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!

Christmas is never over!

Good Morning Friends!!!!  Marvelous is HIS love, Monday!   Merry Christmas!!!!  No, I have not gone completely nuts….but I have spent a lot of time taking down Christmas decorations the last few days….Yep, I begrudgingly hauled the storage containers into the house thinking Christmas is over….time to get this stuff down and packed up for another year!  I figured the task would not take too long….take it down, put it in container and go one to the next thing right…..Well, about the third little ornament I held in my hands I realized the job was not quite as simple as I had first thought….Each decoration had its own story….memory….some were made by our children or grandchildren, some given to me by precious friends, some I picked out myself….each one telling its own story…..suddenly I didn’t want to take them down and pack them away….I wanted to keep them out where I could see them and remember their stories……but I thought that’s silly, Christmas is over!  At that moment, I could hear our Father, I could feel HIM close to me…..I could feel baby Jesus in my heart….alive and well…..CHRISTmas is never over!!!!  We may just officially celebrate once a year, but our hearts and lives must celebrate every day!!!!  Oh gosh, let’s not ever pack Jesus away…..let’s love HIM, serve Him, worship and praise HIM every day….in every way we can….Let’s keep Christmas on going all year long….. "On the 364 day of Christmas my JESUS gave to me….love and forgiveness…..every day of CHRISTmas HE loves and forgives us and that’s not an easy task…so let’s not pack HIM away…never ever!  Father, thank you for the gift of YOUR SON our SAVIOR, help us to live our lives every day with the true CHIRSTmas Spirit…..Joy to the World, The Lord has Come and is staying!

 

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 bride adorns herself with her jewels.  Isaiah 61:10.  Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.  Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs.  Psalm 100:1-2.  And she gave birth to her firstborn, a son.  Luke 2:7, “  She wrapped Him in cloths and placed Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”  ”…….There was no room in the inn, but oh yes….there must always be room in our hearts for HIM!

Love you all! 

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.

He makes all things brand new: 2 Corinthians 5:17-8, 21

Good Morning Friends!  Wonderfully wrapped in His loving arms Wednesday!  I was so excited yesterday at the prospect of finally getting to come to work on CR 1600….if you reach back, you might remember I shared when it closed quite some time ago.  More miles and time for me, so I was so glad when I found out Monday night that it was open (well sort of).  I headed out early yesterday because of the rain, but I was excited about being back on 1600!  My goodness, what a difference, the old road was so rough, bumpy, and full of potholes….the new road smooth, wider and no potholes!  Just amazing to me what they can do with good equipment and man power…..an old road, “brand new.”  As I drove along a thought came to me…..we too can be brand new…..no matter how rough and bumpy we become, no matter how many potholes or how deep they are….we can be “band new” again too!  Oh  friends, my heart warmed as I felt HIS arms around me…reassuring me that through the blood, the death, and resurrection of His ONLY SON, JESUS we can be ‘brand new,” washed clean, free from our sin and guilt….from the bumpy, narrow road that we sometimes travel…….There’s always, always HOPE for us and those we love through JESUS……smile with me, thank our Father for HIS unending grace and mercy, and never give up on yourself or a loved one no matter how deep the potholes….Go to HIM, Be Still, lean into HIS embrace, Listen….Trust……Believe……HE Makes all things NEW….BRAND NEW.   Thank you Father!  All honor and praise to YOU!

 

Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?  We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life…..for sin shall not be your master because you are not under the law, but under grace…..For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.  From Romans 6.  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!  All this is from God who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.  God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.  2 Corinthians 5: 17-18 & 21.  As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.  Psalm 103:12.  It is by grace you have been save, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the girl of God.  Ephesians 2:8.  Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move.  Nothing will be impossible for you.”  Matthew 17:20.

Love you all!

May 6, 2013

Good Morning Friends!  Marveling in HIS Monday!  I have a skirt that is an integral part of my wardrobe, nothing special, just a straight, kaki skirt; actually acquired it as a hand-me-down, but my goodness it just goes winter, summer, spring or fall…..can’t imagine not having it.  Well…..a month or two ago while doing laundry I washed it with a brightly colored sweatshirt.  Now this sweatshirt is several years old and been washed a hundred times, so I didn’t think twice about washing them together……..Well, it was one of those days I just didn’t get stuff out of the washer and into dryer immediately….just lazy I would say….plain lazy!  Well, when I finally got to it I was horrified!  My most valued kaki skirt had splotches of purple and blue…..oh they were pretty, don’t get me wrong….kind of the tie dyed affect…..BUT NOT ON MY SKIRT!  I was horrified…..what a stupid ghastly mistake I had made….lazy and careless!  I immediately rewashed skirt….to no avail…yet again nothing…….I never dried it in the dryer, but washed a few more times before I just gave up.  For some silly reason I hung it back in my closet…..gosh whatever would I do without that skirt…..One day, a week or so ago, just out the clear, I had a thought….”I wonder if I washed it in Rit Dye Remover if that would get the colors out?”  Well, I thought worth a shot, what can I lose!  So, the next time I was in Wal-Mart I got a box.  It wasn’t until this weekend that I finally got around to trying it…..I carefully read the directions and followed them to a tee….after 20 minutes in the washing machine……WOW….I think this is going to work!  I let the cycle run through and then washed it like regular……I have my kaki skirt back!  Clean as a whistle!  I was so excited about my skirt…couldn’t wait to tell Hailey and Kim….poor things were there the day it happened….Then…..as I began calming down……I felt the need to pray……the need to thank our Heavenly Father for….yes for dye remover…OH yes I am thankful for such a wonderful invention, but oh so much more than that…..I am so thankful that HE REMOVES all the splotches of our sins……REMOVES them….never to be seen again….CLEAN AS A WHISTLE…even though we don’t deserve it!  Oh Father…..how blessed we are to be Your children…..loved and forgiven….clean.  Help us to try harder for You!  Help us to forgive others as you forgive us.  All glory, praise and honor is YOURS!

“My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my soul, which thou has redeemed.”  Psalm 71:23.  “Come now let us reason together, says the Lord.  Though you sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow, though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”  Isaiah 1:18.  For the sake of your name, O Lord, forgive my iniquity, though it is great. Psalm 25:11.  I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.  Hebrews 8:12.  Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.  Ephesians 4:32.  We love because God first loved us.  1 John 4:19. 

April 15, 2013

Good Morning Friends!  Mighty Awesome is our God, Monday!  This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!  Whether we feel like it or not……!!!!  Gosh seems like we are in one of those spells, when you think nothing else could go wrong and then….it does!  Sitting here feeling sorry for myself, my thoughts turned to David….and his words in Psalm 40.  I am not sure what had happened that led David to write what he did, but I get the feeling he was in a spell like we are, but he starts out…”I waited patiently for the Lord;” gosh it’s hard to do that sometimes isn’t it….he continues, “He turned to me and heard my cry.”  Can you hear me Lord?!!  I’m crying, like a big baby…..hear me?!  “He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire, He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.”  Ah…..a solid place would be nice….Lord, give me courage to step out in faith and feel You, solidly beneath me…hold onto me as I get through the mud….David goes on to say, “He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.”  Hmmm, a new song….that’s what I need…..how about the laughing song….Do you know that one?  “ho, ho, ho hosanna, ha, ha halleluiah, He, He He saved me, I have the joy of the LORD!”  A joyful song because I know that He hears me, loves me and cares…..I can rejoice with David because, “Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust….”  I do trust You Father……Thank you for lifting me out of the mud…….forgive my weakness. 

The email below was sent to me by a sweet friend, I thought it was really worthy of a share….God bless you all.  Love you

The Holy Alphabet- Although things are not perfect Because of trial or pain Continue in thanksgiving Do not begin to blame Even when the times are hard Fierce winds are bound to blow God is forever able Hold on to what you know Imagine life without His love Joy would cease to be Keep thanking Him for all the things Love imparts to thee Move out of "Camp Complaining" No weapon that is known On earth can yield the power Praise can do alone Quit looking at the future Redeem the time at hand Start every day with worship To "thank" is a command Until we see Him coming Victorious in the sky We'll run the race with gratitude X alting God most high Y e s, there'll be good times and yes some will be bad, but... Z ion waits in glory...where none are ever sad! "I AM Too blessed to be stressed!" The shortest distance between a problem and a solution is the distance between your knees and the floor. The one who kneels to the Lord can stand up to anything. Love and peace be with you forever, Amen.

April 2, 2013

Good Morning Friends!  Thankfully His, Tuesday!  I didn’t realize that it had rained during the night, but when I got up I could hear it on the metal roof of the porch….I said a thank you prayer.  As I drove into work the rain was steady….not too hard, so visibility was ok, but steady enough to be a good rain….I said another thank you, grateful for the rain for our dry pastures and low ponds…..My thoughts turned to the pasture Kim and I had checked on Sunday….I smiled as I envisioned the fragile, green- grass yearning to emerge through the dry grass…..I felt my shoulders relax and even though when I left the house my husband was worried and anxious, I could feel a smile forming in my heart….yearning to break out in joy…….My heart and mind were consumed with the many blessings our Heavenly Father rains on me every day…..doesn’t have to be a torrential down pour, the gentle blessings are so wonderful too….you know…..lunch with an old friend…..a call from a grandchild…..fresh coffee delivered to your desk…..dying Easter eggs with grandkids and then hunting them……something you really need going on sale……a visit with family you haven’t seen in a long while…..notice of on-line donations to Rely for Life popping up on computer…..fresh eggs from the chickens you thought never would lay…..homemade ice cream…friends that pray faithfully for and with you…..new tires……the Good Will Store……volunteer firemen…..sweet puppies….good jobs…..French toast made with rye bread and powdered sugar…cold water in the fountain at the touch of a finger…an unexpected box of goodies in the mail from your sister…….gentle rain falling on the pastures…..sunshine that follows the rain……green grass…….Thank you Father for the good little blessings that bless us every day.  Forgive us for being too busy, too dry to appreciate our steady blessings……to Praise and Thank you with grateful hearts….Shame on us Father….Thank you for loving us still!  All glory, honor and praise to YOU!!

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.  Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs.  Know that the Lord is God.  It is He who made us, and we are His;  we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.  Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.  For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.  Psalm 100.

Love you all! 

March 15, 2013

Good Morning Friends!  Fabulous Friday, I am His and so are you!  The last couple of days I can’t help but notice all the signs that spring is coming.  The tree across from my office is heavy with beautiful white blossoms, the grass is a vibrant green, bright yellow daffodils dot the roadsides, and every pasture has young calves happily frolicking.  The sun is shining and warm…..A wonderful time to Praise God for the wonders of His creation…..Not to be negative, but simply realistic……as beautiful as it is outside right now….in a matter of seconds it could all change….spring storms are known for damaging winds, hail, and possible tornados……Not every day is a beautiful spring day……flowers don’t always bloom and the grass is not always green……but storms pass…..and for us…..we are never alone in the storm….Our Heavenly Father is with us, shielding us from the winds, holding us through the tornados…Loving us….always and forever!  Father thank you for wonders of Your creation right now as we are enjoying special signs of spring and thank you for holding us through the storms.

Have a wonderful weekend….enjoy God’s creation.  I am including our Today from one year ago….just seemed fitting!  God Bless you.  Love you all!

Good Morning Friends!  Thankfully His, Thursday!!  Cruising into work this morning as usual, thinking about my day and praying, I remembered a dream I had last night.  When the crazy thought came into my head I immediately remembered that I had dreamed it last night; I don’t recall too much of the dream, but what I do remember left me with a worthy thought.  I was driving in someone else’s car, but I was the driver.  There was one person with me, seems like the person was not too familiar to me, anyway we were driving someplace I had never been and we were definitely on some kind of an urgent mission…..seems like there was tension in the car.  Like I said, I was the driver and what I recall is that we were driving up a very steep hill….I am talking almost straight up, like scary straight up…almost like a roller coaster.  I remember feeling stressed, but was doing my very best to not panic….I distinctly remember thinking……”I don’t think my VW would make it up this hill…….that’s it….that’s all I remember.  Here’s what I got out of it…..We never know when we head out in a day what hills we may have to climb…..what struggles we may have to overcome…..what grief or pain we may have to bear…….getting to the top depends on our power source.  The car I was driving in my dream had a powerful engine…..I am sure I made it safely to the top.  My little VW (as much as I just love it and it does awesome here), on the other hand I am not sure would have made it…….the trip would have been much more difficult!   Yep Father, I hear You, I understand…..without You as our power source……without You pushing us up our hills………without YOU….don’t even want to think about it!  Heavenly Father, thank you so much for empowering us with Your love.  Fill us with the faith- giving power of the Holy Spirit so that our faith continues to grow stronger enabling us to climb our hills with strength and confidence and filled with Your Perfect Peace.

Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm.  Nothing is too hard for you.  Jeremiah 32:17.  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.  Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.  Isaiah 41:10. 

Love you all!

March 4, 2013

Good Morning Friends!  Marvelous is His plan, Monday!  One day last week I opened a kitchen drawer and while digging for something towards the bottom I saw a mouse dropping.  Well, I thought you haven’t cleaned this drawer in a while because you don’t have mice anymore.  I never gave it another thought until Saturday.  Cooper and Katy came down with Hailey to pick up pine cones and of course they had to have a snack from Nana’s famous snack drawer.  Cooper opened the drawer and they each got something.  After they left I went in to close the drawer completely and was absolutely appalled at what I saw!!!!  Oh No!  Tell me it can’t be so!!!!  No Way!!!!!  My worst nightmare…..a whole package of graham crackers nearly gone…..tiny shreds of paper, crumbs, and…..gross droppings lined the drawer.  Kim was in the living room and could hear my tirade…..what’s the matter he asked.  WE HAVE MICE!!!!!   Where are those cats we had?????   You must understand….I HATE MICE!   Kim pondered for a moment and then said…..”Uhh, now that I think about it, I haven’t seen the cats in a while!”  Duh, no kidding jack….look at this mess, yuck….gross….disgusting!  I dug around and found one package of unopened Decon, opened it and put it out in a place safe from kids, but deadly for those nasty critters feeling quite smug…..Until early this morning, that is when I leaned over to open a cupboard and a big, fat mouse came so close to my feet that I had to scream!  That’s it!!!!!!  I hollered, I am getting out the traps!!!”  As I dug around trying to find mouse traps that I had not used in ever so long (if you reach back in your memory, I wrote about having the cats quite a while ago), I felt that familiar tap on my shoulder….”Good morning, Father…any idea where I put the mouse traps?”  “Yes Kathie, just keep digging they are right there.  Kathie isn’t it funny how you haven’t even thought about those cats for so long…..you hadn’t seen any signs of having mice, so you just didn’t give them a thought….for so long they just worked and worked for you….making sure no mice got into your house…..you never gave them a thought…..not once….UNTIL………”  “ Oh Father, I get it….until I had a problem…..”  How often do we cruise along everything going along just fine …we don’t even think about our Heavenly Father, taking care of everything for us…..providing us with all our needs, day in and day out…..life is good….no real problems…so we don’t think about….saying, Thank you Father, Praise You, All Glory to You….Awesome Father, we praise You and thank you…..No….but as soon as we see some “nasty droppings”  oh yea, then all of a sudden….we call on You…..Help Father, please fix this and take care of that…..Father, please HELP ME!  Father, thank you for nasty mouse droppings to remind us that You deserve our praise all the time, every day….not just we are surrounded by “droppings”.  All Praise, Honor, and Glory to You our Awesome, Heavenly Father!

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.  Psalm 73:26.  Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.  1 Thessalonians 5:18.  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.  Rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.  Colossians 2:7.   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!

Kathie A. Johnson

January 8, 2013

Good Morning Friends!!!! Totally taken by HIS love, Tuesday! Have you ever had a problem, want, need, issue that you just prayed about and prayed and prayed…weeks, months, years……friends praying with you, but dang seems like nothing is happening? God isn’t listening…..He just doesn’t feel my pain……I have a good friend that has been in this situation for a couple of years…..we have faithfully prayed for God’s guidance and help with her problem……nothing….Yesterday I had a chance to visit with her for a few minutes; we had not talked in a couple of weeks….my goodness she just glowed! She jumped up, clapping her hands together, hugged me and whispered in my ear the most beautiful answer to her prayers…..I was so excited for her....I shouted out loud, “Oh thank you Father for hearing our prayers.” What seemed like a long time to us….was God’s perfect time……so often she would be so discouraged, wondering why. I always tried to encourage her, emphasizing that we must pray harder….we have to give it to HIM! But I too would be discouraged for her…..And then all of a sudden…BAM! Her problem is fixed…..oh there will be other problems for sure, but yesterday renewed my faith, strengthened my perseverance….uplifted me and humbled me…..Father forgive me when I lose hope, or feel ignored by You….Thank you for hearing all of our prayers and answering them in Your Perfect Time with Your Perfect Plan! Help us be faithful in our prayers for others.

 I wait for you, O Lord; you will answer, O Lord my God. Psalm 38:15. 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. “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know,” says the Lord. Jeremiah 33:3. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2. My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears t God. Job 16:20.

Love you all!

December 4, 2012

Good Morning Friends!  Totally taken by His love, Tuesday!  Seems like so many conversations right now are all about Christmas shopping….what to get who….how much does it cost…..and then every other commercial is about some big old fancy Christmas gift and the stores and sale papers….gee whiz….easy to get stressed out.  We stress out over getting the perfect gift for our family and friends, the hottest new toy, or biggest tool, buying the perfect paper and matching bows…..people actually go in debt buying Christmas presents that they cannot afford……BAM!!!!  This morning it hit me……..each of us have already received the most perfect gift….many, many years ago……no it didn’t come from a high-dollar department store and wasn’t wrapped in shiny paper……didn’t cost us one cent….not one single penny……..This gift was born in a stable…..wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manager…..a stable….for animals….donkeys, sheep, cows…..now I love all my little critters but I night with Chloe and Eyore….no thanks.  This gift God’s Son, born in a manager for us, lived, died and rose again for us…..died that we might live…..Our Heavenly Father gave us the PERFECT GIFT….His only Son…..our Savior…..This Perfect Gift was a gift of LOVE…….unselfish……total LOVE for each of us.  The gift of LOVE, wrapped in swaddling clothes….The perfect gift comes from love……not how much money was spent or the name brand…….So go ahead finish your shopping, but remember the Perfect gift comes from love.  Father, thank you for giving us, the Perfect gift, Your only Son who died to save us from eternal death…..Fill our hearts with Your Love so that everything we do brings glory to You.

“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.  This will be a sign to you:  You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”  Luke 2:11-12.  For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.  John3:16.  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.  We love because God first loved us.  1 John 4:19.  No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us.  1 John 4:12.

Love you all!

November 28, 2012

Good Morning Friends!  Wow, it’s a wonderful Wednesday wrapped in His love!  Seems like we spend so much time worrying about balancing….balancing our diet…..you know making sure we get healthy stuff go along with the junk.  Balancing our budget so that we make sure we can pay our bills before we buy a new dress….balance is important in so many ways in our lives.  Yesterday I was responding to a missionary in Turkey that our church sponsors; I was telling him about all the activities we were planning at church and Sunday School for Christmas and as I listed them, I began to feel overwhelmed……unbalanced so to speak.  I finished my email and as I hit send, my thoughts returned to all the things I had ahead of me, programs, costumes, decorations, Hanging of the Greens, shopping, decorations, wrapping, cooking, cards, letters……Oh my gosh….I felt like screaming.  That’s when “Balance” hit me……I need to do more than balance my diet and budget….I need to “balance” my priorites….my time…..Number one priority for this season of Advent and Christmas is JESUS!!!!  JESUS is the Reason for the Season!  Without our precious Savior there would be no season worth celebrating.  So without further ado, I am asking our Heavenly Father to help me balance my Christmas activities….after all, it’s all for naught without HIM!!!!  Without JESUS…..there’s no need for a tree….the tree points to heaven, reminding us where Jesus came from and the green represents the eternal life we receive from HIM…and the lights, well….HE is the light of the world!  So, as you shop for the perfect gift for loved ones….remember the perfect gift of Jesus life….Thank Him, Praise Him and love others as He loves us…..That’s the reason for all the fuss and muss……We will all be busier in the next month, that goes without saying….but with God’s help we can “balance” our business and joyfully celebrate the birth of our Savior…..The REASON FOR THE SEASON!”  Father, thank you for the gift of your Son and the joy of celebrating His birth….keep us focused Father on what is really important and Go Tell it on the Mountain!

While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and place him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid.  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 be a sign to you:  You will find a baby wrapped cloths and lying in a manger.”  Luke 2:6-12.

Love you all!

November 20, 2012

Good Morning Friends!!!!!  Totally at awe in His love, Tuesday.  “Praise God from whom all blessings flow, Praise Him all creatures here below, Praise Him above the Heavenly hosts, Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.”   My husband and I were blessed… amazingly blessed… so amazingly blessed last night that I am beyond words other than “Praise God from whom all blessings flow…..”  Father thank you, for the blessing of such special people in my life…..pour Your love and blessing on them and help me to shine and share with Your love!

Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song.  Psalm 95:2.  The pleasantness of one’s friend springs from his earnest counsel.  Proverbs 27:9  Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work;  If one falls down, his friend can help him up.  But pity the one who falls and has no one to help him up!  Ecclesiastes 4:9-10.  Love one another deeply, from the heart.  1 Peter 1:22.

Love you all!

November 16, 2012

Good Morning Friends! Forever loved by Him, Friday!!!  “That my heart may sing to you and not be silent.  O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever.”  Psalm 30:12.   My goodness when I read this verse at 5:30 this morning I had no idea what meaning was in it for me today!  I felt good when I read it, you know it’s Friday, looking forward to going to our little cabin tonight, Thanksgiving is coming, weather is beautiful, it’s payday….you know, just the usual, little good stuff; the feeling continued as I drove into work, but something happened when I got here.  Funny thing is nothing happened….nothing but my attitude that is….and I really don’t know why, but I was definitely sporting a bad case of the grouchies.  Darned if I don’t hate that……!!!!!  So, here it is almost 11….I have wasted a whole morning, a beautiful morning  with a case of the grouchies……After my break I took out my bible, determined to find something to kick me out of my mood.  Wouldn’t you know it….my bible opened right to Psalm 30…….I began reading…..when I got to verse 12…….I had to hang my head and ask for forgiveness…….My goodness I was being silent……I have every reason to give thanks, loud and long yet….my heart was silent.  Forgive me Father for my “grouchies” for being silent on this beautiful day that You made for me……Help me to sing Your praises everyday….even when I think I don’t feel like it!!!!  Father, thank you for loving me so very much!

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped.  My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song.  Psalm 28:7.  I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all heart; I will glorify your name forever.  For great is your love toward me.  Psalm 86:12.     PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW…..

Love you all!  Enjoy your weekends!