Weekend Worship at Highland Park United Methodist--Home Church of George and Laura Bush

I wanted to take you inside this week but the courtyards were so pretty, I just couldn't leave them out. I wish I had had time to just sit down and truly soak in the presence of God while we were there. But looking at the beauty through these pictures while meditating on His Word will have to suffice. I pray that God meets you here in His courtyard preparing for the inner beauty of His sanctuary next week.

High Park United Methodist Church, Dallas, Texas

Enter his gates with thanksgiving

and his courts with praise;

give thanks to him and praise his name.

For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;

his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Psalm 100:4-101:1

Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;

bring an offering and come into his courts .

Psalm 96:8

My soul yearns, even faints,

for the courts of the LORD;

my heart and my flesh cry out

for the living God.

Psalm 84:2

The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,

they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;

planted in the house of the LORD,

they will flourish in the courts of our God.

They will still bear fruit in old age,

they will stay fresh and green,

proclaiming, "The LORD is upright;

he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him."

Psalm 92:12-15

Better is one day in your courts

than a thousand elsewhere;

I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God

than dwell in the tents of the wicked.

from Psalm 84

For the LORD God is a sun and shield;

the LORD bestows favor and honor;

no good thing does he withhold

from those whose walk is blameless.

from Psalm 84

Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness;

tremble before him, all the earth.

Psalm 96:9

Dear readers who love me (smile), Would you please say a prayer for my family tomorrow? It was 108 degrees here yesterday and we are having an outside family reunion tomorrow. We have three people who have specific health issues that do not do well in heat. This was the only weekend we could get our whole family together and it is going to be hot. I would appreciate your prayers more than I can say. And to my overseas readers, I watch my stats closely to see where you are reading from and my heart feels especially close to you--I don't know why that is. God has just placed a great burden and love in my heart for my foreign readers. Love to all of you, Dianne

Pressed Between the Pages Of My Mind

Today I came across an old minute flower pressed between the pages of my Bible. It reminded me of another day many years ago when the storms of life were seemingly raging at every turn.

I remember strolling through my backyard--heart consumed with grief; unending tears, not splashing but softly flowing rivulets urging recollections of happier times. I tried to encourage my soul to think on good things as the Bible tells us to do but couldn't seem to tear my mind away from the negative thoughts.

Philippians 4:8

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.

The end of verse 9 goes on to say "and the God of peace will be with you."

I knew as a Christian I was not supposed to be in such turmoil in my mind and heart but could not seem to find anything lovely or good to think upon. 

About that time, my foot grazed a tiny, delicate creation. Upon further investigation, I noticed that this minute lavender design of God had not one flaw. 

I was overwhelmed at that moment with the sovereignty and majesty of God. 

That He would take the time to design and create and place at my feet at that particular moment in time so perfect a flower, was more than my heart and soul could imagine.

For what seemed like a very long time I gazed upon the pastel translucence of God's handiwork. 

My soul settled down, my heart took on an attitude of gratefulness and my mind was renewed. 

The problems didn't change at the moment but I did. Only God and the power of His Word can make a change in us that stands the test of time.

Maybe you are not in the middle of any serious storms in your life today. However, it is always good to think on the good things in life with which God has blessed us. 

If you haven't yet today, won't you take a moment and reflect upon His blessings and let your heart, soul and mind be renewed by the power of God's Word?

Even though He tells us to come boldly before the throne of grace in our hour of need, I long to run to Him daily, not just when the storms come. He always welcomes us, but how He must love it when we come to Him willingly while the seas are calm--just because we love and appreciate Him so.

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. 
Hebrews 4:16 NLT

edited repost from past pages

He Told Me Everything

Stand here at watering well today, lingering images of moments passed interrupt calm.

It was just another day. Day of sadness, depression and guilt.

How was I to know that day would change my life forever.

Or should I say the man I met would change my life for all time.

Just another daily chore, getting water for daily needs.

Just another life changed, receiving soothing water for eternal thirsts.

Just another noon-time walk to communal well,

Just another Emmaus stroll with cool, evening breeze.

Just another talk with stranger,

Just another Word of abundant life.

Just another salty rivulet of reputation ruined wiped away,

Just another rushing rapid of sweetened joy.

Just another jar of cracked and broken clay,

Just another vessel of broken bread and poured out wine.

He told me everything I'd ever done,

He forgave all,

Just another memory,

I think not--

For a moment soul sags over well in doubled grief,

But only a moment,

Once again I remember--

I am redeemed.

Ps 56:8

You keep track of all my sorrows.

You have collected all my tears in your bottle.

You have recorded each one in your book.

NLT

a repost from past pages

The Old Cyberspace Attic

It's hard to imagine, isn't it? A treasure chest that no one wants to open--not much joy in that, is there?

But if we look, I'm sure that there are areas of our lives or those close to us that we let go untouched, unsearched, unopened for whatever reason.

Just today a friend of mine said this to me. "I feel like I have an old treasure chest that no one wants to open."

She was referring to her years of old collected journals--diaries she has poured her heart and soul and life's blood into for her children, her grandchildren and all of her descendants.

She is a lot like me in ways--always wishing that she had known her ancestors a little bit better, listened to their tales of teams of oxen, wagons, corn-husk dolls and young saplings used for bucking broncos just one more time, lingered on the front porch shelling peas with them just a smidgen longer, took another sip of that cold iced tea as she listened to one more story about their barn dances and cake walks.

I guess that is one reason why I blog.

Maybe the kids and grandkids are too busy today.

I remember what it was like trying to raise three little boys--laundry room, grocery store, kitchen, repeated over and over with ballgames, school conferences, church and job tucked somewhere in between and then the rotation started all over again.

Even though I think of us as a close-knit family, maybe someday they will wish they had known me just a little better.

It is then that they will have the choice of pulling these old writings out of the web--kinda like an old cyberspace attic.

I really wish my parents and grandparents had left journals.

I pour over ever printed word I can find that they wrote with their own handwriting, even scribbled recipes.

My dad always wrote little notes on baccalaureate programs and napkins, of all things, from memorable days or evenings.

I once read a story about an elderly gentlemen whose grandson wanted a certain red sports car for his college graduation.

Thinking his grandson might have his priorities just a little out of whack, the old gent gave the grandson his old, leathered Bible, with a half-century of handwritten notes in the margins, for a graduation gift.

However, tucked deep in the middle of the Bible was the key to ......yes, you guessed it--the brand new car with a note attached telling him of his gift and its location at the local car dealer's lot.

I'll let you decide what ending you want that story to have.  

One nugget I remember finding was this one--It was shortly after my mother-in-law passed away and I had inherited her set of Daily Guideposts devotional books.

She used to write notes in the margins--can you imagine how many tears I shed the day that I came upon this one?

What if I had never opened her devotional book?

She wrote this about 13 years before she died on the day that her husband passed away.

I can't believe I found it.

The raw hurt of losing a spouse of forty-six years was spilled simply but devastatingly across that page. SVI is the abbreviation for St. Vincent's Infirmary.

This is a picture of her. The little gold compact with the bells on it was a Christmas gift from my father-in-law to her early in their marriage.

Won't you take the time today to look for the unexpected? Search for a little hidden treasure. Who knows what you might find!

And while we are at it, why not search the greatest journal of all--of course, that's the Bible--our true treasure chest.

Prov 2:1-5

My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you,  turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding,  and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding,  and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure,  then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.

True joy is found in seeking.

Turning another page,

Dianne

Linking to:

Weekend Worship at Trinity United Methodist Church, Athens, TN

Interesting and sobering question on their sign--

Can our kind church reach the world?

Revelation 3:1-6

New International Version (NIV)

 To the angel of the church in Sardis write:

These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.

Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God.  Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent.  But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.

Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. 

The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white.  I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels. 

Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

What Are You Praying for Today?

On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have appointed watchmen;

All day and all night they will never keep silent

You who remind the LORD, take no rest for yourselves;

And give Him no rest until He establishes

And makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.  Isaiah 62:6,7

As we see from this passage of scripture, watchmen are never silent, they remind the Lord of his future calendar of events and appointments, they do not rest, and they give God no rest until He brings to fruition the promises to Jerusalem, making it a praise in all the earth.

For many years I have felt a call to be a watchmen for Jerusalem.  I have had periods of time when I have been faithful to this calling but more often than not, I have failed.  And so it is with a heavy heart that I come before God asking Him to forgive me, to work His mercy in my behalf and give me a new dedication and determination to be involved in the things that make His heart beat--namely, Israel.

I bought a book last summer entitled Praying for Israel's Destiny by James Goll.  I originally bought it because of the cover art by Randall Hasson.  I was signed up to attend a calligraphy and art workshop taught by Randall in Santa Fe, NM.

I have picked the book up from time to time and thought it a great book.  I kept it laying close by my usual "nook" so that I would be reminded to get back into it.  Today when I picked it up, it seemed to strike a new nerve, or rather one that had long lain dormant--the one pricked by the heart and the tears of God.

For the LORD'S portion is His people;
Jacob {Israel} is the allotment of His inheritance.
He found him in a desert land,
And in the howling waste of a wilderness;
He encircled him, He cared for him,
He guarded him as the pupil of His eye.
Like an eagle that stirs up its nest,
That hovers over its young,
He spread His wings and caught them,
He carried them on His pinions.

Deut. 32:9-11

James Goll states:       

................."The primary way that I pray today is with tears.  Something happens inside and I just begin to weep.  God puts in me His contrite heart, and I begin to feel what God feels over a situation, a place, an individual or a group of people."

As you remember, during the month of December, I felt a clarion call to intercede for our descendants.  It is my desire for the next few weeks to focus on the apple of God's eye, Israel, and the peace of Jerusalem.  I am hoping, by designed focus, to establish prayer for Israel as once again a priority in my prayer life.

What are you praying for today?  A situation, a place, a person, a group of people?  I encourage you to go to the wall as a watchman, to take no rest for yourself, to remind God of His Word to you.

God is not like man.  Sometimes we don't want to be reminded of a promise or a covenant we have made to someone.  But God loves to be reminded and to act on His Word.  We can trust Him.

When I go to the wall as a watchman and commit my heart to prayer, I like to go as one in tune with God and His Holy Spirit.  What are you praying for today?  Is it in line with God's Word?  Then rest assured that God will bring to pass His perfect will in that situation.

I also humbly ask that you join me in this prayer.

God is not a man that He should lie.

Likes to be reminded of his word--

In closing I would like to add that I'm not sure I understand fully all that praying Israel encompasses.

I do know that we are commanded to do it and that is enough for me.

A Little More Art

When I told you that I was taking the month of June off from blogging, I had no idea that my blog would take the direction it has taken.

 I think I was letting the blog "get to me." --Feeling an obligation to write something uplifting and full of wisdom when I didn't always feel that I had something worthy to say to you.

Now don't get me wrong, I love to do this and there is no other calling (for me) I consider higher than writing something that would help you in your walk with Jesus--or help your faith level.

For you see, I take very seriously what I write here--I cherish everyone of you who are in the circle of my influence and yes, I do think when someone reads my blog that they are influenced one way or another--for good or not so good.

So I had every intention of not blogging PERIOD for the whole month of June--just regrouping and refreshing myself for you.

But, while I was regrouping, I started creating more and love to share that with you.  It doesn't take nearly the time that I was spending writing every day so that is why it may appear as if I was not totally above board with you.

Please forgive me.  I truly did not mean to mislead you.

Anyway, here are the two things that I created over the weekend.

I am still working hard on faces--so one is a sketch of Liz Taylor--I loved it when she wore those faux fur hats--to me, she is the prettiest human being who has ever graced the planet--I hope I did her justice here.

I love her left eye--I didn't do so good on her right one but I think I am making progress--

If you are interested in why I like the left eye and not the right one is this--to me her left eye looks more dimensional and gives you the impression there is a round eyeball in that socket.

The right one is flat and doesn't look realistic even though there are parts of it that I really like.

When I picked out the picture I would use, printed it off and then sat with a blank piece of paper, a pencil and an eraser, I felt totally incapable of drawing anything that even resembled her--it is amazing what a little "trial and error" can do--I erased A LOT!

The next picture I painted on Photoshop and I really like it--digital--no mess!

I am going to have it printed large and then put it on a canvas and see what happens!

Digital abstract art is something you either love or NOT.  I don't think there is any in between.  So don't feel bad if you don't like this.  

Anyway, hope your week is blessed and you know how to contact me if you need me.  I love all of you very much!

Would you like to share your thoughts or your heart with me? My contact information is listed in the upper right of the sidebar. Please feel free to email me. I love hearing from you and cherish the friendships I have made through blogging.

 © all photographs and text property of Dianne Hogue unless otherwise noted

Weekend Worship at Seventh Day Adventist Church, Maryville, TN

On the way to North Carolina a couple of months ago, we had stopped in Maryville, TN to shop and take pictures.

We weren't on a huge deadline but we couldn't afford to stop at every place we saw that interested us.

We were just settling back to get some mileage under our belts, when I literally came up off my seat--Karen didn't slow down at all and this church was in full view though set off the road just a little ways to the left.

I almost didn't say anything (because I thought that they had to have seen it) and then I could stand it no longer--and I piped up and said in an incredulous voice, "Did you guys see that church back there?"

They kinda laughed and said that they hadn't. They laughed because we had made several stops that morning and really needed to get on down the road.

I said, "Y'all I think it is worth going back."

They kinda laughed again but Karen ever so sweetly pulled off the road, dutifully turned around and went back down the highway. We had probably gotten at least a half mile past it. Anyway, here is what we found--hope you enjoy!

There's a church in the valley in the wildwood
No lovelier place in the dell
No spot is so dear to my childhood
As the little brown church in the dell


[bass] Oh, come, come, come, come

[all] Come to the church in the wildwood
Oh, come to the church in the dell
No spot is so dear to my childhood
As the little brown church in the dell


lyrics by Carter Family





© all photographs and text property of Dianne Hogue unless otherwise noted

My Little Art Studio

Last week my husband and I heard a loud, loud crash in the middle of the night.  A cabinet that I was using to store a bunch of supplies fell over--there was stuff EVERYWHERE.

When I started to clean it up a couple of days later, something got in to me--I became a "mad" woman and I reorganized and rearranged and got my little studio more manageable and useful than ever.

So something very good came out of that little incident!

Thought you might want to see--The door in this picture opens into the bedrooms' hallway.  This room is actually intended as a fourth small bedroom.

I bought the wire wall hanging stuff at a place called Stack N Rack.

I have paper, pens and pencils, watercolors, acrylic paints, rulers, scissors, tape of all kinds, sketch pads--you name it--on this wall--

The Chinese Wall hanging is precious to me--I got it when I went to China several years ago and the writing on it is Psalm 42:1--one of my very favorite scriptures.  I got paint on it and tried to "fix" it--now I need to have it matted and framed to hide my blunder.

The "heart" canvas to the right was finished and then I decided I didn't like the heart and gessoed over it.  I did add it to "Counting My Blessings" if you would like to take a closer look at it--the picture is not real good though--a little blurry--

And this room is the only place I have to keep a tread mill so this is where it stays.

Right below the wire rack is a butler's cart that a neighbor gave me for a painting I did for her--I love it but don't have room for it in my dining room so made use of it here.

Closer look at the wire rack--

This wall looks different tonight--my sister was here today and took the big blue canvas. I love giving my stuff to family and close friends.

My trusty desk where I do a lot of my work--

This is a wall easel--good for painting very large canvases especially when I am painting backgrounds or placing calligraphy on a piece.  No, my toolbox doesn't normally sit out in the open--

This shoe bag holds a lot of supplies--mostly pens of all types and watercolor pencils--

If you want to be creative, try to carve out a little niche of some sort in your home.  A small corner will do--google it for ideas--everybody who creates needs a place where they can leave their stuff ready for instant access--at least if your life is like mine, you do.

Sure hope this inspires you to create one for yourself!

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord. 
 Col 3:23 NIV

© all photographs and text property of Dianne Hogue unless otherwise noted

Guess Who?

Most of the time I need the eyes to be able to identify someone but this person's jaw line and shape of face is so distinctive, I think you can tell right off.

In fact, it looks more like her with just part of her face showing than with all of it--at least to me.

Oops!  Didn't notice that I forgot her eyebrows until I took the picture.  It's funny how we see things in pictures that we do not otherwide--crazy!

There, that's a little better--

It's supposed to be Audrey Hepburn--hope you could tell.

My goodness, faces are hard, especially ones that are not full frontal views.

© all photographs and text property of Dianne Hogue unless otherwise noted