My granddaughter's first written out story!

Sir Ben and The Chinese Dragon

Not so long ago in a castle far far away there was a kingdom. But it wasent gust a kingndom it was a city! In that city there was a town. In that town there was a lane. In that lane there was some homes and in one was a king. The king had lotes of knightes but because of all the knightes Sir Ben was one of them, Ben only liked home. One day the king had something to say to Ben. This is what he said. He said, Sir Ben there is a dragon in town and it is a chinese one and I want you to make it go away. O-o-ok wispered Sir Ben. But did you say d-d-d-d-dragon? Yes I did said the king. Ok said Sir Ben. Sir Ben trotted very very quietly into the town and herd a lowd roar! Roar! Roar! Roar! Ben was scared, petrified, and terrified, because he was all on his own! I don't like that dragon wispered Ben. He's scary. Then Ben saw what he was looking for. A big long long chinese dragon was coming towards him. Aaaaah! shouted Ben. Come back! Shouted the dragon. I want to talk to you! You are going to eat me shouted Sir Ben. o, I'm not fired the dragon. All rite I'll play my guitar said Sir Ben gloomely. So as I am going to say said the dragon nowhon likes me. I am to scar for them to even see. Poor dragon said Sir Ben. I bet they don't like you. Yes they relly don't like me said the dragon. When Sir Ben got home he didnd tell the king where the dragon really was but the king gave him a medal enyway. I like my medal said Ben but I like my friend the dragon best! The end.

by Valerie Jane Martin, 6 yrs. old

Jim Elliot letter to Elisabeth Howard, 1948

"Somehow I felt that  'Renunciation' didn't fit my case this week.  Oh, I know that I am called on to hold you very loosely, but this rest of soul I've had about our relationship lately makes even the principle of renunciation a mocking.  I have renounced nothing- I own all- yet possess nothing.  In getting Christ God has left me strangely destitute but profoundly wealthy! Queer, isn't it?  Betty, my dear sister, stop struggling and believe!
The 'confidence' of Phil.1:6 assuages all doubt for me just now - He cannot fail us.  Oh, He may lead us oceans apart (and we can trust Him for that, too, can we not?) but are we so childish (I do not say child-like) as to think a God who would scheme a Jesus-plan would lead poor pilgrims into situations they could not bear?  Dost thou believe that God doth answer prayer, my heart?  Yea,  I  believe. Then will He not most assuredly answer that frequent cry of Thine- 'Lord, lead me'? I cannot explain what I feel, but I am as confident of God's leading as I am of His salvation.  May He not so often have to address us in rebuke,  [a Greek word]   Do I hear you saying , Betty, ' "It's all right for you to speak so, but I'm a woman and not so independent as you?'"
Surely Isa. 54 is not so quickly become invalid! I pray for you that you might indeed find 'joy and peace in believing' (Rom. 15:13) So what if He does make of me my Dad's ideal? [I think his Dad wanted him to be just like Paul]. Does that make God any less precious to you or any less able to do His perfect will in your life?"

“BE STILL and KNOW that I AM GOD.”

I. Stillness—means no activity, quietness, no questions, no doubts, or arguments, no “having to say” something!

a.      Saying Yes to whatever God has put in front of your mind—Psalm 26:2-3 (story of 20 min. last May)

b.      Saying to Him, “I will trust you.” I will wait upon You.”, “I will walk by FAITH, not by sight” Ps. 25:4-6

c.       Is. 30:15-18-returning and REST

II. KNOWING----opposite of “knowledge puffs up”,  Knowing Him brings us to humility

a.      God is my Creator

b.      He is my Deliverer, Captain of my salvation (PS. 25:8-11)

c.       He is my Comforter

d.      He is my Helper

e.      He knows my situation and will do what is best for me!

III. YES IN HIM: Jesus Christ knows and understands everything I am about: II Cor. 1:20-22

a.      He is always my Provider

b.      He always see my needs

c.       He always knows how it will all turn out!

d.      He understands our self-centered and sinful hearts

e.      He has given us everything we need for life and godliness: II Peter 1

f.        He is my wisdom and has all the treasures of knowledge

g.      He will give me understanding and discernment!

h.      He keeps all His promises Ps. 25:14

i.        He gives me Faith- His Spirit puts more faith into my soul/heart after the first commitment, He ADDS more and more faith!

j.        He is my Righteousness!

IN QUIETNESS and in TRUST is your strength. Depend on Him, He is worthy of your attention, love, worship and trust.

letters from my Dad to my mother, 1948

"I am such a great, cumbersome boor to be "dove-driven!" [Holy Spirit] Oh, how delicate are the tuggings of my Beloved, and how calloused my responses.  Above all else I will that He might find in me the travail of his soul and be satisfied.  But this is a hard thing when I speak to you, for somehow, the pleasing Him and the getting you are in conflict.  I don't pretend to explain it; I can only describe what I feel, and that not very adequately.

Since you left it has been as if a film has been over my soul.  My genuine fervor in prayer was gone for two days....too much rubble so that I couldn't get to the building the wall. See Neh. 4:10 for this. Notice, it was not the outward opposers that hindered the work so much as the inward clutter.  Not "destruction" from outside forced so much as "decay" within......Are we willing to build with a trowel in one hand while our other hand grasps the sword?  The building (God's work) must go on, and if there is to be battle as we build, very well, let us strengthen the "lower places" v. 13.  And I say to you the words of Nehemiah to the nobles.  "The work is great...we are separated...God shall fight for us."

But how shall I praise the Lord for removing the film this very morning?  Confession is good for the soul; it was imperative for mine this morning.  I cast it all upon him and John's truth about "cleansing from all sin" was very precious.  Oh, how He sweetly "preached peace" to one that was far off Eph. 2:13, 17.  And Heb. 10:16-22 lived afresh.  What a power is in that word!  Nearness was the theme of my song and the thots seem well expressed in 136, Little Flock [Plymouth Brethren hymnal].

How to Make a Good Home Office Great

How to Make a Good Home Office Great

very good idea/tip we probably all should do

Put your car keys beside your bed at night.
> 
> Tell your spouse, your children, your neighbors, your parents, your Dr's office, the check-out girl at the market, everyone you run across. Put your car keys beside your bed at night.
> 
> If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get in your house, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car battery dies.
> 
> This tip came from a neighborhood watch coordinator. Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think of this: It's a security alarm system that you probably already have and requires no installation. Test it. It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key fob chain. It works if you park in your driveway or garage.
> 
> If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break into your house, odds are the burglar/rapist won't stick around. After a few seconds, all the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out there and sure enough the criminal won't want that. And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there. This is something that should really be shared with everyone. Maybe it could save a life or a sexual abuse crime.
> 
> P.S. I am sending this to everyone I know because I think it is fantastic. Would also be useful for any emergency, such as a heart attack, where you can't reach a phone. My Mom has suggested to my Dad that he carry his car keys with him in case he falls outside and she doesn't hear him..... He can activate the car alarm and then she'll know there's a problem.
> 
> Please pass this on even IF you've read it before. It's a reminder.

Ruth Myers' prayer

Ruth Myers wrote several books, and the one I was most helped by is the The 31 Days of Praise.  She has gone on to be with the Lord, but I am so thankful that someone this Christmas sent this prayer in their Christmas card and I have truly been blessed by it.  It covers everything, and when I don't know how to pray, this helps me to focus on the essentials.  May it bless you too!


Lord, I'm YOURS. Whatever the cost may be, may Your will be done in my life.  I realize I'm not here on earth to do my own thing, or to seek my own fulfillment or my own glory.  I'm not here to indulge my desires, to increase my possessions, to impress people, to be popular, to prove I'm somebody important, or to promote myself.  I'm not here even to  be relevant or successful by human standards.  I'm here to please YOU. 


I offer myself to You, for You are worthy.  All that I am or hope to be, I owe to You.  I'm Yours by creation, and every day I  receive from you life and breath and all things.  And I'm Yours because You bought me, and the price you paid was the precious blood of Christ.  you alone, the Triune God, are worthy to be my Lord and Master.  I yield to You, my gracious and glorious heavenly Father; to the Lord Jesus who loved me and gave himself for me; to the Holy Spirit and His gracious influence and empowering.


All that I am and all that I have I give to You.  I give You my rebellion in me, that resists doing Your will.  I give You my pride and self-dependence, that tell me I can do Your will in my own power if I try hard enough.  I give you my fears, that tell me I'll never be able to do Your will in some areas of my life.  I consent to let You energize me...to create within me, moment by moment, both the desire and the power to do You will.


I give you my body and each of its members...my entire inner being; my mind, my emotional life, my will...my loved ones...my marriage or my hopes for marriage...my abilities and gifts...my strengths and weaknesses...my health...my status (high or low)...my possessions...my past, my present, and my future...when and how I'll go Home.  


I'm here to love You, to obey You, to glorify You, my Beloved, may I be a joy to YOU!  Amen.

from David Jeremiah, and my thoughts

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Tuesday, November 29 Pray Boldly Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16 Recommended Reading Matthew 6:5-8 Telephone calls used to be routed by operators, manually connecting circuits at a switchboard--plugging and unplugging wires all day long to keep conversations going. Today, think how many millions of calls are handled by computerized routers every second of the day. Better yet, imagine how many countless prayer "calls" God receives every moment from all over the world. Listen to Today's Radio Message It would be easy to be dissuaded from praying by thinking of our individual prayer requests getting lost amidst the millions God hears. Yet we are exhorted to "let [our] requests be made known to God" (Philippians 4:6), and to do so boldly (Hebrews 4:16). King David did (countless times in Psalms), and so did the apostle Paul--the same request three different times! (2 Corinthians 12:7-8) They didn't feel bad or guilty for continually asking God for help, nor should we. In fact, not to pray is to portray God as less than He is--a generous Father (Luke 11:11-13). If you are in a stressful place today, stop now and tell God. Because ultimately He is the answer to our prayers, meeting with Him is the beginning of your answer. Anxiety and prayer are more opposed to each other than fire and water. J. A. Bengel  I said something about worrying to my husband this morning, reminding him that he often  tells me not to worry.  His reply was "what's good for the goose is not necessarily good for the gander!" Then said, which is the male?"  I  replied, "the gander." I smiled...he pretended to make an excuse...then we  had to laugh.  How true it is that anxiety and prayer are more opposed to each other than fire and water. How amazing it is that God WANTS to take care of all that we worry about, and yet, we continue to ignore that truth, thinking that we have to worry about certain things- especially our children!  How tender of the Lord to work in ways we don't see, but as time goes by, we realize that His way is always best, and when we wait on Him and TRUST in Him, He will perform the work necessary in HIS time.   I am so thankful to belong to Him, be in His kingdom, and to rely on His infinite wisdom because I know I don't have any without asking Him for it! h

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short article from my mother about Corrie Ten Boom

The following is written by Elisabeth Elliot -

 Corrie ten Boom came to Gordon College here in Massachusetts many years ago. When I saw the advertisement, you can be sure that I rushed out to make sure I got a ticket for the banquet that they were going to have and then to hear her speak. She was all that I was longing to see. I had seen THE HIDING PLACE, but I was longing to see her in person. It was not the only opportunity that I had. There were some other opportunities after that.

But on that particular occasion, to my utter astonishment she invited my daughter and me to come and visit her during the following week. She was staying with a family in Boston. So of course we accepted the invitation. We arrived at the door and her assistant, a young woman who was acting as sort of a secretary and also the woman who traveled with her all over the world, met us at the door. She said, "Corrie is in bed upstairs. She's not ill, but the doctor has said that she must take one day out of every seven and spend it in bed, if she insists on tramping for the Lord all over the world. So this happens to be her day of rest."

So the lady escorted us up the stairs into the bedroom. There was Corrie in the bed in purple silk pajamas. She greeted us with such warmth and enthusiasm. Then she had her secretary bring in some tea. We sat and had a lovely time.

In the middle of the time, Corrie suddenly jumped out of bed, walked across the room, opened her suitcase and took out of the suitcase a square of satin with what looked like a totally meaningless jumble of threads, which she held up for us to look at. She said, "Now look at this jumble of threads. It doesn't seem to have any meaning to it whatsoever."

But then she turned it to the other side. On the other side was a beautiful embroidery depicting a golden crown. Then she repeated for us the lovely words by Grant Colfax Tullar.

"My life is but a weaving betwixt my God and me;

I do not choose the colors He worketh steadily.

Oft times He weaveth sorrow, and I in foolish pride

Forget He sees the upper, and I the underside.

Not till the loom is silent and the shuttles cease to fly

Will God unfold the pattern and explain the reason why.

For the dark threads are as needful in the Weaver's skillful hand

As the threads of gold and silver in the pattern He has planned."

gratitude for my mother!

http://www.epm.org/static/uploads/images/ElizabethWithValerie.jpg
I think I was the happiest child on earth from 1956 to 1963.  I lived in the jungle, had lots of Indian friends, and a mother who loved me and taught me about God's love and care.  We went to bed by 6:30 every night (that's when it got dark) and were up by 6 every morning.

All I had to do was eat, sleep, play, and obey my mother!  She was very worthy of my respect and love.  She spoke the truth to me, clearly, and spoke no vain words.  She meant everything she said, and she was kind and affectionate with me. She sang to me, "The Lord is my Shepherd," "Jesus, Tender Shepherd hear me," "He Leadeth me, O Blessed Thought," "Jesus, the very Thought of Thee,"  and "Beneath the Cross of Jesus."  She prayed with me, lovely, simple prayers, of thanksgiving and trust.  I will be forever grateful to my Father in heaven for her, and to my own father, who asked her to marry him!