Chapter 53

Of Isaiah.

Who has believed our message

and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

He grew up before Him like a tender shoot,

and like a root out of dry ground.

He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him,

nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him.

think about that one.

no beauty. no majesty to attract us to Him.

nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him.

He was despised and rejected by men,

a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.

Like one from whom men hide their faces

He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.

Surely He took up our infirmities

and carried our sorrows,

yet

we considered Him stricken by God,

smitten by Him,

and afflicted.

But 

He was pierced 

for our transgressions,

He was crushed

for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace

was upon Him,

and by His wounds

we are healed.

We all, like sheep, have gone astray,

each of us has turned to his own way;

and the Lord has laid on Him

the iniquity of us all.

I think I'll not do the other verses, 7-12, right now.

Iniquity:  1.  gross injustice or wickedness  

2. a violation of right or duty; wicked act; sin.

Heal:  1.  to make healthy, whole or sound; restore to health; free from ailment.

2.  to free from evil; cleanse; purify

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus,

the author and perfecter of our faith,

who for the joy set before Him endured the cross,

scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12: 2

Bible Study Fellowship

Is what I attend on Wednesday mornings.
Anyone familiar with it?
I did that many years ago, hmmmm, I'd say in 88 and 89.  I did it for two years, but threw in the towel - having 2 small ones to get ready to carry with me,
plus the stress of getting Ann and Laura Beth off to school, K and 1st grade,
and myself ready and be in Huntsville by 9:00.  Plus all the homework of the bible study questions to get done during the week.
Sarah loved it.  She was two when I went with several ladies from my church.  Kate was a baby baby.  Baby.  After I quit because of the stress of it all, Sarah continued to ask me when we were going back.  They have a tremendous program for children.  Great bible teaching for children. I had so much guilt when I'd explain to her again and again that we wouldn't be going back.  She wanted to go so badly.

Now I'm 59 and when a friend approached me last spring about going over in the fall of 2010 to Huntsville to BSF and that they would be going through Isaiah - at first I got a nervous twitch just thinking about it - I was remembering the stress those years ago - but then I remembered - "Oh yeah, I can do that now.  I have no children to take with me.  It'll just be Elizabeth, mature woman, senior citizen almost, no small children.  And, it's Isaiah.  And, it'll be great fellowship with 2 dear ladies from my church - to Huntsville and back - great conversation. "  I was in.  I was all about it.  AND it's been a great experience.  No better way to get to know someone than traveling with them back and forth and having car conversation - good way to visit.  Or over coffee - or working on a project together.  That's a good way, also.

Plus, we've studied Isaiah. We're almost through Isaiah.  We'll finish in May.  I don't plan to do it next year - not because I don't like it - I just feel like I need to give that day back to this life here in Scottsboro.

But

Isaiah and we're almost through it.

Today was Isaiah 52:13 - 53: 12
We'd already studied those verses and answered those questions and then today we had the lecture on that particular portion of scripture.    We always sing hymns and the hymns are carefully selected to go with the scripture.

Are you familiar with those verses?  Without looking them up?
I'll post them here.

See, my servant will act wisely;

he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.

Just as there were many who were appalled at him -

his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man

and his form marred beyond human likeness

so will he sprinkle many nations,

and kings will shut their mouths because of him.

That is enough to try to absorb, isn't it?

His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man.

His form marred beyond human likeness.

Those two realities.

His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man.

His form marred beyond human likeness.

(for me, He did it for me... for the whole human race)

next verse.

so will he sprinkle many nations,

and kings will shut their mouths because of him.

For what they were not told, they will see,

and what they have not heard, they will understand.

I'm a Gentile.  I fall under that heading, many nations - He wasn't only for His chosen race - I'm so grateful, but I want to be more grateful.  There are other nations - other people - who haven't heard yet - He's for them too.  To sprinkle many nations with His righteous blood.

Kings will shut their mouths because of Him.

But then there's chapter 53.

Next post.

So, Kate Did Come Home

but now she's gone again.
Friday was pretty, but chilly.
Last night, Saturday, after a day of rain, we grilled Salmon and Asparagus - and had baked red potato wedges.  
I said I would take pictures of the weekend, but only took these few while we all waited for the meal to be ready.

Somehow I didn't get a picture of Luke.  I think he was in the living room with Steve, and playing with a monster transformer which I gave him for Christmas.  He's finally able to do something with it.  It is not age appropriate - much too old for him - but he is able to enjoy it now.

We enjoyed having Kate at home - and now she's gone so quickly.

We'll see her again in June and in July.

Okay, So Now It's Been 5 Days

since I last posted....
again, if anyone cares, or if you're like me - I just love a new post.
If you take the time to look at my list to the right (well, you have to scroll down a bit) - I go first to family posts - then to friends - 100% I'm gonna open those up and read them, the new ones - get a little excitement - when I see there's a new one.
I will say that in the list of "Other blogs....."  I am selective about what I open up.  I don't read all of those. My favorites in that list?  Right now?  The Simple Wife - that is definitely #1.  what a story!  Her sister is KHPhotography and that is my 2nd "go to".  They are tied together in this story that God has woven into the life of this whole extended family.  Blows my mind!
I always, almost, will read Gypsy Mama.  Love that girl.  She reminds me of my daughters.  She just had a baby.  She is such a good writer and so honest about her life.  I love when A Deeper Story has something new.  I always go to it, check it out pretty quick - to see if it's what I want to read.  There are some women on there who are amazingly honest about their experiences and how God has brought them through them and is still healing them.  Huge eye opener about how varied the body of Christ is - how we all have such different experiences which shape us.  Always read Fly Through Our Window when she posts.  also, Gazing Upward.  The food ones and the crafty ones, well, I read the title to see if I want to go there -

Okay - sorry - never mind - I was talking about how I haven't posted and why - I have nothing ordinary to talk about that I think would be entertaining(not even remotely interesting)....
Yet I want to maintain this blog -

I am ingesting/digesting two books right now.  King's Cross by Tim Keller and One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voscamp.  Highly recommend King's Cross.  Not far enough into One Thousand Gifts to say anything.  She is a different kind of writer.  Poetic.  I'm not poetic. I get to the point - so - it's hard for me to read - but I know enough about her and her story - it's worth it to me to stay with it.  She's an incredible writer - just have to be able to shake up the brain cells to understand.

Also - have been in Bible Study Fellowship since September 2010 and we've been studying Isaiah.  Oh my goodness!  Oh my goodness!  Let me just say, "It's true - it's true!  God is so very very very, infinitely sovereign and right and loving and compassionate and holy.  Yes.  I don't blog about these deep issues because - well - I can't reprint the entire book by Tim Keller - nor can I type the entire book of Isaiah and say what it all means to me - I can point you to these - but heck, maybe God has you in something else - some other book or some other book of His word.  I don't know.

I did order a book today - another one - OH LOVE THAT WILL NOT LET ME GO by Nancy Guthrie, recommended by Scott Parr who got the recommendation from Steve Barber (my son in law).  I thumbed thru Scott's and HAD TO HAVE IT!  I also ordered some cd's from Redeemer Website.  So excited for all of this to get to me.

My friend, Mary, went with me to Huntsville today.  Love all my time with her.  I was getting things at Costco and Fresh Market - Kate is coming home tonight.  She's on the road right now.  I also made a hair appointment at Artisan's, finally.  and one for Ellie, also.  Together we'll go on Monday and have a "girl's day".

That's all.  There, Elizabeth, you have posted on this day, March 24.

Perhaps I'll get pictures of this family weekend with my baby girl at home.

FRIDAY in the Yard

Yardwork.
Now my tools are 
Shovel.
Rake.
Spade.
Clippers.
Camera.
I see my friends pass by in their car and I'm in contortions either pulling weeds or taking weird pictures which don't turn out very good

but.... it's the best I can do.

There's so much to be done in my yard - and I did work yesterday - but still there's much more to be done.

I love doing it.  I love it.

Below is something new I bought yesterday at Home Depot.

The one that is an orange/red color is Heuchera Kassandra.  Copied that off the pot.

Already knew it needed part sun - which is why I bought these 3 for this pot.  

The green one with similar leaves is Heuchera, Dale's Strain.

And the tiny low one in the front is Snow in Summer/Cerastium Alpinum

They all pretty much require not getting "too wet".  When the emphasis is on good drainage - that's what I assume it means.  I just read all about the Snow in Summer and I'm not thinking I'll have much luck with it.  The other two might make it.

I love container gardens and arrangements, but I NEVER can get them to do right, as in "live".

The magazines talk like it's so easy.

The ground just works better for me.

Below is the ka zillion bulbs of Narcissus or Paper Whites -  I pulled them up.

They had gotten so abundant and tight that they had quit blooming.

Didn't bloom last year and I never got around to thinning them.

I had to do it this year.  

I will redistribute these in my beds.

There are so many.  Anybody want some?  

I can't possibly replant all of these.

And these are daffodils.  They do still bloom, but still very much needed thinning.

Anybody need some daffodils?

I love "walks".  I bought these stepping stones at Home Depot.

I needed four more, so Charlie and I went back last night to get my other four,

plus pea gravel to work on my other "path" that I have.

Me and My Shadow

Faithful Hosta.  I think I need to borrow some of this from the side bed and place it near my new walk.

I just thought of that.

Variegated Monkey Grass or Leriope or Variegated Lilyturf

I like it a lot and wish I had never planted common Monkey Grass around my beds.

Wish I'd only used this.

What will be dogwood blooms.

and the earliest shoots of what will be my beautiful Peonies

These are everywhere.  Grape Hyacinth.

That's all.  I did buy herbs yesterday and planted those.

In the front in full sun.  

I basically have a new little herb garden spot.

I bought new Rosemary and hope it'll do better than it's doing in the side yard which doesn't get as much sun.

I also bought cilantro and flat leaf parsley and planted those.

There was no basil.  I have to find basil so it can get started growing.

We aren't going to have another frost or freeze this year are we?

I'll just cover everything up, I guess.

SPRING

I'm so so so glad it's here!
Isn't everyone?  
Yesterday - out in the yard -
The weeds, the weeds, the weeds.
So many.  
I've created a monster of a yard.  The weeds feel right at home in all of my beds.


So - after walking with Ann and her 3 (or four if you count Abigail who is growing in Ann's tummy - I bet Ann counts her when she's carrying around that load) at County Park ........

We then went to my house.

I talked Ann into staying a while - I really had to talk her into it - Andrew napped at my house -

The rest of us went outside - I pulled weeds - Ellie and Luke played - Ann read her homeschooling material and soaked up some sun.

Ellie's never without a paper and pen or crayon or pencil or marker.  Even outside.

We had an incident at the park - which would make for a much more interesting post.

I downloaded all the pictures on my camera and emailed them to Ann.

She'll surely be telling that story.  

I tried to leave the best pictures for her post.

I'll give her a few days and see if she goes with it.

Today?  Back to my yard.

Loving the mild weather and sunshine!

Not Eight Days Later

It's the Next Day
I didn't have to travel back to McDonough.
We have reason to think that Scott might be on the mend.
We think.  Surely.
So here are John and Ada - who don't show up in this blog as often as Ellie, Luke and Andrew - because they aren't in range of my camera as often.

Actually - I'm not even supposed to be blogging about my grandchildren because my intent is to let their moms do that - still - it's hard not to when they are intertwined in my life.

I miss them already and wish I could see them regularly.  John is very very boy.  He seems to want to throw every object.  Have you noticed that, Laura Beth?  I don't think we commented about that.  He loves Ada and isn't bothered by her physical grips on him.  The hard tight clumsy hugs don't seem to irritate him.  She loves him very much.   Children gain so much from their siblings.  I've always said, it's the first lesson in "dying to self", "yielding to another", "sharing", "fighting and forgiving", so much.

Fully recovered Ada - who loves so much.

She loves her mom and dad, she loves John, she loves me, she loves her friend next door, she loves "tartoons", she loves outdoors, she loves her cousins, she loves for people to be happy, 

she really loved her Dora Balloon sent from Mary Ann while in the hospital.

She loves skipping and jumping and being silly.

And she loves to talk and ask lots of questions and get answers.

and do art.  She loves doing art.

Eight Days Ago

I posted.  Wrote something on this blog.
Then there was Sunday.  
and Monday.
Many phone calls to and from McDonough regarding Ada and her extended stomach virus.  Go Here to read when we thought it was all a basic child virus and recovery.

If you read Laura Beth's Blog  then you know that they ended up at Children's Hospital in Atlanta.

At 10:00 pm on Monday night I heard from Laura Beth that, yes, they were taking Ada to the hospital.

Seizures wouldn't stop.

So hard to know what to do here in Scottsboro - besides grab my keys and run out the door, heading for Atlanta.  Of course I didn't do that.  I wouldn't have known where to go at that point and it would have been foolish - with so little info.

I couldn't think clearly, so I went to bed - with phones beside me, just to get what sleep I could, if I could.  Knowing it might be a "travel in the night kind of night".  About midnight Laura Beth phoned and updated.  Final call at 2:00 am, they were admitting Ada.  CT Scan was clear but she was still having seizures and they needed to figure it out.  I couldn't sleep after that.  Got up - began to take care of small details because I knew I'd be gone from the house for several days.  I then bathed and began to pack and finally at 5:30 I was leaving my driveway for Atlanta.  During all of that I made Charlie sleep.  Last week he was in the middle of Grand Jury and he just didn't need to be awake all night with a another day of GJ facing him.

Arrived at the hospital around 9:30 my time/10:30 Atlanta.  My plan was to see Ada and soon to leave for Laura Beth's house and retrieve John who was staying with their friend.  Ada never let me leave.  I was there with them on Tuesday through Wednesday when we brought her home and returned yesterday, on Sunday.

Ada is fine and great.  The doctors couldn't determine the cause of the seizures, even after the CT Scan, EEG and MRI.  All clear.  Her fever wasn't high enough, her electrolytes not low enough, and the zophran given her for nausea doesn't usually affect children that way.  We disagree.  We think it was the combination of all of those and we do think the zophran was affecting her and even though they recommended TWO YEARS of seizure medication, Laura Beth declined.  No way.  Gotta give it some time and see how she does without it on a healthy basis.  Ada is great and energized now.  Unbelievable once the IV hydrated her and she got over the virus.  And got caught up on sleep and her appetite is very much back.  More than usual.  She is not a big eater on a good day.  She's catching up though since she didn't eat for about 5 days.

Just in case I go another 8 days without posting - it will probably be due to this latest development.

Scott, Ada's daddy, got that same virus on Friday - one week after Ada had it.  I've never heard of a week's incubation period for a virus.  He's been sick since Friday and all during this post Laura Beth has been phoning me and updating me because he had to go to Urgent Care this morning.  He woke with a high fever and chills and at Urgent Care they've told him his oxygen levels are low and they did a chest X-Ray.  That was fine, the chest X-Ray,  but they are sending him home with vague instructions and a random AntiBiotic.  What?  for a virus?  and on an empty stomach?  and said if he's still sick in the morning he needs to go to the ER for an IV.  It's all sketchy to me and I keep telling LB things to call back about before he heads home.  I think he needs an IV now.  Anyway - could it be that I end up back in McDonough?

To be continued......

Things in the Forefront of My Mind

Today.

• Kate is in the air, on her way to New York. 
• What to have with grilled hamburgers instead of the same ol' same ol'.
• Ann and boys will be by around 10:00 while Ellie does art.
• This beautiful, very very very moving personal story which this lady shares of her life and rebirth: click on  Ellie Ellsworth, Actress in New York
• What I keep studying in Isaiah - how very very eternally, infinitely sovereign our Holy God is over our lives - those of us who are his - born again - the mystery of rebirth - and He will be glorified in us and He is the one doing the work in each of us who are His.  We see our failures.  He sees His work and His plan and He purposes that it will be accomplished.  And He sees us covered in the righteousness of Christ because of Christ's sacrifice on the cross. He draws us to Him.  He completes the work He began in us when we were born again by His Holy Spirit.  
• Now, due to the phone call which just came in, Ada's stomach virus which kept them all up last night - well - not John - although I don't know how John's frequent waking factored into the whole evening.  And hoping the others don't get it, and if that virus is alive and well this weekend, I don't want to take Andrew there as planned, while Ann goes on a lady's retreat. 
• How I will make best use of this rainy Saturday
• Mike and Mary joining us for hamburgers tonight along with Ann, Steve and children
• Putting together some sort of bible/book/topic study for the younger women in our church who have expressed a desire for this - older as well, if they want to.  I'm considering a study on prayer, prevailing prayer and corporate prayer - by Tim Keller - again - my go to.  Maybe I'll check out studies by John Piper.  or a new guy I just heard of yesterday - Eric Metaxas.  
• Eric Metaxas.  My cousin-in-law, Martha, told me about him yesterday and has just heard him speak.  He's written a book on Bonhoeffer - a biography, actually.  She really likes him.  Go HERE
• How to keep from "eating too much" today.
• Shouldn't I fold the clothes that need folding and how I don't enjoy housework, but neither do I enjoy a messy house.  hmmmm.  lifelong dilemma.  
• getting back to my new favorite thing - daily crossword puzzle and daily codebreaker at www.thinks.com  
• getting back to my new book King's Cross - see previous post - just scroll down.  I like it. I like it. and I even wonder should us girls do a book study.  It puts us in Mark.  
• getting up and getting a shower
• completing sewing projects which I began right after Christmas.  While they have slowed down, I'm still on them and did move my sewing machine upstairs and made that a very functional sewing area.
• Praying for my daughters and two sons-in-law and my grandchildren and how I want God to prevail in our lives and give us each very very very upfront encounters with Him - I want us to know Him more and more and more and more and deeper and deeper and deeper - I want Him to work out "stuff" in our hearts and minds that must go - Fill us up, fill us up, fill us up - call us - change us - make us - shape us.  I want our eyes on Him and His purpose and His will and His glory.  About Him, not us.  the us includes Charlie and myself.
• How fun it is to watch The Waltons each weeknight at 7:00 on the Inspirational Channel.  That's 74 for us.  My favorite evening entertainment these nights. 
• Other things/friends/family members on my heart and their circumstances - but can't type it here.   

That's all for now.  Need to get up and act on some of those things.

I Am Looking Forward to

Reading This Book!
It came in the mail today.

I'm already reading it and underlining

but in very light pencil and very neatly.

Some of the chapter titles.

I like words.

I like these words.

And I like the way Tim Keller puts words together to explain things.

"Into this seemingly inexhaustible current of words and thought about Jesus,

I gingerly lay this volume.  

It is an extended meditation on the historical Christian premise

that Jesus's life, death, and resurrection form the central event of cosmic and human history as well as the central organizing principle of our own lives.

Said another way,

the whole story of the world - and of how we fit into it -

is most clearly understood through a careful, direct look at the story of Jesus.

My purpose here is to try to show, through his words and actions,

how beautifully his life makes sense of ours."  Tim Keller

"I trust that you will find the figure of Jesus worthy of your attention;

unpredictable yet reliable,

gentle yet powerful,

authoritative yet humble,

human yet divine.

I urge you to seriously consider the significance of his life in your own." Tim Keller

"And if it's true that this world has been created by this triune God, then ultimate reality is a dance."

Tim Keller

" 'What does it matter?' Lewis writes. 'It matters more than anything else in the world.  The whole dance, or drama, or pattern of this three-Personal life is to be played out in each one of us . . . 

[Joy, power, peace, eternal life] are a great fountain of energy and beauty spurting up at the very centre of reality.' " Tim Keller quoting C. S. Lewis

Does it make you want to read it?

I really think I'm going to like it a lot and it's predominantly from the Gospel of Mark and already it has me pulled in.

Oh, and by the way

a month ago I posted about how fast January had gone by and how February would go by just as quickly.

psst! you can click on the purple/red writing if you want to see what I said.

Today is March 1st!  February did go by so quickly.  It was both delightful and hard all at the same time.  Some very hard places in February, but also some good places too.  

Lots of Valentines and Birthdays.

Mary and I walked today from my house, through The Meadows subdivision, and down to County Park and around the trail and back.

Loved it.