Vintage Grace: August 2016

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Walking Stick Reassurance

Just finished reading Eugene Peterson's-

Run with the Horses.

It has challenged me to read
the book of Jeremiah.

In the first Chapter, Jeremiah,
the prophet to the nations,
learns that before he was formed in the womb,
the Lord knew him,
and before he was born,
he was sanctified- set apart. (v. 5)
When he was concerned
about his young age,
the Lord said:
I'll send you, tell you what to say,
be with you, and deliver you-
do not fear. (v.7-8)
Jeremiah gets some details about his job-
and learns that he will bring news
of judgment tempered with grace and hope.
Then comes the part
Then the Lord asks Jeremiah what he SEES?
A branch of an almond tree,
perhaps a rod.
(going with a stick in this play on words)
The Lord says- You see well, good eyes.
For I am watching, wakeful and ready,
to perform my WORD,
and bring it to pass. (v.11-12)
The almond tree is the first tree
to bloom in the spring, to come awake.
An almond branch becomes
a reminder that the Lord is STICKING
with us, to make sure His Word STICKS
it out to the end.
His Word will come true.
Jeremiah plays here with
the similar Hebrew words:
shaqed -almond
and
shoqed-watching.

Last year when we visited
Bethel Lutheran Church in Claremont, NC.
both John and I were given walking sticks.
Mine is the short one
and the one on the left was given to John.
When the older gentleman who made them
saw how tall John is,
he decided he needed a taller walking stick.
A few weeks later John
received the one on the right.
Our terrain is fairly flat
and we don't use the sticks much for walking.
But, I store the sticks right outside
the door we leave from each morning.
Almond wood or not,
I believe they will now serve as
visual reminders.
The Lord is sticking with me,
and He is watching to make sure all His Words
come true.
A pretty awesome way
to start the endeavors of each and every day.

Sunday, August 28, 2016

Lead Me Gentle Savior

In the paths of righteousness,

Lead me gentle Savior

Away from all worldliness,

Let me cast my gaze,

Toward the eternal days.

Lead me gentle Savior,

In the way saints have trod,

Lead me gentle Savior,

Ever closer to my God,

Each day a little nearer still,

My heavenly home, Thy precious will.

Lead me gentle Savior,

Through the storm that rages near,

Lead me gentle Savior,

With thy hand I need not fear,

Tho the waves would swallow me,

Like Peter, I will cling to Thee.

Help me gentle Savior,

To bring other souls to Thee,

Help them gentle Savior,

That thy glory they may see,

Then Thy holy grace may flow,

As nourishment to help them grow.

Teach me gentle Savior,

To thirst for nothing but Thy love,

Lead me gentle Savior,

To Thy mansions up above,

There to ever live with Thee,

My gentle Savior, then I'll see.

Griffin and Laura

and a visit to the University of Michigan-

Matthaei Botanical Gardens-

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Matthaei Botanical Gardens

This poem written by

Katherine Elizabeth Graft-

my mother-

as a prayer for her children,

and grandchildren.

Now shared with all of

her great-grandchildren.

Jack with Sophie

And Mr Levi.

May the Lord continue to gently lead-

all the legacy gifts of

Erv and Kay.

Saturday, August 27, 2016

Five Year Anniversary

Sometimes starting something new

is like heading down a new path,

and not REALLY knowing

just what lies ahead.

This week I was able to hang out

and have dinner

with my dear friend, Pat.

We were talking about blogging.

I doggedly always bug her about starting one.

She graciously doesn't lock me in a closet.

I won't stop pestering.

Because she has a gift to be shared-

one of hope and encouragement

for me and many others on the journey.

Of what it's like to live

when it isn't just blue skies

and fluffy white clouds overhead,

and the storm gathers on the horizon.

And life doesn't line up in a perfect row

and shimmer in the sunlight.

But you CAN be the one who

grabs hold of daily signs of promise-

that this isn't the end game,

but only a bitty glimpse of the

real THING.

And cling to TRUST so

enthralling that it lights up the

edges of your world and all around you.

So, in this space I

GIVE THANKS

for 5 years this week of

telling the stories of His Faithfulness.

For 785 blog posts that bear witness to

what He has done.

For the gifts of wonder and imagination

that fuel my days,

with a side of quirky and unexpected JOY.

So, with unfailing determination-

of constantly be Constance,

I will continue to seek to lift up

the voices of my female friends.

So, that they may SEE the road ahead,

to tell the STORY

and bring light to those

traveling along the way.
Is it time for YOU
to start a blog?

Thursday, August 25, 2016

Bible Journaling- Psalm 27

Gathering some resources here.

A variety of approaches for time

in His Word.

Psalm 27- Sketch Notes

in a blank journal

To divide up the space I made a border

and then highlighted the verse

I was seeing as MY focus

for this time in God's Word.

More borders and doodles.

Much of the "notes" for this are from

The Message.

Also spending time in the Inspire Bible.

In this Bible the design

is already preprinted-like on the left side

here in the margin.

This time I also added the words on the right-

The ONE thing.

Here is Bible Journaling from Oct 2014.

Actually sermon notes,

with highlighted sections.

What I love about the resources

available now for Bible Study

and prayer time in God's Word

is that there are so many

DIFFERENT

approaches and resources.

So many doorways in......

Sally Beck is a talented artiest
that has been working with
Visual Faith images
over a long career.
She was an illustrator
for Creative Communications.
She shares her images for others to use.
They are available here with a
Psalm 27 devotion by Natalie Hartwig.
DC Metro Bible Journaling- Files

Here is a sample of the Banner Design book
from Sally Beck.
The simple designs for banners -
without a lot of frou frou details
make wonderful inspiration for Bible margins.

Though this book was published 18 years ago-
it has wonderful help for anyone
creating with Visual Faith.
Banners-Favorite-Bible-Verses-Sally Beck

Maybe there is something calling you
to use Visual Faith tools
for Prayer and time in God's Word.

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Back Home in Indiana

I always love when I can

get home to check the crops on the farm.

We were home in July and drove by our land.

This year there is corn on the forty.

And a "crop" of Queen Anne's Lace

in the ditch in front.

Think we would have enough

for a cash crop.

Too bad this stuff makes my husband

go into a sneezing fit

or I would have a house filled

with them in the summer.

Wheat is off on the field by the barn.

Out buildings are looking a bit rough.

Dad always kept paint on.

That barn was built during the Civil War.

Expansive Indiana farmland.

Beans on the sixty this year.

Enough rain.

Good sun.

Thank you, Lord.

"Give thanks to the Lord,
for he is good;
his love endures forever."
1 Chronicles 16:34

And as we leave we wave a goodbye-
knowing we aren't driving in Metro DC.

Monday, August 22, 2016

Rio Olympic Integrity

The 2016 Summer Olympics have closed

and with it the names of hundreds

of people that were

on the watch of millions around the world.

We knew the names in the last two weeks:

Simone Biles, Aly Raisman, Michael Phelps,

Usain Bolt, Ashton Eaton, Mo Farah,

Allyson Felix, Connor Fields, Simone Manuel,

Katie Ledecky, Gwen Jorgensen, Kohei Uchimura,

Gabby Douglas, Lilly King, Kristin Armstrong,

Anthony Ervin, Claressa Shields.

Names I remember now.

Many I won't remember next month.

The first Gold medal of this year's Olympics

was won by Ginny Thrasher- from Springfield, VA.

She graduated from the same high school,

West Springfield, as our three daughters.

Local hero. Amazing talent.

And then some names made the news

with dark clouds shattering the noteworthy

endeavors and accomplishments- Ryan Lochte.

And the story unfolds of "embellishment",

poor choices, and simple untruthfulness.

Actions not well-thought out become

markers for future hope.

A few moments of actions without integrity.

It is so difficult to STAND FIRM,

to be the best in all times.

What pressure to be the best.

I am so thankful that my "not the best"

choices haven't been caught

on a security camera.

Seen round the world.

Analyzed.

Tweeted to millions.

And that is only by GRACE.

So GRACE received

must be given to others.

And then there were the athletes

that gave God the Glory.

That prayed together before a race.

Gave thanks after a race,

no matter the outcome,

in all circumstances.
So my final Olympic analysis
comes to the word
INTEGRITY-
the quality of being honest
and having strong moral principles,
moral uprightness,
sincerity, truthfulness, decent,
fairness, trustworthiness.
The state of being integrated,
whole, cohesive.
The word I wished we talked
about more in those we admire.
We might be strong and fast,
with amazing precision or endurance,
but it matters not,
if there isn't a life of integrity.
The phrase that I heard so often
in the past two weeks
on the coverage from Rio was-
Christ the Redeemer.

This amazing statue which is 2/3
the size of the Statue of Liberty,
was built between 1922 -1931.

Perhaps more than one person

Googled- Christ the Redeemer
to find out more about the ONE
who does look over the world,
and each and every person.
The ONE who had a perfect 10,
stood firm,
gave God the Glory,
and lived a life of INTEGRITY.