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Amanda's Occasional Musings
  
Random thoughts, unrestrained meanderings, occasional rants, and joyful enthusiasm.

My Faithful Father, Enduring Friend
Your tender Mercy is like a river with no wind
It overwhelms me, covers my sin
Each time I come into Your Presence
I stand in wonder once again

(chorus)
Your Grace still amazes me
Your Love is still a mystery
Each day i fall on my knees
'Cause Your Grace still amazes me

Oh Patient Savior, You make me whole
You are the Author and the Healer of my soul
What can I give You? Lord what can I say?
I know there's no way to repay You
Only to offer You my praise

Your Grace still amazes me
Your Love is still a mystery
Each day i fall on my knees
'Cause Your Grace still amazes me

Its deeper, its wider, its stronger, its higher
Its deeper, its wider, its stronger, its higher
Than anything my eyes can see

Your Grace still amazes me
Your Love is still a mystery
Each day i fall on my knees
'Cause Your Grace still amazes me
Your Grace...still AMAZES me.

P.S. My name isn't really "Grace". But don't tell anyone, cause we're supposed to be traveling incognito here, and it's a big secret.

P.P.S. Just because heaven is a gated community, doesn't mean that God is a republican!
Title View |
In memory of Sampson. Jul 26, 2008 5:09 pm
Mood: Sad, 202 Views
My terrific roomie/BFF, Kristy lost one of her precious dogs about an hour ago.



Sampson was a 12 or 13 year old chocolate lab mix that Kristy inherited when her sister passed away suddenly 2 years ago.

I know it takes a dog person to truly understand, but could folks just go visit her blog and show her some love. She needs it, with everything else going on in her life right now!

Thanks, and God bless you all.
5 Comments
They got it backwards……. Jul 26, 2008 10:11 am
Mood: Beloved, 226 Views


I grew up being taught a few bible stories backwards. Interesting, that only as an adult, did the Holy Spirit straighten out the false teachings of man. Was anyone else out there taught this story backwards??

Here it is:

The Kingdom of Heaven is like a pearl merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!

Matthew13: vs 45

Now, I was raised believing that this was a somber warning. That the Kingdom was a treasure and I had to give up EVERYTHING to obtain it. But look again—

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a pearl merchant”

Wait a minute—look again: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a pearl merchant on the lookout for choice pearls.”

Let that sink in.

The Kingdom is looking---NOT me!. The Kingdom. What was the Kingdom looking for?? Pearls. Choice pearls.

When He found one, more valuable than any he’d ever seen before: ” he sold everything he owned and bought it!”

So, what is this priceless pearl? Why, it’s ME..and YOU! He gave up everything! His throne, His place next to the Father, His Glory, His riches…His very life…EVERYTHING. To purchase….ME!!!! He loved me that much! He loved you that much! He wanted US with him THAT MUCH!! He thinks we are WORTH that much!!!!

I was raised to believe that I am nothing. Worthless in the eyes of God. Sadly, many doctrines of man teach this. But that is NOT what Jesus said. He said we are “of great value”—priceless—worth everything---EVERYTHING!! And then he “put his money where his mouth is”!

Did He tell the seller "Well, you have to buff that thing up first. It's not quite pretty and shiny enough for me to buy it! It's a little lopsided and there is a ding right there. My neighbor thinks it's pretty tacky, too. You need to work on it a while! I'll come back and check again when it's more worthy!"

Nope! He went out immediately, and made good and sure that it was HIS. Right then and there!

Nothing any human being ever says about me trumps that! I’m worth everything…EVERYTHING…to God. Wow!! Ain’t that sumpthin’?!?!?!?!

10 Comments
Fatal online dating errors Jul 25, 2008 1:12 am
Mood: Interested, 213 Views

I found links to two articles on a friend's blog on another site this evening which I thought were very interesting and perhaps you will too. Both were fairly lengthy, (not too long, but more than what I wanted to cut and paste here) so I thought IF you are interested in reading them, all you need to do is "goggle" the following:

"Fatal Online Dating Errors"

The first two links at the top of the page it will take you to should be: (1) 14 Fatal Online Dating Errors that Single Women Make and (2) 10 Online Dating Errors that Single Men Make.

Both articles are written by David Wygant.

Check them out if you are so inclined.

I'm going to go shorten my profile now! (Well, not really. I yam wot I yam!!)
6 Comments
Whyizzit...... Jul 24, 2008 12:03 pm
Mood: Giggly, 229 Views
....that all the great guys seem to be on the OTHER side of the continent??? ('ceptin' fer Jeffy, who's 'bout 4 hours North o' me, wonderin' whyizzit that all the great gals are ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD????)




11 Comments, 0 Pending
My apologies to blog-land. Jul 24, 2008 7:53 am
Mood: Contrite, 281 Views
As stated in my blog's title, this is a place for my musings. And while musing over the last 24 hours, I have come to several realizations.

1. Some people CANNOT be reached, taught or reasoned with.

2. Since NO ONE of reasonable intelligence could so completely miss a very clear and simple point, the only reasonable conclusion is that some people play deliberately obtuse in order to promote their own agendas. There is none so blind as he who will not see.

3. While I thoroughly enjoy a good, healthy debate, some people enjoy controversy for the sake of controversy, contention for the sake of contention, and downright meanness just for the sake of meanness. My giving that a forum makes me equally guilty.

The last couple of days have NOT been anywhere near a “healthy debate”. In throwing out bait just to see how low someone will go in order to “rise” to it (I know, a contradiction in terms, just couldn’t think of another way to put it), I am guilty of promoting and perpetuating the controversy, contention and meanness. And while I can take ANY meanness directed at me (I raised teen-agers!), this does NOT in anyway glorify God; and it makes us, as Christians, look like spiteful children or worse to the unsaved world.

My heart is filled with love and aches for peace. I sincerely apologize to all of you for allowing the degeneration of my blog into the fracas it has become. It was completely my fault. I had a good idea what I was getting into and yet I still flounced merrily along into disaster, just to see how far it could go. I no longer care how far it can go. I think it may just be a bottomless pit; and I have no desire to try and find the bottom. I’d get stuck there, and it would be no one’s fault but my own.

I seriously considered deleting the entire entry in question, but decided that would be deleting my own mistakes in allowing the degeneration as well, so I have left it as it is. I stand transparent before you.

I am heading out to my orchard now, I have some seriously neglected trees out there. I need to pay special attention to my love, peace, patience and self-control trees. My joy tree is a bit wilted around the edges as well. A few nasty weeds have sprung up too. Right next to the naughty “giggling little smart-aleck” vine, stand the “stir-the-pot” bush, and a large stand of “self-righteousness” grass. These have grown up so far and so fast that I may need to get myself some Crossbow and just spray it all into oblivion.

Again, to all my beloved brothers and sisters, I humbly apologize. I am deeply sorry.
13 Comments, 0 Pending
Knight or nightmare? Jul 23, 2008 11:48 am
Mood: infatuated, 303 Views
I got this email from today from one who is obviously very astute! You tell me folks...who sent this email? Potential dream date or disaster?

I mean, he's an engineer--not a "contracter" or "bisnesman", and he doesn't say that he's HONEST AND GOD-FEARING.....although he IS looking for a God-fearing woman--and he is widowed....

Could this be the one???? (My heart is ALL aflutter!)



"Hi, pretty

Hello miss,how re you doing today,i m eddy,an engineer,your profile caught my attention,you look beautiful and it seem you re a good christian here. Well i am looking for a caring,loving and understanding woman.You look special and i am looking forward to know more about you. I will be glad to hear from you soon.Bye for now and be bless

Eddy"

Just for good measure, so that you can better inform me, here is his profile text:

hello,i m eddy,i m an engineer,i have a daughter.I m a simple guy,i like going to the movies,walking in the beach and listening to some good music.I will like to meet a godfearing,caring,understanding and loving woman who will loved me for who i am.this is my email id BigChurch

My Ideal Person:
I m looking for a caring,loving,understanding and above all Godfearing woman to call my wife..this is my email id ____________ BigChurch,you can talk to me privately there.

(I think BC took out his email addy, they are sort of sticklers about that!!!)

So, whatcha think????
Should I have me weddin' dress all cleaned and pressed?????
21 Comments
Manure? Jul 22, 2008 9:08 pm
Mood: contemplative, 390 Views
Someone on another blog said that my asking a question related to a particular scripture was “out of context” and therefore “manure’. HHmmm…manure, you say?

As it happens, I live WAY out in the country, and out here in the sticks, manure is quite useful. It’s very helpful in increasing the production of fruit in the orchards and gardens around here. How’s our fruit growing, my brothers and sisters? I know it’s still early in the season, but let’s just wander out to the fruit orchard together and take a gander….

Love. How’s our love coming? Just how loved do our brothers and sisters feel while we’re ripping into them with all we have, casting vile aspersions upon their intelligences and character? Or perhaps the scriptures meant only the love you feel coming down to you from above? Possible. Not likely, but possible. Need any manure there around the love tree?

Joy? How much joy are we spreading around when we insult those whom the Lord gave His very Life’s Blood for, simply so that He could once again have a relationship with them? But then again, we sometimes do seem quite gleeful while doing so. Perhaps that is the joy that was meant? Maybe we don’t need any manure under that tree. Or do we?

Peace? How much peace is swirling around us? Do our words create controversy and uproar, or are they like oil on water? How about just a little manure under the peace tree? Just a tiny little bit? Wouldn’t hurt anything.

Patience? How patient are we with those poor souls who are weaker than we, who are blessed with so much less knowledge, who stumble, make mistakes, and come to their family here to confess and find comfort and support? Do we show compassion and reach out with a loving hand, or do our words squash them like so many bugs on our grilles? There is plenty of manure for the orchard. Plenty.

Kindness?? How kind are our words? Are our brothers and sisters brought to tears by the kindness of our interactions with them? Are our words, spoken to those who so obviously don’t know as much as we do, kind and sweet? Special on manure….3 bags for a dollar.

Goodness? Is our righteousness any better than the filthy rags mere mortals admit to? “Perfect love can only come from perfect good, and there is only one source of good, …there is none good but one, that is, God:”… and maybe us? Maybe? Ya think??? I’m not so sure! Chicken manure or steer? Both fertilize equally well.

Faith? Do we have faith that God can work His Perfect Will, that the Holy Spirit can and will convict and reprove those of His children in need of it, or must we help Him along, just to be certain that the job is done in a correct and timely manner? After all, where would the Holy Spirit be without us to do His job? Manure available, composted well to be used immediately in your garden.

Gentleness? Is our touch upon the lives of our sensitive, aching brother or sister soft, sweet, and filled with tenderness? Or do we have all the gentleness of a steam roller on hot asphalt as we encounter those who need something a bit less “enthusiastic”? Lots of manure in the storehouse, just waiting to be spread in your orchard.

Self-control? Can we sit back patiently and wait for God to do that which we know He should, or must we burst forth with the words that we just KNOW God would use if He were here?? Can we sit on our hands and see what happens; wait and see if maybe God can do His thing without our jumping right in and doing it for Him? Even just once? Manure, spread frequently in the fruit orchard, guarantees a bumper crop.

“All scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. It is God’s way of preparing us in every way , fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do.” 2 Timothy 3: 16-17

No equivocation there. Whether we like it or not, whether or not we pontificate that it is “out of context” and therefore “manure”. We all need a little more of that “manure” in our “orchards”. I know I could use some.
21 Comments, 0 Pending
This is a test of the blond-root blog-casting system Jul 20, 2008 11:01 pm
247 Views
Don't mind me, I'm just trying to figure out how the bells and whistles work.

I've never seemed to be able to do any of the fancy stuff and I'm tired of feeling a bit dumb.

wonder if any of this is going to work or if I'm just going to reveal my inner internet dumbness to blogland???? There was no "help" page for all these wing-dings down there!

Kristys first blog

Let's see what happens.

Whoa!! It finally worked. I'm not as think as I dumb I am!!!!
9 Comments
BC bloggers, I would like you to meet.... Jul 20, 2008 1:37 pm
247 Views
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, BOYS AND GIRLS OF ALL AGES......

INTRODUCING.....

The most terrific/wonderful/amazing roomie/BFF ever in the history of the Earth....

(extended drum roll here)



KRISTY!!!!!!!

I told her everyone was nice so she'd join us, so y'all be gentle with her, seein' as it's her first time, an' all!!!

(Now, Jeffy and Mia, don't be sad--I really do love you!! She was just here first! You can be BFF2 and BFF3!!)

I know you'll make her feel welcome!!

GBY!!!!!
9 Comments
My ex was a narcissist.. Jul 20, 2008 7:56 am
238 Views
My ex was a narcissist....

And I really did love him as much as HE did!

But then, one day, completely out of the blue...

He just up and ran off with himself!!

10 Comments
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