurant, Acre. We all had an amazing meal. My dessert was so good. They usually have this cake that I like, but it wasn't on the menu this past weekend so I went with a chocolate torte which was gluten free by the way. Oh my!!!!!! It was so good. 

There is a new farmer's market in Opelika. I will be going there again and again and again. I loaded up with fresh peas to bring home. I cooked some last night with cornbread. They were so good. Nothing like fresh vegetables.

I did a summer drawing for the chalkboard at Auburn. I have a lot of fun playing with it when I go each month.

The kids had good weekends here. Paul Allen and Katie stayed at our house for most of the time. I think they fished, used the kayaks and paddle boards and just enjoyed the water at home. Lindsay and Tyler used our boat to host his parents who were down from Atlanta and his brother and sister-in-law who were up from West Palm Beach. They had a nice time in the bay. Both sent lots of pictures.

I went to church this morning with Tucker to finish doing some deep cleaning that I started last week in the baby rooms. I had quit volunteering when Tucker came along, but they needed me to come and do some things last week so I worked around Tucker's nap schedule Friday and today. 

Then Mom and I went to our semi annual doctor's appointments. Our family doctor left at the end of last year and so we had to meet her replacement. I don't like her nearly as much. It seems no one stays anywhere very long these days. That can be a tad frustrating.

So, that is what I have been up to. I am sharing my progress on the two things I stitched this weekend and then later in the week I will share a decorations around the house since I think Memorial Day is the kick off for summer time decorating.

I stitched on Lizzie Kate's Things Unseen. I shared that I started over on it last week. The pattern is three parts. The first part is finished and I am now working on Part 2.

Part 1 is the left all the way even with the flowers. It is kind of wrinkled because I had it packed up in a project bag. Part 2 will be the right side and then Part 3 goes all along the bottom. The pattern is kind of like a modern day sampler.

It also has a package of embellishments to apply; buttons and beads.

I started my gift stitch which I have done before. It is the Golden Retriever dog. It should go fast because I stitched all of this yesterday, mostly at night.

Be back later in the week with some summer decor.