Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. Psalms 139:14

Two Rainbows in One Day!

The weather has been unpredictable the past few days; sunny one second, pouring rain the next. This is perfect for rainbows and yesterday we were blessed with two of them! Leah spotted the first one early yesterday morning as we were doing our chores.  It was fading by the time I got my camera but it was still beautiful. Then in the afternoon I stepped outside after playing the piano, only to see another rainbow. The weather was just right; the sun was shining and it was drizzling at the same time. This one was lovely. The colors of the rainbow were distinct and vibrant and there was even a faded second rainbow above it! Whenever I see a rainbow, I am reminded of God's promise to Noah and his family that He would never destroy the earth again by water. I also think about how creative God is to place such a beautiful sign in the sky for us to enjoy!

Blessings,

~view of yesterday morning's rainbow from our backyard~

~yesterday morning's fading rainbow with small fountain and rose bush~

~gorgeous evening rainbow by Willowbank's conference center~

~another view of yesterday evening's rainbow over the Heydon Trust Nature Reserve~

"I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh." Genesis 9:13-15

My Matthew 5:44 Wall Hanger

As promised, here is the photo of the Matthew 5:44 wall hanger I created for my bedroom.  The cold has been passing around our family and so I didn't get around to actually making the hanger until today. It took me several tries to get it to look the way I wanted it to, but I memorized it in the process. :-)

Blessings,

Changing the Design

UPDATE: I think we've settled on the current background & header. I took the header picture at Willowbank a couple of weeks ago on a stormy day. We'll probably change these settings with each season. Feel free to add comments on the design below!

If you've recently visited our blog, you'll notice we've changed the background. Sara and I got bored with our previous template so we're trying to change things around a bit.  We'll be looking at different themes and backgrounds to see which ones we like more so the current theme probably won't be our final one.

We would appreciate your suggestions, tips, and ideas on blog design. :-)

Thanks in advance!

Blessings,

Bible Reading Challenge Progress

Last year, (ah December 31st) I joined Kaylene's Bible reading challenge (reading the entire Bible in 6 months), and it's going well. I'm happy that my sister and I found Kaylene's blog and joined. Eden and I chose Blue Letter Bible's chronological reading plan, so I read some of Genesis and I'm about 3/4 through the book of Job. I like the chronological plan, because I read the Bible in the order that it actually happened. Each of Blue Letter Bible's reading plans are intended so you can read the Bible in a year, so I read one assignment in the morning and one in the evening; and sometimes I read a bit during the day. I've already been blessed by reading the Bible on a more regular basis and I'm enjoying every minute of time spent reading it!


-Sara Lee

Happy Birthday, Jude!

We're happy to have had our little brother Jude for the past ten years! We are thankful to God for blessing us with a brother to enjoy and make our family complete. It is our prayer that Jude will continue to seek God with his whole heart and fulfill God's plans for his life.

Happy 10th Birthday, Jude!

Blessings,

Sara-Lee (for all the Richardsons)

Matthew 5:44 Challenge

I've been working hard on two challenges that I started on Jan. 1st. The first one is to read through the Bible in six months. The other challenge is to memorize Colossians 3 in twenty-five days with Living the Journey.  Both take a considerable amount of time.  I have to read an average of seven chapters per day to keep up with the Bible reading program. And it does take some time to memorize one verse every day while keeping in memory the previous verses you've completed. Then just yesterday, Jenna encouraged us to join her in the Matthew 5:44 Challenge! It's a really good one that I couldn't imagine missing out on so I've added that to my list of commitments. :-)

Here's how I'm keeping track off these challenges: First, I got a folder in my favorite color: red. Next, I printed off the Bible reading plan, Colossians chapter 3, and a couple of sheets of loose notebook paper. I also added several index cards which I've found handy when memorizing verses on a regular basis. I place the folder by my bedside so first thing when I wake up, and just before I go to sleep I can work on my commitments.  Each morning, I write out my memorization verse for that day on an index card, then I add the Bible passages I'm supposed to read that morning & evening.  I slip the index card into my Bible to keep that information handy.  To further help me in the study of God's Word, I also keep a list of the Bible verses I read that speak to me personally. Then once I'm finished my Bible reading, I can go back and study further.

So, I've definitely made progress!  Right now, I'm more than halfway through the book of Job and a mere 3% finished the reading plan. I've successfully memorized four verses of Colossians 3 and am working on verse five.

I'll be starting Jenna's challenge today by writing out Matthew 5:44 and hanging it up in our bedroom! If it turns out good, I'll photograph it and post it on our blog.

Please consider joining Jenna in the Matthew 5:44 Challenge and keep us updated by commenting on her blog or writing about it on yours.

Blessings,

Heydon Trust Nature Reserve

The Heydon Trust has always been one of our favorite nature reserves. We've visited the reserve countless times and formed many happy memories there. It is the perfect place for bike riding and picnicking. And because we live right across the street from the reserve, it is a quick "retreat" too.

However, Heydon Trust isn't only a reserve, it is also home to a quaint chapel. This single-room sanctuary is one of the oldest buildings still in use in Bermuda. Gregorian worship services are held there daily and it is open to visitors during daylight hours.

Heydon Trust is a wonderful place to relax and have fun, yet also serves as a beautiful spot for prayer and reflection.

Blessings,