12-12-12

December 12, 2012 8:24 AM 5

12-12-12

On this Twelfth day of the Twelfth month of the year Twenty Twelve – I want to share how the twelfth verse of the twelfth chapter of the book of Romans (on my blog header above) has ministered to me so often, and most especially recently – and I hope it does to you too!

REJOICE IN HOPE
We must have hope – always. No matter your situation or the times at hand, God is in control and He is our hope.

PATIENT IN TRIBULATION
This is the hardest one for me – I will freely admit. I’ve been impatient as my Dad has been in the hospital for 10 days and is still critical but stable. Waiting, waiting, waiting. It is so hard, but it sure builds character and I must also do the above “rejoice in hope,” which leads me to…

CONSTANT IN PRAYER
This is the rock of Romans 12:12 for me. Praying always, constantly, steadfastly. Breathing in and out with prayers on my lips. So thankful our God made a way for us to enter into His presence at the mention of His Name.

Now here are some various translations of Romans 12 :12 here on 12-12-12!

Amplified
Rejoice and exult in hope; be steadfast and patient in suffering and tribulation; be constant in prayer.

Holman Christian Standard
Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer.

English Standard Version
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

New King James Version
Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer.

New Living Translation
Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.

New American Standard
Rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer.

New International Version
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

REJOICING!

PATIENT!

STEADFAST!

Happy 12-12-12,
Gran Jan

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December 12, 2012 8:24 AM 5

1,000 GIFTS, #845 to #859

November 5, 2012 4:22 PM 2

As my Granny used to say, “there’s been a lot of water passed under the bridge” since we last got together.  I have been extremely busy since my last post, but not too busy to stop and count…so here continues the blessed JOY of counting the gifts of God’s grace, so undeserved, yet so welcomed.

845.  We have a fantastic facility right near home that hosts a National Fair each year…I enjoyed a date with my sweet husband there and snapped this picture as the sun was setting. Peaceful time spent with the one I love.Fair

846.  I am serving with some sweet ladies on the team for the Beth Moore Living Proof Live event scheduled for next May 31-June 1, 2013, here in Georgia. There is absolutely nothing like the sweet spirit of immediate fellowship. Our bond is Christ.LPL Team

847.  My sweet dad is as proud of this antique tractor as he can be.  He loves the way it “sounds,” and I believe it takes him back to a simpler time in life. I certainly understand that!

848.  My newest little granddaughter and her sweet brother…be still my heart. God’s grace multiplied…I can’t wait to see how their love for each other grows. How special it would be to have a big brother.

849.  I often times feel very rushed…rush to work, rush to the grocery store, rush to prepare a meal, rush to finish, rush, rush rush.  But for 3 days last month over a long weekend my friend Lanie and I enjoyed a serene unrushed time. We celebrated her birthday and her 3 years surviving ovarian cancer.  We attended the Georgia Quilt Show, we sewed, we laughed, we ate Mexican food at Pappasitos, we stayed up until the wee hours and we were exhausted, but it was pure therapy.  Here is her van packed and loaded with our sewing “stuff.”QTT
850.  The 3D Nemo Nerds. I took Zeke and Madie to the matinee one afternoon to see “Finding Nemo” in 3D.  When Zeke put on the glasses he said, “Gran Jan, Nemo is swimming right at me, I can touch him!”  We had a wonderful time and they were so good.  That was a first for the 3 of us, but it was so fun.  I love being Gran Jan.Nemo

851.  While driving down the road while in Atlanta with my friend Lanie, we passed this little church and I saw the pastor’s name on the sign.  The name of the pastor who performed my wedding 35 years ago…I love what the sign said and that Pastor Jones is still serving…what a delight!  Still in God’s Hands!  Indeed we are.  Grace.

852.  I made a little pumpkin onesie for our newest little punkin grandgirl…Emery…PunkinOnesie
853.  And Turkey shirts by Gran Jan for the grands…I consider it a blessing to be able to enjoy doing this, for the machine, for the grandchildren in my life to enjoy.  God is so good. I love to see them wearing the shirts I make for them!SONY DSC

854.  The women’s ministry of my wonderful church had a ministry project this past month to support a local Christian adoption agency by hosting a baby shower.  The response was tremendous and it took a truck (my husband’s) to load everything up!  So thankful for the young women who choose LIFE for their unborn babies and the blessing of adoption.CovenantCare

855.  I love the way our church has responded in worship the past few months.  The Spirit has been so strong among us, and I believe it is God’s grace and pleasure in how our Pastor gives preeminence to the Word of God.  I love my church.  And I love our Worship Pastor husband because I know him, I live with him, and I see his genuine integrity day in and day out.

856.  When my daughter-in-law Carrie sent me the pictures of these two in their Fall Festival outfits I just kept staring at them with joy because I see their JOY.  Zeke is so proud to be a policeman.  He and Madie both have spent the night several times the past month and we have FUN. They fill a place in my heart and meet a need to keep “mothering.”  I know you grandmothers get it…especially you moms of sons who cut those apron strings long ago…Gran Jan’s JOY.  God’s grace.  Daily grace to have them close by.  I count that blessing EVERY single day.ZandM
857. I finished this heart quilt for the new baby daughter of our church’s instrumental music pastor and his wife.  It was fun to design and fun to quilt.  I love the way a quilt crinkles and puffs up the first time it is washed after it is all quilted and finished.Quilt

858.  I spent all afternoon this past Saturday helping my Mom divide her daylilies.  We had lots of help from my husband because the flower clumps had gotten so large we couldn’t  lift them.  I really enjoyed that time with her.  The fresh air, daylilies to share and some for my own garden too.

859.  Some sweet times with the Lord where He is affirming to me that He is the friend that sticks closer than a brother…

On this eve of a very pivotal election for President of our great country, I am praying for God’s grace to be evident in the lives of believers across America.  We must keep praying and believing and trusting in the fact that God is in control no matter who lives on Pennsylvania Avenue and sits in the White House.  In God We Trust! I love this passage from Daniel 2:20-22:

20 “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
For wisdom and might are His.
21 And He changes the times and the seasons;
He removes kings and raises up kings;
He gives wisdom to the wise
And knowledge to those who have understanding.
22 He reveals deep and secret things;
He knows what is in the darkness,
And light dwells with Him.

In the Hollow of His Hand,

Jan

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November 5, 2012 4:22 PM 2

Beth Moore – Living Proof Live Charleston

September 2, 2012 1:53 AM 4

This exact time last week I was just settling back in at home from an awesome weekend, talking as fast as I could re-living everything to my sweet husband. Fifty-one ladies from Second Baptist Church attended the Living Proof Life event (sponsored by Lifeway) in Charleston, SC. There were 9,000 women there and it was one of the best events I’ve ever attended. It will definitely be one of my favorite memories of 2012. I’m asking God to let His Word and the worship remain in my bones…to help me press in closely and retain all that His Spirit revealed to me.

Beth taught from Genesis 32-33, “Embracing the Facing,” was her title. I’ve never heard the story of Jacob and Esau taught more powerfully/practically. Here are Beth’s eight points (underlined) with notes added:

1. We’re here to become more honest versions of ourselves (get honest/get blessed).
2. We cannot walk in our full birthright as part fraud (desire full daughtership). Do we pray it then work it, or pray it then obey it? Every independent action to work out a situation is an act of unbelief. We work at our rest when we give situations to God then take them back. Our working on them is pure laziness – it is much harder to just leave the thing alone…
3. We’ve got to stick a “WITH” back in the way we work people (work WITH people, not WORK people). Are we heel grabbers or hand takers? Ask yourself these questions to see how they fit when you are “working with people:”
     *What’s in it for me?
     *Is there a single slice of insincerity?
4. It’s time to go face down and face up (we want the healing without the dealing).
5. Children of faith can’t wrestle with people without wrestling with God. *I will not let go until He blesses me” said Jacob – there IS a blessing coming. We are close to Jesus when we are wrestling with Him. The Hebrew for embrace (habaq) and wrestle (abaq) are very similar. [Intimacy with Jesus in both situations.]
6. God can use a crippling defeat to bring about our greatest victory (Jacob’s hip being put out of socket crippled him – right before his victory and reunion with his brother.)  Don’t regret what He brings out of those regrets.
7. God can bring a shocking peace to our fiercest wars.
8. We’ve grasped the blessing when we keep trying to GIVE IT AWAY! (At that moment, Jacob had the full right of his sonship.)

  Here are some highlights of our weekend…
We pulled out of the church parking lot at 8:00 a.m. Friday morning…
Very thankful for Mr. Phil Randall our excellent bus driver,
and Cindy Schult, our precious Women’s Ministry Events Director.
We stopped for a wonderful picnic lunch at the SC Welcome Center…
We were blessed with RESERVED FRONT ROW seats…
 I had appliqued a little shirt for Beth’s granddaughter that said: “No Place Like Bibby’s,” (Beth’s grandmother name). I gave it to Travis Cottrell on Friday night, and asked  him to give it to her in case I didn’t get to see her. She loved it and showed it to everyone as she was sharing about her family.
 Here is a close-up of the shirt – I made one for my granddaughter too…”No Place Like Gran Jan’s!”
 Travis sang my favorite song from his latest CD – “Thanks Be To Our God.” You can hear it in the recap video at the bottom of this post. 
I love these girls…they have fun everywhere they go…
I love that women had time to fellowship with each other.
We posed for a group photo before having lunch and heading home…
 I stayed afterward for a group photo with the “Siestas.” Beth had made signs for us…mine says “Mayor of Siestaville,” and her’s says “Mama.”
 And finally, the amazing talents of Mr. Rich Kalonick…I am so very grateful to have this recap that he so beautifully compiled.

Speak Lord, Speak
Jan
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September 2, 2012 1:53 AM 4

1,000 GIFTS, #711 to #728

July 10, 2012 1:21 AM 2
Was it only just last week I was so excited about a week off to slow down? Well…my heart is FULL to overflowing from the JOYS of last week’s slower pace. We enjoyed a simple staycation, a stay-at-home vacation, a concept I highly recommend…so restful for both body and soul.
711. So thankful for a wonderful service of patriotic music and powerful preaching at my church. I’m thankful to be an American citizen. Even with all the issues in our land today, there is still no place I would rather live as I sojourn this Earth…I’m praying for our country in this election year. (Daniel 2:20-23)
712. My friend Lanie and I had a “sew-in” last Friday. She brought her machine and several projects over and we also made dresses for our granddaughters. We laughed like only friends of many years friends can do. It was a day of JOY and soul therapy too…bonding and sewing and quilting.
713. Thankful to God for granddaughters. Lanie and I both raised sons, and now she has two granddaughters. I have one granddaughter and one on the way…God’s wonderful gracious grace. Here are the dresses we made on Friday…complete with monograms.
714. And here is my sweet girl in her dress…my daughter-in-law Carrie sent me this picture just this morning…touched my heart.
715. A trip to the Farmers Market with my daughter-in-law Erin for fresh vegetables to “put up” as we Southern women call that process. We blanched butter beans, zipper peas, and crowder peas for our freezers. Hard but fulfilling work. I loved spending the day with her and one of the reasons is because…
716.  …she left Jackson with us to spend the night and we had such a wonderful time with him. He is our youngest grandson, reminds us so much of his daddy at that age.

717. Here he is on the front porch with Pop, watching down the road for his mommy and daddy to come…

718. Can you see why he reminds us of his daddy at that age? Herein is proof…

719. Time with my parents without the rush of a work schedule…we spent a day going to the local peach packing sheds and enjoyed fresh peach ice cream too.  I love my parents. Did you know the first commandment with a promise in God’s Word is found in Exodus 20:12?  Honor your father and mother…


720. Garden time. Enough said.

721. An entire day spent with my husband…shopping, eating out, uninterrupted conversation, reconnecting. So sweet and so important for good marriages.

722. Praying daily for a missions team from my church in Ukraine. I love these folks – every one of them. They are gathered here on their way to the airport in the wee hours of the morning last Friday. They are awesome people on mission for Jesus. As our Pastor, Dr. Perdue says, his desire is that the sun will never set on the ministry of our church as we serve globally. We also have students in South Africa as well as down the street from our church this week, serving in a trailer park conducting Backyard Bible Clubs. I LOVE MY CHURCH FAMILY…

723. Celebrating the JOY of my spiritual birthday – July 7th. Reflecting on the day the Savior reached down for me…I.HAVE.NEVER.BEEN.THE.SAME. Half my life I have known Him. And Hallelujah, He’s known me since before there was a me. (Psalm 139:16)
724. I know I often mention my fondness for sewing and embroidery, but I am especially happy to share these “crab shirts” I made at the request of my daughter-in-law Carrie for my grandchildren and some of their friends for a beach vacation. I loved doing this for them. I asked my daughters-in-law to save all the shirts I am making for the grandchildren because I think it would be fun to make a quilt out of them all one day…can we say Memory Lane?
725. Be still my heart. My little yet-to-be-born granddaughter’s first of many monogrammed gifts from Gran Jan. TIny little Emery, we are praying for your arrival to the family in September. Can’t wait to meet you…
726. The JOY of a rare opportunity to attend our son’s church and hear him preach yesterday morning – a message from the fifth chapter of Mark where Jesus delivers the man possessed by demons. Jeremy made a strong, clear biblical application and this momma’s heart was deeply moved and thankful.
727. My daughter-in-law Carrie’s pot roast dinner on Sunday. Family around the table is one of God’s sweetest gifts in my life.  

728. One of my favorite delights from last week is this picture I took of an old fireplace out in the middle of the country. My dad stopped to let me get the picture (that in itself is a gift too). I can’t help but wonder about the family that lived here long ago and the hands that built that fireplace.

What am I building that will stand the test of time? Am I investing in the lives of others for eternity and for Christ’s Kingdom?  God help me to see past the busyness of daily living that can so easily distract me from my true purpose here…

Jan

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July 10, 2012 1:21 AM 2

Half My Life

July 7, 2012 1:11 PM 0

Today, 7-7-12 is my 27th re-birthday and I am 54 years old…which means that I have lived exactly half my life as a believer in Jesus Christ.  Everyone has a story.  It all comes down to this, and I would love to share mine with you. Click HERE for the story of the day my life was changed forever and eternity.

I’ve found a friend Who is all to me,
His love is ever true.
I love to tell how He lifted me,
and what His Grace can do for you.
Saved by His power divine,
Saved to new life sublime.
Life now is sweet and my JOY is complete,
for I’m saved, saved, saved.
Blessings to you today,
Jan
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July 7, 2012 1:11 PM 0

1,000 GIFTS, #615 to #638

May 28, 2012 5:47 PM 5

Multitudes on Mondays (and knowing that His Grace abounds every other day too). Just keep counting…just keep counting…just keep counting…

615. Mercy – His Mercy. Mercy that triumphs…still relishing the Bible study on James

616. Granddaughters…turning two. TWO years of Madie – of JOY. A Gift from His Hand.
617.  Grandsons…turning two. TWO years of Jackson – of JOY. A Gift from His Hand.

618. Praying and believing God for a special word and then when my Pastor gets up to preach and reminds us that “the Power is in the Word,” and then being blessed as God delivers that special word to my heart.

619. Anticipation…

620. Delight…

621. My oldest son and his children, (my two oldest grandchildren) came and stayed with us for a week while my daughter-in-law was out of the country visting her sister who is a missionary. He shared at church that Sunday that “you always need your mom.”  It was Mother’s Day and I was blessed by that.
622. Getting to hear my son preach the Word. I can’t adequately convey what that does to my heart. It stirs me up and I’m thankful for the grace that abounds in our lives.
623. Especially thankful for my mom and my two sisters who are also moms…
624. Picking blueberries and eating them right then…

625. The Super Moon this month.

Psalm 8:3-4, Amplified Bible

3  When I view and consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which You have ordained and established,

4  What is man that You are mindful of him,
and the son of [earthborn] man that You care for him?

626. Dusk, my favorite time of day. This evening was especially nice with a cool breeze and these two to enjoy the pond with us…
627. The Garden…for me, it is always the garden, and only because of the Master Gardener who makes it grow, and that He knows my name…
628. Sod…yes, sod for my garden. It was a gift to me and I am very grateful to my hard-working husband who has built my dream garden for me.
629.  Dirt roads in the country…
630. Praying for a little girl not yet born as I sit to work on a baby quilt for her. She is a long-awaited, much prayed for baby girl…due next month…always in His time.
631. Seeing my Dad get much joy from restoring a farm tractor, and much more importantly, seeing him grow in his faith. Zeke had to try out the tractor too.
632. Thankful for a husband who knows how much I love to see the birds come to my feeders.  He took this picture of a goldfinch through our kitchen window and sent it to me…JOY
633. It’s fence painting time at the farm. The wood has now cured enough to receive the paint…it is a process – just like everything, it takes time (Ecclesiastes 3). Thankful to our son Jonathan for his help.
634. Last day of preschool – seeing my son Jeremy with his son Zeke…stirred memories of my boys and their JOY at the last day of school…
635. Eight years of marriage celebrated by my oldest son and his bride, Carrie. Thankful for their commitment to each other and to their family and their ministry. 
636. When the weatherman says “scattered showers,” I always hope that the scattered showers water my flowers…so thankful for the random rain and a quiet evening at home.

637. These old-fashioned reseeding petunias had their beginnings in my maternal grandmother’s garden. I am grateful for a gardening Granny who passed her love on to me.
638. On this Memorial Day Monday I am very grateful for a day set aside to honor our fallen heroes who sacrificed their lives. I was raised in a military family with a Dad who served 3 tours in Vietnam. We live in a military town and are blessed to see and worship and fellowship with living heroes.  With all the problems that abound, I’d still rather live here in America than anyplace else I know. This picture was taken just this morning here at our farm. Those are my father’s flags. He is a living hero too.  
Blessings,
Gran Jan

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May 28, 2012 5:47 PM 5

Consider the Lilies

May 13, 2012 1:33 AM 2

I love gardening very much, I always have. Although it can be hard work, it is very relaxing to me. My earliest garden memory is planting some corn when I was a very little girl, about 4 years old. I remember how proud I was and how I tended it and how it grew tall over my head. I’ve always found solace and peace in the garden. There are many garden themes all throughout the Bible – and of course we know that God is the Master Gardener.   
Genesis 2:8
And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east…

Can you just imagine God planting a garden? I absolutely love to think about that. May and June are my favorite months in my flower garden because of the daylilies. This song has been running through my mind the past few days…

  Consider The Lilies
(Joel Hemphill)
Consider the lilies, they don’t toil nor spin
And there’s not a king with more splendor than them.
Consider the sparrows, they don’t plant nor sow,
But they’re fed by the Master who watches them grow.
We have a Heavenly Father above
With eyes full of mercy
And a heart full of love.
He really cares when
Your head is bowed low.
Consider the lilies and then you will know.

May I introduce you to this friend of mine,
Who hangs out the stars and tells the sun when to shine.
He kisses the flowers each morning with dew,
But He’s not too busy to care about you.
No matter what you are going through or dealing with – Our Father is not too busy to care about you. The Master Gardener who creates such beauty knows every detail of your life and every desire of your heart. Just talk to Him – He knows and He cares.
 
Consider the Lilies…
Jan
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May 13, 2012 1:33 AM 2
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