Look What I Got!

The kids and I met Joel today at Pizza Hut for the lunch buffet. After lunch we stopped by the grocery store to pick up some juice , half-and-half, strawberries, and grapes. When I walked into the produce section, I passed by the display that usually holds some type of promotional items. I paused and then walked backwards to look at the Blue Willow china that Bi-Lo was offering for the next few weeks. Three-piece place settings of a dinner plate, cup, and saucer were being offered at 2 place settings for $5.

I deliberated and then figured out that I couldn't beat this price anywhere. When I reached down to put some of the place settings in the cart, I saw that there were no more boxes out. Emily Anne and Will were getting restless, so we moved on to pick up our items. I asked at the cash register if they were out of the Blue Willow place settings. They found some more in the back, and I got six dinner plates and six cups and saucers for fifteen dollars. What a deal!

I couldn't wait to set my table with it when I got home. In fact, I was so eager that I didn't even iron my placemats (just ignore the wrinkles and turned up corners). I love blue-and-white china and decorate with it in several rooms throughout our house. The bowl in the center of the table is a piece that I borrowed from the living room, emptied it of potpourri and plopped in some apples. This china also matches a favorite lamp of mine in the kitchen.

I do have a twelve-piece set of Wedgwood Nantucket Basket that we got when we got married that we use for every day. Now that the children are getting old enough to eat from real plates (as opposed to plastic dishes)though, I think I'll feel a little safer with them using this Blue Willow. I'd also love to mix and match the Blue Willow with the Nantucket Basket. The Blue Willow salad plates would look so cute with the Wedgwood dinner plates!

The display posted what pieces would be offered at special prices which week, but the kids didn't allow me time to jot them down. I thought I could find them online, but was unsuccessful. I'll just have to make a trip sans children so that I can write it all down and figure out what pieces I'd like to add. I especially have my eye on a teapot in this pattern!

Do you know the story behind the Blue Willow pattern? Here is the story that was on the insert in the box:

Once there lived a very wealthy mandarin who had a beautiful daughter named Hong Shee, who fell in love with her father's secretary, a man named Chang. To keep them apart, the father imprisoned his daughter in the palace. One day she escaped, and the two lovers raced over the bridge to a waiting boat. They managed to elude the mandarin, reach the boat, and sail away. A storm developed; the boat foundered; and the couple were lost at sea. It is said that two love birds appeared immediately thereafter . . . .

If you look closely at the first picture in this post, you can see the palace, two figures on the bridge, a boat, and two birds.

Hearing Voices

If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink." (John 7:37b)

Feeling a bit parched? Searching to quench that thirst with an iced tea or Diet Coke? Dive into the Word for real refreshment!I try to be diligent in my Bible reading and am often rewarded by God's speaking to my heart through particular scriptures. I pause and sometimes even write them down. The reflection usually ends there, however. Now, I would like to pursue the verses that God lays on my heart by pondering how He wants me to apply these verses in my life.

Here is what spoke to me this week:

The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions. One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was.

Then the LORD called Samuel. Samuel answered, "Here I am." And he ran to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me." But Eli said, "I did not call; go back and lie down." So he went and lay down.
Again the LORD called, "Samuel!" And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me." "My son," Eli said, "I did not call; go back and lie down."
Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD : The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.
The LORD called Samuel a third time, and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me."Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, "Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, 'Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.' " So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" Then Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening."

1 Samuel 3:1-10

Have you ever wondered if you were really hearing God's voice? I know that I have. Especially when I have a decision to make, I second-guess myself and try to figure out if the voice I hear is actually coming from God, myself, or the enemy. Oh, how I wish that I had someone like Eli to tell me if I were really hearing God's voice!

I read the above passage this week in my Bible reading. I am always amazed how God sends reinforcement of ideas that He has caused to jump out at me when I spend time in His word.
When I picked up my church's newsletter yesterday from the mailbox, Pastor Phil's weekly message was titled "Listening to the Voice of God." It contained a checklist developed by Pastor Roger Barrier on how he discerns the voice of God and ended with the question: "How can we better tune our ears to to hear the quiet whisperings of the Spirit of God?" Pastor Phil also encouraged us to read John 10:1-5:

"I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice."

I thought it was so interesting that both of these passages deal with recognizing God's voice. Samuel, because he did not know God, had to rely on Eli to tell him that it was not a human voice he was hearing, but the Divine. John's passage states that the Good Shepherd's sheep know His voice and are able to discern between it and a stranger's.

Although I may not have an Eli to help me to determine whether what I'm hearing is truly coming from God, I do have a way to know God's voice. The more time I spend in His word and in prayer, the easier it will be to recognize Him when He speaks to me. I long to say like Samuel, "Speak, for your servant is listening!"

So, what verses have spoken to you this week? Post those verses on your own blog, along with how you see that God wants you to apply them in your life. Then, provide your link below so that we can drink from one another's wells of scripture.

She Speaks . . . To Me!

Have you ever used the phrase, "It just speaks to me!"? Whether it's a gorgeous fabric that suits your personality and would be perfect for your den "mistreatments," a book that a friend has loaned you that had the perfect message for you at this moment in your life, or a blog whose author seems like a best friend although you've never met her, we all have experiences that simply "speak to us." Here is one of mine.

Lysa TerKeurst announced on her blog this week that she is hosting a contest for a scholarship to a conference sponsored by her ministry Proverbs 31. And the name of this contest? Why, She Speaks, of course. Geared for those women interested in sharing God's story in their lives, it has three tracks: one for Women's Ministry leaders, one for speakers, and one for writers, including bloggers.

As I read over the descriptions of each track, the first question under the Speaker's track jumped out at me: "Do you hunger for the Word of God and long to teach it with authority and excellence?". This question spoke to me, and I felt my spirit rising up to shout, "Yes!" God has been awakening in me a longing for his Word over the past year or so, leading me to take part in Bible studies, lead a Bible study, and create a weekly meme called "Thirstin' for the Word Thursday" on my blog (You can see some of the posts by clicking on the link in my sidebar).

With my foray into the blogosphere, I was thrilled to see that there are sessions that feature such bloggers as Melanie from Big Mama, Sophie from BooMama, the Nester (Do you think we could convince her to do a session on her famous "mistreatments"?), and her sister Emily from Chatting at the Sky. Each of these bloggers has spoken to me through their posts, and it would be an awesome opportunity to receive their advice on blogging face-to-face. I would love to learn ways to increase my readership so that more and more people could be encouraged to share their encounters with God's and His Word.

In addition to seeing the sessions for speakers and bloggers, I was also excited to see sessions for writers. I have always loved reading and writing, and from the time I was a child, I have had the conviction that someday I will write a book. I have the idea for a book related to my decision to homeschool percolating in my head (and I even have the title). These session descriptions have inspired me to continue to brew this idea and filter it into a book proposal.

The Women's Ministry track also spoke to me because last year I helped to plan a women's retreat for our church. You can read more about that retreat here and here (pre-retreat) and here (post-retreat). I even developed one of my Thirstin' for the Word blog posts into a session that I led at that retreat. In fact, I suppose that this session was my first speaking gig!

With these three different tracks and my varying interests, how could I choose which track to take? I shouldn't have worried; although an attendee signs up for a particular track, she will be able to choose from sessions from all the tracks.

The description of this conference really did speak to me. It was a voice confirming God's call to me to share what He has done and continues to do in my life. It was an exclamation encouraging me to hone my skills to better serve His glory. I can only imagine what attending the conference in person would have to say to me.

So, does She Speaks . . . to you? If so, find all the information at the conference website.

Thirstin' for the Word Thursday Is Back!

"If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink." (John 7:37b)

Feeling a bit parched? Searching to quench that thirst with an iced tea or Diet Coke? Dive into the Word for real refreshment!I try to be diligent in my Bible reading a nd am often rewarded by God's speaking to my heart through particular scriptures. I pause and sometimes even write them down. The reflection usually ends there, however. I would like to pursue the verses that God lays on my heart by pondering how He wants me to apply these verses in my life.

After a hiatus of several months, Thirstin' for the Word Thursday will be re-inaugurated this Thursday on March 26. Join in by posting on your blog thoughts about any verses that jump out at you during your Bible reading time this week.

Are you new to Thirstin' for the Word? Check out previous posts under the sidebar category "Thirstin' for the Word." We'd love for you to join us!