Watch This to the End :?)

Just a Proud Mama! :?)
The Patagonia Santa Monica store hosted an art show featuring the work of the artists who design our T-shirt graphics. Contributing artists: Kitty Botke, Jeremy Collins, Chris Del Moro, Peter McBride, Nikki McClure, Geoff McFetridge, Jason Munn, Jason Stowell.

Coffee Alley

The warm weather keeps teasing me. I keep thinking I get to have my morning coffee out in the arbor! However, it will be several weeks before my coffee alley will look like this!However, Gary and I have gotten to have dinner out in the arbor on warm evenings!
I am sure enjoying it!

If Jesus Came To Your House

Something at church today triggered my thoughts to this poem. It was written many years ago by my Aunt Lois. I am not sure what year she wrote the poem, but the book I have it in was published in 1956. There are many other poems written by her in the book that are outstanding.

This one was found by someone who put it to a song and it became popular because of the song.

If Jesus Came To Your House

If Jesus came to your house to spend a day or two,

If He came unexpectedly,I wonder what you'd do.

Oh, I know you'd give your nicest room to such an honored Guest,

And all the food you'd serve to Him would be the very best,
And you would keep assuring Him you're glad to have Him there-

That serving Him in your own home is joy beyond compare.

But- when you saw Him coming,would you meet Him at the door

With arms outstretched in welcome to your heavenly Visitor?
Or would you have to change some things before you let Him in,

Like- hide some magazines and put the Bible where they'd been?

Or turn off the radio and hope He hadn't heard,

And wish you hadn't uttered that last, loud, hasty word?
Would you hide your worldly music and put some hymn books out?

Could you let Jesus walk right in,or would you rush about?

And I wonder- if the Savior spent a day or two with you,

Would you go right on doing the things you always do?
Would you go right on saying the things you always say?

Would life for you continueas it does from day to day?

Would your family conversation keep up its usual pace,

And would you find it hard each meal to say a table grace?
Would you sing the songs you always sing,and read the books you read

And let Him know the things on which your mind and spirit feed?

Would you take Jesus with you everywhere you'd planned to go,

Or would you maybe change your plans for just a day or so?
Would you be glad to have Him meet your very closest friends,

Or would you hope they'd stay away until His visit ends?

Would you be glad to have Him stay forever on and on

Or would you sigh with great relief when He at last was gone?
It might be interesting to know the things that you would do

If Jesus Christ in person came to spend some time with you.

© Lois Blanchard Eades

Fun Project

A few years ago Gary and I found a cute set to have outside on our decks. We ended out buying two sets from Hobby Lobby.After a few years the plastic has been "popping" when we sit on the chairs. This one looks a lot better than the other three did before I took my hands to them!
I tried weaving macrame yarn on the chair. I am not totally pleased with the outcome, but it is just my first one! :?)
Three more to go!!!!!! :?)

The Lords Prayer

http://community.webshots.com/album/563207728Iopqev?vhost=community

Mom Preaching

90 years old and still preaching

(with my oldest brother by her side)

Four of the five siblings got to be here and we sang a quartet

En Las Luchas Y En Las Pruebas

Celebrating A Lifetime of Ministry

Sunday will be a day of great celebration!

Rev. Larry & Dr. Eunice Bryant

Our church is celebrating the many years my parents have been in ministry. Mom will turn 90 on April 3rd. Dad turned 95 back in December.
Mom will be preaching next Sunday during the morning service.

I am so very proud of my parents! They have been wonderful examples of living a life in Christ!

Art Show

Today my Jeremy has an art show in Santa Monica, CA. I am praying it will go well for him. The show is at Patagonia I took this at a show he had the day before he shipped this to CA. This piece is "gynormous". I sure hope someone buys it!

This is probably my favorite of all his work but I don't think it is one he has in CA.

I AM PROUD OF YOU, JEREMY! :?)

www.jercollins.com

Too Good To Be Left Under The Bed

Intro to yet another one of my blogs!
www.virb.com/rejoicewithjoyce

After some recent communications I have felt led to share some notes of my life while parenting a prodigal. Some of the prayers you read here were copied from books passed on to others long ago. If you authored any parts of these prayers please forgive me for not acknowledging you. I have no idea where I got them from!Some of what I will have on here will be notes from "sermons" I gave after the death of our son.My prayer is that these prayers and stories will be used to encourage parents who are in the throes of parenting prodigal children.Our son was killed in an accident ten years ago and we have created a site to commemorate that time at www.myspace.com/bryanscommemoration

Life Went On

So, I discovered that giving up blogging was definitely a good choice for fasting for Lent!

Though I did have a wonderful time in The Word, and listening to sermons, and reading books I found I really missed knowing what was going on in your lives!

There were several things that happened in my life that I wanted to blog about. Of course as I try to pull those thoughts up now I am wondering what those were!:?)

I went to the Passion For Jesus conference at IHOP. I was blessed through the whole thing. It was good to have a friend with me this time...and Gary joined up for part of it. I believe my favorite sermon was by Allen Hood. It was one of the best sermons I have ever heard on the cross. I have actually read over the notes a few times and re-listened to the sermon since coming home! It was good to have that during Holy Week.

Some of you have made changes in your lives during this time and it feels like I was actually out of the country and life moved on without me! I remember when Jonathan tried to tell me about blogging and I thought I would never get it and do that. Now, I just thank God that He gave the brains to someone to come up with this wonderful tool through which His people can bless one another!

Blessings on all of you!

I Am Back

He has risen! Jesus is alive!

Signing Off For Lent

***

For Lent I am fasting all my blogging! No Blogspot, MySpace or Facebook. May you experience me reflecting more of God when I come back at Easter!

Blessings on my readers during these very special days!

*****

Lent Is Right Around the Corner

I have posted this before, but it is time to post it again. Jonathan sent this e-mail out in 2005.


I heard a sermon on a CD recently that has challenged me to a new idea for reading scripture that I'm going to try out this month. If you read ten chapters a day, six days of the week, you will complete the New Testament in one month. It didn't talk about this, but also if you do the same with the Old Tesament, skipping Psalms, you can complete it in 3 months. I am attempting to do both, ten in each, everyday for the next three months. I am emailing you to see if you would join me in at least the NT part. Doing both ends out taking quite a chunk of your morning. If you don't have a job, don't have any friends, and don't have anything to do except train, eat, and rest, then I'd ask you to join me with the OT as well. (He had just moved to Bend, OR when he wrote this!) I have yet to find any type of consistent community up here to be accountable to, to feel a part of, etc. It would be great to have friends back home joining me in this. But don't do it for me, or you'll end up hating me every morning. If you are already in the middle of something fruitful, by all means don't stop. But if you're struggling to be in the Word, or aren't in it at all, this is a great game plan and a great time to start it. Please reply and tell me whether you can/can't, will/won't. I know it is a little late notice to start for February, but who cares. Finish march 2nd. I sent this to people I'm close to that I thought might actually do it. If you want to send this to more friends/family, go ahead. Maybe it will spread and the whole country will be reading the Bible :) -Jonathan

***

So Jonathan, Mom takes the liberty to send your challenge out one more time! It is great to do this during the Lent season.

The Zion File Is Up and Running!

The computer got fixed and now we get to see lots of pictures of our darling grandson! www.thezionfile.blogspot.com

Commemoration

I have felt a need to do something special as we approach the 10 year mark since our Bryan went home to be with God.

I have decided to open a MySpace in commemoration of Bryan. Though I have not finished his page I am inviting you to go ahead and see the slide-show that is there now.

If you have a MySpace we would love to have you on there as a friend. If you do not have a MySpace you will not be able to add comments. You can click on "send message" and I can copy and paste comments.


www.myspace.com/bryanscommemoration

Beauty

I am always on the lookout for beautiful scenic pictures! I found this on Flickr. This is what I would like to see today instead of the dreary gray day we have here! http://flickr.com/photos/steinliland/

This guy has some of the most beautiful pictures!

Heavy Heart

It is rainy and dreary out today.

I am not working today so I chose to clean out a couple of drawers. I came across something I have not seen for a while and I have allowed it to make my heart heavy.

That is OK once in a while. The 28th of this month will be the 10th anniversary since we lost our Bryan. What I came across was his mohawk green hair that he finally cut off and had kept! That thing caused so many fights between him and I! Funny how now I cherish having that! Funny how I hated his tattoos but get jealous when someone shows me a tattoo by Bryan on them! (No, don't worry I have no intentions of getting a tattoo- I was just surprised when I first experienced that reaction)

Poor little guy, he had such a free spirit and I had such a legalistic way of looking and dealing with things. I sure gave him a hard time!

I think I am a better Mom now...probably from learning a lot from experiencing the death of a child. I sure wish Bryan could experience my motherhood now! :?)

My Precious Heavenly Father,

What a wonderful plan this is You have of family! You entrust us with children. I thank-You for the children You gave to us. I made many mistakes, but I did a lot of things right, with Your guidance and Wisdom.

I know You tell us in Your Word that we are not to communicate with the dead,

So, I just ask that you tell my Bryan how much I love him and how much I miss him!

Oh, Oh...I must put away the crochet hooks and knitting needles!

A few weeks ago Jonathan loaned a book to me. I knew there was not any way I could read it before Christmas and accomplish all I needed to get done for Christmas. I finished my needle work projects before I started the book today! I can't believe I am actually taking the time to blog about it because I would rather be reading!
However, I thought I would give you a taste as to why I know I won't be touching any needle work until I finish this novel.
The author had a dream/vision and is writing about it!

"The demonic army was so large that it stretched as far as I could see. It was separated into divisions, with each carrying a different banner. The foremost divisions marched under the banners of Pride, Self-Righteousness, Respectability, Selfish Ambition, Unrighteous Judgement and Jealousy. There were many more of these evil divisions beyond my scope of vision, but those in the vanguard of this terrible horde from hell seemed to be the most powerful. The leader of this army was the Accuser of the Brethren himself.
The weapons carried by this horde were also named. The swords were named Intimidation: the spears were named Treachery: and the arrows were named Accusation, Gossip, Slander, and Faultfinding. Scouts and smaller companies of demons with such names as Rejection, Bitterness, Impatience, Unforgiveness, and Lust were sent in advance of this army to prepare for the main attack.
These smaller companies and scouts were much fewer in number, but they were no less powerful than some of the larger divisions that followed. They were smaller only for strategic reasons. Just as John the Baptist was given an extraordinary anointing for baptizing the masses to prepare them for the Lord, these smaller demonic companies were given extraordinary evil powers for "baptizing the masses."
A single demon of Bitterness could sow his poison into multitudes of people, even entire races or cultures. A demon of Lust would attach himself to a single performer, movie, or advertisement and send what appeared to be bolts of electric slime that would hit and "desensitize" great masses of people. All of this was to prepare for the great horde of evil which followed.
Although this army was marching specifically against the church, it also was attacking anyone else that it could. I knew it was seeking to preempt a coming move of God, which was destined to sweep great numbers of people into the church.
The primary strategy of this army was to cause division on every possible level of relationship-churches with each other, congregations with their pastors, husbands and wives, children and parents, and even children with each other. The scouts were sent to locate the openings in churches, families, or individuals that such spirits as Rejection, Bitterness, and Lust could exploit and enlarge. Through these openings would pour demonic influences that completely overwhelmed their victims.
The most shocking part of this vision was that this horde was not riding on horses, but primarily on Christians! Most of them were well-dressed, respectable, and had the appearance of being refined and educated, but there also seemed to be Representatives from almost every walk of life. While these people professed Christian truths in order to appease their consciences, they lived their lives in agreement with the power of darkness. As they agreed with those powers, their assigned demons grew and more easily directed their actions.
Many of these believers were host to more than one demon, but one of the demons would clearly be in charge. The nature of the one in charge dictated which division it was marching in. Even though the divisions were all marching together, it also seemed that the entire army was on the verge of chaos. For example, the demons of Hate hated the other demons as much as they did the Christians. The demons of Jealousy were all jealous of one another."

OK, that is more than enough. Does it entice you to read as well? :?)
Currently reading : The Final Quest By Rick Joyner Release date: 31 January, 2006

Let's Hear it for College Roommies!

Recently I have had the joy of reconnecting with my roommates from Mount Vernon Nazarene
It has been fun remembering all the funny things we did....like buying matching "maxi" dresses and shopping together to get matching spreads.

I was at work in the bookstore when this picture was taken! As you can tell we had fun with these dresses!

I took this picture AFTER we went to bed in the dark! :?)

Rose Garden

A few months back I crocheted a blanket for a baby girl. Her 5 year old sister commented that she too wanted a blanket. I made her this Rose Garden!

The colors turned out a very unique afghan!