The best gift you can give to your kids & how it’s never too late

December 17, 2014December 17, 2014 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

When I think of Christmas, I think of kids. I don’t know about you, but Christmas was always a special time at our house. Homemade cookies, candy, parties, toys, & family were the best memories I have. As a child growing up, I always had the security of a good family. I never knew what it was like to go to bed hungry or not know I was loved beyond belief. I was very blessed. It humbles me to know what a wonderful childhood I had. It could have very easily been another way. You don’t pick who you are born to. Thankfully, I was born to two precious people, who had a way with a feisty little girl.

At this time of year, I get to thinking about what would be the best presents, for my kids, at Christmas. What special memory can I give them about this time of year? I came across this article & wanted to share it with you. It is the best gift you can possibly give your children all year long.

We should conduct our homes so that children will remember:

Daddy & Mama were kind to one another (Ephesians 4:32).
Home was a happy place, governed by the law of love (Psalm 119:165).
Each child was treated fairly and required to obey his or her parents (Ephesians 6:1-4).
Sunday was a day of worship (Acts 20:7).
The Bible, God’s law, settled everything (Psalm 33:4).
Home was a place where friendships were dear, but truth was dearer (Proverbs 18:24, 23:23).
Although mama & daddy worked hard, they took time to read the Bible daily & pray (Hebrews 10:22).

There is still time for many of us to create good memories for our children & grandchildren. One of the best things I remember growing up, was how special church was to my family. At the church we went to, my Daddy was the preacher, my Mama a Sunday School teacher, my Papaw a song leader, who they also called on to pray & serve the Lord’s table, my Mamaw cooked for those in need, was at every service (with the rest of us), & loved our church family dearly. I had aunts, uncles, & cousins that were also serving the congregation. It’s funny, I never really thought of this being one of my Daddy’s jobs. It was just my life & I have been so blessed to have lived it. Me & my brother did have some requirements. (Some of which were perhaps a smidge challenging to an active/high spirited/could not keep her mouth shut/curious type child).

We were to be attentive.

We were to be dressed properly (hair combed, teeth brushed, & in our Sunday best).

We were to be cordial & kind to others.

And never, ever, ever were we allowed to go to the bathroom close to the end of Daddy’s sermon.

Doing this would possibly create a need to walk back to our seat while the invitation song was being sung. That was Daddy’s moment to help those that needed prayer, baptizing, or other spiritual assistance. My Mama was not going to interfere with one of her kids walking up through there, appearing to come forward. (We sat on the front bench.) So, she made sure we went to the restroom & got a brief drink from the water fountain in between Sunday School & Worship Service. I haven’t had to have therapy or counseling due to this, so I’m sure it was just an inconvenience we lived through. As a matter of fact, it taught us to watch what was going on & be aware of other people’s feelings. Not just a great memory, but good upbringing. Sometimes at church, I see kids & adults walking around during the invitation song. I’m like, “Wow, my Mama would have never had that.”

We may not have had the very best of everything life had to offer. But we had a stable, loving family. That’s what I strive to provide for my own kids & grandkids. Is it perfect? No, but they know they are loved & we are here to support them in all the ups & downs of life. That’s more memorable than any Ipad, Dr. Dre’s Beats, or 4 wheeler.***

I do hope you were raised with wonderful memories at Christmas. If not, it’s not too late to be the person who makes special memories for others. Children are a blessing from God. We should always treat them as such. That means not letting them by with everything in the book, teaching them to be respectful, & honest. However, that starts with us, first. My prayer today is that you will have the courage & braveness of heart to do right & good. Not just for others sake, but for your own, as well. I know of some adults, who as children, did not have a regal upbringing. However, now their parents have come around & taken care of their own problems. They have become wonderful grandparents & not to mention a great support to their kids. It’s never too late.

I hope you are having a wonderful & magical holiday season. We are ramping up for a big couple of days at our house. There will be family visiting, kids squealing in delight, & we will be cooking. A lot. It goes without saying, my usual New Year’s resolution of losing weight will be on my list. As for now, I have to be going, because I should be washing clothes.

Mr. Sweetie Pants having his cake batter & banana, too- in his undies, nonetheless.

Mr. Sweetie Pants having his cake batter & banana, too- in his undies, no less. That’s how we roll.

photo credits: pinterest, Thomas Kincaid collection, & my trusty Iphone

Parts of this was taken from a House to House, Heart to Heart bulletin.

***On a side note, I am not trying to be disrespectful to those who buy expensive gifts for their kids. I am just saying all those things can break, be stolen, or wear out. The things you instill in your kids can never be taken away from them. Just a thought.

Raising a peacemaker & this is what my Thanksgiving looked like

December 4, 2014December 4, 2014 / kstrick7 / 1 Comment

The other day, I got a phone call from the school. It was my Miss Neenee. She began telling me she was in the nurse’s office. (Which from my experience, has never turned out good.)

She said she had been hit by a boy in P.E. They were playing basketball. They were both going up to catch the ball. The boy slammed into her, to get the ball. Then, the ball hit her in the face. All of that commotion broke her glasses & left a cut on her eyebrow.

She started by telling me,

“Mama, I’m in the nurse’s office. I cut my eye playing ball & broke my glasses.”

“You cut your eye? Your eyeball?” I was just a smidge panicked.

“No, the outside close to my eyebrow. And it’s bleeding.” She said.

“It’s bleeding???” Now, full blown anxiety & confusion has set in. And apparently, I sounded too frantic, because the nurse got on the phone.

The kind nurse reassured me she was not bleeding profusely. That she took a lick on the eye & her glasses were broken. She put the Miss back on the phone. I asked her did she need to be picked up & she did not.

After we got home, I asked her, “Who was this boy & what did you do when you got hit?”

Well, first she cried. Then, she went to the nurse’s office (accompanied by one of her besties, no less).

“What happened with the little boy?” I pressed.

“He kept saying he was sorry & he said he would buy me some new glasses.” She said

“Well, what did you do to him?” I quizzed.

“Umm, nothing. He said he was sorry. A bunch.” She replied.

Really? No big throw down? No show down amongst the 5^th & 6^th grader P.E. students? If it had of been me, I would have probably had to smack some heads. You can’t push somebody around & get by with it. Then, I thought about what Jesus said, in His sermon on the mount:

Matthew 5:9

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. (ESV)

Matthew 5:38-39

³⁸“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ ³⁹But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. (ESV)

By Miss Neenee just letting it go, she became a peacemaker, like Jesus is talking about there in verse 9. She passed on the opportunity to retaliate. She turned the other cheek. Perhaps I could learn a lesson here. Maybe we all could. Keep your temper & anger in check. It’s what Jesus would want us to do.

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We most certainly did. I was off work for 4 days. Out of those 4 days I saw my kids & grandkids every day. That’s a lot of happiness for me. I even got to keep my grandbabies for some of that time. Fun was had by all. I hope you have a wonderful week. As for me, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

Some Thanksgiving highlights:

My Daddy & sister in law

Me & my big brother

Jay-Dub & Livie – sweetest nephew & niece ever

Daddy & Livie

Livie & Miss Neenee

Thanksgiving breakfast sorta agrees with us.

Star of the show- brined, smoked & ready to eat. Best. turkey. ever.

Some of the Thanksgiving dinner. The rest continued around on the other side of the counter. Whew! We were full!

Here’s some Thanksgiving kids. Coincidentally, they do not like turkey. However, are stuffing their little faces with the “chicken” we had.

Two of my sweet boys

When you can’t find the butterflies for the Elefun game, you try to make other things fly out of his nose.

Like cups or guns….

And here was the guilty culprit! Look at that sweet face. Now, how many times do you think he gets in trouble at Grand & Pap's? If you said none, you were right.

And here was the guilty culprit! Look at that Mr. Sweetie Pants! Now, how many times do you think he gets in trouble at Grand & Pap’s? If you said none, you were right.

photo credit: pinterest

Kindness from a 5th grader & why is it Thanksgiving already?

November 17, 2014November 17, 2014 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

The other morning, while my Miss Neenee was eating breakfast, she posed a question to me.

“Mama, if you have $17 how much more do you need for it to be $25?”

Seriously, I don’t need this kind of stuff that early in the morning. But, I tried. I looked around for my phone. I obviously needed to consult my calculator. My calculator doesn’t care how simple the math problems are. My calculator respects the fact I need math help. But, my phone was still plugged up, back in my bedroom. So, I had to take drastic measures. I figured it out in my head. Which really made for a bad morning & by the way, made my head hurt.

I said,

“Probably about $8. Why? Who needs $25?”

Then, she begins to explain that she didn’t think a boy, in her class at school, had enough money to go on a field trip with everyone. She said her & her bestie decided they would try to help pay for him to go. She said the money had to be turned in by tomorrow. So, today they were going to figure out how much money they had between them.

My heart melted right there over the ham sandwiches I was making. You know, 5^th grade has been hard, so far. They are changing classes & have different teachers all throughout the day. The kids are getting more responsibilities. The kids are maturing. They are a bit dramatic & wearing their sassy pants for sure. I worry & want Miss Neenee to keep her head on straight. Be her own person & not get caught up with all the goings on around her. But somehow, she always comes around with her kind heart.

The apostle Paul instructed the church at Ephesus in

Ephesians 4:31-32

³²And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. (NKJV)

Miss Neenee & her friend are definitely working on having the Fruit of the Spirit:

Galatians 5:22-23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. (NKJV)

I just pray she can keep a pure heart. Kids will be kids. I am not a perfect parent. However, I believe the main ingredient in the recipe of raising kids is this:

Proverbs 22:6

Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. (NKJV)

That means I have some responsibility to my kids. I have to keep my own heart clean.

Psalms 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. (NKJV)

Do I fail? Sure, but Jesus knows I am doing my best to remain faithful. (Revelation 2:10) That is what is important- remaining in a good standing with Jesus. My prayer is not only for my own children, but for your children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or any small children close to you. For them to understand the importance of being kind & loving a great God. We are all in this together. Whether you want to admit it or not. We are responsible for helping each other. That’s what the Lord would want.

Thank you so much for stopping by today. I love it when you take time to visit. We had some snow last night. Of course, we were all in a panic. This morning, by the time we made it out the door, there was none to be seen anywhere. On another note, has anyone told you next week is Thanksgiving?? As in, not this week, but next week? My sweetie and I have already been contemplating the turkey. This year, I’m afraid we may just out do ourselves. We shall see. I hope you have a great rest of the week. As for me, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

And don’t get me started about how I am tired of seeing Christmas trees up before Thanksgiving. I’m with the turkey on this one.

photo credits: pinterest, gadel.info,mysocalledjunkylife.blogspot.com,marionsmeeping.blogspot.com, afttimes.com

Singing to the top of my lungs & leaning on the everlasting arms

September 10, 2014September 9, 2014 / kstrick7 / 2 Comments

What would you do if you didn’t know how to sing? There would be no singing in the shower, no happy noise around the house, no entertainment in the car. There would be no sayings like,

“He couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket. Bless his heart.”

One time we were having a Ladies Day at church & I was asked to lead singing. I was so excited! My family was full of people who could sing well. My uncle is a song leader at his church.

I asked him, “What do I need to do? Which songs should I pick out? I can’t even read music. Is that going to be a big deal?”

He said, “I am going to tell you something a lot of people don’t know. Our family sings by letter. We just open up our mouths & let ‘er fly.”

Whew! I’m so glad I got to carry on my family tradition. Because that’s exactly what I did. And I think it worked out ok. I had a lot of fun, I know that.

We had a missionary come to church Sunday. He gave a report on work he & his wife were doing in Italy & Ukraine. He showed one picture on Powerpoint & said,

“This is a time we were teaching the people how to sing. They didn’t know how to sing church hymns.”

Well, don’t that beat all? Since I have been singing in church since I was a wee thing, I can’t imagine not knowing how to sing church songs. I remember thinking my job was to sing louder than anyone. When I was 5 or 6 years old, I can remember my mama telling me she loved hearing me sing, but it was not necessary that I was the loudest in church. Do tell.

When making trips to town, as a young girl, my grandfather & I would sing Old MacDonald, in his old Corvair pick up truck. My grandmother used to sing to us kids. It was mostly songs she had made up. She would rock us & sing. It was better than anything you can imagine. She had such a way to comfort us young’uns. After church on Sundays, at my Papaw & Mamaw’s house, one of us kids would grab a song book. We would stand in the den, with my grandparents, mama, daddy, aunts, uncles, cousins, & one of would be the song leader. All of us would sing our hearts out. My brother would sing, “Leaning on Jesus Everlasting Arm” just like my Uncle Frank did at church. Everybody would “request songs” & we would sing them. Good times.

At church, there were Sunday singings after our dinner on the ground. That’s where the men of the congregation would take turns singing songs. We would go around the room & whoever wanted to lead a song could. Young, old, it didn’t matter. We just loved to sing.

Did you know one of the things we will be doing in heaven is singing? That makes it mine & your responsibility to be a practicin’!

Revelation 15:3

They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: “Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! (NKJV)

It’s a known fact that everybody can sing. Some may read music. Some may sing like a bird. Some may make the dogs howl when they commence to singin’. Like us, some may sing by letter, but it’s all beautiful to God, when we worship the Lord. Even though my mama thought it not proper to sing to the top of my lungs, when I was a young lass, that didn’t damper my spirit at all. I still love to sing along with our congregation. It’s hard to sing & not just feel better. And don’t think I have not taken the opportunity of teaching my kids & grandkids to love singing. I sing to these babies & Mr. Sweetie Pants sings back to me. He can belt out, “Jesus Loves Me” or “Rock Me Mama Like a Wagonwheel” in just a split second.

I hope you are having a good week. We are going to be having some cooler weather closer to the weekend. Oh yeah! I got to see all my grandkids this weekend. We had a big ol’ time. What fun things have you done lately? I want to hear all about it. But for now, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

photo credits: pinterest, keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk, fumctroy.org

Happy birthday Daddy & sometimes you just need to get your own tractor

September 3, 2014September 3, 2014 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

Over the weekend, we had a birthday lunch for my Daddy. He only turned 70 this year! That’s a lot of birthdays for a baby that was born with a hole in his heart.

Daddy & Livie

This picture of Daddy & my niece Livie is remarkable & amazing. Mostly, because Daddy just came from a several day long stay with Livie & Jaydub whilest my brother & wife were off on vacation. Remarkable & amazing because Livie will still sit beside him & smile! Let alone speak to him. I don’t think he was too hard on them.

Some of the girls

This is my eldest daughter, Ray, & Miss Neenee. You see my daughter’s eyes? She was supervising my brother, holding my sweet little granddaughter. Mother hen.

We a pizza eatin’ bunch.

Of course there was food. We always need a reason to get together to eat. Birthdays, holidays, Sunday after church, Thursday night grilled, any reason, really. Why? Because we are just that good at it. My nephew said the prayer & we chowed down.

“Grand can you see me?”

And then there was the entertainment. We had my 5 month old granddaughter, to pass around. There was lots of ooing & ahhing over her. My sister in law just says, “I will handle the baby.” And she does. Mr. Sweetie Pants sat in his seat for approximately 1.35 minutes while he shoved a few bites of pizza in his mouth. The rest of the time it was lots of him running, doing his superhero impressions, & me silently praying, thanking the Good Lord above we had our dining area to ourselves.

Ray & Mr. Sweetie Pants

Occasionally, Mr. Sweetie Pants would stop, just long enough for one of the girls to grab him & hold him.

Time for a birthday cupcake!

And once he stopped just long enough to grab a birthday cupcake. And to say, “What about now, Grand? Do you see me?” Yes I do. Now stop it.

Bud, Jaydub, & Livie

It seems like my niece & nephew were just the size of Mr. Sweetie Pants. Now, he is 16 & she is 13. Time quit flying!!

Happy birthday to my Daddy!

There were a few other camera dodgers that were there with us. We had a wonderful afternoon. Daddy left with another birthday under his belt & I left one tired Grand.

Kids on the lawn mowers at the local Lowe’s

No trip to town would be complete without a dash into the local Lowe’s. Look. Lawn mowers.

Mr. Sweetie Pants riding the “tractor”.

He was so excited to ride the “tractor”. So excited, that when his Pap strolled by, he wanted to be sure he was going to get to ride all by himself.

Mr. Sweetie Pants directing his Pap.

“Pap, your tractor is over there.” He does like to drive by his self, ya know?

Thank you for stopping by to see me today. I hope you are having a terrific week. With the holiday, we will have a short work week. Sign me up for some more of that! I have to be going now, because I should be washing clothes.

Are you blood kin? & Mamaw’s Sunday Dinner

August 20, 2014August 20, 2014 / kstrick7 / 1 Comment

I am so fortunate & blessed to be surrounded by good people. And when I say good, I mean Godly folks. I come from a family full of Christians. My church family is wonderful, as well. It is such a great feeling to know my blood kin are related to me through Christ, too. My Sunday School teacher made such a terrific point Sunday about our relationship with Jesus. He posed the question,

“Ain’t it wonderful to be blood kin to Christ?”

He went on to say that we are made “kin” to Jesus through His blood that He shed on the cross. We come into contact with that blood through baptism. I always knew that, but it was a nice warm fuzzy reminder that Christ is my blood kin.

Matthew 26:28 (NKJV)For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

Acts 2:38 (NKJV) “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost“

Ephesians 1:7 (NKJV) In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace

In the South, we take kinfolk pretty seriously. We take care of our own. We love our own. We are proud of our own. We are loyal to our own. It doesn’t matter if one of our relatives is a little off or strange. We just shake our heads & say bless their heart.

I remember very well the Sundays growing up. My Daddy was the preacher. So, we got up & went to church every Sunday. We worshipped with my grandparents, aunts, uncles, & cousins. We ate Sunday dinner, that my Mamaw fixed, every Sunday. She cooked fried chicken every Sunday. Her table was full of peas, potatoes, slaw, casseroles, deviled eggs, homemade pickles, cornbread & whatever else this sweet lady came up with. She always made a cake, a cobbler, or some sort of delicious dessert type dish. It did not matter what you had going on. If you weren’t there for Sunday dinner, well, let’s just say she did NOT understand. Also, she made such a big dinner so that if a visitor showed up at church, she could invite them over. My Mamaw was just awesome like that.

Blood kin means a lot to me. That’s where I feel safe & secure. My Mamaw’s brother, my great uncle would hug us kids up, every Sunday. He would say,

“Ya’ll my kinfolks.”

As I get older, I love knowing about my ancestors & where I came from. I have pictures of my great grandparents hanging in my house. I look into their eyes & there I see who I am. It’s an interesting thing to know what you are made of. From a religious standpoint, I am made up of my blood kin- Jesus. I love that! I just want others to see less of me, in me, & more of Jesus. That’s the kind of resemblance I want to have.

I am so glad you came by to visit with me today. Thank ya’ll for always listening to me & what I think. The weather has turned back off H-O-T. It rained & stormed some this weekend. Since then, it’s been so muggy. I think we are making up for the nice weather we got in July. Ne’er a summer passes in Mississippi without hot, humid, can’t let the kids out outside to play kind of weather. Before I go, Miss Neenee came home & asked could she be in the chess club at school. Since she does not actively play chess, I asked the crazy question,

“What made you interested in the chess club?”

She matter of factly replied, “Well, that’s the only club they have for us.”

Oh well, then. Looks like we will be learning to play chess. Until then, I will be going because I should be washing clothes.

photo credits:writtenreality.com, pinterest

More stuff that I think:

Back to school

August 6, 2014August 6, 2014 / kstrick7 / 2 Comments

Am I the only one wondering where the summer went? We go back to school tomorrow. Tomorrow. As in tomorrow. I’m just astonished & perplexed & wondering how in the world it all got by me. There was a list of stuff me & Miss Neenee were going to do before school started. She can’t go back to school. We haven’t finished the list! Oh well. All the wailing & crying in the world won’t stop the fact it’s time for school.

I have, in fact, found some helpful solutions to our beginning of the school year woes. Kristi at I should be mopping the floor has a bunch of neat things on her website that is back to schoolish.

She always has the best stuff on her website. That Kristi. I’m so glad she leaves those floors un-mopped.

After you get finished there, go on over to My Super Charged Life You will find a blog post that is about being nice. And who doesn’t need to be nice? This would be something good to go over with your kids, too. Seeing they will be with other darlings, that may well, not have much coaching on how to be nice. This would be something good for them to have fresh on their little minds. They may have to teach niceness to a few other kids this year.

I hope all of you have a wonderful school year. Miss Neenee will be in 5th grade this year. 5th grade. (sigh) I went to pick up her schedule & I asked them what she needed to do on the 1st day. The office lady said, “She will need to meet in the gym.” I thought, “But that’s where the big kids go.” Oh yeah. That’s her. A big kid. Maybe a little stressing out is in order here. Until then, I have to be going, because I should be washing clothes.

photo credit: ishouldbemoppingthefloor.com & clipartbest

My big girl standing beside a stuffed buffalo. Tell me we don’t get out a lot.

My one job & why we love to pat a cake

August 5, 2014August 5, 2014 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

Have you ever been given an important job? A task that you knew had to have all your attention. You knew you could not do anything to mess up. You had to be on your game. No excuses. Well, I have got one of those big important jobs today.

I am picking up my new granddaughter from daycare.

She will be going home with me for a visit. Her mama has some work stuff to tend to. And her daddy’s at work. So, me & Miss Neenee are making our way over to the daycare later on today. I am so excited! I just can’t wait to get that little bundle in my possession. Oh we have a big time, anyway, with her mama & daddy around. We sing Sunday school songs. We pat a cake. She loves pattin’ a cake. For no other reason, she gets to eat it up at the end. And she is like her Grand, she loves to eat, too.

***On a side note- I was looking on line to put a cute pat a cake picture here. There were some with the pat a cake rhyme on it. None of them had the words on it that we say. A long time ago, my mamaw taught me how to pat a cake.

Pat a cake, pat a cake baker’s man. Bake me a cake as fast as you can. Roll it up, roll it up pop it in the pan. Eat it up, eat it up as fast as you can!

I’m not sure where this version came from. Mamaw may have made it up. But it’s the one that was always sung to us & we have sung to our kids.***

We have some talks about how everyone is treating her. And she rides the airplane. Which is really just me holding her belly down & twisting around some. Which right now, that’s as high as she needs to be flying. So, some of that stuff will be probably be going on this afternoon. Only, unsupervised. Meaning, I’m not supervised. Oh, the things we enjoy in life! I just know as this precious angel continues to grow, we will have a special bond. Why, she already thinks I am the funniest thing ever. I only have to make faces, noises, & baby talk to her. Her whole face just lights up in a grin. She just turned 4 months old. Time quit flying!!

Luke talks about a special bond the early church had.

Acts 2:44-46 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need, So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart. (NKJV)

Those folks had love for each other. Just like I have a special love for this 1^st granddaughter of mine. Jesus wants us to have people in our lives that we love & love us. He never meant for us to be an island. That is why it’s so important to have a good church family. And I have the best! I have their support & love, as we all go about in our daily walk with Christ. Thankfully, many of my family members are a part of this wonderful church, as well. That makes me have a gladness of heart!

I hope you are having a wonderful day today. It’s getting closer to time to picking up the sweet baby! I know I keep saying I am so excited, but I am so excited!! I just hope we can get all of our playing in before her mama gets there to pick her up! As for me, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

photocredits:pinterest, etsy,helenatyce

Do you want a piece of me? & what a wonderful life it is…..

July 31, 2014 / kstrick7 / 2 Comments

As I get older, my life gets more full & blessed. I am so thankful for the people in my life. I am so glad our family is close knit & loving. Even though my daughter is married, with a baby & my middle daughter has a busy life, we still can’t hardly go to town without calling each other to see if the other one wants to go. Just the other day, I asked my 10 year old daughter if she ever felt like I didn’t give her enough attention. You know I got these grandbabies, now, that we just gush over. Then, the older girls, my 2 sons, my daughter in law, my sweet husband & I try to keep up with my Daddy, as well. I work full time, teach a Bible class at church, try to keep a house, cook, clean (sorta) & sometimes, after all that, I feel like she may get a little left behind. But when I asked her if she felt left out, she looked at me in utter surprise.

She said,

“No, I love my life. I couldn’t imagine it any other way.”

Whew,nailed it.

Isn’t that what we all strive with our kids? We just want them to feel safe, loved, & well, happy. Now, ask her how happy she is when she can’t keep Mr. Sweetie Pants out of her room messing with all her stuff & you may get another answer!

Nonetheless, with my big family, something is always going on. Ne’er a dull moment. My oldest daughter got her degree in May (Yay!) She has gone to work for a school district. They had a 2 day kindergarten camp with the kids to get them ready for the school year. She said there was one little boy that was a mess. On the first day, he kept asking her,

“Miss K.K. do you want a piece of me?”

She kindly reassured him, she did not.

On Tuesday she finally had to get on to him. She said,

“If you don’t stop doing that, you are going to have to come stand beside me & hold my hand. Do you want to have to come hold my hand?”

He sweetly replied, “Maybe.”

Looks like she will have her hands full & heart full by the end of the school year!

I am so proud of my daughter & her love of children. Her grandmother loved children, too.

Jesus had encounters with children.

Matthew 19:13

Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. (NKJV)

Jesus knew the value of children.

Matthew 19:14

But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” (NKJV)

We should be ever mindful of these little fellows. They have an innocence & trustful, loving, heart just like we should have. Those are the kinds of things that will get us a 1^st class ticket to be with Jesus.

I am so glad you came by today. I hope your week has been full of good days. If you have not had the grandest of days I want to share this quote I saw this week:

You were born for a purpose,

You are here for a purpose.

When live knocks you down,

Remember your purpose.- Billy Cox

Now, go out & make it a great day! As for me, I have to be going, because I should be washing clothes.

Have you prayed about it as much as you’ve talked about it?

July 22, 2014July 22, 2014 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

One Sunday our dear Bro. Brad gave us a lesson about the Lord’s Prayer. He made some wonderful points. He talked about prayer & how important it should be to us. Since my One Word for 2014 is Pray, I was all in on this message! He made us look at how special prayer really is.

Prayer is a way to get involved with things, you otherwise would not be able to be involved in. Take for instance, my daughter just went on a mission trip to Nicaragua. I was not able to go on this trip with her. However, I felt like I could be a part of it by praying for her & the work our church group would do. I could not go on the airplane with her. But, I could pray for her to have a safe trip. I could pray for the pilot of the plane & all the attendants on the plane. I could not be with her as she worshipped with the church in Nicaragua. However, I could pray for the church family there. I could not be at the hotel where she stayed or the city she went to. However, I could pray for her safety & the safety of all of those with her, as they traveled around the city & as they slept. I have never set foot in Central America. However, with the avenue of prayer, I have been involved in many things there.

Prayer is where you start, not where you end. We should not say,

”I have tried everything I know to do. I guess I could pray about it.”

Let prayer be your first choice, not your last resort. Be proactive in prayer. Pray about things before the need ever comes along. Always, always, always remember there is power in prayer.

Matthew 21:22New King James Version (NKJV)

²²And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

I am so glad you came by today. I wanted to share this thought with you about prayer. I hope you are doing good & having a blessed day. As for me, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

Oh and by the way, this sweet girl had a birthday this weekend.