Snapshots

"Down in the valley, valley so low, Hang your head over, hear the wind blow.

Hear the wind blow, dear, hear the wind blow, hang your head over, hear the wind blow."

As we were driving through the Ozarks and watching the beautiful scenery unfold along the highway, I looked out over the high hills and low valleys through my car window and saw cattle and horses grazing in the fields. The Bible verse "the cattle on a thousand hills" came to mind. Of course, when we got home, I had to look up that verse and guess what? Further along in that chapter is a verse about thank offerings!

"The Mighty One, God, the Lord, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets. From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth. . ." (Psalm 50:1,2)

Like many other former homeschooling families we know, we've gotten in the habit of listening to stories on tape while traveling and my husband picked up several sets of audio CD's from our local library before we left. One was a volume of creationist stories of Jonathan Parks, a Vision Forum product, which we have never listened to before. In this story, they were after thieves who had stolen the first translated copy of the Danish story of Beowulf from the British museum.

"for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills, I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine. . ." (Psalm 50:10,11)

We were traveling to a funeral of my husband's cousin's wife. She had died of a massive heart attack while dropping off school children. Fortunately she was in a valley bottom of a hilly road, there were only six children left on the bus, most of which were her grandchildren, a tree stopped the bus from rolling, and the children were able to exit the bus through the back as she had trained them to do should there be trouble.

She was a tremendous blessing to her community and the church was packed the day of her funeral. We felt blest to find a parking space and a seat. While the pastor eulogized her life, he said one of her children and grandchildren's memories of her life was how she spent her time while driving as a busy farmer's wife and church member and that was quoting scripture out loud she was memorizing for Bible studies or quizzing tournaments.

"He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me,

and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God."

(Psalm 50:23)

 

Coming home, I saw a church sign that read, "If your Bibles were all confiscated tomorrow, what would you have left?"

1. My thanks = for the grandma who loved her grandchildren so much she was willing to take them to the funeral and graveside service because they were influenced by Phyllis' light. If you are a prayer warrior, please pray for this family (and wisdom for the congregation as they grapple with how to best serve this family) as the grandma died enroute to the graveside service of a heart attack. The oldest grandchild, a 12 year old, was able to get the car over to the shoulder where someone flagged down the police officer directly behind us at the end of the funeral procession.

2. I'm grateful =.to God for his traveling mercies to those of us who attended the funeral from the Far West.

3. I'm thankful = for comfort

 

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God." ~ 2 Corinthians 1:3-5

5. My thanks = for people who have mechanical skills. I've missed my father so much since he's passed. My dryer quit, now it's working thanks to Kevin! Thanks guy!

5. My thanks = for Karen who knows what I like and gifted me with a tiny perpetual spiral friendship calendar decorated with teacups.

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