Words

“Words - so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they become in the hands of one who knows how to combine them.”
- Nathaniel Hawthorne 

I liked this quote so much I thought I'd put it here to remember. People no doubt apply it different ways, but we all should remember it whether we're writing a book, a blog post, an article in a magazine, or an email or handwritten letter. Oh may I use words for good and to glorify my Lord and Savior. 

The Tangled Web

My thoughts, before they are my own
Are to my God distinctly known;
He knows the words I mean to speak
Ere from my opening lips they break.
~~Isaac Watts

I have gone through many seasons of disappointment and even discouragement about my various writing projects. This work is one of them. Our Lord has made it clear to me that any thoughts of publishing the companion to Aunt Jane's Hero need to be abandoned. I realized it some time ago, but it was a difficult realization. There were several other disappointments and somehow it all got wrapped up in my neglect of this beloved blog. It has always been the favorite of all my blogs, but I suppose the state of my heart with respect to writing in general, Speakable Gifts publications in particular, somehow implicated "Scraps of Glory" in the mix. I don't believe that our Lord would have it be so. In fact, I do not believe He has been pleased with me in this.

So, I am not only picking up my dear "Scraps" again, but also my little thoughts, or notes if you would, from my companion work for this priceless Prentiss gem. None of the other issues I've been dealing with have been resolved, but the many months of delight I took in pouring my heart into Horace and Maggie and the others need not go totally to waste. I can still share bits and pieces of the fruit of those precious "labors" here.

Not too many people come here anymore. There was a time when many did. It's obviously a further proof of the often unfortunate results of neglect. That includes all types of neglect. But we won't get into that. Let's just say a few words about chapter 8 of this dear book, and pick up and go on. Let's see what God determines to do with what we do here in the days to come, if anything. Thankfully, that's His call, as is all of everything His call. As always, I don't know how often we'll make posts in this series, but we'll see.

Now to Chapter 8, very briefly. The most noticeable thing about this chapter is all of the entanglements of misconception and uncertainty. It's a chapter of high emotions, particularly on the part of Horace and Maggie, and unfortunately, these two young folks are ensnared by their own intensity of feelings. Annie is caught up in the web of confusion as well and a new primary character, Tom White, is promptly woven into the network. You enter the chapter with an array of inaccurate conclusions among the principals and when the occurrences of this segment are over, you see that everything is still quite muddled. You leave with a sense of wondering how and when it will all be unwoven. You can't wait to see how the author, as she always does, will uncover God's purposes in the lives of people, though fictional, who are so much like all of us in so many ways.

How many of us have gotten ourselves into all kinds of entanglements because of our emotions? If we're honest, we'd be willing to admit that it has been far too often. Misreading actions and words of others, drawing conclusions with little facts to support them, speculating and making presumptions about this person and that situation, and on and on. When will we learn to prayerfully leave matters to a sovereign and omniscient God? When will we learn to wait patiently for Him, trusting that in His own good time, He'll guide our steps and make His way plain?

Please, Lord, may I begin learning now.

Priorities

Jesus loves me, this I know,

For the Bible tells me so;

Little ones to him belong,

They are weak but he is strong.

Yes, Jesus loves me!

Yes, Jesus loves me!

Yes, Jesus loves me!

The Bible tells me so.

~ Anna B. Warner

Miss Warner is another of my "inspirations" in life. For those of you who know me well, this should not be surprising. Why? Because so many of the people, past and present, who fall into that category are people who loved children and and placed a high regard on teaching them spiritual truths. If you'd like to be blessed, read about the lives of Anna and her sister Susan. You will be struck by the riches of lives such as theirs.

Stories abound about this hymn. You'd be surprised at the number of adults for whom it remained a favorite, such as Francis Schaeffer. The most enthusiastic singing comes at our church's nursing home ministry when this song is sung. As Mr. Schaeffer has said, while people need intellectual answers to their questions, they also need a direct message to their heart. "Jesus Loves Me" does that. It speaks directly to the hearts of young people, but also to all of us of all ages.

I firmly believe, as did the Warner sisters no doubt, that what we learn as children is best learned. While salvation is from God, and cannot be passed on by us, the truths that lead to a person's conversion can be firmly implanted in childhood and who knows when and how God will use them. That's why writing for children is still a priority for me. It's a priority, yes, but I've been neglecting it. This is not a resolution or anything like that, but my blogging and Facebook have got to take more of a back seat in coming days. Writing for precious young souls is burning at my heart again. There are several projects which got started and then, you know how it goes, things got off track.

I still want to visit friends and all that, but I am really going to try to limit my writing here to quotes, verses, poetry, notes about sermons, and things of that sort, which was my original intent. Unless some original thoughts do inspire the old brain and I can do it quickly!

Just thought I'd let you know what's going on. I'll be over to see you when I can!

New Year Greetings

Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting You are God.

A blessed and happy New Year to all of you who visit. We've begun another calendar year and there will be many changes in the coming 366 days, as there have been in the 365 that we just completed. But it's good to comfort ourselves in the knowledge of our God who has been changeless from one generation to another. I hope that 2008 will draw you and me closer to Him. I'll slowly be making my rounds to my friends to give holiday greetings.

I haven't done well catching up on my writing during the break, so blogging will be sparse. Keep me in prayer as I get back to donning the various headgear that we moms need to wear, and PLEASE pray that the projects can get moving. Too much activity over the holidays!! Now maybe some time to breathe!

I Need a Break!

Hi Friends! I've decided to take a short break. I need to for more reasons than one. The number one reason is that the wireless connection on my laptop is acting up and trying to drive me insane. I will not go into all the gory details partly because I am sick of thinking about it. For another thing, the desktop in the kitchen is having issues of its own too. Then, I have so many writing projects at different stages which I am not getting to because I am too busy on the internet, or TRYING to get on! So......I think the Lord is telling me to take a break. For the next week or more I plan to work on the editing and writing that should be taking my attention at this point. AND finish with some Christmas shopping and wrapping.

So if you don't hear from me you know where I am!

My Times are in Thy Hand

My times are in thy hand... Psalm 31:15a

I hate to say this, but I think my brain is in standby mode. My computer is easy to wake up when its on standby, but not so when it's in hibernation, so maybe it's the latter with me right now. I haven't been in the mood for reading any books and the various writing projects which are waiting, all in different stages of development--well, none have been touched all summer. Soon it will be August and you know what that means: time to start getting ready for the next school year. I wasn't the happiest when the UPS guy brought the ABeka books for the coming year. All four boxes are sitting in the sunroom staring at me! Back in June when we finished up with last year, I had a list a mile long of all that I was going to accomplish before the next one.

For some reason, the Lord has not given me the heart for reading and writing right now. I don't know why. But I have been thinking about the above hymn all day, which would, of course, lead me to the verse in Psalm 31. I went to see what Spurgeon had to say about it in The Treasury of David and found the following quote from our friend, Matthew Henry:

When David had Saul at his mercy in the cave, those about him said, This is the time in which God will deliver thee. 1Sa 24:4. No, saith David, the time is not come for my deliverance till it can be wrought without sin, and I will wait for that time; for it is God's time, and that is the best time. Matthew Henry.

I like that one, don't you? If God brought this hymn and verse to my mind, then it was because He wants me to remember that His time is the best time. The day will come when I'll plunge full force into whatever He has for me to do, because He'll give me the heart to do it.

Maybe there is some aspect of your life where this lesson is being impressed upon you, too, as this verse can be applied in many ways. If we sing the first stanza together, then perhaps we'll both feel better. ( The remaining lyrics and the tune are here.)

My times are in thy hand;

My God, I wish them there;

My life, my friends, my soul, I leave

Entirely to thy care.

~William F. Lloyd, 1824

My New Notebook

I would like to announce that this Nanna is now the proud owner of a Toshiba Satellite 15.4" Widescreen Notebook PC #A135-S4527. In other words, I have a laptop. I've never owned one before, but the Lord has graciously allowed Speakable Gifts, with household help, to purchase this "notebook" for me to use in my writing projects. The sales guy was trying to help me make the best choice (which I had thought about for weeks), so he asked what I would be using it for. I hesitantly said to him "Well, I'm trying to be a writer." I don't know why I answered that way. Why didn't I say "I'm a writer" rather than that I'm "trying" to be one? Who knows.

So, I have an electronic "notebook." For almost everything I write, I scribble out a rough draft in my spiral notebook, while sitting on my couch or some other quiet place. I don't think most writers do that. Usually, from what I hear, they sit at their desks or on their couches or wherever and type out their rough copies on their laptops. Maybe I'll try doing it that way now that I don't need to sit at our desktop computer which in the kitchen, where there's so much activity during the day. Well, we'll see.

Just pray that this new piece of equipment in our home will be used to work on projects and even make blog posts and comments that will be from meditations of my heart that are acceptable in His sight, who is my strength and my Redeemer.

Mama's Headgear

Wearing several hats in the course of one day does present a challenge for the person who always would "rather be writing." As I don my teacher's bonnet in our homeschool, I'm often called away to put on the big, floppy chef's cap. Today was no exception. I don't know what kind of headdress a bookkeeper would adorn herself with, but I certainly wore it for a good bit of today while doing the family and business finances. Then the role which calls for the little janitorial cap was getting neglected a bit more than I'd like to admit, so I couldn't let too much time slip by without tossing that one on for a moment or two. There are more, but you get the idea.

I can quickly take a few minutes to blog (my great love), but only a few. Maybe, if I'm a good girl, I can throw off all those headpieces I've been wearing and grab a few more precious moments before bed to finish some revision work.

I wouldn't trade any of these hats though, they are each an indication of the Lord's blessings to this grateful homemaker, even while trying to be a writer.

Being Public

And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Colossians 3:17

I guess it's been ten days ago that I started this new little venture in the blogging world. I've kept it private because I wasn't sure exactly how I wanted to proceed with it; I needed to be clear in my own mind as to what it is that this is all about. I do believe I like the idea of having a blog that is mostly devotional, with thoughts about serving the Lord in written words and publications. So I've decided to go ahead with it. This is my tenth post: a good place to start sharing with others. I hope it will be what I want it to be--an offering to my God. I hope that anybody who happens by, will see little bits of His glory.

Welcome, if this is the first post that you read. I would like friends to come often, whether or not they leave a comment at a given visit. I just want folks to read and if any blessings come from that, I'll be satisfied. And if so, then to God be the glory!

The Romans Treasury

I'm quite excited to have actually completed my study in the Book of Romans for teen girls . This was my largest undertaking thus far--I can't believe it's actually ready for me to start trying to find a publisher. My pastors have given it the okay, which is important to me, and now Pastor R. is even going to help me in my publishing search! The whole work is from a Reformed Baptist perspective, so here's hoping some RB publisher (or at least a Reformed publisher) will want to take it on. If not, Speakable Press will have to try to find a way to do it! I am so thankful to my Heavenly Father for bringing it thus far.

Coming to Romans 8:31-39, my most beloved portion of God's Word, I told my fictitious teen girl, Jewel, that we were standing on holy ground. How can we but marvel at these words:

"For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39

Behold His Glory

...and we beheld His glory... (John 1:14)

That's what I want to do here. Behold little bits of His glory. Sometimes from His Word, other times from a hymn or poem someone else wrote, or from words another person spoke. Perhaps it will be in the face of a persecuted saint. Or it could be in nature. Just a little of the magnificence of our Savior--in short clips.