carefree

What a busy, happy month March was!

We started out at Disney World

and are ending up

packing and moving to a new home.

It's all there...

in the Psalms that is.

If you read them

and meditate on them,

and get them firmly implanted in your head,

You will know God

as much as possible on this side of eternity.

When I finish the last Psalm,

I go back

and start over again.

Every time I learn something new

and add to my knowledge of our

awesome God.

I urge you to read your Bible.

Nothing satisfies,

nothing comforts and encourages like God's Word.

"Great peace have those who love Your word,

and nothing causes them to stumble."

Psalm 119:165

you must be born again

Often in Christianity we speak of

being regenerated.

According to Websters,

the meaning of this word is

to reform,

to make new,

to revive.

That is what happens in a

believer's heart

when the Holy Spirit

causes it to awaken.

One is said to be

born again,

to be made new.

cac

"Regeneration,

 as John 3: 1~8 teaches,

is a hidden process within us.

The exact time when it happens

 is unknown

and unimportant.

The first sign

 that it has happened

is that one becomes interested in

spiritual things,

becomes conscious of

sin and guilt,

and

believes on

the Lord Jesus Christ as the only Saviour.

What is most important

is that

it has happened,

 not when it happened."

ml jones

"Jesus answered and said to him,

Most assuredly,

unless one is born again,

he cannot see the kingdom of God." 

John 3:3

gray tooth knocked out

This is Lucy and Nathan.

Nathan and his "grammy" my cousin Trish

are visiting from out west this week.

We were down on

River Street

today

taking in the sights.

Over a year ago

 Lucy injured her right front tooth

in a rather unfortunate

chain of events.

Last week

that same tooth

met its demise

in an equally traumatic scenario.

David and Erika,

responding to screams of high-pitched terror,

found Lucy

in her bedroom 

on the floor

bleeding from the mouth.

After

 ascertaining

 the cause of all of that blood,

it was determined that

the gray tooth

 had been knocked loose

 by a fall and head bonking

 and was hanging by a single spindly root.

Tooth was pulled,

hysterics were calmed,

tooth was placed under pillow,

bringing a rich reward.

The result is that precious little

snaggledtoothed

girl in the picture above,

sharing her glory with Nathan,

who is eight,

and has lost both of his front teeth in the natural way.

The antics of children make me rejoice!

pictures of our new home

"Always moving."

One great things about constant moving....

I can reuse the shelf paper.

In the first picture

you can see

the living room and the dining room.

The second picture is my favorite...

the screened in porch.

In the third picture

is the kitchen

with a very low chandelier

hanging over the island.

The fourth picture is the

master bedroom.

And lastly,

Bubba's dedicated office.

There is a nook and cranny for everything....

Now if he can just keep it neat

I think it will be fun making this place a home.

As to the blog last night....

Jake and Eli just finished memorizing that Psalm.

I didn't know about it.

Just thought that was a nice

thing to know.

read and rejoice!!!

"I will lift up my eyes to the hills ~

 from whence cometh my help? 

My help comes from the Lord

who made

heaven and earth.

He will not allow your foot to be moved; 

He who keeps you will not slumber.

Behold,

He who keeps Israel

Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is your keeper;

The Lord is your shade at your right hand.

The sun shall not strike you by day,

nor the moon by night.

The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;

He shall preserve your soul.

The Lord shall preserve

your going out and your coming in

from this time and forevermore."

Psalm 121

Read this tonight and rejoice!

Read it over and over.

Let its truth run way down deep in your soul.

This is one of the blessings of being a believer!

Praise Him!

I have managed......

just in time for the big move week,

to pick up a malady

that has me up all night coughing my head off

and then barely dragging

 through the next day.

One thing I do know...

life is never just

simple.

My packing today

was done between rests in the bed.

I got two boxes done.

I am glad that when it comes my time to go to heaven,

I will take nothing with me.

why do we have troubles?

"It is a melancholy fact,

that constant, temporal prosperity,

 as a general rule,

 is injurous to a believer's soul. 

We cannot stand it. 

Sicknesses,

losses,

crosses,

anxieties and disappointments

seem absolutely needful

 to keep us humble,

watchful

and spiritual~minded.

They are as needful as

the pruning knife to the vine

and the refiner's furnace to the gold. 

They are not pleasant to flesh and blood. 

We do not like them

and often do not see their meaning.

We shall find that all worked for our good when we reach heaven. 

Let these thoughts abide in our minds,

 if we love growth in grace. 

When our days of darkness come upon us,

let us not count it as a strange thing. 

Rather let us remember that lessons are learned on such days,

which would never have been learned in sunshine...."

jcryle

"No chastening for the present seems to be joyous, but grievious; 

nevertheless

 afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness." 

Hebrews 12:11

the work of the Holy Spirit of God

The God of the Bible exists in three persons....

God the Father,

His Son Jesus Christ,

and the Holy Spirit.

They are one and the same with three different functions.

Christians know this as the Trinity.

When a person beleives,

he or she is given the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Without God's Spirit it is impossible to believe.

The following are...

cac

 10 marks of the Holy Spirit in a believer

1. The Spirit awakens a person's heart.

2.  The Spirit teaches a person's mind.

3.  The Spirit leads to the Word.

4.  The Spirit convinces of sin.

5.The Spirit draws to Christ.

6.  The Spirit sanctifies.

7.  The Spirit makes a person spiritually minded.

8.  The spirit produces inward conflict.

9.  The Spirit makes a person love the brethren.

10.  The spirit teaches a person to pray.

These are the great marks of the Holy Spirit's presence.

Put this question to your conscience and ask...

Has the Spirit done anything of this kind for your soul?

jcryle

an antique

I saw this picture a few months ago for the first time.

I loved it, but it was too expensive.

Today

I found myself back downtown on State Street

in the same antique shop.

It was still there.

This time I decided to bargain.

Yes...

I brought it home and consider it a treasure.

At the new home there will be a dedicated room for the children.

It will hang in there.

I couldn't be more pleased.

The stamp...

1906

The Hillman Mfg Co

New York

more on the move.......

One of these days

I'll get motivated

to pack up all of the things in this townhouse

and get on with the move...

Today,

 I am feeling lethargic

because of all the pollen

that is blowing in with the cool breeze

through my open windows. 

Every now and then I have a fleeting moment of thinking...

"Maybe I should turn on the air conditioner and close the windows," 

but that thought is momentary.

You see,

here we get a cross wind,

coming from the ocean,

over the marsh,

through the house

and on to the river

 and beyond.

We are moving to Southbridge

in West Savannah

on April 1st.

God provided a condo for us there

that perfectly meets our needs.

It is sprawling...

all of one level,

the top floor,

("the top floor is always the best")

To get to the living area one must walk straight up 21 stairs.

That's okay with me...

It is great exercise.

So...once more I get to make a home.

I love it,

but I'll miss this good place

"My heart

stands in awe of

Your word.

 I rejoice at Your word

as one who finds

great treasure."

Psalm 119: 161 & 162

six going on seven

The last 24 hours of my life....

Lucy to ballet.

(She's getting good, really good.)

Lucy and me to Logans

(her choice).

After six games of tic tac toe

we split a steak filet and ate peanuts

and threw the shells on the floor.

"Grammy, did you know that sometimes I eat the shells?"

Lucy and I on a long bike ride.

Then we watched Pete's Dragon

Until way past both of our bedtimes.

Waffles and pecan crunch for breakfast.

I gave her a spa shampoo and blow dry....

right before the bubble bath

in grammy's big tub.

Off to have breakfast for lunch at

The Original Pancake House.

After eight games of tic tac toe,

she had silver dollar pancakes

and I ingested french crepes with strawberries.

A two hour shopping spree

resulted in her finding me

a beautiful pink ruffled top

with,

as she said to me, 

"plenty of room for me to grow."

We then home for another hour long bike ride.

She and I rested together on her bed.

She talked and asked questions while I finished my book,

then she read The Three Little Kittens to me.

After she & I took supper to Estelle & Irving,

we came home to a wonderful steak dinner cooked by granddaddy.

She has gone home now.

I love her very much.

I will go to bed early tonight.

Wonder why?

in case you haven't heard....

....we are moving again.

this will be #14.

Yes,

we have moved

that many times

in our soon to be 42 years of marriage.

                                                             These lovely townhomes
                                                                     (we are renting)

were given back to the bank

and so we have to leave.

I have loved living here

and have only

just recently stopped

  being in denial that this is really happening.

                                          
                                                As the housing market continues to crumble,

the rental market is booming,

and we were beginning to think

that we might just be out on the street

(or in our tiny condo down at the beach).

                                                                 This is the neat part....

I was not worried at all.

God had heard our prayers

and I knew He would show us what He had for us in His time.

                                                                        Sure enough,

last Sunday,

 God sent a perfect stranger to our church,

Cornerstone Church,

who knew someone who had something that

"may just be perfect for you."

                                                  It was and we will be moving on April 1.

                                                               I will tell you all about

what & where

in a soon to follow post.

                                                                      God is faithful.

He will provide.

Wait always for the best!

a four leaf clover

It was very green in Savannah today.

Downtown was host to right near a million people

watching the St. Patrick's Day Parade

among other pursuits.

What I really like about this time of year is

SPRING!

Just the added daylight brings such joy.

Seeing the flowers & trees bursting forth in all of their glory....

having the windows open,

upstairs and down,

letting the gentle breezes blow across the house.

Smelling the marsh,

enjoying the extra evening,

and then watching the sun set out over on the horizon.

Spring is a gift from God.

After the cold, dead winter,

life returns to all the earth as it responds

to the warmth of the longer days.

"To everything there is a season,

a time for every purpose under heaven."

Ecclesiastes 3:1

savannah...

is just ablaze with color.

All of the azaleas

are blooming at one time.

There is absolutely nothing as magnificent as when

God

spreads all of this color 

across the city.

I ride with my camera by my side

and stop

to take pictures

of the most beautiful ones.

Thank You Lord

for this once a year display of

Your creative power.

There is not enough Bible reading among us. 

It is not sufficient to have the Book ~

we must actually read it

and pray over it

ourselves. 

It will do us no good if it only lies still in our houses. 

We must be familiar with its contents,

 and have its texts stored in our memories and minds. 

Knowledge of the Bible never comes by intuition. 

It can only be attained by

diligent,

regular,

 daily,

 attentive,

wakeful reading. 

jcryle

To have the

written Word of God

in our hands

is the most valuable treasure in all of the world. 

Nothing even comes close

to compare with it.

Thankful,

cathy

harry and the race car

Many and big thanks to

Rita and Mitch

 for arranging for

Harry

to actually ride around a real race track

 in a real race car. 

Thanks to Charissa also. 

She drives every Friday night at

the Oglethorpe Speedway here in Savannah.

Needless to say it made his day

and many days to come.

You can see the excitement and joy on his little face.

Everybody's pulling for Harry!

We love you brave little boy!

he brought me roses

Maybe it was because

his black ink pen got washed with

my favorite jeans

and ruined them today.

Maybe it was because

 I haven't been feeling so well lately.

Maybe it was because

 I suggested that we go get

 homemade chicken and dumplings

for lunch

and he absolutely loved them.

Maybe he knows

that having to move again is very, very hard for me.

I really don't know why....

but when he came walking down the hall just now and said,

 "I haven't brought you flowers in a while,"

I was overwhelmed with love and appreciation

for this man who loves me

in spite of myself.

"Husbands love your wives,

 just as Christ also loved the church

and gave His life for it...."

Ephesians 5:25

He does..

this earth is not our rest

"There is such a place as heaven.

No truth is more certain in the whole of Scripture than this....

there remains a rest for the people of God.

This earth is not our rest...

it cannot be....

there breathes not a

 man or woman

who ever found it so.

Go,

build your happiness on earth

if you are so disposed;

choose everything you can imagine

would make life more enjoyable.....

take money,

house,

travels,

and lands;

take learning,

health,

and beauty;

take honor,

rank,

respect,

and many friends:

take everything your mind can picture

or your eyes desire.

Take it all,

and yet I dare to tell you,

that even then you would not find rest.

I know well that in a few short years,

your heart's confession would be....

It is all hollow,

empty,

and unsatisfying!

It is all weariness and disappointment!

It is all vanity and frustration!

I well know you would feel within a

 hungering and famine,

a leaness and barrenness of soul; 

and ready indeed would you be

 to bear your testimony

to the mighty truth,

This earth is not our rest."

jcryle

Longing for heaven tonight

and that perfect rest that is promised.

Nothing satisfies but Jesus and His word.

cathy

flower butterfly by Epcot

"to infinity & beyond"

If you saw this picture on facebook,

please forgive.....

I have to get it in my archives.

Three Buzz Lightyears

all ready for bed.

This is why I love being a grammy.

Narrowing down our search for a new place to live.

We found two great options today

and will be

"sleeping on it" tonight.

It is amazing to see God at work on this.

"Oh how I love Your law! (Word)

It is my meditation all the day."

psalm119:97

february fun at the pool

Erika and Shamu relaxing by the pool.

Everybody in for a swim.

Amanda posing with Shamu.

Lucy, Jake, and Eli all jumping at the same time.

*I'll be back to writing again soon...

needed a little break,

a time to clear my head and focus once again

on the main purpose of my blog...

To encourage you to read and love

God's word!

Cathy

and now for the grand finale.....

FIREWORKS!

Disney does it all so well.

Being able to see a giant fireworks display every night is awesome.

A week of wonders,

fun,

and fellowship.

Hope you enjoyed my pictures.

Now they are all tucked away here on this blog for posterity.

When these grandchildren are grown,

they can look back

and see

and read about

all of the ways God blessed in their lives.

This blog is the book of our lives.

Thank you for reading!

Cathy

#4 ~ day 2

Epcot "magic" at night

Eating lunch under an umbrella

Goofy being Goofy

I finally got to be a princess

It was all so much fun.

#3 ~ day2

Alice in Wonderland

and the Mad Tea Party ride.....

#2 of day 2 all day disney montage

At Epcot on a sunny, late winter day.

David pushing the stroller in front of the great big ball

Me and Gus enjoying the fountain

Gus getting a quick snack

and, of course, "the flowers."

All in a day at the "laid back" park.

                                     

day #2 of the all day disney montage

Standing by the sign for my favorite ride...

Soarin.

Would ride it over and over if I could.

This morning

 I am awed by the magnitude of God's word to my soul.

vs. 64-78 of Psalm 119.

Read and meditate on them.

Sit and reflect

on the greatness of our God

and how He uses

His word

to minister to our hearts.

# 6 in the all day disney montage

Jake and I in the Buzz Light Year

shooting gallery.

Intense concentration on my part...

This all day collage will be continued tomorrow...

Got to go to bed now.

nite~nite

#5 in the all day montage

A little princess and

a place to buy your crown!

#4 in the all day montage

On the carousel...

a favorite first ride in the park.

Happy faces all around.