He's got us covered!

Well my scenario might be a bit confusing, but think you will get the idea!  Blessings on your day.

 

Good Morning Friends!  Wonderfully wrapped in HIS loving arms Wednesday!  I was heading down the highway this morning, like I do every  day going to work, but this morning I left the house a little later than usual.  I know now, why I like to leave early….there was so much more traffic than when I leave a little earlier; I really had to pay more attention to everything around me.  All of a sudden it was coming at me from all sides….a big truck was merging onto the highway on the right of me, but a another big truck was coming up behind me and there was a van in front of me too close to get around it, but yikes got to get out of the way of these trucks…gosh, they were coming at me from all directions….for just a few seconds I really panicked…..was I about to be in the middle of a bad accident???!!!!  I’m sure I sent a prayer up, but was concentrating so hard on getting out of danger's path….well, the van managed to stay out of the merging trucks way and I was able to get around the van without getting rear-ended by truck behind me….I took a deep breath, relaxed and said a big “THANK YOU FATHER.”   As I drove on into work, my mind was whirling about what just happened…danger coming at me from all directions.  I chuckled out loud and began a conversation with our Father….Father, my goodness wasn’t I just in a dither this morning about the world crashing in on us from all directions….Golly molly…Father, You got me out of the mess on the highway…..and YOU are with me now….all these stresses, worries, overwhelmed by life….my goodness….FATHER, here I am….here come my burdens…..spread Your arms wide…there’s a bunch of them, but I know that YOU got me covered!  Wow, Father, thank you!  I feel so much better already!   Come on world!

 

The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying:  “I have love you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.”  Jeremiah 31:3.  The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that trust in Him.  Nahum 1:7.  My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.  Psalm 73:26.  Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall.  Psalm 55:22.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving (don’t forget this part), present your requests to God.  And the Peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your heats and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:6-7. 

Love  you all!

Stay put...in HIM!

Good Morning Friends!  First and foremost, HIS, Friday!!   The other evening, Kim was sharing what he had to do the next day….it was looking a bit tricky.  He had to have Axle to the vet in Atoka by 7:30 and then be in Paul’s Valley by 9 with bunnies to meet the lady that buys them for her pet store.  For those of you that don’t live around here, that is not a small feat….doable under good conditions, but not a sure thing!  So, he decided that he would leave out a little after 6, in hopes that they could take Axle a little early, then on to Paul’s Valley.  The next morning as he prepared to head out, I asked him if there was anything I could to help….I was secretly hoping he would say, no, that’s ok, because you know how I love my early morning time, but instead he said, “Well, if you want to come help me load the bunnies that would be great, they are really hard to load.”  Oh my gosh I thought, they are little bunnies, cute little furry bunnies, how hard could it be!  But, I said sure and followed him out to the rabbit barn.  He set out the boxes for me to put them in and then climbed on a chair to get them out of their pen.  He open the door got the first one and handed it to me.  As he did, he said now hold on to it be careful, I really was not worried…it’s a sweet little bunny….Ha, Ha, joke was on me…..I could barely hold on to it long enough to get it in the box and then….OH MY GOSH, Kim said “Look out, close the lid”  I couldn’t believe it, that little stinker tried to jump out!   I closed the box and reached up for the next one…..I was a bit more careful from then on and  couldn’t help thinking….how in the world does he get the cute little bunnies loaded all by himself!  I guess I shouldn’t have been so critical!  The thought kept nagging at me that we just don’t know another person’s job until we do it!!!!  Gosh, how often we jump to criticize others, when we should be encouraging and supporting instead!  “Hello Father, gosh how are You today?  Thanks for stopping by, what’s up?”  Well, first My child, I am always here….you just don’t always, pay attention.”  Ouch, that one hurt….”Second, those are pretty smart bunnies….they had a good lesson for you, actually they have two lessons.”  “Really, tell me more Father.”  Well, Kathie remember the other day when you talked about ‘speeding down and slowing up’?”

“Well, sure, but what….”   “Think about those cute, furry little bunnies acting all crazy, jumping out of the box into a world they know nothing about!  They have been well taken care of, but now want to jump out, be crazy….it’s a dangerous world out there….they are not prepared to go out on their own….clueless in fact.  Are you getting the idea?”   “Oh Father, I sure am.  Who would have thought You could put two good lessons for us in those cute little bunnies!  Not only do we need to be mindful of judging others, we also need to stay put…IN YOU!!!  No jumping out on our own…..unprotected from this crazy word…..Take my hand and lead me Father, slow me down and keep me in the box of YOUR LOVE!”

 

As for God, His way is perfect; the Lord’s would is flawless.  He shields all who take refuge in Him.  2 Samuel 22:31.

Jesus said, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”  Matthew 7:1-2.

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.  1 Peter 1:3.

Happy Mother’s Day to all you moms out there!

Love you all!

Speed down or slow up!

Good Morning Friends!  Today was my weekly “share a ride” day with my good friend Linda!  We made a New Year’s resolution to ride together one day a week and by golly, we have stuck to it!  Gosh, I really look forward to it; today was my turn to drive, so I picked her up in Tupelo.  She was already there when I pulled in, but I wanted us to have a tasty coffee so I ran into the store, got us coffee, then buckled in and headed to work.  We were having the best time chatting about current events, laughing about our husbands, sharing grandkid stories, what fun we have; as I got close to our exit, traffic was a bit heavy (well they were in my way anyway)!  I attempted to go around one car, but they were going too fast, I needed to get into the right lane, and pretty quickly in order to make my exit.  Yikes….there wasn’t a whole lot of room between the car in front of me and the one behind, but I had to get in there……I was getting a little panicked, I let off the gas slowing down enough to sneak in between, it was obvious I wasn’t going around.  As I prepared to ease over I said out loud…..”I’ve got to speed down or slow up, now!”   “Speed down or slow up”  oh my gosh, Linda and I both burst out laughing…..I was certainly in a dither….frantic to make my exit….words coming out of my mouth that made no sense.  We chuckled and decided that aging has a way of making it much easier to laugh at ourselves.  We finished the last leg of our commute, still chuckling as we walked into work!  As I was clocking in, I felt that familiar tap on my shoulder….I was happy to hear from our FATHER, but I knew there was a lesson in store for me.  I paused, relaxed and listened as HE pointed out how my statement, “slow up or speed down” wasn’t far off from my life at times!   “Kathie, you so often head into things not knowing if you are coming or going….slowing up or speed down……”  Hmmm, I thought to myself as HE continued….”Precious child, do you know why you go about so crazy, hither and thither at times?  All stressed out and anxious…”   Hmmm, I thought again…..almost afraid to ask….”Go ahead Father, I’m listening, tell me.”   “You go without consulting ME first…..you think you have things under control, or you think you are just too busy to stop and chat with ME before you head out for a busy day….WRONG!!!!!   Take MY hand and let ME lead you…..everywhere.  I love you, I want the best for you, safe, and at peace….come to ME first, then head out.  I will keep you going in the right direction…..slowing down or speeding up, whatever the case need be.”   Oh Father, thank you.....how silly we are so often to head out alone, when YOU are always waiting to guide and protect us.

 

The Lord is with you when you are with Him.  If you seek Him, He will be found by you.  2 Chronicles 15:2.  Dominion and awe belong to God; He establishes order in the heights of heaven.  Job 25:2.  The Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared.  Proverbs 3:26.  The Lord will keep you from all harm—He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.  Psalm 121:7-8.  I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand.  You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.  Psalm 73:223-24.  You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.  Acts 2:28. 

Love you all!

Don't miss out on God's FUN blessings

Good Morning Friends!  Find HIS fun blessings, Friday!   Most of you know that I have 3 miniature donkeys, Cloe, Eyore, and baby Sky.  Their main home is a small pasture adjoining the front yard butting up to the chicken coop.  I like having them where I can see them from the kitchen window and be able to give them treats when I go outside.  A couple of weeks ago, we moved Eyore over to the fenced yard in the front of the house.  You can’t get the lawnmower in it, so we periodically put Eyore in there to mow, plus it gives the girls a break.  Well, the whole time he has been there, around 5:30 am, he lets out an ear piercing hee haw, keep in mind, he is right outside the living room.  Things are very quiet in the house at that time, as I am chatting with our FATHER and Kim is snoozing in his chair, so when the hee haw sounds, you can’t help but notice…and honestly usually I am a bit annoyed…..This morning however, when he started in with his serenade, I smiled, just couldn’t help myself, one of those oh gosh what a stinker, but sure glad you're mine, kind of smiles….Know what I mean, and I chuckled thinking of him out there by himself, wishing he was over with the girls eating hay…gosh darn silly donkeys, I just love them!  This weekend Kim and I are going to move all three of them to a pasture a ways back from the house.  I won’t be able to see them unless I take the time to walk out there, and the morning serenade will be no more…..I always hate it when we move them, but it’s necessary so that their pen can rejuvenate and grow some nice grass for the summer.  This morning as I sat in the quiet darkness, still smiling from our hee haw serenade, I said a thank you prayer to our Father for the fun blessing of Cloe, Eyore and baby Sky…..no matter how annoying at the time, I will miss my morning serenade, but look forward to the green grass growing so the little family can return to their home.  God blesses us with so many “fun blessings” but we must slow down to see them, hear them, even smell them…stepping outside right after the lawn has been mowed, geese flying overhead in perfect V- formation, babies laughing at my silly faces, stopping to look at a turtle crossing the road, fresh from the garden veggies shared by friends, counting how many green eggs with Katy, shopping at the $Tree for treats to send to Tanleigh & Tucker (affordable treats), hearing Tanleigh say “Nana”……fun blessings…in the hectic, stressful, hurry of life….take time to enjoy the fun blessings, the little things that God sends our way to brighten our day….and then share!  Thank you Father for the fun little blessings all around us.  Open our eyes, ears, hearts and minds to savor them, slow us down so we don’t miss out, bless us with attitudes of gratitude and joyful hearts singing praises to YOU.

 

Everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving.  1 Timothy 4:4.  Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift (s)!  2 Corinthians 9:15.  Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Ephesians 5:19-20.  Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them.   Psalm 111:2.  Light is sweet, and it pleases the eyes to see the sun. Ecclesiastes 1:7.  This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.  Psalm 118:24.

Love you all.

The magnificent taste of the goodness of the Lord

Good Morning Friends!  Thankfully loved by HIM, Thursday!  A couple of days ago, during my scripture time, I came across a verse from Psalm 34 that I just couldn’t get out of my mind.  Verse 8 says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.”  I was all about the “blessed is the man” part, but the  “taste and see”  I know the LORD is good, but the “taste” part has me pondering ever sense I read it.  Now I have read that verse who knows how many times in my life, it’s highlighted in all of my bibles, but for some reason tasting the Lord just got me wondering…..how do we taste the Lord, besides in Holy Communion…..well, like I said for the past several days “taste the Lord” has been rolling around in my head….until last night, finally came all together for me….Kim had a call from a neighbor with a joining property;  he was calling to let Kim know we had sheep on his place.  Oh boy, we were relaxing on the porch at the time, I really didn’t relish the idea of loading into the truck and roaming pastures to get them back home.  However, that’s what we did…..the windows were down in the truck, and it was so nice I didn’t roll mine up….gosh, I thought, the air is so fresh, no wind either, as we headed up to where the sheep are we first passed the cows grazing on the most luscious green pasture!  I had not been out in a week and I couldn’t believe how much greener everything was and the calves are getting so big; the black cows look so magnificent against the luscious green….then we hit the sheep; lots of them were home where they were supposed to be, quite happy to see Kim in the feed truck, little did they know they were not getting fed again….we headed out into the pasture to find the roamers, look at the trees they are really starting to leaf out, oh gosh are those wildflowers blooming…yes, wow, beautiful!  We got the sheep in, found the hole in the fence, visited with the neighbor and headed out.  I couldn’t help but point out the fantastic sky….grey and white clouds mixed in joy with the rays of the setting sun illuminating them….magnificent….the ponds are so full, oh look at that flock of ducks flying overhead in a perfect V formation….What a wonderful evening….I felt so much more relaxed and at peace as we pulled back into the yard…Kim grilled us a steak and I fixed some veggies,  my first bite of steak “tasted so good”……hmm, I paused and said a thank you prayer….not for the taste of my steak, but for the magnificent taste of the goodness of the Lord, through the magnificence of HIS creation!  Oh Father, thank you for the beauty all around us, the miracles of YOU!  Help us to use all of our senses to “taste” Your goodness, and be filled with Your eternal love….to rest in Your peace.

 

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.  Fear the Lord, you His saints, for those who fear Him lack nothing.  Psalm 34:8-9.  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.  How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!  Psalm 119:103.  Everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving.  1 Timothy 4:4.  The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace.  Psalm 29:11.  Amen!  Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever.  Amen!  Revelation 7:12.

Love you all!

He did not procrastinate our salvation

Good Morning Friends!  Thankfully His Tuesday!  How about this weather!  Yesterday everybody was talking about how beautiful it was on Saturday, and all the stuff they did outside, enjoying the weather.  Some went to the lake, lots of fishing, yard work, just fun being outside.  When I was asked about enjoying the weather Saturday, I had a different story to tell.  You see, Kim and I had a major project….paperwork…..in the office…..that really needed to get done!  We had made a deal that Saturday would be the day….all day at best.  We did go out and feed the sheep and calves, water the hogs, but that was it….as nice as it was already then and as tempted as we were to stay outside, procrastinating the paper work….we didn’t!  We dragged ourselves back into the house…..straight to the office….and dug in!  More than once during the day, Kim tried to lure me outside…it is so nice he said….we can do this later….NO!!!!  Let’s get it done and we did!  As I was finishing up on Sunday (yes was a two day project) filing the last pieces, I was hit with the greatest thought….made me smile…from the inside out…..Aren’t we thankful that our Heavenly Father didn’t procrastinate giving us His Son, our Savior Jesus, to wash us clean from sin?  To give us the promise of eternal life?  He sure could have….how do you think He felt when Jesus was praying in the garden of Gethsemane…”My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me.  Yet not as I will, but as you will.”  Do you think He liked seeing His Son suffering, and then on the cross in the ninth hour when Jesus called out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”  As a mom, I know to see your child in pain and sadness hurts my heart….I know that our Father’s heart ached for His Son, but HE did not procrastinate our Salvation….He gave HIS only Son…..for us….all of us….Jesus died for us, but most importantly, HE rose for us….eternal life is now ours….believe and you will be saved.  “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.”  Ephesians 2:8.  Father, thank you for not procrastinating our salvation, thank you for YOUR Son, our SAVIOR.  Keep our faith strong.  And Father, we do so often procrastinate the things that are important in our lives…forgive us and give us Your strength and guidance to do what we need to do, when we need to do it!

 

Though you have not seen Christ, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.  1 Peter 1:8-9.

Love you all!

Why did the guinea hen cross the road?

Good Morning friends!  Wonderfully wrapped in His loving arms, Wednesday!   For the last few days on my ride into work I have encountered a flock of guineas, probably 20 or maybe a few more….they live on the north side of the road…..Now, I said that’s where they live, however I didn’t say that’s where they spend all their time.  Oh No!  Each morning as I turn onto Old 3W, I have to be on the lookout for these critters crossing the road to eat at the neighbors.  Now, let me say this…..the home of this flock of clever birds is very nice, you know big grassy yard with undoubtedly an abundance of tasty morsels, you know ticks, fleas, gnats, moist little weeds buried in the grass….tasty for sure….the yard across the road…well it’s fine, but not as big and not as much vegetation to pick through….yet these strange winged critters risk their lives by crossing a busy road to get to the yard across the street….And why….well of course, they just know that the grub across the road has got to better than the grub at their place!  Each day as I slow down and wait for them to cross, I give them a little lecture….You silly birds, why do you risk your life getting a cross the road when you have everything you need at home….This morning, I felt the familiar tap on my shoulder.  “Hello Father, how are YOU today? “  “Kathie, My child, you are the silly one….why do you strive to ‘cross the road’ to the good life, when you have everything you need right here with ME?  You risk your faith when you slight your prayer life, your time with Me in My word, worship, and Christian fellowship.  You put yourself at risk because when you are not with Me, things that are not of Me, start looking better than what you have.”  “Oh Father, I get it…..You hold everything that I need….You hold the key to life everlasting with YOU.  I don’t need to run after more and more things, bigger, better, prettier, faster, more, more, more….NO, NO, NO….YOU are all that I need!  To love and trust and in YOU and YOU only for what’s best for me.  You know what we need before we ask, You want what’s best for us and You gave us Your only SON.”  Thank you Father, for taking such good care of us and giving us enough of everything we need.  Forgive us when we think we need more and more…..thank you for YOUR gentle reminders that keep us from temptation.

 

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.  I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.  Philippians 4:12-13. Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”  Hebrews 13:5.  But godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.  But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.   1 Timothy 6:6-8.  Better a little with righteousness than much gain with injustice.  Proverbs 16:8.  A happy heart makes the face cheerful Proverbs 15:13.  Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.  Ecclesiastes 4:6.  In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name.  Psalm 33:21.

Love you all!

 

The flames of life's temptations

Good Morning Friends!  Must remain in HIM, Monday!!!  Kim had really been wanting to burn one of our pastures, but had to wait until weather conditions were just right, most importantly the wind.  Gosh we have had so much wind lately and it is just too risky to start fires if it’s windy.  Looked like maybe Friday evening would be good….he called the firemen to get some to come and help him and then waited….finally about 5:30 he had enough men committed to come help and the wind was calm, humidity good, so he made the big decision to light it up!  A little after 6, Kathyrn and the kids came over….Cooper is all about the firemen stuff you know, so he was all suited up in his wildland gear and Katy too in brother’s hand-me-down fire suit.  Cooper couldn’t contain himself….”Nana we have to go up to the cabin and see the fire, Nana please, please…..”  Mom and I both tried to convince him that he could see better if we stayed at the house, but he wasn’t having it at all!!!  “We Have TO GO!”  We walked outside and showed him where they had started to burn, that just made him want to go more!  So, we loaded into the van and headed up the hill.  We went as far as we thought was safe and we wouldn’t get stuck, then headed up the hill on foot towards the cabin.  When we got there small fires were burning all around the cabin; they were out making a fire line.  Cooper was thrilled….fire!  In a few minutes the guys all showed up and were ready to head out again; Papa was on the 4-wheeler and invited Cooper to go with him, oh yea, Cooper was gone in a flash, of course poor Katy was crying, “I want to go….”  Papa promised he would be back for her, so Kathyrn and I settled in on fire watch at the cabin….the flames were getting bigger and Kathyrn and I were getting cold and really wanted to go to the house, but Katy would have no part of that….pretty soon she was crying and I convinced her to come to the house and have a “Nana bath” and cheese pizza.  So off we went, gosh it was so dark by then we had a time getting to the car and the fires were really popping up all over the pasture.  Kathyrn and I talked about the fact that it is really so pretty to watch it burn, the colors in the flames so brilliant, we drove past some that were so big, gosh they were amazingly beautiful.  From the house the pasture seemed to be dancing with flames, it was truly a magnificent site….beautiful yet at the same time so dangerous.  The next morning the first thing Kim and I did was drive the whole hill checking for hot spots.  Wow, the whole hill was black…Kim was pleased because he had gotten a good burn.  I was in awe with all the black….the beautiful flames from last night had turned the pasture black……black and bleak….As we drove slowly through the pasture, I couldn’t help but think of the black like the black of our sin…..the flames of life’s temptations….the flames so very beautiful in fact caused the black….so very beautiful, but so very dangerous.  Oh Father, how often the things of this world that seem to be harmless, actually tempt me away from you…..away from the life you want me live….greed for things that we think we must have, but only led us to more greed and selfishness….Father, temptations are all around us…appearing harmless and attractive….Father give us strength to resist temptations that will led us away from you….we need your help to shine for you.

 

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.  And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.  But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.  1 Corinthians. 10:13.  Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.  The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.  Matthew 26:41.  Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.  And lead us not into temptation.  Luke 11:4.

Love you all!

Lord, buck us up and get us going!

Good Morning Friends!  Fill me with Your word Father, Friday!  The other day while I was in the bathroom getting ready for work, Kim came behind me on the porch to get his boots on.  I could tell he was pondering something…never know with him, he is always reading and studying new ways to take care of the animals.  What mineral is best, rotational grazing with sheep and cows, what kind and how much feed is most effective for breeding and raising calves.  He isn’t stuck on doing things the same “way they have always been done.”  That’s what he was pondering….he had been having a discussion with one of our cattle-raising neighbors about some new idea he had and as usual the neighbor said, “Well, we have always done it this way…..no need to change.”  Now this isn’t the first time Kim has had a discussion like this with this neighbor and others….I have heard it before, but this time….I just couldn’t stop thinking about it….really bothers Kim that people are stuck in the same old ways of ranching that their fathers did, when they could be growing, learning, strengthening their herds…Well, it finally hit me….could I be stuck in “the same old ways” of spending time with our Father, strengthening my faith, growing in the word, serving…..doing the same things, saying the same prayers day in and day out because….. "that’s the way I have always done it.”  Yikes!!  Tell me it isn’t so……However, if I honestly look within myself, I have to admit that I very well could be in a bit of “faith growing/time with God” rut….Yep, maybe…..NO!  Not maybe!!  Definitely!!!  Time is now for me to change things up a bit….oh I will never give up my time with HIM first thing in the morning, have to have that to make it through the day, but I can spend a few more minutes reading his word, rather than watching the news, more time praising rather whining about things in my life, I can step out of my box at church and volunteer for a new to me project, I can spend more time thanking and praising rather than begging and crying,  I can look for new ways to let my light shine, out of my comfort zone……with God’s help I can….and I will Father for You!  Forgive us Father when we get complacent in our lives with You.  Buck us up and get us going….going with You, for You, learning, growing, praising, loving….loving others as You love us!

 

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.  Jesus said, “Remain in me, and I will remain in you.  No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.  I am the vine; you are the branches…apart from me you can do nothing.”  John 15:4-5.  Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.  For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  2Peter 1:6-8. (and there we have it!)  Let’s get going!

Love you all!

Always looking out for us

Good Morning Friends!  Mighty awesome is our God, Monday!!  This morning, I needed to get some fire department paperwork to Chad, our FEMA director (he takes care of certain aspects of business for volunteer fire departments), so that he could take it to County Commissioners meeting for us.  He works right down the road from me, so it would be great if I could just stop by there on my way to my office, but he is hardly ever there yet when I go by.  Oh, he is also a resident of Lula and we take the same route to work every day, but again, I rarely ever see him on my way in.  Anyway, I figured I would call him and have him call me as soon as he got to the office and then run down there real quick…..I was happily tootling down 1600 right on time, jabbering to Kathyrn when guess what I saw!!  Yep!  There, right before my eyes was Chad, pulling up to a stop sign, preparing to turn onto 1600….woo hoo, maybe he will be there at the same time as me today!  I waved as I drove by him and then called him.  After the usual good mornings, I asked him if he was going straight to the office, to which he replied, “uh, well….I might stop somewhere.”  In other words, he was planning to stop for breakfast….I told him I had some paperwork for him to approve for the meeting….after just a short pause he said, “where are you now?”  I told him “Owl Creek….should I pull over and we can do it now?”  “Yea, I will be right there,” was his cheery reply.  Wow, I was so excited, this was the perfect solution to the top of my ‘things to do TODAY list!’  I drove a little farther until I found a safe place for both of us to pull over and watched for him to pull behind me.  Wasn’t but a few seconds and I spotted him in my rear-view mirror!  I gathered up my paper work and headed to his truck, he greeted me with a big smile as he took my paper work, and added “you look nice today” which always brightens my day!  He said he would call if he needed anything else and we both went on to work!   As I pulled out I thought….what a stroke of luck for me today!  BAM!!!!  Hit me full on….that was no luck….that was one of those, how blessed I am to be HIS child….the recipient of HIS “special little miracles”  when we least expect them, but really need them!  That’s our Father for you….always looking out for us, brightening our days, warming our nights….filling our lives with love……we just need to vigilant so we don’t miss one….And remember the next time you think you were lucky….be still and thank our Heavenly Father for the blessing of HIS special little miracles!  Father we are so blessed, forgive us when we are too busy, frantic or worried to see YOU in everything!  Bless my friends with eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts that yearn for YOU!

 

Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them.  Psalm 111:2.  The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying:  “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.”  Jeremiah 31:3.  Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.  Psalm 118:1.  Give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds.  Psalm 107-21. This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.  Psalm 118:24.

Love you all!

The fires in our life

Good Morning Friends!  Wonderfully wrapped in HIS loving arms Wednesday!  Have you noticed the smoky skies lately?  Seen flames, heard sirens?   Seems like our weather conditions have definitely landed us right smack dab into a busy fire season!  As the wife of a volunteer fireman (a very dedicated one) I know full well what this entails….and how dangerous it can be for the firemen.  Yesterday I received a call from him about 2:30, he was full into the “going to a fire mode,” his voice serious and strong….fearless even though he was telling me, “It’s a big one, I can see the flames.”  These men and women that protect our rural areas are volunteers…..no one pays them to go into the dense smoke, hot flames, unknown terrain to put out the fire….to protect their communities from harm….these firemen do it for free because they care….rather amazing to me, makes me so proud to be a small part.  As I was driving home I could see the smoke and as I got closer to Lula I could smell it too.  I said a prayer, lifting the firemen into the loving care and protection of our Heavenly Father.  As I pulled into our driveway I felt a warm peace flow through me; I smiled from the inside out….I knew our Father had something really important to remind me of……”Kathie, there will always be fires in life…..blazing finances, smoldering relationships, flaming out of control children, stress, worry, pain, grief….fires threatening to destroy you…..But Kathie, I am here, always here, no need to call 911 and wait for the firetrucks to come….come to me….I will put out your fires, I will guide you, comfort you, hold you in My arms and fill you with My peace….come to ME, precious child I will douse out your fires….come to ME.”  Thank you Father….for loving us so much that You remind us in such special ways that You are always on call for us.  And Father, please protect our firemen and women when they head out. 

 

Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me; O Lord, be my help.  Psalm 30:10.  The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.  Deuteronomy 31:8.  He who fears the Lord has a secure fortress.  Proverbs 14:26. We say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.  What can man do to me?”  Hebrews 13:6.  The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace.  Psalm 29:11.  Cast all your anxiety on God because He cares for you.  1 Peter 5:7.  I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.  Jeremiah 31:13. 

Love you all!

The 'Perfect Mentor'

Good Morning Friends!  Wise and Wonderful Wednesday!  My husband has been doing a small construction job with a young man in our neighborhood.  They work together quite often and David loves to tease Kim about teaching him (Kim has a life of working experience and he likes to share).  Kim said the other day as they got started, David said, “Well are you going to teach me anything today?”  Kim laughed, but went on to share some stories about the “job” things he tries to help David learn to make the job easier and more efficient.  I chuckled to myself, Kim is mentoring David. He shared how he told David to take care of his tape measure.  They were finishing up for the day and it had been kind of a damp day so Kim told David that when he got home, he needed to pull the tape measure all the way out wiping it with a try cloth and then spray it with WD-40.  David looked at him kind of funny, so Kim continued, “keeps it from rusting and locking up.”  David just shook his head, “I had to throw away 2 good tapes because they were rusted shut!”  Kim just laughed and told him “I’m just trying to help you and make things easier.”  As I listened to Kim telling me about his time with David, how he was mentoring him, helping to get the job done easier, with less problems, it hit me…..Oh my….”Yes Father, we have the ‘Perfect Mentor’…..YOU!  Like David on the job we can make things so much harder than they need to be!  If we would simply pay attention to what You tell us in Your word our job of life could be so much less stressful, we could avoid so many troubling “issues” if we would, “Cast all your anxiety on God because He cares for you.” I Peter: 5:7.  We want to just barrel in without thinking…not trusting that God has us covered if we trust in HIM….blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in HIM.  He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.  It does not fear when heat (or sickness, or financial problems, or work) comes; its leaves are always green.  It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”  Jeremiah 17:7-8.  No worries….wouldn’t that be great…I know since we are the weak humans we are, that we will always tend to worry some, but really friends we don’t need to let our lives be consumed with worry!  Our Father, if we go to HIM, and really, really trust in HIM, we can really, really let go of the yucky stuff and let HIM guide us!  I promise, I wouldn’t steer you wrong on this, I know it’s not easy, but gosh when we do it….

"The Lord gives strength to His people (that’s us….you and me); the Lord blesses blesses HIS people with peace.  Psalm 29:11.  “Submit to God and be at peace with Him; in this way prosperity will come to you.  Job 22:21.  Really!!!  I wouldn’t steer you wrong on this….nope steering you right into HIS loving arms and PERFECT PEACE!  “May the God of Peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way.  2 Thessalonians 3:16. 

Love you all!

 

Our God, the master artist!

Good Morning Friends!  Forever HIS Friday!  WOW!  Our God is an AWESOME God!!!  That’s all I could think this morning as I sat down to breakfast and looked out the kitchen window…the sunrise was awe-inspiring!  I hope you had a chance to see it…..the sky was alive with color, shades of pinks and lavender,  as the sun rose slowly lighting the sky….the sky appeared to be glowing…..like hot embers in the wood stove…..God’s miraculous love glowing for us, warming us in this seemingly, at times, cold world.  I sat still for a moment…pondering…..HIS LOVE for me…for each us….how could anyone deny how HE feels about us after seeing the miracle of HIS creation in the morning sky!  A perfect reminder for us that the heavens and the earth were created by HIM, for us!  We miss so many miracles of HIS creation because we are in such a hurry, or simply do not pay attention….So, this weekend, let’s slow down….open our eyes, ears, and even our noses and take in every miracle we can find!  And more importantly….let’s open our hearts and our minds to the warm glow of HIS love….I close my eyes and see vividly the morning sky….Oh Father, there’s no way we can thank you enough….we know we do not deserve YOU, but Father we praise YOU as big as YOUR little children can.

 

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.  And God said, “Let there be light, “ and there was light……And God saw that it was good.  Genesis 1.  You  alone are the Lord.  You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them.  You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship You.  Nehemiah 9:6.  He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.  He bestows rain on the earth; He sends water upon the countryside.  The lowly He sets on high, and those who mourn are lifted to safety.  Job 5:9-11.  Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.  Psalm 34:8.  This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.  Psalm 118:24. 

 

   I want to share a quote with you that I read this morning from Gloria Gaither, “I’ve heard a lot of sermons in my day, but the best sermon I’d heard in a long time was preached in one word by a busy waitress as she poured a cup of coffee.  God has given us this.  I don’t want to miss it.   ENJOY!”  My prayer for each of you is that you are able to “ENJOY” this weekend.

Love you all!

 

One string at a time...

Feb 3 at 11:09 AM

Good Morning Friends!  Wise and Wonderful Wednesday!!!  Last Saturday I went with Kim to help him feed, he had to get hay out and he says it sure helps him if I open gates and cut the strings while he hauls the huge round bales back and forth.  So nice to be needed, right!!!   I know it seems like an easy enough task, but really…..it’s harder than it looks.  The plan is, take a pocket knife and cut all the strings on one side of the bale;  the problem here is that the strings get buried in the hay and you have to hunt for them….there are about 10-12 strings per bale and sometimes it truly is hard to find them.  OK, once you think you have all the strings cut you walk around to the other side of the bale to pull off the strings…easy enough right??!!  Find the stings, gather them in your hand and pull…remember the bale is on the ground and you are pulling the strings all the way out.  Well, I was having a heck of a time, just couldn’t get them to come out; I kept going around to the other side to make sure I hadn’t missed cutting any strings, then back to keep pulling.  Darn it, this was taking too long, but I just couldn’t get them to come out….I hated to disappoint Kim, but sure enough he was back before I could get them.  He came over grabbed all the stings and pulled….and pulled….and pulled.  He couldn’t get them either (must admit that made me feel a little better), then he dropped all but one string and pulled the one by itself…hmmm it came right out!  He kept pulling one after another explaining to me that “sometimes it’s much easier to do them one at a time.”  For the rest of the day, bale after bale I pulled one string at a time and was quite successful.  Bam….it hit me…..so often I make things so hard….I try to accomplish a task all at once…rather than “one string at a time.”  Kim’s advice is so much like our FATHER’S…..If we come to HIM, tell HIM what we need to accomplish….HE will give us a successful plan….one string at a time….The hard part is….we must go and listen…I would have been out there all day and the cows might not have gotten any hay if I had not listened to Kim’s advice…..One string at a time got the job done, with no stress or frustration…So are so stubborn…we think we can do it all by ourselves, but there’s no need….HE is there ready, waiting and wanting us to come to HIM so HE can make the job, whatever it is, easier.  And I mean anything….no matter how small…why HE even helps when we go to Walmart…just gotta ask!  Thank you FATHER for giving us the guidance we need to pull the strings and get the job done.  We are sorry that we are so stubborn, forgive us because we need YOU so very, very much!

 

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.  Pay attention to my wisdom, listen well to my words of insight, that you may maintain discretion and your lips may preserve knowledge.  Proverbs 5:1-2.  Remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth.  Deuteronomy 8:18. I will instruct you in the way you should go/ I will counsel you and watch over you .Psalm 32:8.  The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts have good understanding.  To Him belongs eternal praise.  Psalm 111:10.

Love you all!

 

Acts of kindness waiting for us to deliver...

Good Morning Friends!!!   The dreaded grass fire season hit with a vengeance last week in Lula!  Started on Thursday with a big one, then Friday they got paged about 3:30 another one raging and the wind was so bad.   I had been home a while, had my chores done, was in my jamies and in the middle of trying a new recipe when Kim called.  He wanted me to go to Tupelo and get food for all the firemen….it had been a tough afternoon and going into the night….Well, normally I would have jumped at the chance to help them, but like I said…it was Friday night, I was in my jamies, and in the middle of a new recipe, so my reaction to him was less than it should have been….I reluctantly  said ok, hung up the phone and called in the order.  I made myself presentable and headed to Tupelo….my night vision is terrible so had to go pretty slow…good thing I encountered 3 horses and their riders right along the highway, crazy people!  When I got to Tupelo they were just finishing my big order, they helped me carry it to the car and I headed out to find the fire sight.  Kim had given me good instructions and told me to not get into the heavy smoke.  When I arrived on scene…wow what a sight, trucks and lights flashing for as far as I could see….and it was smoky (I wondered how they could stand it).  I was a little nervous, parking and getting out, but as soon as I did several firemen came to help me.  Oh my gosh!  They were so grateful!!!  They thanked me over and over and gave me big hugs and they were so happy!  Here they were, risking their lives, grueling labor and late after a day at their jobs….happy, smiling, hugging, and so very appreciative of me.  Wow….As I got back into the car to go home, I was so thankful they couldn’t read my minds…I was so ashamed of myself….how could I have ever been so selfish…I continued my drive asking our Father to forgive me….Look what I would have missed out on if I hadn’t had the chance to do that!  Father, help us to see the acts of kindness waiting for us to deliver, forgive us when we are selfish with our time because we miss out on the blessings You have for us.  Help us to remember it is so good to give….to give YOU GLORY with our actions.

 

Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.  1 John 3:18.  Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people….Galatians 6:10.  Be kind and compassionate to one another.  Ephesians 4:32.  As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Colossians 3:12.  In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.  Matthew 7:12.

Here a chick, there a chick, everywhere a chick, chick...

Good Morning Friends!!!!  Thankfully His Thursday!  Last spring my husband decided to start up the old incubator and hatch eggs….the eggs of course came from my chickens, but oh he was going to make lots of money selling chickens…..OK…..to get lots of money you have to have lots of chickens right….Oh my, I will spare you the gory details of what happens when you end up with a whole bunch of growing chicks and run out of room in the “hatchery.”  Let’s just say it was never the same for my old chickens again….for several weeks he brought the growing chicks down to the house and put them with my chickens…..I never got another egg from my girls….turned out that most of the new chickens were roosters.  Poor hens never had a chance to sit and lay eggs!  Needless to say I was not too quiet about the situation in my chicken coop….so Kim, to save his sanity, caught up the roosters, hauled them to his favorite trader and traded them for a few hens.  However, we did keep one handsome little rooster.  Things were finally settling down in the coop when one day I went out to feed and my handsome little rooster had laid down and died…broke my heart.  Now I know you don’t need a rooster to have eggs, but what’s a chicken coop without one rooster to protect his girls, right?  Well, it just so happened during all the transporting of chicks that one hen decided to live outside the coop.  Never ever would she go in at night with the others, it was the craziest thing; try as I might I could not get her to go, so finally I gave up and let her have her way.  She was always out in the yard during day, but I had no idea where she went at night….one day she showed up with two precious little chicks at her side.  We were pretty proud of her, but figured her little ones would never survive outside the coop.  Well were we ever wrong!  Every day they would come out and hunt and peck with mom and then disappear at night.  When they got just a little bigger she started roosting with them on the pool deck (nice indeed), outside our bedroom window, opposite side of the house from the coop.  One morning a couple of weeks ago, quite early, we heard something odd outside our bedroom…..there it is a again….what is that….Well, for goodness sake it was one of the little chicks trying to crow….too funny!  From then on we have heard him every morning….and Kim finally caught him and put him in the coop so my girls have their….soon to be man again!  Each morning we hear him and make fun of him….his crow is weak and wobbly, so Kim and I have been having a good laugh about his rather pathetic morning wake- up call!  That is until this morning….a light went on in my head…shame on me….that little guy is doing the very best he can!  He is giving it all he has right now and will improve as he matures….Master Rooster is a work in progress.  Wow!  How often do we criticize people, judging the way they do things, maybe even talk about them behind their backs, when in fact they are doing the best they can at the time…..good lesson Master Rooster…..judge not lest you be judged, right?  Isn’t that what our Heavenly Father teaches us!  So from now on, when I am tempted to judge someone, I am going to think of Master Rooster and do my best, to let my thoughts and actions give glory to our Father.  Father, forgive us when we look at others and judge without looking at ourselves.  Help us to always do the very best we can to your glory.

 

Jesus said, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.  Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?  How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye, ‘l when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?  You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.  Matthew 7:1-6.  Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.  Honor one another above yourselves. Romans 12:10.

Love you all!

 

Too many treasures on earth

Good Morning Friends!  Today, Tuesday, this day our Lord made for us!  Let’s get happy and rejoice in all HE does for us!  This morning my bible reading took me to Matthew 6:19-21….Jesus is teaching and tells the people, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”   Oh boy, this really hit me, as it pains me to admit, I am a bit of a hoarder….well of sorts, I don’t buy things, but I am so sentimental I just feel the need to keep everything….everything that was ever given to me or to someone I love and left to me, or used by someone I love….heck I have flowers in my mom’s old metal enema can…..yes I am serious!  And then there are the things that I might be able to use someday for a craft, at home with grandkids or at Sunday School with my other kids….did you know you can make really cool chains out of empty adding-machine paper rolls, and angels out of soda cans and you should see what you can do with paper towel rolls!  It’s amazing!  Last Sunday the kids were playing charades, one boy was trying to get them to guess he was one of the old testament kings.  He said, “Ms. Kathie I need to see you in your room.”  The room you see is where we store all of our “things.”  I went in with him and he told me he needed that old Burger King crown….My heart sank; I had kept that crown for years to use at Christmas, etc. until just a couple of weeks ago.  You see, my teachers and I were cleaning up, they not being the collectors that I am are always trying to get me to let go of some “things”  things that I always insist we might be able to use at some point and time.  Well, you have probably guessed, I was convinced to let the Burger King crown go….now Jacob needed it and it was gone!  I was devastated…he needed it and I had gotten rid of it….Dang it!!!  Thank heavens Jacob wasn’t as devastated as me; actually he just got creative with his hands and in just a short time they had guessed who he was….OK, so after reading Matthew this morning, I am thinking differently about what happened on Sunday.  The crown was old, battered, and replaceable…and Jacob just reached into his mind and figured out what to do, used his imagination which is always a good thing for kids, so I guess good stuff came from the purge…..Maybe I am storing up too many treasures on earth…..maybe it’s time for me to let go of some “things” and spend more time storing up treasures in heaven.  How many times do our things distract us from time with our Father, prayer, helping others (treasures in heaven)…..keep sakes are good, no one will ever convince me otherwise….it’s the place they hold that’s the problem…Father, forgive me when my treasures take away from my life with YOU!  You are my all in all!  Help me to let go not only of my things, but of my worries and fears….help me to let go and LET YOU!

 

Therefore I tell  you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.  Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not much more valuable than they?  Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?.....But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own…..(give it to HIM).  Matthew 6:31-34.  I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.  Philippians 4:13. 

Love you all!

The perfect Kleenex for our tears!

Good Morning Friends!   Saturday my husband and I went to Norman to get the car serviced….as long as we were there…..I figured just as well make a quick stop at Target, right??!!!  Kim opted to stay in the car while I headed in to check out Valentine shirts and bathroom rugs.  I was moseying through the bathroom things, when I heard a little boy crying desperately for his pacie.   I could hear his Mom tell him he couldn’t have it because it had fallen on the floor and was dirty…unfortunately the little boy found no comfort in his Mom’s logic…..he continued his desperate sobbing….I rounded the corner and found myself in the aisle where he was crying so sadly as Mom was busy looking at towels.  Poor little guy looked pathetic, his face was all red and wet with tears and his little nose was running terribly.  Breaks an old nana’s heart to see little ones so miserable…I continued to the next aisle but could still hear his cries, when he said, “get my boogies….mommy get my boogies.”  He was pleading…. Mom responded, “I can’t, I don’t have any Kleenex with me.”  Once again her logic did nothing to comfort the little guy….”gosh” I thought, “I have Kleenex”  so I headed my cart in their direction, said excuse me to Mom and handed her my Kleenex.  She was very grateful and in just a little bit, the desperate sobbing had ceased.  As I finished my shopping and headed to the car, I couldn’t stop thinking about that little guy’s desperate cries….Oh my goodness, how often do I think my situation is desperate….crying until my eyes are red and my boogies are running….sad, miserable, desperate, and pathetic…..Why do I so often suffer alone when our Heavenly Father is right there with HIS love…the perfect Kleenex to dry my tears….comfort me, guide me….HE sees my pain and suffering and hears my desperate cries…before I even come to HIM….The little boy was finally comforted when Mom wiped his tears and boogies…..thank goodness we do not have to cry as long as that little guy, if we  just stop and come to HIM, bringing HIM all our worries, sorrows, burdens….little ones, big ones….come to HIM and leave them with HIM.  He will dry your tears.  Father, forgive us when we don’t come to You first!  Thank you for taking our worries and drying our tears….

 

…..The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; He will remove the disgrace of His people from all the earth….Isaiah 25:8.  Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles….2 Corinthians 1: 3-4.  The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles.  The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed spirit.  A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all.  Psalm 3417-19.  

Love you all!

The perfect refill

Good Morning Friends!!!  Marvelous in HIS love, Monday!   Last week at work, all of our single roll TP holders were replaced with those great big double ones!!!  You know the ones I mean, right….seems like there is never enough TP, but our wonderful maintenance department is doing their best to keep us supplied, hence the great big double roll dispensers!  Well, you know me….as I was sitting there the other day…..I got to pondering the big rolls…..thinking sure is nice to have such a big supply of TP in every bathroom now….Then the light came on….”Hi Father, what’s going on?”  “Well, Kathie, these really are nice big TP rolls, but you know…..they will still run out and have to be refilled…..they only go so long before the dispensers are empty and need to be ‘refilled’.”  “Hmm, I’m think I’m getting Your point, Father….Are you saying that that we can only go so long before we are empty?”  “Yes, My child, you can only go so long without refilling your heart, mind and spirit with all that I am and have for you.  I love you, I want the best for you....you must come to me and be refilled, when you are sad…..lonely, discouraged, anxious, depressed, sick….Come to Me through prayer, My word, and time in My house with more of My children….I will fill you with peace, comfort, joy….LOVE, My LOVE….come to me and you will be over flowing with My LOVE”    Thank you Father for being our “PERFECT REFILL”  no matter what the situation….Help us to come to You sooner rather than later!

 

Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.  Luke 12:32.  He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  Psalm 91:1.  May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to Your promise to your servant.  Let Your compassion come to me that I may live…Psalm 119:76.  The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:7. Let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy.  Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in You.  Psalm 5:11.  Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance.  Jude 2. 

Love you all!

Give God a thumbs up!

Good Morning Friends!  Wow!  It’s a “thumbs up” Wednesday!  Last night Cooper graduated from Kindergarten, of course Papa and I would not have missed it for anything, so after grabbing a quick bite to eat we headed to the school in plenty of time for the big affair.   We found a place to sit and then the wait.  Finally the principal came, welcomed us, and asked us to stand for the procession of graduates!  We stood, turned and smiled as we watched those precious little kiddos start down the aisle in their caps and gowns.  Oh my gosh, how cute they looked and were they ever serious!  They must have really gotten a talking to about being serious and walking slow (very slow)…..then we saw Cooper waiting his turn to go…..we both waved to get his attention, smiling as only a Nana and Papa can….only took a second until he spotted us!  His serious little face broke into a great big, ear to ear, smile!!!!  And then……out the blue, he gave us the “thumbs up”  high and proud, smile from ear to ear…..He was so happy we were there for him, to share in his big day…..just being there prompted him to “thumbs up”!  Gosh we were so happy…proud….The rest of the ceremony was fun, singing for us, a cute little movie interviewing them and then the diplomas and recessional!  A happy evening for sure!  As Papa and I drove home we beamed as we thought of him giving us the “thumbs up.”  My mind turned to our Father……turned to all the wonderful things He does for us, day in and day out…..He’s always there, everywhere with us, guiding us, supplying our needs, comforting us, giving us wisdom, blessings of family, friends, and HE’s always there….watching out for us….rejoicing in our happy times….Oh my….I just know that our Father would be so proud if we gave Him the “thumbs up” once in a while….just cause HE’s there…….ALWAYS and FOREVER present with us, for us……so come on all you all……one, two, three…..THUMPS UP!  Father, all honor, glory and praise to You….today and every day!

 

Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again:  Rejoice!  Philippians 4:4. Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!  Psalm 32:11.  Be joyful always.  1 Thessalonians 5:16.  I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God.  For He has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.  Isaiah 61:10.  May the God hope fill you with all and peace as you trust I Him, so that you may overflow with  hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Romans 15:13.

Love you all!!!!!