Let God's Goodness Reign in Your Hearts!

Praise the Lord!

Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,

    who greatly delights in his commandments!

(Psalm 112:1)

We find freedom and joy as we find delight in God's WORD embracing His goodness no matter what season or trial we face. His steadfast love and care is unchanging. His silence is not an absence. His amazing grace is our salvation!  The harsh realities of this world points us to the Sovereign Savior and the coming Kingdom!  

 May FAITH be awakened and renewed in our souls. 

May we be found faithful and true delighting daily in JESUS the CHRIST - the Word made flesh -  during the many seasons we venture through. 

There is a time for everything.

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

a time to be born, and a time to die;

a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;

a time to kill, and a time to heal;

a time to break down, and a time to build up;

a time to weep, and a time to laugh;

a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;

a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

a time to seek, and a time to lose;

a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

a time to tear, and a time to sew;

a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

a time to love, and a time to hate;

a time for war, and a time for peace.

What gain has the worker from his toil? I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, He has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. 

I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God's gift to man.

I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him.  (Ecclesiastes 3)

Do not grow weary in doing good…
Cast your cares upon the LORD for He cares for you.
He sees, He hears, He rescues the poor, needy and oppressed.
TRUST His Goodness.
He makes everything beautiful in its time.

Put on garments of Holiness

beautiful and glorious

for the KING of KINGS is preparing to 

                                                     Return for HIS People...

My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast!
I will sing and make melody!

Awake, my glory!

Awake, O harp and lyre!

I will awake the dawn!

I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
    I will sing praises to you among the nations.

For your steadfast love is great to the heavens,
    your faithfulness to the clouds.

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
    Let your glory be over all the earth!

Psalm 57:7-11 & Psalm 108

Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power in holy garments;
from the womb of the morning, the dew of your youth will be yours.

Psalm 110:3 (KJV, ESV)

Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.

2 Shake thyself from the dust; ARISE, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.

3 For thus saith the Lord, Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money.

4 For thus saith the Lord God, My people went down for a time into Egypt to sojourn there; and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause.

5 Now therefore, what have I here, saith the Lord, that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them make them to howl, saith the Lord; and my name continually every day is blasphemed.

6 Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I.

7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!

8 Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion.

9 Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem.

10 The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.

Isaiah 52:1-10

Am I prepared and ready for that great day?  

Am I walking in the holiness of the LORD living for His Kingdom? Or do I look more like the world consumed, distracted, blinded by this present age?  

• As a god-fearing person, what makes me different?  Am I different in the way I start my day? Am I different in the way that I drive to work?  Am I different in the way that I speak to my peers, co-workers, spouse, children, strangers? To the loveable and the unlovable?  Am I different in the way I spend my money & use my resources?  Am I different in the way I spend my vacation? Am I different in my hobbies or kids hobbies?  Am I different in the way I use my gifts and talents?  Am I different when I eat lunch?  Drive home?  When I enter my home to bring the weight of the world in or the joy of the LORD? Do my kids see the example of Christ in me?  Do they hear HIS words or words of the world?  Do they see HIS love or control and pride?  Do our kids see a clear picture of the followship of Christ and the church displayed in our home interactions?  Is Christ’s WORD revered and honored in the home?  Are the joys of the scriptures read around the dinner table and imprinted in the hearts of the next generation?  How do we go to bed different?  Do we put our children to bed with the word and ways of God? Do we bow down beside our own beds and thank HIM for another day, Praise Him for His glory, and surrender our wills?  How are we different?

Am I Walking in His Spirit & Power OR

 Am I walking in my own strength & desire? 

Repent and Return to the LORD all you His peoples! 

Turn your eyes upon Jesus, the author, sustainer, and perfecter of your faith.  

Walk in darkness no more, you fool! Why would you return to your vomit? 

Put off sins! (Hebrews 12:1-2) Cast down the idols!  Burn them with fire! Remove anything that causes your foot to stumble. Run from temptation and flee from evil!  

Why would you return to your ways of old walking as you did in your days of ignorance?  

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked. You reap what you sow. Galatians 6:7

" put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness." 

Ephesians 4:22-24

                                                       Where are you compromising? 

Search me, O God, and know my heart!
    Try me and know my thoughts!

And see if there be any grievous way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting! 

Psalm 139:23-24

THANKFUL 

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies new come to an end; they are new every morning; GREAT is your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23

Today is another new day! It’s a new day to REMEMBER and to CELEBRATE the GOODNESS OF GOD. No matter the situation we have the Hope of glory and the Kingdom that is coming. “Earth has no sorrow that Heaven can’t heal.”  In the meantime, we stand on His promises - His steadfast love endures forever, His mercies are new every morning, and Great is His faithfulness! 

This below song is an oldie but goodie! It’s been going through my mind all week. ENJOY and go ahead and do a wild dance for the KING!   

I will Not Forget You

by Waterdeep

Many men will drink the rain

And turn to thank the clouds

Many men will hear You speak

But they will never turn around

I will not forget You are my God, my King

And with a thankful heart I bring my offering

And my sacrifice is not what You can give

But what I alone can give to you

A grateful heart I give, A thankful prayer I pray,

A wild dance I dance before you

A loud song I sing, A huge bell I ring,

A life of praise I live before You

 Many men will pour their gold

And serve a thing that shines

Many men will read your words

But they will never change their minds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_y1K00ri_LE

Merry Christmas 2013 from our family to yours!

-The Arthurs <><

Lift up your eyes to the giver of Life - A Tuesday Morning Prayer

I woke up this morning with these lyrics going through my mind. I decided to start my day off by listening to the song. May you be encouraged. Take a moment to STOP. Be still. Listen. Lift up your eyes and hands to the giver of life.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ - by grace you have been saved - and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:4-10

"...We lift up our eyes

YOU ARE the giver of LIFE

YOU ALONE can rescue

YOU ALONE can save

YOU ALONE can lift us from the grave

YOU CAME DOWN to find us

Led us out of death

TO YOU ALONE belongs the highest praise"

lyrics from Matt Redman's "You Alone Can Rescue

A Tuesday morning prayer:

Father in Heaven,
Thank you for waking us up today. You alone are worthy of our praise and adoration. Forgive us Lord for all of our idols - all that we put before you, all that consumes us distracting us from the abundant life you have for us. Reveal to us and help us to cast down those idols. We need you LORD. Show us and help us to forgive those who wrong us.  Make us humble, faithful, and true.

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgements and how inscrutable his ways! "For who has known the mind of the LORD, or who has been his counselor? Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?" 


For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen 
Romans 11:33-36

Another year goes by...

Once again we had some great family time in NOVA for the holidays. A favorite memory was visiting Government Island historical park in Stafford.

"Government Island is an historic 18th and 19th century quarry site that provided Aquia sandstone for the construction of the White House and the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C." (from web site) These cousins always have such a blast together!

Back home the kids are enjoying their camouflage! (Thanks Mamaw Vickie for the outdoor camo..and to my parents for the Army Camo! They eat, sleep, and live in it!)

Happy New Year from us to you!

A lot has happened in the last month. We enjoyed many Christmas festivities here in Savannah with loved ones and then were able to make a trip up to VA to visit family on Christmas day for a week. We arrived home to bring in the new year! We are not sure where we will be bringing in the new year next year , but hope to hear soon.

Our kids (and ours!) verse of the week:

In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus" 1 Thes. 5:18

With in the week...

Last week a home in our neighborhood burned to the ground. The family of 9 were all safe thankfully, though they lost everything including their family dog. The community has really rallied around them. It is very sad, though we are thankful that no one was hurt! Keeping this family and the many others who have had tragic losses already this month in our prayers. It was interesting, the day this fire happened I had a moment in my own home. I was cleaning the kitchen when I briefly stopped to look around our home. I wondered, what would we do if a fire came and we lost everything? I looked around our nice cozy home and thanked God for the many blessings. Then prayed for the strength and mind set to hold loosely to stuff and to be good steward of our resources.

On a much lighter note, we are excited and hope David Isaac gets his cast off tomorrow. Though having a broken arm has been frustrating for him at times, he has been amazing rarely complaining. There has been some good learning factors as well. He has had to slow down a bit and notices others easier who have similar pains. Though I don't know how many times David and I have told him, "Stop Isaac! Slow down! Do you want to break your other arm?!" We also have to watch him like a hawk b/c he still tries to swing and climb with the broken arm! BOYS i tell you! This is the latest cast, hopefully to be removed tomorrow! At a park in Savannah this week waiting to pick up Isaac from school. We will miss the beautiful Spanish Moss trees when we move.

We are enjoying the season! Each day the kids wake up excited for their chocolate calendars that Grandmama got them for an early Christmas gift. They are counting down the days to the grand celebration of the greatest gift in human history...the birth of our Savior.

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that He gave His only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not die but have eternal life.