Into The Word Wednesday- God’s comfort

March 6, 2013March 5, 2013 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

It’s Wednesday! Time to get into the Word, again. Falen & Laura from Upward Not Inward have a wonderful link up on Wednesdays every week. It’s where we go to talk about what the Word has been saying to us during the week. I am so happy to be here with ya’ll today to share with you what the Word is saying to me.

This blog makes me happy!

I don’t know if I need comfort, or I just love being comforted. My Sunday School class is studying II Corinthians right now. When I was reading over chapter 1, I came across this:

II Corinthians 1: 3-4

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort.

who comforts us in all our tribulation that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

Not only do I reap the benefits of God’s comfort, I also am gifted with God-like comfort to show & share with someone else. That’s amazing to me. We are to give just as we have also been given. That is a wonderful way to live. A standard that we should always share with each other. God gives us what we need. In turn, we should share that same peace & contentment with others. I sometimes am in need of God’s comfort. This is a great reminder, to be willing to pass it on to others, as well. I remember all to well how my Mama and Mamaw used to hug us kids up. It made me feel safe & secure. They knew all too well what it was like to share comfort with the ones they loved. I know this is the God-like comfort II Corinthians is talking about. It’s the kind of comfort that just melts your heart.

I hope you have enjoyed my short & to the point Into the Word Wednesday. Go on over to Upward Not Inward & link up. We have a great time sharing God’s Word with each other every mid week. I am thrilled you stopped by to visit with me. I have to be going for now, because I should be washing clothes.

Into the Word Wednesday

February 27, 2013February 26, 2013 / kstrick7 / 3 Comments

I am so glad to be back with everyone today at Into the Word Wednesday. It is Upward Not Inward’s mid week blog about what the Word is saying to you this week.

I had talked about last time about how I have been reading in the Old Testament. This week I have been reading through Exodus. I love reading about the camaraderie of the children of Israel, in Moses’ time. The Lord was speaking directly to Moses. He was telling him what to do & Moses was without a doubt obeying. The children of Israel remind me of the humanly responses we all still have. They were impatient, at times & unsure about what was about to happen. They continued to believe in God. Remarkable as it was, they had such blind faith. When I was reading about them in Exodus this week, I ran across this conversation Pharaoh & Moses were having.

Exodus 10:24-26

Then Pharaoh called to Moses & said, “Go serve the Lord, only let your flocks and your herds be kept back. Let your little ones also go with you.” But Moses said, “You must also give us sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God. Our livestock also shall go with us, not a hoof shall be left behind. For we must take some of them to serve the Lord our God and even we do not know with what we must serve the Lord until we arrive there.”

This passage is so beautiful to me. Moses, being the leader, getting all his ducks in a row to be released out into the world with all these people following him, was worried about what? Being acceptable to God even when he did not know what was going to be required of him. But he wanted to be ready. Am I that concerned about obedience that I can take a leap of faith & say, “I don’t know where this will take me, but I know God’s gonna be there when I get there?” No, I would be wringing my hands & probably doing nothing to prepare. From studying this I know I have got to be more like Moses. I have to have blind faith, obedience & courage. (Ahhh! My one word surfacing again- see my post about that here.)

I sure hope you come on by Upward Not Inward & link in with us. I know it will bless you richly. I have enjoyed sharing with you today, what the Word has spoken to me. Thanks for stopping by & spending part of your day with me . Feel free to comment on what you have learned from God’s word lately. I would love to hear about it. However, I have to going for now, because I should be washing clothes.

A cow with no horns

February 25, 2013 / kstrick7 / 1 Comment

“Mister, why doesn’t this cow have any horns?” asked the young lady from a nearby city, on a trip to the country.

The farmer kinda had a funny look on his face, for a moment. He then began in a very patient tone. “Well ma’am cattle can do a powerful lot of damage with horns. Sometimes, we keep’em trimmed down with a hacksaw. Other times we can fix up the young’uns by puttin’ a couple of drops of acid where their horns would grow in, and that stops’em cold. Still, there are some breeds of cattle that never grow horns,” the farmer continued. “But the reason this cow don’t have no horns, ma’am, is ’cause it’s a horse.”

Have you ever felt misunderstood? I know I have. Sometimes I feel like no one could ever understand how I feel about certain things in my life. My kids, my family, my church- these are all things I have a particular emotional tie to. I feel like there are times that it’s hard to put into words my love, my attempts of caring, and my concern. When my college age daughter doesn’t answer her phone, it may be something as simple as she’s in a spot with no service or she’s driving. I start to worry. And by the time I do talk to her, I may be a tad impatient. (By a tad, I mean a gigantic frenzy of WHAT IN THE WORLD HAVE YOU BEEN DOING??) She & I may be a little misunderstood with each other at that moment. She doesn’t seem to know what all the hoopla is about. I don’t know why she has to be so nonchalant about my hissy fit. In the end, we agree, that if I did not love her & care about her well being, it would not matter if she answered her phone or not. We may sometimes misunderstand each other. However, there is One that is always here to understand us. All we have to do is trust.

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

I hope that if you feel misunderstood, that you will seek out the understanding that God gives us. He can love us & be there for us like no other. There is nothing that can fill the God shaped void in one’s life, but God himself. I am so glad you stopped by to visit with me today. I love it when you drop by. Until next time, I have to be going, because I should be washing clothes….

The funny cow story was taken from a ‘House to House Heart to Heart’ bulletin. You can visit them at www.housetohouse.com

High Five for Friday

February 22, 2013 / kstrick7 / 2 Comments

Happy Friday to all my peeps! This has been one more week. My grandson had surgery yesterday. He will be 17 months old the 26th of this month. He did well & hopefully will come home from the hospital soon. With that said, I have been stressed out a wee bit- just thinking about what that little sweetie would be going through. I have had some good happenings, though. Without further delay here is my high five for Friday:

Miss Neenee taking a bowl down the lane.

Got to take Miss Neenee & one of her friends bowling. They had a great time. I always have fun with those two!

Le Bijou earrings

Scored these beautiful Le Bi’jou earrings from my honey. They came from a local store & a local person made them. Love at 1st sight.

It would probably be pretty safe to say these 2 love to lick the beaters & spoon when we make a cake. It would be a toss up on who loves it the most.

Science fair project extraordinaire

Miss Neenee did a science fair project. It was on how to keep your hot chocolate the hottest. It was a cute project. She was bummed that she did not place. When her sister picked her up from school & heard the sad story of her “honorable mention”- she promptly drove her to the nearest nail salon & got her a pedicure. So thankful for my older girl’s being so SWEEEEEETTTT! 🙂

Making hot tamales

Hot tamales ready to cook

Made some hot tamales one night. They were mighty taste. Wish ya’ll had some.

There you have it. Crazy as the pictures are. I promise one day I will conquer WordPress, if it’s the last thing I ever do. Hope you all had a good week. Not too much longer until we start with 5k’s again. March 2nd is the 1st one for me this year. I am trying to get ready. I will be doing more walking here in the next week. Go on over to Lauren from my grey desk & link in with her blog party. We have the best time on Fridays! So, what are your plans this weekend??

A little boy that could…..

February 21, 2013 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

Once upon a time a little baby boy was born. A baby?? What are we going to do with a grandbaby?

His aunt said, I will feed him! So, she did.

His aunt, Miss Neenee said, I will hold him. So, she did.

Then, his other aunt, (whew! That’s a bunch of aunts!) said, all baby boys need to be so comfy they can stretch out their toes. He needs to be comfy! So, he was.

This baby turned one year old. He was so happy!

This baby had the sweetest little heart. Then, the doctors found out it was a special heart. It had 3 tiny holes in it. Well, that would never do. The doctors said, “We have got to make this heart, good, strong, & healthy”. So, they did.

After that, the baby played & laughed & loved to be on his Aunt Neenee’s hip! He was such a precious sight that no one could believe he had one more, teeny, tiny thing wrong. One more time, the doctors said, “We have got to make sure this baby is perfectly perfect.” So, once again, they did. And that was today. Mr. Sweetie Pants had another surgery. And now, since God wants him to be big & strong & healthy He let him show the world the little strong trooper He meant for him to be. Thank you God for healing this beautiful, loving, & delight of our lives baby boy. (And his Grand-that’s me & Miss Neenee only cried a little. By a little, I mean a lot. )

The end.

I John 4:7 & 8 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God & knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

Courage- to make relationships better

February 15, 2013 / kstrick7 / 3 Comments

I am glad to get the chance to link up with Melanie at Only A Breath blog to talk about my one word. This year I chose “Courage” to be my one word. When I was thinking about my one word, I was thinking a word that would help me to be the best I could be. I made a list & thought about what I should work on. It came to mind that everything in my life, that was holding me back, had to do with action. It was being afraid to step out & act on something. It was being too lazy to act on something. It was getting my thoughts together. It was communicating & trusting. It was wallowing in situations, that I just did not have the will to overcome. All of it was entwined in the word “Courage”. Since I picked my word, I have never looked back.

Just this past week, I made a commitment to myself that I would have the courage to make some of my relationships better. I started by talking to my Daddy for about 30 minutes on the phone. For he & I that is like 3 hours to someone else! He is retired & doing his own thing. My mother passed away in 2002. Since then, he has enjoyed being able to be on his own, without responsibilities. Sometimes I resent that just a teeny bit. Probably because I think he should be over at my house, seeing what I need, doing things with my family, hanging around, seeing what I need, telling me everywhere he is going & what he is doing, seeing what I need, etc.,.(Do you see a pattern here?) He is more of the “if you need me call me” type. When I need him, I call him & he comes. HOWEVER, I thought, you know, I should be less selfish about this. Not having my feelings hurt because I don’t know what he’s doing every day. So, I am planning to call him more, visit him more, & then just leave him alone (like he likes  ) Then, I talked to my brother & emailed him & text him multiple times. He is another that I want to make more time with. He & his family live 4 hours away. So, that does not always give the best circumstances. We did say we were visiting each other VERY SOON. I love him so much. It’s just when you have your own family & live 200 miles apart, you kinda get in your own routine & forget to call & email & text- not to mention visit. It takes courage to keep relationships going. I can’t get my feelings hurt about the relationships with them not being all that I want them to be, when I am not making an effort. I am using my courage to help be more involved in my Daddy & brother’s lives. Hopefully, next month I can tell you about some great memories we’ve made !

Thank you, Melanie for having this wonderful link up to tell about our one word. I have been so inspired by Courage this year. It has helped me make some really simple decisions . I already feel better about where this year has been taking me. I appreciate you stopping by my blog. It’s always great to have company! I have to be going now, because I should be washing clothes.

Into the Word Wednesday

February 13, 2013February 12, 2013 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

This is the first time I am participating in “Into the Word Wednesday”. To Falen & Laura from the Upward Not Inward blog: please accept my apologies off the front end if I end up with the craziest post ever! I have been reading these posts for some time now. I decided a week or two ago that I would give this a shot! You can go to their awesome blog by going to http://www.upwardnotinward.blogspot.com

I have been recently reading through Proverbs & now am in Ecclesiastes. One of the things I want to share this week is about how relevant these two books are, even now. I have been so delightfully encouraged about what the book of Proverbs says about controlling our mouths. I will admit I need to hear these verses, just as much as anyone.

Proverbs 26:20
Where there is no wood, the fire goes out: And where there is no talebearer, strife ceases.

Proverbs 29:11
A fool vents all his feelings, But a wise man holds them back.

Proverbs 6:16
These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him
17 A proud look, a lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood.
18 A heart the devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil,
19 A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among the brethren.

Proverbs 13:3
He who guards his mouth preserves his life, But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction.

Proverbs 12:22
Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, But those who deal truthfully are His delight.

Proverbs 12: 18
There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, But the tongue of the wise promotes health.

These are just some of the verses that have spoken volumes to me. The moral to this story is, Yes, yes I can keep my mouth shut & it’s ok. It’s pretty much what God wants. I don’t have to comment on everything. I don’t have to have my ears open to gossip. I don’t have to pass judgment on someone else. I don’t have to keep the fire stoked with unkindness & bitterness. Proverbs is a wonderful reminder of what it takes to be moral & righteous. If you haven’t read over it in a while or at all, you should take time to read it. This book in the old testament is sure not to disappoint.

I hope my thoughts today have blessed you in some way. Go on over to Upward Not Inward & link up to Into the Word Wednesday. It is a wonderful link up where we tell what we have learned & what has inspired us, as we have been “into the word.” I hope everyone is having a wonderful Wednesday. Thanks for stopping by & visiting with me. I have to be going now, because I should be washing clothes!

Link up with Falen & Laura at Upward Not Inward

How to read the Old Testament in a year- I think I can do it!

February 7, 2013 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

Alright, I know it’s February & I know you should know by now, sometimes, it takes me a little while to get things straight in my head. But, in my defense, once I do, I can normally “get to doing” whatever it is.

I have been making attempts at reading the Old Testament. I have read all of Genesis, Proverbs, & am working on Job. Today, I decided to take another approach, to keep me on track. After much thorough, grueling, & perplexing research ( I googled it & got my answer in a nano second), I found out, there are 929 chapters in the Old Testament. That is about 18 chapters a week, I need to be reading. One website suggested 2 chapters each week day, 3 chapters on Saturday & 5 chapters on Sunday. I liked that. This way, if I don’t want to read the books or chapters in Bible order, I can still stay on target.

Just wanted to pass this on to my peeps. (Yes, I consider you my peep ). Last year, I read the New Testament from Memorial Day to Labor Day.(You can see the reading schedule in one of my previous blogs in May 2012). You would be really surprised at how differently you understand the New Testament reading it like a book. Not just hopscotching through it, picking out verses and stories here & there. That’s what I had been doing for years. So glad I took the time to read it. I should be going now. I have to continue reading my 18 chapters, of the Old Testament, for this week & after that, alas, washing clothes……..

Super Bowl ponderings- Has anybody thought about the Harbaugh boys’ Mama?

February 1, 2013 / kstrick7 / 1 Comment

Unless you live under a rock, somewhere without any media influence, or are just so unplugged & unconcerned that you have nary a clue….you know that Sunday is the Super Bowl. All the excitement is filling the air. Commercials are on t.v. People are talking about it on the radio. The internet is a buzz with the anticipation of the most important football game of the year. Even people, like me, who really don’t give a hoot who wins- gets in the camaraderie of things. (We are doing our 1st official Super Bowl couch gating this time! Soooo looking forward to the food!) I will be making some tasty dishes from Christy at http://www. southernplate.com. Football fans everywhere are asking themselves, will I root for the Baltimore Ravens or the San Francisco 49ers? And to top it off, the coaches of each respected team, are BROTHERS.

Super Bowl coaches are brothers!

I was thinking about the wonderful time the Super Bowl is for folks, & I realized, we should be ashamed of ourselves. In the scheme of things there’s happiness & anticipation. However, did anybody consider how the Harbaugh’s Mama was going to be feeling about all of this? Bless her heart. She must be in the worst of predicaments, as a mother. Being from the South, it’s just natural to love & hold our mamas in high regard. So, when I first heard the coaches were brothers, well a plethora of questions came to mind: Who will she cheer for? Will she wear 49’er or Raven colors? When one team leads another, will she be excited? Does she have a favorite son? How does she pray for her son’s team to win, when she has a son on each playing team? Will this not make things a smidge awkward the next time they get together for dinner? I mean, she wants to be happy for one son, but can’t really show it or it will make the other one jealous, thus creating a hostile home environment for the Harbaugh’s at the least? I wonder if the Harbaugh boys ever considered what this might do to their mama?

Haubaugh parents- with sons & other family member

Harbaugh parents- with sons & other family member

All of this going around in my head made me do a little research, to see what Mama Harbaugh thought. I do not personally know Mrs. Harbaugh, so I did what anyone would have done- looked it up on the internet. Because the internet only reports the truth, right? From the USA Today article, I read, it seems like the Harbaugh’s have it all dealt with. Jack & Jackie Harbaugh, parents of Jim & John Harbaugh, gave a press conference regarding their 2 boys. (That was thoughtful of them.)
Parents Jack and Jackie, both in their 70s, live in the Milwaukee area. They won’t be wearing 49ers red or Ravens purple. You win some, you lose some – in bowling terms, they’re guaranteed a split. They got a taste of it in 2011 when the Ravens beat the 49ers in the regular season.
“That thrill of victory and the agony of defeat, and on Sunday night we’re going to experience both of those great emotions,” says Jack.
“We’re going to hug both of them,” Jackie says.

Are those two not the Cat’s meow? That is truly a wonderful way to look at all of this. Precious.

So how do you get 2 sons in such an incredible place in life? This is what Jim Harbaugh said of his Dad:
“When we were growing up, my dad would play catch with us, he would take us to games, and most of all he believed in us. We grew up just like him,” Jim says.

This reminds me of what Proverbs 22:6 says: Train up a child in the way he should go & when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Daddy Harbaugh seems to know what it takes to make winners. Making his boys feel important to him.
You know, I was worried about Mrs. Harbaugh & what this Super Bowl was going to do about the relationships in her family. But, I think the Harbaugh parents have it all figured out. I am so happy. All of that competition could be a real mess for them. One more thing to think about, Jay, which is Jim’s son is an intern for his Uncle John. His own flesh & blood rooting for the opposing team. There’s another double edged sword to consider!
I hope you all have a terrific time watching the Super Bowl. I have to be going now, because I should be washing clothes.

High Five For Friday!

January 25, 2013January 24, 2013 / kstrick7 / 5 Comments

January has sure been a month of ups & downs weather wise. We have had some warm weather then, cold, freezing rain/sleet/snow (though not much). Here we are at the LAST Friday in January! What will February bring?? Until then, let’s give a High Five For Friday.

Chocolate covered strawberries (homemade)

These were my 1st attempt at those delectable chocolate covered strawberries you see everywhere, this time of year. I was going to make them closer to Valentine’s Day. But what the hey, there’s no time like the present! They tasted pretty good…

Quinoa

One of my co-workers is such a wonderful inspiration, when it comes to health & fitness. You can visit her awesome blog at www.thewhitedish.wordpress.com She often times has news of what she has been doing to keep fit. One of the dishes she has been talking about is quinoa. She inspired me to try my own version of quinoa. This is roasted red pepper & basil (that I doctored up just a wee bit). It was all good & healthy, though. This was a delicious dish & truly a much needed break-thru in my substandard regular diet! (See chocolate strawberries above, which is fruit, so, in reality, it could be classified as moderately healthy. I said could be…)

Cleaning service arrived!

My favorite cleaning service was in the house this week. Not only does he sweep, he cleans the toliet, empties out my cabinets, throws lots of stuff in the garbage, & can dust the coffee table in his socks. We may or may not tell his parents about all the great things he does each visit. That way, they may or may not let him keep coming back.

Saw some sunshine this week

On the drive in to school & work one morning, saw a rare sight. Little bit of sunshine.

My 1st 5k of the year will be at Jay Bird Park

So excited about my 1st 5k of the year. It will be at Jay Bird Park. My friend Jen said she was gonna get us signed up. Can’t wait to get out there & begin racing, this year!

I hope everybody’s week was good. If not, there are still a few more to go in 2013! I will be linking in with Lauren from my grey desk. Come on over to the link party! We always have a fantastic time!