Want to try something fun with the kids this 4th? Fill a small pot with potting soil and give them 3 jelly beans .... red one, white one and blue one. Tell them, "these are freedom beans!" Talk with them about the word freedom and what it means to us. Share the history behind the celebration. Have them plant their freedom beans in the soil, in the pot 2-3 days before the 4th. Tell them to check them again on the 4th. Early, before they get to the pots, stick a small American flag in each one. Talk about our American Flag ..... who designed it and other interesting facts. Don't forget to talk about what it means and give some rules for showing respect and caring for the American flag too. (O:

Here's a little gem many of

us ladies may have missed!

Habakkuk 3:19

"The Lord God is my strength; 

He will make my feet like deer's feet,

He will make me walk on my high heels ... "

Ok, I am fibbing about that one. 

He actually makes us walk on

"high hills".  On climbing days, 

we best leave our heels at home!

(O:

The idol makers encourage one another,

saying to each other, “Be strong!”

The carver encourages the goldsmith,

and the molder helps at the anvil.

“Good,” they say. “It’s coming along fine.”

Carefully they join the parts together,

then fasten the thing in place

so it won’t fall over.  Isaiah 41:7

What if God's people worked this well together, encouraging

one another and carrying out His Great Commission?   

Just read something today that made me think.

Speaking of Jesus:  "He died that I might live."

One small addition came to mind.

"He died that I might live, for Him."  

How easy it is to forget .....

Proverbs 31 Woman

"A woman of noble character, who can find?  She is worth far more than rubies...."  Proverbs 31:10

There was a time I thought for sure that God had "posted" the Proverbs 31 woman message just to torture me.  Of course I also knew that would be out of character for Him but I wanted so badly to do the things she did and be "her", or just like her at least.  It didn't seem to be happening and I had become discouraged.

About that same time, a  friend invited me to come hear a woman speaker at her church.  The message was on a woman in the Bible who was badly crippled, stooped over and in need of healing.  From this poor woman's stooped position, her whole outlook was different.  With eyes wide open, all she could see was the ground in front of her and maybe a little bit to the side.  In the natural, things didn't look real good!

 When we depend on what we can see with our physical eyes it is easy to loose hope!  At the time I felt like I had as much of a chance of becoming the Proverbs 31 woman as that woman thought she had of standing straight and tall.  I just couldn't see it....neither could she, actually!  But she could hear.  She heard someone say that Jesus was close by and that He had the power to heal.  She made a decision based on what she had heard, to go see Jesus.

 The journey was difficult in her condition, but then she heard His voice. She even saw His feet!  What else could she see from her stooped position?  Straining, she looked up and He looked back.  Her stiff and twisted bones suddenly became straight as He spoke.  Her perspective changed that day.  No more need to look down!  She looked into the eyes of Jesus and walked home with her head held high!

 Like that woman, I was dwelling on only what I could see through my natural eyes.  From my perspective things didn't look promising at all.  But, I wasn't ready to give up!  That night God spoke.  This is what He said, "You are the Proverbs 31 Woman".  I tried to explain to Him all of the differences between her and me....but He wasn't listening.

I entered the church that nite spiritually "bent over" under the weight of my own expectations and failures.  I walked out amazed and touched by what He had said.  "You are the Proverbs 31 Woman, because I say so".  You know, I really don't want to argue with God any more over this issue. So, I think I will just agree with Him because it is Him I need to please...not me.  Letting go of pride, I humbly realize that I can't do it on my own, but He sees me through the eyes of grace and for that, I am so very grateful!    

Here Is A Fun Gift To Make!

Find a round stone about the size of a big strawberry.  Clean it well and glue "google eyes" on.  Paint on a friendly smile!  Copy the poem below and give it to a secret sister or friend just for fun!

***************************************

Just a little rock I am

But I can help you, yes I can!

 

Are there problems in your way?  

 Do you take the time to pray?

 

Each morning when you make your bed

 Set me where you lay your head.

 

Go about your work, please do

 I will wait right here for you.

Once again you’ll come to bed

     And when you do you’ll lay your head

 On me, ooooooh!

 

Who has kept you through this day?

 Don’t you have some prayers to say?

 

Then in your slipper I will go

 Till daylight comes and then you’ll know….

Once again, God is waiting!

**********************************

Have A Blessed Day!

Sigh.

My blog page

is not cooperating!

It likes to decide for itself

what will be a paragraph and what

won't!


I think it is a little too much like me in that respect. 
It wants to work independently of it's creator!  I wonder
 if my life looks like this to God.  All clumped together when
it's not supposed to be and all spread out when it is supposed to


be clumped together.......


Sorry God. Help me to cooperate better with your format!  

Good news ...... I conquered my elephant today!  (O:

You know how sometimes, things we go through in life become such attention grabbers that they   steal our focus and keep us distracted? We try to forget about them and let go, but there they are waiting for us around the next turn!  It's like, as the familiar old saying goes, "having an elephant in the room"!

How awkward is it, trying to navigate a small room which you are sharing with an elephant? You become very familiar with and tired of looking at ….. elephant parts! Imagine my surprise when I realized that my elephant was not within the room. It was within me! Woah!

God in His grace was trying to show me something and I was not yet quite ready to understand. Certain things in my life were "butting up" against reality. My stubbornness was bringing me grief and yes I was tired of it, but had never claimed responsibility. As I saw it, the elephant was trespassing and needed to get out!

Moral to this story is, I like my elephant now ..... we have become good friends. When things begin to get tight, I remember that it is probably me and not the elephant, after all. (O: 

My dog Frank drives me nuts when he gives himself a bath! That sound! I try to ignore it, but find it impossible. When I pick up my Bible to read or start my morning prayers, he's always there with his big, slurpy tongue licking and cleaning himself.

So, I pray harder, thinking, “This is ridiculous”! Poor Frankie is getting so much satisfaction out of this bath and I am being selfish by not over looking it. I'm having this battle right in the middle of prayer, no less!

Finally, in desperation, I cry out, "FRANK, STOP LICKING" and he does. One day, I half expect to hear an answer....."MY NAME'S NOT FRANK AND I AM NOT LICKING!" Yep, maybe there's a good object lesson here......(O:

Amazing how life and understanding come to us like pieces of a puzzle.

Several months back when my friend Patti posted a message saying, "We need to  "need people less, and love them more,"  I knew it was good; but even then my understanding was incomplete.  Today as I was reading in Philippians, the first chapter, it became much clearer.

" And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight..."

Always before, I highlighted, "that your love may abound more and more".  Somehow I neglected to include, "in knowledge and depth of insight".  That's quite an oversight! 

Real love can be held accountable!  But we need to get ourselves out of the way first!  Love without knowledge and depth of insight is just shallow! 

God help us to get past our love and into Yours.  Then it will be truly real!

Much of the media has taken sick. Someone should call the doctor but no one has enough insurance to take them on! 

I saw a snake in the grass today. 

I can't begin to spell what I said. 

It wasn't cuss words .....

I just can't spell it! 

LOL

Motherhood

When you have babies, you are up all night feeding them.

When they become a little older you are up all night quelling nightmares or taking temperatures.

When they turn 13, you lay awake at night wondering what happened to your once cooperative, fun loving child. 

When they turn 16 you are up late praying that they return safely and that you still have a car to drive in the morning.

After high school you loose sleep thinking about college loans.

When they leave home, you have more time to sleep, but you often don't. By that time your mind has been sleep deprived for so long a time it is stuck in that mode! 

So, you lay awake at night, just missing your babies. LOL

Choose your relationships carefully.  Have you ever realized that, when another person wrongs you, a new kind of a relationship is born?

A debt is created and you EXPECT full payment from that other person who did you wrong They OWE you an apology, or more! Right?! These “Creditor/Debtor” relationships are binding and when someone DEFAULTS by refusing to accept responsibility or even express regret, this opens the door to bitterness and resentment.

Maybe not though. Maybe you choose to just shut that door and walk away, limping maybe …. but free of an even more dangerous and harmful relationship. Bitterness and Resentment have mob ties. They answer to the God Father of them all, Fear, and they exact a severe toll for their services. Once you join up, they don’t let you go without a fight!

Tetelestai was a word used many years ago to describe a business transaction, or relationship that was completely PAID IN FULL. Jesus spoke that word on the cross when he said, “It Is Finished.” Jesus died, not only to pay your debt in full but everyone else out there who wouldn’t or couldn’t. Actually, we talk about that payment being free. It wasn’t and it still isn’t today. It comes with a cost.

Humility. That is all he asks. When we are real enough to realize that we could never do enough or be good enough to deserve the forgiveness He died to give us, then maybe we can also understand why His grace does cost us (Not what it cost Him) but it does cost us. Humility. Dying to ourselves and that part of us that wants to hate and get even.

So, He gave us that example. He died for people he had never met, who would never care or ask Him to do it. He died for others who really cared but made bad choices occasionally and needed to be reassured that they were still loved. He died for you and me and because of His death and resurrection, we are commanded and empowered to give that same forgiveness to others, that we have been given.

Why? Because bitterness alters our immune systems and makes them unable to fight for us. Bitterness takes over our thought lives and controls our focus so that we see ourselves as victims. Bitter thoughts “yank our chains”, and we, whether consciously or not, dance. Bitter thoughts seperate us from God. They replace trust with independence. We say, “Sorry God. I need to handle this my way.”

What about the Mob ties? What about Resentment, Bitterness and the God Father of them all, Fear? Where does Fear come in? The reason we refuse to give up the fight and turn it over to God is that we FEAR that the person who hurt us will get away without consequence. That fear gets a hold on us (it’s US it wants) not the person who we are demanding payment from.

Do yourself a favor. Humble yourself before God. Be willing to let offences, go. The damage you can do to yourself by choosing bitterness over forgiveness is far greater than the damage you can afflict on them.

Are you still carrying around that unpaid bill from many memories ago in your pocket or purse, still demanding payment today?  How is that working for you? How much has it cost YOU so far in peace of mind, doctor bills, etc …

Remember the words of One who knows the pain of unresolved debt and agreed to pay it for us:

For God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son, that who so ever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

For God sent His Son into the world, not to condemn the world but that through Him, we might be saved.

You, me …. and the folks who don’t even deserve His great devotion. Oh, wait a minute. That means us all!