Humbleness ~ Humility 1

     HUMBLE   I have this word on my mind alot lately.  God wants me to stand up, be obedient and be humble.  These are the three things he has been speaking to me about.   My new quest is to understand this word which God has spoken to me in my personal bible study this week. 
     Be humble  - my first thought in defining this word is:
To not think too highly of myself or should I say think of others before myself
To not look for praise from others
To keep myself from bragging or drawing attention to myself
To give all glory to Him
     Webster defines humbleness as:  having or showing feelings of humility rather than of pride, aware of ones shortcomings, modest, meek.
2.  showing deferential respect
3.  lacking high social status.  lowly unpretentious:  a humble cottage
Humility means the quality or condition of being humble, lack of pride, modesty
Phillipians 2:5-7 says this about humbleness and as I explore the word I am sure to find the answers I seek.. "let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of men.  And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross."
     First I learn that I need to be like Jesus and to strive for this at all times.  Luckily I have the holy spirit working within me and I can do this on His strength. He was a servant.  I must serve as he did and forget about getting recognition for things.  Because isn't that one of the things I crave?  Yes, deep down I want to be noticed.  I struggle with the desire to "do"  something important or to get the praise from people around me.  It might not appear so but inside I compare myself to others and wish I had more apparent giftings.  I know that God doesn't want them from me.  He wants me to be humble.  Until He works that character flaw out of me, I won't be complete.
       I must trust that I am exactly the way He made me for a reason.  To serve him, I must do the tasks he puts in front of me.  In this way, I will be in His will.

Robins Egg Blue

                       Every spring I look forward to finding where the robin will build her nest in our yard. 

 One year it was on the lampost on our covered front porch. 

 Last year it was in the evergreen bush in front of our house. 

For two years straight it was actually in our canoe

which we store over the clothes line, upside down! 

What a delight to discover the robin, once the snow melts,

 hopping about the yard with bits of sticks and string in her beak. 

This year I was surprised to find the nest by accident. 

  I walked into the shed to get my garden tools.

Here Paul stored our little Christmas tree to dry it out for a bonfire.

      The sound of fluttering wings startled me.  A robin flew out the window and I knew his nest was in there somewhere.
 


Can you see it yet?

Sweet little nest~ Theres nothing quite like this robins egg blue!



3 little eggs!  usually there are 4.  I hope they are protected enough out here!

I look forward to watching the results as Mama and Daddy welcome their babies into the world!  Another gift of nature that God gives to us!


So here is number 4, it arrived today!

Mill Pond Exploration

    

                                                                            

                                                                                                
     My sister took me bird watching today.  She even let me borrow some of her mud boots.  They worked pretty well except for the duct taped area where a little water snuck in.  The first thing we saw was this goose.

         These two made quite a racket when they saw us in the woods; probably protecting some babies!

  Probably too busy looking at the shapes of the trees and the plant life all around.  But I did spot a few bird nests.  Not sure if that counts for anything.

This nest was humongous!  Probably for a teradactyl!

Then Susan spotted a Heron but I was too busy looking at this log so I missed it.  
Darn!  It is a pretty shade of green though isn't it?




This little baby fern must be a shady tree for a fairy!

Mill Pond in Franklin Vermont



It appears that this Mama duck is protecting her nest.

This was a magnificent Hawk that Susan spotted just as we were driving away! 
 He is so proud!

 The splendor of GOD'S Creation is everywhere I look.  In every nook and cranny of my little world in the Champlain Valley, I marvel at the beauty!  How does He do it?

   As His word says, even the rocks cry out!  The woods, the plants, flowers, even the leaves and broken branches on the ground are all a display of His handiwork!  Thank you Lord for the gift of your beautiful countryside today!

Love your daughter Janet


The Music of the Swamp

      On our trip to Charleston, South Carolina, we visited the Audubon Swamp Garden which is a part of the Magnolia Gardens.  This was probably our most favorite part of the whole trip.  Also the cheapest.
 For 8 dollars, we got to walk through an amazing swamp filled with wild life.  We walked along a board walk over acres of water filled with turtles, alligators, snakes, snowy white egrets, herons and all kinds of creatures! 

The fun part was trying to be the first one to
spot a certain species.  Though I must say,
Paul has a really good eye and he was spotting
 most of them before me. 
That's ok cuz taking pictures of
them is just as fun!

Paul spotted this cottonmouth snake minutes after saying there were no snakes here!

But I did manage to catch a short video of this alligator!

                                           Paul was the first one to spot this guy!

                                            I think this gal is looking to make an alligator purse!

                                                                          Lazy gator!


     I did learn some new things about my husband on this trip.  One is that he really loves taking pictures so I'm going to have to get him a camera for his birthday.  It's hard sharing sometimes.  He is clever and comes up with some great shots!

                                                                       Like this one!

                                                      And this little lizard guy!!   Love it!

                                                      And him... I love him the most!

     Another thing I relearned is how compatible we are.  We spent over 3 hours at this swamp and we didn't tire of exploring and sharing and exclaiming over our discoveries. 

                                                           I think he loves me too!

     It is an awesome thing to take a vacation and remember why you fell in love in the first place.  Also it was so great to go to a brand new location and discover things together!  Neither of us had ever gone there so it was completely new and exciting for us!  So I am thankful we had this time alone together.  It was beautiful.  He is my best friend.  He is the one who makes me laugh.  He takes care of me and I love to spend time with him!!  My hunny!  I love you Paul!

IDK LOL OMG

    

Recently, Paul and I took our vacation to South Carolina.  It was the first time Paul and I left the kids for longer than 3 days.  Audrey and Faith stayed home with Nolan for the 9 days we were gone.  Faith had some tears on the first day when we called home but I think it was Audrey who missed us the most.  If her text messages to me are any indication.  It is a wonderful thing; this invention of unlimited texting for one monthly fee.  So now I can keep track of my teenage children in a not too invasive way.  And somehow I think they share more with me in a text message than they do when they are speaking to me.  Not to say we aren't close because we are.  But entering into their technical world of messaging just seems to really work for me and them. 
     So here are some messages I got from Audrey while we were away.  I won't write my messages.  I'll just leave it to your imagination.  But boy does she make me smile.  :)

Woahh thats huge, can fit ur plaid big butt on it  :)


Oh fun ishhh. haha, yepp

Okeedokee.  I miss faith.  And grover,  and you.  And paul.  And my house.

Awh  :(

Lucky ducky

oh well.  I had sheperds pie for dinner u be jelous  :)

And i get to sleep on an air matress, so ha !!!!!!  you wish u were me :)

Go buy some.  rich millionaires.  On vacation !! Spending there money watching big tvs. 

Grrr.  when u get back, I expect a big steak!

I loooooooooveeee you maaaama  :)

No Im not madd.  But i want steak.

Holly & camel get presents & I dont?

Its quite dfeucfjugfal not hott here


:)  that is prettyyy

how do you make brownies

no.  I MISS YOU :'(

Yayyyy

:::::::}}}}}}}

Yeep!  Dude.  I miss you.  Its not normal around here.

Im not glad u left : (

I love the otter:)

:(((I want a penguin

and some have rain & others have vacation away from their kids

I love you too:)

Yay for Blank messages

Missing you

and my very favorite one of all...

OK mother, we learned our lesson.  you can come home now and stop pretending your on vacation.

 I love everything about Audrey, but especially her toughness and her ability to tell it like it is.  She never holds back and she's not afraid to say things.  Sometimes to get a laugh and sometimes to make a point.  She is so strong.  Sure she has her emotional times and she cries and needs her mom.  And then she will just put someone in their place because she is so darn honest.  I admire her thick skin!  I love her honesty.   And this just describes a tiny part of who she is.  But every text message I receive from her and every honest emotion she expresses,  makes me see what an amazing and strong girl she is.  I love you my Audrey Rose!!!!  NK

Exploring in the woods of Franklin, Vermont

Today, I went snowshoeing in the woods behind my Dad's house in Franklin.  I was with my sister Susan and her dog Jack and Faith.  Faith didn't have any snow shoes but she did fine.  We wanted to see what we could see.

Looky what we found.

An old car in the woods surrounded by various garden tools tractors and piles of old glass bottles.

Just trying out my new ride.

One tractor had been there so long, that a tree grew right up around it.  It looked kinda cool.

  It was so beautiful and the snow wasn't that deep anymore  so it was really easy walking through it.  We didn't find as many animal tracks as we did the last time we went but we did find some possible animal caves.

Anybody home?

It's never boring when you're exploring!

Faith is looking a little nervous!

Don't worry Faith, the bears are hibernating....
somewhere else..

This tree was neat.  All I could imagine here was a giant, with big knees.  :)

 So it was a fun adventure walking in the woods with my family.  We never know what we are going to find.  I can't wait til our next trip!

All About Grandma

     I am so excited.  My sister told me about this website called Bookemon where you can write, illustrate and publish your own book.  So for me who has yet to become a published author, I can at least use this tool and get it done by myself.  So I had a good time writing a poem about my Mama.  Typed it out on Bookemon and added some fun cartoon illustrations.  Enjoy!
         http://www.bookemon.com/book-profile/all-about-grandma/111180

Winter in Vermont

     Wow, what a winter.  I have lived in Vermont since January of 1997 and it seems like this year, it never ends, theres never been so much snow and that it's never been quite so cold.  But maybe I say that every year?  In any case it has been a long one for me.  I venture outside a lot more this year, snow shoeing in the woods and on the golf course, plenty of shoveling and looking for photo opportunities.

     Grover has been a great motivator.  Just seeing his hopeful face and tail wagging when he sees me putting my boots on forces me to brave the cold!

Faith loves playing in the snow even though sometimes it was too darn cold!  But who can resist it when the snow is waist high in the backyard and there are piles as high as the house!

     We didn't get to do as much snowmobiling this year.  Paul's skidoo broke down back in December and then when he was driving mine he was going so fast that he blew a piston on Christmas day.  So we finally had them all fixed and ready to go by February!  Luckily theres still plenty of snow left to sled on!

     All we have to do is check out our snowometer at our living room window.  It lets us know how many snowmobile rides we have left this winter.  

                  As you can see by looking at the picture we have plenty of winter fun still ahead of us!
Even though I am not the biggest fan of winter, I still look at the beauty of the whiteness and creation all around me and marvel at my God who made it all!  It is a wonderful display of his artistry~his masterpiece!

So this is the surprise we are expecting......

    

So the bit of news that I received a few weeks ago can now be shared.  My daughter Holly is expecting!  My little girl is having a little one.  She is going to be a Mama.  Mama is going to be a grandmother.  Perhaps if I write this out I will believe it.  It has been a couple of weeks of being stunned, surprised, overwhelmed and just trying to figure it all out. 
     So that is what I was talking about when I said that life is full of surprises.  That is what I had to bring to Him in prayer.  And so far He has been faithful to help me accept the fact that my daughter is going to have a baby.  All that comes with this is quite overwhelming but thank goodness we have about 71/2 more months to adjust to it. 

     So this part is for you, little grandchild who is going to be a part of this family.  First a verse because you will see that Gramma Janet loves Bible verses.  Jeremiah 1:5 says:  "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart."  And this is the first verse I thought of to remind me that EVERYTHING that is happening right now is in your hands.  Every head, every heart, every life was created by you and for YOUR PURPOSES!  Life in its tiniest form is growing as I write this.  God is the creator of ALL things!  So this is meant to be.  

     My prayer is that You Father will cover Holly and this little one with the shadow of your wings and protect them.  Say to them " This is the way, walk in it.  (Isaiah 31:20)  God knew Jeremiah but He also knew each and every one of us before we were born!!  How comforting this is. 
And so I will repeat this verse from Isaiah:  "He tends his flock like a sheperd.  He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart."  He gently leads those who have young."  There is no need to worry; this says it all.  ( For you Holly, Love Mama)

Life is Full of Surprises

     I got a bit of news today.  And a bit yesterday.  Very surprising and almost overwhelming.  At least it could be overwhelming if I let it be.  Circumstances can do that to you.  An accident, a sickness, a bad day at work, an unkind word from someone, an unintentional slight from an acquaintance.  Many times, you experience things that hurt, confuse or surprise you so much that you are not quite sure what to do with it.  Well, maybe you shouldn't do anything.  Maybe you just need to stop, think, absorb it.  Most importantly, you might just need to bring it to God in prayer.  So I did that.  Went to my room and curled up with my Bible and my notebook.
     I'm sure you might wonder what it is I am talking about at the moment but I won't share that.  Down the road I will share some of these things that have happened that have required me to Let Go and Let God.  My hands are tied.  There is nothing I can do about some situations.  He is ever so gently teaching me that in this season of my life. 
    Years ago, I would have responded to crises out of pure emotion.  Got on the phone and started ranting to anyone who would listen.  Complained, moaned and groaned.  Now I find, that if I get some news that is upsetting; I am not that surprised.  I feel calm.  I feel the need to go to Him in prayer.  To read the word and see where it leads me.  What kind of answers He will bring me to.  And He always does.  He is so faithful like that.  And I am so grateful for that. 
     Just last week He was leading me with a few verses.  Things that brought me to realize that He is in control.  I wrote them down. In  Isaiah 31:20, part of it says "Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying,  "This is the way, walk in it."  I know that He was telling me to listen to His still voice.  The voice I can only hear if I am staying in the word and prayer.  So when I was presented with my surprising situation this week, I knew what He wanted me to say and do.  He made it very clear to me.  So I was strong enough to say what I needed to say to a certain someone.  And know that it was right and ok and just what He wanted from me. 
     And then this verse was given to me:  "He tends His flock like a sheperd.  He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart.  He gently leads those who have young.:  Isaiah 40:11  I and my children are part of his flock and He will take care of us.  Let Him take care of you also.

New Years 2011

     Happy New Year!  2011 is here and this morning I was reminded in my devotions of the three things that God has been showing me this year.  Stand up, Be Obedient and Be Humble.  Stand up and do not shy away from things that scare me.  Stand up for what's right and speak out what I know to be truth.  Stand up to those who intimidate me and be kind to them because I know that He is the one holding me up. There is no fear in perfect love.  Therefore with Him behind me I can do and say what He wants me to without fear.  This could mean sharing His love with some of my very difficult patients.

 Be obedient to the Word and be careful to follow my conscience.  This will keep me accountable to myself and to HIM.  This also means to be obedient to those in authority.  Setting a good example for my children and those around me. 
 
      Be humble.  A very difficult one.  This is for when I know I am wrong or have wronged someone and need to make it right.  This is confession.  This is taking a back seat when someone else has needs that I have to help meet.  This means that things may be inconvenient for me.  I may have to give and give and not receive.  This is what He wants from me.  Even writing a blog to share with others makes me realize that I have to remain humble.  To write what He is showing me to write and not worry about what others think.  To especially not look for praise from men.  It should be enough to have the approval of my friend; my King!
    I wrote in my journal this verse this morning:  Romans 14:13 " Therefore let us stop passing judgement on one another."  After that I wrote
Be Kind
Be Accepting
Be Loving
Kind of seems like He is giving me things in threes lately.  It all goes together for me in what He wants from me.  Isn't this one of the hardest things in life?  I think that throughout each day as I come into contact with different people, I am asking, judging watching, considering and gauging others.  It is just natural for my mind to automatically categorize people.  Are they happy?  Are they sad?  Should they do that?  Why aren't they doing this?  Why arent they working harder?  Why don't they care more? 
     Instead of just accepting!  Jesus accepted people where they were at.  I must try to be more like Him and not consider myself better.  To try to be as positive, loving and accepting as I can.  In this way I can enjoy the freedom, peace and joy of the holy spirit that He wants me to experience!
     I can only lean on Him to help me to accept others and to look at them through His eyes!  Remember He loves each one of us the same!