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| Our weakness, His strength"The weaker I am, the harder I lean on God, and the stronger I grow." J.I. Packer
"But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. II Corinthians 12:9-10
I certainly can't say that I am content with weaknesses most of the time, much less insults, hardships, persecutions and calamities. But I do know His grace is sufficient and I know He is enough. And I know He delights to teach me and grow me up. I'm a slow learner, but He is a patient Father!
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| "...so, how'd you break your arm?"This has been a serious Xanga site up 'til now, so it's about time for some holiday humor! In honor of the 25th anniversary of our skiing honeymoon this month, I am posting a skiing story which I certainly can identify with. I first heard this from Gail DeGray when we were taking a walk in the woods on a women's retreat. I laughed 'till I cried. Enjoy!
I came across an article of a lady who reminds me of us. She went up a mountain she should have avoided. No one would have blamed her had she stayed behind. At twelve below zero, even Frosty the Snowman would have opted for the warm fire. Hardly a day for snow skiing, but her husband insisted and she went.
While waiting in the lift line she realized she was in need of a restroom, dire need of a restroom. Assured there would be one at the top of the lift, she and her bladder endured the bouncy ride, only to find there was no facility.l She began to panic. Her husband had an idea: Why not go into the woods? Since she was wearing an all-white outfit, she'd blend in with the snow. And what better powder room than a piney grove?
What choice did she have? She skied past the tree line and arranged her ski suit at half mast. Fortunately, no one could see her. Unfortunately, her husband hadn't told her to remove her skis. Before you could say, "Shine on harvest moon," she was streaking backwards across the slope, revealing more about herself than she ever intedned. (After all, hindsight is 20/20.) With arms flailing and skis sailing, she sped under the very lift she'd just ridden and collided with a pylon.
As she scrambled to cover the essentials, she discovered her arm was broken. Fortunately her husband raced to her rescue. He summoned the ski patrol, who transported her to the hospital.
While being treated in the emergency room, a man with a broken leg was carried in and placed next to her. By now she'd regained her composure enough to make small talk. "So, how'd you break your leg?" she asked.
"It was the darndest thing you ever saw," he explained. "I was riding up the ski lift and suddenly I couldn't believe my eyes. There was this crazy woman skiing backwards, at top speed. I leaned over to get a better look and I guess I didn't realize how far I'd moved. I fell out of the lift."
Then he turned to her and asked, "So how'd you break your arm?"
Lois Lambley, "...so how'd you break your arm?" Et Cetera, North Bend Eagle, 18 January 1995
The Great House of God --Max Lucado ![skiing[1]](http://xb6.xanga.com/e58b0303013b6161072100/s27612734.jpg) | | |
| Give us, O Lord, steadfast hearts that cannot be dragged down by false loves;
give us courageous hearts that cannot be worn down by trouble;
give us righteous hearts that cannot be sidetracked by unholy or unworthy goals.
Give to us also, our Lord and God, understanding to know you,
diligence to look for you, wisdom to recognize you,
and a faithfulness that will bring us
to see you face to face.
Thomas a Kempis 
P.S. My profile pic is of my mother's mother, Marion Spence, in the '20's. | | |
| Quietness "For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel;
In returning and rest shall ye be saved;
in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength."
Isaiah 30:15
"Drop Thy still dews of quietness till all our strivings cease;
Take from our souls the strain and stress,
And let our ordered lives confess
The beauty of Thy peace."
John Greenleaf Whittier
"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life..."
I Thessalonians 4:11 
A question: What helps you to maintain a quiet heart in the midst of the craziness of life? | | |
| Giver of life, creator of all that is lovely,
Teach me to sing the words to your song;
I want to feel the music of living
And not fear the sad songs
But from them make new songs
Composed of both laughter and tears.
Teach me to dance to the sounds of your world and your people,
I want to move in rhythm with your plan,
Help me to try to follow your leading
To risk even falling
To rise and keep trying
Because you are leading the dance.
Author Unknown
"Hope is hearing the tune; Faith is to dance to it now." Ben Patterson
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