omniscient

In keeping with the previous post on our all-knowing God, I will continue to expound on that truth with scripture.

The word "omniscient" means the same as "all-knowing." The perfect, most beautiful word to describe our God who knows everything'

Isaiah, chapter 40, is a description of the greatness of God. I would suggest that you read it over and over as we think about God's attributes. I will highlight a few verses explaining that there is no one else like God.

Isaiah 40: 13-14 "Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or as His counselor has informed Him? With whom did He consult and who gave Him understanding? And who taught Him in the path of justice and taught Him knowledge, and informed Him of the way of understanding?"

Who taught God? No one. He is God.....there is no one like Him.

Isaiah 40:28 "Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable."

Merriam/Webster defines "inscrutable" this way: Not readily investigated, interpreted, or understood: mysterious

Created beings do not have God's understanding of all things. The ways of God are mysterious. That, in my opinion, is what keeps us seeking Him. To always strive to understand Him better.

Isaiah 46:9 "For I am God and there is no other; I am God and there is no one like me."

Matthew 6:8 ".............for your Father (GOD) knows what you need, before you ask Him."

God is omniscient!! He knows what we need before we ask Him. How amazing is that?

My first post of the day is below.....

happy leap day

I think it is nice to have been given an extra day this year.

Surely a lot more will get accomplished in 2008 than 2007.

I will start by writing an extra blog.

I was going to launch on into a serious post, but I couldn't let this day pass without a comment.

What will you do with your extra day?

movin in

It looks like it's finally going to happen.....we can start moving our things into our house.

Today we made one trip from the storage unit to the house with both vans full. It didn't even make a dent.

Bubba has taken ill with the "crud"........perfect timing for the move. Of course he says he is not sick...but we will see. He is comatose on the sofa right now.

We won't move in until sometime next week.

We have to buy a refrigerator, but neither of us want that ice and water apparatus on the front, so that purchase will be a challenge.

Winter has crept back in for another short blast, but it will be back in the seventies by the weekend.

The picture above shows the kitchen of our new house.

I am thankful, so very thankful to finally settle into a home again. I will invite everyone to see it as soon as we get halfway settled (so many have expressed their interest).

I am reading a book about Savannah that was written in 1939. It was a gift to my mom from her sister Althea. It is so good....I cannot wait to get into bed and finish it tonight. It is so descriptive of Savannah and the surrounding areas. It is out of print now, so I have a very rare copy. "The Damned Don't Cry" is the title. Oh how I love to read!

More on our all-knowing (omniscient) God tomorrow, Lord willing.

God is all-knowing

In human terms, this is one of my favorite attributes of God. The knowledge that He knows everything and is sovereign over all things is freeing for us believers.

Now this is a God we can trust completely. He sees the whole picture. He knows how everything on His created sphere started and He knows how it will all end. He knows eternity past and eternity future.

Stated negatively, there is nothing that God does not know.

Job 34:21 "For His eyes are upon the ways of a man, and He sees all his steps."

Psalm 33: 13-15 "The Lord looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men; from His dwelling place He looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth, He who fashions the hearts of them all, He who understands all their works."

Psalm 94: 11 "The Lord knows the thoughts of man, that they are a mere breath."

And we try to hide our sins from Him?

God knows us better than we know ourselves......He knows our thoughts before we think them.

Think on these for a while....there will be more.

very very quiet

When Bubba and I sat down to dinner tonight it seemed very strange.

Nobody to tell to eat their beans and rice. Nobody to tell not to beat their cup on the table.

It was just the two of us and it was very, very quiet.

Everybody is gone.....the condo is devoid of toys, and pak and plays, and high chairs, and such.

The crib sheets are washed and put away....no more bottles, and sippy cups, and princess shoes clomping down the hall. The rubber ducky didn't get a bath tonight and all of my shirts that got spit up on are now clean and fresh.

It was a great time. I am tired, but in a good way.

Chidren are refreshing. I love to look at their faces and watch their expressions. They trust completely that we will meet their needs and meet their needs we do.

Having children is a full time job and then some. The rewards come later...much later, but it is God's highest calling to be a mother and a father and to raise productive, well-adjusted adults who love the Lord God Almighty.

I miss hearing you say I Love You......I wish I could hear it right now....

daisys

Tomorrow they will be gone....back to the far north to finish out the brutal winter.

It has been a good week...Lots of family time...holding babies, laughing, beach fun, and beautiful weather.

David, Erika, Lucy , and Harry gave me an Ipod for my birthday. It is loaded and ready to go.
I continue to be thrust into the electronic age. They say, if you continue to do and try new things, your brain will stay healthy.....let's hope so. Thanks so much for the wonderful surprise.

David and I celebrated our birthdays together last night with steak dinners at Longhorn. Our favorite was the "Wild West Shrimp" appetizer. It was divine. The babies were perfect and we had good, good fellowship.....truly a blessing from the Lord.

I love gerber daisys.....I thought I would share them with you. May your day be as lovely as these blooms. God made them this beautiful, you know.

we take lots of pictures

Father and son

Grammie & Lucy looking for treasure

Lucy in one of her "marvelous" outfits

Harry & Grammie enjoying the beach

lucy in the air

Erika took this picture of Lucy flying through the air just out of her granddaddy's arms.I think it is one of those wow pictures.

At this point I have lost my ability to write.....I hope it comes back.

I will post pictures until it does.

yours truly...c

beach fun

more later....

two cuties

These two children are Harry and Lucy. Lucy has on her new spring outfit.....she is fishing for magnetic fish in this picture.

They cannot believe how wonderful the sun and the warm ocean breezes feel on their skin. It has been so cold where they live in Chicago that they cannot go outside without being covered in fur from head to toe.

I will send more pictures later.............

sitting in the sunshine

The window is open and the sun is shining through. I am sitting here anticipating the arrival of our children any time now so I thought I would write a little bit.

I just returned from town with fresh bread, fresh salsa, and an arm full of red and yellow gerber daiseys. Just looking at them makes me feel happy.

Last week on my birthday I wrote that God is assessible. I want to expound on those verses a little bit.

Psalm 145:18 "The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth."

This verse assures us that the Lord is near to all who "cry out to Him." God will draw near to all who "seek Him diligently."

Near means "close by." God is close by to all who call upon Him.

But look at the rest of that verse......God is near to all who call upon Him in truth.

This truth is Jesus. We must come to God through Jesus.

One can call out to God his whole life, but if that person is not calling upon Him in truth (Jesus) it is to no avail.

To further strengthen the point:

Ephesians 2:13 "But now in Christ you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ."

Man (and woman) in their sin nature are as far away from God as they can possibly be. When Christ sacrificed His life for us, He brought us back to God. He brought us near to God. He did what no one else could do. Jesus made us in a right relationship with our God.

We can draw near to God and He will draw near to us, but only in the truth.

"hurled headlong"

This is a picture of our new house.

I think it is very "Southern Living." I want to put two black rocking chairs on the porch.

I am very excited to have a house again and to get all of our things out of storage.

It will be like Christmas for me.

David, Erika, Lucy, and Harry are on their way to Savannah. They are passing through Ohio right now. We expect them tomorrow right after lunch.

Psalm 37: 23-24 "The steps of a man are established by the Lord; and He delights in his way. When he falls, he shall not be hurled headlong, because the Lord is the One who holds his hand."

Jake is two and I insist that he hold my hand when we are in dangerous places. He doesn't always like it, but he is mostly obedient. When he holds my hand I protect him from harm.

Amazing friends....the Lord holds our hand. He protects us from being "hurled headlong" into danger.

Notice also that it is God who establishes our steps, who leads us in the pathways that we should walk down.

O, I love this.....When I am in "His steps," He "delights in my way." Is not that truth one to have on our minds as we go to rest tonight?

sweet dreams.....c

talking politics

This is a picture of the Hollingsworth's new home in Lanexa, VA. It is the parsonage that is provided by the church for them. It has been completely renovated. It has beautiful hardwood floors. There are four bedrooms and a study for Mark. They feel very blessed.

That is Bubba rushing in the door to go to the "little boy's room."

I miss Jake. All day long I have been singing Disney songs in my head. The condo is quiet.....all that's left is the yellow wagon. That's the role of grandparents, though.....love them and the give them back to their parents.

Our trip went well. We left at eight o'clock yesterday morning and got to their house around four. We spent four hours moving furniture around and eating and fellowshipping, and then we got back in the car and headed south. We stopped at 10:00 pm in Rocky Mount, NC, making today's trip much shorter. We were back in Savannah by one.

Lunch consisted of our favorite Maurice's Bar-b-que sandwiches and french fries eaten flying down I-95 while talking politics. (I love politics, but I rely on Bubba to keep me straight and we haven't been able to talk with Jake around. When we would get him to bed we would both flake out.

Later on I may send a picture of our new house....We'll see. Right now I am glad to be home. That was a lot of riding.

the wonder of it all

The travelers made it safely to their new home. They were on their blow-up mattress by 2:00 am. Eli had no more problems and made the trip very easy for everyone by staying his sweet self to sleep most of the way.

The movers arrived this morning and they are full into the process as we speak. Some of the dear people at the church were coming over to help with the unpacking. They had stocked their fridge, so Amanda, Mark, and Eli had plenty to eat. What a blessing.

Our time with Jake is over. Tomorrow we have to take him back to his parents who miss him. He has been a joy! He is very well-behaved for a two year old. After he wakes up from his nap he and I will spend our last time on the beach. He loves it so much.

We will leave tomorrow and return on Sunday if the Lord is willing. Bubba and I do some of our best planning when we are behind the windshield.

Mark will preach his first sermon on Sunday.

Psalm 39:5 "Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders which Thou hast done, And Thy thoughts toward us; There is none to compare with Thee; If I would declare and speak of them, they would be too numerous to count."

"The wonder of it all" is one of my favorite phrases. I love the way it sounds and what it connotes.

The wonders of God are too numerous to count...............Thank you for letting us see Your wonders, O God in heaven. We praise Your name.

speaking of eli

He just starting eating cheerios.....he likes to wear them on his chin.

You can see how he holds his little hand in this picture.

I talked to Amanda. She said that Eli is his grandfather's grandson. The anesthsia made him nauseated. Other than that everything went very well. They are finished at the house and at the hospital and are on the other side of Louisville starting their trip.

No results until Monday......a long wait.

Praise be to God for His amazing grace.

mri for eli

Today is the day Eli has his MRI. He has to be at the hospital at 11:30 and the procedure is scheduled for 1:00. He will be put to sleep. Keep him in your prayers today please.

The movers cleared out their house yesterday and as soon as Eli wakes up they will head for Virginia. Last night they slept on a blow-up mattress. Please remember Mark and Amanda in your prayers as this is a very stressful time.

thoughts on turning sixty

I don't know what I was expecting.....I feel just the same as I did day before yesterday.

I keep wondering when I will "feel" my age. It hasn't happened yet.

I do know that I have learned not to take myself seriously.

It is better and healthier to laugh anyway.

Inside I am still sixteen with lots of hopes and dreams before me.

I am happier and more content than I have ever been.

In a drawer a little red box is hidden. It has $420.00 inside. It is the accumulation of my Christmas and Birthday money. I love knowing it is there.

I eat a little chocolate every day.

I know that I am right with God because of Jesus.

I know where I will spend eternity.

I love pretty things.

I like where I am in life.

I love being a grandmother.

I like the gray hair that shows at my temples.

"I don't know much but I know I love you....that may be all I need to know."

happy birthday grammy

It's been a very good day......

God is accessible

The little one is napping and I am wide awake so here goes.....

God is accessable - He is able to be communicated with -known - understood

We touched on this last month a little bit. We can know God because He has revealed Himself to us in His word. We cannot know Him completely, but we can know Him as much as He wants us to know Him. We do that by searching the Scriptures and diligently seeking Him every day that we have life.

I will let the word speak on this subject...

Psalm 145:18 "The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth."

Ephesians 2:13 "But now in Christ you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ."

Ephesians 2:18-19 "For through Him (Jesus) we have our access in one Spirit to the Father."(God) "So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household."

Ephesians 3:12 "(God) in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him." (Jesus)

Hebrews 4:16 "Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

James 4:8 "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you...."

Interesting verses. We certainly have access to God, but notice that our access is through Jesus Christ and the blood that he shed at Calvary on our behalf.

God is very specific about how we gain access to Him.

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father (God) but through Me."

God is accessible because of His Son Jesus Christ.

love like that

Well, I planned all day to write my post on the second attribute of God.....I ended up napping this afternoon while Jake was napping and I don't think I have it in me tonight.

The weather here at the beach is "sparkling" as the sea was today.

Jake got stung by some ants this morning and we had to leave the beach in tears.

The playground was a huge hit.

The best is how he shares his love without holding back......O, if we could only love each other like that.......c

a day in the life

Granddaddy made him spaghetti for dinner.....he ate three bowls full and asked for more.

He played hard all day and he was very hungry.

We sat on the deck just now and looked at the stars..........he said it was "outer space."

There's no place to sit in the living room because he has carefully placed his "pooh" stickers all over the seats.

He literally rolled in the sand on the beach all morning.

He chased birds and I took a thousand pictures of him.

He talks all the time and we try to decipher what he is saying. Where would we be without context clues?

Granddaddy and the yellow wagon took him for a long survey of the grounds.

Thank you Mark and Amanda for giving us this priviledge. You all have done a great job!!

harry update

Harry has been sent home. When the doctor saw him this morning he said that his breathing is much better and they no longer felt he was in danger. Thanks for all of the prayers. Our God is the God who heals....praise Him!

Harry update

Harry is no worse this morning, but not a lot better either. Please keep him in your prayers. He has a private room in the pediatric unit at the hospital.

David is seeing to his ministry at church. Lucy is staying with the wonderful Braddishes as she is sick as well. God is well in control and we rest our hope in Him.

tired travelers

We are home after twelve plus hours. Jake was amazing...more on that tomorrow.

Please pray for our little baby Harry. He was admitted to the hospital today with a serious cough. His breathing is very labored. They want to monitor him very closely. He is getting breathing treatments.

So weary...........off to bed. c

the yellow purse

Just a short post from Louisville, Kentucky, soon not to be the home base of the Hollingsworth family any longer.

Our trip from Savannah went very well. Our stop at Lenox was short, but sweet. I bought a yellow purse that I love. It is a bit shocking, but it has so many neat nooks and crannies. I am hoping that I will never have to search for my cellphone again.

Tomorrow we turn around with Jake in tow and head back home. I estimate that the trip is about eleven hours........four to Knoxville......three to Atlanta.....four to Savannah. We hope to be away by nine o'clock in the morning.

I had my first birthday celebration tonight. I got a bag to carry my camera around in which I badly needed. The most fun came when Jake put the bag it came in on his head to be knocked off over and over. My cake will be donuts with decaf in a few minutes.

Eli is doing well. He got a new brace for his hand today.

I am so thankful for this family and the great opportunity they have before them. Please pray for all of us as we work together to make this move happen.

our stained glass window

Each condo unit has a stained glass window on the deck. I thought the light shining through this morning made for a pretty picture......I share it with you. Paul tells us in the book of Philippians to "dwell on that which is lovely."

Tomorrow we leave for Louisville.....Bubba has promised to take me to Lenox mall as we pass through Atlanta. "Going to Lenox" was always such a fun day trip for me and whoever I could drag along. I so much miss living there.

We will return on Saturday.....all the way home in one day. We figure that is the best way to do the trip with little Jake along. Hopefully we will have enough "entertainment" to keep him happy and content.

He is much better from his illness....the shot must have worked and worked fast.

Psalm 45:1 "My heart overflows with a good theme....."

I read this verse early this morning. I had to stop and read it again and then again. How beautiful. The heart mentioned in the above verse has to be filled with the joy of the Lord.

"A good theme." The truth....the good news of Jesus Christ. When this life is over, after we have fought and perservered and won the race, we will have perfect peace and rest. Everything will be as it was meant to be.

"My heart overflows," If we know this truth and believe it by faith then we cannot keep it hidden inside. It will overflow. It will come out and bless those all around.

Oh what a blessing these unexpected nuggets of truth are to a believer such as me.

I am slowly getting better. The last two days I have felt better than I have in many, many months. Thanks for your prayers and encouragement.

My love to you....cathy

get well soon, jake

This little boy's name is Jake.
He is on the backside of two heading for three.
He loves "rocket" of Einstein fame, french fries with ketchup, and being outside.
He prays before bedtime.
He loves to go to church on Sunday.
He knows all his "people."
He has an enormous imagination.
He has won our hearts.

Bubba and I are leaving on Thursday to drive to Louisville to pick him up and bring him back to stay with us at the beach for a while. We are very excited to have this honor.

Jake is extremely sick today. He had to go to the doctor and get a huge shot. He was very brave. (or maybe not) I like to think that he was.

I've been praying for his visit for a while. I pray for safety and contentment for him and for patience, strength, and stamina for us.

Proverbs 17:6 "Grandchildren are the crown of old age......"

I heartily agree!

God has no limitations

When I look out in the morning I see the ocean. Sometimes I glimpse the huge container ships, small motor boats, the shrimp boats. Sometimes I can see the dolphins playing close by the shore. I can see the rolling waves and the low hanging clouds.

When I look out after darkness has closed in I cannot see anything at all.

Daniel 2:22 states, "God knows what is in the darkness." He knows what I cannot know. He knows what is present in the darkness and He also knows what is hidden beneath the sea.

God is Absolute - complete - perfect - not limited in any way

This is a good illustration of the differencce between God and man. We, the created are limited in what we can know, see, and do. God has no limitations. He knows everything, He sees everthing, and He can do everything.

Job 42:2 from yesterday's writing: "God can do all things and no purpose of His can be thwarted."

This is why we can trust Him uneqivically.

Psalm 145:13 "God's kingdom is everlasting and His dominion endures throughout all generations."

Our lifespan is limited to a few short years. "God's kingdom and dominion are everlasting."

In Isaiah 44:6 God tells us, "There is no God besides Me."

There's only one God, friends, and He is the One who has revealed Himself in His word.

Daniel 2:22 says, "It is God who reveals the hidden and profound things."

These mysteries are revealed in God's word and He will reveal them to us if we take the time to seek Him through faith. The Bible contains all of the "hidden and profound things" that make the frequently asked questions of "who are we?" and "why are we here?" understanable.

1 Timothy 6:16 "God alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light whom no man has seen or can see."

God is much more than man can comprehend. Let us the created stand in awe!!!

These verses were given to me....these writings are my own....cathy

"He knows what is in the darkness"

We are not like God. He created us in His likeness, but we are not like Him.

I want to begin to share some things revealed in God's word that will show us clearly and without a doubt that we are not like Him.

These "attributes of God" will help us to see how all of us "fall short of the glory of God" and why we need our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ to die in our place and to reconcile us back to a right relationship with God.

We were born into sin without a choice. The Most Holy God cannot tolerate sin in any form, but He made a way for us to come back to Him through His Son Jesus. We are not without hope.

I didn't research these verses. I received them several years ago when I was studying the basics of biblical counseling. If anyone recognizes this work as his own, please let me know so that I can give full credit.

God is Absolute - complete - perfect - not limited in any way

Job 42:1-2 "Then Job answered the Lord and said, "I know that Thou (God) can do all things, and that no purpose of Thine can be thwarted."

Psalm 145: 11-13 "They shall speak of the glory of Thy (God's) kingdom, and talk of Thy power; to make known to the sons of men (us) Thy mighty acts, and the glory of the majesty of Thy kingdom. Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Thy dominion endures throughout all generations."

Isaiah 44:6 Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of Hosts: "I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me."

Daniel 2: 20-22 Daniel answered and said, "Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him. And it is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men, and knowledge to men of understanding. It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things: He knows what is in the darknes, and the light dwells with Him."

I Timothy 6: 15-16 "............He (God) who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and the Lord of lords; who alone possesses immorality and dwells in inapproachable light; who no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion."

Take some time, read and reread these verses. Meditate on them. Let the truth of God's word sink into your soul. God will bless your "diligent seeking."

it is done

This is how the small condo turned out....see if you can spot the changes......l,c

first light....new month

Welcome February:

still cold
longer days
my birthday
promise of spring
daffodiles
beautiful sunrises
attributes of God
seeing those I love
knowing God
being loved and loving

I took the picture this morning. The sunrise "took my breath away." I thought I would share it with you.

Continuing in the subject of "knowing God," I will be writing about the attributes of God. We determined last month that we can know God and by studying His eternal attributes we can begin to know Him better. Each attribute will be backed up by Scripture.

I hit a milestone birthday this month. I will turn "60." I rejoice in the time God has given me on this earth and for all of the blessings of life. Also, I am that much closer to being in the prescence of the Lord forever and being able to praise Him as I should.

Enjoy your day and this new month....cathy