Friday, December 29, 2006
Violin Prodigy or Just Enthusiastic?
Whenever my sister comes to visit she gives my daughter violin lessons. She already knows all the parts of the violin and bow, the names of the strings, how to hold the violin properly, and can pluck strings on command. She is just starting to learn how to hold the bow properly.
Soon I want her to be able to take real lessons and maybe someday she will be a great violinst. One day when she learns to really play Flight of the Bumblebee I will have to show her a video of her first attempt at age three.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Mary Did You Know?
Mary did you know that your baby boy would some day walk on water?
Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you've delivered, will soon deliver you.
Mary did you know that your baby boy would give sight to a blind man?
Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
And when your kiss your little baby, you have kissed the face of God.
Oh Mary did you know---
The blind will see, the deaf will hear, the dead will live again.
Mary did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Did you know that your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
This sleeping child you're holding is the great--I--- AM---.
- by Mark Lowry
I think this song is a beautiful reminder that baby Jesus, Who's birth we celebrate this time of year, was not just a ordinary baby, but the Son of God, the great I AM Himself! What a wonderful privilege Mary had to be the mother of the One Who would save the world from their sins. As you celebrate this holiday season, don't forget that Jesus didn't stay a little baby. He is the Savior of the world and He is still alive today, just as powerful as He was back then.
Merry Christmas to you all and have a Happy New Year!
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
My Alien
Unfortunately, I am sad to say, I am no longer married to an alien. No, we did not split up. He just decided to become one of us. Last week he became a citizen of the United States of America. So, even though he is still a proud Canadian at heart (he wanted to wear a Canadian tie to the oath ceremony) I can no longer say I am married to an alien.
I'm not really disappointed that he is American now. I am very proud of him. God bless America...and Canada!
Friday, November 17, 2006
God Is Listening
What Is God's Will?
Philippians 4:11 "Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content."
This verse has been popping into my head a lot lately and I think God is trying to teach me this same lesson He taught Paul. (Thankfully I haven't had to go through anything as drastic as what Paul went through.) I think He wants me to learn "in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." He seems to be trying to teach me that in more than one sense of the word "state".
One thing about me is that I like to know what's going on and be prepared for whatever is coming next in my life; to have a plan. I hate being in the dark. I don't like surprises (unless they're good surprises). Well, God seems to have other plans for me. He likes to keep me in the dark. And it drives me crazy. So maybe God is trying to teach me to be content and trust Him even in the dark, even when I don't know what's going on. It's really hard to be content with the unknown because I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing to prepare for the unknown.
There is also the other sense of the word "state" that I am struggling to be content in. We are considering moving. As my husband comes across various job opportunities, we are again faced with the question: "What is God's will?" There are some states that I would be happy to move to, and other that don't sound so exciting. I have to keep reminding myself that it doesn't matter where I want to live. Wherever God sends me I will need to be content. But how will we recognize God's will when we see it?
In the first Harry Potter book Harry comes across a magic mirror called the Mirror of Erised. When he looks inside it he sees himself with his parents who died when he was a baby. As Harry stands there trying to figure out what the mirror does, Dumbledore helps him out. He says, "The happiest man on earth would be able to use the Mirror of Erised like a normal mirror, that is, he would look into it and see himself exactly as he is. It shows us nothing more or less than the deepest, most desprate desire of our hearts." If I were to look in that mirror I would see all sorts of things. But if I could just learn to be content, even if I don't know God's will, I would see myself just as I am now, the way God made me, where He wants me; in the center of His will. Maybe it is God's will for me not to know His will (if that makes any sense). Maybe He just wants me to be content in the dark.
Friday, October 27, 2006
Morning Bird
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
AtHome America
AtHome America sells a wide variety of products from dishes to end tables to decorations for your home. Please check out her website and see all the nice things you could buy. The website is athome.com/ahargrave.
If you see something you want to buy, order from Angie so she gets all the benefits. Also if you decide to buy something please contact me and give me your name so I can get credit too. As a hostess I can get discounts if people order through me.
You can contact me by leaving a comment on this blog or email me. There is an email link on the bottom of my website, Beauty of the Heart. Follow the link to the right.
Enjoy browsing!
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Hi Jesus!
Today my daughter came into my room while I was studying my Bible and said “Jesus isn’t here. He can’t hear me.” I told her, “Yes He is. He is right here and heard you say that.” So she looked up and said “Hi!” Then she looked at me and said, “Will Jesus say hi to me?” I told her that you can’t hear Jesus speak out loud. He speaks to us through the Bible. So she looked down at my Bible that was sitting on my lap and said “hi!” then put her ear to it expecting Jesus to answer. I explained to her that God wrote the Bible and that is His way of talking to us, then I read her a verse.
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Three Little Princesses
Saturday, September 09, 2006
The Joy and Delight of My Heart
"Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by Your name, O Lord, God of hosts."
This was my favorite verse that I read today in my devotions. I have been noticing that when I spend time in the Word I have an inexplicable joy. I guess it's not really inexplicable since I know that the joy comes from spending time with my Savior. It refreshes my soul to study God's Word after a long hard day. And God is truly becoming the joy and delight of my heart.
Monday, September 04, 2006
My Daughter's Prayer
On and off over the last few months my daughter has been asking for a sister or brother. She is about to turn 3. Yesterday during breakfast she made the request again. I told her she should pray and ask Jesus to give her a sister or brother. So she asked, "Can I pray right now?" I said, "Sure." She sweetly prayed, "Jesus, I want a sister." Then she quickly looked at me and asked, "Is Jesus here?" I said, "Yes, He's right here and He heard your prayer." So she prayed again, "Jesus, I want a brother." Again she asked me if Jesus was here and I assured her that He was here and heard her prayer.
What a joy it is to teach my daughter about Jesus and that He's always with us and hears our prayers. It's encouraging to see her pray with the unquestioning faith of a child. And when God answers her prayer she will see His love and power.
I pray for the day when she will understand salvation's message and ask Jesus to save her and give her heart fully to Him. Yesterday at church she pointed to the baptistry and said she wanted to be baptized. Then she lay down on the pew and sat back up while verbally describing how a person goes under the water and comes back up. I was amazed that she understood that. I explained to her that she couldn't be baptized until she asked Jesus to be her Savior. She doesn't quite understand that concept yet but as I keep teaching her I hope she will come to understand.
I am encouraged by the questions she asks about Jesus and Biblical things. And even more encouraged when she seems to grasp something I tell her. I've never taught someone so young about God before so I don't know what all she is able to understand or how to simplify things to her level. But she likes to hear Bible stories and even just to listen to me read the Bible out loud. I pray that she will always have a love for the Bible. She has already memorized 2 Bible verses.
Ephesians 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
Proverbs 20:11 Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.
Even at her young age she is a huge example to me. She makes me think about my own faith. It seems so easy for her to trust and have faith. I wish I had her faith. I hope she will never lose her child-like faith but that it will grow stronger.
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
What Is Your Future?
I see a Great White Throne and God is sitting on the throne. Billions of people are gathered around as you stand before the Throne. The books are opened as God searches for your name. Your name is not there. You fall down before the holy God, begging and pleading with Him because you realize what it means to not have your name written in the Lamb's Book of Life. You will worship Him and claim to have done many things for Him. But He will reply, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you worker of lawlessness. Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels."
Revelation 20:11-15; Matthew 7:21-23; Matthew 25:31-33,41-46
Now you can't see anything, just utter darkness.You can't even see your hand in front of your face. But it is so hot! You hear the roar of unquenchable flames. You feel unbearable pain as the flames engulf your entire body, yet it does not consume you. The strong scents of sulfur and brimstone churn your stomach and burn your eyes. Your tongue is swollen and your voice hoarse as you cry out for a drop of water to ease your unquenchable thirst. Worms crawl all over your body. Your voice joins billions of others in the wailing and gnashing of teeth against the anguish and torment. You are filled with despair and hopelessness. One thought haunts you for all eternity: "Why didn't I trust Jesus as my Savior when I had a chance?" You know that all believers are in paradise with God and you are stuck here in the Lake of Fire for all eternity. This is your eternal punishment for rejecting God. This is your future. This is the second death.
This is not my prediction of the future; it is God's. It is the future of everyone who rejects Him by not putting their faith and trust in Jesus Christ to save them.
Outer or utter darkness: Matthew 8:12; 22:13; 25:30; 2 Peter 2:17; Jude 1:13
Eternal unquenchable fire: Isaiah 66:24; Matthew 3:12; 25:41; Mark 9:43,44,48; Jude 1:7
Sulfur and brimstone: Revelation 19:20; 20:10; 21:8
Unquenchable thirst: Luke 16:24
Worms that shall not die: Isaiah 66:24; Mark 9:48
Weeping or wailing and gnashing of teeth; anguish; torment: Matthew 8:12; 13:42; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30; Luke 13:28; 16:23-25,28; Revelation 20:10
I do not wish that future on anyone. Praise the Lord, you get to choose your future! God doesn't wish that future on anyone either. You don't have to spend eternity in the Lake of Fire. If you would rather spend eternity in heaven with God, all you have to do is believe that Jesus died on the cross to pay for your sins then rose again three days later; repent of your sins and ask Jesus to save you. If you would like to find out how to do that, click on the link to the right, Beauty of the Heart, then the top link, Beauty in Living for God.
Since I put my faith and trust in Jesus as my Savior, I have a different future; one that I am looking forward to. I am a child of God; the bride of Christ; and I will spend eternity in God's presence, praising Him, worshipping Him, and fellowshipping with Him. It is the future you can have too. The choice is yours. Keep in mind as you make your decision that salvation is not a 'fire escape'. Your motive for getting saved should not be to escape hell, but to have a personal relationship with God. Which future do you choose?
Friday, August 11, 2006
Protector Guardian
I recently took a Myers-Briggs typology test just for fun. According to them I am a Protector Guardian. The first thing that popped into my head when I read that was an image of Mushu. Then I read the description of Protector Guardian. Some of the characteristics are: service to others, seeing to their safety and security, high developed work ethic, etc. That doesn't sound much like Mushu.
Now, I don't put a lot of stock in these tests, but it got me thinking about my personality, strengths and weaknesses, and my role as a wife, mother, and Christian. God wants me to be a protector guardian, not because some test says that's what I am, but because His Word says I should be.
Protector Guardian for my Husband:
- Protect my relationship with him by being loving, submissive, and putting him first (Eph. 5:22)
- Protect my time with him by making him my top priority and always being there for him (Phil. 2:3,4)
- Protect his happiness by not nagging or having a bad attitude (Prov. 31:26; Prov. 12:4)
- Pray for him (Col. 1:9)
Protector Guardian for my Daughter:
Protector Guardian for my Home:
Protector Guardian for my Friends:
- Be a good friend (Prov. 18:24)
- Be encouraging and honest (Prov. 12:25)
- Be there in good times and in bad (Phil. 2:4)
- Always have a listening ear, but keep confidences (Prov. 27:9)
- Be forgiving (Prov. 15:1; Eph. 4:32)
- Don't gossip or slander (Prov. 15:28)
- Pray for them (Eph. 6:18)
Protector Guardian of my Relationship with God:
I take my role as 'Protector Guardian' seriously. I certainly don't want to be like Mushu. His motives were all wrong. He wanted to protect Mulan so he could gain honor and glory and put himself on a pedestal. God looks at our motives and I will be held accountable in heaven for all that I do on earth, and for my motives. So instead, I want to be a servant, like Christ, doing but asking nothing in return; putting others first and giving God all the glory and honor. When others look at me I hope they never see a Mushu, but Christ.
Heb. 13:17; Col. 3:17,23-25; 2 Cor. 5:9,10
Saturday, August 05, 2006
Shakespeare in the Park
I didn't expect her to sit through the whole 3 hours and pay attention (and she didn't) but she behaved and enjoyed it in her own way a lot better than I expected. When she wasn't wandering around our seats or playing with the fans, she actually watched the play and asked questions. She even wanted to get involved in the play. She danced and waved her arms along with the faeries; she wanted to climb the "tree" on stage when she saw Puck the fairy climb it; she laughed whenever anyone fell down and clapped along with everyone else. She even seemed to understand some of the rivalry. Her favorite character was Puck, who was dressed in bright orange clothes and had wild orange hair. She also liked the man dressed as a lion at the end.
Overall it was a fun night and my daughter is already asking when we can go again. I guess it's not too early to introduce an almost 3-year-old to Shakespeare.
Friday, July 28, 2006
Schitzophrenics Anonymous
"I have gone to find myself. If I get back before I return, keep me here."
"How do you spell 'schitzophrenic?'"
"I don't know, ask your other personality."
"I'm not schitzophrenic...and neither am I."
"The first step to overcoming schitzophrenia is to recognize that only in your mind have 'two become one'. Or is it 'one become two'?"
I wonder what happens when the psychologist asks them to break up into groups of 3...
[Ok, I know that I am incorrectly using the term 'schitzophrenic' for multiple personality disorder but "Split-personalities Anonymous" just doesn't sound as fun. So if you don't like this post, take it up with my other self, Kione.]
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Why Rambling Rose?
I am having trouble thinking of what to write in my first entry so my sister told me to just write whatever is on my mind. In the background the Jeopardy song is playing. It stopped so I guess my time is up.
Rambling Rose? I guess it is appropriate after all. It is how my mind works. My thoughts ramble from one subject to another so fast that nothing makes sense.