All The Noise In Empty Hallways

I wrote this bible study in storybook form a few years ago, and I wanted to share it with you. I saw Michal's despising of David and selfishness as something I did not want to reflect but kept far away from my heart. "Search me, God, that I can love as you would have me to love. I will honor You by honoring my husband whether he is here or not."

(You can find the story in the bible I added a few expressions for the story line)

2 Samuel 6:20

He danced freely and openly without any care of thought nor opinion. Every sixth step David shouted with a joyful praise unto the Lord, for the Lord had allowed the Ark of the Covenant to be brought back while in his kingship. David, with his own eyes beheld the Glory of the returning of the Ark to Israel. His dance was an offering of thankfulness and praise, for David truly loved the Lord. The people of Israel joined in the shout.

"What is all that noise going on in the streets?" asked Michal.
"It is the people they are rejoicing for the king brought back the Ark of the Lord and there is much rejoicing." came the reply.
Another voice was heard to say, "Come to the window, Madame, and see how the people dance with the king. There is much excitement going on; it is a sight to behold."
"WHAT? David has joined the people in all the raucous?" She demanded.
"No, Madame, it is not the king joining the people, the king is leading the people in the dance."

Michal arose from her lounging to look out the window at what her husband the king is involving himself to be a part of with the common people. As she leaned forward you could hear her angered retort, "Augh!"

"A shepherd boy is what he is used to being. He tramped throughout the countryside attending sheep that he never had any training on how to behave in a public role", said she in shame as she lowered her eyes with such despising she had to look away. "My father would never have shamed the family this way. He stood tall and with dignity in the presence of those of the lower class. NEVER! Never, will I let David do this to me, again. He will have to change from his boyish ways. He is no longer running in the hills with sheep but placed in a position that people are looking up too. And when he acts this way it is I who feel the shame for he lowered himself, MY HUSBAND, lowered himself in front of the people." said she.

After the celebration, David blessed the people then went home to bless his household.

So ashamed was she of her husband's worship to the Lord that when King David entered the room she went to meet him and spoke in such sharpness that David was taken aback.

"Has the king played today?" Turning to face David she continued speaking in anger, "Did you enjoy shaming yourself in front of the women of whom you are king over. Displaying and disrobing yourself in public! What a glorious sight you made of yourself, David. You must never do this again! I, as your wife, felt so much shame over what you have done. The people are probably mocking you in their homes, "The king behaved in such an UN-KINGLY manner shouting and dancing in the streets today." I would have never..." she was interrupted.
"Stop this!", said David, "What I did today, dancing and rejoicing, was unto the Lord, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the LORD’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the LORD.
"No, David, it was shameful", said Michal.
If you think", said he, "that this was shameful, you will see I will be thus more on the morrow. And the women of which you speak will have me in honor." He turned and left the room and never visited Michal's courts again.

E-ha-e-eww!  E-ha-e-eww! E-ha-e-ewwww!

"What is going on? Why are the trumpets sounding in the streets?” asked Michal of her maidservants.

None dared to answer, and yet, all feared not to.

The handmaid panicked as she thought to herself; “Act as if you did not hear her question, "Madame?” was her reply.

"Why are the trumpets sounding in the streets? What is all the noise about? ANSWER ME or I...” she demanded!

With much fear the handmaid replied, "The king's son was born, today, Madame." 

Michal, in her dark thoughts, "Every birth is announced with the blast of the trumpet , "The King has had another child born unto him!" Yet, my hallways remain quiet without the disturbance of any children and without the pitter-pattering of children's feet. The children born unto the king should have been mine. The only noise of children are those from the women who were of a lower class and had no upbringing of quality; that is why they would have him, he comes of an inferior sect. Every birthday there is so much noise!! It rings in my courts and vibrates my walls with their celebrations. How I des-pise David for he has always shamed me!”

Friend, Michal never gave birth, but God gave Michal a duty as an aunt, the opportunity to be a stepmother. Merab was Michal's sister who had passed away, her children now motherless were hung, but where was selfish Michal when her nephews were dying? She did not fight to keep the birds of prey away from their bodies. She could not love anyone but herself. (2 Samuel 21:7-12). Michal was an embittered woman and the bitterness ruled her as her constant companion. A wounded spirit separated her from her husband. "Oh! Michal, you error-ed greatly on the side of wrong, you lost forever what could have been a beautiful marriage and your children would have had a father after God's own heart. Instead, all you had left were the irritating echoes in your hallways of the joyful noise of children not your own but of others who took their place beside the king who was once your man."

“God, don’t let me reflect a Michal-spirit. I keep my heart ready for Your spirit to have reign in me.”

Sister, the bible commands of us, women

"Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord."

And…

"Reverence your husband."

As women, we love the one we respect.

While the bible tells a man to love his wife, the Lord tells wives to respect their husband. The reason "Why?" if a women does not respect her husband then she does not think highly of him and when a women does not consider her husband worthy of respect she will not love him but only tolerate him. She will argue every point over his instruction for the home, over spiritual decisions, he will have no say-so and she will have a despising in her heart for his authority because "he shames her" when he does not follow her decisions. The pastor's voice will be an irritation to her because he preaches, "Wives’ submit yourselves unto your husband."  Pastor Garrett once said, "A wife that thinks herself more spiritual than her husband has proved that she is not." It is neither a chore nor a bother to honor and respect your husband but a wonderful gift you have to give him. Friend, you can live happily under the message of submission. 

Sister, you are being honored of the Lord to have the husband that is yours. Show your husband how honored you are to be his wife. Go ahead, Sister, for your husband, pour on the respect.

How I love Ralph. It is my honor to be his wife. I believe I respected him, but, IF I did not submit, IF I did not think him worthy of respect, just watch me pour it on. Honey, he ain't seen nothing yet. 

I will share more of the bible studies I wrote if the Lord wills it to be so.
Picture taken in El Paso, Texas. It is my hope that the sharing of the Word and of "my love" are a blessing to you.
xox

Blessings,

Resources

http://www.globalgallery.com/enlarge/80426/200308/

http://www.tikkun.org/tikkundaily/2011/09/28/shofars-in-the-attic/

http://www.partnersintorah.org/blog/jewish-baby-names

I Was Born For Pretty Dresses

My sisters know I love Victorian, Edwardian, Vintage and Southern glamorous style clothes. Olga, (my third sister) sent these to me, (YAYYY!) and I want to share with you these breathtaking pictures. Each dress weighs 75 pounds. Look at all the detail that goes into the dresses girls wear to the Debutante Ball.

On with the show...

First, we have the grand green floral!

Ahh, Dear, let us wander through the gardens,

The evening is meant for a stroll.

The lady has entered the room,

She is trimmed in gold lace,

We all admired her dress of exquisite elegance.  

Lady Española, 

In reds and gold,

How fair is she,

And delightful to behold.

Spin, spin, spin,

A carousel of color,

Oh, this dress is beautiful on you, 

And not on any other.

The grand entrance was set by the Lady of Blue,

A simple nod and smile,

As she passed by,

Whispers of "Lovely",

Onlookers deemed her to be,

My only wish,

Was that the lady in the blue dress,

Were me.

It all felt like a dream,

Were these dresses really mine?

In pictures, "Yes",

And for you, as well,

Oh! There was a day,

When ladies dressed this way,

Every day,

That is the story that "Time" does tell.

I was born for pretty dresses, 

Yes, this is true,

Should I wear this style of fashion,

You would hear others say,

"Her clothes are clearly,

Clearly, out of date!"

For these lovely dresses,

I was born,

Alas, born too late.

It is so sad,

My heart does break,
You see,

A debutante,

I will never be.

Dear, let us now go,
And have some tea,

And continue dreaming of,
How it,
"Used to be".

Thank you, for visiting me, again.
You are such a dear,
Dear, sweet friend.

Here's a

xox

for you.

Mmmwah!

The End.

Blessings,

Resources

http://www.webweaver.nu/clipart/victorian.shtml

Window Shopping For Shoes

"This is going to be so much fun. Girl, it has been an age since we went shopping for shoes".

"Be honest, what do you think?"

"Where would you wear them and what outfit would you wear?"

"You're right, there is just absolutely nothing in my closet that goes with these shoes. Is it the color (you know I love to wear gold),  style (it has a peep-toe), or the height (that, I find difficult to get used too)? Although, it does have an Middle-Eastern flair. You would have to wear silk and a shear silk scarf."

"Let's try the next shop and see if we find something there. Isn't this fun, spending time together? I am just glad you had time to go shopping with me."

"I really like these by Gucci. Aren't they great? Oh, I would so wear these anywhere. A suit! Yes, these would compliment a suit, a Kasper!"

Dear, we both fell in love with the same pair, how funny is that? These are Jimmy Choo Nicci shoes.Look at the classic cut as it slopes down. Always look for the classic look it will UP the style of your outfit, truly dear, it will, trust me. Nice, really nice! 

                                                                        Getting better and better with Christian Louboutin . The red sole says it all. You don't have to say a word, just walk in quietly and still be heard. 

Summer sandles. Pretty.

Brian Atwood Rainbow High Heeled Sandals

Oh, I want these!!

                                 

Love, we are such girls when it comes to shoes, aren't we? Oh, it was fun having a girls-day-out shopping. Hey! Just around the corner is this great little place where we can have lunch and talk about all the money we saved just window shopping. We have got to do this again, soon. But before we go home, let's get a Starbucks coffee. Speaking of coffee, did I tell you about my essays? W-e-ll, (you have to say that breathy and exaggerated to get the right feel) I will have to let you read them, soon. Bye, dear.

xox

Blessings,

Sources 

Links are Embedded Within

All Three, Daisy's

Three arrangements, not a whole lot of fuss, quiet statements of color and accented with white daisies for cheer. All done by Moi. I added what pricing you may see with the love holidays in mind: Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, and Dia de Los Madres, where flowers rule over chocolate. Mexico's Dia de Los Madres is always on the 10th of May regardless of the day of the week, whereas, the United States celebrates Mother's Day on a Sunday).The prices may go up considerably for some flowers in the upcoming days.

Wrapped in teal, Stargazers, wax flower, alstromeria, daisies, and pink Gerbera.

Stargazers starting at $7.99 ea.(there are prices for each variety of lilies which can be more than 

$10.00 a stem)

Daisy $1.25 ea.

Wax $3.00 ea.

Red Gerber in a light lavender vase add a few carnations and daisies and a 

touch of breath from a baby and it is a welcomed arrangement

Gerber daisy pricing is from $2.50-$3.75 ea. in some locations.

Carnations $1.50 ea.

Simple, not a whole lot of fuss but good on color.

Blue Delphinium color with yellow and wrapped in white daisies. 

Delphinium price around $2.50-$3.00 a stem in some locations. 

Roses can be up to $5.00 ea. due to pre-Valentine's Day. 

Roses will not lower in pricing until after Mother's Day.

Did you know the Rose Bowl Parade uses all roses to make their floats. It is actually the Tournament of Roses Parade that started back in the 1800's and it is not a tribute to Football at all. Every year it is hosted on January 1st. but not on Sundays. Should the 1st fall on a Sunday the parade will be rescheduled, for it will not get in the way or neglect Sunday (Wikipedia). 

(And I thank you for reverencing Church Day, it is often overlooked by the media.)

                                                                                    xox

Blessings,

Resources

Wikipedia

McDonald Floral & Gifts

No Matter How You Look At It, Being A Lady Is Lovely

I love soft and pretty. I love pink. I love flowers. I love being feminine. I love being treated like a lady. I love lace. I love green grass and wrap-around verandas. I love to sit on a porch swing. I love pretty boxes and baskets. I love to put flowers in my hair. I love styled hair-dos. I love high heels. I love to speak in a soft voice. I love tea cups and dainties. I love chocolate (yes, Chocolate!) I love heart shaped large boxed chocolates. I love a dozen roses. I love being the Queen! I love being Mom, his wife (faith moves mountains) and your sister. I love wearing dresses. I am not intimidated by being a lady, I love it! It is a gift from God! "All ladies are women, but not all women are ladies" (Pastor Hyler at Ladies PSR, Fresno, Ca.)

 60's Hairdo

  Woman and Parasol (Above)
Artist, Albert Edelfelt (Finnish painter, 1884-1905)
Virginie (Below)

 

 Nanna Eva and Eva Lee

Reading Outdoors with Cat (Above)
 Marcus Stone (British painter, 1840-1921)
Daydreams (Below)

 Out of the Water -The Knitting Woman by William-Adolphe Bouguereau

Sophia Walker by Vie Amoureuse

Reading a Story by Jacques-Joseph Tissot (1836-1902)

Princess Grace on her wedding day.

No matter how you look at it, being a lady is singularly lovely,
wear it proudly and honor the God who made us!


xox

Blessings,

Google Resource
Links Embedded Within

Family 

Friends
Ladies Progress, Strength, and Renewal Conferance
Microsoft Free Clipart
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/singularly
Singularly, Being beyond what is ordinary or usual; remarkable.

A Good Laughter

Remember the days when you could read the paper and it was clean fun? I used to enjoy reading Erma Bombeck's articles, she seemed to make sense over situations that could have been handled better and offered her friendly advice to her friends that read her books, posts, and newspaper articles. Unfortunately, we do not have her witticism and banter since she has passed.

February 21, 1927-April 22, 1996

Now, whenever I want to enjoy a good post and laugh with someone else's experiences I just visit Amy's blog at  racandvac.wordpress.com . I think my favorite stories are when her son, Vance, wanting to be gentleman and help his mother step off the truck without any harm, found that his mother will do this on her own and save-face, a definite must read. And of course, Rachel's "Rac May Have Something To Do With It" singing "All I want for Christmas" post. The last favorite are really many favorites, all her recipe's are truly wonderful or she will come across a really great recipe and share the site so we can all give it a try.

Yum-Hot Chocolate Cookies

If only we could taste what we see. Her advice is "Throw out the scale!"

 Visit Amy, and have a Good laugh.

xox

Blessings,
 

Google Source

http://www.biography.com/people/erma-bombeck-259338

http://racandvac.wordpress.com/

Nooo, I Did It Again!

Read the label!! "Read the label", is what I tell myself, but it is usually after I make a mistake. Remember the Spanish rice experience I mentioned before, where I used cinnamon instead of cumin?

Well, I did it again. Only, this time time I added cayenne instead of cinnamon. Into what did I add the cayenne, you ask? My coffee. (Aye, Darlene!) 

You see, I sprinkle a little bit of cinnamon to my coffee, but it was so early in the morning that when I saw the C on the label I assumed it was the cinnamon. When I twisted off the cap and began the first shake, I stopped and thought, "Doesn't the cinnamon have a sifter top?" I looked at the label and read Cayenne. I added my French vanilla creamer and tried it. Hmm, not too bad. A little burn in the back of my throat, but not too bad. But, my dear, I will not do this again. Why? Because, next time I WILL READ THE LABEL!! Hee,hee, maybe this could be the start of something new. It really was not bad.
  Hee,hee.  ;D

You can read my rice experience in the original post, Cookbooks.

xox

Blessings,

Jean Francois

In searching the Internet for artwork that would bring inspiration to my home 

I came across the paintings of Jean Francois. 

 The Angelus
In this painting I see a man and wife praying for the harvest where they have labored together.
1 Corinthians 3:7
So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

Potato Planters

I especially enjoy the Potato Planter's, this painting of a man and his wife planting, 

working together for a harvest. It reminds me of the gardening we used to do.

Millet Gleaners

Women gleaning in the field perhaps for their home to feed their families. Gleaners were allowed to follow after the harvesters and gather all that dropped or overlooked for themselves. We find a similar story in the Bible in the book of Ruth as she followed in a near kinsman's field, Boaz.

Can you see the message in these paintings? I want to continue the work and see a harvest. I want to glean all that I can to feed my family and others the precious Word of God. 

John 4:35

Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

"Spirit of the living God,

Fall fresh on me.

Spirit of the living God,

Fall fresh on me.

Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me.

Spirit of the living God,

Fall fresh on me." 

Daniel Iverson (1926)

Noonday Rest

She never minded the labor as long as it was with him. How she loves him so! 

It can be hard work, but laboring together always made the load seem lighter and when it was time to rest, they rested together.

Sister Darcy Abbott had once said, "Fill your home with the message you want to teach your children to live." (Return to Loveliness) 

I hope I am teaching my children the message of laboring together for the Lord with their spouse. 

(Lord willing.) 

Thank you for visiting with me, again. God bless you.

xox

Blessings,

  Darlene

Google Source

http://www.hymnary.org/hymn/PsH/424

Jean Francois Art