~Dear Santa~

Dear Santa~

I have to say that I am not sure you are real but, the Spirit of Saint Nick is very much real in the love, kindness, generosity, and the giving all around. Even with the economy the way it is we see you. I have to say if I could sit on your lap and tell you what I would like for Christmas it would be cool but, what I want I know is not anything you can provide so I will wish for something else. Not for myself but, for all of the kids all over the world. I wish for someone to be kind and give to a child who may otherwise get nothing. I wish for a cure for DIPG cancer so other families do not have to actually suffer the loss of a child and face a Holiday without them. I wish for Joy all year for the lost, homeless, depressed, angry, lonely and sick. I wish for the TRUE Spirit of Christmas be recognized in the world instead of the commercialism of it. I wish for the star, Angels, donkey, Shepherds, Wise men and Manger with our Lord lying inside preparing to live so He may die. Mostly I wish to give what I can of myself without with holding from my family. So this season I wish for LOVE, JOY and some PEACE even if it is for just awhile. With all of that said I wish for it to last year round so Hope can be found and spread to everyone....So Santa if I can have a wish there it is and if anything is left over you already know what it is.

That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

Tis the Season~

Gladelig Jul, Nadolig Llawen a Blwyddyn Newydd Dda, Hyvaa joulua, Joyeux Noel, Mele Kalikimaka, Froehliche Weihnachten, Kala Christouyenna, Nollaig Chridheil  agus Bliadhna Mhath Ur....So many ways to say one thing........MERRY CHRISTMAS! With 31 days to go the and the frenzies begin try to keep in mind the ones who do not have anything and do something for someone. it might help their spirit of Christmas along it does not have to be much. I find myself lately seeing something or reading something and just breaking and the tears just roll I am not sure why they just do. I want so much for people to see God this season and to get to know Him and know He is why we have Christmas. All of the main symbols point to Jesus Himself as Christmas.

 The evergreen tree~ Because it is green year round, it represents hope. It's needles and the narrow top point upward, making us think of Heaven. Because we cut the tree down and put it back up in our homes or where ever we put them it is a symbol of the Resurrection of Jesus.

Candles and Christmas lights~ They represent Jesus the light of the world. Then Jesus spoke to them saying "I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." John 8;12
Candles and lights add to the festiveness but remember you can be a light and not just for a season but everyday.

The Candy Cane~ The shepherds crook is represented by the sweet yumminess of the candy cane. It reminds us that Jesus is the good shepherd and He came into our world and we have Christmas because of Him. The red stripes are Jesus's sacrifice and the the white is His purity.

No matter how you see it Christ is all over Christmas these are just a few there are more. Just please this year keep Christ in your Christmas light up your tree, be a light to someone who has no hope, tell someone about the Good Shepherd and give someone a candy cane. No matter the language Danish, Celtic, Finnish, French, Hawaiian, German, Greek or Scottish it all says the same thing Merry Christmas!!!!!

That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

Onward and Upward

I seem at a loss for words....I have something I want to say but for some reason I am not able to get it out. I have been thinking a lot about friends lately past and present...some more recently past than most. My heart hurts for the friends I have lost but lately I have been thinking that I was lost to them before I lost them. I know I said some things that were hurtful, I was hurt but, that is not an excuse Jesus would not have said it but, I did. I lost two friends that day one I will admit was very dear to me and I thought I was to her. I apologized to her and I pray for her everyday, I pray for blessings and peace and love for her and her family. I am not angry not anymore at least. In past posts I have talked about forgiveness for others but, we need to forgive ourselves too. If we beat ourselves up over something nothing will be accomplished and it will only hurt us in the end. We can not make someone forgive us we can only say I'm sorry and hope that maybe one day they can find it in their heart to forgive. In the meantime we must move forward and continue to live and show the world the Love and Forgiveness of God so that others can live too. Time does not stop even if we want it to, words can not be taken back, and friendships will be broken....In our walks with God the one thing we can rely on is GOD NEVER FAILS!!!! He will pick us up and dust us off and always forgive and that in itself is a comfort. He heals the broken heart and sets the captives free, He gives us reminders and they are not always gentle as to what we need to do or learn. As we take the first step in moving forward keep in  mind that there are others that know what it feels like no matter what you are going through God can provide, comfort and send you a shoulder to cry on....and it is ok to cry....I will be just fine I have made new friends and my heart will eventually stop aching from the ones I lost so here I go ONWARD and UPWARD with God at the controls.

That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

I am Thankful, That I am Thankful!

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and after that CHRISTMAS!!!!! The last year has not been easy for me...my heart breaks to watch my kids struggle and know I am not able to change things to make them better. Sometimes I feel like I am fighting a losing battle then I remember God's Grace, Mercy and Love I fall to my knees (figuratively I am not sure I would be able to get back up) and I pray it does not have instant answers but it does give some peace. This month will mark a year since I was diagnosed with RA an autoimmune disease it gets hard to move sometimes not to mention the extra pain I have on top of what I experience from my accident yet I keep moving and I try to have a positive attitude, it is not always easy when you hurt all of the time. In the last year we had to move back into our trailer, my son lost his kitty, my Aunt fought and won lung cancer, we have to go farther for work and school, our car is falling apart our family loses another pet my best friend loses her child, I lost three friends due to misunderstandings and I was in two more car accidents in which I was not moving again and someone hit me. Let me tell you I have to wonder if there is anything to be thankful for. The answer is YES!!!! I have my family under one roof granted it is small but, we are together, My husband has a job with benefits so we can see a Dr. when we need to, we have heat and a way to prepare food, we have food. There is more I can list they are small and may seem insignificant to some BUT, they are things I can be thankful for. The season of giving and thinking of others is upon us and I hope and pray that you will think of someone even if it is just one and do something for them. It can be anything a note, card, cup of coffee it does not have to be huge and I bet it will make someones day. Through the rough time I have had, I am in a better place than when we lived in the trailer before. I trust God to provide, and to comfort and to give peace that in itself makes a huge difference in who I am and how I live.....I am Thankful that I am thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving all

That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

The recipe of life....

The future is uncertain....in that uncertainty there is a flavor of mystery, a dash of excitement and a pinch or more of panic. To add some extra spice to this main dish of uncertainty there is a smidgen of faith, trust and a side of questions. We blindly go through our life and we do not know exactly where we are going or why we are going there. We do not know why things happen the way they do and why we can experience utter devastation or extreme joy...we just do but, there is a reason. We can not see it, but, it could be to help us grow in our faith in God or there may be a lesson waiting to be learned. Whatever it is the one thing to keep in mind is this...God has His own reasons and we may not understand them but, the end product should be more then we could ever expect. I am learning that one in my life now God is providing in ways I never imagined whatever happens He is right there stirring and mixing right along side of me. The Chef of my life has more "cooking" experience than I ever will and I need to step back and watch what he is going to teach me. God has the "cookbook" of me all memorized and if I try to add a spice that is not in a recipe He has to fix it and it takes longer to complete. I have found that my helping is more of a hindrance than a help and it messes up the "recipe" and the flavor is off and it may just have to be tossed and restarted. I am not patient I never have been and restarting anything has not been fun, if one of my kids messes with something I am not happy to have to restart, it is a waste of time and energy....with that said why must we insist on "helping" God? I am thinking He is doing a pretty good job we just have to trust He is going to provide and help things along and not interfere with the progress....In the recipe of life God knows the recipe He does not need any help from us and I am thinking life will taste a whole lot better......

That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

Searcher of my soul

I was going to write about soul searching and learning from what I have sought but, when I looked up the meaning of soul searching the definition kinda threw me for a loop. Merriam Websters dictionary defines soul searching as: examination of one's conscience especially with regard to motives and values....I was always under the impression that it meant looking into one self and trying to find out who we are, who we wanted to be, to search and find the true us. When I started this blog a little over a year ago I did not know what to expect. I was doing "soul searching" at the time and learning once again to hear God's voice and  trying to rely only on Him. I will say it is a struggle almost like when our kids hit the terrible twos...I'm the toddler God is the parent. I can see God working in my life, His hand has always been there but, I panic when things happen that I have no control over. Instead of just trusting I try to help...we all know what happens when a toddler tries to help. God wants us to seek Him, trust Him, rely on Him, and NOT help Him.

As I start a new chapter (maybe paragraph would be a better way to put it) in my life I see struggles, frustrations, irritation and total discombobulation...God sees me, my family, my life, and how this will end up.
He sees the completion I see nothing....except negative. I don't want to see negative I want to keep my eyes on God and see only Him. I do not want to stress, and cry, and break down, I want to move forward and hold my head up, keep one foot in front of the other...the only way I can do that is, if I stop trying and start relying.....so instead of soul searching to find me, I need to reach out to the searcher of my soul, and lay it at His feet.

Our future is unknown, our past is hindsight but, our present is now. Our now should be only about God and not about me.

That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

Ribbit!

5 if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
James 1:5 (NKJV)

I try to always post uplifting, encouraging posts, sometimes however I find it difficult to do. When we look at our life we see our life play out in scenes and then, we see other peoples scenes playing.......admittedly sometimes we almost wish we had good things happen like they do but, what we do not think about is they may be wishing the same thing about us.

I want so desperately to be a good mom and wife yet, I seem to find myself lacking in tons of areas. I fail in so many ways, I make mistakes and I do not always make the best choices.....I see other moms and think I wish I was as good as her...What I do not see is her struggles. What can I say? I am human and I unfortunately think I break the 10th commandment as my children seem to break the 5th but, it is their choice and not mine to break the 5th but, it is all on me when I break the 10th. We will have our ummm difficulties and arguments and I get so frustrated and yes angry. The attitudes and disrespect of the current generation has hit home with us. I understand fully that they have frustrations, they fully experience them and I need to understand them and that is so hard to do.

As I stare at my screen and I am drinking my eggnog coffee (yes it is that time of year again only 88 days until Christmas) I am reminded that as people we make mistakes, we make choices that really must have God shaking His head at us, Yet He does not lose His patience with us. He stays calm and waits for us to realize what we are doing and ask for help...(my opinion here). This morning was rough and I have been reminded (I am sure by God Himself) that Wisdom is only a prayer away but, are we prepared for it? Will we accept it? and what will we do with it when it comes? When asking God for things we need to be prepared to FROG for it.

I am sure you are shaking your head and asking yourself FROG? I love frogs I have a family of stuffed frogs, Fa La La, Noel, Mistletoe, Ginger, Dasher, Tannenbaum and Snowflake but, little ribbts are not what I am talking about. We saw it on a Church Bill Board and loved it so, what does it mean???? How many can say I FROG? I will admit I struggle with it especially when all I can seem to see is negative things happen to my family. So FROG? do you Fully Rely On God?

So when asking God for ANYTHING Wisdom, Grace, Mercy, Forgiveness if we can learn to choose to wait and have patience (which I do not ask for) good things will happen we just need to FROG for it!!! I am tired and frustrated but, I know God gave me the job of raising my two kids. He must be confidant that I can do it so today I will FROG.......Ribbit!

That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

Say WHAT????

In every part of life there will always be challenges, true statement oh so true. Challenge is not picky it will hit where ever it chooses, who ever it chooses, when ever it chooses. I can promise when ever it rears its ugly head things can get a tad sticky and not in the tasty treat kind of way. Communication that 13 letter word that can put distance between parents and their kids, tear friendships apart and destroy marriages ya THAT 13 letter word. I am guilty of not having good communication in my relationships and when that happens misunderstandings, hurt feelings and so much unpleasantness occurs and it is just plain awful. I can say that everyone deals with communication issues in different ways, everyone communicates in different ways and everyone deals with the lack of communication in different ways. I am dramatic I admit it, and with that I will say that I am at times the cause of that said drama. I stress uber easily and I wear my emotions, heart, feelings and so much more on my sleeve. I HATE conflict, I have NEVER dealt well with it. When in conflict my anxiety level goes through the roof and I shut down. I am however learning with the help of God to try to deal with it in better ways and sometimes......I end up acting more like a teenager and less like an adult maybe it is a defense tactic or just an excuse but what ever the reason it is a choice I make and it is my choice alone. I can not blame anyone but myself for the choices I make. When it comes to communication or the lack of it forgiveness is always important the Bible says to forgive 70X7 that is 490 times everyday that means we must always forgive continually and that in itself is hard to do. I am attempting to learn the lessons that comes my way and sometimes I have to relearn over and over and over again in the mean time I hope I do not upset the ones I love anymore then I already have in this thing we call life. Hey all we all make mistakes, we all need to forgive and be forgiven......

That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

True Colors

Red, Yellow, Black, White, Green, Purple or Pink with Blue polka dots...what color are you? An odd question I must say but, in the past few days the colors of people I thought were one way and they turned out to be completely different, made the question necessary. I have to say I am not sure I like the color I am seeing, further more, I have to question what color am I showing? and is it my true color? I talked about impressions yesterday, when we make an impression is it a good one? Is it a real one? When we present ourselves to the world do we show the one color that matters? Do we show Jesus? because if we have Jesus shining in our life our color will be bright, vibrant and beautiful. Not dull, flat and blah...and if we fake our colors eventually our real color will start to come out, no matter how hard we try to hide it. Let me ask this, are you ashamed of your color? Why hide it? why hide who you really are? If you are not ashamed of who you are. I will say in my opinion some people just don't care. They will go through life flashing so many different colors I am not even sure they know what is real and what is not. What can we do? Pray for them and love them anyway as difficult as it may be. What color am I? well, if I can pick I would love to be the most vibrant, sparkly, beautiful Purple, Red and Green. Only because I just love Purple, and Red and Green are CHRISTMAS colors! You all know how much I LOVE Christmas. So do me a favor and think about how you show yourself, ask yourself am I really showing the true me? If not, do I even know who the true me is? Keep in mind God knows who you are and, He is wanting to make you sparkle so you can show the world just how wonderful you are. We will always find people who show themselves in one color and they really are another....as long as we can see that and keep it separate, with the help of God we should be able to keep their dullness from rubbing off on us and maybe, just maybe some of our sparkle will rub off on them.

That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

Impressions

Good Morning God I am thankful for today!!! The sun is shining through the clouds and it feels so nice on my face. I finished my first cup of Pumpkin spice coffee and I am basking in the quietness of the morning for as long as that may last. I was talking to someone yesterday and the topic of leaves came up and how each and every one of them is completely different, because that is the way God made them. They may look the same but, if you look carefully there are differences. Like people we are all uniquely made not one of us is the same. Even in identical twins there are differences because, that is how God wants us to be. As we prepare for School to start and the cliques form and oh so and so has this, so I have to have it too starts, just keep in mind we were not made to be the same. Each of us has our own special gifts to offer and given the chance they can shine. each leaf leaves an impression just as each life of a person leaves an impression, whether good or otherwise an impression is ALWAYS made. The kind of impression others leave on our lives may determine how we live our lives and, the kind of impression we leave on others. You do not have to be the same or have the same clothes or shoes or anything. Every situation is different in some cases money may prevent it in others who knows? I know in my daughters case I tell her I am not those other kids mom, I am however yours and no you will not have it. Our job as Parents, Teachers, Counselors or just People is to show our best unique US!! yes I said us. God made us who we are and we need to learn from it, work with it but mostly love it...Each of us touches others and we become apart of their life, a permanent part, we leave an impression big or small. Like leaves or any plant, we form something bigger and more beautiful to God, if we all tried to be the same face it, that would be so totally BORING...

That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

Good Morning God!

I feel the need to write but, it is not flowing like it normally does and I have to admit it bothers me to have this urge that I have something to say and the words will not come. It reminds me of when we feel we need to do something but cant quite figure it out. In the busyness of life I have to admit we tend to overlook things or miss the gentle nudging of God wanting to say something to us. I do not always hear God when He speaks and I desperately want to. It is times like this that I need to just close my eyes and just breathe, listen and bask in the stillness around me, although being a mom stillness is not always achieved. I am trying to write a book I am almost a year into it but the words do not always flow so it is slow going my creative juices tend to slow and come to a stop and suddenly BAM an idea and im off once again. I do not want that with God I do not want to come to a standstill with Him I always want to connect with Him and be close unfortunately that is not always the case. I will go about my life and sometimes I "forget" to have my 5 minutes with God and life tends to go a tad haywire when that happens. So I correct myself with God's help and things tend to smooth out. I DO NOT WANT TO FORGET!! Plain and simple. I have a challenge to  offer, lets just start our day with "good morning God I am thankful for this day" and see how our life goes with that. Will you accept? there is nothing to lose but, you have a whole lot to gain...think about it will ya?

That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

Father knows best

I was talking about trust with my Pastor and my sister in the last few days, I have made it no secret that I have a problem with trust. Unfortunately it has flooded my relationship with God and that I do not like. I am learning though God is patient with me and He is showing me that trusting Him is a really good thing. My pastor said on Sunday God has to remind us sometimes, so WOW He has to remind us His children of so much because like our own we tend to forget. My sister says my trust issues has to do with my relationship with my dad! Growing up was not the happiest of times in my life, some of the hurt has been mended but, there is a lot more that needs to be done. In both conversations healing was mentioned it never occurred to me that healing from past hurts would keep me from trusting fully the one who loves me the most and will NEVER let me down. I may not always be happy with what He has planned but, in the long run He knows whats best. If I accept it and not fight it I may find it is not be as hard I as I always think it is. Father knows best, let me clarify that, our Heavenly Father knows best. God has showed me, He has reminded me that  He is in control, He will provide and He will never let me just hang. Now if I make choices that lead to things that can not be good, that is on me, God gave us a free will and I can not blame Him for things I decided to do.  I have found He lets me learn from those choices and oh boy what lessons they are. God is good and His mercy endures forever He walks with us and wants to talk to us we just need to allow that. In all things in our lives Trust is important...Got Trust?

Proverbs 3:5-6
 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

Trust is not easy but, trusting God is better then the alternative...a lesson that we all should learn.

That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

Just Stop!

I am going to start out saying that sometimes what our kids say we need to actually hear....I am frustrated with a lot of things right now and when I complain I really do a good job of it. Today I was complaining or whining either word works for it, and my daughter said mom you may get upset with what I am going to say but, "you really need to stop"!!! Talk about WOW! All I see is the here and now what I do not see is the picture outside of my vision. I get frustrated, I complain, I am human. I know that I can not see the outcome of anything but, sometimes I wish I could feel peace about it all and sometimes, I don't...WHY? God being Awesome in everything allows me to vent and get my frustrations out, He allows me my temper tantrum and fits then when I am done He speaks or acts or works or or or get the picture? I think in our lives we get so caught up with the now there is no room for the "feelings" we need from God. We do not feel the peace because sometimes we are not allowing ourselves to feel the peace. If the peace is not there then maybe we need to look up for instructions to see if we are going in the right direction. I admit I am tired of it all and want to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I admit I am wishing on the stars that are more often than not covered by clouds (it is the NW after all) instead of looking to God. I am a work in progress I always will be, I am stubborn and that is not always a good thing. God is great even if life ain't good and I REALLY need to keep that in mind and just STOP!


That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

A letter to an unknown friend

Dear Friend~

I do not know you, I have not ever met you, spoke to you or even know who you are but, you are out there somewhere. You may be struggling with life, money, kids, family or even just yourself. I really want to say you are not alone even if it feels like it. How do I know this? you must be asking yourself, I just do. My life is not the peaches and cream I dreamed it would be. My goodness it is not even close but, I have my friends and family who love me and that is a good thing. I have uncertainty in all aspects of my life from where I live, how to raise my kids and where the money will come from to feed them and pay the bills. In the past I hit rock bottom and stayed there being drug through so much junk I could not breathe...gasping for air trying to survive I wanted to quit but, I didn't. Now being in the same situation as before I am not in the same place as before. Jesus is walking side by side with me (like He was before I just did not see Him) and when I feel hopeless a ray of hope is given.  I struggle with trust that is no secret but, God is faithful and patient with me giving me the time I need to learn it. Sometimes my lessons are hard to swallow but swallow them I must and learn from them. I could have let this living in what I call the dreaded dream house on wheels again get to me and drag me down (and it has tried to) but, I am aware of it and with the help of God I am working on climbing above it. I know it is easier said than done it always is. Friend I pray for you, I pray that God will embrace you and comfort you and you will embrace Him right back. It is not easy but, no one ever said life would be easy...Psalms 31:24 says...Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord. We may never meet but, I hope that if we do you will be walking in hope even if things look off to you. I am waiting on God for His help and guidance because He is the only one who can provide for any of us. I pray for the discouraged, heavy laden and broken hearted that you will see God and the hope He has to offer you. Friend as I close this letter just know that God loves and so do I even though I do not know you.

That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

Dancing in the rain

I feel like I am slipping...falling uncontrollably. I almost feel like I see life just moving farther from my reach kinda like I am falling into a deep hole, and I see the sky growing distant and all of my dreams and plans just drifting out of my grasp. Maybe it is like I am on a slide and things are just  flying past me so fast I can not hold on to them. I look so desperately for someone to catch me and I do not see anyone so panic and fear take hold. I see good people go through hard times and I have to wonder...WHY? Every person thinks they are good but, what classify's us as good? What in this world makes a person good? The answer? Nothing, nothing in THIS world makes anyone good, God on the other hand that's another story. I am growing increasingly frustrated with things going on in my life all I can do is watch. I have the overwhelming bad mood trying to take over and I cant let that happen...I have heard on the radio the DJ's praying for rain where it is needed. My opinion is EVERYWHERE rain is needed in one form or another, actual rain, Blessings raining down, a raining of provision, a downpour of mercy, a flood of grace and a monsoon of forgiveness. As we face the hurricanes of life and all the emotions that come with it and we DON'T see anyone or a rock to hold on to, there is a hope we can cling to and His name is Jesus. That is what I am going to hold on to because there is nothing better than Him. When the rain starts to fall I don't really mind at all, because it blends with all my tears that come with all my fears but that is ok because, God will dance with me in the rain....

That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

Storms are gonna come God can be the calm

I am human!!!!! such a true statement as true as, I am a sinner!!! I have to look at my life and the choices I have made, if I were going to critique it I would give me a thumbs down all the way but, with the love, grace and mercy of The God I serve I am forgiven. I have my storms and boy some are huge...for me. I will say that my storms are small in comparison to others and I have seen Gods love, grace and mercy working to sustain them through it. The sayings The calm before the storm, the calm in the middle of the storm are the sayings that offer a brief reprieve but, God IS THE calm in any storm before, during and after. Casting Crowns has a song called I will praise you in this storm and I read a blog with the story behind the song and it made me cry, the true faith of the ones who inspired the song are truly a blessing to read about. I guess my point is this NO MATTER where we are God is there too and all we have to do is call out to Him....it is a lesson I still have to learn. I strive to live my (correction here God's) life the way He wants it lived...I make mistakes, I royally screw up sometimes and I wonder how or why God forgives me. The thing is, He does, I am always asking for forgivness everyday. Jesus died on the cross to forgive me, you and everyone else we just need to ask, and try. I believe that some of the storms we go through are "man made' created by us and the choices we make but, mind you only some of them are. We can not control other people or the choices they make or if we or our kids get sick...a storm is a storm man made or not God WILL be there we just have to believe. There is this little thing called faith ya FAITH not such a little word at all...






That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

It Is Well

Yesterday my best friend buried her son...as his father said "His long battle with cancer is over and he is the victor! Let it be known, he did not lose his battle with cancer. He is experiencing the ultimate triumph: he has run into the arms of Jesus with new legs and a perfectly healed body". Pastor Ken Stroud and his wife flew over from England to be here and he gave a beautiful message. He spoke out of 2 Kings 4:25 Elisha saw a woman and asked her is it well with you? is it well with your husband? is it well with your son? and she answered it is well....(Totally paraphrasing here) even though her son was dead she answered it is well. He made a point to tell everyone it is well..he continued to say that Aiden has not proceeded us in death, Aiden has proceeded us in life and he is living quite a life. (let me just say if I lived in England I would so be attending his Church) As pastor Stroud was speaking I was reminded of the hymn It Is Well With My Soul by Horatio Spafford~ just a brief history of this man who wrote a truly beautiful song. In 1871 his only son died at the age of four then shortly after that the great Chicago fire happened and destroyed his business and ruined him financially he was an attorney. In 1873 he had planned to travel to Europe with his family he sent them on ahead because he was detained with zoning business which was a result of the fire. While crossing the Atlantic the ship sank rapidly after hitting another ship called the Loch Earn all four of his daughters were killed his wife survived and sent him a telegram that said "saved alone". Shortly afterwards as he traveled to his grieving wife he wrote It Is Well With My Soul as he passed close to where his daughters died.....later they did have three more children but, again one, a son, died as a baby. His family moved to Jerusalem and helped found  a group called the American Colony its mission....to serve the poor. I can not even fathom what it is like to feel the pain of such a loss and my heart hurts for my friends. The service was beautiful, and oh so touching, as we go forward and miss Aiden, I pray the words Pastor Stroud said will ring through our hearts and souls, "It Is Well". I want so much to wrap them in my arms and hold them but, distance makes that a tad difficult so instead, I leave them with this.


It Is Well With My Soul~
When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

It is well, with my soul,
it is well, it is well,
with my soul.

Though satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live;
if Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life,
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But Lord, 'tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
the sky, not the grave. is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul.

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
the clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
the trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
even so, it is well with my soul.

That's My Thought For The Day,

Crazy for Christmas

I am weak but He is strong

I am weak but, He is strong Yes Jesus Loves ME!!!! There are going to be times in our life when the only strength we can depend on is NOT our own. Sometimes...we do not always see it that way, we want to do it ourselves. It reminds me of kids, as they grow and learn they want to do it themselves, they do not want help and sometimes they get so frustrated they throw a fit...remind you of anyone? I see myself in this far to often, and when I get to the point I just want to throw myself on the ground and kick and scream, that is when I am reminded I can and should ask for help. In those times God is there waiting for you...yes I said you, He is waiting for YOU to ask for help but, there are times when He is already there holding you especially through a time so heartbreaking and hard that we just want to collapse and not move. In those times when we may be at our weakest God is the strength of our lives...IF we let Him be. There are no words to express when someone is in that place, love, hugs, tears and prayers and ears will be what work the best I am guessing but, sometimes quiet is all that comes. I listened to Strong Enough by Matthew West this morning some of the words are "I can't do this alone God I need You to hold on to me....". I am thinking that should be the cry of our hearts all the time. How many of us cry out to God in time of need??? How many talk to God on a daily basis? How many cry out to God ONLY when there is a need??? Makes one wonder huh? I have been in all three areas at times in my life I am striving to say Hello God how ya doing? everyday not just when I need something...I am not perfect I do not want to be. I would like some peace once in a while and God will provide that with a lesson or two along the way. As we look forward to this week it should be a celebration but, there is a sadness that lingers I pray God will touch the sad heart and heal the pain inside and bring peace.

Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so, little ones to Him belong we are weak but, He is strong. Yes Jesus loves me, yes Jesus loves me, yes Jesus loves me the Bible tells me so......

That's My Thought For The day,

Crazy for Christmas

Dear Aiden~

Dear Aiden~

Even though I have only met you a few times I feel like I knew you through your mom Reese, my best friend since childhood. I have watched you grow through pictures and read Aidenisms that would make me laugh, I have sent comforting thoughts when you were sick and mommy was worried and even though I was not there physically I was there in my heart. The things your mom and I would do as kids were fun, wacky and to say the least interesting, we were practically inseparable Grandma and Grandpa were like my second parents. Even though we had struggles mommy and I stuck together like glue. Daddy and I went to High School together, we graduated together, went to youth group together I even told mommy when she was in the 7th grade they would one day get married. When I found out you were sick my heart broke for you, for your mom, for your dad, for your family. I wanted to help to make it go away but, I did not know how to so  I prayed and prayed and sent encouraging thoughts. I wanted to grab you and hold you, hold your mom but, being so far away I was unable to. When you  moved back to the states one thing or another prevented me from being able to go to you and be there for your family so instead I prayed, cried and prayed some more. I have watched the journey of this last year rejoicing in the victories and mourning with the set backs. Watching your mom and dad and whole family being so strong, watching you be strong and standing so solid on the rock of your faith oh the have the faith of  a child like you had...seeing what the monster did to you but seeing you overcome was amazing. Aiden you are truly an inspiration to many, your great courage and strength to not give up is awe inspiring. My heart broke when I found out you were gone I want to help but again, I do not know how to. The pain your family is feeling is more then I can know, you will be missed by many some who knew you and others who don't. My heart breaks for your Mother who loves you more then any can know, for your Father who has showed great strength through all of this but, deep inside is in pain, for your brother who said you were born to make people happy, for your sister who loved you and for your little brother who was your best friend...for you I mourn but, I also rejoice for you are now walking the streets of gold playing with Jesus, and you are in no more pain. Losing you is hard but, it is not good bye, there are no good byes when we are bound for Heaven. Aiden when I do Relay for life this year I will be relaying for you and every other child that has suffered this disease. I am going to do my best to raise awareness so that one day maybe just maybe, there will be one who will survive....I love you lil man I miss you but, I will not say goodbye, just until we meet again.

That's My Thought For The Day,

Crazy for Christmas

Hello, Goodbye and Hello again

In a whirlwind of events there are a variety of emotions and thoughts that have come across my mind, a ton of questions with no answers...on one hand the joy of a father being able to protect his son and on the other the heart break of a father, mother, sister and brothers losing a son and brother. I am overjoyed for one friend and my heart is breaking for the other. Saying hello comes easy saying goodbye...Yesterday they said goodbye to their son as he went into the arms of God. For almost a year now we have been praying for life and healing to come into this little boy as he battled this monster called cancer. Not just any cancer, it was DIPG (Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma) a 0 survival rate cancer. The feelings his parents must have had I could never imagine, the pain they had the anger maybe the complete feeling of being helpless. Yet with all of this just dropped on their lives they stood up to it, they held their heads high and fought right alongside their son as he fought the toughest battle of his young life. He was the bravest little man who held fast to his faith and stood his ground against the one who is here to kill, steal and destroy. He never gave up even when things we take for granted got hard or impossible to do. He impacted so many lives and brought joy to everyone with his humor and smile. The gap he has left by being on earth can not be filled anytime soon but, Heaven is overflowing with love and joy for the newest angel that has come home. I will admit that in my prayers I started praying for Gods will to be done and not our own, I almost wish I would have been selfish and pleaded for the will of ours to be done but, with my sorrow would have come disappointment, and anger at God for not answering this prayer so fervently prayed for so long...the thing is God did answer the prayers but it was a, it is time to come home your work here is done answer...so now I question what are my friends feeling? deep heart wrenching sorrow or some relief that he is no longer suffering or a combination of both? I do not know but, now for them I pray peace, comfort and healing for their breaking hearts and the joy of one day they will again say hello...

That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

I can't but, God can

I often ask why? why this? why that? why is there pain, suffering, hardship, sadness in our world today? I can't answer that, as much as I would love to I can't. I tell my kids all of the time I can't is NOT an option so, if it is not an option, then why can't I? Yes I know it is kind of strangely put but I put it that way so it is okay. Just because I can't does not mean it can't be done...as I said before Kutless says it best "impossible is not a word it is a reason for someone not to try". I am going to guess that as humans there are so many things we can't do but, there is someone who can. In any hard times if we look up we will find who can. I am HUMAN yep that is true and being human I often find myself struggling to want to let go of things I should never have a hold of. Letting go is not my strong suit giving up is not either I have to try and fix things instead of allowing God to...trust me it can get you into a lot of trouble. It is a lesson that needs to be learned often times over and over and okay you get it...I think. God created beauty...man created sadness, hurt, hardship and everything else all because someone listened to the wrong voice. I have also said before we make our own choices I am going to add sometimes those choices are prompted by something that wants things to go upside down and fast. God will never lead us astray, He will always guide us we just have to be willing to go in His direction not our own. I look at my life and I could say oh I am so bad off , my life is not good but, that is one party I refuse to attend because my life in comparison is not so bad after all. I wish there were no sickness, hardship, pain, sadness but there is I can not help it but, God can. He can heal, comfort, provide and cheer up. We have to make the choice to let ourselves go and let Him take over so He can do what needs to be done. It is not easy to do sometimes but, when we fall God will always catch us. I pray for the poor, weary, heavy laden, sick, sad and searching that God will touch you and you can find rest.

That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

Fumbling Hands

I had the words "God is great even when life ain't good. When I pray it doesn't always turn out like I think it should but, I do it anyway".......I totally LOVE that song!!!!!! It has reminded me that even though my life is not exactly like I think it should be, God is still there watching me and lending a hand when I truly need Him to. I have been struggling, yes I know I seem to always struggle but, in those times is when I seem to learn and relearn the lessons I need to.....if I do not get them the first time I have to keep learning them until I get it right.....God NEVER changes we do and sometimes not always for the best. God blessed me today and I am so thankful to Him for it too. I was thinking my unemployment was ending I had been sent a letter stating that. I was really STRESSING, my family struggles as it is and to lose that money as little as it is would hurt really bad.....when I stress I make wrong choices, then I tend to make life more difficult and that stresses me even more until I think I am gonna lose it!!!!! Now let me tell you this, all along I am telling myself don't stress, it will do no good, God will provide (He always does but do I listen no not really) I usually take matters into my own fumbling hands and TADA!!!!! You got it Here She Comes Miss Makes A Mess Of Her Life.....I am no Miss America not that I want to be but, my sinner nature likes to take over. I get cranky with extra attitude on the side. God is great and He will always be great, as a human I tend to forget that and I struggle and struggle and you get the point......I have gotten in the habit of when I tell someone I am going to pray for them I do it right then and there because, I do not want to forget and not get it done. That would mean I lied and I just do not want to do that in the least little bit. We forget but, God never does, I guess the lesson here is we need to R.E.M.E.M.B.E.R~ Reach out to God, Embrace His love, Make God first, Enter His gates with thanksgiving, March to Gods drum, Bear our cross joyfully, Enjoy Gods grace, mercy and love, Receive Gods peace. As we go along in our life keep in mind our choices are ours and may not always line up with what God wants. In time God will make His will known to us we just have to wait.

That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

Dance in the rain~

When the rain starts to fall I do not really mind at all because it blends with all my tears that cover my all my fears it relieves all my pain when I dance in the rain.......Sometimes a good old fashion cry is just good for the soul. I have for some reason been moved to tears by all sorts of things that typically  would not affect me....so, WHY is that??? I have no answer for that, I just have the urge to cry sometimes. I think that God will put things on our hearts and we have to be aware enough to know that. Maybe God has something to say and we need to listen otherwise unusual things like fits of tears just may occur at any given moment. Whatever the reason our ears need to be tuned into the God station so when things happen we can ask whats up God? What do I need to hear? Then take the time to actually listen and hear and then do what God wants us to do......im just saying.

That's my short thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

With rain comes Rainbows

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

I am watching the rain just pour down, it reminds me of how God can cleanse us if we let Him. The rain cleans the dirt and grim off the roads and cleans them up so nice and pretty but, before it gets clean it can get slick and messy and can cause some problems......kinda like when God washes our lives. It starts to rain and pour and our life can get a tad slippery as He washes us clean. Here is the thing....we can let God wash us or, it can be like he is using a brillo pad on us and that can tend to hurt. Washing away us and allowing God to move in and take charge is a good thing but, sometimes our sinner nature kicks in and we resist and our journey becomes a little more difficult. It does not have to be so difficult, do not get me wrong change is not easy or always fun but, it has to happen and when it does oh joy of joy's it can be something sweet. The good thing about the rain is at the end or in the middle or whenever it so chooses some of the most beautiful rainbows appear. God's promise to us to never flood the earth again.......rainbows in our lives can come as Blessings and Blessings from God are oh so nice and the peace that comes from God is something worth basking in. What ever rain is falling in your life let God's rain fall on you and wash away the pain, frustration, worries and let His rainbow shine so bright and give you peace. I am not going to say there is a quick fix but, I will say giving it to God will make you feel better.....

That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

It takes a village?? No it takes a Nation.....

The generation today is kinda scary. Yes I said it people need to hear it. The way kids are let loose to do what they want is well just a really sad thing. We made the news and just about the only time we make the news is because something bad has been done. There was a threat written on a wall at our local High School that on this coming Friday the ones they hate will be killed and on the following Monday everyone else will too. In the years past with the School shootings that have happened this is not to be taken lightly. Unfortunately it appears the school is down playing it....it is possible that nothing will happen but, what if ( by the way I dislike the what if game but,) something did happen what do we do then? Who is to blame? God gave us as parents the responsibility of raising our kids and even the "good" attentive parents can make mistakes but, my question is this what kind of parent do these kids that make these kind of threats have? we can raise them show them right from wrong but, ultimately the choices they make is theirs alone. I think that some parents do try their best and their kids just make wrong choices what can we do? They will only listen for so long before they tune us out....we can pray for them...yes I know not everyone believes or prays so to them I will say, I pray they have someone praying in their place. Then we have the parents that should never be parents who do not seem to care what their kids do or with whom they do it. I have to say in some cases those kids turn out alright but, not always. No matter what kind of parent we are when our kids reach the age of accountability the choices they make is all on them but, they make choices that are a reflection of us, just like when we reached that age. No one can be blamed at that point but themselves. It breaks my heart to see what our kids today are doing and what is acceptable now compared to when I was a kid. We need to stand together and pray for the kids of our nation....of our world. We need to pray that God will intervene and make a difference in their lives these kids are our future. The saying it takes a village to raise a kid well maybe so but, it is going to take a nation of prayer warriors to raise these kids we do not have a say in the raising but, we sure can keep them in prayer. Please join me in lifting the kids all over up in prayer and let the greatest Father in the universe have a hand in it. These threats need to stop it sounds like a cry out for help, we just need to listen.

That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

What is your Africa?

Just a note~ what I am going to write about today is not intended to be offensive to anyone but, it just came to me whether it was God or just a good thought to me I am not sure but, you can decide that if you like.

Scott Wesley Brown wrote a song called Please Don't Send Me To Africa I first heard it as a kid and LOVED IT!!!!! there are 3 parts of the song that really stand out to me and they are~
                                               Verse 1
                                     O Lord I am your willing servant
                                      You know that I have been for years
                                 I'm here in this pew every Sunday and Wednesday
                                       I've stained it with many a tear
                                       I've given you years of my service
                                       I've always given my best
                                     And I've never asked you for anything much
                                       So, Lord I deserve this request

                                                    Chorus
                                         Please Don't send me to Africa
                                         I don't think I've got what it takes    
                                         I'm just a man, I'm not a Tarzan
                                         Don't like Lions, Gorillas or Snakes
                                         I'll serve you here in Suburbia
                                         In my comfortable middle class life
                                         But please don't send me out into the Bush
                                         Where the Natives are restless at night
                                                 Verse 2
                                        I'll see that money is gathered
                                           I'll see that money  is sent
                                    I'll wash and stack the communion cups                            
                                           I'll tithe eleven percent
                                         I'll volunteer for the nursery
                                         I'll go on the youth group retreat
                                     I'll usher, I'll deacon, I'll go door to door
                                       Just let me keep warming this seat

How many of us have said to God Please DON'T send me to........What is your Africa? Look at what happened to Jonah he did not want to go to Nineveh he ran and ummmmmm got swallowed by a whale.......what is your whale? where ever we are, where ever we go we are always going to have God there reminding us to GO!!!!! We can drag our feet we can run but, we CAN NOT HIDE!!! We do not deserve to ask God to not send us and we can serve all we want but if it is not what God wants I have the feeling that You will not have a peaceful spirit. When God calls us to serve I do not think it is meant to be comfortable and when we go where He wants us to go, He will be there too. So there should not be fear but, we fear the unknown we always do it is the sinner nature rearing its not so lovely head. I do not like lions, gorillas and i'm afraid of snakes but if God wants me somewhere I had probably get my bahookie moving because I think I am more worried about the whale then the lions, gorillas or snakes. So whatever your Africa is, a friend, co-worker talking to people on the streets or moving to somewhere you do not want to be let it go and let God minister to you because you may just like it or God may just move you somewhere else more comfortable to reward you for your obedience. Now that is the key word  OBEDIENCE what does it mean? According to an online dictionary  Obedience means  ~ compliance with that which is REQUIRED by Authority.....so hmmmm God is our Authority right so maybe we should catch a clue and listen don't ya think?

That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas                


 

Worship is so nice.

Snowing really???? I am really ready for spring yes I know winter is my favorite season but the snow can stay away until a later date. I posted something like that on facebook yesterday and someone commented who are you and what have you done with Billie? I had to laugh at that. This morning I woke up with a worship song in my head and the first words out of my mouth were Good Morning God How Are You Today? I then spent some time in prayer my early morning was good. I talked yesterday about what the first thing we think about in the morning is, and challenged you all to make God your first thought so I have to say it was very pleasant to have God playing worship in my mind. I am thinking there are different forms of worship the singing and dancing for God, the quiet fellowship on our knees, and the kind that you wake up to, I feel that it is our spirits that are in worship when we have songs like Shine Jesus Shine running through our heads when we first wake up. How ever you worship God I am sure it is pleasing to Him. Anyway due to interruptions from the kids I am going to sign off have a peacefully blessed day everyone.

That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

When you wake up first thing in the morning is it Coffee or God you think about?

I walked into my usual hangout spot in the mornings and was informed I was late it made me smile. It is nice to have a routine and that I am expected to be somewhere and missed when I am not there. I have been thinking about God and that little tid bit of info and realize that we should have a routine with Him. We should wake up and say good morning God how are you today? we should be eager to dive deep into His word so we can learn what He has to teach us. How many of us think about coffee the moment we wake up???? I am raising my hand here too so you are not the only one. I do quietly pray and talk to God but, I realized today I do not have a routine with Him and I bet He misses me. I have decided that I want to include Him in my morning routine. I am going to try to get up and greet God first before I do anything else...hey I have plenty of time on my hands I can find an online Bible to read or bring my own for that matter. My point is I need to make God my routine before anything else and, I admit that I do not always do that. Life gets in the way and I get distracted and reading my Bible tends to not be the priority. I do pray everyday and talk to God and I pray with my kids but, there is oh so much more I can do and I am determined to do it. I know I know that sometimes routines can get old and can make us feel like we are in a rut but, I think God may just have something else in mind God is not boring He may be the same yesterday, today and forever but in our life stability is a must to keep our sanity sane. I want to challenge you all to make God your routine make Him the one you greet first in the morning.

That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

Fleeting Thoughts~

I had a really good idea for a post or a section of my book or something but alas it was a fleeting thought and I lost it, and can not seem to find it again. I started thinking about that and realized how often do we have fleeting thoughts, ideas or words? Yes I said words...so before I start I looked up the word fleeting and in the Merriam Websters online dictionary Fleeting means: passing swiftly.....Wow ok so back to fleeting words, how often do our words pass swiftly and soon are forgotten? When we say we will pray for someone or, we will stay in contact or, that we will do something, do we follow through? It also reminds me that as Believers we are examples of who God is. If we have fleeting words we are not showing God's true nature. If we are fleeting then the chances are they will think God is fleeting as well, and that is so NOT the case. In our everyday lives we face so much but, God is always there for us and He ALWAYS does what He says He will do. We are NOT a fleeting thought for God and I am eternally thankful for that so back to us......When we tell someone something we need to follow through, plain and simple whether it is our kids, friends, family or a perfect stranger whoever it is we need to not be fleeting to them. Think about this if we are fleeting with our kids how will they be as adults? I am not willing to find out that is for sure. The only thing I want to be fleeting is the ugly things in our life those can pass as swiftly as they want to and it will not bother me in the least. I want to be known as a follow througher....(yes I know it is not a word but I said it anyway) not someone who only speaks.....actually having a fleeting word in my opinion is no better than lying and the Bible says in Colossians 3:9-10 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. (NIV) When we become Believers we take off our old selves and put on new ones. I believe, if we are to be in the image of our Creator then we need to follow through with the things we say we will do so, the example we set will be a reflection of God not sin.

That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

You Are God's Favorite Kid....We All Are!

I am sitting watching the school buses going by reminiscent of the days when I was on one of those big yellow statements with flashing lights begging people to see me. I miss my job I really do the time when I could say I had about 100 kids or more and the funny looks that I get from people awww those were the days. As much as I miss it I am sure that God has something so much bigger and better in store for me and I am excited and nervous at the same time but, it is a good kind of nervous. I am reminded that as we walk through life God will always have His hand in any situation we face, there are times as I have stated earlier that He may allow us to hit a low point but, only to get us back to Him. Nothing is forever here on this hunk of rock we call home and as we face everyday we can say this to shall pass. There are times when we face something that is scary and unknown, we get frustrated and worried and so tied up in knots that we tend to forget that the Master of all can with one tug of His hand untie us and give peace....no matter what we face losing a job or an illness whether it is us or a loved one God will  be there. In my own life I am still learning to let go of me and let God take the wheel and drive I have the feeling I will always be learning. I encourage you all as you walk and learn and weep and wonder keep in mind that the One who loves all, knows all will keep YOU His favorite kid in His hand and no matter what happens He is always in control whether we want Him to be or not!!!! Have a great day all HUGS to you!

That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

Saying Sorry?

Today started out badly and I am sorry to say it was my choices that caused it. I talked about Faux Pas yesterday and today I do a big one. on the way to town I was praying and thinking and pondering and I felt like God was saying well apologizing is a good thing. And like I tend to do I argued for a bit....just a short bit and decided ok fine....Yes I gave God attitude this morning kinda like my daughter gives me sometimes. I am not proud of it but, I was then reminded that God loves me anyway and His grace and mercy are unending. Admitting when we mess up is never fun it tends to show people that we are human after all and, sometimes I think we almost believe we are super human. It amazes me how much it hurts our pride to actually say I'm sorry. Honestly it should be something we are compelled to say when we know we have done something that is in need of an apology. Has it occurred to you how hard it is to say those two words....I'M SORRY!? The amazingness of God is so overwhelmingly wonderful that when we do as He ask,s things tend to get easier to do. And how hard do we fight to do those things? Me? if it is not something I want to do I fight tooth and nail and I never win..........I guess the lesson here, is take what God wants to teach us and learn it. Swallow our pride, don't choke now then say and do what we have to, to get things right. Being angry gets nothing but, more anger who wants that? certainly not me. I read on a post this morning instead of filling our life with problems fill it with God and the problems will be small in comparison. When we walk with the constant reminder of our Father his name will be on our lips and His joy will be in our hearts. We may not even feel the weight of the issue because God leaves no room for it. As I have been going about my day this has been on my hear,t we are human we make mistakes but, we have a loving God who will always forgive us and send reminders of what we need to do we just have to listen.

That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

Do you Faux Pas? Come Now be HONEST!

I am sitting in McD's this morning listening to the kids play and wondering what I should write about....not such an unusual thing for me except maybe the place.....As I sit here I am hearing the ummmm "older" people talking and some of the conversations are quite interesting to say the least. I think back to when my grandparents were alive and listening to them tell stories and how they spoke and today in hearing these ummmm "older" people it was very different yet they seem to be the same age my grandparents were.  So why am I finding it unusual? the generation is different. I was a child listening to my grandparents and these conversationalists were about my parents age now I am my parents age and they are the older generation. I had always presumed the type of things would be the same but, they are not. What would have been a faux pas back then is now considered acceptable. As Believers do we commit these same faux pas in how we speak or do things? God has never changed how He wants us to live, He has never changed in how he wants us to speak, act or think so what has changed to make some of what we do acceptable in the worlds standards today??? What has changed is the fact that some live by the worlds standards and not by God's. Hey now....if we were honest with ourselves we would admit that we all do it in some way or another yes I said we ALL do it. It is called sinner nature and we are all sinners saved by grace, well we are all sinners some have not been saved....yet...........We should strive to live by God's standards and not the worlds because, He never fails, Never changes and ALWAYS  loves us no matter what faux pas we may commit....can the world say that??? No, nope, nada, negative absolutely NOT!!!!!!! I have a question why would we want to try to live up to imperfect standards for an imperfect world when all it will cause is heartache and disappointment? I can not answer that question can you? I am open to discussion about it. I know I will never be perfect I do not want to be that is entirely to much responsibility. What I do want is to try my very best to live up to the standards God has set and be happy with the fact that He will not let me down or faux pas me in my life. If I do that I have the feeling that no matter what the world thinks of me I am gonna be just fine in the care of my savior my faux pas and all.

That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

Got Pharaoh??? NOT!

We are going through Exodus in Church right now and, we are in the part where Moses is trying to get Pharaoh to let God's people go. Of course Pharaoh being....um Pharaoh has said NO!!!! Now oh goody here comes the plagues.....The first is all the water turning to blood and the fish among other things are dead and the smell EWWWWW! Ok moving on by the way the next one is on it's way but, the thing that stood out to me the most is my Pastor said (side note I may not get it word for word but, I think I have the jist of it) God will sometimes bring us to our lowest point when we have no where else to go but, to God......I have to say that it kinda sounds a tad scary but, if we think about it, if all of the things that happen to us are meant to bring us closer to God, and He brings us to our lowest point to get us back to Him that is a good thing. He must think we are strong enough to handle it so I say bring it!!!! But, how long we are there may very well depend on us.... (that little bit was my idea). In some cases coming to our lowest point tends to make us stay there and that can be a very dangerous place to be....yes I said dangerous we walk away from God, and we harden our hearts. By doing that I am thinking the more like Pharaoh we will become and I do not want to be where he was. I am going to guess that he did not go up when he died and he is probably thinking he should have listened to Moses when he had the chance. On the other hand some tend to be more like Job and figure there is a lesson to be learned and they wait and see what God has in store. They continue to move forward and look toward God with the faith and courage it takes to know God will bring them through...I have to say I know a few people that are going through things in their life that I can not even begin to understand their feelings and yet they are looking to God and trusting Him even though the outcome is unknown. My friends I pray we can all have that kind of trust and faith in God knowing He is walking with us no matter where we are at. If not I pray that God will send someone to you to help you and pray for you having a friend can make a huge difference. When we think the world is against us remember that When God is for us no one will be against us (paraphrasing here) and I can say even if God is allowing us to be in the low place He is still for us.

That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

If You Only Knew

I wish I could take all the hurt away, and make you smile each and everyday, even when things seem to be so tough I wish I could just hold you up. I know that there is a pain you feel and I can only pray to the one who will heal, as you go though out your day I hope that you remember to stop and pray. He can give you peace and move the mountains and quiet the sea. He can touch your heart and calm your soul He can take the broken you and make you whole. All the worries, stress and fears He can and will make them all disappear, all that is required of you is to ask and let go of this worrisome task. I pray that you learn to trust in the Lord for the peace and guidance you desire. Things in your life will come and go, they will be new and some will be old, there will be lessons to learn and disappointments in life but, the joy of God WOW if you only knew, will bring new meaning into this thing called life to put an end to the hatred and strife. The most important thing you should know is God loves you more than you can see and He will bring to you life that is everlasting...so I am praying you will come to your knees with your heart full of worry so that He can bring peace Let God have your sorrow and this worrisome plight so you do not have to keep fighting with all of your might. And pray for the one who is causing you pain so God can heal them and bring joy once again.

That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

P.S.
My son is going through a rough time keep him in your prayers please.

Minor hassles? Or Ginormous Molehills?

Life as we see it can be complicated sometimes and overwhelming at times and just plain discombobulating....right? Right! I believe we over think things and turn minor hassles into ginormous molehills. I was talking to my son today and sometimes I think that I do not always express what I am trying to say very well and I think it makes him feel less then adequate. I have to say it is never my intentions to do that but, I do and I feel oh so bad about it. I really would like to see both my kids succeed in their lives and my son struggles so much that he gets frustrated and then just stops trying.....Me in trying to help him and encourage him to keep trying and keep working hard even when he wants to give up I think makes him feel not so good. I know life is not easy and as they grow they will face challenges that I have not had to face as a kid and honestly it scares me but, I know that God is in control and He will guide my kids to where He wants them only if they let him.......I can not go to school for them but I can do my best to help them and I can pray for them....The power of Prayer is a mighty thing and if we utilize it like we should our minor hassles will stay just that....do not get me wrong we may very well have ginormous molehills too but they will not be our making.......and when we have to face those molehills with God as our hang glider it will be an easier trip. We will have to go down into the valley at times and learn the lessons that wait for us there but as we look to the top we will have a feeling of accomplishment that no one but God can provide and remember to say Thank You to God even if you do not feel like it. The Lord is our Shepherd we shall NOT want but to get there we have to release control. I guess my point is I have to let go of my kids and let God have them and trust that He will have His hand on their lives and not let go so that I can. Letting go is not easy and I do not want to but, I have to. I can raise my kids and pray for them but when it comes to decisions in their life I can not make them they have to so God take them, guide them and help them to go where you want them to.......

That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

Embrace the Challenge!

I have to say it has been an interesting experience going back into the trailer and now finding a place to go and hang out during the day until it is time to go volunteer or go to an appointment. I got my new computer and I am so loving it and I am hoping I can start posting everyday again. As usual it is raining in the lovely State of Oregon but, that is nothing new now is it? awww well moving on like the traffic.....I am working hard on the book I started in November hoping to finish it soon, I hope I can find someone to edit it for me since, I am not good at doing that....as you may notice in my blog, punctuation is not my strength and I wanted to be an English teacher ha go figure. I have to say God is good and life is settling down as we get used to our cramped quarters once again, now let's see if we can keep the kids from fighting all of the time. I am loving the view of the bare trees and basking in Gods beautiful creation but, alas I am ready for Spring and warmer weather I want to get my shorts out and start on my tan. My hubby turns 40 this year and I am planning a surprise birthday party for him I can not wait to give him the gift the kids and I picked out for him. With the Spring comes new life and Birthdays and new promises of a brighter future I am embracing this challenge and not running from it I am facing the Rheumatoid Arthritis, the smaller living quarters and all the challenges that come with it with a positive outlook (at least I am trying when I hurt it gets hard) God will walk with me and carry me when I need it I am in the best hands I could ever be in.....embrace your future take the challenges as they come and let God see you through every step you take.....it is so much easier then running away because it is a path you have to take eventually and the sooner you start the sooner you will finish it. We always go through things for a reason let God and the ones that love you be your strength when you seem to have none....God Bless You All.

That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

Hello Again:

Hello all I have been away for a bit but, today I am checking in. The big stressful move is now done and my family and I are now again living in our travel trailer. I am looking at it as another adventure in the book of my life and leaning on God to guide us through. I am believing it is only temporary and that God has something so much better in store for my family. Where we are at now is peaceful and beautiful unlike where we were before and that in itself is a true blessing. I have to say God has provided yet again and the difference this time is I actually recognize it and thanked Him from the bottom of my socks because my heart is not quite big enough to hold the gratitude I am feeling.......now some of my feelings are a tad mixed and some frustration remains I have to admit that one but, with the grace of God I will walk through this with only minor abrasions and my head held high. God is good and greatly to be praised. Our journey will not be all peaches and cream there will be I am sure some grapefruit and and lemons but to that I say lets make cheesecake it is so much sweeter. My hubby and I are coming to the decision that we think we may be home schooling the kids with just a few classes at the public school during the day.....we are not firm on that yet but, it is in our minds. With all of the changes our days start early and nights end sooner but we are adjusting to it I think and it will really be OK as Mark Lowry says his life verse is "It came to pass" so I leave you with this be grateful no matter what you may be facing God is always with you and there will always be something to thank Him for....God Bless you all

That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas