Better than I deserve...

That beastly bug stalking members of my household for the past month finally cornered me and is pummelling me into a prostrate position for the Sabbath.  

A good position for such a day as this, come to think of it.

It is 3am and I am gargling with salt water to get some relief from this raging sore throat.

I have decided to use this convalescence to concentrate on thankfulness today.

This summer I found this vintage photo while searching for suitable slideshow material 

for our sons wedding day. 

My heart thumps wildly as I reflect how lavishly God has answered 

a young woman's dream to be somebody's wife and mother.  

.... and then?

to my everlasting amazement....

He throws this in too.

So if you'd ask me how I'm doing today, I'd have to say between sniffles and wheezing:

WAY better than I deserve!

God bless your day too.

Great Hymns of Faith and other Favourites

To stave the clamour about the delay of our new CD, I am posting this peace-offering. We hope to have the final - finished - FABULOUS labour of love from the CCS community in your hands by November this year, at the very latest! As you play this video however, you'll want to keep the volume down (considerably) because the louder you go the more distortion in the quality of sound.  Heave heavy sigh.  Smilebox is a great little program for slideshows but it doesn't rate too high in the transmission of personal music files just yet.   I trust the 'better than nothing' motto will score me some understanding. Only three songs were permitted on this video - another silly restriction of the Smilebox program. But then, we can't give too much away can we?   Besides, the warbling of sound waves on this preview is really  too disturbing for ears that have tasted and tried the real deal.   Soon now, very soon.

Editor's addendum.  The pathetic soundtrack on the above slideshow was more than I could bear. I refer you to this site for a most remarkable replacement:   CCS CHOIRBLOG Thanks to the SWEET sweat of the resident computer whizkid over at CCS.

But...but....or 'Even so'?

From Holley Gerth and her column Heart to Heart with Holley - a much appreciated dose of inspiration that regularly finds its way into my inbox - and always in a timely manner.  Go figure.

Two little words that will change your world Posted: 29 Aug 2010 10:00 PM PDT I've been hot on the trail of some God-sized dreams the last few years. And the hardest part has not been taking the next step, finding courage, overcoming obstacles. No, the biggest challenge has been the voice inside my mind. It's the one that says, "You can never do this. This is in the way. That won't ever change." You've struggled with that too? We're not the only ones. As Priscilla Shirer says in her book, One in a Million: Journey to Your Promised Land (B&H Books), the Israelites also battled fear and insecurities: "If there's a single word that doomed this generation of God's people from experiencing Promised Land living in their lifetime, it's this one: 'nevertheless.' They had heard with their own ears the assurances of God. They had seen and certainly tasted the cluster of fruit that more than verified, beyond their wildest imaginations, just how accurate God had been when He had described the land to them.... Nevertheless." She goes on to say that we're all tempted to do the same. I discover those words as I sit on my back porch one evening. As I finish, I lean back and stare into the deep summer sky. I ask God, "What do I say instead?" And like shooting stars, two words blaze across my mind. Even so. Yes, the situation is difficult and the obstacles seem insurmountable. Even so, God will deliver me. Yes, I left my comfort zone about 100 miles ago and all I want to do is eat a vat of chocolate. Even so, God can use me. Yes, it feels like the valley is dark, the mountains are high, and the enemy strong. Even so, God is able to get me to the Promised Land. Even so. Those two little words don't deny the difficulties or paste on a smile that says, "Everything is fine." They acknowledge life is hard. They recognize the obstacles. But in the end, they shift our gaze from what we see to Who we know. And that changes everything... especially us.

My Father's World

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For Our Little Peeps

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