One Word for 2014

January 9, 2014January 9, 2014 / kstrick7 / 3 Comments

So, you may have noticed that my “One Word” for 2014 appeared right over there on my side bar, not long ago. However, I did not formally introduce the two of you. I would like to do that now.

Ahem! My new “One Word” for 2014 is

Pray.

Now, you may wonder, do you not pray? What’s the big deal with praying? To answer some of your unspoken inquiries,

“Yes, I pray.”

I pray in the morning. I pray when I eat. I pray at night before I go to sleep. I also pray at various & asundry times through out the day. However, I have been praying a little more here lately. And you know what? Wonderful things have been happening. In these little talks with God, it has not only been just a list of asking & wanting. I have been throwing some thanks & appreciation, in there, as well. Because there is so much day to day things we have been blessed with, that we should be thankful for. Praying is not something new to me. Growing up, we prayed before we ate, we prayed at church, we prayed with the sick, we prayed when Mama came in the room with the belt, & when she said for us to just wait ‘til Daddy got home. Lots of prayer went on between me & my brother.

Here lately, I have been going a little step further with praying. I have been praying over any & everything that happens throughout my day. If it poses a problem, I go to the Lord in prayer, right then & there. Instead of waiting & relying on my own decision making & knowledge. The other day I had some personal things to arise. Instead of leaping into my trying to figure it out mode, I stopped & prayed about it. Then, I went on with what was going on. I have tried to remember others in prayer, too. One morning on the way to work, I prayed for everybody in the car line at school, the teachers, the policeman at school, the lunch ladies, etc.,. That prayer lasted until I remembered it was time to pray my regular prayer for everybody at work. See what this has done for me? Instead of letting my mind go to worries & uncertainties- I am trying to fill it with conversations with God. Being quite the talker, by nature, this has been working wonders for me! It was no wonder I chose “Pray” as my “One Word”. I really want to keep this up, all year long.

Melanie at Only a Breath is the sweet lady that makes our “One Word” buttons. This year she has given a nice tutorial on how to do it. Go here to read all about it. Whether you are a fellow blogger & use buttons or are just a wonderful person who loves to read blogs, making time to focus on “One Word” this year is life changing. Last year my “One Word” was Confidence. It reminded me stepping out of my comfort zone is ok. And that I need confidence to put more action in my life.

Maybe Paul telling the church at Thessalonica to

Pray without ceasing I Thessalonians 5:17

Was more than just a grand idea. Maybe it was for their own good. It’s for our greater good, too. So, I am hopeful this will encourage me & you to focus on an area of our lives that we need to be working on constantly.

I am so glad you have come by to visit with me today. I hope you will choose “One Word” to help you in your walk, too. As for me, I have to be going, because I should be washing clothes.

Is your wanter broken?

January 5, 2014 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

I am feeling pretty good about myself about right now. I have done my civic duty to my community & graced the aisles of the grocery store to purchase my loaf of bread & milk. It seems there are rumors of inclement weather (when I say inclement I mean, talks of possibly a snowflake or two falling). When I say a snowflake or two, I mean that in a literal sense. Northeast Mississippi rarely gets snow. But when we do, you’d better watch out. All the folks that have four wheel drives or a vehicle, will try to be out on the road. And mind you, we can’t drive on ice. There is lots of things we country folks can do- make sweet tea, drive a tractor, haul hay, cut wood, put out feed for our animals, talk to Jesus, & cook food so good it will make you want to slap your mama. But drive on ice, not so much a dandy of an idea for us. Back to my visit to the grocery store. If you wanted to see anybody, in particular, you would have had a good chance of running into them today at the store. Most of the people I came into contact with did smile when I met their gaze. Unlike before Christmas.

When I was doing Christmas shopping, nobody was smiling. I would walk along, meet the eyes of a lady, who seemed distraught, & smile. No smile back. I saw a man & his wife carrying packages outside a store. I smiled. No smile back. I saw another older lady that looked to have a couple of daughters, my age, with her. Smiled at all of them & they just looked plum disgusted! What was going on? I thought this was supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year? Then, it hit me. I get some of the same feelings come over me, perhaps that these shoppers did. I get down & aggravated when I am spending a lot of time & money on things for people- that will probably be thrown to the side after a day or two. It made me think, sometimes I think our wanters get broken. We watch so much t.v. that has commercials of things we don’t really need, but want. We go to stores & see things we just have to have. Our kids go to school & see other kids with things that are a must have. We go online & shop around on websites that have merchandise that you just can’t live without. I will go even one further than that. We may get so caught up in ourselves, we think possessions are the way to happiness. That cars, houses, property, and anything else pricy you can think of, is of more value than relationships.

The apostle Paul addressed this starting in I Timothy 6:6

Now godliness with contentment is great gain. v. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. v.8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. v. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which down men in destruction & perdition. v. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

I saw the other day on the news the founder of Amazon, was on vacation aboard a cruise ship. Mind you this is a billionaire. He got sick, had to be airlifted off. Taken to his private jet, where he boarded the boat & flown back to the U.S. for medical treatment. You know what was wrong with him? Kidney stones. Did having all that money save his health? Nope.

We all have been appointed a day to die. No matter how much money we have will not matter or how much money we don’t have. What will matter is how we spent our time while here in this world. Were we content or in a constant struggle to get more? We know it will be left here, when we go. Why not focus on our relationships, living for Christ, & serving God? Peace & contentment cannot be bought. We have to learn to find it from the Lord. So, next time you are out making your rounds in town, smile. Salvation is free. No purchase necessary. Christ paid that price for you a long time ago!

I so hope you are having a good day. I am anxious to see if we will get some bad weather. I remember the ice storm of 1994. They never did see that one coming! I hope you are toasty warm inside your cozy home while you are reading this. As for me, I have to be going, because I should be washing clothes.

photo credits – pinterest

Improving your life

January 1, 2014 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

photo credit – Lifehack

I am always glad to find new ways to make my life better. I like inspirational quotes & reading articles about self improvement. We are a work in progress, ya know! We should never stop improving. (Wait, did I just sound like a Lowe’s commercial?) When it comes to ourselves we ought to always be looking for ways to be better. With the new year, it seemed appropriate to visit this for a minute.

I read an article the other day on the Lifehack website. It is called 7 Harsh Truths That Will Improve Your Life. To get the full article go here. However, today I want to pass along a few things that really hit home for me. Number one on the list is this:

1. No one is going to fix you.

It states “It is in your own personal interest to take personal responsibility for your own life.” Have you ever seen people who were never wrong? Even when they were wrong, well, if it weren’t for so and so doing such and such things would have never gotten out of hand. They spend their time trying to justify their wrong doing by pointing the finger at someone else. Nothing has ever been their fault. When in fact they are cowards. They just have a hard time owning up to anything. Not only is this toxic for the person in question, it is poison for their family & those around them. Most of the time, these are angry people. They are not easily satisfied. They are controlling. They are rude & generally unhappy people. They are waiting for something or someone to swoop in & make things all better. Here is the harsh truth, until these folks decide within themselves to take responsibility for their actions, they will always be broken.

My mama would say,

“You’d better get your life in order, if you want the Lord to bless you.”

At this point in my life, I get that.

Luke 16: 10-11 says He who is faithful in what is least, is faithful also in much, and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. Therefore, if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?

Jesus was talking about finances & money in this passage. But it can be plugged in to your life as a whole. If you don’t make your relationships, your Christian walk with Christ, your heart right, why would God give you more opportunities than you already have? If you can’t take care of those simple things, I just bet He’s not going to bless you with more- until you learn to make right what He’s already given to you.

My Mamaw used to say,

“You better clean off your own doorstep, before you start tryin’ to clear off mine.”

Meaning, if you busy yourself with keeping your own life in order, you will never have time to be throwing off on someone else. This year, I pray the Lord will help me to take care of the areas in my life that need attention. That I will not blame others for my problems. And that I will take responsibility for what comes out of my mouth & how I treat others. In Galatians 5:23 the apostle Paul gives self control as a commandment, not a suggestion. There will always be those who can’t come to grips with taking personal charge of what they say & do. I have heard people say, “Well, she may do that, but she is going to know what I think about it.” Followed by ranting & raving that never makes a bit of difference. You know what? Most of the time, people don’t care what we think. All the hissy fits in the world ain’t gonna make a difference. Why in the world would you waste your energy that way? Turn that negative energy into something healthy & productive.

A strong positive attitude will create more miracles than any wonder drug. – Patricia Neal

Developing a strong positive attitude is a step toward fixing yourself. The world is full of discouragement & complaints, heartaches & pain. Confront whatever it is that is making you mentally unhealthy & make 2014 a year of freedom from bad thoughts, worries, & struggles. Pray about it & then take action. Right wrongs, forgive others, ask for forgiveness, & let go of resentment. It just ain’t worth it.

I am so happy you decided to stop by for a while. I hope & pray you have had a wonderful new year’s holiday. I ate my blackeyed peas, turnip greens, and hog jowl. Bring on 2014! I am ready! For now, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

Move over Miley, Phil Robertson’s takin’ center stage

December 26, 2013December 26, 2013 / kstrick7 / 1 Comment

I just could not hold it in any longer. I have not had a chance to sit down & write this post as quickly as I wanted to. However, it gave me a chance to hear what other people are having to say about Phil Robertson’s comments in his GQ interview.

First I want to say to Phil Robertson,

“Phil, really? You are doing an interview with GQ & did not expect this? You are a smart man. How were you not on guard for this one? And what really possessed you to do an interview with GQ? You make duck calls & preach. Not really what GQ is about. What were you thinking? ”

There, saying that, people of this day & time have grown so tolerant of sin. We are a society of not wanting to hurt anybody’s feelings. Well, I’m all for not hurting feelings, but wrong is wrong. And until people are called out on it, it won’t ever be any better. Sexual sins seem to be one of the things people are more accepting of. However, God wasn’t. Remember Sodom & Gomorrah? (Genesis 19) It was destroyed, with fire falling from the sky. It was burned up because of their sexual immorality. Not just homosexual activity, but all immoral acts of a sexual nature. The word sodomy is referred to as sexual acts with a beast (animal). Do you think there is any connection there? It would seem so. Just because God is not setting fire to cities & turning people into pillars of salt anymore (like he did Lot’s wife for looking back- when God told them to leave Sodom & Gomorrah & not look back) does not mean He’s become soft in his old age. He’s not looking over anything. He still does not like it. A little over 2,000 years ago He continued to say that through the apostle Paul.

I Corinthians 6:9-11

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

And such were some of you:

but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

Galatians 5:19-21

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Why do you think Paul was talking about this to the churches at Corinth & Galatia? They needed to be given some instructions concerning it. We need to hear it now, too. Jesus said some people would not be willing to accept God’s word.

Luke 16:31

And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

And you know the rest of the story- Jesus was hung on a cross because crowds of people did not want to hear what he had to say. So, this is not something that’s a big surprise or not expected from those of the world. One thing that does help my feelings is the Cracker Barrel situation. When they decided to pull Duck Dynasty from their shelves, people stood for right. That lets me know the Lord still has righteous people here. Things might not be as bad as the devil wants us to believe they are.

I don’t consider myself a hater, because I believe what the Bible says about homosexuals. I know people who are openly gay. I have worked with a man who was gay. He was a truck driver & his friend would ride in the truck with him on runs. I became quick friends with both of them. They were easy going & had great personalities. We always got along great. But you know what? They knew where I stood on their lifestyle choices. I did not accept it, but I accepted them. They knew what they were doing wasn’t right, however, chose not to address it. It hurts me to think anyone would ever be mean to either of them. Love the sinner, hate the sin.

My thing is you have all this sin out in the world. The world wants us to accept it & not take away sinner’s rights. How about my right to disagree? Sin is evil in all forms. And as Phil Robertson said, “it’s not logical.” God created the family as man & woman.

Genesis 2:24

Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

God said this right after making woman for man. We have a responsibility, as Christians to keep it this way.

It’s funny to me that murderers aren’t standing around saying,

“I know I kill people, but you should just accept that. That’s how God made me. And if you don’t you aren’t a Christian because God wants us to love each other.”

Or plug into it a thief, “I may steal from innocent people, but this is what I want to do, so you just need to accept me how I am, a thief.”

Or what about a child molester?

You may say, ”wait a minute, you are getting off subject, now.” No, not really sin is sin in God’s eyes. Sins come with different responsibilities. If I say I like your dress, but really would not wear it to the garden- the responsibility for getting caught telling such a lie, is not near what it would be for another sin. Like if you decided to rob banks. But lying is a deadly sin. too.

And look at poor ol’ Miley Cyrus. I just want to put some clothes on her & stripe her legs with a switch. But you can’t say anything about her & all her antics, because she’s expressing herself.

The phenomenon with the reality shows with the likes of the Kardashian’s who can’t have babies or pee their pants without the camera right there for us all to see, has become as crazy as a Bessie Bug. We can listen to these housewives in cat fights, cussin’, spittin’, & spattin’ at each other all in the name of entertainment. Then, Phil can’t quote scripture without losing his job.

Bless our hearts.

We would all be better if we would take that remote & hit the off button. And pray for these people. At the end of the day, I would rather gather my family around the table with the Robertson family than any other reality family. I really think A & E is just seeing dollar signs, when they look at the Robertson’s. They are on a reality show, but A & E does not want their reality of praying, following Christ, nor offending others. Newsflash, sin is offensive. When you disagree with sin, you get more hurt feelings, because you aren’t supporting their sin. And everybody loves their sin, don’t they? Nobody wants anyone calling them out about it. That’s why people don’t usually go to church unless they are ready to be held accountable for their sins. As you already know, at church you hear all about what’s right & wrong. Sometimes it’s not so easy to hear.

If you are gay, I don’t hate you. I pray for your repentance & turning back to God’s will. I don’t judge you because I sin, too. But we can’t let sin rule our lives. I think that’s what Phil was trying to say. However, we need to read the Bible, see what Jesus says & don’t stand for Phil, stand for Jesus. Because Phil is just a man.

I hope you are having a wonderful holiday season. New Year’s is just around the corner. I hope you are working on your New Year’s resolutions. I am going to go back over mine from 2013 & see what I really did do. We will visit again soon & talk about that. As for me, I have to be going, because I should be washing clothes.

***On a side note, I may have a tone that I don’t appreciate Phil & his preaching the gospel. I do think it noble of Phil to spread the gospel. However, we have to remember Phil is just a man. There was only one perfect man, Jesus Christ. Everyone else has flaws & sins. My Daddy is a preacher of the gospel, as well. One thing he has taught me is you don’t follow the preacher. You follow Jesus. Phil is a messenger, not the Messiah. Always make sure what the preacher is preaching is from Bible. Satan will creep in wherever he can.

Remembering Tawanna

December 11, 2013December 10, 2013 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

Photo credit sevennine Marc Hodges

It has taken me a few days to get my thoughts together on how I want to do this post. Our family had a dear cousin to pass away unexpectedly, about two weeks ago. She was in a car accident. She was taken to the nearest trauma hospital, where she fought to live. But then, God had other plans. One of my favorite reminders right now is this:

God’s power to restore is stronger than Satan’s power to destroy.

One of my favorite scriptures is

Job 2:10 Shall we accept good from God & shall we not accept adversity?

We accepted the precious time with her that God gave us. We must learn to accept the finality of her being gone. With these things in mind, I wanted to write a post in hopes to pay tribute to a wonderful soul.

The first memories I have of her are when I was about 13-14 years old. She is a cousin by marriage. At the time, though, it was at a friend’s house that I became acquainted with her. The first time I saw her, she was sitting at their kitchen bar, smoking a cigarette (which was the norm in our world back then) talking, & laughing. There was a little blond headed girl, of hers, that was running around the house. It would not take long to know she doted on that pretty little lass. She was funny, outspoken, & always a work of art to be around. In the next few years, she became more of a shining beacon in my life. While I was in my teen years, I spent a lot of time with her. Even though she was 7 years older than me, we never really noticed. She was always there with a listening ear. I had my fair share of boyfriend problems (like any teenage girl). She was there to listen & to plot their demise. It was also a delicate time for me with my family, as well. This was the same time my mama was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Anything that my dear friend ran across, about this unknowing disease, she would pass along to me. She would always write notes on the news articles, letting me know, no matter what, I was loved.

I will never forget her helping me one time, get ready for prom. My mama was in the hospital. I was telling her how I did not know what I was going to do. I had never been to the prom before. I had a dress, but that was as far as I had gotten. She put her arm around me & told me not to worry, that we would take care of it. The day of the prom, she did my make-up, my hair, my nails, & made sure I looked presentable for the occasion. It wasn’t so much the make-up on my face or hairspray in my hair that I remember. It was how I felt. She made me feel like I was important, loved, & cared for. She always had a way of making others just feel that way. I remember her husband coming home from work & of course being so sweet. Making over me before he turned all his attention to the little blonde haired girl. I don’t really ever recall my friend saying she wanted to be embedded in people’s minds. But she was. She was the kind of person that makes marks on people’s lives. An unconscious unspoken effort to make you feel loved & to remember Tawanna had been there. And you did & we have.

She was crazy about her daughter. I remember one summer, I wanted to take her to the park to play. My friend thought that was a lovely idea. First, though, I had to prove I was a fit driver. With my friend in the passenger seat, I made several trips around town, cautiously attending to all laws of the road. After that day, she deemed me worthy to transport her little darling. To the park I went with the little blonde headed girl!

My friend was always happy & smiling. And when she wasn’t happy & smiling, well, you knew the why, who, what, & when of all of it. She wasn’t much to hold back. She never tried to be something she wasn’t. She had a light heartedness about her. Someone you don’t easily forget. She had her own ways of thinking. She did not look at things in the same way that most of us do. She was different. How boring would the world be if we were all alike? She was educated. She held a degree from the University of Mississippi. That was nothing to brush to the side. She had a brilliant mind. She was adventurous & gypsy at heart. There is a whole other story of who she was, if my husband were to be writing this. Growing up, she was his best friend. He knew the intents of her heart. They were good. Sometimes. From what I am told, together, they were a force to be reckoned with. In her defense, his intentions were not always good either! As they got older, it did not matter how long in between times he had seen or talked to her. When they met back up, it was like they picked right up where they left off. Kindred spirits.

It may seem cliché that this song written by Paul Simon came to mind with the passing of her from this life. She was too young to go. Only 48 years old. She was a beautiful & loyal friend to many. I read through this song & it seemed fitting. We all need a bridge over troubled water, from time to time. It’s part of our walk here. Even still, some things about her life may have not been so pretty. She had her struggles. Don’t we all? Sometimes life is hard for no reason at all. I have found in life, you can dwell on the good or the bad. I choose good. In her true form, she was exceptionally good. When you read over these lines, take a minute to let the words sink in.

Bridge Over Troubled Water

When you’re weary, feeling small
When tears are in your eyes
I will dry them all

I’m on your side
Oh when times get rough
And friends just can’t be found

Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down

When you’re down and out
When you’re on the street
When evening falls so hard, I will comfort you

I’ll take your part
Oh, when darkness comes
And pain is all around

Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind

Sail on silver girl, sail on by
Your time has come to shine
All your dreams are on their way
See how they shine

Oh, if you need a friend
I’m sailing right behind

Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind

Songwriter
SIMON, PAUL

Knowing Tawanna was like being on a ride. Sometimes it was tumultuous & scary. Sometimes it was laughing from your belly, having the time of your lives. Sometimes it was wondering what was coming up next. But no matter what, at the end of the day I always knew she loved me & her family. Even though the ride was full of twists, turns & jolts of lightning, we can all say we were better for having bought a ticket.

Sweet blonde headed girl- I read something in one of your Facebook posts that hit home with me. You were telling people what they could do to honor your mother. You said,

“Words mean a lot to me.”

That statement was a defining moment for me. Words mean a lot to me, too. That’s why I get so up in the air, disgruntled when people use them loosely. I have a big tendency to take things to heart. I know you do, too. If I hear words, good or bad, whether they are said with meaning or not, that’s a big deal to me. I take words very seriously. I hope as you have read this, you know I mean these words. I loved your mama. She always held a special place in my heart & always will.

Thank you for stopping by today & helping me pay respects to our cousin. I had the blonde headed girl read this before I posted it. She told me something that made my heart happy. She said her mama did not get to go to her own prom , because she was expecting her. I am so thankful I got to spend that time with her fixing me up for my prom. It just makes it more special. I pray you have a blessed day. If you get a chance, please say a prayer for our cousin’s daughter & family. I know they all would be grateful. I have to be going now, because I should be washing clothes.

How to make it in a hard time

November 25, 2013November 25, 2013 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

Sometimes when I have a problem, I let it take me over. It’s all I think about. I just can’t get it off my mind. I want to talk about it, whine about it, be a bit dramatic about it, contemplate “why me”, & so forth & so on. I walk around with a cloud over my head, tensed up, perhaps not very friendly, & then inside the pit of my stomach, it starts to burn. I begin to feel bad all over. I get to thinking nobody has had this bad of a situation EVER! Then, I hear a voice in the back of my head, (which is my mama, God rest her soul). She always would tell me,

“Get ahold of yourself.”

Now, what does that mean, you may ask? Well, my sweet southern mama had her fair share of problems. At what most of us call mid-life, she found out she had Multiple Sclerosis. For years, she fought this disease with such grace. She never relented or let on that she had given in to what life had set before her. She “got ahold” of herself & the life changing event & did not let it overtake her, as a person. It’s so funny. We respected her & loved her so much, that even being bedfast, she still told us all what to do. And we did it, because even though her body was weak, the fire the Lord put down in her was not. She showed us that even though you are right in the middle of a bad situation, it does not have to take ahold of you. Morals & character surface when troubles make themselves present. Let me tell you, my mama had strong Christian convictions & proved to us that living it was the only way to survive. She never held a pity party for long. She encouraged us to follow suit. No matter how out of sorts things got, with the MS, she showed us the Lord had a plan. She strongly believed He was the healer. She did what the doctors said, but in the end, she showed us God has the last say. The message was when you live for the Lord, no problem you have is too big for Him. There is nothing that you & Him can’t handle. No matter what happens it’s for the greater good. We may not see it right then. However, it’s God’s time, not ours.

There were some people in the Bible that thought they had problems. One that comes right to mind is Peter.

Peter denied Christ.

Jesus told him by the time the rooster crowed, he would deny Him three times. (Matthew 26:34) Peter thought that was crazy talk. Until it happened. Historically, it is said, the 3^rd time Peter denied Jesus, Peter looked across the way & locked eyes with the Lord. If that is true, can you imagine what a rush of shame must have come over him? After that he went out & wept bitterly. (Matthew 26:75) Not just a silent, tearful, moment, but bawlin’ his eyes out. Don’t you reckon Peter thought he had created himself a big problem? Poor Peter, I’m glad the story did not end there. Peter got through that awful experience & went on to serve the Lord with great eagerness. He did not let a tragedy paralyze him in the work Jesus needed him to do. He repented, “got ahold of himself” & went on. Thank goodness there is life after problems.

When Mama was sick, we thought we had problems. Big, huge, frightening problems that we did not know how to handle. But you know what happened? Every time we turned around, there was someone there willing to help. Sometimes it was someone sharing their story to let us know they had also been through a similar trial, so we would not feel like we were in this by ourselves. Sometimes it was a homemade cake or meal cooked. Sometimes it was a wonderful helper to relieve us & sit with Mama while we tended to other things. Sometimes it was a friend with a listening ear. In the whole ordeal with her, I never remember feeling like we were alone. It gave us a greater thankfulness & faith in humanity & how God works through people. It strengthened our faith in the Lord, as well. Would we have learned & appreciated all of this, had we not been through this experience? I’m going to say probably not. Was it a wonderful & beautiful thing? Well, if you would have asked me that back in the middle of all of it, I would have absolutely said no. Now, though, I see so many blessings that came out of it, I just can’t keep it to myself! In this storm of life that came our way, I want everyone to know how good God was to us.

Today, I hope you know if you are struggling with a problem, you are not alone. I am here to tell you everybody on the face of this Earth has a struggle. If someone says they don’t, don’t you believe them! We are here to help each other. If you stretch out your hand to help someone, you will be blessed for it, as well. Sometimes it can be hard to admit we have things in our lives that are not so great. However, when we open up, we find a whole lot of support from people, that we never would have imagined. As Christians, we are not told we won’t have problems. We are just given the tools to know how to handle them. What can you do to help someone? Start by smiling at someone today. That may just be all it takes to melt their heart & make their day more bearable.

I have so enjoyed you stopping by today. I hope you are getting that menu ready for your Thanksgiving dinner. We will be hosting another breakfast & dinner at our house, for our family & friends. There are 13 of us now (that just includes my husband, kids & their families) I just can’t put that off on somebody else to try & feed us! My brother & his family will be coming from a faraway land, 200 miles south of us, as well. Miss Neenee has only asked 241 times when her cousins will be getting here. I hope each & every one of you have a happy & healthy Thanksgiving holiday. As for me, I have to be going now, because I should be washing clothes.

30 Days of Gratitude

November 21, 2013November 21, 2013 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

Day 10 I am so very thankful for Sirius Radio on my desktop…..ahhh, we are somewhat best friends right now. Notice Elvis Radio playing…… “happy sigh” 🙂

Day 11I am thankful for these 2 sweeties & the memories we are making with Mr. Sweetie Pants. He loves driving the tractor with his Pap.

Day 12I am thankful every Thursday, I get chocolate left on my pillow by my sweetie. He has been doing this for quite sometime. He just needs to keep this up, because it really does make a girl happy.

Day 13I am thankful for this group of sweet girls that Miss Neenee loves. They are just what the doctor ordered, when it comes to wonderful friends. They are all very kind & well behaved.

Day 14I am thankful Miss Neenee has learned to drive the tractor. It’s about time. She is 10 for goodness sakes!

Day 15

I am certainly thankful for this patient Santa. This was Mr. Sweetie Pants 1st visit with Santa. Well, you see how it went. bless his heart. Once they were finished, we whisked the baby away. I turned to see Miss Neenee patting Santa on the back, apologizing for the situation. She’s such a little peacemaker.

Day 16I am thankful for this beautiful morning sky. Now really, how can you look at this & not know there is a Lord Jesus Christ in heaven? Things like this just make me feel all warm & fuzzy inside.

30 Days of Gratitude-continued

November 8, 2013November 8, 2013 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

Well, I can say this, November is flying by, just like the rest of the year has. I think it gets that way, when you ~~get old~~ gracefully mature. I can say, I have been loving reflecting on my bountiful blessings. Here is what I am thankful for thus far:

Day three

Fried catfish

I am so thankful for fried catfish. Being from the South, you just have to LOVE fried catfish. I just don’t know what I would do without it.

Day four

Friends

I am so thankful for my friends. Especially, my friend Jenn. I can’t ever remember not knowing her. We have gone to church together, school together, & now are doing 5ks together. Wonderful person inside & out! Don’t know what I’d do without her.

Day five

Fall colors

I am so thankful for these beautiful fall colors. This was taken on my way to work one morning. It’s so bright & sunny outside thanks to a little something called Daylight Savings Time being over (which I am not thankful for). Oh wait, I think I am getting off track a bit here…..

Day six

Miss Neenee

I am so thankful for this little girl right in the middle. Miss Neenee just turned 10 years old. (I am tearing up just a little.) She is beautiful, smart, funny, & kind. I love her to pieces! I would rather do without fried catfish, than her. No really, I’m serious. Love. This. Girl.

Day seven

Putting on lipstick without a mirror

I am so thankful for Miss Neenee’s ability to put on lipstick without a mirror. In the South, there are things we mothers teach our daughters. How to cook, how to sew, how to treat others, & obviously important things like how to put on make up. Every lady & little lady needs to know how to put on lipstick without a mirror. You just never know when those lips are gonna need paintin’ ! Here Miss Neenee is applying lipstick on the way to school. Obviously a necessity for 4th grade. 🙂

Day 8

K.K. & Bizba

I am so thankful for these pretty ladies. These are more of my peeps. Really much more than that. They are my sweet girls. K.K. & Bizba are the cat’s meow, the cat’s pajama’s or simply awesomeness wrapped up in 2 precious packages. K.K. & Bizba are the names Mr. Sweetie Pants gave them. They are wonderful Christian ladies, that I am proud to call my daughters.

Introducing a new resource for Multiple Sclerosis-Healthline

October 30, 2013 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

Not everyone is blessed with good health.

There, saying that, I will say, at this moment, I am very fortunate to have good health. However, my mother was not so lucky. Somewhere around the age of 43, my Mama was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. When she found out, it was like a closet was open & all of this stuff came tumbling out. The variety of sicknesses she had throughout the past 20 years, finally made sense. She had bouts with chronic kidney infections, back problems, fatigue, tingling sensations, & weakness. Sometimes these things would put her in the hospital. Once she was diagnosed, it’s like a light went off. That’s what all those things were, over the years….. MS. Sadly, back in the 70s & 80s, there was not a lot known about MS. The day the neurologist told her she had MS, is seared in my mind. I was 15 years old & in the waiting room, with my grandmother, when Mama & Daddy came out the door of the doctor’s office. She was crying, which she did not normally do in front of people. Daddy was helping her along, because she was having an episode of this stuff & could not walk very well. She had some pamphlets & said the doctor told her she had MS. Good Lord, we didn’t know what that was or how to find out what it was. We had a medical book of sorts, that had symptoms in the front & diseases in the back. She found a short one page explanation about Multiple Sclerosis in it. Other than things in newspapers & magazines, that was all the information we had (and there wasn’t a whole lot of that.) Remember, this was long before the internet.

Thank the Lord for people like Maggie & her bunch at Healthline. Healthline is a wonderful resource to check symptoms, find information about specific illnesses, and share with others your journey of afflictions. This has a team of REAL doctors that “reviews every original article that contains medical information for accuracy, appropriateness of medical language, and proper characterization of the findings. An editor then edits the article for style, flow, punctuation, and readability. Finally, the story moves from editing to publishing, where it is converted to HTML and published to the site.” If I have a question, in the middle of the night, when I can’t talk to my doctor, this is the kind of place I would like to be. Healthline has a lot of different resources to offer folks. The website is not just for sicknesses, but also how to stay well. Most importantly, it has a wonderful section covering Multiple Sclerosis. My Mama lived 15 years, after she was diagnosed. I would have loved to have had access to this, when she was living. However, it is a terrific tool for us to use now. Early detection of Multiple Sclerosis is a great thing. It gives you so many more opportunities for treatment. Maggie contacted me & asked if I would be interested in adding Healthline as a resource on my blog. “Well, thank you, Maggie, I would be tickled to death.” I am going to put a link to this website to my side bar. That way, if you forget what the name of the awesome website is, you can always come to visit my blog & find it on my page.

I appreciate you stopping by today to hear about this newfound resource of mine. I believe we should take care of each other. If we can’t do that what good are we?? Jesus said Love thy neighbor as thyself (Mark 12:31) & I love ya’ll! That’s why I could not wait to pass this on to you. Hope you are having a good day. As for me, I have to be going, because I should be washing clothes.

What kind of Christian are you?

October 28, 2013 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

Sometimes it’s necessary to step back & see what we have going on in our lives. We get so caught up in the hustle & bustle of life, that sometimes, we might lose sight of what our real purpose is. Sometimes we may just need to stop & ask,

“What kind of Christian am I?”

Do we try to follow God by doing our own thing? Do we go to church just whenever we get ready? (Hebrews 10: 25) Are we kind, whenever it strikes us, which is not very often? (I Cor. 13:4) Do we open our Bibles, anytime between Sunday & Wednesday night or Wednesday night & Sunday?(II Tim. 2:15) Are we praying….at all? (I Thess. 5:17) Are we judgmental of others?(Matt. 7:1) Listen to what Jesus has to say about doing things our own way-

John 10:1 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

2. Do we do the bare minimum? Do we say, I show up for church on Sunday, that’s good enough, right? Well, what are you doing the other 6 days of the week? Do you look around & see what’s the very least you can get by with doing for the Lord & leave the rest for someone else to do? Let me ask you, did God send just anybody to die on the cross for our sins? No, He sent the very best He had. His own Son. God doesn’t hold back for us. He puts everything He has into all He gives us. He’s just awesome like that.

My Daddy has always said, “If you never learn to ~~like~~ LOVE the things of God, you will always be in a struggle. God does not hold anything from man that is not good for them. You have to learn to love what God gives us, only.”

Do we give back to God, the least we can get by with? When we learn to love the things of God, we won’t have any problem giving back to God with all our hearts. We will never be able to out give God. So, buckle down & give God your all!

3 . Do we do everything we can with excitement & knowing it is for the greater good? Or do we throw a hissy fit when somebody says something wrong or does something that just don’t sit quite right with us? Are we on fire for the Lord? Or are we just on fire with anger & resentment? You can’t express love if you are angry. When you help someone to the top of the hill, you can’t help but get closer yourself. That’s love, that’s putting others before yourself, that’s doing what God wants. The apostle Paul said in his letter to the church at Rome in

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

Get excited by loving God’s will & doing what His word says, just because it’s the right thing to do.

So, I want you to not only ask yourself, “What kind of Christian am I?” but also, “What kind of Christian do I want to be?” Then, launch out in faith & be everything God wants you to be. I promise you, if you will make prayer a fierce warrior in your life & not a last resort, God will work in your life. Make sure you are praying for our leaders of this great country of ours, too. My Mama always said,

“If you can’t say anything nice about somebody, don’t say nothing.”

Don’t complain about our government leaders, be in prayer for them! Let God work in their lives, so that we can live, with God as the center of our country.

Thank you so much for coming by to visit with me today. I am so thankful and feel blessed that you want to come spend some time with me! As for me, I have to be going, because I should be washing clothes.

**Parts of this was from a lesson I listened to taught by Bro. Brad. Thank you Bro. Brad for always being a straight shooter.