There's No Place Like Home

On a cold winter's night, I love to snuggle under the soft comforter on my bed. I slowly drift off to sleep cocooned in warmth.

A few weeks ago, I felt a similar comfort from an unusual source, II Chronicles 3:10-13.

This Scripture passage talks about King Solomon building the temple. God's Word says: "In the Most Holy Place he made two cherubim, fashioned by carving, and overlaid with gold. The wings of the cherubim were twenty cubits in overall length: one wing of the cherub was five cubits, touching the wall of the room, and the other wing was five cubits, touching the wing of the other cherub... The wings of these cherubim spanned twenty cubits overall. They stood on their feet, and they faced inward."

So, you might ask, how is that comforting?

If you read back a few verses, you'll discover the size of the private innermost chamber of the temple, the Holy of Holies. It's length was twenty cubits, (A cubit is a unit of linear measure, from the elbow to the tip of the longest finger of a man. This unit is commonly converted to 0.46 meters or 18 inches.), and its width was also twenty cubits. The wings on these carved cherubim spanned the room. The angels faced inward forming something like a covering, surrounding the Ark of the Covenant - the mercy seat of Christ.

Encompassing... all encompassing. That's our God. That's His love for us!

As I thought about The Most Holy Place, I was struck once again with the incredible love God has for mankind that He would give His life for us. For those who trust Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, God surrounds us with His glory, protecting us; comforting us, yes even in times of trouble. Because of Jesus, we have access into the Most Holy Place!

Rest in Jesus today. Let His love and mercy enfold you like a warm blanket on a cold winter's night. There's no place like home!

Live the adventure,

Susan

In case you all are wondering, "Is this the Adventurous Living blogsite?"

My answer to you is, "Yes!" (Amrita, you're probably thinking I'm nuts by now - LOL!)

Please, be patient with me as I explore new looks for my blog. It's kind of like wearing jewelry for this adventurous gal. I love to coordinate my jewelry style with different clothing choices. And I'm discovering that blogger templates are like online jewelry. (Smile) Who knows, maybe one day I'll go custom!

With that in mind, you never know what new look you'll find here at Adventurous Living. Chalk it up to the unexpected...

Live the adventure,
Susan

"Oh God, You have taught me from my youth;

And to this day I declare Your wonderous works."

Psalm 71:17

Veggie Victory

You know those moments as a parent where you just want to yell, "Hurray!"

I had one the other night. In the continuing saga of my six-year-old's veggie wars, I, his ever loving mom, who wants to make sure my son has more than chicken nuggets fueling his little body, am documenting this small veggie victory for posterity.

Come, sit down at our dinner table for one evening and get a taste of what transpires.

Joel: (whimpering while staring at his plate) I'm going to regret this...

Mom: (smiles) Joel, you have to eat one bite of your peas.

Joel: (waving his hands in a panic) I'm out of juice!

For any of you entering our saga for the first time, juice is the magic elixir that makes the veggies slide down.

Mom: I'll get you more juice.

Joel: (whining) Don't you remember, peas are torture for me?

Mom: Here's your juice.

Joel: (Joel gulps down a few peas.)

Mom: (smiles while reflecting on our previous carrot caper that lasted for 30 minutes instead of 3 minutes like our pea adventure) Joel, you did a good job eating your peas buddy.

Joel: (nods his head) Peas get cold fast. I just ate the two hot ones.

Well, what can this Mommy say but, "One small spoonful of peas for child, One giant leap for motherkind. And lets not forget, a step in the right direction towards Ephesians 6:1."

Live the adventure,
Susan

P.S. Please pray for me and my family. We will be traveling to Maryland where I will be giving my keynote speech, Living the Adventurous Life, at a women's breakfast at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Bel Air. Since I've been writing longer than I've been speaking, I especially ask that you pray for my heart to be calm and that I might present the Gospel clearly. Thank you my friends and prayer warriors!

I'm Not Ashamed & Blogging With A Purpose Awards

Thank you dear blogging friends!

Over the Christmas and New Year Holidays, I received two blogging awards. It's taken me a little while to post about this, but hey, it's still Christmas around our house. (I still have to undecorate my tree and put decorations away this week -[smile]. Can anyone out there sympathize with me?)

First to dear Nedra at Ink Recitals, for giving me the I'm Not Ashamed Award from the Shameless Lion Writers Circle: A roar for powerful words.

Nedra said, "Susan and I are both preachers' kids and she has been a thoughtful reader and commenter throughout our entire blog interaction. Her writing is honest...balanced. I believe I could learn a thing or twenty from every one of her posts, so I continue to read her. Her story is so powerful, I have to care about her."

My second thank you is to Barbara at Ramblings from an English Garden. She has given me the Blogging With A Purpose Award.

Barbara said, "Susan is a writer and speaker and uses her blog to share her faith."

I am humbled to accept these awards from two incredible ladies from two different parts of the world. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Receiving these two awards reminds me of the motto of a Christian camp we vacation at during the summer months: "Vacation with a purpose."

Life is an adventure and by God's grace I intend to live every moment of it on purpose proclaming God's goodness and grace!

At church today, (our church sings a mix of hymns and contemporary choruses), we sang an old chorus called "This is the Day." This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it. We have a reason to be glad every day because God has made the day. His compassions are new every morning! Jesus gives us a reason to live!

I'll shout it from the rooftop... God is good in the good times, the bad times, and every time in between! Praise the Lord!

Live the adventure,
Susan

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." Romans 1:16

Hidden Treasure

"My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you, So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding; Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding, If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will understand the fear of the LORD, And find the knowledge of God." Proverbs 2:1-5 NKJV

Did you ever go on a treasure hunt?

I feel like a big kid watching my six-year-old son and his cousins blaze a trail through the backyard on a quest for hidden treasure. The kids chatter with excitement and form a huddle, pouring over directions that take them from clue to clue. Their faces light up with joy when they finally uncover a special treasure box filled with treats. The hunt is often as exciting as finding the prize!

The Bible is like a treasure map. On our own, it’s hard to understand God, to know His ways. How can we? We are finite human beings trying to figure out an infinite God. But, He has made a way for us to know Him. He has revealed Himself to us through His Holy Word, the Bible.

Consider the first words in Proverbs chapter two, verse five: "Then you will understand." What are the requirements to understanding God’s wisdom? It is laid out like a treasure map for us in the preceding verses. Proverbs chapter two, verses one through four, hold the clues.

First clue: Receive my words

Second clue: Treasure my commands

Third clue: Incline your ear

Fourth clue: Apply your heart

Fifth clue: Cry out for discernment

Sixth clue: Lift up your voice for understanding

Seventh clue: Seek her as silver

Eighth clue: Search for her as hidden treasures

The treasure: Understanding and knowledge of God to help us on life's journey

The wisdom of God is like hidden treasure, just waiting for us to uncover its precious jewels. It only takes a minute to reach up on that shelf and dust off your Bible. Are you ready to join the fun and discover hidden treasure?

If the above post looks familiar to some of you, you are correct. After reading about a writing contest on my friend Angela's blog, I've re-posted a slighty modified selection from my 31-day Proverbs Journey (see my sidebar for the complete set) as an entry. Thanks for the info, Ang.

A Day of Surprises

Saturday dawned bright and beautiful after many days of misty rain here in Pennsylvania.

My first surprise involved my family. Jim and the boys decided at the last minute to travel with me to Lancaster for the Barnes & Noble book event. How nice to have my hubby and sons sharing in the day! Joel enjoyed a big chocolate chip cookie from the cafe while Jared browsed the Sci-Fi section of the store. I originally encouraged them to stay home after attending numerous book events over the last few years, but they came along to support me once again. I love you guys!

Surprise number two involved the bookstore manager. Connie and I worked with Ken last Spring for A Cup of Comfort Devotional for Mothers and Ken out did himself again. A long book table covered by a bright blue cloth, colorful fresh cut flowers in a vase, and a big store poster complete with our names and pictures as contributing authors to The One Year Life Verse Devotional. It was our author friend Michele's first book event and we promptly informed her, "Don't expect this kind of of treatment at every bookstore! Ken's one of a kind!"

Then there were the "God appointments".

Each of us as contributing authors encountered them that day. Mine just happened to include a woman named Ann Marie. Ann was a young mother too when her husband died. As we talked I discovered we both were widowed at the same age. My first husband died when I was twenty-five too. God allowed that moment for us to encourage each other in the Lord. Ann said to me after reading my story, A Family Verse, "How wonderful it must have been growing up in a family who taught you God's Word. I was raised Catholic and didn't come to know Jesus as my Savior until later in life. But God was watching over me even if I didn't know it."

Surprises - they come in all shapes and sizes when we open our hearts and minds to God's plans.

Thank you to all my blogging friends for all your thoughts and prayers for that day. Only eternity will tell the final chapter to the story... May God's Kingdom come, His will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.

Live the adventure,
Susan

Hey my friends! Just dropping by to let you know I'll be at Barnes & Noble Bookstore in Lancaster, PA this Saturday, January 12, 2008 from 12 noon to 2 pm. If you happen to be in the area, I'll be signing copies of The One Year Life Verse Devotional, a recent release from Tyndale House that has published my story, A Family Verse. I'd love to see you!

Now if you can't travel from England, Oregon, Canada, or California, I totally understand! But I do ask for your prayers for me and my author friends Connie Pombo and Michele C. Scott as we reach out into the community with the life-giving words of Jesus Christ! Besides, prayer travels much farther than a car or a plane or a train and it reaches the One who holds the whole world in His Almighty hand!

Talk with you all soon!

Live the adventure,

Susan

The Mysterious Winter Song

The mysterious sound of who-whoing sang from somewhere behind our house. I climbed out of our SUV and stood next to my six-year-old son in the wet grass. Jim slipped in the back door to retrieve a spotlight.

“Look, Joel.” I pointed to the barren treetops. “Somewhere out there is an owl.” We had just read the children’s story Owl Moon a few nights ago so my heart pounded with excitement as our own version of Owl Moon unfolded in our backyard.

I craned my neck, trying to spy the owl’s hideout. The tree’s spindled arms fanned out into slim fingers. A dark shadow sat high in a limb, silhouetted against the silver sky.

The whoing continued, echoing across the hundred-yard distance from the edge of the woods. I crouched next to my son. “Do you hear that Joel? Remember the story we read? There’s a real owl in one of those trees, just like in our book.”

Joel’s eyes widened like saucers.

“I’ve got it.” Jim raced down the back steps and clicked on the spotlight. A bright beam cut through the darkness. “There it is Joel. See its eyes reflecting the light? That’s an owl Joel.”

The corners of my mouth lifted in a smile watching my husband and son.

“Wait.” Jim strode to the edge of our property lifting the light above his head. “There are two owls in the tree.”

I plunged my hands deep into my coat pockets and lifted my eyes above the tree line. My thoughts drifted for a moment to the God of all creation, my Savior, Jesus Christ. I lifted a word of thanks to the One who turns darkness to light and who lets us experience the simple pleasures of life. On this night, it just happened to include two owls singing their winter song in a silver sky.

Live the adventure,
Susan

“I am like a pelican of the wilderness; I am like an owl of the desert. I lie awake, And am like a sparrow alone on the housetop. But You, O LORD, shall endure forever, And the remembrance of Your name to all generations. He shall regard the prayer of the destitute, And shall not despise their prayer. This will be written for the generation to come, That a people yet to be created may praise the LORD.” Psalm 102: 6,7,12,17,18 NKJV Bible