Well, you aren't dead!

Good Morning Friends!  Take time to be thankful, Tuesday!!  Well, my goodness seems like it’s been forever….missed you all!  Last Sunday I wanted to have a lesson on being thankful in conjunction with Thanksgiving for the kids.  I found a neat idea on the internet and adapted it to our group.  Basically I had a basket of apples with a number taped on each one.  I had each child tell me a song they wanted to sing and I had bible verses on being thankful.  So, I read a bible verse, someone picked an apple and we sang the song that corresponded to the number on the apple!  The singing came directly from the first verse, Psalm 147:7, “Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; make music to our God on the harp (I said piano too, we have the most awesome pianist at church).”  And so we began, bible verse, apple, sing….what a good time we were having making music to our God!  Pretty soon, I read 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  This verse lead me to ask the kids, quite dramatically, “Well, I’ve been really sick….so does this verse mean I have to be thankful for being sick???!!!!!”  I was really trying to make a point, about not being whiners, when one Jr. Hi boy said in his getting deep Jr. Hi voice, head down….”Well…..you aren’t dead!”  Wow!  Did that ever hit home….I have been doing quite a bit of whining about being sick…..in fact I’m sure there are friends and co-workers that are sick of hearing me whine……the point is I am alive!  Alive, with medicine, lots of chicken soup, cough drops and a caring husband…..I am going to be just fine!  That young man’s comment may have been a bit on the extreme side, but I think it really made a good clear point for us…..we do have so very much for which to be thankful, grateful….praise worthy!  Yet, it seems we are so quick to see the negative…..get sick once in a while and we think the world has come to an end….How about all the days we are healthy, feel great….are we thankful on those days.  Do we think to thank our doctor, pharmacist, friends, caring husband on those days….My husband starts my car every morning and pulls it right up to the back door for me…..Hmmm, have I thanked him lately….Ever called your doctor when you felt really good and thanked her for always being there when you need her?  Ever thanked God for her and prayed for wisdom for her in so many difficult situations?  Thursday is “Thanksgiving Day”  why wait…..let’s start thanking and praising right now!  Our God takes good care of us….provides us with what we need….oh yea sometimes we think it’s not quick enough, but…..never forget, Our Father always knows what’s best!  Trust and believe!!!  Father, oh my goodness there’s not enough hours in the day to thank you for all you do for us!!!  Accept our humble gratitude and praise!  Help us to always keep attitudes of gratitude.  And thank you for my doctor!!!

 

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.  His love endures forever.  Give thanks to the God of gods.  His love endures forever.  Give thanks to the Lord of lords:  His love endures forever.  Psalm 136:1-3.

Love you all!

Attitude of Gratitude

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

 

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

Love you all!

Ice, Ice, Baby!

Good Morning Friends!  Mighty Awesome is our God, Monday!  Most of you know that my husband and I moved here from California fifteen years ago.  I think that for the most part, I have acclimated quite well to my rural Oklahoma life……yep, I can worm and vaccinate sheep with the best, feed the cows, haul hay, clear pastures, load firewood (and I keep a mean fire in the woodstove), a master of tick patrol, stay by myself during a tornado watch, why I can even fry a pretty darn good pan of okra….but there’s one aspect of Oklahoma living that this California native just can’t get mastered…..driving in inclement…..icy……weather!  Usually at the first hint of sleet, ice, or snow I hitch a ride to work with my good friend Linda.  She lives in Clarita so we hook up in Tupelo; Linda is an expert driver in the worst of conditions!  When I realized last Friday, that Linda was off today……I immediately began to panic…..bad weather predicted through the weekend and into Monday…..oh my…..however will I get to work!!!  We didn’t have ice in California….I hate it….I’m not good at it…..Oh my what will I do (are you feeling real bad Linda,  lol).  Well sure enough we had weather…..I checked the weather channel throughout the day yesterday, stewing and fretting about driving in today…..I got up at 5 as usual and looked out the back door….yep….it had snowed or something during the night, didn’t look like much but there was a layer of white.  Too early to call inclement weather, but on the dot of 6 am I called our Inclement Weather number for work…..”all offices open on schedule” was the report!   At 6:03 am I texted a neighbor that has to be to work in Ada at 6 am.  He said the roads were just wet, but be careful of ice on bridges and over passes.  Ok, I can do this… I fearfully told myself over and over….as I headed into town I called Cooper’s daddy, he had worked all night and would just be getting home, so I could get an update.  Charley said, roads are good, just watch bridge by Owl Creek, little icy!  Clenching the steering wheel I proceeded with caution…..saying a little prayer for God’s protection….after just a few minutes….the light in my fearful mind came on……I remembered our talks from last week on being thankful….Then, bravely, feeling less stressed and more confident I said a thank you prayer….Father, thank you for my safe trip to work!  And here I am….fear….is the devil’s advocate that’s for sure….and the sure way to fight the devil is by staying hooked up to our Father…..keeping HIM foremost in our hearts and minds all the time…..ceaseless conversation with HIM…..letting go and letting HIM do the driving!  Father, forgive me when I fear first…..increase my faith so that I come to YOU first when the roads are icy!  Thank you!!!!

 

But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel:  “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine.  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.  When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the fame scorch you.  Isaiah 43:1-2.  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment.  But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.  1 John 4:18.  Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.  Proverbs 29-25.  The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble.  He cares for those who trust in Him. Nahum 1:7. 

June 19, 2013

Good Morning Friends!  Wondrously wrapped in His loving arms, Wednesday!  Gosh, I am having a hard time waking up this morning…..I feel way too tired for 9 am!  Monday night we didn’t get near enough sleep, so last night we were determined to get to bed earlier….and we did!  Both of us were sleeping quite soundly when my phone rang….took us both just a second to rouse enough to answer.  Seems that in her excitement of sharing good news, our Hailey forgot about the 3 hour time difference…..Alaska is 3 hours behind us…..hence her evening was young while ours….well……The news was wonderful, Clark got the job he was hoping for, worthy of being shared for sure….but waking from a sound sleep can sure be disruptive to the rest of the night.  Sure enough, neither Kim nor I could go back to sleep….we tossed and turned, even turned on the TV for a while…..but it took us quite a while to drift back to sleep!  Hence, feeling a little tired…..sitting in my chair this morning, getting ready to spend some time with our Heavenly Father, I was really wishing I could wake up…..could be a long day……then I thought of how excited Hailey was when I answered the phone….as soon as she heard my voice she knew I had been asleep; she immediately began apologizing….She felt so bad because she had awakened us, but really wanted to share their good news.  We talked for just a minute, I told her how happy we were, and then she said once again how sorry she was and told me goodbye……Oh my…….I thought, smiling from the inside….sure am glad our Heavenly Father is awake 24/7……awake, ready and anxious to share in our joys and carry our burdens….He is never groggy from being awakened, needs no time come to His senses…..just always there, arms wide open….for you and for me….anytime!   Father, thank you loving us 24/7….help us to be examples of Your love even when we are sleepy!  And Father thank you for the blessing of Clark’s job! 

 

“With everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you, “  says the Lord your Redeemer.  Isaiah 54:8. In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name.  Psalm 33:21.  The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trust I Him and I am helped.  My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song.  Psalm 28:7.  Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.  Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs.  Psalm 100:1-2.  Jesus said, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  Matthew 28:20.

Love you all!

 

April 24, 2013

Good Morning Friends!  Wonderfully loved by our Heavenly Father, Wednesday!  God is great, God is good let us thank Him for our…..we always said this prayer before meals…let us thank Him for our food!  This morning I want to say….God is great, God is good, let us thank Him for our flowers…..and the special people that planted them and the special pots that my Hailey left for me to have and made arrangements for my Kathyrn, Cooper, and Katy to fill them with flowers!!!!  The little blessings that mean so much, and He sends them when we need them the most.  Monday, I came home from work quite tired….having a terrible issue with my teeth, such pain, and missing Hailey and family, I was just not in a great frame of mind…..as I pulled in the driveway, heading for the carport, I couldn’t believe what I saw!!!   Not only were my old flower pots filled with spring flowers, but the pots that Hailey had to leave behind were there and full too!!!!!  My goodness…..how my mood lifted instantly……the flowers were beautiful….but knowing that someone cared enough for me to do that……well, made my old heart soar!  I called Kathyrn immediately to thank her, couldn’t you just see her there with Cooper and Katy planting flowers for Nana!  She said , “Your welcome!  You know, Hailey asked me to bring pots down and fill for you!”  Double blessed….for sure….from Fairbanks to Lula…..blessed with a special, “love blessing.”  Thank you Father for spring flowers, but most importantly thank for the people in my life that “plant love” shining their lights!  Your blessings are new every morning!  We don’t need flowers to “plant love”  we only need the love of God in our hearts….Where can you “plant love” today….where can you bring a special love blessing to someone that just might need one…..

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.  Psalm 118:24.  Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.  Honor one another about yourselves.  Romans 12:10.  Love one another deeply, from the heart.  1 Peter 1:22.  We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.  Ephesians 2:10.  Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.  Colossians 3:23.  Encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.  1 Thessalonians 5:14.  Keep on loving each other.  Hebrews 13:1.  May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your heart and strengthen you in every good deed and word.  2 Thessalonians 2:16-17.

Plant a little love today…..love you all!!!!!

April 4, 2013

Good Morning Friends!  Thankfully His, Thursday!  Well, how about this rain!  So funny, out in our neck of the woods there’s always so much hype about the weather….you know the men…..they all have their input on how much rain, how cold, how dry….you know.  Well, Monday was their firemen’s meeting and when Kim got home he had lots of rain stories to tell!  One said,  gonna get 4.5 inches, another no not that much gonna get about 3.5 inches…..another 2-4…everybody boasting that their predictions would be the one!  My husband, sporting his doom and gloom attitude, said “it’s gonna miss us! Not gonna get anything.”  So, we did get something didn’t we!  You know what we got?.......Bottom line?   We got the amount of rain that our Heavenly Father wanted us to have!   No meteorologist or fireman could predict the exact amount of rain that our Heavenly Father would send to us….or how it would come……we must simply trust and believe that it will rain and thank Him…..oh yes, even in times of drought we must THANK HIM FOR THE RAIN…..the rain that’s coming!   Oh my…..that’s the message for our lives……we must trust HIM…..sometimes it seems like one yucky thing after another comes our way…..we begin to wonder…..doubt that our Heavenly Father really cares about us….that’s when we must reach deep into our hearts, holding tightly to our faith and trust…..and thank HIM…..Oh yes my friends, He tells us to give thanks in all circumstances…..that means…..even the yucky ones.  God is always working for us….Always loving us…..in HIS way….in HIS time….and as hard as it is….we must work diligently to not question HIM.  We must, “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; and in EVERYTHING GIVE THANKS.”  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. At times, we might not see God’s love with our eyes, but close your eyes and see His love in your heart…..Oh yes HIS love is always with us…..His arms are always open….waiting for us to come and be refreshed…..reassured that the blessings will come.  Father, gosh sometimes life makes us wonder….forgive us when our trust in You, Your love, for us weak…..bring us to YOU for comfort.  Thank you Father.

The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.  Psalm 9:9.  My soul fins rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him.  He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will never be shaken.  Psalm 62:1-2.  Jesus said, “ have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world.”  John 16:33.  I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.  Isaiah 41:13.  Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am you God.  I will strengthen you and help you;  I will uphold you with  my righteous right hand.  Isaiah 41:10.

Love you all!

March 26, 2013

Good Morning Friends!  Thankfully His, Tuesday!  I was really sick with the crud this weekend, so sick that I couldn’t even make it to church….I hate to miss church and Sunday, being Palm Sunday, was even more disappointing.  I love our Palm Sunday processional, walking into church waving palm branches singing “Hosanna to God in the Highest.”  We are excited and happy because we know that indeed our Jesus did suffer and die…..but most importantly He rose from the dead…..for us!  Our Savior…..I picture Him that day……He knew full well what was ahead of Him….He could have turned and ran, but instead He rode into Jerusalem willingly…..He rode on a donkey…..a donkey……as I was out feeding my donkeys last night, I couldn’t help but notice that they are not what one might call “handsome”…….big heads and ears and their fur is so rough and ungroomed….no they are not much to look at…yet Jesus rode on a donkey…..proudly….He most certainly could have rode on a stunning stallion….a flawless steed, rather than a donkey……but, the thought occurred to me, that was not what our Jesus was all about……He came humbly into the world…..born in a stable, rode on a donkey, died on a cross with criminals, buried in a borrowed tomb!  Jesus was humble…..He willingly became HUMBLE for us…..so that we might live because of His death……Jesus wants us to be humble too….He tells us in John 13:15…..”I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”  Being humble isn’t always easy.....maybe the next time we want to brag or showoff we should think about our Jesus on the back of that donkey….thank HIM and go out and show His love.  Father, thank you for the gift of Your Son…..help us to have humble spirits and willing hearts to show His love every chance we get.

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:  Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!  Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  Philippians 2:5-11.

Love you all!

January 16, 2013

Good Morning Friends!  Wondrously Wrapped in the loving arms of OUR FATHER Wednesday!  Gonna share a meditation I received this morning that so touched me in light of our Todays this week…..Oh to be His children…..children of the Heavenly Father.  “Blessed are all they that put their trust in HIM.”  Take a minute to sit with HIM today!  You know how our Daddy’s like that!  Love you all!

January 16, 2013 Daddy's Girl By Suzie Eller "He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs." Zephaniah 3:17b (NLT) When my son-in-law walks through his front door, he throws his arms wide open and calls out, "Elle!" Two-year-old Elle races toward him in her awkward toddler run and throws herself into his embrace. He tosses her high in the air, then pulls her close, saying, "Elle, do you know how much Daddy loves you?" When I have the privilege of watching this scene, I always think the same thing: My beautiful granddaughter will always know she's her daddy's girl. A daddy's girl is loved even when she throws a tantrum and has to go to time out. A daddy's girl feels beautiful even when she's in need of a tissue and has spaghetti stains on her shirt. A daddy's girl doesn't need to search for love anywhere else, because her daddy has provided a safe and loving place in his heart. Maybe as you read this, you think of your own dad. Perhaps he was absent, destructive, or failed to provide a safe shelter for his girl. I understand that feeling. I met my biological dad briefly at the age of 13, again at 17, and at 40 years of age I stood beside his casket to say goodbye to a man I really didn't know. I will never be a daddy's girl in the sense that my granddaughter has experienced, but it doesn't mean I am exempt from a Father's love. In the New Testament, Abba is mentioned only three times—and is closest to our word "daddy." When Jesus used it to describe His—and our—intimate relationship with God, it offended those within earshot. They questioned how He could use a term so familiar to describe God. But I understand it perfectly. You see, regardless of an earthly father's love or absence, I'm still a Daddy's girl. And so are you. Our Abba Father delights and sings over us (Zephaniah 3:17). He adopts us as His own and offers a rich inheritance (Galatians 4:6-7). We walk into His waiting arms daily, and when we need correction, His love does not ebb. When we stand in front of Him with our sin-stained heart, or hold up tears for Him to dry, He remains our Abba Father. Maybe you've been longing to fill that empty place left by an earthly father. As a Daddy's girl, you don't have to search for love anymore, because your Abba Father has provided a safe and loving place in his heart. In fact, He's waiting with open arms. Dear Abba, I hold up the gaps left by an earthly parent, and thank You for pouring into those places until I overflow with confidence in Whose I am. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

December 31, 2012

Good Morning Friends! Mighty and Awesome is our God, Monday! Last night when I got up to go to the bathroom I was greeted by the sound of rain on the porch roof…..it was just before midnight….I said a thank you prayer and thought what a wonderful way to end the year of terrible drought conditions….in so many ways. I headed back to bed, as I laid down and snuggled in I could hear the rain…..I drifted off to sleep thanking God, thinking of the new year ahead. I was so excited to find it was still raining when I got up….Wow, THANK YOU FATHER! We do so need this gentle rain. I got ready for work and headed out the door where I was greeted by lots of sparrows. Happy sparrows frolicking in all the puddles in the driveway. I stood under the ledge for a minute just watching them…..been a long time since we had puddles in the driveway and the little birds were thrilled…..they jumped from puddle to puddle….I could feel their delight, they were going to experience every puddle. I headed to the car, my thoughts on the new year, the rain, the puddles and the birds…..God’s love rains on us every day, even when we feel like our life is in drought conditions His puddles of love are everywhere just waiting for us to frolic in……just waiting to splash us with His perfect peace, mercy, grace, forgiveness….HIS LOVE is always there....2012 is almost over, 2013 just around the corner…..only our Heavenly Father knows what’s in store for us, but one thing for sure HIS LOVE is constant…..in the rainy season or during a life drought…..there’s a puddle of love, blessings, comfort waiting for you……You don’t even need an umbrella or goulashes…….Father, thank for the many blessings of 2012 and the many times You lovingly spared us from our sinful selves. Be with us as we begin a brand new year…..rejuvenate our faith, help us to resolve to serve You bigger and better…..All Glory, Honor and Praise to You!

Praying that each of you find your special “puddle” in this New Year…..Happy, Blessed New Year! Love you all!

Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:13. He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all-how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things? Romans 8:32. My God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19. Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and bot be faint. Isaiah 40:31. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13. 

 

Consider the birds of the air……

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!

December 12, 2012

Good Morning Friends!  Wonderfully wrapped in His Loving arms, Wednesday!  Burrr….word of the week don’t you agree!  There’s no heat in our bedroom, so usually when it’s as cold as it was yesterday we crack the door just a little in the evening to cut the chill a bit.  For some reason neither one of us thought of it last night, so when I went in to get in bed….YIKES, it was freezing!  We have a memory foam mattress which is ordinarily quite soft and comfy, but last night with the room so cold, the bed was hard as a rock.  I had to laugh when I plopped myself down…..that thing did not give…..solid….hard, like I said, hard as a rock!  Good thing about the memory foam though,  is that it warms up real fast; wasn’t but just a minute and I was laying there warm and relaxed cuddled in the comfort of my cozy mattress.  As I lay there, dozing off to sleep, my thoughts turned to another ROCK….A favorite hymn came to mind…”On Christ the solid rock I stand….”   Snuggled there in my warm bed…..I thought gosh…..Christ is my SOLID ROCK…..I can “plop” on Him anytime, anywhere, for any reason and He takes me, all of me, body, mind, spirit…..His love warms me, relaxes me as He cuddles me in His loving arms…..Ahhh, Sweet Jesus……I feel You here with me……Thank you for being our Rock, warming and cuddling us with Your Perfect Love!  And I ask today, dear Jesus….please cuddle those around me that are sad or hurting….missing a loved one….troubled….stressed……depressed….Even though this is the happiest time of the year….so many hearts are sad…..heavy with this life…..Thank you for wrapping Your arms around them and filling them with Your Peace……You are our Solid Rock…..

Be at rest once more,  O My soul, for the Lord has been good to you.  Psalm 116:7.  Come to me, all you are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  Matthew 11:28-29.  Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.  Isaiah 40:31.  Why are you downcast, O my soul?  Why so disturbed within me?  Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.  Psalm 43:5.  Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  In His great mercy He has given us now birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.  1 Peter 1:3.  May the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all time and in every way.  2 Thessalonians 3:16.  Submit to God and be at peace with Him…Job 22:21.

Love you all!

December 10, 2012

Good Morning Friends!  Marvelous and miraculously blessed, Monday!   Last night Kim and I watched the 10:00 news, mostly to hear the weather….we knew the cold was coming, but when he said there might be a dusting of snow during the night we both laughed.  This morning we were once again watching the weather and indeed they said it had snowed….I got up and looked out the window, of course it was dark but I could see some little piles of white….I said  “all’s I see is the ashes you dumped”  Once again we laughed.  I had just gotten in the shower when Kim came into the bathroom all excited.  He said, “it did snow!”  Cooper just called all excited and said’ Papa it snowed outside, can we go out and play in it?’ “  I had to laugh, but this time laughing at us for thinking we are such smarties!  Yep, Cooper had to call Papa when he saw the snow and ask him if they could go out and play…of course, Papa explained to Cooper that it was really cold outside; way too cold to go out and play in the snow.  I felt a little flutter in my heart as I thought of Cooper calling Papa, so excited and asking him about going outside.  And Papa, my goodness he was all excited that Cooper had called him to tell him the exciting news and asked him a question….made him so proud…..happy…..his heart definitely fluttered too.  As soon as I got out of the shower I ran to take a look outside…..Wow….sure enough, Cooper was right, there was snow!  As I closed the door and went to get ready for work, I again smiled…this time I was thinking of someone else that gets excited when we call on HIM!!!  Oh yes, our Heavenly Father loves us to call on Him, to come to Him about everything….. even the snow!  We are His children, we can talk to Him about everything……He wants us to, not just when we are troubled or hurting, but in the happy times too….He likes to hear our Praises and thank yous!!!!  He would love to hear us thank Him for the beautiful snow……the glistening ice……..moisture that is so needed….We should ask Him to be with the people that had accidents this morning…..and also that He watch over and guide our fireman, EMS, and policemen as they work to protect and help us…..thank Him for the blessing of friends at work that get you coffee when you are unable to leave your desk……for the children that come in the office and are so excited to get a candy cane off of the Christmas tree……ask Him to comfort those that are sad right now….lonely, grieving, financially stressed…..Praise Him that we have plenty of food and warm houses….heck a warm office too……Thank Him for the love of family and friends….Make HIM smile….His heart flutter…call Him a million times today!  Father, thank you for always taking our calls.

And He took the children (we are all His children) in His arms, put His hands on them and blessed them.  Mark 10:16.  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 Johns 5:14-15.  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.  Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done.  1 Chronicles 16:8.  Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in EVERYTHING give thanks.  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.

Love you all!

December 5, 2012

Good Morning Friends!  Warmly wrapped in the glow of His love, Wednesday!  Goodness can you believe the difference in our temperatures this morning!  Crazy isn’t it?!  I could tell when I went to my car at 5 yesterday the temp was dropping…got home to a chill in the house….I was happy to change into sweats after the last few warm days.  After a visit with Tucker, Kim and I settled in to have dinner and a little TV…”Hmmm,” Kim said, “bet we should light a fire, gonna be a lot cooler in the morning.”  We sat there a few more minutes, but as reached down to pull my blankie over my feet, I said to Kim.  “Yep, I think I will start a fire….could be quit chilly in the morning.”  There’s something about starting a fire that soothes me….crumpling the newspaper, a few pine cones, and then the logs….the glow of the fire soon warms the house…I like it.  As we headed to bed we tossed in a couple more logs so we would be sure and be cozy in the morning.  Sure thing, when I got up this morning it was 37, but the house was warm….after stirring the coals and adding a few more logs I settled into my chair to have my morning chat with our Heavenly Father……the light from the stove was comforting and the room was toasty warm……I chuckled to myself….”wonder if there was a fire, a comforting light in the stable the night that Jesus was born….”   Wow…….I had to laugh at myself I as thought of the tiny baby in the manger…wondering if there was heat and light for him…...SURE WAS… the brightest, warmest, glowing light there is….Jesus the LIGHT of the world…..Jesus the tiny baby in the manager that died on the cross for us…..Jesus’ light gives us life.  Thank  you Father for the gift of light and life through your Son Jesus.  Help us to shine with His love so that others will find their way to You.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”  John 8:12.  The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?  Psalm 27:1.  “Arise, shine, for your LIGHT has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.  Isaiah 60:1.  Jesus said, “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and rise your Father in heaven.”  Matthew 5:16.  For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.  2 Corinthians 4:6.  Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart.  Psalm 97:11.  Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again:  Rejoice!  Philippians 4:4.

Love you all!

November 26, 2012

Good Morning Friends!  My goodness it’s a marvelous Monday!  Hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving.  We had such a fun day with family and oh what good food….truly blessed in every way.  Friday morning after breakfast we headed out to get our chores done.  Kim needed to go to Home Depot in Norman to pick up 2 air conditioners (should be the end of supplies needed for the big project); Ada store didn’t have any, hence a trip to Norman on the Friday after Thanksgiving!  Yikes!  I told him I would go with him, but might have to make a couple extra stops….if you catch my drift.  He also wanted to go by Sam’s and get his tires rotated, so we had a good day ahead of us.  First stop, lunch at I Hop (right next to Home Depot).  We had a great lunch and bravely headed into the store, knowing we would have to be patient because we were asking them to do something extra on such a busy day!  Well we were there a little over an hour, but really went pretty smooth considering….next stop Kohl’s where Kim stayed in truck while I went in to catch a few sales….oh my the line was long, but I had found just what I wanted so I decided to be patient and wait….glad I did went really fast!  Back to the truck and on to our last stop, Sam’s.  Once again a line, but not too bad, got the truck in and headed into store to shop a little while we waited.  In about 30 minutes truck was ready, so we checked out, got our key and headed to truck…we were both quite ready to be headed home!  Burr it hadn’t gotten cold out, I encouraged Kim to hurry and get the truck unlocked…Kim was using a key he had gotten made a few months ago, worked just fine in the ignition, but he never tried it in the doors…..he rarely has the need to lock…..Guess what!  Yep!!!!!  The key did not work in the door….we were locked out of our truck, after a long day in the city, and it was cold.  We had no options but to call a lock smith.  I headed back into the tire shop to see if they could recommend someone….they gave me a couple of numbers and Kim called the first one….said he would be there in fifteen minutes….now just the wait…in the cold….tired and hungry….Soon the guy showed up and in no time we were in the truck and headed home with a key that worked!  As I stood in the cold waiting for the lock smith I thought about a dear friend whose father had passed away on Thursday…I thought of her deep sadness and said a prayer for her…. That’s when it hit me….Prayer is our key and our Heavenly Father our perfect Lock Smith!!!!  He gives us the key, so that through prayer, sad, grieving hearts can be opened and filled with His Perfect Love, His Peace, the only Peace that comforts.  When there’s nothing else we can do, we have the best gift of all….the key….from our Heavenly Father….the Perfect Lock Smith.  Father, thank you for hearing our prayers….for comforting sad hearts with Your love and peace.  Help us to pray faithfully for those in need.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.  Matthew 5:4.  Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me; O Lord, be my help.  Psalm 30:10.  I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.  Jeremiah  31:13.  Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.  Psalm 23:4.  Dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.  Jude 20.  “Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear, “ says the Lord.  Isaiah 55:24.

Love you all!

Kathie A. Johnson

November 19, 2012

Good Morning Friends! Marvelous in His love, Monday!  Remember Friday I mentioned I was looking forward to going to our little cabin Friday evening?  Well, when I got home a neighbor was there visiting and we got so wrapped up in fun conversation that it got a little late to go, so I suggested to Kim that we go on Saturday after we get our chores done.  We could go earlier, more time to sit around the campfire and less stress for me getting everything ready to go, so worked out perfectly!  We were up early Saturday morning, took Cooper and Katy to breakfast, then came home and got to work.  About 4 I had everything together so we loaded the truck and headed up the hill!  Gosh I was really excited about sitting around the campfire.  First thing we did was go inside to check things out….oh shoot….wasps!  We had forgotten that last winter wasps invaded the cabin and we should have gone up and set off a bomb….well Kim thought we could go ahead and do it and just stay outside longer.  I headed out to set up outside and he set off bomb!  Gosh, the weather was perfect for a campfire, just cool enough, not to cold.  We both wore our jackets and snuggled close to the fire….I was in hog heaven!  Kim cooked on the open fire….delicious!!!!  It was getting pretty cool, so Kim went in to check on the wasp situation.  There were dead ones all over the floor, so we decided to move inside.  I started sweeping up while he started a fire in the woodstove….soon we were comfy inside, reading by the battery light and chatting away…We noticed a few wasps flittering way up high…hmmm….we kept reading, not really concerned….we figured they would settle down once the lights went out.  Soon we climbed into bed and settled into that good sleep, cozy in our cabin.  All of a sudden I felt an excruciating pain in the back of my arm….I jumped up and screamed out, “I JUST GOT STUNG!!”  No sooner had I got that out…..BAM, again….I got stung again…the other arm….by now Kim had the light on and we could see more wasps in the bed….”Let’s go home.”  I good not have agreed more…we quickly dressed, loaded all our stuff, and headed home!  My arms were both throbbing from the painful stings.  Once we were home, I told Kim I sure was glad they got me instead of him because he is allergic…oh my gosh could have been so bad for him…Hmm, a thought came to me……those stings that were painful for me, just for a minute, but didn’t really hurt me, could have been terrible for my husband…..hmmm how often does our does our Heavenly Father give us little stings….little reminders that might seem painful for just a second, but actually keep us from situations that are much worse.  You know when we have piled our cart with all kinds of things we really want….the sting….but you have bills to pay…..You overheard some unkind things about a co-worker and headed off to tell someone all about it….then the sting…..Think how many problems malicious gossip causes…..Hmmmm…..Father, make us aware of Your “stings” so that our lives always reflect You.  You know…the good old Golden Rule…do unto others as you would have them do unto you!!!! 

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.Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.  Matthew 5:42.  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. 

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!

November 9, 2012

Good Morning Friends!  Forever His, Friday!  Our good friend Thomas Kinkade said, “An attitude of thankfulness can also increase your joy by increasing your sense of abundant blessing.”   It’s his quote for today on my little desk calendar;  I read it this morning when I tore off yesterday’s and thought that’s nice….didn’t really dwell on it.  Then I got an email from a friend that said she was thankful she had finally found the right color for her hair.  I emailed her back and asked her if she colored her hair herself and mentioned that I was thankful that my sweet Kathyrn had come over to my house yesterday and cleaned my floors!  She emailed back, excited for my clean floors and told me that her husband colors her hair!  Too cool I replied and told her that my husband cuts mine sometimes….I expressed how blessed we are with such sweet hubbies….yet another thank you!  She also asked me to pray for her son who is battling with his allergies….I replied that I rarely have a problem with allergies….hmmm, one more thank you!  I clicked send and felt compelled to reread Kinkade’s quote…..”An attitude of thankfulness….”   Clean floors, no allergies, Kim cooked a magnificent dinner last night, sweet grandbabies, rain in the forecast, it’s Friday, Monday is a holiday, (God Bless our veterans and those serving now), tuna (my favorite) for lunch, giving a friend a ride home tonight a chance for a good visit, bacon egg and cheese biscuit for breakfast (lovingly prepared by my sweetie), the trees are magnificent with fall colors, rain in the forecast, precious grandbabies, my dog Baby has 7 puppies, oh passed the inspection in kennels with flying colors…..gosh by heart and mind are overflowing with joy!  I am abundantly blessed, even on a seemingly bad day.....if I carry a smiling attitude….and attitude of thankfulness my joy continues to increase.  Thank you Father for the abundant blessings you shower on me every day…..every hour….every minute…..keep me ever mindful of Your love, so that I share my thankfulness with others and spread the joy!  PS would love to hear some of your thank yous today!

Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything.  Ephesians 5:19-20.  Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.  Colossians 3:17.  A happy heart makes the face cheerful.  Proverbs 15:13.  The cheerful heart has a continual feast.  Proverbs 15:15.  Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again:  Rejoice!  Philippians 4:4.

Love you all!