1st Book for 2013 - HUMILITY

If you know me well you know I am a fan of Andrew Murray.  One of my church friends was sharing about this book which she was reading and brought it to me last Sunday. Mickey & I devoured it and I bought my own copy because this is definitely a re-read and underline book.

Some quotes: 
Chapter 6 Humility in the Life of Jesus ~ "The secret-of which all nature and every person and, above all every child of God, is to be the witness-is that he is nothing but a vessel, a channel, through which the living God can manifest the riches of His wisdom, power, and goodness.......we know that we have nothing but what we receive, and we bow in deepest humility to wait upon God for it."  

Chapter 6 Humility for Daily Life ~ "The humble man feels no jealousy or envy.  He can praise God when others are preferred and blessed before him.  He can bear to hear others praised and himself forgotten, because in God's presence he has learned to say with Paul, "I be nothing" 2 Corinthians 12:11 

Chapter 7 Humility and Holiness ~ "Pride can clothe itself in the garments of praise or of penitence."

I would highly recommend this book.  Be prepared to see how Humility is so needed, and neglected, if we are truly going to be the light and salt that God has called us to be.

Go here to see my giveaway for my blogiversary celebration.    

PLAY IT FORWARD 2013

My friend Crystal, from Canada, had this on her blog and I am choosing to play even though I am in the midst of my blogiversary Give-Away and also doing Play it Forward on fb. 

"‎2013 creative pay it forward ....

The first 5 people that comment on this blog post will receive from me, sometime in the next calendar year, a random gift - perhaps a book, baked goodies ,candle, or surprise! There will be no warning and it will happen when the mood strikes me. The catch??? Those five people must make the same offer in their own blog  or Facebook post."

That's right. The first FIVE people to comment will receive, at some time during 2013, a gift for me. My timing, my choice, my delight. The catch being that those five people must do the same thing on their blog, or their Facebook status in 2013. Got it?? I have no idea who started this off, but I got it from a friend, and I love the whole idea of passing it on. Whoever it was, thank you so, so much!

Now isn't that the best idea to start the year? Spreading some happiness? I can't wait to come up with some surprises! 

If you are in the first five, please email me your home address, with 2013 Pay-It-Forward in the address line, so I can actually get my gift to your doorstep!  (msej@valornet.com)  Just think - so many of us could be the recipient of surprise gifts in 2013. And that really does bring a huge amount of joy to my heart. 

I know there are some of you who read but don't comment on my blog - this would be a great time to put fingers to keyboard and leave me a comment :)

Come on - join in the fun and blessing this will be!

Don't forget to check out my Blogiversary Giveaway. 

AGING

Wrinkles and all!!!!  Unposed for sure :o)

Aging, like so many things in life, is a something all of us have, or will face if we are blessed to live to an older age.  Have you noticed that as people get older they seem to get nicer with age, or get grumpy, sour and negative.  I have observed that which ever our basic outlook is seems to get set, as it were in stone, the older we get.

I had a father that was 52 years old when I was born and yet he never seemed "old" to me because of his attitude.  My mother was 21 years younger than my father so I grew up and learned at a very early age that AGE had more to do with attitude than the number of years one had lived.

While still in my early 20's Mickey & I moved next door to a couple in their late 80's who were such a joy, so happy and plesant and so much fun I determined right then and there "That is how I am going to be when I'm that old."    We are now 75 & 80 and we are busy, alive, well and as I often refer to us "re-cycled teenagers."  WE are the only ones we have any control over our attitudes and our outlook I life.

Just a few months after I started Penless Writer in 2007 I blogged about In This Skin which were my views on aging.  These are still my views, even though I am now even 6 years old.

I remain determined to live life seeing the glass 1/2 full, instead of 1/2 empty, and to be young at heart .  Trust me, it's the best way to live..........and we know it by experience!!

Remember, if you leave a comment your name goes into the drawing for my blogiversary give-away.  Click and read about it and join the fun. 

WOW - I cannot believe it!!!  January 21st is my blogiversary - 2007 - 6 years blogging.

SO~~~~~

It's time for a give-away drawing to celebrate

You know how I love to celebrate.

Here are the instructions:  From this post, on until January 21st, everyone who leaves a comment on my blog post will be entered~One entry per day.  Then on January 21st I will put all the names in a basket & draw the winning name.

Now you know, since I am such a reader and love reading so much I am going to offer a book!!!!  Except this time it will be THREE books.

 First this Daily Devotional - Jesus Calling - Enjoying peace in His presence

 Second, a Journal for you to record what you've gotten out of the Daily Devotional or other things on your heart that day.

3rd - You choose any ONE of the three books below

OR

OR

Okay, it starts today, so get on board and leave a comment on this post and each post up through 8 a.m. (cst), January 21st when I'll draw out the winning name.  

Let's celebrate & let's get closer to God during 2013.

FASTING - Questions about

How many of you fast?  How many of you have been taught about fasting?  How many of you believe The Bible, and our Lord Jesus, taught about fasting?

A lot of questions that I have been thinking about ~~.  I have done very little fasting ~~ I have had very little teaching about fasting ~~ I believe The Bible and Jesus teaches us to fast ~~ I have come under conviction I need to fast.

So, as a consequence of the above, one of my goals for 2013 is to fast 1 day a week.  When the Lord first placed this on my heart I wasn't sure which day to fast but feel He lead me to select Tuesdays.  Why Tuesday for me?  For a couple of reasons:  1) It is the day we do The King's Kitchen and we always have these wonderful desserts I am cutting and boxing and TASTING, and then the aroma's of the wonderful food cooking, so more of a chance to truly die to my flesh during the morning, 2) I host the WOW Woman bible study in my home each Tuesday evening so more time in the afternoon for me to spend time with God in preparation, and 3) the 1st of January was a Tuesday so start the year with my first day of fasting. 

1 Tuesday successfully done - 51 Tuesdays to go.

I believe in commitment.  I believe God expects us to keep our pledges and commitment, both to Him and to others.  I determine to keep this commitment and am blogging about it for even more accountability.  So I'll be keeping you posted throughout 2013.

Please leave me your comments about your views and experience in fasting.  I'll blogging later about one of our experiences in fasting. 

Wednesday hodgepodge #8

Decided to participate in Wednesday hodgepodge.  Go here and join in to participate or to read other hodgepodge posts.

1.  How did you ring in the new year? Very quietly sitting on the couch with my husband of 54 years and watching the repeat of the Times Square ball drop.

2.  What is one thing you are looking forward to in 2013?  Growing more in the Lord especially in the area of our Hebraic roots and how everything in the New Testament is based on the Old Testament.  

3.  Steven Spielberg is quoted as saying, "All of us every single year, we're a different person.  I don't think we're the same person all our lives."  What say you?  I do not think we remain static and unchanged.  We are either growing or regressing.  I choose to grow.

4. The Pantone color of the year for 2013 is emerald green. Like or dislike? Do you already own something this color?  Will you add something in this shade to your home or wardrobe in 2013?  Emerald green is one of my favorite colors to wear but I do not have that shade in my home.    I will be adding another few items of this shade to my wardrobe.

5.  Speaking of emerald...what's your favorite gemstone? My birthstone is Zircon but of course I love diamonds and I have emeralds.  I also like rubies, although I do not have any.

6. Share a favorite book or movie from 2012.  The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson.

7.  What is something you want to tell yourself at the start of this brand new year?  It's going to be a wonderful year, not only for me and my family, but for every Child of God.  

8.  Insert your own random thought here.  I am going to fast every Tuesday of 2013.  Yesterday was the 1st and my first Tuesday.  1 down - 51 to go. 

PUT A ZIP ON YOUR LIP!

What does this mean? 


We had a Pastor that used to say this in reference to becoming more aware of and watching what we say and allow to come out of out mouths.  Thankfully due to this teaching, and this catchy little saying, Mickey & I became very aware of some of the things we were speaking.  Things we had said for years without even thinking about what we were saying, like~~~~"I'm freezing to death."  "I don't ever do anything right."  "I'm always making mistakes."  "You're driving me crazy." "I wish I was dead." "She was green with envy." etc., etc. just to name a few.

We knew that Proverbs 18:21 says, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue:  and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." so we made a conscious effort to not only watch what words we were allowing to come out of our mouths, but also to call each other to remembrance of this fact by saying, "Put a zip on your lip."  Amazing how quickly we were truly watching what we were speaking over ourselves with this simple reminder.  

As we begin yet another new year, and some of us are making various resolutions and setting goals for ourselves, I just thought about this little, powerful saying and thought I'd share it.  Hopefully it might help you as much as it has helped us.        

   "Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things.  Behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth!"  James 3:5