April 30, 2013

Good Morning Friends!  Thankfully His, Tuesday!  Today is a Cooper day;  he arrived bright-eyed and bushy-tailed a little after 6:30!  Papa and Cooper immediately began discussing their “wok” day and I returned to the bathroom to finish getting ready for work.  A couple of minutes later, Cooper came in the bathroom, so excited he could hardly contain himself!  “Cooper” I asked  “whatch doin?”  He stammered a little, wiggling back and forth, big, cheesy-grin on his face and said, “I gonna sing a song for you Nana.”  I expressed my delight and away he went…..singing like a precious angel…Jesus Loves Me!  He was so excited, hands on his hips, but he couldn’t keep still, couldn’t contain himself as he sang every word of Jesus Loves Me!!!  His faced shined with God’s love….he glowed from the inside out as he sang.  He was so excited that his little feet were dancing as he stood in front of me….singing…..Jesus Loves Me….from beginning to end!  Smiling and dancing with delight because of Jesus’ love….and sharing that love, proudly, confidently, joyfully…from the inside out!!!!  Oh my sweet Cooper, now I know why Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  I tell  you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Luke 18:16-17.  Cooper’s childlike love…faith….his sheer delight….jubilance….eyes focused on me never wavering this way or that…Oh Father, thank you for Cooper’s example of how to love you……to shine for you.  Fill us with childlike faith so that we too share Your love with others jubilantly! 

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.  Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs.  Psalm 100:1-2.  May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation always say, “Let God be exalted!”  Psalm 70:4.  Though you have not seen Christ, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.  1 Peter 1:8-9.  Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again:  Rejoice!  Philippians 4:4.

Love you all!

April 25, 2013

Good Morning Friends!  Thankfully His, Thursday!  From my desk, I can see out the front doors of the office and it’s a hub of activity!  The landscaping department is here in full force with a truck load of flowers…..yep, beautiful spring flowers…..planting love, that’s what they are doing for more people than they could even imagine.  To them, it’s their job, load the truck with flowers, make sure they have the tools they need, head to the site and plant them…..to me and so very many others their work is an act of love…..beautiful flowers in a rainbow of colors…..God’s creation…..our Perfect Creator….Artist Extraordinaire! Green grass, blooming trees, and rainbows of flowers…..how can we not feel loved….I will make a point to thank the landscape crew, but how often do we miss a chance to let people know what a great job they are doing, how what they have done has blessed our day….taken a chunk out of the hectic and replaced it with a smile….peace…..There are so many opportunities in a day for us to share a little bit of God’s love…..we don’t have to plant a 100 acres…..one flower, one little blub or a tiny seed can blossom and change a day deemed for gloom into a day in a garden of love….Sharing God’s love….planting His seeds…..Growing love…..Now that’s a happy thought isn’t it…..Growing in God’s love and then transplanting it to others……till with kindness, fertilizer with a smile, water with buckets of joy……Oh gosh can’t wait to harvest our gardens!  Father help us to plant your love wherever we go….even in the most unlikely of places…there’s always someone that needs a little love…..Help us to be tools of Your work.  To You, our Heavenly Father, all glory, honor, and praise!  Thank you for loving us so much!

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.  Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it’s not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trust, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails……And now these three remain:  faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.  1 Corinthians 13:1-8 and 13.

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 23, 2013

Good Morning Friends!  Totally wrapped in His loving arms Tuesday!  Last Saturday I was on a mission! I desperately needed  half a day in my house!!!!  So, I gave up breakfast with Cooper and Katy and headed outside to get my ranch chores done quick as I could, so I could get in my house and get to work….oh my what a mess I had.  Well, Kim and I worked hard and believe it or not I was back in the house by 11:30 and got right to work.  I was going gangbusters.  About 30 minutes later Kim called…..Oh boy I thought…..wonder what’s up.  He was frantic to say the least!  “Get the 4 wheeler and get up here now!  Sheep are out and all over the Beagles, going crazy, they’re acting crazy!”  I grabbed my jacket and a bottle of water, who knew how long I would be gone….started up the 4 wheeler and headed up the hill.  Kim meet me at the cattle guard and waved me to follow him, he was fit to be tied.  We went to the intersection at the top of the hill, our property on one side, the Beagles on the other.  Jumping out of his truck he hollered at me to stand in the road and make sure they went towards home, he headed down the side road to stop them, turn them around and head them home…..I stood in the road and waited and waited and waited……oh gosh, I thought this is not good….thinking he might need a little help, I said a little prayer.  Finally, I could hear the 4 wheeler, the sheep (about 150 with lambs) making a ruckus, and Kim hollering at them and me.  “Don’t let them go up that hill (if they got up the hill they would be out of my reach and would head the wrong direction…not good).  Well of course 5 or 6 head right up that hill too steep for the 4 wheeler and besides Kim was busy trying to keep the rest from doing the same thing.  No other choice, I had to head up the hill, glad I had on my good boots…..I got up just fine, before they got away….headed them back down and then….well let’s just say getting down the hill wasn’t quite as easy as getting up.  Kim was right; they were acting crazy, like they had been locked up in a dirt lot all winter, and the green grass had them crazy when actually they have eaten lush green fodder all winter…..150 sheep plus lambs acting crazy is not a pretty site on CR 1600 on Saturday…yes we did finally get them on 1600, but it wasn’t easy, Kim got stuck and they headed into the trees….finally got them out of the trees and heading down the road now….would they turn in where they were supposed to….could I keep them out of the neighbor’s yard……could I warn traffic in time to slow them down……I jumped in the truck and turned on the hazard lights just in time to slow down a car…..well we lucked out…..they turned in the right gate and headed out to pasture!  What a relief and Thank you Father!  We headed back to the house for lunch, shaking our heads, wondering what in the heck we were gonna do with them…..crazy sheep.  I didn’t think much more about them until Sunday morning in church when Pastor read the Gospel lesson from John 10:22-30.  Jesus was talking to some Jews that needed some proof that He was the promised one….He said I already told you I am, but you don’t believe because you are not part of My flock……”My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”  Oh my gosh, it was all I could do to not burst out laughing right in church!  I thought not always…..they don’t always listen or follow!  My thoughts returned to Saturday and our crazy sheep…..they had everything….green pastures, fresh water, dogs to guard them, mineral on demand, green pastures….and what did they do….tore up good fences and took off….no clue what was out there….no regard for the dangers outside the pastures….Oh no……Father…how frustrated you must get with Your sheep….us….when we tear down the fences…and head out to the unknown without YOU…..not listening to Your voice….not following You….looking for the greener grass when You provide us with everything we could ever need…..Protect us, forgive us, love us, comfort us, heal us…….Father, forgive us when we don’t listen to Your voice, help us to hear and to follow You.  Remember this song…”I am Jesus Little Lamb, Ever glad at heart I am…..”

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.  He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul.  He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.  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.  You prepare a table before m in the presence of my enemies.  You anoint my head with oil’ my cup overflows.  Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.  Psalm 23.  The God of peace be with you.  Philippians 4:9.

Love you all!

Kathie A. Johnson

April 18, 2013

Good Morning Friends! Thankfully His, Thursday! Now that Hailey and Clark have moved to Alaska, Cooper will be spending his days between daddy and Papa. Today is a Papa day; Cooper bounced in about 6:30 this morning…ready to go to “wok” with Papa! Bless his heart…..he came in talking and was still talking when I left for work. “What’s that Nana, what are you doin, Nana, Papa, what is that, why are you cooking that, what’s in the pot, Nana why are you wearing that, why do you go to work, me and Papa go to wok, Papa, why we go to dogs, we gonna shave them, I want to hold a baby puppy, where’s Holina, what’s that, Nana can I help you, I want to do it, Nana, why you go to wok? You get the picture I am sure, and of course he is right beside us the whole time…..as I kissed them both goodbye and headed out the door, I was smiling to myself….thinking oh that boy has a lot of questions…why this, why that, bet Papa will be worn out by the end of the day…hope he has all the answers!….And then the thought hit me and I had to laugh out loud….Our Heavenly Father is badgered with questions and pleas from all of us day in and day out……and just think, He never gets worn out, or losses patience with us (I wonder if He laughs at us once in a while…). And…HE DOES have all the answers!! And HE LOVES us to come to HIM with everything…..So blessed we are to have 24 hour access to our Heavenly Father…..no worry that He will be cranky, or impatient, or too busy! Father, thank you for attending to our needs all day long. Help us to be more like You in every way! And Father, thank you for grandsons full of questions, eager to learn and help. What a joy-filled blessing! Guide our time with them, enable us to be patient and loving like 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. Psalm 100:1-3. He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted. He bestows rain on the earth; He sends water upon the countryside. The lowly He sets on high, and those who mourn are lifted to safety. Job 5:9-11. My God will meet all your needs (answer all your questions) according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19. Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10. Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall. Psalm 55:22. The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him Nahum 1:7. Praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything He does is right and all His ways are just. Daniel 4:37.

Love you all!

April 17, 2013

Good Morning Friends!  Wonderfully wrapped in His loving arms, Wednesday!  Yesterday afternoon Kim and I took Hailey, Clark, and Tucker to the airport in Dallas…..from Dallas to Fairbanks, AK…..the first leg of a new adventure in their lives…..moving back to Fairbanks.  The last couple of months, knowing that they were leaving have been quite difficult for Papa and I.  Of course, we love them so very much, and always want what’s best for them, but I must admit my first reaction was more selfish than loving.  Yes, at first I even questioned our Heavenly Father…asking Him why He would bring them to Lula to live, bless us with Tucker and then BAM!  Take them away……Alaska is a long ways from Lula!  We listened to their reasons and their plans, teased them endlessly about staying and then helped them pack up, and finally yesterday took them to the airport with lots of great big bags!  It took all of us to get everything checked in, my job…..taking care of Tucker!  Finally the moment had come, we had to say goodbye.  I found someone to take our picture, lots of hugs and kisses…..tears…..and the final goodbye.  Kim and I walked silently to the car, tears streaming down our faces wondering how long it would be till we see our precious Hansen family again.  We got in the car and headed out of the airport towards home, silent at first and then Kim broke the silence….”Well, at least they got to have the country experience for a while.  They have really grown and matured.”  I agreed….and then….peace….do I feel peace?  I asked myself…..I think I do…..but I just put my first-born granddaughter, her sweet husband, our grandson, Clark and our first great-grandson on an airplane to Alaska…to live.  How can I feel peace?  I am devastated, broken hearted, sad…..peace…..there can’t be any room for peace in my heart…Oh wait….”OK Father…..I feel you…..I hear you…..Yes, forgive me….I know You supply peace beyond human understanding…yes that’s what I am feeling!  I just have to let You in don’t I?  But Father they will be so far away and I worry about them…..Oh Ok, OK…..yes…..I do know that You are with them…they love you and You will guide and protect them…..Thank you Father…..Thank you Father for the blessing of having Hailey, Clark, and Tucker in Lula with us for almost 3 years.  Gosh we are so blessed!  Father thank you for finding me and filling me with Your peace when I am wallowing in self-pity.  Forgive me.

The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:7.  The God of peace will be with you.  Philippians 4:9.  The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace.  Psalm 29:11.  Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”  John 14:27.  To everything there is a season, and a purpose to everything under heaven.  Ecclesiastes 3:1.

Love you all!

April 16, 2013

Good Morning Friends!  Thankfully His, Tuesday!  Last night Kim had call a phone call from our grandson Brayden in California.  Brayden was reading Papa Kim the very first report he had ever written.  The subject….pick your hero and write about him/her.  Well, guess who Brayden wrote about!  Yep, his Papa Kim….he read, “My hero is my Papa Kim……because he is a fireman.  He is a fireman, he helps his community,  and he saves lives……that’s why he is my hero!  I am proud of my Papa Kim.”   I didn’t hear the whole report, but that is what I could get from Papa Kim…….He was so proud, beaming like a bright light, smiling from ear to ear, so he could hardly speak.  Gosh, can you just imagine…..a tribute like that from your 7 (8 tomorrow) year old grandson.  His hero, Papa Kim.  After his call I started thinking who I would write about if I was given that assignment…..people in my life came to mind first…my mom, my brother Sam, my husband…..then I thought of some biblical persons….David slaying Goliath, Daniel in the lion’s den, how about all the apostles dying because they would never deny their faith……dying…I thought of Brayden’ s report….how Papa Kim saves lives……..yes Papa Kim and all firemen do have the opportunity at times to save lives and I am so thankful for all the people that risk their lives for others in their jobs…..And then the LIGHT came on….the LIGHT of the WORLD is my hero……Jesus our Savior, our Good Shepherd, our Best Friend….HOLY…without blame….born in a stable…..DIED FOR US!  He didn’t risk HIS life….HE GAVE IT…..WILLINGLY!  For you and for me…….Really, Hero is not nearly BIG enough to call our JESUS!!!!  We are so blessed!  By grace we have been saved……Father, my goodness how we so miss the LIGHT so often, forgive us!  Thank you for YOUR gift to us…YOUR only Son, our Savior…….Father, thank you for precious grandchildren that help us to see the LIGHT and bless our lives in such very special ways.  All Praise, Honor, and Glory to You!!!!!

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.  John 3:16.   Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of Your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for You name’s sake.  Psalm 79:9  Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord.  You ha e filled my heart with great joy than when their grain and new wine abound.  Psalm 4:6-7.  The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.  Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His suffering in order that we may also share in His glory.  Romans 8:16—17. 

Love you all!