I just turned the calendar from, perhaps, my favorite month of the year. September, in many ways, seems more like a new beginning than January to me. Maybe it has to do with the the wonderful change of season (although it was very hot in Sept.) or the new routine that we learned as children as the school buses began to run again. Yes, when I went way back in the day, everyone started after Labor Day. When I used to teach Sunday School, I would have the new series planned for the ninth month and would eagerly go shopping for my new study books and my 3-subject wide-ruled notebooks to make my many notes in for my new upcoming lessons.
On another note, I like football and falling leaves and chilly mornings such as we experienced this morning as we left for breakfast. (39 in Dawsonville- love it.) It, no doubt, is a beautiful time of the year and I am thankful for eyes to see it and soak it all in. September is also the month that our sovereign Lord ordained that a baby named Deborah Jane Womack would be born to two precious people, Ed and Bonnie, now in the Lord's presence. In the year of 1952, on the 29th day, I was born the seventh child (a baby brother in Heaven at that time), four brothers and a sister at home to welcome me (?) and then sixteen months later, the baby sister came along and finished out the family. I am sure my older sister who shared the duties with Mom said "thank goodness!"
I had a wonderful birthday last week, sharing some food and fellowship with family and friends. On the actual day, I spent it with the person I most want to be with these days, my husband, who took me to Ellijay for good food and a short shopping spree. (I tired out before it even started and he was probably glad.) I did come home with a pair of shoes and two blouses to go with a couple of suits I have. On Saturday, I went with Grandanny to see our two precious ones and Jeff, Amy, Alicia, and Landon presented me with a new Bible which I hold in my lap as I type. I love the feel of the leather- I have never owned one made of Highland Goatskin.(Alicia reminded me that she wished I had kept that fact to myself. She even loves goats, I think! :)) As we left their house on Saturday, I told Jeff that I treasured my new Bible and he said to me- "And we treasure you." That brought tears to my eyes and maybe we ought to tell someone that today. We have this moment and are not promised future ones. Always, there will be serious thoughts from me, right? You have come to expect it, I am sure.
The Author and the words in this leather bound Book is why I love it so much. I heard an avowed atheist say on TV last week that it amazes him that 60 percent of the American people actually believe the account in Genesis about Noah's ark. I believe he called us "Dunderheads." I, also, believe that is what God calls people like him. Oh, yeah, I believe the word is fool from Psalm 14:1. This dunderhead believes the Scriptures!! My God is big and He can make it rain as long as He wishes; He can keep a man alive in the belly of a fish if He chooses, and praise His Name, He also can open eyes and ears to the Truth when He deems it to be so and I am thankful that He did so with this simple lady who knows she doesn't have the intellect that some have but contrary to the name-caller's assessment on TV, there are some bright minds out there who believe- names like Ravi Zacharias and John Piper and John MacArthur and Jeff Lyle and Scott Kay and Mr. David Price, and Charles Swindoll and C.S. Lewis come to mind. In reality, though, it isn't intellect that matters but hearts that have been humbled and honest before the Lord and He reveals Himself to those people. If the world wants to label me a dunderhead for believing God, then I will proudly wear the title.
Let me close these random thoughts with a verse that I considered as I celebrated my 58th birthday. Young people rarely consider their mortality but we who are approaching sixty and know that more days are behind us than ahead of us do. Moses, the man of God, prayed these words: "So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom." I know that I am a bit analytical at times but I took a calculator and figured that I have lived approximately 21,170 days and if I should be granted the allotted time of 70 years (vs.10) and I hope Jesus returns first, I would have 4,380 left to bring Him glory. WOW, the difference between those numbers is sobering to me.
On grave markers, you see the name of the deceased and the date, in my case 1952, and then a ~ and then the day of departure. The dash is what captures my attention today because I had nothing to do with the birth year and will not be the decider on the finishing day but I do desire to live in that allotted time the ~ with a steadfast faith in my Trustworthy LORD and a servant love for my family and friends who were divinely placed in my path for such a time as this. I was speaking with one of my favorite preachers recently and telling him how his ministry had blessed my life and he said-"Pray that I finish well!" May all of us, Lord, do that, starting today!
Looking up, Deborah
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