Still Growing-Ashley

Monday Mutterings

2010-12-27T11:52:00.000-08:00

It snowed last night and is supposed to snow today through Thursday. I'm ready for it. Let it snow, let it snow, let is snow!

Gray Cat came all the way into the house on Saturday but is too afraid of every little noise and ran back out again. She is letting us pet her but only out by the Squirrel's Nest. So much progress! I figure by summer she'll be coming in and staying for short periods of time. It takes a lot of patience to turn a feral cat into a domesticated, loving housecat.

2010 has been a year of learning patience for me. So much in life we can't control and we have to let God deal with it, in His own timing. I think that has been my big lesson this past year. This is the last week of 2010 and it the week that I try to take some time to reflect on the past year and all that has happened--to see the Hand of God working in my life and in the lives of those around me. It hasn't been an easy year, but I know that God is working all things out for my good and the good of our family. IT's not a year I would have picked, if given a choice. But it was the year God chose for us and I will give thanks for it.

I will also spend some time this week reflecting on the new year--2011. Naturally, I can't know where God is leading but I can make sure that I position myself to receive all the blessings God has in store for me. So, I ask myself, what do I personally need to do to better align myself with God's will? I will meditate on that this week.

2010-12-16T19:39:00.000-08:00

I thought it was time to return to the world of blogging.
We had our first band concert tonight at the Kalispell Mall. It was awful. But a necessary step in our continued progress as the New Horison's Senior Band. Gary plays the trumpet and I play flute. We had a great time but we were all so nervous that we made tons of mistakes. Things I thought were simple yesterday during practice became insurmountable tonight. But we have our first concert under our belt. Our next concert is Tuesday, December 21st at 7:00 PM at the Kalispell Christian Center. I am confident we will do better next time.

I've decided to write a book. Don't really know what the subject will be but 2011 will be the year to write. Maybe I will write about manners. It just bugs me when men don't take their hats off inside. Or maybe I will write an advice book for young mothers. Like the Bible says, the older should teach the younger and I am tired of watching young parents let their kids run the show. Or maybe I will write a devotional book and fill it with chicken stories. Or maybe I will write stories about the kids in the orphanage in Honduras.
Well, whatever the topic, it will never happen unless I get started. As Mahtma Ghandi said, "the journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step." (or something like that.)

2009-02-18T05:56:00.000-08:00

Good morning,
I have no idea yet what I will do today. I am up and dressed, reading my Bible but I am also waiting for a phone call that will give me work. When I first began this year it was unsettling to never really know what I would be doing each day. That's the life of a substitute teacher, but by now I am used to it. I have learned to go with the flow. If I get work, praise the Lord! If I don’t get work, praise the Lord! Every month I pray that God will give me enough days of work to pay the bills. He has always come through for us. So, there is no need to worry.
Matthew 6:31-32 says, “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.”
It is a faith-builder to say the least. But it doesn’t stop with not worrying. The scripture goes on to say, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”(v.33-34).
Not only are we not to worry, we are also to do something pro-active—seek and live. Seek what? God’s kingdom and live righteously. What does it mean to seek God’s kingdom?
To me it means to seek God’s agenda and care for what He cares for—which is others who have more needs than I do; to develop holy habits; to live the way Jesus would live if He were here today. We have enough to do without worrying about what we will eat, drink, or wear—God will take care of that. We just need to be about our Father’s business.
With that said, I will trust the Father to give me what I need today as I spend time with Him and then look to see how I can impact the lives of others for the Kingdom.
I still don’t know what I will be doing today, but I know who I will be doing it with.
So, what are you doing today?

2009-01-07T04:53:00.000-08:00

Gary and I started our Daniel Fast on Sunday, then on Monday I was ready to quit because the car repairs were going to consume all our money and we couldn’t purchase Daniel Fast foods. I thought we would just have to eat what was in the house for the next couple of weeks. But as we sat for 3 hours in the car dealer’s waiting area I began to pray about it. I couldn’t understand why God would allow this. Then I realized that I had made a vow to fast and fast I would no matter what happens. If Jesus could go 40 days and night without food or water, then I can do 21 days with only a little food and all the water I want. Then on Tuesday Gary found out that our car insurance, Allstate, would cover the repairs to our car, minus the $100 deductible. What a blessing! This Daniel Fast has gotten off to a great start, I’ve been tested right out of the starting gate. God-1; Satan-0. Keep praying! Who knows what God will do next.
Have a blessed day!

2009-01-05T19:57:00.000-08:00

The American Patriot’s Almanac
By: William J. Bennett and John T.E. Cribb

I love American history and this book feeds my passion in a way I have not seen before. The American Patriot’s Almanac is a daily devotional of American history. Each month begins with an essay, such as, Twelve Great Reasons to Love a Great Country or Fifty All-American Movies. Each day’s reading is about a topic in our history that happened on or near that day’s date. There are readings about our Presidents and many other famous people. But there are also readings about people you never read about in your history book, such as Marine Private Guy Gabaldon, The Pied Piper of Saipan. On March 14th you can read about Washington’s Glasses and on July 12th we learn of Jane Thomas’s Ride at the beginning of the Revolutionary War. Then at the bottom of the page is the American History Parade which lists four to six other events that happened on this day but in different years. My husband and I are using this book this year for a daily reading of American history. This book would make a great addition to every family’s library and an awesome read-aloud book for the whole family.

http://www.thomasnelson.com/consumer/product_detail.asp?sku=1595552677

2008-12-26T10:36:00.000-08:00

Good morning, friends

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas with family and friends. I loved the snow that was falling throughout the day. But I don’t love the shoveling that I must do today—although I do need the exercise. Well, that’s another matter altogether.

We are now in the 12 days of Christmas—do you know what each day represents? Check out some of these sites for more info.

http://www.appleseeds.org/12_days-christmas.htm
http://www.history.com/minisites/christmas/
http://www.cresourcei.org/cy12days.html
http://www.stpaulskingsville.org/christmas.htm#WHAT%20ARE%20THE%20TWELVE%20DAYS%20OF%20CHRISTMAS

In our family we have tried to make the 12 days of Christmas special by remembering all the details of Christ’s birth and childhood, leading up to his death and resurrection. When combined with the 4 Sundays of Advent (before Christmas) it helps us keep the Main Thing the main thing.

First, we use 12 white candles to light one each day. White is the color for the Christmas season. We light one each day and talk about what is special about the day. Here is our usual plan.

December 26th – Boxing day. This is the English holiday which was traditionally the day on which the lord of the manor took presents to his servants. Later, it became a day to take boxes of food to the needy. This is also the festival of St. Stephen, deacon and first martyr for the church. As we survey the gifts we’ve received, this a good day t recall St. Stephen who gave his life for his Lord.

Here are some suggestions for this day.
· Select one of our gifts to give away in remembrance of Stephen’s sacrifice.
· Cook and deliver a meal for a needy family.
· Bake cookies for a neighbor and deliver them with love.

December 27th is the festival of St. John, the apostle and evangelist. As we recall the work of that “disciple whom Jesus loved,” today we reach out to share the love of Christ with someone in need of that love. Read 1 John chapter 3 and find a way to express the loved described in those verses.

December 28th is the Day of the Holy Innocents. This is the day we recall the slaying of the firstborn by Herod. Appreciate children today. Let today belong to the children. They select the activity and you provide whatever help they need.

December 31st is New Year’s Eve. In the early church, this was a solemn day of repentance and thanksgiving for the year just past. Unlike our present celebrations, it was a day of prayer, meditation, and fasting. Today it is more frequently characterized by revelry and good times with friends. It can be both. New Year’s Eve takes on new meaning when Christ is a guest at our celebration. At our house we would attend a New Year’s Eve service if possible. But if not, we would make our own celebration with a special meal and a devotion (we have one specifically for this evening). Lighting our candle we would talk about the past year and think about what we would like to do in the new year. We would pray together and then watch the ball drop in Time’s Square. Make a tradition in your family.

January 1st – New Year’s Day. This is the day to prepare for the new year. I always try to have my resolutions finished today. The kids liked to do it too. These are not done lightly but with prayerfully developed with the idea of putting us in the place where God can change us. It is a day to, once again, turn our lives over to God for His grace, direction and control. Beginning the new year with the Creator of all years brings a special significance to New Year’s Day. We also have a special meal of ham and black-eyed peas. This is from my southern heritage. If you eat black-eyed peas on New Year’s day you will have a prosperous year. How do you make the day special for your family?

January 1st is also the “Name of Jesus Day.” This is a good time to recall all the names we have for Jesus. Conduct a Bible word search to find those names and discuss their meanings. Or talk about your family’s experience with selecting names. (We always tell our children how they were named and what their name means on this day.) Where did your family name originate? Talk about the ways names affect behavior. The Jewish people had a strong belief that the names chosen for people determined who they would become. (I believe this too.) Refer to Matthew 1:21 then close your discussion with a prayer of thanksgiving.

We also take down our Christmas tree on this day. Mainly because I don’t want it up any longer. But it is tradition for us now.

January 6th- Epiphany. This ends the 12 days of Christmas. The primary focus today is the visit of the Wisemen. We read the story of the Wise-men in Matthew 2. Make sure the kids know the real story behind the wisemen. Were there only 3? Where was Joseph, Mary, and Jesus when the wisemen visited? We have an Epiphany party. We make a Blessing Cake to celebrate all of God’s blessings to us. The traditional blessing cake has items added to the cake batter: a bean to represent our daily food, a coin to represent other material blessings, a cross signifying salvation, and any other symbols you want. Obviously, this cake is cut and eaten very carefully. As each symbol is found, that blessing is celebrated. We also have a devotion for this special day.

This is the traditional day to take down the Christmas tree and put everything away.

For all the other days in the 12 Days of Christmas you can make special in your own way. Each day light one white candle and tell parts of the life of Jesus. Other activities you can do are:

· Each day let the children select, plan, and carry out an activity for the entire family.
· Have a movie night: Invite neighbors to join you for a candlelight viewing of a heartwarming Christmas movie. Make popcorn and cocoa, unplug the telephone, wrap up in warm blankets and relax.
· We read one Christmas story each evening during this season. I have collected many Christmas season books and stories that we use every year.
· Drive through town and see all the Christmas lights and then go somewhere for hot cocoa and dessert.
· Go sledding as a family and take along thermos’ full of hot chocolate and snacks.
· Invite friends over for a simple meal and a game.
· Make sure you take pictures of all your activities and then you can do your creative memories pages together.
· Spend time outside building snowmen and come in and have soup and sandwiches and tell funny stories of past years in the snow.

Whatever you do, make traditions that your family will remember fondly all their lives. I know we have succeeded because our children are beginning to do the same traditions with their children.

Gary and I now have to make new traditions for the two of us. It has been a bit frustrating to change all that we have done in the past with our kids to fit just the two of us. But we are working on it.

Remember the Spiritual Discipline for this month is Celebration and part of it is working at making traditions that you can celebrate throughout the year.

Have fun and God bless you this Christmas season.

Pastor Ashley
Servant/Pastor/Founder
http://stillgrowing-Ashley.blogspot.com
"But seek first His kingdom and his righteousness,
and all these things will be give to you as well."
Matthew 6:33
Westside Assembly of God
Lighthouse by the Lake

2008-12-09T14:51:00.001-08:00

The Moon Shines Down
By: Margaret Wise Brown
Illustrated by: Linda Bleck

I love this book!
It is based on the New England sampler prayer: “God Bless the Moon and God Bless Me.”
Using a recently discovered manuscript of the beloved children’s author, Margaret Wise Brown, and the writing talents of children’s book publisher, Laura Minchew, this story comes alive in a rhythmic dance around the world. Linda Bleck’s detailed and colorful illustrations captivate me as I follow the koala bear from country to country in this visually stimulating story. I find myself looking to see if the koala bear is on every page. The story begins in Holland and wings its way through Switzerland, the Far East, Mexico, France, Australia, England, Africa, America, and even under the sea, reminding us that the moon shines down on us all. It is the perfect bedtime prayer that little children will ask you to read over and over again. My favorite line is, I see the Moon and the Moon sees me, and all the children in every country. I am giving this book to my 2-year-old granddaughter for Christmas. This book is sure to become one of her favorite bedtime stories. Follow the link below to learn more about this book.
http://www.thomasnelson.com/consumer/product_detail.asp?sku=140031299X

2008-11-27T08:18:00.000-08:00

I love the Macy's Day Parade! I have been watching the Parade for as long as I can remember. But since we moved to Montana, I have always missed part of the parade. Why? Because I can never remember when it starts. I will get busy in the kitchen and miss the first half. It has been a bummer for 11 years.

But today, I am watching from the beginning. I saw the Turkey float!!!! I haven't seen that in a long time. And I am going to sit and watch the whole thing. What I have noticed is that there are lots of commercials. I think that is so I can go in the kitchen and get some meal prep done. It really is very nice of the Parade hosts to provide us with mini-intermissions to get our awesome meals prepared on time.

But I want to mention that the best part of this holiday is the giving of thanks to the One who gives us everything. May God bless your Thanksgiving and may we never forget to Whom we owe everything.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-15T14:10:00.000-08:00

I think . . .
- Days are longer when I sit in front of the computer waiting for emails to come in.
- Chickens like bologna better than worms.
- Squirrels swish their tails when they have something important to say.
- Fall leaves turn colors to brighten an otherwise dreary time of year.
- Birds fly south so that we will love them more in the spring.
- Mice really know how to appreciate the little things in life.
- Spiders were put on earth just to annoy me.

What do you think?

A Beginning

2008-11-14T13:06:00.000-08:00

Today I have begun blogging. Not sure why but it seems to be the time to do it.
I don't have much to say at the moment. But I am sure that this won't always be the case.
I love to write and once I start, there will be no stopping me.
So, stay tuned . . . more will come.
Ashley