Happy Day After Christmas!

Remember, the Light of the World isn't just here on Christmas, but all through the year!

Irony

Isn't it funny that we rarely post on the Rosie Daisy DAILY? Or maybe it's not a bit funny, but just ironic.
I think I'm beginning to understand the meaning of a newsletter. It's for people like me who never have time to write letters each day, week, or even month. I'm lucky if I only have ten unread e-mails from friends in my inbox. But, hopefully over the Christmas Holidays I'll be able to write back to all of them. And hopefully, next year, I'll be more diligent and have more time. Probably not though.
But, God is still good.

Earrings of Gold...

"Whoever gets sense loves his own soul; he who keeps understanding will discover good." ~Proverbs 19:8

Jesus says, "No one is good but the Father", so discovering good is discovering God.

But.....keeping understanding and getting sense isn't all that easy.
You have to take rebuke and criticism along the way.
And I've always had a hard time taking criticism and rebuke. As soon as I sense it, I close myself up like a hedgehog and hide until the words stop. And for the longest time, I'd tell myself, "Hey, it's okay; this too shall pass; it'll blow over" and tried to forget the whole thing.
And because of it, I continually made the same mistakes.

But one morning, I read the day's devotion from Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest. (I've searched the book many times trying to find the devotion to share, but I simply cannot find it!)
Mr. Chambers was writing about wisdom. It was on one of the Proverbs about rebuke.
Simply, he said that when the fool hears rebuke, he closes the door to wisdom and never improves. Contrarily, the wise man leaves his door open to rebuke--he loves wisdom so much that he jumps at every chance he can in order to be more like Jesus.
(I'd heard this a thousand times from my parents, but something was different about the way Mr. Chambers put it)
That devotion deeply impressed me. The Holy Spirit opened my eyes to see that every time I heard rebuke, I had an opportunity--
I could listen and become wiser and learn how to love Jesus better
or
I could ignore the truth and never grow spiritually.

Now every time I read Proverbs, I keep an eye out for those special verses on rebuke.
The one that comes to mind when I am being corrected is Proverbs 25:12, " Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is a wise man's rebuke to a listening ear."
Hopefully as I grow older, I'll have so many ornaments of fine gold in my heart that I can give them away to those who need them.

So, maybe I shouldn't say I'm being corrected anymore. I'm really being showered with treasures untold. And I'm discovering God.

Monday Thoughts...

I just finished a very interesting article on Polio in Manitoba. It actually lasted there for almost 25 years--from 1928 to 1953!

The cures proposed varied from gamma globulin research, blood serums, nose sprays (which often turned your nose yellow), and nursing therapies.

Just a thought from the article:

There was a nursing shortage in the last part of the epidemic because many nurses were either scared to work with "contagious" polio patients, or they didn't want to work the strenuous schedule. Power outages were often (mostly in the winter, I'm guessing) and THREE nurses were needed to manually operate ONE iron lung. Also, the iron lung patient (someone with bulbar polio [1953 polio that attacked the brain, spinal cord, and respiratory system]) was never allowed out of the iron lung until they had recovered enough to breath on their own. Nurses had to reach inside four little holes in the machine to wash the patients' bodies as well as they could.

This was the part I found most interesting, because of the book I read for school about five years ago. In the book, the main character's brother has bulbar polio and must stay in an iron lung. I'll Watch the Moon is a great read by Ann Tatlock, as well as the rest of her books. I have read A Room of My Own, I'll Watch the Moon, and The Returning.

I wrote an article about the virus, but I can't share it because I'm afraid my instructor might find it and think I stole it offline. It would probably bore you to tears, but I found it interesting.

~~~~~~

Yesterday, we went to White Top mountain and walked around. We found mushrooms and salamanders and plan on hiking the mountain again next weekend.

And this is my verse for right now:

1 Tim 2:1-6

"I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and
thanksgiving be made for everyone--for kings and all those in authority, that we
may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is
good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a
knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God
and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all me--the
testimony given in its proper time."

~~~~~~
Have you heard of Noise Trade? I found all these great Cds there for Free!

• The Hawk in Paris: His and Hers
  


• Josh Garrels: Love, War, and the Sea in Between
  


• Steve Moakler --love this one!
  


• All About Worship --absolutely great!
  


• Plumb Sampler
  


• Andrew Peterson: the Far Country --love this one too!
  


• Sleeping at Last
  


• Weekend Warrior Worship: Your Word
  


• and (my sister loves this Cd) The Vespers

What is free now will expire from the website in the future, so get it while you can. About 1/3 of my iTunes is from NoiseTrade.
I've also found a few Christmas Albums, so watch for those too!

Remember 9/11, Remember the Ultimate Sacrifice

Thank you Jesus, for the multitude of freedoms we are given in America.
Let us never forget the lives lost in the fight for our freedom, nor your example of sacrifice in your death for our eternal freedom.
We watch for your return...when everything will be new again and your glory will fill our hearts.

"Be merciful to me, O Lord,
For I cry to You all day long.

Rejoice the soul of Your servant,
For to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,

And abundant in mercy to all
those who call upon You."

My great grandmother told us how she used to read the Bible while cooking. She said she'd read a bit of the recipe, read a scripture, then go back to the recipe. Her husband once said to her, "Okie, you can't even cook without reading the Bible." She's a real blessing to us--and a beautiful example of a woman who can't get enough of the word of God.
She's blind and can't hear very well now, so it's very hard for her because she can't read the Bible any more. My grandmother reads to her in the mornings, but she confesses that it's not the same to be able to read it for herself. Instead, she just sits and talks with Jesus.
I feel guilty around her--not because I've done anything wrong, but because of the things I haven't done. I have never really thirsted for the word of God so much that I long to read it all day long, with whatever I am doing. And I don't know the word like she does.
But I have learned to love talking with God. And I'm endlessly thankful for the 'interceding and standing in the gap' my great grandmother has done for so many people.
I want to be just like her, especially in the way she prays. I want to stand in the gap, to intercede for the broken, to be a prayer warrior, and to be as close as an earthly being can to my Father in Heaven.
Because, as Oswald Chambers wrote, "It is not so true that "prayer changes things" as that prayer changes me and I change things."

Inspiration for this post: GirlTalk: An Intenser Relish
Oswald Chambers quote from this devotion: What's the Good of Prayer?

No way to get far away from you...

Just like Jonah, sometimes I try to hide from God. From His will, from the words of His Spirit in me, from the obligation I feel to honor and glorify Him. I especially try to hide the workings of my heart from Him.
Thankfully, I'm not strong enough to get away from His gaze or His arms. His embrace isn't wide open...His arms are wrapped tightly around me and I am bound to Him by chains of redemption. I don't have the key to unlock them. Only He can let me go.
That isn't something to hide from--it's something to shout from the tallest mountain!

Why does it matter if I understand?

God holds my heart, God holds my hand.

I'll fly away to another state, I don't care what my friends say. We'll dance and sing 'till broad daylight...Skip to my Lou, my darlin'!

My 63 year old grandmother...
did 3 intervals of almost 30 counts on the skipping rope!

Lord, let be me that healthy when I'm her age!

post title: "Skip to My Lou," Meet Me in St. Louis

I'm on the merry-go-round of life I want to get off but I don't know how I could try to jump off right away But there's no guarantee I'd make it...

Life is so very hectic right now (so the Rosie-Daisy wont be daily for a while :P).
We're heading out on Friday...so every day until then is for packing. We're taking what we need for now--we probably won't see the rest for a year!! (aaaah!!!! What will I do without my piano?!?!)
We said goodbye for the last time to our friends on Sunday.
Meanwhile, my brother and his bride are on their honeymoon! I hope the weather warms up for them. Their beautiful wedding ceremony was on Sunday.
But while my life looks and feels so crazy, I really am blessed compared to others. Especially those recently hit with tornadoes.
Let's keep them in our prayers, for 'the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.' (James 5:16)

post title: Tal and Acacia, "Merry Go Round"

'Cause when somebody loves you There's nothing you can't do When somebody loves you It's easy to get through When somebody loves you...

"the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God."~John 16:27

post title: "When Somebody Loves You" by Alan Jackson

You see that sky today? Talk about blue!

Such a beautiful sky today!
The Photographer took this picture a few years ago, but the sky doesn't change much in Colorado--(I think it's the most beautiful feature of the West and I'll miss it when I move back East. It's also a great thing about Colorado--no matter how dry, brown, or cold it gets here, the sky is usually beautiful!)
I'm so glad there is a verse in the Bible for every subject. I haven't read Daniel in a while, so I thought I'd share from it.
Daniel 12:1-3:

"At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time Your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever."

post title: Kronk from The Emperor's New Groove

Hiding Place...

Since today is the 32nd of March, I read Psalm 32.
I was so overwhelmed by the beauty of the promise of His word that I wanted to share it,

"Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Selah Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord"--and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him. You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you. Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him. Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!"

The reason I highlighted verse 7 was because it stuck out to me. It's really easy for me to forget that certain things are in the Bible. I mean, do you remember every word and every line of a 66 volume series? So I had forgotten that one of my Mom's favorite songs was based on a verse in the Bible.
You may be familiar with the song "Hiding Place." I think this version is sung by Selah (ironic with all the Selahs, right?).

(Please ignore the words and the weird pictures. Just close your eyes. Or open a different tab.)

God knows about ev'rything, about the birds up above and why they sing...

When I was little, I used to do Saxon Math. Many times, I would tell my mother my grade and she would say, "Were those silly mistakes or did you really not understand what you were doing?" More often than not, I would have to answer, "Silly mistakes."
I'm a daydreamer and those silly mistakes would pop up while I had my head in a cloud. I've always hated silly mistakes--not only do you already feel bad for messing up, you feel worse because if you'd really been paying attention, you would have easily seen the right answer.
I made a very silly mistake today. I got up and got ready for my piano lesson and my mother asked, "It's at 10 o'clock, right?" Ever since I switched to a different day and a half an hour later in time, she's been confused about the lesson. And I've gotten used to her being confused, a half hour off. So, when she said "10 o'clock," I immediately assumed she was wrong. "No ma'am. It's at 10:30."
I wasn't very kind to my mother and I made a point of reminding her that she was "always wrong" about the time.
But she was right. And my piano teacher was forgiving, but she couldn't fit me in because of her next student.
I was so afraid that my mom would be angry with me, but she wasn't. She simply told me to come on home, without so much as one 'I told you so'--something I find hard to resist saying when I have the chance. I'm so blessed by her kind, forgiving spirit.
I went to the library on the way home and had the pleasure of a gentleman holding the door for me. That always makes me feel special. So, to return the favor, I held the door for a short lady and her husband.
She looked up at me and said, "You're a tall young lady, how tall are you?"
"5' 8"."
"Wow." She went on about how short people envy tall people.
"Well, tall people envy short people because of their little feet," I answered.
She laughed, "What size shoes do you wear?"
I looked down at my flats and giggled, "10."
Her husband smiled, "That's the size I wear."
And the lady apologized, "Oh, you didn't have to answer that question. You have a nice day."
I really didn't care that she asked me how big my feet were or how tall I was...I was just glad to know that people are friendly.
As I drove home, I looked up at the sky--it's one of those bright Colorado days where the every cloud is perfect--one my mom would call a "Toy Story" sky.
And I wondered how today couldn't be a good day.
I'm so amazed by God. He used a kind man to hold the door and a little lady to bless me, even after I'd messed up the whole morning. And, when I thought about it, if I had gone to the lesson, I would've missed out.
He knows the plans He has for me. He really does. From piano lessons to shoe sizes, He really knows it all.
I can't help but smile at this cute song: (it might be an old one, but it's a good one!)


post title: from "God Knows Everything" from the Donut Man