I Need Thee Every Hour. A Tour of Random Thoughts & Feelings with Jars of Clay

Listening to: ' I Need Thee Every Hour' by Jars of Clay while Grace exercises. The words to the songs are so very beautiful, so intense. So true... Thanksgiving was such a delight this year, very busy and emotionally draining but much like the low lull of beautiful exertion of a flower blooming as I watch the Lord's hand... Listening now to: 'God will Lift Up Your Head' by Jars of Clay. Loving it so... He gently clears the way.... Soon end in joy.... (I smile) It's enchanting here today. A dark blustery darkening cold front coming in and I'm enjoying that with my daughter Michelle as we choose an online Christmas toy gift for a most precious baby boy she is a nanny for...That little boy is a darling. Janie and Joycie just called to let me know they dropped my daddy off. Poor Daddy. He cried and that makes me cry. *sigh* I think it's finally hitting him he is by himself and he doesn't want to be by himself any longer. Janie and Joycie are so good to bring him to his home, quite a trek indeed. Watching our four daughters work and cook and clean in the kitchen was quite eye opening to him, it made him realize what he has been missing for many years. A picture of four sweet granddaughters, a lovely picture of a working home. Thank the Lord God. Listening to now: ...Make me free want to be a new man tired of the old man...Neat song, a darling song. I so understand what the group is singing here...I say yes and amen. I'm so trying to just roll with the Lord, His yoke is easy and His burden is light. I'm trying to relinquish more and more to the Lord Jesus and as I do it is a freeing thing. I cannot tell you how faithful He is. It's not that I've thought to have control over much of anything, never have believed in bossing the Lord like some do. But I do believe He always wants more of us, more of our trust just as a parent wants with their children. Thanking God for new friends. I'm encouraged by a new friend of our family. Thanking God there are parents out there who have taught and discipled their sons as to what is right and good in the Lord. Thanking God for young people who are sold out to the Lord and are kind. Yes kind! We aren't seeing much kindness these days it seems. Thus it warms this mother's heart in a major way indeed. Listening to: ' There is a River'...All of your Tears...(Something about this one. Touching) I think I may be finished with Christmas shopping. Maybe. Maybe. I have a book I use every year where I write my purchases down and keep a running total. Right on the money. Literally, maybe going a tad over but dear hubby doesn't seem overly concerned. (That's a good thing) ; ) Looking at Gospel for Asia's booklet at this moment. A great ministry, you can give money to buy things for the poor in other countries for Christmas. Great, great ministry. Our girls were privileged to go to the headquarters last year at Greg Gordon's Revival Conference. Such a wonderful thing. Listening to: 'Oh my God' by Jars of Clay. Makes me think of my dad, please help him dear Lord. People have been so bruised so hurt in life, they realize many times too late after making unwise choices. But maybe it's not too late. It's never too late for the Lord. Ever. Ever. Enjoying the day with Zuzu and Baby Grace my sweethearts.  Grace will be 18 this week. How could it be? Thanking God for His goodness that His children often bestow. Thanking God there is Hope in this world and that we carry that Hope within us to share with others and each other as Children of God the Father. Please help us to do that God. Admiring some gorgeous flowers our kind friend brought as a most thoughtful and lovely, lovely hostess gift yesterday. Touched my mother's heart in such a major way...Also our family was greatly blessed by the God given talent of this young man sharing in song playing violin for our family. We were greatly blessed. Greatly. : ) Praying for the safe arrival of Janie and Joycie. Closing for this Friday eve, the day after Thanksgiving. This song has been on my mind: In closing....So many thoughts rushing through my mind this holy season. I love the ballerinas in the video above, I love this song so very much....The ballerinas leaping are me. Yes they are me in my soul. God is so very good, He brings us through and when He does it He does it in a big, big way. One last lingering thought that rushes through my mind these days, was the Christmas season probably ten or so years ago...My grandmother had a medical emergency. She was dying. I remember looking out the window and seeing my girls playfully jumping on a trampoline in the countryside thinking to myself what a strange irony it was that evening...My grandmother telling me over the phone she may not be with me much longer, innocent children playing, laughing with a neighbor boy innocently. My uncle plays a huge part, he is so precious, his dream was to become a veterinarian and he never made it, he had to step down for a while after receiving his degree. He stepped out for a bit to help my grandparents recoup after a major hurricane and he never quite made it back to vet school...he just never did. I love my uncle, he is a darling, my mother's brother. He has a sweet voice much like a very young Elvis Presley and has (had) the jet black hair too once upon a time. I remember him coming over to take care of my sick little puppy when I was a wee little girl, he asked me..."Do we have a sick little puppy?" ...as he took the little puppy's temperature...yes he was so enchanting to me as he said that in his most handsome Elvis voice to me, a wee little wide-eyed brunette gal. He ended up with a yacht basin on the waterfront, not too shabby. But not a vet either. He was also the Taub family's skipper for their beautiful yacht. The yacht had gorgeous mahogany wood on the deck, when I see Natalie Wood's yacht in the news lately I think to myself...It doesn't hold a candle to the Taub Family yacht, it just doesn't. To make a long story short, my uncle made a call out of desperation for my Grandmother's life to the Mr. Taub. Quick as a wink Mr. Taub made one phone call and my grandmother was in the beautiful Methodist hospital the next day, unfortunately her legs were amputated to save her life. I recall so very vividly walking into the lobby of that beautiful place and something heartfelt happened. I can't place it but it did. Bitter - Sweet. Such tragedy, but such heroic life saving action as well...My uncle thinking to himself of missed opportunity I'm sure. Life is funny that way is it not? Such a funny world we live in, beautiful at times, quite a quiz at others. The answer is the Lord, the Father. May we make the most of life. Every day is a journal page what will we write? Unedited for the mostpart, uncooked....This most enchanting and thought provoking eve after Thanksgiving as the holy advent season begins... Love to all, ~Amelia ~ Photos here by Robert Stock