weekend worship at covenant

missing them

Retirement is wonderful but every once in a while I really ache for the days I spent with my precious students in the past.

So today lacking for a real thought to uplift you, I thought I would post this cute picture of Ambrose.

Over the summer before I taught Ambrose, I had an artist come in and paint a huge mural on one wall of my classroom. This room was a dungeon--no windows--! With a little help from my principal and a lot of help from the artist himself (well, actually he didn't donate himself but I did not want to go back and reword that sentence) as a donation, I asked for a wall mural of windows with outside scenes.

The artist had other ideas. He wanted to know about my curriculum that year. I built my curriculum around juvenile fiction, i.e., The Outsiders, Hatchet, The Diary of Ann Frank and Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. Most of our spelling, grammar, and creative writing ideas were intertwined with reading these books. He created an enormous mural that incorporated scenes from all of these.

When school resumed in August, I was shocked to get a student who resembled almost to a T, the girl pictured on the front of Roll of Thunder. In fact, the only way she could look any more like the character is if she had braids falling down on her forehead. Isn't she precious? I had a hard time getting her not to smile--I wanted a solemn look so the picture would show just how much they resembled.

I have also included the picture below so you can get a feel of just how large this mural really was. I am going to guess 40 feet and I think that is pretty close. The other scenes were two guys and a vintage car for the Outsiders, a huge moose for Hatchet (hopefully you are familiar with this book and if you're not, it is an awesome read, even for adults), and Anne Frank sitting at her desk with tablet and quill pen.

I am hoping in the days ahead to add an educational portion to this blog. I would love to review books and share some of the more successful ideas I used while teaching. These could be incorporated in homeschooling or in the classroom. But that is another day and another time.

I can't remember if I have ever posted about it, but one of our sons was also in the movie, The Outsiders and that is another five posts--quite an experience. They shot the movie in Tulsa because the author of the book, S.E. Hinton, is a native Tulsan.

Anyway, just thought you might enjoy seeing the picture of my precious Ambrose. My last class will be sophomores in college this year,

the unlikely or the likely?

I have a good friend who is going through a hard trial right now. My heart went out to her as I was talking to her on the phone yesterday morning. I wanted so much to minister God's peace to her in a meaningful way.

After hanging up the phone, I was cleaning out a drawer that I had just dumped stuff in when we moved here four years ago. We had made four moves in less than two years (after living in the same house for thirty years) and the last move just about did me in. I was also just coming out of a walking boot after nursing a broken foot for three months when we moved so to say that I was disorganized is the understatement of the century.

Why I chose yesterday morning to clean it out, I have no idea. Well, actually, I do know now but I didn't when I started. I do remember asking God early in the morning what His agenda was and telling Him that I wanted to be a part of His workings for the day.

Right before we moved here, I went on a mission trip to a country where Christian missionaries are not welcome and where there is great oppression. So, the note above is one I found in the drawer while I was cleaning--one that I had not read in over four years. And yes, it was from my friend--the one I had talked to earlier in the day who's going through a trial of her own right now.

I don't know if you are able to read all of her note but she is giving me scripture to sing while in this foreign country. And my note back to her that I somehow never sent is telling her how her Godly advice had helped me. I was able to sing the scriptures she gave me in the most unlikely of places.

I sent the picture above to her today in an email to remind her of her care and concern for me when I needed it most and gave her advice to sing the same scriptures to herself that she had given to me.

How likely is it that I would just happen to go through mounds of mementos and find that yesterday? And I don't think it was odd, I think it was God--and to Him be all the glory--just one more reason He continues to amaze me and take my breath away with each new day that passes.





He longs to disclose the secret things of Himself to us.

The LORD confides in those who fear him;
he makes his covenant known to them. Psalm 25:14

The red rose? From my hubby celebrating our anniversary this past weekend.

After the Rescue

Tempetuous, like the angry, rolling sea
Sometimes my spirit boils up--
Someone rescue me.

Over the horizon
I feel a calm and normal me

If only I could get there
From this strangling death be free.

Lighthouse--oh come and rescue me--

Oh God, you are my lighthouse,
Jesus, you are my lifeboat,
Holy Spirit, you are my lifeline.

Rescue me--rescue me from myself.


When I quit talking and listened these were the words that came to my spirit:

"You are my servant,
I have chosen you
and not rejected you.
So do not fear,
for I am with you,
Do not be dismayed
For I am your God.
I will strengthen you
and help you,
I will uphold you
with my right hand."

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. John 15:16a

Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" Matt 14:31

I think one of the great benefits of reading His scriptures every day is portrayed above. Seemingly, I was helpless, drowning, but when I called for help, the scripture that I had read over the years came back to my spirit and rescued me. I am not patting myself on the back for reading the scripture. I can't even take credit for realizing that I am helpless, hopeless, a total wreck without Him. He is even responsible for showing me that. I am giving credit to my God who says His Word will NOT return void.

So is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:11

Dianne
2010-the year of longings

Taken from my 2002 prayer journal--I don't remember what was going on at the time--which tells me--God was enough, He was sufficient, He rescued me to the point I don't even remember the crisis.

He longs to rescue us.

Photo: Taken in Carmel, California, 1996.

instruction manual

Recently I got a new p & s camera (point and shoot--I had to google it to find out what p & s meant). It is a nice little camera and takes really good pictures.

I have studied the instruction manual but have not explored it fully -- evidently.

Yesterday, I was at a birthday party and a friend of mine walked over, looked at the camera, and said, "Hey, I bet your camera will do color accent."

Of course, I had no clue what color accent was but she went on to show me how I could take any color, have the camera memorize it, then shoot a picture and everything in the picture would be black and white except the color I had accented. She proceeded to point the camera to her blouse to capture the color red and then hand the camera to me to take a picture.

The photo above is an example of something my camera will do that I had no clue it would do. After I got home, I rummaged around looking for that "instruction manual" so I could learn ALL the other things it would do that I did not know about.



Got any problems (great or small) today that you need an answer for? I am sure this instruction manual has the answer to all and more that face us today. How thoroughly have we dug into it to find the hidden treasures, the keys to a successful and Godly walk on this earth?

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. Eph.1:3

All spiritual blessings? --Seriously, God? Do I really believe that? Do I reflect this belief in my daily walk with You?





He longs to accent all the colors of our lives.

Photo above: My grandson, Kendall, and my friend, Karen, taken yesterday at Francess' 80th birthday celebration.