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

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!

You think it’s hot here

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

Two boys & a bucket of water

It’s funny. We know summer comes every year. But when it starts getting scorching hot, ya’ll, we act so shocked. Like,

“Lord have mercy, where in the WORLD did this come from?”

The heat, the humidity is just atrocious. Thank the Lord, I have lived in the south all my life & ya’ll, I will tell you, you never get used to the heat. You just survive it. Just today I talked to a man, that lives in Texas. He said OUR heat was stifling. And he’s from Texas! Is Texas not hot?? And we DID say after all of the cold this winter we would not say a WORD, a WORD, I tell you, when it got hot. But, here we are.

I love the church sign I saw once, in the dead of summer, that simply stated

“You think it’s hot here…..”

What would we do without the temperature showing up in our cars?

Well, that’s true. There is a place that’s going to be hotter than Northeast Mississippi (Yes, we are from the North. And we are o.k. with that.) in June that’s why we do everything we can to avoid it.

Galatians 5 talks about the fruit of the spirit. Not fruits, plural but fruit singular as in meaning one. It means you have to be ALL of it. Not just a part.

²²But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. ²⁴And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. ²⁶Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. (NKJV)

Let’s back up a little & see what we can do to avoid an eternity of “hotter than a $2.00 pistol” surroundings:

Galatians 5:19-21

¹⁹Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery,^[c] fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, ²⁰idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, ²¹envy, murders,^[d] drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God (NKJV)

When my all my kids were still at home, I had all of these listed & posted on the front of the refrigerator. Since our most sensitive & highly classified topics came up in the kitchen, of all places, one of them would bring up a situation. It could be from what was being worn to school, to how someone was handling a certain situation, or maybe how someone was acting. I would point to the refrigerator & say ,

“Do you see it on this list?”

With that, they would know the rest of the story. Lots of good conversations came from having that list out where we could see it all the time.

I am so glad you stopped by to visit with me today. Don’t forget this weekend is Father’s Day. If your daddy is still living, make sure to visit or call him. It’s the right thing to do. We will be having Sunday lunch at my house for our Daddys. I will be sure to post some pictures later. Also, see below for my pet peeve of the week. Until then, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

Thanks for the lesson, Patrick.

photo credits: Facebook, 123RF, junk gypsy

One of a kind mothers & Happy Mother’s Day

May 10, 2015May 10, 2015 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

As Mother’s Day is approaching, I find it fitting I talk about some special mothers.

My grandmothers had hearts of a servant. My Mamaw could not sit & enjoy much of anything when it came to meal time. Meal time was her time to shine. She was a wonderful cook. When you were at her house, you were her guest. And let me tell you, she was not going to have her guest WANT for anything. She was just not that kind of hostess. When we ate, she would sit beside my Papaw. There she was at the best angle to hop up & get anything you would need. If you needed a spoon, she could hop up & be at the silverware drawer in an instant. If you needed more sweet tea, the jug was on the counter right behind her. She thoroughly enjoyed serving her family & friends. Not just at mealtime, but whatever we needed, she was there with helping hands. She sewed for us, she gardened, she made quilts, so that we could keep warm in the winter, she tended to chickens, cows, and the occasional dog or cat. Most importantly, she tended to people. She kept her grandchildren during the summer & after school. And any other time in between. She visited & sat with people who were sick. Thank the Good Lord my Papaw passed on before her. He would have been completely useless without her. She did everything for him. When he worked at the TVA, she got up every morning & made him biscuits, eggs, & some sort of porkish meat. These weren’t my beloved frozen biscuits or canned biscuits. These were the real deal. Every day. When my Mama got so sick, she came & sat with her every day. She cooked, cleaned, & took care of Mama until Mamaw passed away suddenly one night in her sleep. That’s just who she was. A wonderful Christian servant at heart.

My Mama Boyce was also a true servant. She had 10 children. She pretty much lived for her family. She cooked & cleaned & took care of chickens, dogs, cats, & what have you. She gardened like nobody’s business. This little lady had a green thumb if I’ve ever seen one. She had the most beautiful roses I’d ever seen. To this day, I tell you, I’ve never seen one as pretty. She loved flowers & plants. She cooked the best green beans I have ever put in my mouth. She enjoyed having us at her house. She took such good care of us. Sometimes to a fault. I can remember being young & getting in trouble for sitting in the living room calling to her to bring me a drink or a peanut butter & jelly sandwich or whatever it was my little heart desired. My daddy told me my grandmother was NOT there to wait on me hand & foot. That I should get up & get what I needed for myself. Funny how he would have even known about this behavior except I probably made my brother mad & he spilled the beans about my bossy pants. She kept her house spotless. She was always willing to help others, just like it was her job. She was so humble, too. That only comes from the heart of a servant.

Luke 22:27 says

²⁷For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves.

Joshua made sure he served the right One.

Joshua 24:15

And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Jesus had no trouble telling the devil Who to serve:

Matthew 4:10

Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”

Growing up, I am so blessed to have had faithful women around me. My Mama, Mamaw, Mama Boyce, & mother in law all served a great God. They laid the foundation for our family. They are the reasons I do a lot of the things I do today. They taught me how to treat others. They taught me how to handle difficulties in life. By their examples, they taught me how to be a good wife & mother. Because they were the BEST. All of the before mentioned have passed on. If your mother, grandmother or someone who was like a mother or grandmother to you is still with you, be sure to let them know you love them. Not just on Mother’s Day, but as often as you can. I know they will be so glad you did. AND let us not forget those who are “motherless” on Mother’s Day. That can prove to be a tough day. A kind word to those of us can be deeply appreciated as well.

I hope you have a blessed day today. I am so thankful you dropped by. What will you be doing this Mother’s Day weekend? We will have kids & grandkids over. When they are around, the interesting level at my house hits an all time high. It is always a fun time! Until then, I will be going, because I should be washing clothes.

photo credits: pinterest

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

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.

As much as we try to separate these two, they seem to always end up together.

The best picture of me & the grandboys. Mr. Sweetie Pants kept trying to run off, thus, the death grip I have on him.

Pretty sure this one was the same age as the grands, say yesterday. I love this face.

One last Easter throwback with my eldest & his big ol Easter Bunny circa 1999.

Credits- Our Daily Bread author Philip Yancey

Biscuits & Jesus

March 19, 2015March 19, 2015 / kstrick7 / 3 Comments

My sweeties playing checkers at the Cracker Barrel

I have reinvented myself with my family. Do you know how? Biscuits. Not just any biscuits. THE biscuits. The other day, I picked up one of my Southern Living magazines, that I had laying around on my coffee table. (That might should be “lying around on my coffee table” but you see, things don’t “lie around” at my house. They “lay around”.) There was an article about biscuits. As I perused the pages I saw one that had a different recipe than I normally use. Who am I kidding? For years I have resorted to frozen biscuits in the name of convenience. I was, however, given the biscuit test before my beloved & I were married. Hey, he couldn’t marry a woman that couldn’t make a biscuit. A man has to have his standards, ya know? Clearly, I did a good enough job that I was worthy of matrimony. Anywhoo, I took this recipe & created quite a stir at my house.

2 cups of self rising White Lily flour (You can use whatever brand you have. This is just my favorite.)

1 stick of frozen butter (Cannot be margarine. It won’t turn out the same.)

1 cup of buttermilk (Or sweet milk works fine, too.)

2 tablespoons of cooking oil

Pre heat the oven to 425.

Grate the stick of butter in a bowl. Add your flour. With a fork, mix the 2 ingredients together. Make a well in the center of your mixture. Add in about ½ of the milk. Stir. Then, slowly add more & stir, until you get a doughy consistency. You may need more or less milk. I don’t measure things much. If the dough is too wet, add a little more flour. If too dry, add a little more milk. When you get that mixed up, turn it out on a couple of paper towels or tin foil that has been floured. Knead the flour, only folding over no more than 15 times. Take your biscuit cutter or a glass or whatever you use- put in the flour, then cut into the dough. Do this using an up, down motion. Do not twist your biscuit cutter. This will make your biscuits tough. Take the biscuits & arrange in a greased cast iron skillet. Put in the oven & check after 10 minutes. Start out with them on the bottom rack. Then after 10 minutes put them on the top oven rack. Let them cook about 5 more minutes & check them again. When they are golden brown on top, take those little dickens out & eat them up!

Here are my biscuits, don’t hate me.

We also had some other delectable dishes that day such as

Mustard Greens & Purple Hull Peas

Fried Chicken- my Mamaw would be proud.

Seriously, these are some good biscuits. For the past few weeks around mealtime, everybody has been like, “So, are you going to make biscuits?”. Nobody has ever asked me to make biscuits before this, Who would have thought biscuits could have made my popularity rating go way off the charts with my peeps? Just goes to show you people who love to eat are always the best people.

Now, for some Jesus…..We were in a food team meeting Sunday night & I was caught a little off guard. One of the ladies said to our church secretary, “Put mom on my food team. She doesn’t feel like she’s doing anything.” What? It seems like she has her finger in everything. I know she helps with a Sunday School class. She’s always cooking & at the fellowship meals. She is a faithful member. She encourages others. The younger kids LOVE her. She takes care of her family. She is always at church. She is an example for her grandchildren & anyone who is around her very long. These are things I can think of right off the top of my head. I know she does much more. And she’s 84 years old. It makes me stop & think- Am I that on fire for God? If I’m not, I had better be a makin’ plans to do something about it.

Matthew 5:16 says

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (NKJV)

Titus 2:7-8 in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility,⁸sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you. (NKJV)

Doing good is not something you do on special occasions. It’s a way of life. We must strive to stay busy for Jesus. Just like this precious Christian lady has done. When the sky splits open & Jesus comes, will he find us working? Think about it.

I am so glad you came by to visit with me today. The sun has been out a little & it’s been WONDERFUL. Ya’ll, I am looking forward to some warmer weather, that’s for sure. Until it’s time for biscuits & fried chicken again, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

Mr. Sweetie Pants acting so good for his Grand because he promised her he would.

Meanwhile back at home, he’s back to standing on the barstools, that swivel. He’s just talented like that.

Lessons from a 6 year old & warm weather where are you?

March 2, 2015March 2, 2015 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

There are times you just have to know there is good still in the world. As much as we hear of the horrible things going on, we must be confident there is good going on, too.

I was lucky enough to have 2 little girls, from my Bible Class, to sit beside me Sunday night at church. They had notebooks & were drawing different things. When I say notebooks, I mean we live in a place where these are still in style:

They enlisted me to draw a panda bear & a horse. It was pretty sad. Their pictures were MUCH better than mine. I was hoping the people sitting behind us could not see how truly pathetic my artwork was. I have taken art classes. However, my abilities are CLEARLY stunted when it comes to drawing things. The head of my horse resembled a lizard or dinosaur. I did add a mane & tail. One of my sweet little friends did ask what exactly the tail was. So, we made it a little longer. That helped out a lot. (Not.) They were drawing dogs, cats, & the occasional turtle. Then, I looked down & saw a picture I could not figure out. It was a stick figure with some lines drawn through it. I leaned over & asked the little artist to identify her drawing. She whispered,

“It’s Jesus on the cross.”

Really? I’m not even sure someone could have told me anything more precious right there in that moment. Here I am. Just a sinner, trying to make it through life, trying to make sense of it all, & I have a 6 year old sitting right beside me nailing it with her “what’s on her mind” drawings. She taught me some valuable lessons with her Jesus picture.

If I keep my mind on Jesus, well, that’s all I really need to do. I won’t have time to worry about being offended or getting my feelings hurt or much anything else.
I need to make sure I am living a righteous life everywhere. Especially in front of kids. Obviously, they are watching & listening.
I need to always be kind to children. Kids are wonderful blessings from the Lord. If we mistreat children, we are mistreating a work of God. Nobody wants to do that.
Kids are people, too. They think about things, wonder about things, & love like nobody’s business. We need to do the same.

Jesus loved children. He referenced how we must become as children to go to heaven.

Matthew 18:3 .. “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

This tells me I must be humble, loving, trusting, forgiving & always anxious to learn about what Jesus wants.

I hope you are having a wonderful week. I promise to you right now, if we ever get warm weather again, I will never ever ever complain about it. Well, maybe. I am just ready to go outside and it be warm. I heard the other day, this has been one of the top 10 coldest winters, in the Mid-South, since 1875. Now, you know why I’m so opinionated about the coldness. Southerners are not made for cold weather. Word. Until the weather is hotter than the backside of a cast iron skillet, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

photo credits: http://www.poraora.com, pinterest

Reba sings & the storms of life

January 28, 2015January 27, 2015 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

I was driving along in my car, listening to my radio. A song by Reba McEntire came on. The longer I listened to it, the more I liked the message. It just spoke to me. You know things just do that sometime. You can read about how sometimes cooking shows speak to me here. Anywhoo, this song was called “Walk on”. Here are some of the lyrics:

Oh ain’t life wonderful

When everything is right

But sometimes wonderful

Can fall apart sometimes

When your troubles knock you down

Pick yourself up off the ground

And walk on, walk on

Nothing ever stays wrong that long

Walk on

Oh don’t, don’t just stand there in the storm

Walk toward the light till you find the sun

You’ll be better off in the long run

And walk on…..

Have you ever been in a storm in your life? Mama always told me this about life,

“Life is a battle. You are goin’ into one, in the middle of one, or comin’ out of one. If things are good right this minute, get ready because something’s bound to happen.”

I know she was relating to this verse.

I Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

Many times problems come our way, that are just out of our control. We have to go through a storm that we never created. We need to realize, like the song says, “Nothing ever stays wrong that long.” Oh, I mean, you can have a bad day, week, month, or year, but it all go away at some point. I have learned I am going to have problems. It’s all in how I handle them. How I act. How I treat others, that will make me grow in a positive direction.

Something else the song mentions is “don’t just stand there in the storm.” When troubles come our way, we have got to keep moving toward the positive. Finally, we will reach the other side. That’s where we will get some rest & be able to better help someone else through a trial. Ain’t that all it’s about? Serving others & being a light- even when your light may get dim. We have to keep going, so that we can continue to live for the Lord. Jesus will always be our security & He will always be there for us.

Psalm 9:9

The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
A refuge in times of trouble. (NKJV)

What is your struggle today? Whatever it is, please don’t let it get you down. Keep on moving through the hard time. Before you know it, you will be on the other side of it, with a brand spankin’ new perspective. Pray for the ones who are having a hard time. There are a couple of people, that I will never get over passing away. I miss them everyday. So, take time out to remember in prayer, those who miss their loved ones. And a totally random note about Reba- when Miss Neenee was about 4 years old we would watch the t.v. show “Reba”.

One day, Miss Neenee yelled from the living room,

“Mama come here!”

With a tone of urgency in her voice I went quickly. When I got there, she was watching a video of Reba McEntire. She said in her most surprised southern voice,

“Mama, Reaba sangs!”

Funny, it never occurred to me she knew Reba as an actress & not a singer.

Thank you for stopping by to visit with me today. I have enjoyed having you here. As for me, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

photo credits: pinterest, http://www.hollywoodallstarz.blogspot.com,www.famousbase.com,www.fanpop.com

Don’t tell me to smile & what to do when it sunshines

January 21, 2015January 21, 2015 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

In life, I have found this to be true- you just never know what someone else is going through. The other day, I was at the pharmacy picking up my medicine. There was a man ahead of me. I was practicing waiting patiently. I say practicing, because there are times I get sorta disgruntled, when I have to wait. These days, I am so busy, that having to wait on someone else can put me out a tad. This previous statement comes from the same lady that is the biggest time waster that ever was, which also has a love hate relationship with time management. So, I know, I need to clean off my own door step before I even consider making mention of anyone else. There, since that elephant is out of the room, I was standing in line at the pharmacy when I noticed the lady behind the counter looking sort of perturbed. The man, in front of me left, & I stepped up to the counter. I told the pharmacy tech what I was after & she got my bag. As she was ringing it up, she said,

“Do you know what that man said to me? He told me to smile.”

Then she shared with me how her daughter had run away from home at 18 years old. She said she had not seen her in several years. She said she had heard her daughter had gotten married & actually only lived a few miles from her house. She said some days it was all she did- was to think of her daughter.

She then said, “You know with that on my mind, sometimes it’s just hard to smile.”

At that point I felt I needed to share with her the 5 cent version of the situation with my son. I told her my 23 year old son left home several years ago. That he’d had 2 car wrecks (while under the influence) & chose to do drugs & drink, still. Now. BUT, that God was good & he took care of things in His own way & time. I told her I would be praying for her & she said she would be thinking of me, too.

Nahum 1:7 says

⁷The Lord is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him. (NKJV)

Lord have mercy! Who in the world would have known that innocent little drug store visit would have been a chance to encourage somebody? You just never know what other people are going through. That’s why I HATE it when some well-meaning person tells me to smile.

If I look that disheartened, just ignore me, or say“Bless your heart,” or how about “Have a good day”?

Those kinds of things would be much better than,

“Smile, it can’t be that bad.”

Really? Because you don’t know if my heart has just been ripped out & stomped flat by somebody I love or if I am doing ALL I can to put one foot in front of the other or if I’m just sour person. Why take the chance? Just be nice. That’s all we need anyway. A little kindness.

The apostle Paul gave this commandment to the church at Ephesus:

Ephesians 4:32

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

That means I need to be kind & you need to be kind, because God was kind to us. He sent His son to die on the cross for our sins. Do you think God was smiling when He did that? Probably not. And I bet nobody was saying to God that day:

“Smile, it’s not that bad.”

Because you know what? Sometimes it just is that bad & we need to be kind & tenderhearted toward each other. Many times people need compassion. Not somebody barking at them to get over it. What if they don’t know how? We need to be ever mindful of others. It’s just considerate. Be prepared to help & encourage whenever you go. Kind words will melt a broken heart quicker than anything.

Thank you for stopping by to visit with me today. Sunshine! Finally, coming through these windows. Loving this 60 degree January weather. What exactly do you do when it sunshines? You get out & enjoy it. Just like we did.