August 30, 2012

Good Morning Friends!  Thankfully His, Thursday!  Well, after a week and a half in the transmission shop I got my little black car back yesterday.  Gosh, I can’t even tell you how excited I was when my hubby showed up at work and said, “your car’s out there.”  What an awesome surprise, I had no clue it was ready; I have been driving the old Honda car and it does leave a bit to be desired.  I immediately emailed a couple of friends to share the good news…..silly, but I just hated driving the Honda.  I lamented to one friend that the old Honda needs to be put to rest.  Her response was quite appropriate….”Look how many times it’s come thru for you.”  Wow….now I had to admit that to be the absolute truth!  Over the past couple of years, through the problems with my dear old Mercedes, the wreck, and even Kim’s truck problems, the old Honda has always been there to get us where we needed to go!  Oh, maybe the ride wasn’t the most pleasant, broken doors, and the gas mileage….let’s not dwell on that, but always gets us where we need to go.  My sweet friend had me really thinking now, so I emailed her back telling her how right she was…..What would we have done without the old Honda car…….to that she replied, “It’s been like a good friend.”   Hmmm…….like a good friend…..Good friends, the ones that are there when we break down…..they takes us in their arms….their hearts and take us where we need to go……good friends….the ones that tell you when you have something in your teeth……the ones that know your favorite sandwich and fix it for you……good friends, the ones that are truly excited with you when your car gets fixed and know how much you love your grandkids……the ones you can call crying in the middle of the night, or laughing at the crack of dawn.  They share your bad days as well as rejoice with you on the good ones…..good friends…..they love you from the inside out…..So today…..I am honoring all my good friends and all of yours too….I am lifting my heart and mind in prayers of thanksgiving to our BEST FRIEND for His wonderful blessing to each of us….good friends.  Thank you Father for loving us just the way we are and for blessing us with good friends to cry and rejoice with us on this earth….Whatever would we do without them…..thank you Father, to you be the glory!

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.  Proverbs 17:17.  My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God.  Job 16:20  Many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24.  The pleasantness of one’s friend springs from his earnest counsel.  Proverbs 27:9.  Love one another deeply, from the heart.  1 Peter 1:22. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.  Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.  Ephesians 4:2-3.  Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again:  Rejoice!!!!  Philippians 4:4.

I am blessed with so many wonderful, loving, supportive “good friends”  I thank God for the gift of each of you! 

Love you all!

August 28, 2012

Good Morning Friends!  Thankfully His, Tuesday!  Yesterday I had my regular 6-month checkup and cleaning with my favorite dental hygienist.  I have flossed for years, but always gave myself a break on the weekends….you know a treat…..actually, if I am honest with myself should probably call it like it is….a bit lazy.  Well anyway, at my last cleaning in February the conversation went to flossing….I told her that I always took the weekends off, she said she flossed 7 days a week, without fail!  Something about her dedication inspired me so I decided to give it a try; it happened to be the beginning of Lent so I thought an excellent time to” give up: being lazy.  Well, Lent came and went and I kept on flossing!  For the last six months I have only missed a day or two because of sickness and yesterday was my reward!  My hygienist couldn’t have been happier with my teeth and gums!  I was so happy about the results of….giving up lazy….healthy teeth and gums!  Boy, oh boy…as I was driving back to work a thought hit me…..What if……just what if I gave up lazy in my spiritual life……What could I accomplish there?  What reward could I gain?  My goodness…..what if I never skipped out on prayer time or made excuses not to read God’s word or go to church….What if…….What could I gain…..a healthier faith, that’s what……a stronger trust in God’s will, a more willing spirit to do His will, a better understanding of the endless blessings He pours on me in His time and His way….Peace…..just think of the Peace that we miss out on because we are “lazy” with our time for/with our Heavenly Father…..Healthy Faith……that’s my goal….Father fill me with the desire to spend more time with you, to listen for YOU, to hear and understand Your will for me…..Father I know my reward will be worth it! 

Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.  Romans 10:17.  Then He (Jesus) touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith will it be done to you, “ and their sight was restored.  Matthew 9:29-30.  My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understand, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.  Proverbs 2:1-6.  Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14.  Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  To Him be glory both now and forever!  2 Peter 3:18. 

Love you all!

August 27, 2012

Hello Friends! Mighty Marvelous is our God, Monday! I am a little late getting around today, been good and busy and I like that! Anyway, I did have a thought I wanted to share (thanks to something a friend said). Lots of you know that my sweetie had surgery on Thursday (just in case you missed me that’s where I have been); bless his heart he had his sinuses “roto rootered”. Poor guy has had a sinus infection practically nonstop for the past year. After just a couple of visits to the specialist and a cat scan they decided he had to be cleaned out and last Thursday was the day…..He made it through surgery well and while we were in the recovery room his doctor came to talk to me. He told me he could not believe (now don’t get too grossed out) what they pulled out of his right side! He said, “It was really gross! He was completely blocked.” Well, since I got him home I have been quite busy tending to him and all the critters so I had not had a lot of time to think about what the doctor said until last night when a friend called to check on him. She said I think there has to be a message in all that snot!!!!! We all had a good laugh, said goodbye and I went about evening chores, but I kept having a nagging thought… what message could there be in all that gross, nasty, disgusting, gross, yucky snot they pulled out of Kim’s sinuses???? Somewhere between gathering eggs and feeding the donkeys I got the familiar tap. “Hi Father” I said, “thanks for this awesome weather, what can I do for you….” “Kathie,” He said, “Kathie, My child…..you have been wondering about Kim’s gross snot….Remember when you came to me this morning and were feeling so awful about something you had done……Remember how you told me you were sorry and asked for My forgiveness?” Yes Father, I remember and thank you, but what does that have to do with Kim’s snot?” “Kathie, I pulled that sin right from you….and remember it no more! And no matter what gross thing you may have done, I forgive you….there is nothing absolutely nothing that is too gross for Me…….I love you, I will take care of you, carry your burdens….forgive your sins both now and always! Oh Father…..by Your grace I am saved…..thank you Father……And thank you for taking care of my sweetie too! To You be all glory!

I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more. Hebrews 8:12. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:12. “Com now, let us reason together,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” Isaiah 1:18. Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against Him. Romans 4:7-8. For the sake of your name, O Lord, forgive my iniquity, though it is great. Psalm 25:11.

Love you all!

August 22, 2012

Good Morning Friends! Wonderfully wrapped in His loving arms Wednesday!!!!! So, tell me…..how are you all liking this break in the hot weather? Not making anybody mad is it??!! Last night before we went to bed we opened the house up, doors and windows, so this morning when I got up….oh my, the house was so cool. Got my coffee and went into living room to spend some time with our Heavenly Father and I actually had to grab my blanket (my favorite made for me by sweet daughter, Stacy) and wrap up…..felt so good…..warm….cozy….kind of protected and secure. My thoughts immediately turned to praise…..how blessed I am because I am always wrapped in the loving arms of our Heavenly Father….always safe and secure….warm and cozy….despite myself……despite my gaps in faith….doubts….straying……despite all of my human misgivings our Heavenly Father keeps me wrapped securely in His loving arms. Hailey has a contraption for Tucker that allows her to have him wrapped close to her, but her hands are free to do other things…..handy thing……our Heavenly Father keeps us close to HIM all the while taking care of our world…….Handy….don’t you think? So this morning as I sat in my cozy old recliner, snuggled in my favorite blanket, sipping my first cup of coffee enhanced with fat free half and half and equal (what wonderful little blessings), oh and let’s not forget my sweetie lightly snoring next to me in his recliner……Awww, I was smiling from the inside out…..not just a simple regular smile, but a smile generated by an overwhelming feeling of gratitude that I really am a most loved child of our Heavenly Father… not through anything I have done or could do, no through His grace….Aww….Thank you Father……help me to never ever take Your merciful love for granted, but rather to generously share Your most perfect love!

May the God of your fathers, the Almighty, bless you with blessings of heaven above and the earth beneath. Genesis 49:25. God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8. So we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 1 John 4:16. This is what the Lord says…”Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.” Isaiah 43:1. How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! 1 John 3:1.

Love you all!