Yellow Flowers and a Testimony

I just have to share this wonderful testimony, I am so grateful to God for working everything out so perfectly! Our Bright Lights group meets every first and third Monday so when there is an extra Monday in a month (like November) sometimes a few girls get confused. Yesterday we had three girls come though it was an off week, to the first two we explained what had happened and they left, but as they were driving away dad said, "Oh! If only we would have thought a little sooner, we could have had them do a skit!"

 Not much later another girl showed up, this time she couldn't leave because her mom had already left. Usually the moms would come and check if they had come the right night if they don't see anyone else coming up the driveway, but because the two Realtors we had coming over were coming up the drive at the same time she thought it must be the right night and left.

 

Just the night before we had been discussing the next meeting as a family, and wanted to invite someone over to do a skit for the next meeting. I mentioned having a certain girl over because she is so good at drama and loves to perform. It happened to be the exact girl that came last night! God is great! We came up with a skit together and are all really excited to do it on Monday!

A Short Walk Around Our Block | Pictures

*Happy Thanksgiving*

Psalm 31:19 (NIV)

How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you.

Our Testimony| The Removal of Our TV

Each year my dad goes to a Christian men's retreat at Camp Barakel, a few years ago while he was there the rest of us decided to go and stay with our great grandma who lived up North. 

While dad was gone he had a great time growing in his walk with the Lord.  He went away praising God for the change He had made in his life. 

We had decided to stay a few days longer at our grandma's house so when dad reach home there was no one there, and he didn't have anything to do.  So, he unpacked, and went right down stairs to watch TV.  He was sitting there for 1 hour, 2 hours, 3 hours, 4, on and on he watched, enthralled with the worlds ways.  Suddenly, he noticed how long it had been, how he had waisted all that time he could have used for Gods glory.  He thought, "Oh Lord!  I have been gone at a retreat all weekend, when I left I was so refreshed with your word.  Now look what I have done!"   Just then Dad heard someone say, "You must get rid of the TV."  He thought, "Okay, I will just move it into the laundry room and leave it there.  Will that make you happy God?"  He again heard God, " You will just put it back in the entertainment center tomorrow."  Suddenly a change came upon dad, he was tired of being trapped in the devil's awful tricks, right away dad took out the circuit board on the TV and smashed it with a hatchet. 

When we got home, dad told mom what he had done she praised God for His wonderful ways of taking care of what we need to change in our lives.  Since then our family has a worship time together, we read all the time, there is never a lack of fun!  I have never once wished that we kept the "evil thing" in our house.  I remember sitting down stairs for hours late at night with dad just watching TV instead of going to sleep so we could wake up and read Gods Word. 

Now when someone asks me if I have watched this movie, or that, I say, "No, we don't have a TV!"  Quite often they will be surprised and sympathize for me.  I just think, "I feel bad for you. You have no idea what you are missing!"

Psalm 5:4

^"For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee."

I would love to hear what you think about TVs!  Do you have one in your household?

I worked on the testimony today!

No, I have not forgotten my promise to share our families testimony about getting rid of the TV!  I worked on it today, it should be posted within a few days.  While you are waiting here are a few pictures!

I always have a hard time picking out the pictures I want to post, these pictures are from the other day when we went on a walk at a park near our house. Maybe I will post a few more some other time :)

A prep for our family's testimony:

THE STRANGER

(AUTHOR UNKNOWN)

A few months before I was born, my dad met a stranger who was new to our small town. From the beginning, Dad was fascinated with this enchanting new comer, and soon invited him to live with our family.


The stranger was quickly accepted and was around to welcome me into the world a few months later. As I grew up, I never questioned his place in our family. Mom taught me to love the word of God, and Dad taught me to obey it, but the stranger was our storyteller. He could weave the most fascinating tales. Adventures, mysteries and comedies were daily conversations. He could hold our whole family spellbound for hours each evening. He was like a friend to the whole family. He took Dad, my brother and me to our first major league baseball game. He was always encouraging us to see movies and he even made arrangements to introduce us to several movie stars.


The stranger was an incessant talker. Dad didn’t seem to mind, but sometimes Mom would quietly get up (while the rest of us were enthralled with one of his stories of far away places), go to her room, read her Bible and pray. I wonder now, if she ever prayed that the stranger would leave.


You see, my Dad ruled our household with certain moral convictions. But this stranger never felt an obligation to honor them. Profanity, for example, was not allowed in our house-not from us, from our friends, or from adults. Our longtime visitor, however, used occasional four letter words that burned my ears and made Dad squirm. To my knowledge, the stranger was never confronted.


My Dad was a tea-totaler who didn’t permit alcohol in his home-not even for cooking. But the stranger felt like we needed exposure and enlightened us to other ways of life. He offered us beer and other alcoholic beverages often. He made cigarettes look tasty, cigars manly and pipes distinguished.
He talked freely about boy-girl relationships. His comments were ally embarrassing. I know now that the stranger influenced my earliest concepts of the man/woman relationship.


As I look back, I believe it was the grace of God, that the stranger did not influence us more. Time after time, he opposed the values of my parents, yet he was seldom rebuked and asked to leave. More than thirty years have passed since the stranger moved in with us, but if I were to walk into my parent’s home today. I would still see him sitting there waiting for someone to listen to his stories and watch him draw his pictures.


His name?


We always just called him………..TV
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I am sorry that I haven't posted our testimony yet.  I have just been so busy that I haven't had time to write it out, since this was already in the computer it was easy :)

~Sunset~

I can't wait to get to Heaven

Seaside sunset, silver linings round the clouds,

Birds fly, singing, making such a joyful sound.

Thoughts of heaven somehow seem to fill my mind,

But I can't even imagine, what it is I'm gonna find.

I can't wait to get to Heaven, when you'll wipe away all my fears.

In six days you created everything,

but you've been working on Heaven two thousand years.

Deep green forests, mountains reaching for the sky,
Grasslands and deserts, your creation fills my eye.

Thank you, thank you Jesus, though this beauty is just a taste,

Of all your glory I'll see when I pass through those gates.

I can't wait to get to Heaven, when you'll wipe away all my fears.

In six days you created everything,

but you've been working on Heaven two thousand years.

I can't wait to get to Heaven, when you'll wipe away all my fears.

In six days you created all of the world,

But you've been working on Heaven,

You've been working on heaven, Holy Spirit,

You've been working on Heaven, two thousand years.

  

By:Keith Green

 

 

Thank you to Haley for providing the photography for pictures 2-5~

Fall: The time of year to praise God!

Why would you want to make one of the most beautiful times of year into an ugly, evil holiday--if it could be called that)?  It is a time of year that we should be praising God, for all He has done for us!  Take some time today to enjoy His nature, just take a walk through your back yard or in a park.  Remember to take some pictures so we can see the beauty too!  Don't we have a wonderful God?!

Genesis 8:22
While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.

Instead of going "Trick or Treating" our family  passes out Gospel tracts.  What other time of the year do people just come to your door wanting something?! Take advantage of the opportunity,  don't just let the poor unsaved just walk by.  We as Christians are not suppose to shut out the others, but shine our Light to them!   What does your  family usually do for Halloween?  

~Lydia~

P.S. How would you all like to hear our family's testimony about how we got rid of our TV?

Bright Lights Clothing Exchange

On Monday we had a Bright Lights modest clothing exchange, it was a lot of fun!  The girls brought soooo many *cute* clothes!  I got some really nice things that I had been wanting, including a very nice-cute, big bag!  I haven't had a chance to take pictures of my things, but here are a few of the cute skirts that people brought.

This is a button that I made for our Bright Lights blog about the exchange, I thought that it turned out pretty good!

~Fall is a Beautiful Season~

 *" How can a young man keep his way pure?  By living according to your word.

 I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.

    

 I have hidden your word in my heart

that I might not sin against you.

Praise be to you, O LORD;

teach me your decrees.

With my lips I recount

all the laws that come from your mouth.

I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. "

                                                 

*Psalm 119:9-13

This last pic. is from my wonderful sister!