Answered Prayer

Today, I give God the glory for three very specific prayers that He answered. If I could take out an ad in a worldwide paper, or make an announcement to the world, or somehow sing His goodness to the masses, I gladly would proclaim His mercy to all.

Today though, I simply give Him glory, honor and praise for being merciful and answering these prayers of mine. Our God is so good and I humbly give Him all the glory.

Thank you Father God for bestowing your grace and favor on your humble servant.

In My Sadness....I CAN Still Rejoice

This afternoon, I said goodbye to someone I loved dearly. I only knew this dear gentleman for 3-4 months, but somehow, I felt as though I'd known him a lifetime.

This afternoon, Don went to be with Jesus. I miss him already but I know where he is and I know he's dancing on streets of gold and he's singing again, which he loved dearly. Just this morning, I sang two of his favorite songs to him. Now, he has the strength to sing again himself!

I will miss him so much, but I rejoice knowing he's in the hands of Jesus now.
...."twas grace that brought me safe thus far and grace will lead me home."

Today, Don was led home by the "grace" Giver. He's at peace now, whole, breathing easily, and praising God.

Thank you Lord for Don. Take good care of him for me.

It's A Wonderful Life!

It's Christmas Eve and as I have done many times before, I'm watching "It's A Wonderful Life." It's one of my favorite classics. Its' message is so plain and simple but one we tend to forget often.

Truly, life is wonderful.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EACH OF YOU.....

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, ISN'T IT?

The Gift ANYONE Can Afford to Give

Today I drove in to Jax to visit my grandchildren. My 7 year old granddaughter Natalie wasn't quite sure what she wanted for Christmas so to make things easier, I just took her to Toys'R'Us to shop. We walked the aisles, and everywhere were shoppers looking for the perfect gift for their children. Many had worried looks on their faces and seemed to be pacing trying to find just the right gift. I tried smiling at everyone. Some smiled back, some just looked at me as though I was nuts, but I kept on smiling.

After she picked out the perrrrrrrrrfect Christmas gifts she wanted (within the price range Yaya gave her!) we went to Chick-Fil-A for lunch. When we went in, it looked as though a greyhound bus had just unloaded there were so many people in all the lines. As we waited patiently, I smiled at everyone. We were all stuck there in the same lines and as I continued to smile, I saw people who were frowning, beginning to smile back at me. Some looked at me in astonishment because I was smiling but all around, people started smiling back at me. The service was so quick and so curteous that I felt compelled to go tell the manager what a great job they were doing and how much I appreciated it. He seemed shocked that I would stop, smile and compliment their service when everyone was rushing so much and apparently only worrying about their own day.

A simple SMILE certainly does go a long way. It's a gift that's free of charge that anyone can give. When we smile at someone, it does bring a little joy to others lives. A smile can perk anyone up even in the midst of a tough day. It's one of the ways we have of letting the light of Jesus shine the brightest through us.

Tomorrow, when you set out for your new day, try smiling at everyone you meet. It's a gift that anyone can afford. Your smile just might make someone's day and be just the gift they needed.

SMILE!!

Sweet Memory from the Past

Many many many years ago...approximately 40-50, my parents purchased what I thought was THE most beautiful Christmas tree in the whole world!

I remember as my dad pulled each silver branch out of the box, I was enthralled with its' beauty. I had never seen anything like it. To me, it seemed so big and beautiful. My mother would hang red balls on it and then of course, came the revolving color globe! WOW was all I could think. I'd sit and watch as each of the colors would come around in the circle, always trying to decide which color I liked the best...red, blue, green or yellow.

Long before my father passed away, he gave our old tree to me. This year, since our daughter and son-in-law have so much of their furniture here in our house while they are building their own, we found our family room pretty crowded. Soooo, it just felt right to pull out my old tree and save the big green tree for next year.

As Darrel placed each old silver branch into place, the memories flowed through my mind. Of course, I had to finish the tree with red balls, just like my mother would have. Then, I draped the beautiful Christmas tree skirt that my daughter made for me 3 christmases ago underneath it.

My old silver tree isn't nearly as big as it seemed to be when I was a child, but its' memories are hidden in the branches and they speak joy to my heart each time I look at them. In all its' splendor, here's a picture of my tree this year in our family room.

Whatever your Christmas looks like this year, I pray that the memories from years gone by will ring loud in your ear.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

Lessons From My Father

At this "giving" time of year, I always find myself reflecting on my precious father. It was he who showed me by example, the art of giving of oneself.

Even earliest childhood memories involve watching him helping others. In the midst of a horrific tornado when I was a young child, my father went out into the driving wind and pelting rain to check on our elderly neighbors. With homes demolished all around us, my father left his family in our basement to bless others not so fortunate. I can still remember watching him push his way down our driveway through the wind and rain, crying because I was afraid for him.

Gestures of kindness, compassion, and helpfulness were exhibited right before my eyes and I learned from these lessons.

I learned about selfless giving until it hurts from my earthly father. We don't see that too much anymore because we all are so consumed with ourselves, our own lives and our own problems. Long before I knew Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I saw these examples lived out right before my own eyes. I watched my father continually as I grew older to remain constant in his selfless attitude.

Christmas giving should be exhibited EVERY day in our lives. It is at the very core of who Jesus Himself was. He gave everything that He had for us and we didn't deserve a thing. We often weigh things out before we give and try to decide if someone is "deserving" of our giving....but Jesus didn't do that....He just gave it all on that cross on Calvary.

There won't be many gifts under our tree this year. The gifts our family has decided to give cannot be wrapped up. But the "giving" will be there, unseen, but not unnoticed in heaven and THAT is where it all matters anyway.

I challenge you, the reader, to give of yourself this Christmas. Give until it hurts, for that's when it truly becomes "selfless."

"For God so loved the world that He GAVE His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16

How about YOU...what are YOU willing to give this Christmas????

In the Midst of Despair

Thank you Jesus, for reminding me today, in the midst of despair, that you hear me. "If my people, who are called by name, will humble themselves and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven....." 2 Chronicles 7:14.

It wasn't a coincidence that I read that during my time with the Lord today. In my anguish, he sweetly reminded me that as I am praying, seeking His face and turning from evil....HE IS HEARING ME.

Thank you God for getting me through this day and hearing my cries to you. I love you Lord.

Can you spare $1.59?

Not many days ago, we all stood helpless as we watched gas prices soar higher than we've ever seen them. I felt as though Darrel had chained me to the house! I was daily reminded..."DON'T DRIVE ANYWHERE UNLESS YOU HAVE TO!!!" And so, I saw alot of these dirty walls within my house!!!

Well, now that the insanity is at least temporarily behind us, we can all breathe a sigh of relief. But that brings me to my title question...

So....what CAN you do with a mere $1.59??? My first thought is this...$1.59 will buy you 1 gallon of gas here in my small Florida town and in the average vehicle, I'm guessing that will allow you to drive somewhere between 12-25 miles. Now that may not sound like very many miles you can drive but let's look at it this way. WHO within the amount of miles 1 gallon of gas would cost you, could use a visit today??? There are many lonely people out there who would love to see your face today? Or, how about driving down to our Care Center and volunteering for a couple of hours? You could spend $1.59 on a card for someone that would love a piece of mail.

It's true, $1.59 won't buy gold in these days, but the gifts from the heart that you could give for that amount are worth much more than pure gold to people. Why not give it a little thought and see what other ideas you can come up with.

Now...go dig under the cushions, under your car floormats and in the bottom of your purses, scrape up that $1.59 and let God use you to be a blessing. Someone is waiting for you.

God Works in Unknown Ways

The picture you see of this dear man, is someone the Lord Himself recently brought into my life. At first, I wasn't quite sure I understood why, but now, it is clear to me. (This picture was taken a year or more ago. I took a picture of this picture to be able to post it. That's why the date shows today.)

Several months ago, I introduced myself to this precious man who was seated in the back row of the church, on the far left. I remember he caught my eye because he reminded me of my own father. I stopped, hugged him and introduced myself and from that moment one, the bond began.

I shall never understand how the Lord God Almighty works, but He has taught me that He always brings people into our lives for a reason. I immediately loved Don and I could tell the feelings were mutual. Not long after the first time we met, Don's wife Mary had to be hospitalized. I knew that I should go and minister to them in the hospital and I did. This was the first time I met Mary. Don was still able to be up and around and he was doing his best to care for her in the hospital.
Once Mary came home, it wasn't long after that Don's health began to fail and he began wearing oxygen in our church services. I could tell his health was quickly slipping away.

As my visits to he and Mary increased, the friendship grew stronger. Not long later, Don was put in the hospital and then sent to the nursing home. He remained there only a week or two and daily visits to see him became precious to me. I loved to make him laugh and we shared stories and jokes together. Much of the time, I'd tell him stories about my own father and tell him how much he reminds me of him. He always would smile when I told him this.

Don is now back in his own home, where he wants to be. He has brought so much joy to me. I do not know much about his life nor his past, but I do know this....God sent him my way to be a blessing to him. Since my own father's death, I have yearned desperately for my dad and I have counted it all joy that God put Don in my path to minister to him and to Mary.

You know, I preach constantly to my children and grandchildren the importance of giving to others, of our time, our talents and ourselves. God has given me this opportunity, right here at Christmas time, to put my own selfish desires aside to be the hands, feet and mouthpiece of Christ to someone in great need. What an honor and a priviledge that God would allow me to be used in such a way.

As Don's health continues to slip away, I rejoice that he knows Christ in a personal way. Don joyfully awaits the moment his eyes see his Lord and Savior and knows that his mansion awaits him upon his arrival!
I am so thankful to God for people that He strategically places in our paths. Don has helped me to remember how short life is and I'm thankful that God chose to use me to minister to Don.

Thank you Lord for Don and Mary and for your peace upon their lives. Please pray for them as they face the difficult days ahead.

So MUCH to be Thankful for!

Jesus, salvation, my husband, my children, my grandchildren, my family, my health, my home, laughter, friends, my church, my Sunday School class, youth, chocolate covered popcorn, pizza with lots of cheese, animals, sunrises, sunsets, my hearing, my vision, the sense of touch, the sense of taste, hugs, smiles, candy of all kinds, new shoes, long walks in the woods, trees, flowers, insects, MUSIC, perfume, dancing in the rain, the mountains, electricity, running water, walking barefoot in the grass, games with my grandchildren, hearing my grandchildren say Yaya, dinners with my family, cashews, pistachio nuts, the sound of the birds in the morning, the wind in the trees..........
This list could continue for hours and I would never get to the end of it! We truly DO HAVE SO MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR, don't we??? From the biggest to the smallest things, I am thankful, I am blessed. I don't deserve any of it and yet, God has blessed me and continues to bless me.
This Thanksgiving, let us all ponder the many many things we have to praise our God for.
HAPPY "THANKS"GIVING to all of you. YOU are some of the things I am thankful for! Lord bless you all and have a wonderful day!

Happy 55th To My High School Sweetheart!

Thirty nine years ago, I fell in love with a skinny Mississippi boy, who two years later, became my husband. Today he is 55 and I can't believe how quickly the years have gone by. Believe it or not, when I met Darrel, he wore a 29 inch waist in his pants and was skinny as a rail! Time has changed our physical appearance, but I thank God that our love has remained over the years.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DARREL! May God continue to bless you and keep you healthy!
I LOVE YOU!

The Journey Ahead

Early tomorrow morning, our ladies mission team will depart for Honduras. Another new journey will begin as we each learn, grow, pray and share our way through it. There will be bridges to cross for each person, fears to overcome, and roads to travel that they have never traveled before. In every moment, in every circumstance, God will be there with us, encouraging us onward. Each day, there will miracles to share and tears that will be shed as we minister to God's people in Honduras.

Please pray for our team and pray for those who will receive the love of Jesus that we want desperately to share. We thank you in advance, for your prayers for us all. I will miss you all and will be praying for you while I'm gone.

May God's merciful hand be upon everyone, may His joy be in your heart and His sweet words be upon your lips. Until we meet again...God bless you all! I love you but Jesus loves you more!

My Frailities

Today, I am reminded of my frailities. I am reminded that I am nothing and cannot accomplish much without Him by my side. I am frail and weak but I am strong in Him. When I realize how weak I am, then I realize even more how strong He is. He MUST be strong to be able to carry me and the millions of others He carries every day.

I am weak....I am frail...
I am like a tiny sprout that breaks forth through the ground in spring.
I am weak...I am frail...but He is strong.
He upholds me and strengthens me.
Like sunshine and rainwater nourish the tiny sprout, His strength feeds me.
I am weak...I am frail...but He is strong.

Thank you Father, for your strength.

With a Saddened Heart...

It is with a saddened heart that I write this...the verdict is in and we now have a democratic president who stands on the very issues that will continue to degrade our nation and society. BUT, I am continually encouraged by my God. I will continue to do that which I KNOW is godly and follows GOD'S LAW. I will honor God in all that I do, regardless or in spite of what anyone else does. At the throne, I will not answer for anyone but myself so rather than judge anyone else, I will simply do what I know is right according to the Word of God.

My heart is sad but my spirit continues to soar as I know the one who holds the future and I know it is in His hands. Whom shall I fear? Surely, not man, but God. I shall walk in His ways, adhere to His commandments and honor Him with my life. I will glorify Him until I breathe my last. I will not be dictated by what society says is acceptable, nor changed by their ungodly beliefs. I shall remain true to my Lord and Savior and daily thank Him for my knowledge of Him.

And yet...I will praise Him.

PRAY and VOTE

Tomorrow will be a day we shall all remember in the decades to come. We will tell our children and grandchildren about the candidates. We'll tell them of the hope we saw in the McCain/Palin ticket and the atrocities of the O'Bama/Biden ticket. We will look back one day and stand in disbelief that a candidate such as Obama could have ever gotten to the place of being the Democratic Presidential nominee. A man whose very core goes against everything we Christians stand for. How sad.

When tomorrow evening is over and the final votes are counted let us Christians be able to say that we did all we could to do our part in this election...PRAY and VOTE for the only ticket who supports the standards of our faith.

May God bless America and give us the courage, strength and faith in the days ahead, regardless of the outcome of the vote tomorrow.

29 Years Ago Today!

29 years ago tonight, our only daughter Summer came into the world. Those were the days that you didn't know the sex of your baby until the moment they were born. I had prayed for a daughter while I carried her. I sang to her in the womb and she daily listened to her brothers while I carried her. She was our only child born with her daddy present. We didn't even have that choice with our sons.

We felt so blessed that God would give us a daughter after our sons were born. She was an easy child from the time of her birth. She had an amazing imagination and played endless hours with her imaginary friend. She loved to sing from an early age and she brought joy into our lives. We remember she would grab a chair or a box, step up on it and announce with a pretend microphone...."Ok everyone listen...first I'm going to sing and then I'm going to preach!" She loved church and her Sunday School class and sang on our local church tv station with me when she was 4. I believe she was 2-3 the first time she got up and sang at church with a little friend of hers.

Today, on her 29th birthday, I look back and wonder where the years have gone. It seems like only yesterday she was just a little girl and now she's a wonderful wife and mother. She has taught us much since her birth. I could have never dreamed when she was little that she would grow up to live the life of a pastors wife.

Happy Birthday Summer! We pray that God continues to be the center of your life and the love of your heart. We love you and thank God for giving you to us.

34 Years Ago Today

I thought I'd pop I was so big and pregnant some 34 years ago! I had begged my doctor for weeks to PLEASE DO SOMETHING to make me have this baby! FINALLY, he agreed to let me come into the hospital on October 21, 1974, start "the drip" and see if labor would ensue. PRAISE GOD IT DID and I was quickly on my way to my second son being born. At 2:18 that afternoon, Butch came screaming into this world!

From the beginning, I knew this child was most definitely different than my firstborn son. This child was much more vocal, loved for me to hold and cuddle him, play with him and chatter. By the time he was 6 months old, I also knew this child was going to have a strong mind of his own! He was such a character. He made us laugh and he delighted in animals and the outdoors. Whereas our firstborn would play endless hours by himself and was more quiet, this little boy loved to be in the middle of whatever was going on and just made us all laugh with his antics! He entertained us with his funny sense of humor and his sweet smile.

On one of his first days of kindergarten, ALREADY the teacher talked to us about how verbal he was in the classroom! One of the children in the room was coughing and he loudly told him..."QUIT THAT BARKING!!" We were told that Butch would need to learn to not be so vocal! I had a feeling then that would be the beginnings of a little boy who liked to talk AND to make people laugh. By the time he was just a very young man, he exhibited a desire to see how everything worked and often took anything and everything apart that he could. He looked just like his grandfather when he was born and was also acting a lot like him too.

You have blessed our lives Butch and taught us much! You are allowing God to direct your path and be LORD of your life. That was and always will be the #1 prayer for you that we ever had. Anything else good that happens to you is by God's mercy, goodness and grace. We love you Butch and continue to pray that you will draw closer and closer to Him as the years go by. Thank you for the laughter you bring to everyone around you and the light that you are for Jesus! You have learned well what is truly important in this life.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY SECOND BORN SON! YOU ARE LOVED IMMENSELY.

Little Children

Today, I simply thank God for "little ones." You know, the wonderful and precious little children of our church. This morning at MOPS, they blessed my heart. They are the future of our church and I am so proud of how well our church invests in their lives. For all the hours of investment, for all the hours of preparation, for all the hours of cleaning up after them, for all the hours of teaching, praying, singing and playing...I thank you ALL who work so hard with them on Sundays and Wednesdays. May God richly bless your efforts.

Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world...red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world.

I'm so glad that we love little children at RRC too.

He Has His Hands

It is amazing and wonderful to me, how generations can pass and yet a character or physical trait can be seen in our children's children. This week, as I was hugging my grandson Butch, who is 10 years old, I looked closely at his hands that I had just been holding. Immediately, I was whisked away in my mind to a time some 40 years ago. There, I could see Butch's great great grandfather, Big Papaw. He was a tall and lanky man (over 6 feet), with eyes of blue and a heart of gold. I loved his smile and his quiet ways. He worked his many acres of land in cotton. Near their tin roof house was a large strawberry patch that I came to love on visits there. Picking strawberries with him was a joy. He and Granny, who was only about
4' 10", lived very simply with a woodstove to heat their home and a feather bed. The toilet was outside in the back yard and was my first ever time to experience an outhouse. They were precious country folk who worked hard, lived simply and loved their family.

One of the things I remember about him was his hands. His fingers were long and thin and calloused. And now, three generations later, I see those hands in my grandson. It is amazing to me and it brings joy to my heart. I suspect as the generations continue these wonderful hands will continue to show themselves and the blood and heritage of those gone on before us will live on. I like that thought. Big Papaw would have liked it too.

He Was My Best Friend

I'm not exactly sure what is going on within myself, but I have found myself doing an extreme amount of reminiscing lately. Maybe this is normal for a 55 year SENIOR citizen, I just don't know. Since this is the first time in my life that I've been this age, I don't know what to expect!!! But, fact is, I've done a lot of it. I find my mind wandering back to my childhood and remembering things that I hadn't thought of in a long long time. Maybe it's because my own children are grown and gone and now my life is all about my grandchildren and it's hitting home with me more and more that I'm not getting any younger. Having said all that, I found myself thinking a lot about the many animals I had as a girl and the joy they brought me.

This little guy in this picture was my very best friend in the whole world. I believe my parents got him for me when I was 8 or so for Christmas and I think I was about 10 or 11 in this picture. YEP...THAT'S ME!!! (STOP LAUGHING!!!!!!:) He was my instant best buddy. His name was Whiskers and I adored this dog. I still have the reel to reel recording that they made of me on Christmas morning as they presented me with Whiskers.

When my parents divorced and I had to live with a family I didn't know (long story that I won't go into right now), Whiskers was the only living thing that came along with me to this unknown place. This dog heard all my secrets, listened to all my heartaches and had millions of tears dripped on his little head during that time. Life was a struggle then but Whiskers was my escape, my friend and my confidante.

All my life, I have loved all animals deeply. They have always soothed something deep within me, allowed me to express love for God's wonderful creations that they are and brought me extreme joy. There have been very few times in my life that I have been without a dog and I hope I'll never be without one.

Whiskers was my best friend for the years I had him. I know it sounds ridiculous to some, but I thank God for that four legged friend who helped me get through those sad and scary years of my parents divorce. I loved that dog with my whole heart and always felt he was God's gift to me to help me cope.

Thanks for the memories Whiskers. Of all my four legged friends, you were the best.

The Colors of Fall

Each year when the Fall of the year rolls around, something stirs deep within me. Memories flood my mind of some 39 years ago when I made my first trip to Mississippi. My parents had divorced and my father had remarried and moved to the deep South. I arrived in June or July, not sure which, but this I do remember...on my very first day there, I met Darrel. I remember the day several months later when I knew I loved him. We were driving to see his grandparents. They lived way out in the country. It was a wonderful cool Fall day and we stopped along the way to look at the leaves and colors. I remember drinking in the oranges, browns, yellows and maroons and thinking the trees were some of the most beautiful I'd ever seen. Maybe it was partly the intensity of the moment for me (after all, I am a nature FREAK) and the sights of God's hand at its' most beautiful, but I knew right then that it was not only the colors of Fall I was seeing but the colors of love.

You see, the colors of Fall make those first feelings of love come back to my remembrance with a vengance. The stirrings inside me that the depth of the colors brings about each year, warm my heart with long ago memories that I hold so dear.

The past 37 years of our marriage have seen many struggles, trials, tests and heartache, too numerous to mention. But, as each year passes and Fall approaches once more, God reminds me again of "The Colors of Fall" and the colors of our love. They are rich and deep and I am so thankful.

What a Nickel Could Buy

When I was a mere 2 years old, we lived in a pretty pathetic corner apartment up above a little store in Chicago. We were dirt poor. If I'm remembering correctly, we were given a nickel on Saturday to purchase whatever our little hearts desired from the store downstairs.....or we could save it. Of course, saving it NEVER entered my mind! NOT ONCE! I mean, come on, why would it, when the candy behind the glass counter downstairs was constantly calling my name!!

I waited all week for that precious nickel and once it was in my hand, my little feet couldn't carry me down the stairs fast enough to spend it. The candy was all behind glass and everything, as I remember, was 5 for a penny! Oh man, what a nickel could buy!!:) I loved licorice whips, candy dollars, satellite wafers, marshmallow cones, candy buttons and so much more! YUM! And you got 5...count em...1, 2, 3, 4, 5 for a penny! Man, you'd toddle out of there with a small brown bag FULL of candy and all for a nickel! It was great!

I have been a candy addict all my life! I'm guessing that I came out of the womb asking for chocolate as opposed to milk! My body craves it and it's a must have every day for me. I've been doing Weight Watcher's for a little over a year now and I still make room for candy every day! You'd think at my age the cravings would diminish but not so.

Man, a nickel....a little silver nickel would buy a whole bag of candy back in 1955.
A nickel won't even buy gum in a machine anymore. Sad, isn't it?

Candy and I have been best friends for a long time. I wonder if this friendship will ever end? I don't think so. As a matter of fact, I think I'll go open a bag of the pixy-stix I bought for myself a while ago!!!

My Heart is Full

Tonight at church, a man came forward who blessed my heart. He had recently been led to our church by a local eye doctor who knew he just needed to talk to someone. She had the love and foresight to call our church and ask for one of our pastors. This precious man was at the end of his rope and simply needed Jesus in his life. Our pastor talked to him and he made the most important decision of his life when he decided to follow Christ and give his life to Him. The joy on his face was priceless and in my mind, I could hear the angels rejoicing over his decision. Heaven was cheering him on and we were the lucky ones to have been able to receive him into our fellowship.

Now it is our responsibility to encourage him, love him, pray for him and be an example before him. I feel so honored to be a part of a fellowship who loves deeply, cares immensely and prays diligently.

This man's salvation and presence at our church touched me tremendously. It reminded me of the fragileness of life, the great needs of people all around us, of our purpose in this life and the power of the Cross of Christ. This man was at a crossroads. I'm so thankful that he turned to Jesus and I'm so thankful that there's power in the truth of the Word of God.

My Heart is FULL!

It's OFFICIAL Now For Sure!

Well, it took me 4 1/2 months to do it, but I finally did it last night! What, you say??? Well, I made turning a "senior citizen" 100% official by going to our church monthly VIP dinner. You or your spouse must be 55 or older to attend these events. VIP stands for "Vintage Impacted People" and that is now me!

Man, it felt weird! I am so used to spending a lot of time with youth, not seniors! When I walked in I felt as though I wasn't supposed to be there. You know, like how you would feel if you went to a party uninvited. Oh, I was welcome, of course, but I felt amazingly weird!

Of course, within minutes, I was fine and was enjoying the atmosphere and conversation and the food! It was great. We had a wonderful time but I sat listening to the singing wondering, once again, how could I possibly be old enough to be part of the VIP group???? It was only yesterday that I was thrown a 30th surprise birthday party, the only one ever thrown for me. Now, I have children older than that! I looked around the room at the 40 something or so people and thought about the wisdom sitting in that room. I was sort of in awe as I sat there.

This December, for the first time at our annual VIP Christmas dinner, Darrel and I will "sit" at a table instead of "serving" one. Now THAT is going to be REALLY WEIRD! I guess it's another chapter in my life but it's going to take me some time to get used to it! Some days I'm thrilled to have the turned the page into this new chapter and others, I wish I could turn back the clock.

Ah well....it is what it is so I might as well embrace it.

Wonder where my AARP card is???

I'll Leave the Light On For You

As I was leaving our fair booth tonight, Darrel called my cell. Naturally, he was just wondering when I would be home, wanted to caution me to "be careful" but mostly, just wanted to tell me that "he'd leave the front light on for me."

Inside, I felt warmed, loved, expected, anticipated and cared about. How sweet of him to want me to know that he wanted to "light the way" for me. His words comforted me and when I drove into the driveway, the light illuminated the door and gave me clear guidance but before I could open the door, he was there greeting me.

I know for some of you, this might be a stretch to parallel what this meant to me, but this is how my mind works. As Darrel greeted me at the door, I thought about Jesus. How HE makes me feel, is the same, even MUCH BETTER, than how this incident made me feel.

As good as Darrel makes me feel when he exhibits these feelings towards me, Jesus exhibits these feelings towards me every single moment of every single day. HE loves me deeply, HE anticipates my coming home to HIM, HE cares about me and most definitely, HE lights my way every step of every day. When the darkness surrounds me, HIS light is there to guide my way. Always HE is there anticipating hearing my voice and coming back into HIS presence. I am warmed by the LIGHT of HIS love.

How grateful I am that Jesus ALWAYS leaves the light on and waits for me to be in HIS presence again. My, isn't that good to know?

10 Minutes in the Rocking Chair

Early this morning, decked out in my robe, (only because I was late getting up this morning) Darrel and I sat out front in Sum/Dale's rocking chairs. I was waiting for Butch to get here with the kids and Darrel just sat down next to me working on last minute laptop stuff before he headed out for the day. BUT...there was a few passing minutes there that we enjoyed a delightful conversation about life and dreams and our hopes for the future. As our economy is failing more daily, Darrel and I discussed our future, our finances and our continued dreams in spite of it all. Our conversation lasted a mere 10 minutes or so but it was wonderful. As we sat sharing together, I thought about how quickly life passes us by and how seldom we have, or should I say take, these wonderful opportunities. My last blog before this one was about our oldest son turning 36. When I think about the fact that 36 entire years have passed since his birth, I realize clearly how quickly life and the living of it, is fleeting. James 4:14 tells us that life is but a vapor quickly fading away. Isn't it sad that it appears that we do not ever seem to fully understand this fact until we get older? I cherish every moment now so much more than I did when I was younger. Life is STILL good, despite the economy, despite things falling down around us. Life is STILL good...not because of anything that man has done but because of everything GOD HIMSELF has done and IS DOING.
It's amazing how refreshing, comforting and joyfilled a simple 10 minute conversation can be. Through it, God reminded me how fleeting life is and how each moment, whether shared in wonderful conversation sitting in a rocking chair, or shared in pain and strife, should be lived as our last. Life is a vapor...quickly fading away. It's our choice how we live it. Thank you God for a few moments in time when problems slipped away and conversation was sweet.

Happy Birthday My Firstborn Son

About 50 minutes from now, 36 years ago tonight, my firstborn son made his way into the world. I was young, scared and had not a clue about giving birth or having a baby for that matter. Those were the days that husbands were not allowed in the labor and delivery rooms and so, I labored alone with a nurse, and gave birth without Darrel close by.

The instant I layed my eyes on my little baby boy, I was in love. I was smitten as though I had never known love before. He was an easy baby and filled my young heart with joy. I learned much in those early years and made many mistakes as I went.

Today, Darrel and I celebrated DJ's 36th birthday together with him. As I hugged him goodbye, I couldn't help but cry. Where have the years gone? I would give much to have him back on my knee or in my arms, but those days are gone.

Happy Birthday my firstborn son.....I miss those days so many years ago when I held you in my arms, played Leggos with you and took you to the park. May God direct your path over the next 36 years of your life and may HIS arms be the ones you rest in and find comfort in all the rest of the days of your life.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY DEAR SON!

Grandma's Hands

YIKES....they're here....I've finally got them......my Grandma's wrinkly hands! I remember as a little girl looking at my Grandmother's hands a lot. It wasn't that I simply sat and stared at her hands, it was just that her hands were ALWAYS busy and since I watched her and followed her around a lot, I noticed those precious hands. Those dear hands ironed, cooked, did the dishes and helped me button all those buttons when I was just a wee one. What I always remembered about her was those wonderful hands full of wrinkles! I don't mean that in a cruel way, it was just an observation as a child. I remember looking at her hands and wondering about all the things those hands had done in her life.

Now, here I am, just as of this morning, realizing that my hands are beginning to look like my Grandma's hands. For a moment, it made me feel old and a bit sad and then I realized it was a good thing. I thought, you know, if my hands could accomplish even a portion of blessings that my Grandmother's hands ministered to me, then it was an honor to have wrinkly hands like Grandma's.

Every single day I want my hands to be used to minister peace, blessings, comfort, encouragement and love, just as my dear Grandmother's did. NOW is the best time in my life with my grandchildren all around me and with so many in our church and community to use my hands to bless.

Lord, use my hands for your glory and let them be instruments of your peace....just like Grandma's were to me. After all Lord, there's lots of little hands in my life that are holding on to them.

There's NO Place Like Home

Even Dorothy knew that truth...there is no place like home, is there? We can travel the world over, enjoy every moment and tuck the memories we made away in our minds, but in the end, HOME is where we want to be. At the end of the day, HOME beckons us to its' door. At the moment our foot steps through our front door, we are at peace, we are comforted, we are home. All is well with us when we come home. When we close the front door, trouble seems to cease. After all, everything is familiar there, our own bed, our own pillow, our own kitchen, our own space that we live, breathe and have our being in. Home...ohhhh, it feels so good and there's just no place like it.

Wednesday, one of our own came HOME. How wonderful to walk in to church Wednesday night and see our Kaitlin back with us. I have no doubt that her coming HOME brought peace and joy to her heart. I know her homecoming brought joy to mine.

Life takes us on many journeys. We travel far and wide for education, for leisure travel, and for business, but always...when we are HOME, we are at peace and all is right with us and the world.

Welcome HOME Kaitlin...welcome HOME. There's no place like HOME and we're glad you're here.

Truth

TRUTH....this single word seems to stir up trouble in many circles. I know, I have witnessed it personally amongst people.

I shall never truly and compeletly understand why it is that the majority of people really do not want to hear TRUTH. I am not speaking, for the most part, about biblical truth, I am talking about TRUTH in general. No matter how kind, considerate and gentle, many people refuse to listen to the truth and will actually get angered when it is spoken to them. Just a week ago, I simply spoke a TRUTH to somone, in a sweet but honest way, and if looks could have killed, I would have been dead. Then came the turn of their body and the silence.

Ah well....I pity them. What I spoke was TRUTH. It was not meant to hurt, discourage or put down, it was simply a TRUTH spoken in love from one adult to another and yet, it was not received well. I have a difficult time understanding and accepting the fact that millions of people across this great land refuse to ever do any better or act any better than what they do. When they are lovingly corrected and TRUTH is spoken to them, it is rejected the majority of the time. Do they not want to grow? Do they think they are perfect or do they simply just abhor the idea that anyone would have the nerve to speak to them about their speech/actions?

I'm baffled but I'll not stop speaking TRUTH.

Life

What a gift we have been given....LIFE! Each morning as I wake up, open the blinds and greet the morning, I thank God for the breath He has given me! Each day holds another wonderful opportunity to laugh, to sing, to read His Word, to see my children and my grandchildren, to eat, to play, to worship! As trials come my way, I try to keep my focus on Him and not on the problem. Yes, it's a struggle sometimes, but God always reaches down and calms me and reminds me of who's in charge. All I need to do is look outside and consider the work of His hands!

Tonight, I am simply reminding myself in the midst of family struggles, health struggles and the financial pains we are all feeling, that God is STILL God. I know that is no new news to most of us, I'm simply reminding myself. I'm thankful for LIFE and the gift of simply living it, whether it's difficult or not, I thank Him for this life I've been given.

For each breath Lord, I thank thee. IT'S ALL GOOD!

Let the Surgery Begin!

OK....so today I had to go to a doctor who did a little cutting on my upper right knee. It was some sort of spot that I'd had cut out before but it came back, only worse and more painful, so they needed to cut it out again. As I lay waiting on the table, after the 5 or so shots to numb the area, I lay there doing more thinking.

I thought to myself, wouldn't it just be so nice if ALL the bad stuff within me....you know, the bad thoughts, the selfishness, the negativity, all the parts of me that I haven't given over to Him and just all the non-Christian stuff that still lies within me.....could ALL be cut out too?????

I thought about asking the doctor how much of the bad stuff he could cut out in one day but then, as I lay there alone in the room with a "dead" knee...I realized if he "could" cut all the junk out, there wouldn't be much left of me to even get up off the table!!!!

Then in my demented strange mind, I began seeing pieces of me, all bloodied and yucky all over the table. I envisioned Summer and the boys (who were waiting in the car) being called in and seeing only pieces of me left on the table
and asking what happened. I could even hear the doctor explaining...."I'm so sorry...when we cut all the bad away, that was all that was left:("

In reality, this is the plain and simple truth...IF I could measure the "good" in me....it wouldn't be much....it would only be JESUS, that's it...just HIM.

God, please do spiritual surgery on me and cut out all the bad. Help me to do my part in cutting out all the yukky stuff that doesn't glorify you....it's so much God and I'm afraid....but I know you will help me to grab the spiritual scalpel and begin the surgery. Help me begin tonight and as I cut, heal the wounds that are left behind. I am so weak but in you, I am strong.

Thank you God, thank you......SCALPEL......SPONGE.....CLAMP...........

What "REALLY" is Important In This Life?

OK....so I've been thinking again today. This past Sunday in our SS class, we had an amazing lesson. We are studying Philippians and we're in the first chapter. There are so many things to be learned from Paul, deep spiritual lessons that should change our lives.

I am one of millions of people who daily forget what "really" is important in our lives. While I'm picking out my clothes, fixing my hair, deciding on dinner, choosing a place to shop, and doing the myriad of things I do, I often forget what "really" IS important. Paul made it clear to us as did Jesus Himself. It's furthering the Gospel....period. Oh yeah, all those above things need to be done and rightly so, but let us not forget the main thing in this life that should be our daily focus...spreading the Gospel.

Paul touched the depths of my heart when in chapter 1 he immediately speaks to us from his prison cell and declares loudly that the Gospel must be proclaimed with boldness and exalted in our bodies. Wouldn't it have been easy for Paul to wish Christ would take him home and get him out of that prison? But instead, even though he wrestled with this, he realizes that for the greater good of spreading the Gospel, he desires to stay as he realizes this is more necessary for Christ's sake. Man, we all need a dose of this great desire, don't we? We, including myself, live too much of our lives self-absorbed, self-satisfied and just plain selfish. We daily forget what the purpose of living is all about. We have lightbulb moments off and on when we remember what it is we were put here for in the first place, but then life gets in the way again and off we go on our own agenda.

We MUST step up to the plate and be BOLD when it comes to our Jesus. He deserves that from us. We need to stop backing down from speaking the truth of the Word to people and just speak it in love! When I think of "spreading" anything, to me, that word means slathering something all over. Let's SLATHER Jesus all over everyone we come in contact with people!

Lord, help me remember what life "REALLY" is ALL about....it's YOU Lord, SLATHERING YOU everywhere I go.

The Greatest Gifts I've Ever Been Given

Isn't life funny? As I sat and did some thinking this morning, my children's growing up years flooded my mind. There in my mind, I saw my firstborn, DJ. I vividly remember the day we brought him home from the hospital. I was so young and hadn't a clue of what having a baby around was all about. I did my best figuring things out when he came along but by 2 months of age, I unknowingly fed him so many baby carrots that he turned orange! Since we didn't have a clue what was wrong with him we took him to the doctor as we were so worried he was orange, only to find out that I was feeding him too many carrots! What can I say??? He liked them the best so that's what I gave him! How ridiculous now when I look back on it. None of my family lived close to me and I had no one to help me nor give me much guidance and so, I learned many things the hard way. Regardless of my ignorance, he grew into a sweet quiet little boy who warmed my heart.

Then my mind wandered to my second born son, Butch. From the day of his birth, somehow I knew this child was going to be most like me and he was AND is. He was a character already by the age of 6 months! Even then, when he was mad because you wouldn't give him his bottle, he'd bang his head back on my chest and yell! As he grew, he, like me, always had a voice about everything! He brought so much laughter to this house and so much fun as he grew as well as so many "opportunities for growth" in all of us! He loved every animal that came along and welcomed every person he met into our home and life. He was a joy...EXCEPT FOR THOSE TRYING YEARS THAT HE ALMOST KILLED US!!!!! :)

Then I thought about my last born and only daughter, Summer. Her birth was a time of rejoicing, not just because she was our first girl, but her daddy was present for her amazing birth. I can still see the look on his face as he layed her in my arms. She was such a tiny little thing and so sweet. She completed our family so beautifully and her brothers immediately took to her, especially DJ. As she grew, her perfection about everything became obvious. She liked things "just so" and still does. It was so wonderful having a little girl to play "girly" games and such with. She and I were closer than two peas in a pod as she grew. She made me feel complete. She was an easy child and a wonderful little girl.

Now, those precious children are grown and gone, all with families of their own. Sometimes, the quiet is deafening around here, sometimes wonderful. Today, it is deafening. Memories are such precious gifts from God but sometimes they make us cry too. As I love on, play with and cuddle my own grandchildren, it makes me miss the days when my own were little.

Ahhhhhh....I suppose that is enough reminiscing for one day.....actually, more than enough. How grateful I am for the 3 gifts of my children that God gave me. As they approach their 36th, 34th and 29th birthdays next month, I realize I love and cherish them more than ever. They are God's greatest gifts to me and always will be. There's nothing I love doing more than spending time with them. Thank you God, thank you God for DJ, Butch & Summer. I have always had a favorite verse that I have prayed over them for years and continue to do so...
"And now, may the Lord bless and keep you, may the Lord make His face shine upon thee and be gracious to thee, may the Lord lift up His countenance upon thee and give thee peace." Numbers 6:24-26

I love you and miss you my children.

Can you OD on shrimp???

Shrimp scampi, breaded shrimp, cajun shrimp, coconut shrimp and shrimp and linguini....YEP, I had some of all of them yesterday! It felt SO GOOD going down but hours later....many hours later....I still felt like I'd been shot, stuffed and put on a wall somewhere, I was so stuffed! I didn't even want to drink anything some 7 hours later as my stomach was still full! YUK...pretty disgusting, huh? Talk about eating all you can eat...I darn sure did. I blame it on Red Lobster though. How dare they offer the "Never Ending Shrimp Plate" knowing that idiots like me will sit down and eat too much and then be miserable the rest of the night. On top of all that shrimp, OF COURSE I just HAD to eat 2 of their cheese biscuits, baked potato AND wild rice! GOOD GRIEF...I'm ashamed and I should be.

Not too sure I will be visiting Red Lobster again anytime soon....I don't think my stomach can handle it. Just thinking about it now makes me feel like I need to go drink more Alka Seltzer....plop plop, fizz fizz, oh what a relief it is!

Grandkids, Football, Soccer, Icees & Andy Griffith

Yep, that's what the day was full of and it was GREAT! I would call the day one that was filled with the simple pleasures in life that make it worth living and waking up for every day.

At 9:00 this morning, we went to see Easton play in his 2nd soccer game.(#1 on his jersey) How adorable watching these 4 & 5 year olds run the ball up and down the soccer field. It was a great way to start the day. Sweet coach who gathered them together to start the game up with a huddle, then the lineup and away goes the game. Easton was hot behind his teammate Dashon after the ball!

Then it was out to breakfast with everyone and back home. It took an hour for us to cool off after we got home as it was so hot outside.

Then, it was over to the high school stadium to watch Butch play his first football game on the JETS team.(#32 on his jersey) He looked so grown up out there on the field and got to be one of the few chosen to go out centerfield for the coin toss! WHOOO HOOOO! He took time to pose with his cousin Jordan, who's one of the cheerleaders for his team, take a team photo (bottom row first on the left) and then he was ready to play. Great fun and I was so proud of my grandson.

It was so hot outside that when we left, we stopped to get an Icee to cool off. Easton had wanted to go with us to see his cousin play, so it was a perfect thing to pick up to cool off on the way home.

Once home, Easton wanted to watch his favorite...Andy Griffith. Perfect way to end the afternoon.

Thank you Lord for a wonderful Saturday enjoying our grandchildren and life. We are rich and blessed beyond measure!

Children's children are a crown to the aged,
and parents are the pride of their children.
Proverbs 17:6

Ike

Today as I watched the weather and began seeing the first images of the water crashing against the 17 foot sea wall in Galveston, I cried. I stopped what I was doing and prayed diligently and cried fitfully for the thousands and thousands of people who will be affected by this massive storm. My mind raced thinking about the children, those sick in hospitals and the elderly who would loose their lives, their possessions, the comfort of their surroundings and all they know, to this storm. As I prayed, I begged Him for mercy on behalf of His people.

Oh God, that we all would feel anguish and inner pain for the people all over the world who suffer, who live in fear, who are homeless, who do not know you, who are persecuted for righteousness sake, who are hungry, who are lonely, who are sick...Oh God, let us pray for these people, let us seek your face and cry out to you for the only help that there is.....YOU.

11 Chronicles 7:14 says: "if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land".

Let us all remember to pray for the many whose lives will be devastated and those who will be lost because of this storm. It is our duty, priviledge and should be our honor to pray for them. We would want them to do the same for us. May God help them all.

Thoughts of Chicago

At 7:45 this morning, I was out front, watering my plants AND SWEATING LIKE A PIG! This is ridiculous! I fretted and fumed and repeated again how I dislike Florida, all to myself and the dog. Now I suppose since she's only 3 1/2 pounds, she probably prefers the summer but NOT ME! Not the FLORIDA summer anyway! Good grief...the heat and humidity is enough to smother a person. I'm sick of it and I long for my Chicago days. NORMAL temps to me are NOT 90's and humid for months on end! YUK! I long for the changing of ALL 4 seasons and the enjoyment I found in each one of them.

I can remember winters in Chicago more clearly than any other season in my childhood, I suppose because they were so MUCH fun! Standing at the back door getting all bundled up by Grandma...she'd start with your regular clothes, then the sweater went on, the hooded coat would go on, then your scarf would be wrapped around your neck, the mittens would be pulled on and clipped inside. And that was just the TOP HALF OF YOUR BODY! OHHHHH, how I loved those days. Trudging out in the snow and having a ball! I yearn for colder weather right now.

Here's a great picture of my sister MANY MOONS ago that shows how we were dressed! It was a pain getting into all this garb but a blast outside once you got there! Man, I miss those days...

Think I'll go stick my head in the freezer and pretend I'm back in good old Yankee Land!

Why Do They Sing???

Ok...Ok...I KNOW firsthand that my brain doesn't think like most peoples....that's a given. BUT...am I the ONLY one who has ever wondered why birds sing? This morning, as I went through my morning ritual feeding my outside birds, I watched them from the window as they began to gather for breakfast at my backyard cafe. As they gather, they make such wonderful sounds. The singing, of course, starts at dawn and I LOVE the sound of it. It makes me happy to hear something else singing, besides me!

So....do you think they sing because they're happy...is it because they were born to sing...do they sing solely to communicate with each other...what do you think???

Well, I think they sing because it makes them happy....just like me! Most days I'm singing not long after I awake...just like them! When I sing, it lifts my spirits, brings me joy and brings glory to God AND since I have breath...praising God with my voice is what I was created to do!

Those sweet birds outside were created by God too and they're just doing what they were created to do...sing and give glory to God by doing so!

"LET EVERYTHING THAT HAS BREATH PRAISE THE LORD. PRAISE THE LORD!!" Psalm 150:6

Next time you hear a bird sing, maybe, just maybe...he's praising the God who created Him...just like me!

Alone

Sadness, emptiness, shortcomings, failures, too much spoken, not enough spoken, too much selfishness, too much laziness, lonliness, inadequate.....these feelings have raged within me for several days now. I've fought them, spoke Words of Life to them, denied them, cried about them and still, they come.

They are relentless...like rain that doesn't let up.
Like waves of the ocean...they come.
Like the untamed wind...they whirl around me and encompass me.

Sadness grips me and lonliness wants to settle on me. I'm screaming back at this feeling that it's not true...it's not based on fact...and then.....

I run to Psalms and there, I find lonliness, emptiness must flee...

"Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler
And from the perilous pestilence.
he shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His TRUTH shall be your shield and buckler.
You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday."
Psalms 91:3-6

He speaks peace to my fears, my lonliness...the lies that surround me.
He whispers calmness to me. Life Christmas dinner, I am once again full.

My physical heart wants to run back to the feelings of lonliness...where I can
wallow in my selfishness...

My spiritual heart screams at me that it's not about me...never has been, never will be. My spiritual heart reminds me that God owns my heart, not me. He beckons me...He calls my name...He reminds me of His love for me, regardless of my feelings.

Goodbye me........goodbye....
Thank you Jesus..........thank YOU.

Another New Exhibit to See!

The tadpole exhibit is still available to see but now, we've expanded our "rrreally BIG shewwww" (as Ed Sullivan would say) with two new additions! They are weird looking little caterpillars that appear to LOVE my lime tree. Back in April of this year, they made their first arrival and OF COURSE, as those of you who know me well, Yaya was compelled to put them into a little bug box and watch them. Daily the kids and I fed them lime tree leaves and watched them devour them in hours. A couple weeks later, our weird looking caterpillar weaved himself into a cocoon. Not too long after that, we were entralled when our weird looking caterpillar made his new entrance into the world as THE most BEEEEUTIFUL BUTTERFLY!!

Sooooo, they have made a second visit now to our small zoo and would like to make their worldwide appearance here on my blog.

Remember, tickets are free so step right up and see the weird looking caterpillars.

Oh yes....and thank you Lord for another of your creatures that fascinates me and brings me great joy. You are a creative God!!!!

Youth With a Heart

What a priviledge and honor it to be a Sunday School teacher in our youth department at church! Every Sunday morning as I awake, my mind centers on our services, our pastor, our ministries and our SS classes. I begin praying as I start my Sunday morning, getting my physical and spiritual self ready for worship. I'm always excited as we pull out of the driveway and head for church. Anticipation begins building in my heart and I can't wait to get there to see what God is going to do on this particular day of worship.
We have some amazing youth at our church, just in case you didn't know it! Every Sunday, at least one of them, blows me away. There are some whose faith is deep, whose commitments are firm and their prayer life is real.
Yesterday, I was once again amazed by one of our young men. He will remain unnamed as the Only One who needs to know his name, already does. He came to me after class was over, ONCE AGAIN burdened for the lost, confused and deceived youth of our community. As he stood before me, baring his heart and his deep concern for other youth, my heart was leaping with joy. He deeply, and I do mean deeply, CARES about lost youth. As tears welled up in his eyes, in my spirit all I could do was thank God for those of our youth who "really" care about others and really do "get it."
Also yesterday, I was priviledged to have one of our older young ladies stay in my class to help out. Darrel and I had 6th-8th graders ALL together yesterday, so it was quite a crowd. Her servanthood was precious and her smile warmed my heart.
We are blessed at RRC with youth who want to make a difference on this planet and I am so grateful to God that I am a small part of their lives. Working with them, teaching them, knowing them and watching them grow in Christ is an honor.
TO GOD BE THE GLORY for the youth of our church! They make my life full.

The Richness of Friends

Ecclesiates 4:10 says:

If one falls down,
his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up!

How true, how true! The older I get, the more I treasure my friends...those who love me, speak truth to me, lead me to the cross in difficult times, spend time with me when possible, pray me through when trials come and rejoice with me in victories. Truly, a man must show himself friendly to have a friend and I thank God for those who have shown themselves friendly to me and loved me.
Because of all of you, my life is blessed. Even today as I sat across from my dear friend, in my mind, I recounted the joy she brings to my heart and life. Inside, I thought of how fortunate I am to call her friend. She enriches my life, as do all my friends and I'm so thankful that when I fall down, I have friends who will pick me up! GLORY TO GOD ALMIGHTY FOR HIS MANY GIFTS (FRIENDS) TO ME!

STEP RIGHT UP....See the new Macclenny Exhibit!!!

Yep, right here in Macclenny, there's a new exhibit to be seen AND it's free of charge! Now normally, when you hear the words "STEP RIGHT UP" they are immediately followed by the following statement..."GET YOUR TICKETS RIGHT HERE!" But no, not so in this case! This exhibit is free of charge and open to anyone....right here in our very own Macclenny, you can view a million tadpoles in one place at one time! Yep, right here in my "pool" in my backyard. What once was the scene of grandchildren splashing and playing, squirting water back and forth, handstands to see who can keep their legs straighter, and the ever popular pulling each other off the raft game, is now extinct! No longer do I hear the sound of laughter but instead, I can look into my pool and see tadpoles, too numerous to count, swimming and splashing their teeny tiny tails at me!
HOW COULD THEY? HOW DARE THEY? In the midst of Hurricane Fay, newcomers arrived at my house and decided since the water was everywhere and PLENTIFUL, why not just take up residence in the pool? These little creatures are adorable when viewed in small numbers in a ditch, creek or lake.....but NOT IN MY POOL!
Now the task begins of first draining some of the inches and inches of rainwater from the pool (it nearly overflowed from all the rain), then cleaning out and ridding my pool of all these little buggers. The kids have asked everyday, "Yaya, when can we swim again???" It's gonna take a LOT of chlorine and good old arm strength to clean the pool out before any human being swimming can begin again and by that time, it'll be fall by my standards!!!!!
Ah well.....in the meantime, the tadpoles are growing and looking me straight in the eye as I tell them their days are numbered! I think they know I'm after them.
All creatures great and small.......I know, I know.....He made them all. Really, I don't hate them, I just wish they hadn't chosen my pool to set up their tadpole exhibit!

The Next Generation

Every single day, I find myself thinking about and praying about "the next generation." After all, "the next generation" includes my family, so why wouldn't I be concerned about them? Johnny has been hammering us about "The Next Generation Initiative" lately. He's been laying out for us the desperate situation of our young society and the role we MUST play in their lives if we are to see "the next generation" be sold out for Jesus. Every single day of my life, I am surrounded by "the next generation"....my grandchildren. There are also many young people at church, they are all around us, watching us, listening to us and modeling after us. We must not think for a minute that they won't remember the stand that we took for Jesus and how we lived our lives. I am constantly reminded as I teach our
7th grade Sunday School class that these kids don't miss a thing and they don't forget anything either!
My heart remains burdened for this generation. We MUST do whatever it takes to reach out to them, mentor them, model before them, spend time with them and invest in their lives. Time is short. It's time to stop fooling ourselves that we have plenty of time....we simply don't. NOW is the time to invest in the life of a youth...now, while the sun remains in the sky....now. Tomorrow could be too late. OH Father....help us in our selfishness...help us to reach out and be a light to this "next generation" while there is still time.

Lord, I want to YEARN for YOU....

THIS is my desire...this song is my heart....and hope that soon my son and daughter will share it together with me at church...


Holy design
this place in time
that i might seek and find my God
my God

Lord i want to yearn for You
i want to burn with passion
over You and only You
Lord i want to yearn

Your joy is mine
yet why am i fine
with all my singing and bringing grain
in light of Him

i want to yearn for You
i want to burn with passion
over You and only You
Lord i want to yearn for You
Over You and only You

oh You give life and breath
through You we live and move
That's why i sing

Lord i want to yearn for You
i want to burn with passion
over You and only You
Lord i want to yearn for You
i want to burn with passion
over You and only You
Lord i want to yearn

A TREASURE in my mailbox

Who in this world doesn't enjoy going to their mailbox??? OK...wait a minute....maybe there are many out there....OK....maybe millions out there, who DON'T enjoy going to their mailbox because of bills etc. BUT...this is one woman who LOVES going to my mailbox everyday to see what treasure might await me there. Somewhere in the deep weird recesses of my mind, I always just knew that out there in that box one day I would find some long lost check for millions of dollars and I could already picture myself racing around like a lunatic trying to decide what to do with it first! I guess as I got older and the bubble finally burst and I realized there wasn't ever going to be a million dollar check in that tiny metal box ever...not ever...I gave up the dream and settled for the joy that junk mail served me, as well as an occasional card from a well-wisher. Letters are so few and far between anymore what with emailing that a real, old-timey, paper and pen letter brings me the greatest of joy and serenity. What a novel idea that someone would take the time to pick up a pen and accompany that with a piece of paper and write a hand-written note to someone. How novel! (Yes, there's a bit of sarcasm there in case you hadn't noticed!)

Anyway...today I made my daily trek to the mailbox and what lay in the darkness inside brought the greatest of joy to my heart! Right there, on the top of the stack was a strange looking envelope. Immediately my eyes scoured the envelope for who the sender was or any other information I could find. And then, I saw it.......
INDIA!!! WHAT????.....A LETTER FROM INDIA!!!!! WHO IN THE WORLD WOULD BE WRITING ME FROM INDIA???? Quickly, but carefully, my finger slip open the sealed envelope to see what was hidden inside. I stopped in the yard, layed the rest of the mail on the car and stopped dead in my tracks as I read...
"Hello and Greetings from Orissa in the state of India. I am Willson John Nag and I thank you so much for loving Christmas gift you send to me." OH MY GOSH....THE CHRISTMAS SHOEBOX DARREL AND I SENT........IT WAS A LETTER FROM A YOUNG MAN WHO HAD GOTTEN OUR SHOEBOX ALL THE WAY IN INDIA!!!! I nearly cried as I read the rest of his broken English as he did his best to share his heart with us. He said he prays for us and keeps our picture in the middle of his family! He thanks us for the gifts and asks us to pray for him.

My heart soared from Macclenny, Florida, all the way to Orissa, India! This is the first time that anyone responded from all the shoeboxes we've sent! To think that in a far away land a young boy wanted to reach out to us and thank us for our kindness blesses the socks right off my feet and the red dyed hair right off my scalp!!

Today, I found a treasure in my mailbox and I'll never be the same. This treasure took months to arrive and traveled oceans to get here, just so someone could say a simple "thank you." Now that my friends, is what we wait for all our lives and that, my friends truly IS a TREASURE that money can't buy. Who needs millions when a treasure like this arrives in your mailbox? Not me my friend. THIS treasure will last a lifetime....the other would have been spent within the week!

Thanks God...thanks for the "thank you" I received today....for the pen and paper "thank you" that changed my life and brought great joy to my whole family. You are a good, good God. You are certainly an incredible God. Thank you, thank you, thank you for the treasure you lavished on me today. My heart is full.

Down Under

No...I haven't been in Australia this week, as the title might make you think...rather, I have been "down under" the covers in my bed for 2 days! Yes, I know, I know, not nearly as exciting as the possibilities of wonderful stories from Australia, but it is what it is.

Being "down under" the covers for two days has given me many hours for pondering and I LOVE pondering. My mind seems to love wandering, pondering, thinking and contemplating. Don't know if that's a fault or a blessing within me but it's life for me.

Sooooooo, laying in bed for two days I heard so many wonderful things that made me deeply appreciate my life right now. Sounds can be so precious when you are "down under" and separated from the rest of the family. As I lay there, I listened intently to the sounds of my home, my family. Easton's giggles and footsteps up and down the hallway...Ty's baby footsteps and his constant repetition of "what is that?" Precious. Darrel's voice as he checked on my needs. The front door opening and closing as family came in and out. Summer's laugh. The squeals from the boys when Dale came home. The phone ringing as my daughter-in-law called to check on me. The sound of the dining room chairs scraping across the floor as the kids gathered at the table to eat.(I was dying inside to be in there beside them too)

As I lay "down under" and pondered the "sounds" of my life right now, I rejoiced inside at what God has so generously blessed me with. Family. Family. Family. I am rich in the Lord God Almighty! I will never be a millionaire in the eyes of the world but I possess the richest, sweetest, most wonderful gifts known to man...FAMILY. I am rich beyond measure and thankful for this time of being "down under" that I have had. What a sweet time to just lay back and listen to the sounds of God's gifts to me.

Thank you God, oh thank you God for my life, my family and the rich life you have blessed me with. I am a rich woman, rich indeed, and for my life, I am forever grateful.

He's Champion Again!

I'm beginning to get a complex and wish I hadn't taught Easton (who's 4 years old) how to play UNO!!! Once again today, he's the champion for the day after winning 3 out of 5 games with me! YIKES!!! I don't know how he does it but he does it well, that's for sure. He loves card games. He sat for probably 45 minutes the other day as our game of WAR went on and on and on and on and on! Oh yeah...he won that too! His momma is teaching him to play checkers so I guess he'll be beating me on that game too before long! It's tough to be beat by a 4 year old. Ahhh well...it's only going to get worse as he gets older so I suppose I might as well accept the fact that he's already nearly as smart as me and just get on with life! Bah humbug!

Time Well Spent

Each day we are given 24 hours (or "gifts", if you will) and we get to decide how to spend those hours (gifts.) Now I realize for many many people who have jobs, you don't have a lot of choice, you HAVE to go to work and can't simply just decide to stay home, but for the remainder of those hours (gifts) left in the day, you get to choose how to spend them.
VERY VERY early this morning, Darrel woke up with what appeared to be food poisoning. He was in pretty bad shape all night long. Unfortunately, it was to be THIS morning that I was to go pick up my granddaughter Natalie, in Jax, to have what we call "Yaya & Natalie Day" together. At 7:00 a.m., I felt sick inside knowing that Darrel was so sick and that I didn't need to leave him to take off to get Nat. I had to call my daughter-in-law and tell her I wouldn't be there as planned this morning and I just hated it as I knew Nat would be so disappointed. Thankfully, as the morning wore on, Darrel began to at least be able to talk coherently and felt well enough that by early afternoon, I could leave him. I called my daughter-in-law and told her that I WOULD be able to come get Nat, at least for a few hours, and that I was on the way.
THe older I get, the more I realize what the phrase "time well spent" really means. THIS was one of those times. Each day we have the choice how we will spend those hours (gifts) and I'm so glad that I was able to go get my granddaughter and enjoy a few hours at the mall with her along with her favorite Teryaki Chicken in the food court! She had a ball and didn't really mind at all if we only got a few hours together, she was just glad Yaya had come at all. Isn't that really what "time well spent" really means....that no matter how short or long the "time" is, it's just that we spend it wisely, doing things that matter and that will last. Today mattered to her and I'm so glad I didn't have to let her down. Also had the opportunity to see my handsome grandson Bradlie, (who has gorgeous hair by the way!!!) who enters high school this year. Remember Brad..."choose your friends wisely!!!" He says he's not nervous about high school but I think he's fibbing a bit.
Anyway...today was a good day and those feelings of dis....connection are beginning to slowly go away. It feels good inside to know that I used my gifts of time wisely today, doing something that counted. Thank you God for the 24 gifts you give us every day. Thank you for grandchildren and the opportunities to sow seeds of YOU into their lives.

DIS..........CONNECTED

Well, I'm finally back online after 5 days of being inadvertently "dis..........connected" from our comcast cable/internet by an unassuming neighbor mowing his grass! I'm sure he never even knew what he'd done but after 4 days of getting the runaround from Comcast, it was finally repaired and we're back online.
It has felt rather weird not having internet access. I've felt totally cut off from the world. OK....I know that sounds pretty pathetic, but my laptop affords me my news, emails from family and my blog. My blog satisfies my inner need to share feelings....deep AND surfacy....good AND bad.....stupid AND intelligent.....funny AND not so funny.....important AND totally non-important! I just love bloggin and I've missed being able to put my thoughts out here in the wide expanse of the web world. I'm tickled pink not to be "dis.....connected" any longer!
BUT......I continue to emotionally feel a bit "dis......connected" here at home. Don't know if I can describe it nor if anyone really cares to read my pathetic sorrowful thoughts.....so here's your opportunity to shut down your computer and read no further. Stop NOW if you don't want to read my whining and pathetic selfish feelings. OK....I gave you your chance.....
Being gone 23 days is a long time to be away from family and friends. Life goes one, with or without you. I think I really realized this fact for the first time in my 55 years of living. Whether I'm here or not....life WILL go on. (I promise I'm really not on the pity party train or anything, just thinking out loud and sharing what I feel). Somehow, we all love feeling greatly needed, especially us grandmothers. We really DO want to care for our grandchildren. We may AND do get tired sometimes, but we want to be a part of their lives and feel like our presence matters greatly and that who we are as a person is an addition that our family appreciates. I was scared to death all the while I was gone that Ty wouldn't remember who I was since he's only 1. It hurt my heart every day while I was away that he'd forget me. Thank goodness, he didn't, but if I'd never come back, he surely would have and his life would have gone on just fine without me.
I feel rather dis.......connected still since I've been home, almost as though I'm not sure where I'm supposed to be or how I fit into the big puzzle of things. I know I sound crazy, but what can I say??? I guess I just realized for the first time that my family missed me but life went on as usual while I was gone and no one was any worse because of my absence. Guess it hurts just a little in the flesh to think that we are easily replaced and life goes on without us being around. We all want to think that we are of MAJOR importance in the lives of our children and grandchildren and that they can't do without us!! I'm feeling this in other areas of my life also and realizing that the world won't stop spinning if I back out of certain things. Other people will step up and fill my spot and life will go on. They'll miss me for a season and then I'll be forgotten. Maybe this is all part of hitting 55 and realizing that my best years for health etc are more than likely behind me. I'll never be that veterinarian that I wanted to be and I'll probably never be able to travel the world like I hoped. Life is passing me by and YES, it's all good and all, but I'm realizing I'm easily replaced and it's tough.
So, that's it......I'm dis......connected still and wondering when I'll feel normal again. I hope it's soon.