We made it another year, y’all & 5 (maybe 6)things to make 2016 the best year yet

December 29, 2015December 29, 2015 / kstrick7 / 2 Comments

Y’all….We made it! Christmas is behind us & 2016 is before us. Looking back we had an eventful year. From a grandbaby turning 1 year old, to news of a new grandbaby, to my sweet E.A.’s journey to getting married, Miss Neenee turning 12, her playing the trumpet in the band & lots of other wonderful things . We clearly have been blessed beyond measure. And one thing is sure. Time is not slowing down for anyone.

Year end is a time of reflection. However, it is also a time for planning & looking forward to the new year & all it has to hold. This is a perfect time to take inventory of things in your life. It’s also a time to make goals & focus on making the next year the best one yet.

Today, I want us to focus on our spiritual life & doing some cleaning out & dusting off. Here are some noteworthy things to focus on this year:

Prayer-Melanie over at Southern Melle has made a 31 day scripture writing challenge on prayer. I emailed her & asked could I use her scripture challenge for all of us. And y’all, she said yes & I was clearly delighted! What an awesome way to start the year, or anytime you want to focus on prayer.
Reading your Bible– Ok, so Melanie at Southern Melle is on my radar today! She also has made a weekly Bible reading plan for 2016. I love this because I have tried to do the daily Bible reading before. Then, I would get behind, never to catch up. And I would just quit. I am super excited about this one. It will be a better fit for me.
Applying the Word to our lives– The thing that comes to mind first are 3 “let us” verses.

Hebrews 10:22-24 let us draw near with a true heart…

Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope…

Let us consider one another…

Also, what about your monetary giving? (II Corinthians 9:7) I kid you not, when I say, when I am giving like I should, to the church, things just seem to go a lot better for me as a whole. I have no great explanation for that except when you obey God, you have His favor. And who doesn’t want that?

4. Finding your talents & sharing them– Do you love children? Teach a Bible class. Are you good at organizing? Be on a VBS committee. Do you like to cook? Sign up for a food team. Do you enjoy visiting with others? Start going to the nursing homes. Are you an encourager? Send cards to the sick & shut in. There are so many things at our church to be involved in. You can just about bet anything you enjoy or excel in, you will find a group of people already doing that same thing. You can do these things on your own, with your own family, as well. Just be involved & let your light shine. (Matthew 5:16)

5. Be more thankful. You just don’t know how the Lord will work in your life if you become immensely grateful. You get so much more. You become humble. You start to see that nothing is a sure thing. You begin to see how much you need the Lord. You have the reassurance you are not in this life thing on your own. You have Jesus to turn to & depend on for your every want & need. From there you will get the peace that you have no idea where or how it comes to you, it just does. (Philippians 4:7) And that’s a beautiful way to live.

6. Have faith. That sounds pretty easy. But is it? As soon as something bad happens we are questioning God like nobody’s business. Seriously though, God takes care of us in ways we don’t even know or understand. Just trust. No matter what. No questions asked. (Matthew 17:20)

Thank you for coming by & visiting with me today. Y’all just don’t know how much you bless my heart. Until next time, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

**A BIG ‘ol thank you to Melanie from Southern Melle for so graciously letting me use her ideas. Go on over & visit her. She would love to have you.

photo credits: http://www.crosscards.com, http://www.southernmelle.com

December Scripture Writing Plan & what a blessed Thanksgiving we had

November 30, 2015December 3, 2015 / kstrick7 / 2 Comments

What a better way to start December than with a month full of scripture? A sweet blogger has this originally on http://www.swtblessings.com. I can’t wait to get started on this. Won’t you join me?

And too, here is a little bit of what my Thanksgiving looked like:

We started with Thanksgiving breakfast.

Bud, Me, & Daddy

Family

Me & my peeps

Then, we had Thanksgiving dinner.

Newlyweds on Thanksgiving

Fruit turkey made by my oldest daughter.

Hope y’all had a blessed holiday. We sure did. Until next time I will be going because I should be washing clothes.

Photo credit http://www.swtblessings.com

You missed the point & the dreaded time change

November 4, 2015November 4, 2015 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

How many times have you seen people in life that miss the point? While they may be well meaning, their words just don’t help the cause? I have, first hand, seen people who would rather lash out & “let somebody have it” rather than extend a hand to help. I have seen those who get in a tiz & their knee jerk reaction is to tell somebody off. I have actually had someone tell me before, when I have tried to help them see their anger was not beneficial, say to me, “Well, at least they are going to know what I think.” Really? In situations when people are maybe not making the best choices & they need our help- they really don’t care what you think. Being angry with someone for their mistakes & expressing such to them is missing the point. I know we are all human & want what’s best for our loved ones. And yes, sometimes you may want to just shake them & say, “What were you thinking??” All the lecturing & yelling & bawling & squalling will not change the fact that this person needs our love, not our tempers flaring. I truly believe if we reach out a hand in love, we will get a much more positive response than if we are throwing a hissy fit. We need to be showing Jesus through us. How can we do that if we are angry & ranting & raving? We can’t. We all make mistakes. We all miss the point, from time to time, to show Christ’s love. If we have done that, we should pray & ask the other person to forgive us. The apostle Paul talks about true love in I Corinthians 13.

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. ²And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. ³And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned,^[a] but have not love, it profits me nothing.

⁴Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; ⁵does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; ⁶does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; ⁷bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

⁸Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. ⁹For we know in part and we prophesy in part. ¹⁰But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

¹¹When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. ¹²For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

¹³And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. (NKJV)

I love this girl dressed up for Halloween as “Queen of the Nerds.”

This chapter is full of useful & necessary information on how to treat others. From what I can tell, these are commandments. Not suggestions. Let’s be sure we treat them as such. Instead of beating someone over the brow with our version of what they should be doing, we all need to try speaking kindly & understanding where they are coming from with their decisions. A lot of times, I can be more tenderhearted if I know why someone is doing what they are doing. Believe me, there are just some people who need guidance. Even & especially grown men & women. And sadly, some still will not change, even though you go to them in love. That’s not your fault. You have done your part & done it correctly. Continue to show them love & keep them in prayer. Hopefully, they will turn to the Lord before it’s too late. But listen, don’t worry about this. If the Lord could not turn everyone’s heart to the right thing, what makes you think you can? It is what it is. Do your part, with love & move on.

One more thing, you may be asking, “What is “the point” you speak of?” When I refer to missing the point, I am meaning this is your prime opportunity to show Jesus & His love through us. Please, please, please, do your best to not miss the point!

I am so glad you came by to visit with me today. We have had a nasty stomach bug going around our house. I have been able to avoid it, so far. Well, you know there are somethings a stomach bug won’t even chance. Ha. Hope your week has been full of fall weather & pumpkin spice. Oh yeah. And the time changed. What about that daylight savings time that just jumped up & ran off? Still. Not. Over. It. And just to add to your anxiety, Christmas is only 7 weeks away. Love you like candy canes & chocolate covered cherries! Until next time, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

I possibly relate to this a little too much.

The Voice! The Voice is back on! & matters of the heart

September 23, 2015September 23, 2015 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

I want to thank everyone who told me to get well soon last week. I think it must have really helped. Because I am feeling so much better this week! You all are the best!

I have been very delighted, to say the least, that The Voice has started up a new season. I have already made some picks on the ones to watch. I must say I get a tad emotionally attached to these singers every season. Last season’s winner Sawyer Frederick was so cute. I just wanted to put him in my pocket & carry him around. I put him on one of my Pandora stations. REALLY liked him. He reminded me of my own rockstar son. Also, a few seasons back there was Cole Vosbury & Nicolas David. We really rooted for them. When the season was over, I was sad & I missed seeing them every week. I added them to my Pandora station, too. So, it’s kinda like they aren’t really gone. BUT I LOVE that Gwen is back this season. I just really like that girl. She seems like a genuinely nice person.

So, I have had something on my mind this week, that I want to talk to you about. I know there are a lot of people that are doing their best to live a life for the Lord. I know we may not do some of what the world classifies the “BIG” sins. We don’t kill, steal, or commit adultery. We give of our means on Sunday & don’t miss church services, so we are good, right? Let me ask you this, when’s the last time you have taken inventory of your heart?

Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God. (NKJV)

We can’t really talk about what is in a person’s heart without talking about what comes out of their mouth. Do we look down on others, that they aren’t as “good” as we are? Do we love to “tote the tale” as my Mamaw used to say? Does it seem to please you to hear something maybe not so flattering about someone else, because it makes you not feel so bad about what you have going on?

Matthew 15:18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. (NKJV)

Do we think, “I would never do that.”? Or I may do this, but she does that & that’s worse. Do we put others down instead of lifting them up? I really believe the devil comes at us in a different direction. He knows we try to keep a certain standard of living, so he comes subtly, in the form of jealousy or envy. He enters in our hearts with hatred for each other. Or the feeling of pride & I’m better than others. If you go to church every time the doors are open, but are quick to judge & make a biting comment, that’s a heart problem.

Instead of pointing your finger at someone & beating them over their head with their sin, why not show you care? Let’s have a gentle & caring spirit, like the Lord commanded.

Galatians 6:1 Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. (NKJV)

You never know what kind of situation someone else is in & why they are doing what they are doing. Shame on us, as Christians, if we can’t stretch out our hand to help, instead of pointing our finger to criticize. How many times have YOU changed because someone was trying to shame you into seeing the error in your way? I’ve never seen those tactics work that well on adults. That’s why it is so important to do our best not to be judgmental. Because you never know when you will be on the receiving end of a bad situation.

Things happen to all of us in life. I have a son, that was raised in church, however, is not faithful at this time. I have had people make comments to me about his appearance & how they cannot believe that’s my son. Well, you know what, y’all? That’s rude & hurtful. I pray for him every day the Lord gives me breath. This has been a real game changer for me & I don’t specifically need others pointing his bad choices out to me. I know what they are. I pray for these people making these comments to me because, whether you want to acknowledge it or not, we are all in this together. Let’s act like it & help one another. Even when it pushes us out of our comfort zone. You never know how much an encouraging word means to someone who is going through a difficult time. We are to have a spirit of kindness & meekness. Not a spirit of judgment & critical opinions. Because y’all, that’s just what a person who is looking down their nose is doing. Giving their opinion. AND everybody has one. A person, who is truly caring & concerned for others, will react in love & humbleness to a troubled soul. That’s what Jesus commanded. This other stuff does not come from the Lord. Let’s make sure our words are seasoned with goodness & kindness for others.

Colossians 4:6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. (NKJV)

Let’s not take things so seriously that we mouth off & hurt other people’s feelings in the process. Let’s not let the devil get in our hearts & give us a critical spirit. Let me also add, I am looking at myself, as I write all of this. I am guilty of these things myself. I do pray to be a better person & a faithful servant to the Lord. If I am busy doing the Lord’s work, I won’t have time to be on point to criticize others. I don’t want to lose sight of my purpose of serving the Lord, by letting the devil convince me it’s ok to be hateful when something doesn’t go my way.

Ephesians 3:17-18 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; (NKJV)

I know I am kinda all over the place with this. I just know how important it is to do our best to live a life without a critical spirit. You can have so many more blessings if you will keep an understanding & loving heart. We should pray for the Lord to direct our hearts. (Because Lord KNOWS I can’t do all this by myself.)

II Thessalonians 3:5 Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ. (NKJV)

I hope everyone is having a blessed week. The weather has just showed out this week. It has been so pleasant outside. I want y’all to know since I felt bad last week, I have the ultimate Mount St. Laundry that has made an appearance in my bedroom floor. Yes, we are dressing out of the pile. So, until next time I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

photo credits: pinterest,duoparadigms

Let’s be pretty & mean people wanted

August 13, 2015August 13, 2015 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

I was at work the other day & had a disgruntled truck driver come in for a load. He was at the window as soon as I got in. He wasn’t happy. And the duration of his time at our facility, he was a gripin’ & belly achin’. On his 14^th trip, back in the office, to tell me how terrible everything was in his life, one of our usual truck drivers was standing in the lobby. This “seasoned” driver was standing there, with his shorts on (because it was 200 degrees in the shade that day.) He was looking all dapper, as his custom, with his prosthetic leg. He had a logging accident several years ago & lost his leg. He is very positive about this tragic incident that happened to him, though. One day, he told me that there was no way he could imagine not working. When the accident happened, the doctor suggested he get on disability. Well, he was purely disgusted by that. He was not raised to not work. So, with God’s help, he made a way to get back to work. Since this, he has taken an attitude of

“Slow down, it’s all going to be ok. Things just are what they are & sometimes delays & problems can be for good. “

SO, I was delighted when the crabby driver took notice of my driver friend with one leg. They started up a conversation & low & behold before you know it the unhappy driver was telling us all to have a good day. I was very impressed on how that situation played out I mentioned to the driver this very fact. He said,

“You know I learned a long time ago, this world needs hateful people. I’m telling you spiteful & mad people are needed in this world. I tell my kids when they run into some low down cuss, that’s spittin’ & complainin’, they need to thank God for them. Because God’s teaching them to appreciate us decent folks.”

What a delightful attitude! My Daddy says some of the same about contrary folks.

“Be glad when you have to deal with mean folks. They show you how you DON’T want to act.”

Maybe that’s why Jesus tell us to treat others kindly.

Ephesians 4:32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

And as we want to be treated.

Matthew 7:12 Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

That’s a beautiful recipe for how to get along with others. Attitudes can be contagious. I am so thankful to this driver, for reminding me of that.

I hope you all are having a wonderful week. We have still been trying to make peace with getting Miss Neenee to school every day. On time. So that she does not have to deal with the RIDICULOUS time Nazis at school, who punish little kids for reasons beyond their control and whathaveyou. You can read more about that here. Until next time, I have to be going, because I should be washing clothes.

Just a little before dinner cup of coffee. Or if his mom or dad are seeing this, cup of milk.

photo credits: junk gypsy

My week in a couple of words & my take on the latest Supreme Court antics

July 8, 2015July 12, 2015 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

Miss Neenee & Mr. Sweetie Pants before church

Here are some phrases I’ve used this week:

“You win some, you lose some.”

“Honey butter. Hello there, heaven.”

(Maybe I just thought that as I was eating my biscuit. But, it’s totally conversation worthy.)

“I love all ya’ll.”

“You can only do, what you can do.”

“What does that even mean?”

“You have to remember, at the end of the day, God is in control.”

That last phrase, I find myself using it more & more. There are so many disheartening things happening in our country right now. There are so many wrong things happening. However, hasn’t that been the case since the beginning of time? We don’t live in a sinless world. Because of that, we encounter all kinds of ungodly things. Our associate minister brought to our attention that back in the 1970s, the Supreme Court voted to ok the killing of unborn babies. A flag kinda pales in light of that.

About the gay marriage issue, I addressed that here. No need to beat a dead horse to death. I still feel the same way. Love the sinner, not the sin. And when I say that, I mean it. We can stand up for something without making ourselves appear hateful & pretentious. Really. We can.

Colossians 4:6

Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. (NKJV)

People with sins need forgiven. Just like I need forgiveness. Daily. How can you bring someone to Christ while beating them over the head with their sin? You can’t. Plain & simple. My prayer today is that we love one another the way Jesus does. Like my Daddy says,

“Love people like the Lord does. He loves people enough to let them go to hell if they want to.”

True dat, Daddy.

We need to know when to let go & let God. That’s all we can do. Hey, I think I need to add that phrase to my list up there! We do need to be in the Word. Reading, studying about what God says about all of this. Please don’t just go off half cocked about something you think is right. Be sure.

One more note, I did hear a preacher give a word of encouragement about all the happenings here lately. It was Bro. Knoll. He came to do a gospel meeting at Pleasant Grove church of Christ. He said maybe all of the things going on with the flag, legalizing gay marriages, & the recent church killings was this:

“In the depths of despair people are drawn to the Lord. Maybe one thing the Lord is trying to do is bring people together.”

Think about it.

I hope everyone had a wonderful July 4th weekend. We perhaps cooked a lot & ate a lot. It was spent with family & friends. That is what truly makes me happy. Being around my peeps & laughing til my stomach hurts. Good times. And these grands, ya’ll, they are too sweet. My daughter was cutting a watermelon. She put the knife in the top of it & Mr. Sweetie Pants yells, “I can’t look!!” & covered his eyes with his little hands. He was so excited. He even led “Jesus Loves Me” in Sunday School class. He was so proud of himself. His Grand was, too. Until next time, ya’ll, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

Got to see one of our sweet cousins over the holidays.

Miss Neenee got her Starbucks on this week.

And these 2 had a big announcement. Congratulations to our EA & her sweet fiancé!

Impatient people wear on my patience & wanted: an iron that works

June 3, 2015June 3, 2015 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

Have you noticed how impatient our world has become? And because of this impatience, it makes us question God. Why in the world have we not got it through our thick heads that our time is NOT God’s time? We treat God like a wishing genie, and pour all these wants & must haves out to Him. If we don’t get what we want, in a short amount of time, we start wondering where God is.

We had a guest preacher talk about this Sunday. Bro. David Lipe posed the question,

“What has the world come to? What has the world come to that everything has to be instant or we are downright upset? Hello? Have you heard of instant grits?”

Why, yes. Yes I have.

I don’t think he was saying we should be ashamed of ourselves for eating instant grits. I believe he was trying to get us to see how we have reached a brand new level of ridiculousness. Our expectations have become so that if we heard it 7 seconds ago, that’s old news. Gimme something new to hear about. Don’t that just beat all? Just like our prayers to the Lord. If our well thought out good intentioned requests don’t start coming true soon after the words part our lips, we begin losing faith in God. We are not trusting in His timing. Just because we may have trials & heartache does not mean God is not working in our lives. Sometimes it may take years to realize how God has worked for good in our lives.

Let’s talk about the story of Joseph.

Dolly Parton sung her little heart out about that coat he had. Bless her heart.

Joseph was loved by his father, but hated by his brothers. Their daddy gave Joseph a coat of many colors. What do you think the brothers thought of that? You got that right, they didn’t like that either. Also, Joseph had a special gift. He could interpret dreams. Which made his brothers hate him more. He was sold into slavery by his own flesh & blood siblings. But the Lord was with him. Joseph was entrusted by his master with his household. But you know what? Since Joseph was so good looking, the master’s wife got after him & would NOT leave him alone. She finally cornered him & he ran off. Of course, the master’s sorry wife made up this big story about how Joseph was making an advance toward her. That landed Joseph right in jail. Remember I said the Lord was with him? Just stay with me here. When Joseph was in prison he became the prison guard’s favorite. Before long, Joseph was over the prisoners. Pharaoh’s chief butler was put in prison, under Joseph’s care. Joseph interprets a dream for the butler & asks him for only one favor. He asks that the butler remember him & mention to Pharaoh what he had done for him. That way, Joseph could show his innocence & get out of jail his own self. The butler told Pharaoh what the dream meant. But low & behold wouldn’t you know it, only TWO years later, the butler’s memory finally got jogged. Pharaoh needed a dream interpreted & the butler remembered, ya’ll, & had Joseph taken right out of jail to tell Pharaoh what his dream meant.

Well, after that, things got A LOT better for Joseph. So much better that he became 2nd in command in Pharaoh’s army. Now you tell me Joseph didn’t have all kinds of problems. I will say his life had a happy ending. When a famine struck the land, he had the opportunity to have a blessed reunion with his brothers. Wonder what Joseph made of all of this, that happened over the course of his life? Do you think when he was in jail he was thinking,

“Boy, God sure is working for good in my life.”

Probably not. But he was faithful anyway. He loved the Lord. He didn’t give up. He didn’t get anything instantly. Do you remember it took the butler 2 years to tell Pharaoh about him? Sheesh. Write yourself a note, will ya? In the end, Joseph’s faithfulness was what made the difference. True story. I read it right here in Genesis 37-45.

Are you sinking in problems? Keep your eyes on God. Don’t quit. He will not forsake you. Just keep your head down & keep climbing the hill. At the end of the day, God is in control. He is always working behind the scenes with our best interest at heart. Before you know it, you will be sitting on the mountain, once again.

I hope ya’ll are having a wonderful week. My iron quit working around Mondayish. So, my husband & I have been spraying our clothes with water & prayerfully hoping the dryer will get most of the wrinkles out. Some may ask why I have not purchased a new iron yet. See below to find your answer. Until next time I hope your clothes are starched & pressed just like you used a new iron on them. As for me, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

photo credit: Facebook, http://www.bplolinenews.BlogSpot.com,www.oopsitseverything.wordpress.com

8 or so things to make you sparkle & shine

April 23, 2015April 23, 2015 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

Diana Sumpter

I am so excited to tell you about a luncheon I attended. Two of my sweet co-workers & I went to a ladies luncheon where Diana Sumpter was the speaker. She has a big ol’ list of stuff she has done. For one she is a National Sales Director for Mary Kay. So you can bet her pink Cadillac Escalade was taking up a space in the parking lot. She also is a 8 year Air Force veteran. She was funny & motivating & inspiring. And ya’ll she came around to our table & introduced herself to us. She didn’t have to do that, but she did. She’s just a nice person like that. I like nice people. She actually was from the town we were at. To read more about Diana go here. It goes without saying she is a downhome country girl at heart. Here are some wonderful things she said to encourage us:

1. Don’t take advice from someone you would not trade places with.

2. Take the word quit off the table.

3. Don’t let someone else ruin your manners.

4. Don’t try to change others. Change yourself.

5. Do what’s right, even when no one is looking.

6. Choose excellent friends.

7. Bless others & be grateful.

8. Live in the future, not the past.

Diana says we need to create positive energy wherever we go. To use our time to encourage others. She said to not let people get the best of us. When a person gets on our last nerve:

1. Imagine a visual list of names of people you are dealing with. Wipe that person’s name off your list.

2. Bless their heart.

3 Spray some glitter in the air. Because no one can be unhappy with all that glitter around!

The last thing I want to share with you, is an exercise Diana told us about- to be more productive. She said once a week, write everything you have, on your mind, on a piece of paper. When you are finished, go back & look at what you have written. See what you can do to accomplish these things. If you can’t accomplish them, go get someone that can help you. This will help solve lots of problems & get things done.

I am so glad you came by to visit with me today. The weather was absolutely wonderful today. WONDERFUL, I tell you. I am thanking the Lord for that! I hope you are having a great week wherever you are. Until next time, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

photo credit: http://www.mypinkchic.com, junk gypsy

6 things to help you get rid of worry for good

April 16, 2015April 16, 2015 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

I hope this finds everyone doing well. We have been having some rain. And too, I have found a new way to waste my time. I have been watching too many tornado videos online. Have you seen the one of the guy on the interstate that is like right there at a tornado? I mean he could have probably reached out & touched the thing?? It was the one in Rochelle, IL last week.

TOO MUCH for me. I am confident when I say, if my Mama Boyce were here today, in the times of youtube tornado videos, well, let’s just say she probably would not let me watch them. She was terrified of tornadoes. She & my family were in a tornado one time & to say they lost everything is an understatement. We stayed with my grandparents, during the day while Mama & Daddy were at work. Also, we were there after we got off the school bus. And every moment in between, if we wished. We lived right beside them. Since that awful event, every time it thundered, we were at the storm house. Peanut butter & crackers & a water jar in hand, we would make the walk to the edge of the yard to the storm house. My Papa Clyde would go in ahead of us & scare out any mice, rats, snakes, lizards, or whatever had set up shop since our last visit. Spiders & cobwebs were expected. However, since we were not a bunch of barbarians, my Papa Clyde would run out all of the before mentioned like it was his job. If for some reason we were not at their house, she was on the phone calling. Wanting to know when we were going to be at the storm house. This was a serious deal with her & everybody had just better go along with it. She was a worrier. She loved all of us & worried we would not make it to safety in time. However, we don’t have to live in a land of fear & what if’s.

Here are some ways to take worries out of our lives:

Give them to the Lord. Straight out of the shoot, let the Lord handle everything. I Peter 5:7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
Pray. We should not do anything without talking to the Lord about it. All day long. All night long. The Lord never gets tired of hearing from you. I Thessalonians 5:17 pray without ceasing,
Forget about it. Time thinking about the negative, robs us of time to enjoy the good things in life. I can’t help but sing the Frozen song in my head when I think of this one. Just “Let It Go”. Philippians 3:13-14 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Remember we cannot control all situations. The devil is on his game looking for whoever he can to cause trouble with. Don’t play the blame game & think you could have done something differently to deter a situation. Sometimes you just can’t. I Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
Be thankful. Who has time to worry if you are using that time wisely? We should be thanking the Lord for the good things in our lives, on a regular basis. There is ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS something to be thankful for.Psalms 100:4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
Trust the Lord. 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^[a] your paths.

The sun is finally poking it’s head out, this afternoon. I am very glad to see it. Speaking of someone poking their head out, last weekend Mr. Sweetie Pants came to spend the night. His dad picked him up on Saturday. He went non-stop the whole time he was at the house. When asked by his grandfather to please quit pulling the cords on the blinds on the living room window, he reassuredly replied,

“It’s ok Pap. I know what I’m doing.” Well, he is 3 years old you know.

Much of the time he was there was spent with him reassuring us he knew how to do things, him actually going ahead with what he was doing, & then blaming Miss Neenee with it all. And ya’ll after he left I was one worn out Grand! The next day, just in time for lunch, here he comes back. He runs back to the bedroom where I am. He pokes his head around the corner of the door & says,

“Grand, I’m back.”

I would not trade these days for nothing. But for now I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

George Strait on my Pandora. It’s the little things.

photo credits: http://www.gitacoaching.blogspot.com, http://www.lovethispic.com

Easter throwback

April 9, 2015April 9, 2015 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

Easter circa 1976

Easter circa 1977

I know, I know. Easter is over. I had to share this with ya’ll, though. Because, Easter is always so exciting. Especially as kids. The receiving of the proverbial Easter Basket from the Easter Bunny himself. The Easter Frocks which always were accompanied by white gloves & a hat. The coloring of the Easter Eggs. Ahhh.. it was a wonderful time.

On Easter Sunday, we always went to church & then to my grandparents house. Looking back, I can remember, one particular Easter when the weather was not very agreeable. All of the grandkids had assembled at my Mamaw & Papaw’s house after church. We ate our lunch with

Easter circa 1985. My brother in his Rico Suave phase. My cousin in her cuteness phase. Me in my homegirl big bow stage, wearing my Mamaw's dress. Sadly, not true.

Easter circa 1985. My brother in his Rico Suave phase. My cousin in her cuteness phase. Me in my homegirl big bow phase, wearing my Mamaw’s dress. Sadly, not really.

a heavy heart. How were we supposed to hunt Easter Eggs with it pouring rain outside? We must have looked pretty downtrodden.

Because low & behold Easter was not going to be terrible & disappointing!

Somebody suggested we hunt Easter Eggs in the house. Now, let me remind you, this was the early 80s. If plastic eggs were popular back then, well, we didn’t have any. I don’t know what possessed Mamaw to let us hide Easter Eggs in her house. But ya’ll, she did & we were very delighted to say the least. Because Mamaw had just saved Easter.

We hid & hunted eggs all afternoon. It wasn’t as fun as being outside, but not much of anything ever was. Anyway, a good time was had by all & that was that. Or so we thought. Fast forward about 6 weeks….my Mamaw was milling around the house & heard something back in the bedroom. Walking back to her room, she smelled the awfulest smell she had ever smelled. She got back to her room & started looking around. She could not, for the life of her, figure out what was going on. So, she started looking through her dresser, her vanity, her closet, & her chifferobe. That’s when she realized what had happened. One of our Easter Eggs had not gotten found & it exploded in her chifferobe.

Oh. My. Word. Ya’ll.

MAMAW’S UNDERWEAR DRAWER HAD A ROTTEN EGG IN IT.

Not just any rotten egg. An EXPLODED rotten egg. Needless to say, she washed & washed her unmentionables for no reason. Because the smell would NOT come out. In our family, word of Mamaw’s underwear got around pretty quickly. Each of us grandkids were sternly questioned as to

“WHO IN THE WORLD hid the egg in Mamaw’s DRAWERS drawer???”

I don’t readily recall who the final culprit was. EXCEPT I knew with ALL my heart, this time, I was not to blame for ANY of it.

The guilty party was in this group of Easter Egg hiding kids.

The guilty party was in this group of Easter Egg huntin’ kids.

Mamaw was not too thrilled to have to throw away all her undergarments. And she did declare, no more Easter Egg hiding in the house. I am QUITE sure my Papaw was laughing to himself, at all of this. He would have had to of been silently dying inside. If Mamaw would have thought for an instance this was humorous to Papaw, well, that would have NEVER done. She did not intend that she ever did anything for him to laugh at her about. But, sometimes those moments just came. Especially with us being her grandkids. So, there you have it. Reason 27 why we will never hide Easter Eggs in my house. I know, I am a mean ol’ Grand.

Here are some other thoughts for today:

Psalms 18: 1 I will love You, O Lord, my strength.
²The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
My God, my strength, in whom I will trust;My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
³I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised;
So shall I be saved from my enemies.(NKJV)

We should strive to have a rock solid faith of trust & that the Lord will take care of us, no matter what. We need to remember, no matter what is going on in our lives, at the end of the day God is still in control. No matter how worthless I may feel or how dim the outlook may be, I need to forever remember I truly matter to the God of love, truth, & hope. No pain lasts forever. No evil triumphs in the end.

I hope all of you had a blessed Easter. It was overcast, for us. However, we still got out & hid eggs. The grands ran amuck. They played t-ball, too. Each of the boys had a new ball & bat. Which really didn’t matter if it were new or not. When they started hitting each other in the face & head with them, they didn’t care if that bat were old or new. It still hurt! Not much crying. A lot of “stand back” & “watch out” & “it will be your turn in a minute” was said. My little Miss Priss grandbaby played in the wagon while we were outside. All & all I would say it was a wonderful day. My Daddy came to be with us. He had preached at a local church, Sunday. He stopped by to eat & watch the kids hunt eggs. Then, as is his duty, retired home to study his lesson for Sunday night. Not before he ate a dog’s bait of the scrumptious pork loin my sweetie smoked. But, he was not by himself. We all did. Until next time I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.