June 6, 2007

• 
  

  
  
   The Perfect Picture of Contentment  
  “For I have learned, in whatsoever state I am,
  therewith to be content.”
  Philippians 4:11

  
  
  
  Wow! … thank you all for stopping in here and saying hi … and for your sweet comments!   Connie put me on the “new friend of the day” list yesterday, and thank you to all the new visitors that I’ve had as a result!  I feel the love!  I just wish I had updated first … but alas, I’ve had one busy weekend, along with other things going on this week!  I had said I’d get around to everyone before Monday … well, things happened, and I’m running behind schedule, but I am here now!  I hope you’ve all had a wonderful weekend, and a great week so far!
  
  Here’s the update on my weekend show… the weather here was fairly nice, so that kept the attendance down a bit, but all in all, in wasn’t too bad.  I sold out of my Lilac soap … that is such a yummy bar!  Anyway, we had a very eventful weekend!   
  
  Friday ~
  The day started at 5:30AM…we finished packing the car, and van, then got there early morning to set up … took us most of the afternoon, but it was opened until 8:00PM, which made for a long day!  Customer flow was slow due to the beautiful weather.  Came home and plopped into bed for an early start Saturday … the show starts at 8:00AM!
  
   Saturday ~
  The day started for us at 5:00AM … the volume of customers picked up some … more bubbles floated off the table … and along with so many interesting people I met, and the conversations I had with them … that’s what makes this backbreaking job so worth it!  Yep, as I said in my last post, soap is a heavy load!  Good thing I have a wonderfully skilled chiropractor to make it all better!!  The show went until 6:00PM, at which time Lewis and I parted ways!  I went on home to soak my feet, get some dinner, and turn in early, and Lewis went onto his prison ministry meeting.  It had been nice both Friday, and most of today, but the sky was now looking pretty ominous.  I had a couple of stops to make on the way, and by the time I got home around 7:30PM the storms were well on their way.  I wanted to check in to see my messages, and no sooner had I turned on the computer, grabbed my cup of tea, and put my feet up, it happened!!  Lightening hit a transformer and…boom, there went everything…lights, air, computer, clocks!  My heart sunk!  I knew that sound from before … and I knew it would be awhile, quite awhile, before I’d “see the light” again!  {No hot dinner tonight! … I opted for Ritz Crackers, peanut butter, and a banana … I didn’t dare open that refridgerator!}  I then proceeded to light our “25 million hour candles” and set them around so I wouldn’t be totally in the dark.  Those things burn forever!
  
  Well, with Lewis at the meeting, and no cell phone service there, and my sister tucked in for the evening, it was pretty much just me, and the Moosh!  Oh, it didn’t bother him a bit … he got his dinner!  I did call my sister, just to let her know that I might need her and her hubby’s help with getting water out of the sump pump hole in the basement, in the event it filled up fast.  It was raining pretty hard, so I kept going up and down the stairs checking that out, and thankfully it wasn’t filling up at all!  A miracle!  Got some much needed exercise in the deal, too!  So now I had time to relax, read by candlelight, pray, and snooze, until Lewis got home.  He called around 11:30PM, and I told him the wonderful news … so just before he got home, he drove around the block and didn’t see any trucks working on anything … uh, oh!   Well, we tried sleeping amidst the putt-puttering sound of the generators in the neighborhood behind us!  Boy, have you noticed that sometimes the quiet can be noisy?!!  And little did we know we were about to experience a rude “awakening”!  We finally drifted off to sleep … with ear plugs firmly in place, only to be startled awake by the 5, count ‘em, 5 brand new smoke alarms that were just recently installed, all going off in unison … a regular Fire Alarm Choir!!!  Oh, my word … those earplugs couldn’t even touch that!  Thank God, there was no fire, but my heart was pounding and we were groping around in the dark, bumping into things, trying to figure out where we put the instruction manual that tells us how to turn them off.  It took about 15 minutes before we finally got them off, and we could hear again … it was about 2:30AM, and still no lights, or air … by then it was getting pretty warm, too!  We were also concerned about the food in the fridge, so Lewis went out to get ice at that time … he drove around the block to see if there were any IPL trucks working on the problems, nope!  Not yet!  Uh, oh!!!  That isn’t a good sign!  He got home, put the ice in the fridge … and, could you imagine living with the ice boxes from days of old?  We tried sleeping again, hoping and praying they would get a truck out soon to repair it!  I think we finally slept!
  
  Sunday ~
  Then at 5:30AM we woke up, from what little sleep we had, to a stuffy, warm house, and still no power!  We couldn’t take showers without electricity, so I got things together for us to take to my sisters to get ready for the show … thankfully she lives only 10 minutes away!  I was a bit concerned about leaving the house because of the sump pump, but we prayed and went on to get ready, and then to the show.  I called back to the house around 9:30AM and still no electricity … our answering machine answers when the electricity is on … I waited and called again around noon, and PTL, I heard my recorded voice and I knew it was on!  I was then trying to think what I might have left on when all the lights went out!  Whatever it was, would be on when we got home!  When the show ended at 4:00PM, we packed as quick as we could to go check on things…then to dinner.  I walked in the door to a very lighted house, and I kid you not … the radio was playing the song, Praise You in this Storm!!  And we did!  Our food was fine, the sump pump didn’t fill up, and I knew all would be well!  We had a wonderful dinner out, and we slept peacefully that night!  I know others have had it so very much worse than we have, and I’m ever so thankful even in the midst of having no power!  I am learning to be content … whatever the situation or circumstance!  As Paul has said … “For I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.”  -Philippians 4:11.
  
   Finally … this week we’ve been catching up around here from the weekend, and resting … doing laundry, Lew’s back at work, and I’ve got a couple of cabinets to purge and straighten.  But I’ll be around to see you all once we get back from our dental appointments in the morning … I must think contentment here~in whatsoever state I’m in!  In the meantime, you all have a wonderful evening, and a blessed tomorrow!  I hope you don’t mind, but I’ll leave you with some words I read that might encouage you in your walk of contentment.  I’m not all the way there yet, but I want to be able to say that………
  
  I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances….
  I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation….
  I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”  Philippians 4:11-13

  Continuing to work on life’s lessons ~
  Hugs,
  ~Deborah <>< 
  
  Friendly Neighbor
  Leaning on his fence one day, a devoit Quaker was watching a new neighbor move in next door.  After all kinds of modern appliances, electronic gadgets, plush furniture, and costly wall hangings had been carried in, the onlooker called over, “If you find you’re lacking anything, neighbor, let me know and I’ll show you how to live without it.” 
  ~ Source unknown
  
  Enjoy the Scenery
  A contented man is one who enjoys the scenery along the detours. 
  ~ Source unknown
  
   Contentment  ~  Article by T. Pierce Brown
  As I was visiting with a friend who was almost killed and paralyzed from the chest down when struck by a drunken driver, but who, with great courage, faith and determination continued to study, write and go to school, she mentioned to me that an elder had said something to her about being content when she was in the nursing home recovering.
  
  Since she was continuing her studies in Abilene Christian University in Greek and Bible (having received her degree from a Junior College after she suffered the injury, and now a Master’s in Ministry, a Doctorate in Ministry, a Doctor of Theology and studying for a Ph.D., she looked in her Greek Testament at 1 Timothy 6:6 and read, “But Godliness with contentment is great gain.” She pointed out to me what I had never noticed before. The Greek word translated “contentment” is “autarkeia” which Thayer defines as “a perfect condition of life in which no aid or support is needed.” She was checking Thayer, Vine’s and Young’s Concordance for the various related meanings, and I suggested that she write an article about it. Since she is so busy with school work, attending to her own physical, mental and spiritual needs (she is in a wheel chair in her own apartment now) she may not get around to it for some time, so I decided to write one, which she can probably improve on when she does get to it.
  
  We usually think of contentment merely as a passive state of willingness to “put up with” whatever state we are in, assuming that when Paul said, “I have learned in whatever state I am therewith to be content” (Phil.4:11) that he meant that he did not gripe and complain too much about it. Her short conversation about it suggested that we should consider its primary meaning as being more significant. That is, contentment comes, not because of a passive acceptance of whatever our condition may be, but because there is a “perfect condition of life in which no aid or support is needed” inasmuch as God has granted one whatever he needs to face life and conquer it! Can you imagine one who has suffered through years of privation and rejection, and months of physical and mental agony coming to a conclusion that she may be able to be content, not just because she will not complain of her lot, but because she has in herself, by God’s grace and power, sufficiency to carry on “independently of external circumstances” as Thayer puts it!
  
  I think she is beginning to see what Paul meant about his thorn in the flesh, and “My grace is sufficient for thee” (2 Cor. 12:9). For this word “sufficient” is the same root word, “arkeo.”
  
  Because one has contentment — “sufficient strength, ability, power to do whatever needs to be done” — one may be content — “satisfied with his condition.” It is perhaps worthy of note that the same word is used in 2 Cor. 9:8 where Paul indicates that when one does what God wants of him, “God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye always having all sufficiency (autarkeian) in all things, may abound to every good work.”
  
  One conclusion to which I have come is that “contentment,” from the Bible viewpoint, is not merely a passive willingness to bear whatever comes, but a vital, living, active power to overcome and conquer through the strength and grace of God!  Indeed, “Godliness with contentment is great gain,” for then “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Phil.4:13). It is noteworthy that he said this only three verses after he had said, “I have learned, in whatever state I am, therewith to be content (autarkes).” 
  
  

   Lord, grant us true contentment…

  Acceptance of what each day brings,

  Joy in you and not in things,

  Tranquility in storm or strife,

  Serenity in all of life;

  That when you whisper, ‘Peace, be still,’

  We’ll wait upon your perfect will,

  Knowing we will soon be blessed

  By love that only wants our best.

  Help us see that we are meant

  To rest in you… and be content.

                                               ~ B.J. Hoff

  • 9:54 pm
  • 10 Comments