Our Sauce

Good Morning Friends!  Mighty Magnificent is our God, Monday!  Wow, can you believe that this is our last Monday of 2013…..where has the time gone?!  I am really excited about the New Year….but I’m not letting go of CHRISTmas, nope not for one day!!!!   So, speaking of Christmas…..one of my favorite Christmas treats is Kathyrn’s homemade Chex mix!  Optimum word….mix!  The tasty snack delight is truly a “mix” of all kinds of salty, crunchy, grainy, crackers, chips, cereal in all shapes and sizes, all mixed together in one big bowl then tossed with a wonderful blend of spices and Kathyrn’s secret sauce….In her words, “I drizzle the sauce and stir till I know that every piece is covered.”  Then she bakes it crunchy!!!!  Yummy!  Last night as I was smacking my lips, munching on a handful…the thought hit me…..A delightful mix….round, square, rectangle, flat, puffy……all covered with the same sauce…..and it’s wonderful!  Aren’t we…..God’s children a mix….all kinds of us…..young, old, doctors, lawyers, teachers, nurses, secretaries, supervisors, homemakers…..and we come in all shapes too, short, tall, plump, skinny, light hair, dark hair, blue eyes, green, or brown…..a mix…..in a big bowl….the world…..our bowl is the world…..what is our sauce?!  Our “Sauce” is the Love of our Heavenly Father…..the blood of HIS SON JESUS poured over each of us, covering us from the inside out…..JESUS Born on Christmas…..lived and died for us…..the perfect spice in our Sauce, is that Jesus, rose from the dead….giving to us life everlasting with HIM!  Each of us, in our own unique way, have so much to offer to the “mix….” God’s children in life’s bowl, covered with HIS LOVE…..Hmmm, our turn to be yummy for HIM…..The Chex mix is really yummy, makes me happy eating it…..Father, help us to mix together in service for YOU…..making others happy through Your love to Your glory!

 

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power  until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.  1 Peter 1 3-5.  Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.  Psalm 34:8.  Therefore rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.  Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.  1 Peter 2:2-3.  There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.  1 Corinthians 12:5.  Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.  1 Peter 4:10.

Love you all!

The Perfect Gift

Good Morning Friends!  Thankfully His, Thursday!  A good friend is in the process of having their home remodeled; recently they moved completely out into a little house on their property, so that the big work could get done.  She is really excited about her “new” home, but has found some inconveniences in her temporary housing situation.  One, her Christmas decorations, paper, cards are all packed up and stored….somewhere….The other day we were talking and I was telling her about my silly little Christmas tree, she told me she had only a tiny fiber optic one on a little table, this year….that everything is packed and really no room.  She said that the little tree will be about the extent of her decorations.  She mentioned having to dig for paper and cards, so she had slim-lined her gifts.  I pointed out a little nativity scene I had found in someone’s left-over garage sale things and she said,” I can’t find mine…it’s somewhere, but I don’t know where.”  So often our Christmas spirit is focused on decorations, lights, gifts, but we don’t need all the decorations to celebrate Christmas.  My friend’s house may not be all aglow with Christmas decorations, but her heart is.  Her heart is aglow with the true joy of Christmas….the reason for the season…..JESUS!   Christmas decorations are fun, but the real Christmas is in our hearts…..the real Gift….Perfect Gift…JESUS…King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Emanuel, Prince of Peace….our SAVIOR….and our BEST FRIEND! Father thank you for the PERFECT Gift, Your SON…..fill our hearts with the real JOY of Christmas…CHRIST!

 

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.   Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.”  Luke 2:11 & 13-14.

God Grant you:  “The light in Christmas, which is faith.  The warmth of Christmas, which is love.  The radiance of Christmas, wish is purity.  The belief in Christmas, which is truth.  The all of Christmas, which is Christ. “ Wilda English.

 

Love you all!

Where Do You Find Peace?

Good Morning Friends!  Wonderfully wrapped in His loving arms, Wednesday!  Peace, Joy, Love…..words….just words???  Have you even noticed how many Christmas cards contain the words peace, joy, and love?  Let’s take “PEACE.”   Where do you find peace?  What is peace to you?  Where does a young mom, struggling through an ugly divorce find peace?  An adult child caring for an aging parent that can no longer stay alone?  Husband and father out of work?  Parents with a critically ill child?  Parents whose child left this earth?  Mourning families?  Parents with a wayward child?  People alone?  Homeless?  Down hearted?  Over worked with so much to do?  Peace?  Where is it found?  True peace can only come through the love of our Heavenly Father…..we seek HIM…..we stop everything for HIM…..Be still…..Really still…..He’s there……and only when we are there with HIM do we find peace….maybe it will be in a beautiful sunrise, a child’s smile, an unexpected hug from a friend, glistening snow, a beautiful Christmas card……Be still…HE is there……He loves you and will bless you with HIS Perfect Peace…..Be still.  Father, times on this earth are so noisy at times……enable us to be still….bless us with Your Perfect Peace.

 

Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not afraid.”  John 14:27. The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace.  Psalm 29:11.  The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts an your minds in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:7.  The God of peace will be with you.  Philippians 4:9.

 

Love you all!

The Blessing of Crawling...

Good Morning Friends!  Totally taken by His love, Tuesday!  My goodness what a few crazy….cold days we have had….agreed?!  Out on the ranch things have not been dull….ponds to break, leaks to fix, firewood to load, snowmen to build, and animals do not care how cold it is for us, they are want to eat!  Lots of stories for sure, but this morning as I was driving in for the first time by myself (woo hoo, so many thanks to Linda that faithfully hauls me around) my thoughts went to our first winter in Oklahoma, about 15 years ago….Kim and I were living in a travel trailer and it didn’t take much to freeze the water, so I had gotten used to going down the road to my dear neighbors, Bob and Imogene and take a nice hot shower….they were my first Lula friends and the visits to their house for a shower were a great time for us to get to know each other.  Well anyway, I got up one morning and oh yeah, no water….I had no clue what the conditions outside were…I packed my little bag, put on my Carhart overalls and headed out….yikes steps were a bit slick…oh well, no biggie.  I was headed to the car (again no clue….) when our friend Harry drove in (he was helping Kim with some things on the ranch).  He said Good morning and asked what I was doing, I said I am going to Bob’s to get a shower.  He laughed….laughed at me…then said, with a chuckle you aren’t going anywhere….well I thought how dare he…..he then proceeded to tell me that the road was a solid sheet of ice….Oh well I said, I will just walk….To this day I can still see the smirk on his face as I headed down…..down our driveway!  Just a few steps told me this was not going to be as easy as I had thought….I eased my way over where there was more dirt and made it down to the road….I must say I was feeling just a little smug as I took a step onto the road, ha, ha Harry I thought…..My smug turned into….UGH….I hit the road…hard!  My smug brought me right to my knees…..I felt foolish, but was determined to have a shower so I crawled across the road (I know you are all laughing, it’s ok I deserve it).  Well, I made it to Bob and Imogene’s, had my shower, coffee, and a wonderful visit and then crawled back home…..This morning remembering……”brought me to my knees” is what hit me.  There was no way I was getting across that road without getting on my knees…..once I did…..I made it!  Father, oh my, forgive us when we are so stubborn and try to get there on our own…..It’s when we are on our knees with You that we are at our best!  Thank you Father for the blessing of crawling…..

 

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.  Psalm 73:26.  Our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.  Romans 8:18.  Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall (crawl maybe, but not fall).  Psalm 55:22.  Consider it pure joy…whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith (on your knees, crawling) develops perseverance.  James 1:2-3.  Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.  Joshua 1:9.  The God of peace be with you!  Philippians 4:9. 

Let us remember that the Christmas heart is a giving heart, a wide open heart that thinks of others first. George Matthew Adams.

Love you all!

Kathie A. Johnson

Receptionist

Administrative Services

Division of Housing

The Most Important Christmas Choice

Good Morning Friends!  Thankfully loved by Him, Thursday!  This meditation really touched me and I know I could not put the message into better words, so sharing with you!  Praying your choices always reflect Christ.  Love you all!

December 4, 2013 The Most Important Christmas Choice Tracie Miles "Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.'" Luke 2:13-14 (NLT) Tis' the season to be merry... and stressed. Although it should be a season of peace, this month can often make us feel more tangled up inside than a messy string of Christmas lights. Some people dread the hustle, bustle, and emotional rustle this time of year brings, knowing that irritability, loneliness, or depression will threaten. While there are others who may love the Christmas season, but worry, busyness, family conflicts, and unmet expectations take their toll. In either case, we have a decision. We can choose to get bogged down with stress or we can choose to bow down in worship. Scripture gives us a beautiful picture of praise in Luke 2:13-14. When Jesus was born, an angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds sharing the good news. Then many other angels joined together and praised God. "Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.'" (NLT) That's not the only place the Bible records angels worshipping the Lord. In Hebrews 1:6 it says, "And when he brought his supreme Son into the world, God said, 'Let all of God's angels worship him.'" (NLT) And Revelation 5:11-12a says, "Then I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders. And they sang in a mighty chorus." (NLT) Angels serve as role models of worship. They bow down before Jesus. They shout with incredible joy as they sing songs of praise. Through worship, angels spread the news of God's glory and exhibit holy reverence. Angels intentionally and deliberately spend time praising God. Keeping Christ in Christmas is more than just a cliché. It is an intentional act of worship. It requires a heart of adoration, much like the angels had. When Jesus is the focus of our holiday, we're centered on His love, peace, and joy. This prompts us to be His hands and feet to others in need. When worship fills our hearts, it leaves little room for aggravation in long lines at the store. We focus on what Christmas is truly about—the amazing gift of a Savior—rather than stressing out over buying the perfect presents. We exhibit grace to someone when we'd rather do otherwise. Worship turns our attention to giving thanks to Jesus for all He has done, rather than letting stress strip His joy from our hearts. And it might even mean joining in with the heavenly chorus to sing praises to Him, even if we can't carry a tune! The holidays can bring a flurry of heightened emotions and can often result in an unhealthy level of stress which can prevent us from engaging in worship and praising the One we are supposed to be celebrating. There will be lots of choices to be made during the month of December: where to serve, what gifts to buy, and how many events to attend. The most important choice we can make is to worship and sing praises to our Lord. For His gift. For His love. For His peace. And when our hearts are at peace, our holidays can be too. Lord, I choose to intentionally worship and praise You during this Christmas season. Help me stay focused on You and Your goodness. Amen.

Decorate with Prayers!

Good Morning Friends!  Wonderfully wrapped in His loving arms Wednesday!  Well, are you ready to do some decorating?  While we are busy shopping, baking, wrapping presents, and decorating our homes, some are busy with something else, not quite so fun!  In the busyness of my life it had not dawned on me that it’s time for college finals.  Do you all remember the stress and anxiety, long sleepless nights, worry, stress of finals!  Home for Thanksgiving from his first year at OSU, a special young man to me, and I were visiting at church Sunday.  I asked him how school was going; immediately he began sharing his concerns about upcoming finals.  He shared with me that people had been telling him that finals are really hard and he is really worried about them, and wants to do good….but.  I let him lament for a bit and then I tried to speak some words of encouragement….You know, be prepared, get lots of rest, eat well….and most importantly ask our Heavenly Father to give you a clear mind and help you do your very best!  I made a mental note to send him an encouraging email and say some extra prayers….When I got to work Monday, once again I was reminded of a young co-worker, sweet, special young woman who is also preparing for finals while working full time.  OK, I thought…..extra prayers for her too!  As I went through the day names of college students kept popping into my mind…..All of them getting ready….worrying about their finals.  No, college finals are not life of death, but to the college student they are pretty important and stressful so……I got to thinking….we need to decorate all the college students we know with prayers to help them through finals…..My goodness….let’s help them sparkle with self-confidence, glow with clear minds and sing with praise by lifting them in prayer….Oh I do love to decorate!  Father, thank you hearing all of our prayers no matter how small!  Be with our college students, protect them, guide them and help them to do their very best to Your glory!

 

I urge, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority (and college students), that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.  1 Timothy 2:1-2.  This is the confidence we have in approaching God:  that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.  And if we know that He hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of Him.  1 John 5:14-15.  Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.  Hebrews 4:16.  “Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear,” says the Lord.  Isaiah 65:24.  Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.  1 Peter 1:22.

Let us remember that the Christmas heart is a giving heart, a wide open heart that thinks of others first. George Matthew Adams.

Love you all!

Jesus is the Reason for the Season

Good Morning Friends!  Totally taken by His love, Tuesday!  Yesterday a friend brought me a great big piece of homemade chocolate cheesecake to share with my husband.  Oh my goodness!!!!!!!  I have never ever tasted anything so good!!!!  From the thick graham cracker crust to the deep dark chocolate on top!  Absolutely marvelous!  But you know what the sweetest part was…..not the crust or the fillings….nope, the sweetest part was not what tantalized my taste buds…..the sweetest part was the act of giving…..not just the cheesecake, but her time, and knowing that she thought of me and cared enough to take the time in her morning to wrap it up and bring it to me….Yes and delivered with a hug!  Now that is sweet!  Here we are, December 3^rd….I have seen lots of homes all decorated with lights and Katy and Cooper have their tree up and decorated….I have been thinking it’s time for me to get to decorating too…..I love Christmas decorations reminders of our Savior’s birth, my favorite are the Christmas lights…..shining, sparkling, filling rooms with a warm glow….Seems to me that we can be Christmas decorations….living decorations…decorating the people we encounter in our lives with unselfish acts of love and kindness…..sharing a tasty treat (recently another friend brought me her venison jerky), giving up a place in line, maybe offer to babysit, or give someone a ride, take a lonely neighbor dinner, stop by a rest home and share a Christmas smile, make your hubby his favorite dinner, getting on line and ordering butterfly wings for someone that is not so good at it, do some crafts with kids…..not necessarily just your own……oh what beautiful decorations……Jesus is the Reason for the Season…..Jesus is LOVE…..Alive in our hearts we can be HIS loving, living decorations shining brightly, warming the world…..Father, prepare our hearts to focus on the LOVE of CHRISTmas…Your gift to us to share!  Thank you Father for the people in my life that share so unselfishly!

 

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world.  He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”  John 8:12.  This is how we know what love is:  Jesus Christ laid down His life for us.  And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.  1 John 3:16.  Love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.  1 Peter 4:8.  We love because God first loved us.  1 John 4:19.  The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.  Galatians 5:22.  Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.  1 Peter 4:10.  I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that He considered me faithful, appointing me to His service.  1 Timothy 1:12. 

       “Let us remember that the Christmas heart is a giving heart, a wide open heart that thinks of others first.”  George Matthew Adams

Love you all!

 

Attitude of Gratitude

Good Morning Friends!  Mighty awesome is our God, Monday!  Well, here it is Monday after Thanksgiving!  Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving and weekend, I know I sure did.  So many things which made me stop and say a big thank you to our Father!!!!  There’s one in particular that really touched my heart……a reality check….so to speak about what’s really important.  After a wonderful day and dinner with Cooper and Katy, oh yea and Mom and dad on Thursday, Kathyrn, Katy, and I headed to OKC to shop at 4 am Friday morning!  Papa kept Cooper, but Katy was excited to go “shopin” with us.   Of course, I was missing out on the ranch chores that Papa loves to save till I have an extra day off, but I didn’t care.  Figured I would worry about that on Saturday and just enjoy my time with the girls on Friday!  And yes, a definite thank you for that day….lots of love shared and Katy is a born shopper!  Saturday morning Kim and I headed out for a day of chores, first on the list was the kennels.  We worked for several hours, cleaning repairing and pampering our dogs…..I was trying hard to keep a good attitude and keep my energy going because what Kim had planned for us next was definitely going to require both a good attitude and energy.  Kim and I were going to work our calves…you know gather them, sort off mommas and then give them all their shots…..oh that means that you have to run them through the corrals and into the shoot….then give them 3 shots each!  OK, Kim lost our good shot equipment off the back of the truck awhile back and it’s too expensive to buy at one time, so we had to use one- dose shots which means I would be filling syringes for each calf….Kim would have to leave shoot, go into pens and get each calf up…..oh my…..Well, we were out in the pasture luring them in, when Kim had a call from a young-man neighbor.  He was looking for Kim because he was bored…..Oh my…..young man, country boy…bored.  Indeed!  We nabbed him up took him to Tupelo for a burger and yep, you got it….he didn’t even hesitate when Kim asked him if he would help us!!!!   I cannot even imagine how long and how many tiffs there would have been if Kim and I had set out alone!  Oh we would have done it, but…..We hadn’t been working too long when I realized how Kim and I had been blessed….Jayson did all the dangerous stuff, while I filled syringes and Kim gave the shots….Blessed….As I was cleaning up I felt a warm glow from the inside….Oh I had said “Thank you” several times, but suddenly I knew that it’s not the big things in life that warm our hearts….it’s the unselfish acts that really warm us…..right then I knew that Jayson had been sent to us by our Heavenly Father as a special Thanksgiving blessing.  And you know what…..Jayson had the best time…..He was so excited about each calf, his youthful attitude and energy were definitely a boost to Kim and I and he was having fun!  Thank you Father for the special little blessings that warm our hearts and help us but “things” into perspective!  Fill our hearts with attitudes of gratitude and help us to share the warmth of Your love with others.

 

Give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds.  Psalm 107:21.  I will give thanks to the Lord because of His righteousness and will sing praise t the name of the Lord Most High.  Psalm 7:17.  Praise the Lord.  Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.  Psalm 106:1.  Be kind and compassionate to one another.  Ephesians 4:32.  In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name.  Psalm 33:21.

Love you all!