December 26, 2012

Good Morning Friends! Wondrously wrapped in His loving arms Wednesday! “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas…….” I am sure you recognize that old familiar tune and I wonder how many times we heard people say, “Oh I hope we have a white Christmas or I’d give anything if it snows on Christmas.”? Well, here in Oklahoma those dreams of a white Christmas came true! And yes, I must say, that yesterday sitting in the living room, big fire in the wood stove, sappy Hallmark Christmas movie on TV, watching it snow….watching the dry brown pastures turn a pure, magical white was wonderful…..Pure like the baby born in the manager on that first Christmas night……I could feel His love wrapped around me….His peace filling my heart and mind…...lifting my spirit in joy and praise…blessings abounding…..joy, love and peace…..Later in the day we headed to Cooper and Katy’s for dinner and an evening of family fun….more love, more blessings….We started for home, still snowing a bit and so cold; the roads were already beginning to ice up and temperature was dropping…..couldn’t help and wonder about driving to work in the morning. At 1:30 am I got up to go potty, so I called the weather line for work….offices would not open till 10 am….that meant driving conditions were worse…..the Christmas dream was quickly becoming a nightmare…..Roads were one big sheet of ice this morning, cars were slipping off roads into the ditch, accidents everywhere…..utter chaos…….Oh how easy it is too lose our Christmas peace when life gets chaotic….when the bills, pile up, relationships cause pain, sickness, and sorry over take us…..we feel lost and forsaken.....This is when we need to go to the manger…..humbly kneel and give ourselves over to Jesus…..be still and feel His perfect love wrap you close……close your eyes and be filled with HIS peace……Christmas is not just one day of the year……CHRISTmust…..live in our hearts and minds everyday…….when He is there….in our hearts……He can quickly comfort us when the ice storm of worldly woes overtake us….Father, help us keep Jesus in our hearts and minds every day, in every way…….help us to glow with His love, warming everyone around us.

And suddenly there was with the angel, a multitude of heavenly host, praising God and saying, “Gory to God in the highest and on earth, PEACE, goodwill toward men. Luke 2:13-14. 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 be afraid.” John 14:27. I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell I safety. Psalm 4:8. 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 and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7.

 

Merry CHRISTmas! Love you all! (be safe)

December 21, 2012

Good Morning Friends! Forever His, Friday! A few weeks ago we decorated our front lobby for Christmas (remember I am the receptionist). We put up a big tree and as a final touch to the decorations we hung candy canes all over, our plan was to offer everyone, little and big a candy cane from the tree. Oh what a pleasure I have had offering young and old alike a chance to take a candy cane from the tree….bright smiles, sincere thank yous….simple pleasures….Christmas joy! Candy canes have been a part of Christmas for as long as I can remember….how about you? Did you know that there’s real thought and meaning behind the candy cane? The candy cane was invented by a candy maker in Indiana, his main purpose to make a candy that would really represent the true meaning of Christmas….a witness to our Greatest Gift….JESUS….THE REASON FOR THE SEASON….Here’s his analogy…..the first candy canes were all white to represent the virgin birth and the holiness of Jesus…..the candy is hard to represent THE SOLID ROCK of our faith. The candy, first is in the shape of a J….for JESUS; when you turn it over it becomes a cane….a shepherd’s cane to represent that we are children of the GOOD SHEPHERD….who takes care of us, nurtures and protects us and brings us back to HIM when we stray. Last, but certainly not least, he added the red stipe……red to represent JESUS blood shed for us…..no price for us….freely HE gave HIS life for us……We need only put our faith in HIM, the Good Shepherd, our Solid Rock! So in the next few days when you come across a candy cane….remember the candy maker from Indiana that shared so wonderfully the REASON FOR THE SEASON…..and share HIS PERFECT LOVE with someone…..Father, help us to remember the true gift of Christmas every day! Not just once a year...and help us to share the message of the candy cane!

I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you: He is Christ the Lord. This will a sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in “swaddling” clothes and lying in a manger. Luke 2:11-12. 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. 

 

Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones….Love you all!

October 1, 2012

Good Morning Friends!! Magnificent is our God, Monday!  Last week a sweet friend gave me a bag of fresh green apples.  You know the tart ones that are so good for cooking and baking!  Well, I had a busy week and didn’t get to them, but Saturday afternoon as it was raining I decided to make some applesauce.  I had not made applesauce for, probably, a couple of years.  I love to make it for Kim, with Splenda, so it’s good for him and lots of cinnamon!  So I peeled, cored, chopped, and flopped them in a pan with a little water….soon the water was boiling, so I turned it down to simmer.  Within a few minutes I was able to perform my first mash!  Soon I was adding the Splenda and cinnamon….oh did it ever smell wonderful!  If I do say so myself, the final product was quite yummy!  Hailey, Cooper and Katy were all there for a visit so I shared with them and they loved it too!  It’s always, a joy to treat your family to something special, especially when it’s so good for them too.  The final product was worth the work for sure…..took a little time to get there, but no pain no gain right!!  So applesauce is cooling, everyone has had a little taste and there on the counter is a big bowl of peelings and cores…….so, you are thinking….throw them away and get the mess cleaned up right?  Nope…..not one peel, seed, core….not one little speck was wasted!!!!  Out to the critters I went….oh how the donkeys love apple peels and the bunnies too!  You should have seen them all quivery with excitement as I opened their cage and gave them a few peels.  All the rest…..to my precious chickens!  They ate it all….every last seed!  Not one piece was wasted, rather, what some might think is worthless fed my critters….nourished and treated them too!  Just think what we could accomplish if we didn’t waste any of the talents/skills that God gives us…..oh we go around thinking we don’t have any talents, we can’t do anything special, nothing to help anyone……Just think about it…..if apple peelings can make donkeys bray in delight and bunnies quiver with excitement, just think what one of your beautiful smiles could do for someone having a bad day….how about the neighbor kid waiting for his parents to get home from work that needs help with his homework…..or maybe a snack.  How about the young mom juggling little ones in the grocery line….would it be a waste to let her go in front of you….then maybe helping her to her car to get loaded up?  How about the bake sale for Relay for Life, or Sunday school class without a teacher….how about the old neighbor that needs help with her yard…..or a friend that needs help with a recipe…….are you thinking these aren’t talents Kathie…..Oh yes….I think they are…..when we use our hearts, minds, and bodies to help others we are serving our Heavenly Father…..we are using the gifts He gave us for good…….No act is too small…Wouldn’t it be a shame to waste what He has given us!  Heavenly Father, thank you for equipping us with wonderful bodies and minds, fill our hearts with the desire to use all that you give us to help others.  To You be the glory.  And Father, thank you for yummy apples, friends that share and all our wonderful critters!

There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.  1 Corinthians 12:5.  It is the Lord your God you must follow, and Him you must revere.  Keep His commands and obey Him; serve Him and hold fast to Him.  Deuteronomy 13:4.  If anyone serves, He should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Crist.  1 Peter 4:11.  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.  Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.  Honor one another above yourselves.  Romans 12:10. 

Love you all!

September 28, 2012

Good Morning Friends!  Forever His Friday!!!!  This is the day the Lord has made!!!!  Let’s rejoice and be glad in it!!!!  …….Wednesday, it was hot, dry and windy…..Thursday raining cats and dogs and cool…….today fogged in……Each day uniquely blessed by our Lord and Father…..each day His….whatever the “weather” we are still HIS, He will never, ever, ever, leave us or forsake us…..on the days we are “fogged in” HE is there…..we must just be still, be still…wait….watch for the break in the clouds……He is there…..He is watching over us….over our families and friends…….Be still…….quiet….listen……Hear Him….feel Him……Be still….swaddled in His arms……the SON will shine……we are not alone…..we are His children…loved.  Thank you Father, for being with us even when we are feeling fogged in.

And hope does not dis appoint us, because God has poured His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.  Romans 5:5.  “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”  Hebrews 13:5.  Give your burdens to the Lord, and He will take care of you.  He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.  Psalm 55:22.  Pray without ceasing.  1 Thessalonians 5:17.  The Lord is my light and my salvation—so why should I be afraid?  The Lord protects me from danger—so why should I tremble?  Psalm 27:1. 

Love you all!

September 26, 2012

Good Morning Friends!  Wonderfully wrapped in His loving arms, Wednesday!  Oh boy!  Check out this bible verse I just came across in Proverbs 25:2, “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter……”  Now, imagine that concept……I have been dealing with some long term prayer issues both for me and a friend too and we had just talked about how frustrated we are getting…..how we just don’t understand why nothing is happening…..Now this morning I read….."it is the glory….GLORY of God to conceal a mater…..”  My mind immediately started whirling with that concept, so I went to the study part of the chapter to see what it said about that verse.  Here it is….."to conceal a matter.” ‘God gets glory because man cannot understand His universe or the way he rules it’  “Man cannot understand”  well that makes everything perfectly clear to me!!!  No I am not insane, I may have finally come to my senses…..through God in His word….The situation in my life and the life of friends, that we just don’t understand…..well, that’s God’s will……When He is ready, when the time is right, when our loved ones are ready….we will know God’s plan ….until then…..FAITH……we must have FAITH in God’s will for us and those we love…..We must TRUST and BELIEVE that His plan will be revealed and it will be perfect!  To God be the GLORY!!!  OH Father, please forgive us when we tend to take things into our own hands, when we doubt that You are there…….still our hearts and minds of the worry and enable us to put our trust in Your will….To You be ALL Glory.

The Lord longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion.  For the Lord is a God of justice.  Blessed are all who wait for Him!  Isaiah 30:18.  Whoever give heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is He who trust in the Lord.  Proverbs 16:20.  Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.  Proverbs 29:25.  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 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.  For the sake of your name, O Lord, forgive my iniquity, though it is great.  Psalm 25:11.  Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins.

Love you all! 

Kathie A. Johnson