'Tis the Season

My husband came home from the store a couple of days ago with two huge pots of beautiful, red poinsettias--a good way to start the Christmas season.

I pray that wherever you are and in whatever position you find yourself, that you will find a way to celebrate the birth of our dear Savior.

It doesn't take lots of money to make Christmas really special.  Sometimes we get caught up in all the hustle, bustle, shopping, and decorating and miss the precious moments just being together and taking time to celebrate not only our love for Christ but our love for each other.

I'm going to try to take the next few weeks to give you some ideas of things to do that don't cost much but makes this season truly meaningful.

So I will start with this one--fill a mason jar or any appropriate container with tailored love knots for someone you love--a coupon for a back rub, a ticket that exempts a child from a certain chore for the day--you get the drift--just tailor it to suit each individual person.  I bet you come up with some really good ones.

When our sons were growing up there was a certain chore that I did for them every day for the month of December--I can still remember how good it made me feel each day as I sacrificed my time to invest a mother's heart and love in them.

I would love to hear your ideas also.

Start the season off right--no stress!  Choose to cast all your care on Him for He cares for you.

Christmas blessings,
Dianne

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

All Came Home

All of our precious guys returned safely "home" to Renewal Ranch last night.  God truly is with us.

 If you joined us in prayer for them as they celebrated Thanksgiving with their families and friends, I want to personally thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Our hearts were made glad as we welcomed all of them back and had a wonderful night of reunion and decorating the bunkhouse.

We also have added two new guys--David and Shawn--I ask for your prayers for them.

Watching God work at RR is an almost daily breathtaking adventure--we get to see miracle after miracle as God is saving these men from a life of despair, desperation and destruction.

If your life today is in the throes of despair and desperation, I pray that you will turn simply to Jesus with a sincere heart and ask Him to help you.  It amazes me just how much God is anxiously waiting for us to turn to Him so that He can help us.

Come to Him simply but sincerely--fix your eyes on Jesus and commit to serving Him with your whole heart and life--God does not play games--He knows our deepest motives and He will not "be used."  Your life will never be the same again when you daily commit it to Him.

Follow your commitment with daily prayer and Bible study--find some other believers who will support you in your endeavor to walk daily with God--I understand that this can be quite challenging for my foreign readers who live in countries where you cannot openly worship Jesus Christ.

But God is faithful--ask Him to lead you to other TRUE believers in the ONE, TRUE God and He will help you.  He is faithful!

Sharing God's love,
Dianne

Thanksgiving at Petit Jean

Larry and I spent a beautiful Thanksgiving Day at Mather Lodge on Petit Jean mountain--It is one of Arkansas' state parks and it is lovely.

 The weather was absolutely perfect as long as you were in the sun--Just a tad bit chilly in the shade. We went with our good friends, Bob and Joyce--our kids and theirs were celebrating with "the other side of the family" this year so we celebrated together with no shopping, no cooking, no cleaning up--it was really wonderful--the food was awesome-- I ate too much cornbread dressing--that is one of my favorite foods in the whole world.

Hope your day was blessed--I love you all.
Dianne

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

Make His Faithfulness Known!

You see a lot of this at the Ranch. One generation visiting with another--something you don't see much of out in "regular" society. I see this verse lived out every Saturday at the Ranch and it makes my heart sing.

With my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. from the Psalms

On this holiday of Thanksgiving when several generations are usually together, I encourage you to tell of His faithfulness, talk of all His wondrous provision, give thanks to the God of all gods.

photograph by Josh Kear--thank you, Josh--hope you and yours have a wonderful Thanksgiving--
© all photographs and text property of Dianne Hogue unless otherwise noted

A Thanksgiving Prayer

 Lord, you have been our dwelling place
       throughout all generations.

 Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world,from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

Guard my life, for I am devoted to you. 

You are my God; save your servant who trusts in you.

 The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth;
       you founded the world and all that is in it.

I will sing of the LORD's great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.

 I will declare that your love stands firm forever, 

       that you established your faithfulness in heaven itself--

.

 May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us;
       establish the work of our hands for us—
       yes, establish the work of our hands.

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

a repost from past pages
portions of Psalm 86, 89, 90 NIV