Harvest Lane Cottage

Thursday, July 31, 2014

Guest Post: Gentle Joy Homemaker's Garage Sale Prayer List

One of the things that is enjoyable about blogging is finding like-minded ladies. I read an absolutely wonderful article over at Gentle Joy Homemaker's blog this week. I've had similar experiences with praying. She explained it so well, I wanted to share it with you. While you're at her blog, look around. She has some lovely fresh ideas.

Meet Gentle Joy Homemaker...

I am a wife and a homeschooling mom of 6 wonderful children. I am interested in gardening, being thrifty, herbs, essential oils, baking, teaching and training my children, reading, sewing and more. Money is not plentiful, BUT God supplies all of our needs according to His riches and we are thankful. One way He provides is through garage sales... it is amazing to see what He gives to us... just when we need it. Praying about those needs has allowed us to see more of the answered prayers that before we took for granted..... now, I have a Garage Sale Prayer List. :) You can read about it here:

My Garage Sale Prayer List.

Home and Garden Thursday - I Choose Joy - Imparting Grace - Hearts for Home Thursdays - All Things Thursday - Share Your up Thursday - Serving Joyfully - Think Tank Thursdays - Hope in Every Season

Friday, July 25, 2014

Frightened of God

I went to a little after school Bible club when I was in first grade and in the beginning of second grade. Believe it or not, it was held in the school. I remember watching the flannel graph board as the teacher told the stories of Jesus. I never doubted that Jesus was a real person or that God was real. So, when the teacher taught us the Bible verse, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life," I believed her (John 3:16). In fact, that was the only verse that I remembered through the years. I loved my little classes and was sorry that I couldn't continue them when I moved to Kansas during second grade.

After I moved to Kansas, there was an occasional Vacation Bible School; but, for the most part, not a whole lot of training. My mom did teach me to say the child's prayer, "Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. God bless Mommy. God bless Daddy. God bless John. God bless Grandma and Grandpa...." You get the idea. Let me tell you; I wasn't too keen on the "if I should die before I wake" part! It kept me just a little afraid of God.

For a little while after my mom and dad divorced, we went to church with one of my mom's friends. I went to the 6th grade Sunday School class. I remember feeling like I was so hopelessly behind that I'd never learn this Bible stuff. I also remember feeling like the preacher was looking right at me when he gave the sermon. I tried to slouch down and disappear behind the grown ups around me.

As I grew older, I grew in sin and in stature and became a teenager. I had more to be ashamed of than just the confession I'd made in that class that I hit my brother. The teacher had asked me to confess my sin when I asked Jesus into my little heart. Now, I'd said hateful words, seen things on tv and movies that were bad, had bad thoughts, hit my brother more. You get the idea. Every once in awhile, I'd go over to a friend's house, and her religious mother would have Billy Graham or someone else on t.v. talking about God. I remember feeling intensely ashamed and frightened of God. I knew that I was dirty with sin. I knew He could see what I'd done and knew what I thought. I didn't run to Him, though. I ran away.

God didn't give up. I'd find tracts with the way to salvation lying around in public places. I had to read them. I had to find a way to get rid of this guilt that was building up. Even so, I just didn't quite believe it would work. I just knew I was going to go to hell. I was still frightened.

Finally, on New Year's Day, 1980, I was watching the PTL Club show. Jim Bakker was interviewing a lady who had been a drug addict. She had turned to Jesus, had been saved, and had been delivered from her drug addiction. A lightbulb went on in my head and my heart. This woman had done stuff that was way worse than what I'd done. Isn't it like us to compare even our sins to others' to try to make ourselves feel better? Anyway, I finally had this revelation:

If God had forgiven this woman, maybe He could forgive me, too.

So, when Jim Bakker lead the sinners' prayer, I asked Jesus to forgive me and asked Him into my heart. I became a Christian that day January 1, 1980. I asked my mom if we could go to church. I knew Christians were supposed to go to church. She wasn't interested at that time. So, I had to think of something else. I kept watching PTL on the little t.v. in my bedroom that Grandma Mamie and Grandpa Frank had given me. It was a great way to start the day.

Soon it was time to go back to school. I saw a girl on the bus, named Kim, who had always been nice to me, even when others were mean. I went up to her and asked her to take me to church with her. After she picked herself up off the floor of the bus (just kidding), she agreed to take me to her church. I got permission from my mom and went to Rolling Hills Christian Church with her. It didn't occur to me that there might be more than one kind of church. God just took care of me. The next Sunday, Pat, the lady who lived on the property behind our 3 acres, showed up at our door to take me to church. And the next Sunday and the next Sunday and the next Sunday! She came with bulldog tenacity! Good thing, too. I didn't have a chance to get away from God this time. ~smile~

A few weeks later, I went forward at concert with my friend Kim and Pat's daughter. I actually thought they wanted me to go up because they were afraid to go up themselves. Surprise surprise! A couple of weeks later I went forward at church to confess Jesus, be baptised, and join the church. That little country church family became my family. They were there for me during some really hard things. Ah, but that's another story for another day.

Friend, are you frightened of God? Do you think you're too bad? Too sinful? Too dirty? I did, too. We are all bad, sinful, and dirty. BUT GOD made a way for us to come to Him and become good, righteous, and clean. His name is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He said Himself that He is the Way the Truth and the Life. No man comes to the Father except through Him.

Jesus paid the price for our sins by taking our punishment on the cross at Calvary. "If we confess our sins, He (God) is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9

We must run to God. We must confess. We must ask forgiveness. We must ask Jesus to be our Lord and Savior. God is willing and able to forgive our sins. He wants us.

Are you willing?

Laura
I shared this back in 2009, but I felt it was time to share it again.

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May I suggest?

Philosophy 101 and Truth ~ A Must-See Movie: God's Not Dead

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Shared with:

Essential Fridays -  Show and Tell Friday - Fridays Unfolded - Growing in Grace - Sweet & Simple Fridays - I'm Lovin' It Party - Amaze Me Monday - Inspire Me Monday   - Mix it Up Monday - Mom's the Word - Sweet Sharing Monday - Motivation Mondays -   Homestead Barn Hop - Modest Mondays -  The Art of Homemaking - A Mama's Story -     Monday Musings - Marriage Monday -

Raising Homemakers -  Wow Us Wednesday - Wonderful Wednesdays - - Fluster's Creative Muster - Making a Home - - Wholehearted Wednesdays - A Wise Woman Builds Her Home -Welcome Home Wednesdays -  So Much at Home - Wake Up Wednesday - What you wish Wednesdays -A Little R & R

Home and Garden Thursday - I Choose Joy -  Imparting Grace - Hearts for Home Thursdays - All Things Thursday -  Share Your up Thursday - Serving Joyfully  - Think Tank Thursdays  -   Hope in Every Season

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Review: Pollyanna Read by Melanie Young

I remember watching Disney's version of the story Pollyanna as a child. I remember Hayley Mills as Pollyanna playing the Glad Game. It was a happy encouraging movie that I like to watch once in awhile to remind myself to look on the bright side of things. Perhaps you remember the movie, too.

Thank you Hal & Melanie for this free review copy.

What you may not know is that Disney's beloved Pollyanna is based on Eleanor Porter's book. What a perfectly refreshing and charming book! The language is rich and satisfying. Pollyanna practically collects words. ~smile~ It reminded me of reading Anne of Green Gables.

In a nutshell, Pollyanna is a young 'tween who is orphaned. Aunt Polly, a rather austere, strict woman, agrees to take her in. When Pollyanna realizes that Aunt Polly is rich, she has hopes for fine things like curtains and carpeting in her room. Aunt Polly feels that would be spoiling the child, so she denies her such pleasures, instead putting her in a hot, cramped attic room. Pollyanna chooses to play the Glad Game. As Pollyanna meets many unpleasant people and situations, she employs the Glad Game to help her through and to help others be glad, too. Being a Pollyanna wouldn't be such a bad thing after all!

The quality of the recording is clear and crisp. Melanie Young reads with terrific expression. I soon forgot her voice as I became immersed in the story. That's just how it should be with an excellent read aloud. My only regret is that I was unable to use it in my van because my CD player is broken. It would be great to keep in the car to listen while running errands or traveling longer distances. Who doesn't need a great story for that? I listened while doing housekeeping and while sewing. It was great.

I highly recommend this recording.

Listen to a sample.

5 hours 17 minutes
You can purchase the CD set at Hal and Melanie Young's site, Raising Real Men.
MP3 Download $20
CDs $25

From the website:

A Hilarious Challenge to Bad Attitudes

When we first picked up the classic children’s book Pollyanna, I didn’t really want to read it. I had heard people called “Pollyannas” and I just assumed it would be boring and didactic. I couldn’t have been more wrong. We loved it! All of us – boys, girls, young men, mom and dad. We laughed out loud at Pollyanna’s antics – and the reactions of the people around her. We laughed and cried, in fact, we were changed by this book. We became more grateful people. Seriously, you can hardly imagine how good this book is!When we recorded the audiobook, even though our children had just read it with us a few months ago, they begged to be in the room. After we recorded it, they wanted to hear the audiobook. They can’t get enough! It’s just so funny and sweet and gripping. Don’t worry, there are great male characters here, too! Your guys will love it! As we read it aloud to our children, we all had a tremendous desire to share it with you. Pollyanna was first published in 1913 exactly one hundred years ago. This special Centennial Anniversary Edition is sure to be a classic your children will want to listen to again and again! Ours did.