2017 Scripture Memory Team – November

November 30, 2017 1:03 PM 0

I love this time of year! Fall is my favorite season and Thanksgiving is the best! November is my birthday month and this year was a “big one.” They are all worthy of celebration, but this one…well, I celebrated the big 6-0 on Thursday the 16th. That post will be next, but for now…I want to share my November memory verses.

Psalm 34:4
 I sought the Lord, and he answered me
    and delivered me from all my fears.

I’ve never been a fearful woman. I’m not the bravest by any means, but I’m not a scairdy cat. I like to try new things and have fun. Lately however, I have found myself being fearful for no apparent reason. The fear I experience is unfounded, unnamed. An unsettled feeling in my spirit will arise and that is why this verse has encouraged my soul. I know it’s not from the Lord, so I’m calling it what it is and trusting Him to calm my heart during these times. It could be my age…remember, I’m 60 now! Getting older can be hard, there are so many changes coming my way in the months ahead. Whatever the reason, I am trusting Christ, praying it through and walking by faith. I’m so thankful that at the mention of His great Name I sense His presence and His peace washes over me. The key is I have to seek Him and the joy is that He answers and delivers.

1 John 3:20
For if our heart condemns us,
God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.

This verse also goes along with unnamed fear or anxiety. There is a great difference between conviction in my heart and condemnation in my heart. At my age (I’m 60 now, remember?) I know the difference, and that comes about from living long enough to have experienced the difference. Sometimes we have feelings of false guilt (in whatever our heart condemns us). I really believe that women know this well. We can guilt ourselves over many things, we run a lot on feelings and emotion. God made us this way and it’s good to have feelings and emotion but we cannot be ruled or overruled by them. We have to remember that God is greater than our guilty heart and He knows all things.  By this I mean He knows our real motives.  Isn’t it good to know that He does not judge on the basis of how things appear? We often judge ourselves that way and end up with that self-condemnation. So rejoice today that He is greater!

He Answers
He Delivers
He Loves
He Knows

Peace to you today,


 

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November 30, 2017 1:03 PM 0

2017 Scripture Memory Team – October

October 31, 2017 3:58 PM 0

I hope the beautiful day I’m enjoying this day will be conveyed in my love for God’s Word in these two memory passages for October. And today marks the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation! Glory to Jesus!

On my way home from choir rehearsal a couple of weeks ago I was listening to Dr. Charles Stanley, long-time pastor of Atlanta’s First Baptist Church. He has meant so much to me for over 35 years. The morning I trusted Christ (July 7, 1985), I had been listening to Dr. Stanley on television. I share my story of faith in Christ in a post here on my blog dated July 7, 2009. I was blessed to meet Dr. Stanley back in 1987 and remember every detail of the time he so graciously gave me that day. Anyway, he referenced this verse and it has stayed with me. It follows the beautiful passage about the fruit of the Spirit in verses 22-23.  

Galatians 5:25 (ESV)
If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.

How do we keep in step with the Spirit? Just as we learned to walk as little children, we have to learn to walk with Christ by trusting Him as He leads. It’s a process of faith as we mature in our relationship with Jesus. We stay close to Him through praying, worshipping, and reading the Bible. We become attuned to hearing His voice as He helps us along our way. It is a JOY to know He is speaking to your heart. Let’s keep in step with Him. I pray to grow old gracefully and I know the only way I will is by keeping in step with my Savior.

James 4:10 (AMP)
Humble yourselves
[with an attitude of repentance and insignificance]
in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you
[He will lift you up, He will give you purpose].

This passage is from the Amplified version of the Bible and it’s beautiful. My big 6-0 birthday is next month. I can’t even believe I’ll be that old. I’m young at heart and that’s the truth – but sometimes I’m an old soul. And that’s the truth too. But this I know – the older I get the more I regret times in my life when I didn’t have a humble spirit. I’m a first-born take-charge girl and always have been. That’s okay. But attitude is everything and I’ve failed in this area many times. You know the saying, “large and in charge?” It’s so much better to be “small and in charge.” The in charge part is leadership, and that’s okay. But attitude in leading is crucial. See the parenthetical statements above? The first one – with an attitude of repentance and insignificance? Yep. It’s so much better for the Lord to be the One lifting us up – not ourselves.

My favorite phrase is the last. HE WILL GIVE YOU PURPOSE. As I celebrate 60 trips around the sun on November 16, I want to know my life has had purpose. I’m a daughter, sister, sister-in-law, mother, mother-in-law, wife, grandmother, aunt, cousin and friend. All these roles give me purpose. But I want to live on purpose for Christ. I’ve prayed for years “make my life count for You today, Jesus.”  I’m going to be praying that as long as I have breath. With a humble heart.

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October 31, 2017 3:58 PM 0

Gran Jan Camp – 2017

July 13, 2017 4:56 PM 0

The second GRAN JAN CAMP is a wrap! I went from one camper to three, so it was BIG BIG BIG! Here are my campers, my three oldest grandchildren, Madie, Jackson, and Zeke! Zeke attended the inaugural Gran Jan Camp last summer, so he was a great helper and co-director and “watch me, this is what we do” guide! He just finished 2nd grade and Madie and Jackson just completed first grade, the only prerequisite for attending, besides being my grandchild!
The theme for our camp this summer was “ENCOURAGEMENT!” Our focus verse was I Thessalonians 5:11:

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

Our focus was that our WORDS MATTER! We talked about encouraging people we don’t know and people we do know, most especially our families. We started this year with a Scavenger Hunt! I had the best time putting this together. I had 15 clues that ended up at the firepit by our pond. I worked on the clues and enjoyed putting them out all over the place… Clue 1 started inside our home, and the next clue led to another spot, to another, to another! These are some smart grandkids, I tell you that. I had to run to keep up with them and I don’t run. 🙂

So our big project was “encouragement rocks.”  Each grandchild had 4 rocks to decorate with words of spiritual encouragement, and they did amazing! Just look at these rocks! We encouraged folks we don’t know with words of hope and healing. We then went on a field trip to place the rocks in three different stores. We prayed that just the right person who needed to be encouraged that day would find the rock meant for them. We had a blast and talked about the joy that was ours to be an encourager to someone else.

We made snack necklaces to enjoy from all our hard rock placement that morning! 🙂 Zoom in close to see the “snack necklaces.”  They used pretzels, cheerios, fruit loops cereal, and gummies and enjoyed munching on these. Zeke had almost eaten his before I could take the picture!

When you live in the county without a swimming pool and it is over 90 degrees you buy a “slip and slide!”  They had a blast on this thing during the early evening and Pop and I enjoyed watching them.  After they had slipped and slid they wanted to play in the pond, and off they went. Pop even got in on the fun in the pond with them and then our lab, Copper jumped in with them too.

One of my favorite things we do is bury a time capsule on the last day of Gran Jan Camp. Jackson and Emery wrote letters to “their 18-year-old selves.” Yes they did! We will unearth these in 10 years and I pray we can all be together to do so. “Lord willing,” as my Granny Maloy always said about everything.

Madie and Jackson each added a “fidget spinner” to their time capsules.  It’s a recent new toy that is all the rage now. You basically just hold it, twirl it, and watch it spin. Jackson wondered if in 10 years if fidget spinners would even still be around. Stay tuned!

The time capsules were placed in the ground right outside Pop’s shop in Gran Jan’s zinnia garden.  Zeke’s was already there from last year and so we know exactly where they will be. I printed some pictures from the week to place inside, and I also wrote a letter to Madie and one to Jackson to place inside the time capsules too. Pop wrapped them up tight with plastic and sealed them well.

The joy of Gran Jan Camp is all about memories and family legacy. I loved having uninterrupted time with my grandchildren these three days.  Time to just be with them, praying and playing together. What a joy to be able to share in the lives of these precious little people.  I love them so much it hurts. You grandmothers out there know exactly what I mean by that.

I’m already getting a folder of ideas for next year’s camp and will enjoy this season while it lasts.  To everything there is a season (Ecclesiastes 3:1), and I know my campers will eventually outgrow Gran Jan Camp, but prayerfully they will never outgrow the memories.

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July 13, 2017 4:56 PM 0

Our 40th Wedding Anniversary

June 23, 2017 12:10 PM 1

40 Years!!!!

June 11, 1977
14,600 Days
350,400 Hours

2,080+ Choir Rehearsals
2 Sons
2 Daughters-in-Love
5 Marvelous Grandchildren 

All because two people fell in love…this family!!! 

Here we are, on our way, married just a “minute!”
Married now for 21,024,000 minutes!

Thank you Gary for leading and loving well.

There has been much JOY in the Journey and I look forward to

walking with you as we walk out this life together!
This rolling pin is also 40 years old…
It’s rolled out lots of biscuits, pie dough and dumplings…
I love the way the flour fills in the etching of our names and wedding date.
I pray one of my grandchildren will cherish this old rolling pin as much as I have.

I’ve loved my life as your wife, Gary. I’m thankful for the man, minister, husband, father, father-in-law, grandfather, and friend you are. God blessed me with you and I’m thankful for every minute (over 21 million of them). The hard times and the good times have blended to make us stronger together. You are a gift straight from the Hand of God to me and I’ll love you forever. After all, we’ve got 40 years invested in each other…let’s keep on going!

Jan

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June 23, 2017 12:10 PM 1

2017 Scripture Memory Team – June

June 22, 2017 11:32 AM 1

June, how I love June! This month brings so much gardening JOY for me in my zone 8 garden. The daylilies and hydrangeas are at peak and so are the blueberries. The tomatoes are ripening and so are the peas and peppers.

June also brings my wedding anniversary and this year was extra special because in ended in a ZERO! Seems as if the celebrations and milestones that end in FIVE or ZERO are extra special, although we know they really are not!  Every celebration in life is special because life and family are gifts.  JUNE 11th WAS OUR 40TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY!

I am posting about that next, but wanted to share my two June memory verses here. The theme is God’s tender CARE and COMFORT of us. I read the Isaiah 46:4 verse recently during a Bible study and it immediately resonated with me. Something about being married 40 YEARS…you ponder about how long that really is – 14,600 days plus at least 10 more for leap years! This verse has ministered to my soul. I’ve shared it several times with friends. We may change (and you’ll see that in the pictures in my next post…) but GOD IS THE SAME always and until my old age he will bear me up when I turn gray (it’s happening). He has made me and He will carry me. PRAISE HIS NAME!

Psalm 38:9 is especially tender too. He understands, he knows, he cares. My heart’s desire, my groaning. They are not hidden from Him. Sometimes I don’t even know myself, do you get that too? But He knows…and His Spirit interprets and intercedes on my behalf.  I know one thing, I want to make it to the 50th and 60th anniversaries with my sweet man!

Celebrating the JOYS of JUNE!

 

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June 22, 2017 11:32 AM 1

2017 Scripture Memory Team – May

May 25, 2017 4:18 PM 2

May is here and has been delightful in many ways. The weather today is so nice. Right now it’s a beautiful 77 degrees with a nice breeze blowing. My favorite kind of gardening weather.  Two of my wonderful grandchildren have May birthdays and were born exactly two weeks apart back in 2010, Madie on May 10 and Jackson on May 24. They both just finished first grade and are Gran Jan’s JOY! The time is flying by.

Another fun event in May was our annual Worship Ministry Picnic for our choir, orchestra and technical team workers. We hosted it at the Morton Farm the first Saturday of May and it was a lot of fun. The families enjoyed having the room to roam and see the cows and chickens, and fish in the pond. Grilled hamburgers and hotdogs with all the trimmings filled the menu.  Everyone pitched in and helped serve one another in love. The fellowship was sweet. That brings me to my May 1st memory verse. It’s quick, it’s simple, and it’s necessary! Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. Offering hospitality is a way to show love. Doing it without grumbling is icing on that cake you may serve! We had over 150 folks and we enjoyed each one.  I pray I will always be kind and hospitable…without grumbling.


This next verse jumped out at me during a recent sermon by my Pastor, Jim Perdue. I love the Psalms and when he announced his text I was eager to turn there in my Bible. The Lord IS righteous and he LOVES righteous deeds. The best part is He gives us the righteousness through His son Jesus to do those deeds. We can’t be righteous in our own strength.  He will take care of us with His fellowship, protection and with the favor of a loving father. One day we will be in His presence and enjoy those blessings for eternity. But aren’t you thrilled to know those blessings now? I need Him every hour of every day.

It seems as though our society is getting darker and darker, people getting more and more evil. I believe it is because of quick news and media and the way we hear about everything so quickly that makes it seem this way.  This verse helps me press in to my heart the truth that God is in control. He sees and He knows every single deed being done, whether righteous or unrighteous.  I don’t need to keep any score pads in my purse (or in my mind and heart either). He’s got it all in His Mighty Hands. Let’s remember that He will take care of us as we trust in Him. And one glorious day, we will BEHOLD HIS FACE! Wrap your mind around that truth for a moment.

Gran Jan

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May 25, 2017 4:18 PM 2

Grace Gifts 15 to 49 [2016 Favorites]

December 31, 2016 9:18 PM 2

Just a little under three hours left in 2016. Twenty sixteen was a really good year for me, more highs than lows and for that I am thankful. Especially for the knowledge that the consistency and faithfulness of my Heavenly Father never changes. He is always with me and I rejoice in the good times and trust Him in the bad times, knowing that He is ordering my steps.

I’m going to post pictures from every month of 2016 – a list of grace gifts for sure! These pictures make me so happy – they are just full of simple joys and to this simple woman it just doesn’t get any better.

JANUARY
January began with an appearance on Wheel of Fortune, America’s Game – with my friend Jan Leary for “Girlfriend Getaways!” It was a highlight of not only 2016 – but of my life! A dream come true. Team Jan WON and I wrote a post about it here on the blog. You can search and find it posted in February 2016.
FEBRUARY
A trip to the North Georgia Mountains in February with our boys and their families was delightful. We stayed in a beautiful cabin and spent quality family time together. Plans are already made for a repeat of this blessed time!My mom and sister and I enjoyed a Paint Party together as a Ladies Night Out at our church.  Luke 1:50 “His mercy is for those who fear Him from generation to generation.”

MARCH
We celebrated my Mom’s birthday and I’m always thankful to celebrate her life! She is a gift to everyone in our family.

These are my Praise Team people! I love them. We love to sing together and we really love each other too. Most of all, we love Jesus.
Three little grandsons [Jackson, Abe, Zeke] in plaid shirts and khaki pants on Sunday morning. Little church boys. I love them!

An app on my phone to show my distance (almost 7 miles, woohoo!) and route when I ride my bike. I love riding the country roads near our home. I miss it now that the cold weather and early sunsets prevent me getting outside. Spring will be here soon!

APRIL
April marked a blessed event that has been prayed for by Pop and Gran Jan since our oldest grandson Zeke was born 8 years ago.  We witnessed our son baptize his son at Cartersville First Baptist. We are so thankful Zeke has professed faith in Jesus Christ!

We celebrated my Dad’s 82nd birthday with a big family BBQ. Here is my Dad doing what he loves best – grilling, and my three menfolk enjoying themselves and I couldn’t be prouder of them!

MAY
Our grandson Jackson graduated from Kindergarten in May and our hearts were full as we reminisced our son Jonathan’s graduation from the same Kindergarten 26 years earlier.
I spent Mother’s Day weekend with Jeremy and his family and we had a Mother-Son picture made at the church. I’m so proud of this preacher son of mine!

Two fig trees for Mother’s Day. My husband knows me well. I told him I look forward to teaching my granddaughters how to make delicious homemade fig preserves one day.
JUNE
The highlight of June was another awesome all clear cancer free report for my husband as we spent the day in Atlanta. We celebrated with lunch at Pappasitos, one of our favorite restaurants. We also celebrated 39 years of marriage on June 11th.

June is the best month for gardens here in middle Georgia. The weather is usually not yet blazing hot and my flower gardens and vegetable garden are so pretty! My grandchildren Jackson and Emery helped me plant these green beans during Spring Break. They were bountiful.
A little Father’s Day love…my husband loves his boys! And they are such good daddies too. They were raised by the best, their own Father!June was the month for the inaugural Gran Jan Camp. I had one camper this year – my oldest grandson. He had just finished first grade so he met the “requirements.” 🙂 Next year I will have 3 campers. This is Zeke during our early morning devotional time together. It was a week I shall never forget. We loved our time together.
JULY
July is the month for the Morton Family Vacation and we had a great time at Cape San Blas, Florida this year. The cousins played so hard together and that made mine and Pop’s hearts so happy! I made their matching shirts and that made my heart happy too.

My son Jonathan and his wife and children were all in a Hutto family wedding in July. It was beautiful! My daughter-in-law’s brother Jared married his beautiful bride, Deanna. Isn’t this a beautiful family? AUGUST
August brought about another awesome event for me – my first published book. I was a co-author of Tasting Grace, a book about the mentoring in the kitchen ministry that my friend Jan Hamil and I began back in 2014. This is Leah Adams, my friend and published author of several other books. The book idea was hers and I’m thankful she brought me along for the journey. It is the most fulfilling ministry for me. Thankful to my friend Beth Moore for writing the foreword for us.
SEPTEMBER
I made a “Frozen” quilt for my granddaughter Emery’s 4th birthday. It was fun to go to her party and see the JOY as she celebrated with family and friends. This is one amazing little girl!

Our Women’s Ministry and Second Baptist Church hosted the Jennifer Rothschild “Fresh Grounded Faith” Conference the weekend of September 23-24, 2016. It was life-changing for many women and our joy to serve. Nearly 2 thousand women attended.
OCTOBER
October brings the Georgia National Fair which just happens to be held not too far from our home! I braved the Ferris wheel again this year for Zeke and Madie. We had a blast!
Three of my grandkids stayed a few days with us during Fall Break and granddaughter Madie enjoyed our miniature donkeys here at the Morton Farm so much. They are named Maybelle and Moses Morton.

NOVEMBER
I love Thanksgiving so much. The simplicity of food, family, and faith – without all the trappings of other holidays appeals to me so much. This year was extra special as my parents celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on November 23, 2016, the day before Thanksgiving. The family gathered for a big photograph.

I enjoyed a sweet Thanksgiving school lunch with my son Jonathan and grandson Jackson at Jackson’s school the day after my birthday. I sorta think we three look alike in this picture and of course, I love that too.

I made a quilt for some sweet family friends, Laura and Hamp Jones, and they came by the house to pick it up Thanksgiving week. It was an overdue wedding gift and I hope they enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it for them.
DECEMBER
It was so sweet to see Jackson and Emery in the Children’s Christmas program at our church. Emery was “THE STAR” and Jackson portrayed Joseph. I pray the JOY of Christmas will be in their hearts as they grow older and realize just exactly what this beautiful season means.
I love this ornament…1977, our first Christmas together. This was our 40th Christmas as husband and wife. 

It was our great joy to have Keith and Krystyn Getty at our church for their “Irish Christmas” musical. Our choir sang and they sang and played. It was an amazing night of worship. Beautiful!
My five grandchildren who bring me more joy that I can adequately express!
It also brings me such joy to see my boys spending time together with their families. They got together just this week at Stone Mountain, GA for snow tubing and I know the cousins played hard.

This picture was made just a few hours ago at my mom and dad’s home next door to mine. It’s the Maloy girls. My sisters. I love them so much. we laugh easily with each other, we love our parents, and we love each others’ families. Having sisters who are also friends is a great gift I don’t take for granted.
As 2016 comes to a close and 2017 is dawning I want to just say how much I love my Lord, my family, my church, my friends, my life. God has been so good to me and it isn’t because I’m good, it’s only because He is good. All the time. I look forward to 2017 because I know Jesus Christ is already there. He goes before us and He is so faithful!

Happy New Year from the Mortons!

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December 31, 2016 9:18 PM 2
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