Proud of My Hubby

On Friday my husband was inducted into the Tulsa District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Gallery of Distinguished Employees.  He had a 42 year career with the Corps.I am so proud of him.  The man who spoke about him talked of how he always took such good care of the people who worked for him.I was always so proud of the way he watched out for them and made their interests one of his highest priorities--keeping morale high.My hat is off to my hubby--I love you, Honey--congrats for a job more than well done.

Character Study

Class went great today. Thank you to all who prayed for me and the class.

 I decided to go in full character as Corrie ten Boom and not break character until the class was totally over--if then.

 All the way to Conway (45 minutes) I talked to myself and to God in a dutch accent.

 I prayed that God would give me insight, wisdom and perseverance to stay in character.

 I have done short stints in character before but never have I done this for an hour or more.

 I have to admit I was totally exhausted when it was over.

 I was going to get in my car and leave to go home without ever breaking the role, but when one of the guys said something like this after class--

 "I enjoyed Corrie but I really miss Mimi. Would you please break character and talk to me?" 

 I melted and became Mimi once again.

I think I must be one of the most blessed women on earth to have the opportunity to work with these awesome guys.

Thank you, Lord from the bottom of my heart.

And thank you for listening to me.

Much love,
Dianne

P.S. the high turtle neck, long sleeves, very long skirt, stockings, thick shoes were not all that comfortable--but guess what--I went with no make up--it is seldom that any one besides my family sees me without makeup.

Why is it sometimes easier to bare our soul than to bare our face?  Vanity?



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

Through a Glass Darkly

In preparation for teaching class this week, I have been watching some YouTube videos of Corrie ten Boom.Besides Jesus and the Word of God, her life, her testimony and her book The Hiding Place have influenced my life more than any other.  I am so grateful for the book and the movie by the same name.I watched part of it today.  The part I will be showing in class tomorrow.In one interview she said, (paraphrased)--"When was the last time you opened your Bible while you were praying and reminded God of a specific promise.  He loves to be reminded of his promises."That speaks to me.  Speaks to me because that is how I pray most of the time.I know if I pray God's Word over whatever the situation is, I am praying God's specific will and outcome for it.  I do not want my will because I know my ways and thoughts are not His ways.Isaiah 55:11Here are some of her most famous quotes.____________________________________________“You can never learn that Christ is all you need, until Christ is all you have.” 

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“It is not my ability, but my response to God’s ability, that counts.” 

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“Any concern too small to be turned into a prayer is too small to be made into a burden.” 

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"What wings are to a bird, and sails to a ship, so is prayer to the soul."

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“Trying to do the Lord's work in your own strength is the most confusing, exhausting, and tedious of all work. But when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, then the ministry of Jesus just flows out of you.” 

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“Do you know what hurts so very much? It's love. Love is the strongest force in the world, and when it is blocked that means pain. There are two things we can do when this happens. We can kill that love so that it stops hurting. But then of course part of us dies, too. Or we can ask God to open up another route for that love to travel.” 

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“Worrying is carrying tomorrow's load with today's strength- carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, 

it empties today of its strength."

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“There is no pit so deep, that God's love is not deeper still.” 

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“There is no panic in Heaven! God has no problems, only plans.” 

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“There are no 'if's' in God's world. And no placess that are safer than other places. The center of His will is our only safety - let us pray that we may always know it!” 

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“Memories are the key not to the past, but to the future.” 

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"Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to an all-knowing God."


Corrie and her family looked through a glass darkly--the future was not to be seen while they were exercising great faith.

Only time would tell the incredible wonders that would come out of  their obedience to a Holy God.

Now we can all benefit from their story and see a little clearer the future that God longs to give all of us--

eternal life!

Gardenias In Bloom

We have three gardenia bushes and I would safely say that we have at least two hundred buds on each bush.  Probably more--I started to count late this afternoon and immediately saw that I couldn't even begin to count the blooms on one bush.  

When we lived in Tulsa, we could not grow gardenias.  They would not make it through the winter even though we are only four driving hours away.

We have had these for three or four years and this is the first year they have bloomed so profusely.

Do you think twenty or thirty years from now we will be able to send the smell of them through the computer?

The way technology is going, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised.

Linking to Kim

over at Texture Tuesday

Adorned from Above

Blissful Whites Wednesday

This photograph has two layers of Kim's total grunge texture, each of them with lowered opacity and I erased the some of the texture of the bottle and flowers on each layer.  

Hope you enjoy.

It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter.

Psalm 74:17

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

Hydrangeas in Bloom

And the gumpo azaleas are too--

Sweet blessings to you,
Dianne