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 27, 2012

Good Morning Friends!  Thankfully His, Thursday!  Each morning when I get in my car and start out the drive way I sing a little praise song…..You might know it, “Praise God from Whom all Blessings Flow”……familiar?  I’ve been doing it for a long time….think I started during a sad time in my life….a time I needed to be reminded that I am blessed and not alone and it just feels so good that I continued.  This morning it was starting to rain….I turned on the wipers as I sang and thought, “Oh yea….the blessings are flowing from the sky this morning!”  We really need the rain on our dry pastures and ponds, so the gentle rain boosted my morning mood……Praise God for sure, I thought…..for the rain……for the new day……for the gift of His Son……Praise Him for my wonderful raincoat on the seat next to me…….Praise Him for the joy of a granddaughter’s birthday today (Happy birthday Katy J) For all my grandkids…..Praise Him for a sweet hubby that makes breakfast everyday….Praise Him that the rain will pass and the sun will shine brightly……grass will grow…….” Praise Him all creatures here below, Praise Him above ye Heavenly Hosts, “Praise Father, Son , and Holy Ghost.”  Praying you feel the blessings of His love overflowing in your life today.  Praise Him, Praise Him!!

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!  You have set your glory above the heavens.  From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise….Psalm 8:1-2.  I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders.  I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O most High.  Psalm 9:1-2.  Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise Him.  Praise the Lord with the harp; make music to him on the ten stringed lyre.  Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for you.  For the word of the Lord is right and true; He is faithful in all He does.  Psalm 33:1-4  May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.  Psalm 19:14.

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

September 25, 2012

Good Morning Friends!  Totally wrapped in His loving arms, Tuesday!  “And she (Mary) gave birth to her first born child, a son and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manger.”  Luke 2:7……Ok, hold on to that thought and give me just a minute….Last night, Kim had a meeting in town so I heated us a bowl of his yummy chili verde along with a couple flour tortillas and sent him on his way.  As I was cleaning up, I decided I would share a bowl with my old neighbor, Bob…..I had not been to see him in way too long and he always loves Kim’s creations, so I fixed a to-go bowl and headed out the door for a visit with Bob and then a quick trip to Hailey and Clark’s for a pick- up and delivery!  Bob was home alone, so I couldn’t have picked a better evening to stop by.  I was greeted with a big hug….I thought to myself, why don’t I come by more often?  Anyway, I heated the food for him and visited while he ate…..what a pleasant chat we had.  I still had lots of chores at home, so I said goodbye and headed up to Tucker’s (I mean Hailey and Clark’s).  I was greeted by my granddogs, who were most happy to see me and then headed in the house.  Hailey was just buckling Tucker into his swing for a little nap.  I walked into the living room to take a peek.  There he was all wrapped up, snuggled in the cozy swing….only his head out.  Hailey said, “He loves to be ‘swaddled’.”   Heading home, seeingTucker so cozy, warm, and safe “swaddled” and in his swing, Luke 2:7 came into my mind…..picturing Mary “swaddling” baby Jesus, our Precious Savior, took on a whole new meaning.  I looked up the definition of swaddling….”to bind an infant with long narrow strips of cloth to prevent free movement.”  I would imagine that Mary did use strips of cloth to swaddle Jesus, while Tucker was swaddled with a blanket, but the concept is the same.  Babies being wrapped in a special way to keep them safe and comforted…My mind was whirling as I thought…..goodness I am such an infant in my relationship with my Heavenly Father, but I am His child……He wants to prevent me from moving in ways that are not good for me….He wants to comfort me and keep me safe, cozy in His loving arms…..Oh my……He “SWADDLES” me with His love……everyday over and over again…….Father, there are so many times in this life that we are hurting, sad, lonely…..You are always there to swaddle us with Your love, cradling us in Your healing arms…..open our hearts to allow full access…..clear away feelings that we can do it alone…..help us to give in to Your open arms and let You keep us safe.  Thank you Father.

I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.  Proverbs 8:17.  So we know and rely on the love God has for us.  God is love.  Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.  1 John 4:16. I 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.  Johns 16:33.  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.  My soul is downcast within me.  Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:  Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:20-23

The Lord Bless you and keep you, the Lord make His face to shine upon You and give you His peace.

Love you all!

September 24, 2012

Good Morning Friends! Magnificent is this Monday…loved by HIM! Ever since I got my little black car two tires have had slow leaks. Right after I got it we noticed that the back tires were both low, so one day I dropped it off at a tire shop and asked them to fix both rear tires. When I went to pick it up they told me they couldn’t find any leaks…..hmmm I thought, that’s odd, if there’s no leaks why the heck do I have to put air in them….Oh well…..took the car and figured I would go someplace else….well one week turned into another and another; oh I had good intentions everyday of getting it in somewhere but…just didn’t, then the wreck and it was in the shop and then the transmission…all the while the tires had to have air every couple of weeks! Well, I made a serious commitment to myself that as soon as I got it back with new transmission I was getting tires fixed and while it was there, balanced and rotated!!!! So off to another tire shop I went feeling quite smug! I dropped it off on my way to work with plans of having a friend take me to get it at lunch! About mid-morning, I got a call from the shop. “Mrs. Johnson, your car is ready. And we couldn’t find any leaks in your tires.” Oh my gosh, I couldn’t believe it…again! So I said, “well, then how come I have to put air in every couple of weeks??!!! He then explained that the leaks were so slow that they could not be detected by their machines……so slow leaks…..seemed a little crazy to me, but what’s a girl to do??? I just keep putting air in the tires which by the way are now on the front…..Slow leaks……undetectable….for now….The other morning I was once again squatting down putting air in both tires before heading to work and the thought occurred to me…..Do I have any slow leaks? Any habits that might not seem to be bad…..habits that are seemingly undetectable right now, that if left unattended could lead to habits that might be harmful to myself or others……habits that might, if allowed to get bigger, cause our Heavenly Father to be sad……It’s so easy for us to fall into little habits, routines in our daily lives that seem harmless…..oh, in the back of our minds we know that we “have a slow leak” but we just don’t want to get it fixed…….after all…..who knows…..Oh my…..our Heavenly Father knows…….Father, give us wisdom and strength in our daily lives to develop habits and routines that are pleasing to You a blessing to those around us. “When you live the kind of life that Jesus has planned for you, it will be a life that is lived without regrets.” Roy Lessin.

 

Do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. Galatians 5:13. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. Revelation 2:7. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9. Stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:58. The Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. 2 Thessalonians 3:3. No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. 1 Corinthians 10:13.

 

Love you all!

September 21, 2012

Good Morning Friends!  Forever living in His love Friday!!!!  Gosh I feel so up this morning…..I am almost always happy and upbeat in the morning, but today is one of those really happy, “Thank you Father” kind of mornings!!!  You see, I managed to get out of the house early enough this morning to go and see Tucker and he was wide awake and a happy camper!  I picked him up and started talking to him, he smiled a big ol’ smile and just cooed and wiggled!  Now that’s the way to start a day……babies are truly one of HIS most delightful blessings….yes, I think if everyone could have just a short visit with a precious baby every morning the world would be a sweeter place….bad moods disappear, gloom lifts, hurts diminish……all through the smile of a precious baby!  Just makes me want to sing one of my favorite Sunday School songs, ‘This is a Joyous, Happy Day!  We celebrate Your gift of life!  Christ is with us, joy surrounds us…..!”  Joy surrounds us every day….God’s joy is always there, it’s us that seem to close our hearts and minds at times to His precious, most abundant blessings……oh what we miss out on by letting the world’s stuff cloud our vision, close our hearts, and confuse our minds…….I pray the vision of Tucker’s smiling little face, will never be blocked from my heart and mind so that I will continually rejoice and praise our Heavenly Father for every unique, precious blessing that touches my life……”This is a joyous happy day”….today…..tomorrow…..and forever….as long as I am His child!  Thank you Father…..keep me ever mindful and close to YOU!

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.  James 1:17.  Rejoice in the Lord your God, for He has given you the autumn rains in righteousness.  He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before.  Joel 2:23.  Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.  Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs.  Psalm 100:1-2.  Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done marvelous things; his right hand and His holy arm have worked salvation for Him…..Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn—shout for joy before the Lord the King.  Psalm 98:1-2 & 4-5.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!  Psalm 100: 1-3.

Love you all!

September 20, 2012

Good Morning Friends!  Trusting and Believing, Thursday!  I had to load a bunch of stuff into my car this morning so I opened the doors and trunk and headed into the house to gather up the things I needed to take with me.  Well, guess the open car was just too tempting for the flying insects because when I got in the car and started to work I was immediately greeted by pesky gnats and a couple of little mosquitos!  When I say pesky, I mean pesky!  They were buzzing all around me driving me nuts, so I got to smashing and before long all the pesky critters were gone!  I smiled and thought to myself that wasn’t so tough….wish all my problems could be fixed that easily!  All joking aside…wouldn’t it be nice if we could get rid of our problems with a swat of our hands….just smash them to smithereens and be done with it!  Unfortunately the problems, difficult situations, stresses that we encounter traveling through life don’t usually go away as easily as the pesky bugs did.  However…..we are not out there alone….we do have our own personal “Problem Exterminator”  we just have to turn our problems over to HIM and trust and believe that He is the Master!  But oh no, we are so stubborn, so into ourselves, we just can’t let go….we hang on and on, suffering, worrying needlessly!  Turning our problems over to our Heavenly Father does not mean that they will instantly disappear like the pesky insects…..His time is not our time, but HIS way is always the best…..He knows our needs……He loves us with the most powerful, all knowing, all giving love….a love so great we really cannot understand it……our job…..trust and believe…….believe He’s working even when we don’t see things happening…..trust that His answer to our problems is just what we needed!!!!!  Fill us Father, with a faith so strong that we never hesitate before giving our pesky problems to You! 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  Proverbs 3:5.  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.  Call upon Me in the day of trouble’  I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.  Psalm 50:15.  Therefore we do not lose heart.  Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.  2 Corinthians 4:16-17.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Jesus Christ.  Philippians 4:6-7.

Love you all!