Simply Saturday - Jeans

Saturdays are for wearing my favorite jeans.  That doesn't mean they are new or designer or anything fancy.  That means they have been around a long time, have learned to shape to my body and have become soft and movable over the years.  The problem with this is...holes developed in the legs.  That may be ok for teens but I felt I should do something to cover them.  With what?  I didn't want the typical jean patch.  I started searching around the house, looking into hutch drawers, and found something.  I think my son thinks I should have left the holes.  My mother would say they are ready for the trash can.  What do you think?

I didn't want to waste the other side of the hankie I cut up so added it to the back. . .

My momma told me to never waste anything!

Linking up with Jenn over at

Hit this button over on the right and hop on over to see other Simple Saturdays ideas.

May you be comfortable on your Saturdays:) 

Only From Him

(I plan out my stories to post a week, sometimes 2 weeks in advance.  I had a different story for today, but God stepped in and said, "I have a different one for you today."  I'm so glad He did!  All because of Him)




My sweet first born. 

He became a prodigal 5 years ago.  Taking roads I never thought in a million years he would take.  He left, came back, left, came back, and left again with so much in between.  I started to write a book just to process it all in my mind.  So I won’t go into it all here, too much, not enough space for now.

But we received a letter from him last week pretty much saying he was tired of all the voices and was getting alone to think, to break some addictions, and to figure things out, just him and God. 

This past Saturday was a good day.  A beautiful day.  A day filled with grace, unconditional love, and all things good.  It’s just a start, but then, all good things start somewhere.

Someone said I looked peaceful here.  John 14:27 came to mind. . ."Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you."   (only from Him, only from Him!)

The fact that this picture could be taken. . .grace and unconditional love. . .(only from Him, only from Him!)

He played for us on the porch.  He won many awards and trophies on college campuses when he was a young boy playing in piano competitions before judges.  He never walked away from the music.  He has talent. . .(only from Him, only from Him!)

I taught him to play the piano for the first 4 years.  Now he tries to teach me on strings, but I don't do as well.  The fact that he is on my porch with our hands like this. . .(only from Him, only from Him!)

These big feet walked away for the first time 5 years ago. Saturday they walked back up the driveway and next to his momma. They were different this time.  (only from Him, only from Him!)

My heart is grateful.  My heart is full.

Only from Him!

(If you're wondering where my husband, Tim's dad was, he's the one standing behind the camera shooting and smiling from ear to ear)

275.  finding beautiful Psalms that fit the situations

276.  gorgeous cherry trees in bloom all over town

277.  fresh flowers for inside the house

278.  hearing someone whistle while they work

279.  hand-written letter from my Mom

280.  paychecks

281.  provisions

282.  receiving a birthday present. . .20 days after my birthday

283.  guitar music on the front porch

284.  talk and laughter with my three guys over Arby sandwiches and fries

285.  younger son always opening the door for me

286.  first born whispering "thank you" and "I love you Mom" in my ear

287.  photos to capture "the moments"

288.  amazing grace

289.  the ability to see all my gifts from the One and Only, my Heavenly Father

P.S. Tomorrow is my Tuesdays for Tim where I pray and fast all day.  Please get past the sound of the holiness of this.  I am far from this. I wanted to get down low as I could to raise him up as much as I could.  There are now 21 others I lift up also.  If I could raise up one or more of your loved ones, or a situation, please share with me, I would be honored to do so.

Simply Saturday ~ Designs and Details

I’m finding as I get behind the camera lens more and more, how fun it is to look for the designs and details.  Today these are coming from my home.

As I look and capture on screen, I’m thinking about our awesome God, the original and greatest designer and detailer of all time.  I smile as I think of Him creating, designing, and putting all the details into the universe, the land, the creatures of air, water, and land, the foliage, and human bodies. . .such details everywhere! 

It makes my little pictures seem so insignificant.  And yet I continue to ponder.  Maybe noticing the details of whatever, is a pleasure to Him because He is seeing His children noticing and appreciating beauty and all things good and beautiful come from Him. 

 And so I believe all who participate in the noticing and appreciating no matter how small is honoring Him and acknowledging in our own unique way of who He is as the great designer and detailer of all time.

 I am thankful to Jenn for giving me an outlet to look, create, and share.  

 One of the most beautiful details of all is how He has given a way to turn our sinful, stony hearts   

into a warm, redeemed heart.  For this I will be forever grateful!

be sure and scroll all the way down to see and listen to video my husband made of his photography set to music...listen through your earphones:)  His way of capturing God's beauty.

linking up with Jenn at

Discerning Voices

In front of our house runs a four mile curvy, hilly, two lane country road.  Over the last seven years of sitting on the front porch, I realized that I could hear the vehicles before I actually saw them.  And that I could distinguish the sound of a car from a truck, and a jeep from the truck or car, and obviously the sound of a motorcycle was different.

            I ponder over the different voices that we hear throughout our lives.  Some speak the truth, some falsehoods.  Some encourage and some are downers. Some try to lead you down the wrong paths, while others try to show you the way down the wonderful road of redemption. We need to be able to discern the good ones from the bad ones.  Some will flatter and tell us what we want to hear, and others will tell us what we need to hear.

            l Thessalonians 5:21-22 tells us it is our responsibility as Christians to be discerning, to decide between right and wrong, truth from lies.

            It took time sitting on my porch and listening to the sounds, learning to distinguish one car sound from another.  It is the same with discernment.  It takes time being in the word, getting to know the Lord and recognizing His voice.

            Our loved one seemed to have this discernment up to the age of 18. An extremely bright, intelligent, kind, and sweet natured boy who always listened respectfully and was loved by so many listened to the wise voices.  But something happened after that 18^th birthday.  Suddenly, he began to listen and follow after the wrong voices.  So many have asked, “How did that happen?”  We do not know to this day.  It’s obvious though, the enemy can snag and snare even the best of them.  Did he let his guard down?  Yes, I believe he did.  After being with the wrong voices, he decided he knew everything about the Bible and didn’t need to open it up again.  There is never a time when we should close that book ever!  Did he ever really have it?  I can say yes to that!  We lived with him, taught him, played and prayed and were very close. We prayed the sinners prayer with him. But the devils schemes can be subtle and yet so strong, that we did not see what was coming.  Yes, there were little red flags, but never in a million years did we think he would follow after those wrong voices.  We were wrong.

You cannot just blindly follow every voice the way the neighborhood dogs blindly chase every thing that comes down our road.  (I wonder what they think they would do if they ever caught one?)  The dogs are taking a chance getting hit just like our lives can get hit and hurt by following, chasing the wrong voices.  Our loved one was hurt as well as those left behind.  But God was there to pick us up and stands ready to reach out with that righteous right hand of His to pick up the one who needs to raise his hand and his eyes to the one who can lift him up.

 Our loved one wrote us a letter this morning saying he recognized the need to get rid of the wrong voices.  That it was time to be alone, to get rid of the clamor, and that between God and himself, they would figure things out.  Please pray with us that he will be still enough to hear that wonderful, still, small voice in his ear, in his heart and follow the One Voice that can lead him out of despair into a life filled with amazing grace and unconditional love.

            The porch is a good place to start spending time in the Word, learning to recognize those false voices for what they really are and begin to understand those quiet discerning voices God plants within and around us.

            We do not want to be described by the words of Ephesians 4:14 “…being tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.”

            Let’s be like Proverbs 3:21 “…preserve sound judgment and discernment and do not let them out of your sight.”

            So, I have a word for you or for someone you know that you believe is running in the wrong direction.

Stop!

Before you go blindly chasing voices, open up the Word and see if their voices go along with God’s voice. I wouldn’t want you or a loved one to crash and burn.

And just another word of caution. If you’re driving down a two lane country road and dogs are blindly chasing your car, just smile and watch out for them.  They just don’t know any better.

267.  crushed ice and straws

268.  chap stick with pretty colors

269.  a Savior who bends down to listen

270.  not having to know all the answers

271.  being able to trust my God who does (have all the answers)

272.  beautiful letters

273.   beautiful words

274  beginnings

           

Blog Blessings

I was given this lovely award by Lisa Maria of  http://shinebrightlyforjesus.blogspot.com/.

She has become a dear friend, one I have never met in person but that God brought to me through the blogging world.  She is a lover of the Lord, shines brightly for Him, is a prayer warrior who goes into her closet every week to hunger for Him adding my requests along with hers.  And so I will humbly accept this award.  Thank you!

God has blessed me so with new friends through the blogging world, all who have a deep love for the Lord.  They encourage me, love me, push me to be creative, and pray.  God has blessed me with so many personal messages and comments regarding this blog and I am forever grateful that He pushed me to write. I am grateful for each one whether family, friend, stranger or blogger that has taken the time to come visit me. I always pray that Ponderings will be a blessing to all who read it. I am not a writer, so I pray before every story, before the pen is picked up, that He would give me the words.  I know there will be typing errors here and there and an editor would be most helpful, but those mistakes are made by my earthly hand.  May God bless whoever He brings here to the pond, the porch, and wherever else we may land,

an abundance of Himself.  May all glory and honor be to Him!

"It's not the gifts that fulfill, but the holiness of the space.  The God in it."

(from 1000 blessings)

262.  new friendships

263.  old friendships that stay with you forever

264.  friends that leave you silly texts

265.  a God who looks down and says, "These two should be together."

266.  my husband who is also my friend

"What can I give back to God for the blessings He's poured out on me?  I'll lift high the cup of salvation ~ a toast to God!  I'll pray in the name of God; I'll complete what I promised God I'd do, and I'll do it together with His people."

Psalm 116:12-14

(Be sure to scroll all the way down and see how my husband captures the blessings)