Rare Jewel: Chapter Three and Four

Continuing on in this book of awesome, here are the notes from Chapter 3 and 4.

1. The contented believer lives on God's blessing
    a. knowing what he has is God's love.
    b. knowing what he has is sanctified for his good.
    c. knowing he won't be called to pay for what he has as it's already been purchased by Christ.
    d. knowing what he has is an earnest for future glory.
2. The contented believer sees God's sweet love in all afflictions, evils, and mercies.
3. The contented believer sees the afflictions are sanctified in Christ who suffered the same and takes the curse of the current affliction.
4. The contented believer brings Christ's strength into his soul.
5. The contented believer makes up all loses in God. He has the Kingdom within him.
6. The contented believer gains contentment through the Covenant of Grace
    a. when seeing disorder in his life, he knows there is order in the everlasting covenant
    b. by seizing the promises of God.
7. The contented believer makes up all his outward wants from what he finds within himself, as he has God within.
8. The contented believer makes the Kingdom of Heaven present by faith in the midst of trial.
9. The contented believer opens and lets his heart cry to God.

And that's a wrap!

Poetry Friday: September October

September October

In two months, I have

seen contained color explode,

falling fireworks. 

Lorie Ann Grover, 2012

This tree is what I see from my bedroom window. It has been glorious autumn for me!

Life with Lupus: In the Predni-ZONE

Logo from this blog.

An update as I'm living in the predni-ZONE. This is my second round of prednisone in my fall, 2012, flare. The first wasn't strong enough, so the dosage is doubled. At the 8 week mark of being housebound, I'm looking at 4 weeks in the zone. Hopefully, the flare cycle will be broken! 

There's a love/hate relationship with prednisone, that's for certain. As a powerful steroid, it has the potential to heal. It removes pain. But along with the: "I love, love, love how this works!" is the: "I hate this drug of evil evilness!" Here's the dialogue that might be exchanged these coming weeks. The response is always: "I'm in the predni-ZONE."

"It's 1 AM. You are still up?"

"It's 3 AM. You are starting your day?"

"Really? You can't concentrate?"

"Why are there cuts on your hands?"

"Are you drinking pickle juice?"

"I think your face has grown round as the moon."

"Why are you crying?"

All of this calls for the big guns. I finished reading A Place of Healing by Joni Eareckson Tada which was wonderful and encouraging. 

But now I return to A Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment by Jeremiah Burroughs. 

Ah, that bestseller from 1651. I began the work nearly 2 years ago. I'm starting over with a 99 cent Kindle download! 

Here's where I posted highlights previously:

Chapter One 

Chapter Two 

Contentment is the sweet, inward, quiet, gracious, frame of spirit which freely submits to and delights in God's wise disposal in every condition. Burroughs

Of course, that includes the predni-ZONE. I hope to add more chapter notes to encourage myself. Thanks to everyone for the cards, notes, gifts, and visits. I appreciate you each very much. Onward!

 

Poetry Friday: Barely Balanced

Barely Balanced

Walking the edge of 

wind, waves, and cloud, teetering

on the swirl of change. 

Lorie Ann Grover, 2012

This was the last day of our Kauai vacation, and my lupus was awakening. Here's to 6 weeks of the flare done!

Robot Happiness

Robot Happiness by lorieanngrover on Polyvore

Poetry Friday: Click, Click, Click

Click, Click, Click

What pack rat scurries

in the dark bends of my brain

nesting stench and lies?

Lorie Ann Grover, 2012

Video Review of On Pointe!

So fun to run across a video review of On Pointe. Thank you, Bookalicious! And I love your hair. :~)