Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.





He makes me lie down in green pastures,





he leads me beside quiet waters,





he restores my soul.





He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.





Even though I walk trough the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,





For you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.





You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.





Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,





And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.




~Psalm 23

Hugs & Blessings,

Izori

Merry Christmas

O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie;
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by:
Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.

A stable isn't the most sanitary place to have a baby.

A feeding bin--cold and covered with animal slobber--doesn't make the best crib.

Shepherds were the only ones who came to welcome Christ. Not the cute little children with the clean lambs and smiling, adorable faces. These shepherds were like today's garbage men--rough and dirty.

All around, life milled in the crowded city. Pickpockets wove in and out of the crowd. Blindly, everyone went on, not knowing that if they could have only stopped to peek into a dirty stable, they would have seen a miracle that the world had never seen before.

But that's who Christ came to save. The blind, the selfish, the doomed for death.

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.--Isaiah 9:2

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.--Isaiah 9:6

Have a blessed and merry Christmas!

Izori

When things don't seem to be going our way...

...all you can do is get down on your knees and pray.

God never said this life would be easy. The road's straight and narrow, and sometimes it's really lonely. Sometimes you have to wonder if maybe you're on the wrong road. Everyone feels that way at least once in their lives.

It's not easy, watching everyone sprint past you to earthly life's best pleasures on a road that seem so easy. There are so many people following the 'easy road' that it's hard not to think that so many people can be wrong.

And then you just kind of reach a point where the path seems to be crumbling underneath your feet. Echoes of Psalm 23 bounce in your head, but not the part about green pastures and quiet waters--more about the valley of the shadow of death.

I have two prayer requests, and the first is for my blogging friend, Emily. You may remember her: the same Emily who had leukemia, who we've been praying for so hard for such a long time. It seemed like things were going great, but now she's back in the hospital with a headache that's growing worse. You can read her latest update HERE.

Then there's Laurea's thirteen year old cousin, Joe. He's just been diagnosed with cancer...again. Please pray for Joe.

...yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me...

Psalm 23:4

Summer

Yesterday we (Mom, Erestor, Luthien, and I) biked all the way up to Chick-fil-A. All the way up along a busy road with the sun pouring down on us. No shade. Sweating all over the place. My arms are now salmon pink. The perfect summer memory!

What do you associate with summer? Languid. Hazy. Golden. Freedom. Fireflies. Watermelon. Laughter. Sweat. Misty mornings. Fresh sunrises and glorious sunsets. Stars. Swimming. Lemonade. Wind. The creek. Friends. Walks in the evenings. Peaches. Brown, parched yards. The Farmer's Market. Picnics. Fireworks. Blackberries. Blueberries. Frozen treats. Pickle ice cream. Boating. Fishing. Grilling. Cold showers. Family.

And then you snap your finger, and it's all gone.

What have y'all been doing for your summer? Have you smiled at someone who needed it? Made a new friend? Gone on a mission trip? Gotten to know God better? Composed a song? Did something for someone else? Improved your swimming? Taught someone something? Gotten in shape?

I've found a new favorite Bible verse:

The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. Romans 16:20

Don't you love it? It's so punchy, and I love the paradox. Our God is a God of peace, but woe betide anyone who hurts his children!

I've also found a new favorite boys name. Shaun. It means 'God's Grace'.

Today, we're going blackberry picking with a friend's family.

I hope y'all are having a memorable summer! Enjoy what's left of it, and spend it in a way you won't regret when it's all over.

Hugs & Blessings,

Izori