Back Online - FINALLY!!!

I have a love hate relationship with computers! They are a wonderful invention, saving time, and making repetitive tasks simple and easy. They are storehouses for all kinds of useful and useless information, and a great connection to the outside world. BUT, it happens EVERY time, just when I get really attached to the silly thing - kaput - shut off completely.

Three Saturdays ago, we went to visit Rachel for an early birthday celebration. We took our wireless router along so we could work while she did school work. We ended up leaving the router for her to use, making her final week of school a little easier. We came home, hubby went and bought us another router exactly like the one we left with Rachel, and nothing. He messed for a couple of hours, took it and exchanged it for another identical one, messed for about three more hours, and nothing. This was Sunday night, and he was out of town for the next four days. I was unable to get online at all. After he came home, he messed with it a few more nights, and finally took the router to work and had the hardware guys look at it. After much testing and trouble shooting, they determined that there was a password encoded into the router, and managed to clear it off, so it would work. Once back online, I was able to catch up reading posts in a couple of nights. Then, I had a new post ready to publish when the road runner went down. Down for a full 24 hours. I don't know if any of you are like this, but I try to get into a rhythm with things and being cut off, sure throws that out of sync.

In the meantime, I interviewed for a job at our church and was offered the job yesterday, as the Pastor's Secretary and Office Manager. This feels like the rest of God's plan. We know He led us to this community for a reason, and we love our new church. As new empty nesters, I think I still need daily human contact, and having a salary again will help with the burden of two kids in college at once. As annoying as it was at the time, I feel our computer issues were part of God's plan,too. I was getting ready to launch my ecrater store, when the router went out initially. Then, when I was ready again, the road runner went out. I believe God is calling me to something else for awhile, and didn't allow me to get the online store up and going. God's timing is always perfect, even when we don't see at the time how it's fitting together.

So, I think I will still share some of my current creations with you, and maybe get the ecrater store going, but at a more relaxed pace. I'm hoping to get better at posting regularly, because I love the fellowship of all of you, my blogging friends!

In other news, our daughter, Rachel, launched her blog yesterday! She is the fifth person in our family to blog! Her site is Studio Days & Studio Nights. She is very creative and wise beyond her years, so please stop by and say hi!

The photo for today, is from our trip to Ravine Gardens State Park in March. Just a little beauty to share with each of you, and a wish for a Happy Mother's Day to all the moms! Lots of Love, Pam

Happy Easter!

"Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Luke 24:5-6

How completely unfathomable to them. He was not where they assumed he would be. They felt their world was out of control, but he was in control the whole time. He allowed himself to be hung on the cross, (willingly laying down his life to save us from our sins), and after three days, picked it up again. God in Man, Creator, Savior, REDEEMER!! The gift of heaven, sent from God to man. He has Risen!!

I know that most of my readers are already Christians. I feel led, though, to share the message of salvation for anyone out there that isn't sure what it all means.

If you've never done so, won't you accept his precious gift of salvation today! Just admit that you are a sinner in need of salvation (no one can ever be "good enough" to enter heaven on our own merit). Believe that Jesus Christ really IS (not was - he's still alive) the Son of God, sent to earth according to God's plan to die on the cross and save us from our sins. Confess your sins before God and ask Jesus to come into your heart and save you. (This would be in the form of a prayer that would go something like this: "Father God, I know I am a sinner, and don't deserve salvation. Thank you for loving me enough to send Jesus to make the ultimate sacrifice. In dying on the cross, he paid MY debt for my sins. I accept this gift, and commit my heart to you. Help me to go forward from this day, as YOUR child. Help me to love you and to do my best to keep your commandments, in order to honor you for this great gift. Thank you Lord, for saving me! Help me to remember, it is by your GRACE, not by my good works, that I am saved. AMEN!")

Becoming a Christian is really that simple. The next step would be to go this week, and seek a church family, if you don't have one. As a new Christian, you need encouragement from fellow believers to grow in the faith.

(If you prayed this prayer, please e-mail me and I will pray for you. Or if you would like more explanation to anything here, e-mail me and I will be happy to share more with you personally.)

Lots of Love, Pam

Be Still and Know That I Am God

I have been reading through the account of the Passion Week in the different gospels this week. This morning in Luke 22:47-62 a different thought came to mind.

Peter was a man of action, comfortable in a boat fishing, or protecting Jesus with his sword at the ready (v. 49 & 50). We know from the other gospels that it was indeed Peter that cut off Malchus' ear. If Jesus had okayed fighting, Peter would have fought to the death to save his master and friend.

However, Jesus told them to put away their swords, and he went willingly with the mob. Poor Peter was totally out of his element. His thoughts probably went something like, "Allow me to fight and I'm there for you Lord! Ask me to be still and watch, and I'm suddenly terrified."

What would have happened if Peter had NOT denied knowing Jesus? Would he have been taken by the angry mob as well? Probably. Would they have beaten him? Maybe. Would Jesus have allowed him to be killed as well? No. That was NOT God's plan for Peter, that was only God's plan for Jesus. If Peter had admitted that he knew Jesus, he might have suffered some of the pain and humiliation, but he would not have been killed. One of his main purposes in life was to help spread the news and establish the early church. He would have been protected from death. And if he had the benefit of 2000 years of hindsight, he probably would have realized that at the time.

It occurred to me, that I am often like Peter, in this regard. "Give me something to do Lord, show me your plan! Give me a path of action, and I'm there for you!"

However, God has been very clearly telling me since we moved here, "Be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10). Whenever I start feeling anxious about what's next, He sends the message again. Sometimes with a sense of humor, like the other day when I entered a Christian bookstore, and promptly saw at least 7 or 8 pieces of beautiful wall art with this verse splashed across them. I said, "Okay Lord, I hear you," and enjoyed the joke with him.

Then today, I felt this message again. It's not always about the action, sometimes it's about the trusting, and about being faithful even in the stillness! Thank you, Lord, for loving me always, even when I have a hard time being still. Amen.

Lots of Love, Pam

Morning Sky

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handiwork. Psalms 19:1 KJV

* you can click on this photo to enlarge