A big storm's a-brewin'
on the coast of Maine...
Fourteen plus inches expected overnight...
on the coast of Maine...
Fourteen plus inches expected overnight...
The old 78 plow truck is all gassed up...
The kerosene lanterns are filled...
The wood is piled almost to the ceiling
by the woodstove...
and now, we wait...
In the calm before the storm
We took a walk out back
To "test" the ice on our little pond
Before we dig out our ice skates...
Our pond is not very deep
And it is not very big around
Just about the perfect size for peepers
in the spring...
But we have to be careful...
Because we have a little stream
from all the underground springs on our land
That runs all year long.
And since there is fresh water
Constantly running in under the ice
We have to be very certain that
the ice is thick enough...
As my husband and I took our walk
In the chilly winter air...
I thought about the thin ice...
And I wondered how many of us
Might be standing on thin ice
When it comes to our walk with the Lord...
Do we feel comfortable enough
With simply an hour long service
once a week?
Did we repeat a prayer
after someone else
many years ago
and believe we're all set?
Do we blindly listen to
and follow the words of men,
Rather than diligently studying the scriptures
for the Truth?
Are we content to let others
Teach our children about the Lord?
And so I pray, my friends,
That we will examine ourselves daily
In light of the scriptures...
"Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith;
examine yourselves!
Or do you not recognize this about yourselves,
that Jesus Christ is in you--
unless indeed you fail the test? "
2 Corinthians 13:5
examine yourselves!
Or do you not recognize this about yourselves,
that Jesus Christ is in you--
unless indeed you fail the test? "
2 Corinthians 13:5
Awww! We are sending the storm to you! ;o) We got 5 inches in less then 5 hrs yesterday!! And we don't get snow here really...And look at how adorable you are my dear! ;o) I think I need to write down 2 Cor 13:5 and put it in my windowsill to look at! Hope that the storm deals with you gently! *hugs*
ReplyDeleteI will be praying that you will come through the storm safely. I would be terrified if a storm like that came our way--but I live in Texas where it was 85 degrees last week (of course it is 42 degrees now). We actually had snow last year. It was only the second time in my life I had seen snow. We had almost five inches--more snow than we've seen in this area in my lifetime. I remember walking outside to take pictures and it crunched under foot in a most astonishing way.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Nabila Grace--you look quite adorable in those pictures! Such a sweet smile! :)
Your spiritual reflection was so encouraging and convicting! Christ Himself warned us that "Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy Name? and in Thy Name have cast out devils? and in Thy Name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity." (Matthew 7:21-23)
I wish you a blessed new year!
My dear friend, being on thin ice is not as easy to identify. I can honestly tell you that I am not comfortable with just an hour every Sunday. The Word of Our Lord needs to be with me every moment of my day. It is constant.
ReplyDeleteYes, sometimes, I do deviate, but not for long - Praise Our Lord.
Thank you for your wise words dear friend. They are exactly what I need to read every time I stop by your lovely place.
Be blessed sweet Laura,
Maria.
Dear Mrs. Laura, I very much enjoyed this post, and it was so nice to see photos of you! Now I have a ‘face’ to go with all of the lovely comments and posts that you write. :) It sounds like there is quite the storm expected there in Maine (or perhaps it has already arrived?), but I have to say, it does sound kind of fun what with all of the preparations and all! :) Though, I do hope that it isn’t a bad one, and that you make it through all right! And as a little side note, I like your all’s truck. :)
ReplyDeleteAs always, I appreciated the thoughts that you shared here . . . how very true they are. And they remind me so much of the things that our family has talked about so often. How very important it is for all who claim to follow Christ, to sincerely examine and test themselves to find, is the foundation that they/we are on truly the solid Rock of Christ? And if so, is the structure that we are building upon it according to His Word? And examining ourselves not with the ‘measuring stick’ of the accepted religious practices of today to determine the answers to the questions that you presented here, but instead using the Lord’s true word as the “level of righteousness.”
Once again, thank you for sharing all of this and also the wonderful photos! :)
Dear Nabila Grace,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for all the snow! We've had such a fun day today...despite the high winds and chilly temps. We spent most of the day with family and neighbors just "cleanin' up!" The wind is still howling out...but we haven't lost power yet! I can just imagine how much fun your little ones had in the snow...by the way, that picture you posted is just too precious! Those sweet little eyes...
Blessings to you, dear friend,
Laura
Dear Miss Linda,
ReplyDeleteIt is always so nice to have you "stop by" for a visit. I can't imagine what it must be like to live in Texas and not have any snow in the winter...I have always lived in New England. We weathered the storm just fine...although the wind is still raging...but we are cozy and warm inside by the woodstove.
Thank you so much for your wonderful words of Truth from Matthew 7. I, too, fear that many are deceived...which is all the more reason to daily examine our walk with the Lord in light of His word.
Have a blessed week,
Laura
Dear Maria,
ReplyDeleteI have so enjoyed reading the posts on your blog as you daily examine your life and strive to put Jesus first in everything you do. Praise God that He is patient with us, and that His mercies are new every morning.
God bless you, my friend,
Laura
Dear Miss Sarah,
ReplyDeleteSo good to hear from you as always! We do have such fun getting ready for storms...and then cleaning up after them! Today was that kind of day...our normal routine went by the wayside as we were out and about, helping where we could and enjoying the magnificent beauty that God had placed in our paths.
I so enjoyed your comment about using God's word as our "measuring stick". So often I find that the more I study His word, the more I am convicted to reexamine so many aspects of my life...what I do, how I speak, where I go, how I spend my time,and how I deal with those around me. We can never accomplish this by listening to the words of others...for so often they will mislead us, not intentionally, mind you, but perhaps out of lack of knowledge or insight because they themselves have not spent time in prayer and study. God's word is simply the only Truth we have to measure by.
Hope you are all having a blessed week,
Mrs. Laura
Laura,
ReplyDeleteYour pictures are very nice. I have a question about your wood stove...I am assuming it is VT Castings? Which model is it and how old? We are looking at getting another one for our downstairs...and I like the way yours looks.
Dear Mandy,
ReplyDeleteSo good to hear from you! Hope you are all well and staying warm! You were correct...our woodstove is a VT Castings...it is an "Intrepid"...and is around 20 years old. We actually bought it used a few years ago from a man who decided that he wanted an enamel Yotel. We have it in our kitchen and it heats our downstairs quite well. We do have an oil furnace as a back-up...which heats our hot water. Before that we had a bigger VT castings which was just too overpowering for our home. Our layout is pretty open...so the heat cirulates well. We are hoping though to purchase a cookstove...since I do so much baking and such. We really like the Amish cookstoves with the water tank attachments. Are you thinking of putting one in your living room or downstairs in your basement area? I think that the intrepid would heat your living room really well...and because of the layout of your house you'd still get some heat up into your bedrooms. Hope that helps.
Please give our best to everyone...Keziah must love sledding down your lawn!
~Laura