It Was Mint To Be

If there is one thing I've learned while gardening- it's that some plants just keep coming back, whether you want them to or not! Weeds are usually easy to spot and get rid of. The one plant I thought would be a blessing to have around has become "a thorn in my flesh" so to speak, although it has no thorns!

This plant looks so innocent, so sweet and tranquil. It smells delightful and has health benefits when used rightly, but don't let that deceive you!

If this plant is not contained, closely watched and constantly cut back, it will take over everything!!! Just look at this path by my rose bush!

The moral to this sad tale, is that my heart is like a garden. I must "weed out" the bad thoughts and ideas- anything not Christ like- but I also must keep in check those thoughts that, while they are good and useful in their proper place, should not be allowed to overtake more than is fitting.

Another lesson to be learned from this is to use and be grateful for what I do have going/growing well in my garden. :)

Girls: Be True Women

Last summer, I was browsing an antique store when I happened upon a bit of treasure. It was a little book called "Girls: Faults and Ideals" by J.R. Miller subtitled "A Familiar Talk, with Quotations from Letters" published in 1892. I quickly found the contents to be worthy of my attention and study. I thought the following excerpt from it might be an encouragement to my girl friends, as it was to me. He is writing about desirable qualities in young ladies...

Faithfulness is named by many as another essential element in true womanhood. One answers: "Courage to take a positive stand on all moral questions.... Industry that consists in something more than playing mechanically a few pieces on the piano, or tracing grotesque figures in wool or silk." Here two elements of faithfulness are indicated- faithfulness in one's place in all one's work, and moral faithfulness in following conscience. Other letters suggest practically the same essential quality.

It is impossible to over-emphasize this element. The time has gone by forever when woman, in Christian lands, can be regarded as a mere ornament, and can be shut out of active life. She is not a doll or a toy. She has her duties and responsibilities. She is not born merely to be married as soon as possible, and from girlhood to consider her wedding as the goal of her life. Thousands of young women will never be married, and yet their life need not be a failure though their fingers are never circled by a wedding-ring. Woman have immortal souls. Their heaven does not depend upon being linked with a husband, as the Mormons teach. Marriage is a good thing for a woman, if she marry well. I honor marriage as one of the holiest and most sacred of God's ordinances.

But here is the truth which I want to impress, that a young woman should not begin her life with the thought that she must get a husband. Oh, the sad desecration of womanhood that such a purpose in life produces! Every young girl should set for her great central aim in life, to be a woman, a true, noble, holy woman, to seek ever the highest things; to learn from her Master her whole duty and responsibility in this world, and to do the one and fulfill the other. That should be her aim, - to realize in her character all the possibilities of her womanhood, and to do all the work for her Master which he may give her to do. Then, if God shall call her to be a wife, let her still go on with the same reverence, faith, and love, in whatever lines she may be led. I call young women to faithfulness- that is all, simple faithfulness. Accept your duty, and do it. Accept your responsibility, and meet it. Be true in every relation you are called to fill. Be brave enough to be loyal always to your womanhood.


For Christ and His glory!

She's a Witness!

...That was probably the highest complement I've been paid all day!

It's cold and rainy, so what would be more natural than to go shopping for needed Easter accessories on a day like today? That's what Mom and I concluded. So we did.

There we were, in the Dillard's dress department. (I know you're thinking Wait, didn't she say they were looking for accessories? Yes, but that's beside the point :) While waiting for Mom to try a dress on, I was browsing, when a friendly African-American sales lady came and asked the usual "Can I help you find anything?" I wasn't looking for anything in particular so I replied "No thank you."

"Well if there is anything you need just let me know." she said, then added, "but only for the next fifteen minutes- then I'm outta here!" We both laughed.

"Do you have plans for this weekend?" I asked, thinking conversation would be more interesting than clothing. I was not disappointed! She quickly went into a discourse on her new exercise machine- she had the manual there, and was still learning how to use it, and had already lost inches and pounds on her new diet! Wow! Go her!

After catching her breath, she said "So, what about you? Are you going to school? What are you studying?" I dread these kinds of questions, mostly because I have no concise answer that "works" for everyone.

"I'm not going to school right now. Just didn't want to waste the money on a degree I have no use for." This usually works... most of the time.

"Well what do you do with yourself, then?" she inquired.

::mind goes blank:: "I... read my Bible a lot." That's a silly answer, Courtney! Who disconnected the brain-to-mouth wires?! I soliloquized.

"and I'm starting to learn Hebrew, so that I can study the Bible better, since that's the original language it was written in." ... again where did that come from? It's true, though, I am.

"and I teach Sunday School, and an after school Bible club..." Courtney! Why aren't you saying any of the NORMAL things you do??? For some reason things like cleaning, gardening and sewing would not come to my mind at the moment.

"Well that's great!" said the sales lady, "You know you could go to seminary and take that 'theology' stuff! My niece just graduated with her masters in Theology, so she's gonna be a minister. We're real proud of her."

Not wanting to get into my Biblical conviction of women "learning in submission" instead of holding positions of authority in the Church, I moved on.

"Yeah... that's great." change subject, change subject- quickly!

She made it easy and did it for me, "You know that's just great what you're doin' though. You just do the next person some good and you'll pay God back, that's what I say."

Red flags went up in my brain! "Oh, there's nothing good I can do by myself!" I said, "It's only Christ in me that can do any good."

Right at that moment, a sweet older lady came up. "That's right!" she agreed with me- praise the Lord!

"The Bible says that no one can be good enough." I continued, "and since no one is good, God can't just let everyone into heaven."

"Uh-huh!" -my new friend affirmed, "Only through grace!"

The sales lady retaliated, "Well, I just say if you do the next person some good, then you pay God back."

"We don't do good to pay God back, though..." I searched for the right words, "We do good because we are grateful and love Him for what He's done for us! You know what He did, right? He sent His Son, Jesus, who was God, who died on the cross and rose again, to take our punishment, so that if we believe in Him- in what He has done- He will take us to heaven!" How can you not smile when sharing such good news, right!? :)

By this time, Mom had finished and was ready to go, the sweet older lady was done checking out, and another lady walked by saying "That girl's a witness!"

"Ok, then- you should go to seminary!" the sales lady went back to her first conclusion.

"You don't need to go to school for this- just read your Bible!" I smiled.

She smiled back and said, "I like you- you're friendly! I'll see you when you come back, all right?"

"I hope to see you in heaven!" was my reply- and I really do!

A Sower Went Out to Sow

Spring is such a great time of year! Warm sun is always a delight when the days are still cool and the forsythias are in bloom... I know it's time to start tilling my garden!

This is my sweet brother, Cory, after tilling for me :) >>>



These are some of my favorite tools >>>



> My red angled hoe


> Pink garden gloves -grippy, but breathable!


> Potato turner a.k.a. pitchfork

"A sower went out to sow his seed.

And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it.

And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture.

And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it.

And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold."

{Luke 8:5-8}

Planting a garden always reminds me of this parable. It encourages me to not only turn the soil in my garden well, but also the "soil" of my heart.

"As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience." {Luke 8:15}

"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." {Galatians 6:9}

Blue-Eyed Boy Busted

Standing in the library at Lawson Elementary, I started thinking about books. Surprising I started thinking about books while standing in a library, I know, but I did. Glancing around, I wondered if there might be any children's books on a particular topic I'm researching. So, I bounded over to the card catalog computers to see what I could find. While searching, there were two boys in a scuffle next to me. That was not unusual, there are always kids who are more than ready to release the geyser of energy they have bottled up inside them during school hours. I paid no attention until a brown-haired, blue-eyed boy addressed me with "He's gonna tell on me!", referring to the other boy walking off muttering "He called me a..."

"I didn't to anything wrong!" blue-eyes insisted.

"Really?" I asked.

"He said he's gonna tell on me, but I didn't to anything wrong!" he responded.

"Did you do something wrong?" I asked, surprised he would be opposed to being exposed if there was truly nothing to expose.

As children have the tendency to repeat exactly the same thing they just said "He said he's gonna tell on me! But I didn't to anything wrong!" he repeated.

"Well, if you didn't do anything wrong, you shouldn't be afraid, right?"

"Right." he insecurely replied.

"But if you did do something wrong, you know there is punishment. Everyone who does something wrong is punished, you know." I said soberly.

"But he closed down my window (on the computer) and I'll have to ask for permission to get it back open again!" he protested. Ah! Perhaps he had a little reaction to such an unjust act?

"He may have," I replied. "but we are each responsible for what we do ourselves. If we do something wrong we are punished. It doesn't matter what someone else does!"

"Right." blue-eyes responded, realizing that, perhaps, I was not an advocate for "fairness"!

As I turned back to my card catalog, I was amazed to think about how that truth has played out in my own life. Recently, I had been unjustly treated {gasp! could it be? someone mistreated sweet little ol' me?}. My reaction to such treatment seemed reasonable or "only fair", one might say. But in God's eyes would that matter? No. He sees me for who I am. His child, saved by grace, filled with His Spirit. I do not have to respond in the "normal" human way- I have all the power that raised Christ from the dead to respond with His amazing unreasonable love! Love that...

is patient,

is kind,

does not envy,

does not boast,

does not seek it's own gain,

does not delight in sin,

but delights in the truth.

Though I didn't have the chance to explain this life-changing power to that little blue-eyed boy today, I pray that he comes to know that the Judge is also the Redeemer. The Holy One is also the One who sanctifies.

So it Begins...

My very first post on my very own blog! After over two years of debating with myself about starting one, it is time to "just do it"! No promises about frequent or entertaining posts will you have from me. Something short, sweet and sound -when the occasion calls for something- will be my general goal.

Now, since nothing I could ever say is of any real value, here is something worth reading:

"Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.
Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true,

whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just,

whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely,

whatsoever things are of good report;

if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise,

think on these things." ~Philippians 4:4-8

Blessings,

~Courtney