.return.

Then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark. _Genesis 8:9

Wearied out with her wanderings, the dove returns at length to the ark as her only resting place. How heavily she flies-she will drop-she will never reach the ark! But she struggles on. Noah has been looking out for his dove all day long, and is ready to receive her. She has just strength to reach the edge of the ark, she can hardly alight upon it, and is ready to drop, when Noah puts forth his hand and pulls her in unto him. Mark that: "pulled her in unto him." She did not fly right in herself, but was too fearful, or too weary to do so. She flew as far as she could, and then he put forth his hand and pulled her in unto him. This act of mercy was shown to the wandering dove, and she was not chidden for her wanderings. Just as she was she was pulled into the ark. So you, seeking sinner, with all your sin, will be received. "Only return"-those are God's two gracious words-"only return." What! nothing else? No, "only return." She had no olive branch in her mouth this time, nothing at all but just herself and her wanderings; but it is "only return," and she does return, and Noah pulls her in. Fly, thou wanderer; fly thou fainting one, dove as thou art, though thou thinkest thyself to be black as the raven with the mire of sin, back, back to the Saviour. Every moment thou waitest does but increase thy misery; thine attempts to plume thyself and make thyself fit for Jesus are all vanity. Come thou to Him just as thou art. "Return, thou backsliding Israel." He does not say, "Return, thou repenting Israel" (there is such an invitation doubtless), but "thou backsliding one," as a backslider with all thy backslidings about thee, Return, return, return! Jesus is waiting for thee! He will stretch forth His hand and "pull thee in"-in to Himself, thy heart's true home.

::chs

----

This is my prayer in the desert
And all that's within me feels dry
This is my prayer in the hunger in me
My God is a God who provides

And this is my prayer in the fire
In weakness or trial or pain
There is a faith proved
Of more worth than gold
So refine me Lord through the flames

And I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon forged against me shall remain

I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and He is here

And this is my prayer in the battle
And triumph is still on it's way
I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ
So firm on His promise I'll stand

All of my life
In every season
You are still God
I have a reason to sing
I have a reason to worship

This is my prayer in the harvest
When favor and providence flow
I know I'm filled to be empited again
The seed I've received I will sow

_ The Desert Song; Brooke Fraser

.lost in the fray.

I've got something to say
It's been one of those days
When I'm finding it hard
to believe in You

I've got something to say
I've forgotten how to pray
And I'm finding it hard to
believe the truth

I've got something to say
Right now it feels like
You are slipping away
Like I am drowning in a crisis of faith
Like I'm alone

I've got something to say
What was black and white is grey
And I'm finding it hard to believe in You

And faith might mean there won't be answers
And hope might mean enduring through the night
But help me not forget in darkness
The things that I believed in light

I've got something to say
Right now it feels like
You are slipping away
Like I am drowning in a crisis of faith
Like I was found, but now
I'm lost in the fray

_SomethingToSay.Starfield.
_____

"Walk about Zion, go around her, number her towers, consider well her ramparts, go through her citadels, that you may tell the next generation that this is God, our God forever and ever. He will guide us forever." _psalm48:12-14

[**and no. i did not cut my hair. or change it. thats an older picture.**]

.my happy place.

Here is where I am right now:





Mmmmm, yessss. That is right. I am at the beach.
In February. and its sunny and 65 degrees.
Take that, February.

.so very happy.

http://thatshappy.blogspot.com

.as long as you are glorified.

shall I take from Your hand Your blessings
yet not welcome any pain
shall I thank You for days of sunshine
yet grumble in days of rain
shall I love You in times of plenty
then leave You in days of drought
shall I trust when I reap a harvest
but when winter winds blow, then doubt

oh let Your will be done in me
in Your love I will abide
ih I long for nothing else as long
as You are glorified

are You good only when I prosper
and true only when I’m filled
are You King only when I’m carefree
and God only when I’m well
You are good when I’m poor and needy
You are true when I’m parched and dry
You still reign in the deepest valley
You’re still God in the darkest night

--------

A Christian should be a striking likeness of Jesus Christ. You have read lives of Christ, beautifully and eloquently written, but the best life of Christ is His living biography, written out in the words and actions of His people. If we were what we profess to be, and what we should be, we should be pictures of Christ; yea, such striking likenesses of Him, that the world would not have to hold us up by the hour together, and say, "Well, it seems somewhat of a likeness;" but they would, when they once beheld us, exclaim, "He has been with Jesus; he has been taught of Him; he is like Him; he has caught the very idea of the holy Man of Nazareth, and he works it out in his life and every-day actions."

_ Charles Spurgeon.

.all things.

"Beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me."
matthew 14:30

are we nearly engulfed by the boisterous waters of affliction?
let us then lift up our souls unto our Saviour,
and we may rest assured that He will not suffer us to perish.
when we can do nothing Jesus can do all things;
let us enlist His powerful aid upon our side,
and all will be well.

_Charles Spurgeon

.about me.

Thus says the Lord,
"Stand by the roads, and look,
and ask for the ancient paths,
where the good way is; and walk in it,
and find rest for your souls."
_jeremiah 6:16.


i'm no one really special. just another girl.
the story of my life is still being written, and not by me.
Jesus Christ is writing my story, and thats just how it should be.
for what He writes is best, i'm finding out.
through trials and troubles He's been steadfast.
and no matter what tomorrow brings, He ever will be.

my life is made all the richer by...

_the perfectness of Jesus. and His glorious gospel.
no longer must i fear death. He conquered it. and sin. forever. hallelujah.

_the sweetness and ever steadiness of the truth in the Bible.
His Word and Holy Spirit are my guides in this dark world.
The truths in that book lighten my soul and give me hope.

_the 5 people who call me sister and daughter.
my gratefulness for them is to the moon and back.

_the dear people i am blessed to call friends.
so many have come along side me in dark days,
encouraged me, strengthened me, and challenged me.
i am all the more richer because of their love.

_Charles Spurgeon and the words God put in his mouth and
led him to document for us to read years later. His insights
have encouraged me more than a 1000 times.

_the gift of singing. song is what i go to so often
to cheer my soul. the lyrics of christian songs that sing of my
Savior are an amazing comfort.

_the local church. sunday is by far the sweetest day of the week to me.

_photography. fleeting moments are so dear to me and capturing them
is even more so. i don't like to forget. and this helps me remember.

and there you have it. now you know me.
well some things about me.
and as the days and weeks go by,
you'll get to know me better.
you'll get to see into my life
as i seek to stand by the roads.