What’s your prayer life like?

April 9, 2014April 9, 2014 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

My Daddy always says this.

Sunday at church, our associate minister preached. When he first started his sermon, I was sorta taken back. He posed this question:

“What would you do if you were told you couldn’t pray?”

Well, this did not sit well with me. I love to pray. It is comforting to me to know there is Someone that I can trust to take care of me anytime, all the time. To even consider for a split second that prayer would not be an option, well, that makes me feel like an elephant is sitting on my chest. Kinda like the times, growing up, when it would come up a cloud. My Mama Boyce would rush around gettin’ me & my brother to the storm house. Papa Clyde would come on down the hill & hunker down with us. Weepin’ & gnashin’ of teeth & a state a panic set in, I’m tellin’ you.
But before I could get into too big of a tiz, Bro. Andrew said what he wanted us to do is think about our current prayer life. Be thankful for it & take inventory on how to make it better. As I jotted down his points, I was thinking, I have a pretty good prayer life. However, I did realize I needed to work on some things.

1. Make time to talk to God, like a good friend. You wouldn’t go days, weeks, or months without talking to your best friend. Set some time aside to talk to God. Just you & Him. No interruptions. Seriously, it can be done. I have really gone back to my bathroom, in my closet, with the lights off & sat & prayed.

(Matthew 14:23) And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.(KJV)

2. Realize Who you are talking to. We have an avenue of prayer with the One that put 248 muscles in a caterpillars head. Currently, it has been said there are 100-200 billion galaxies. Not stars, vast groups of stars. The human body & how it functions is amazing in itself. However, an animal’s body works a lot of the same way. We were given the gift of a soul. We can reason, think creatively, & through Christ’s blood, be saved from our sins. We have the promise of heaven. The One who created all of this, is Who we are allowed to talk to anytime we get ready. Pretty mind blowing, huh? Kinda humbles you, doesn’t it?

(I Chronicle 29:11) Thine, O Lord is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all

3. Know Who God is not. God is not a genie. You can’t just ask & ask & ask & expect to receive, receive, receive right then & there every time. God has your best interest at heart. Things will happen on His time, not yours. Be thankful. You don’t have to go at God with a list of demands all the time. God is not Someone to be mocked. You can’t walk with God & hold hands with the devil. You have to take God seriously. You can’t straddle the fence. God is not Someone you only visit when you are in trouble. What if God were only there for you part of the time? You have to have a full time relationship with God. That’s what He has for you.

(Galatians 6:7) Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

I need to make time to clear my mind to talk to God. I need to remember Who God is. I don’t need to forget Who God is not either! Since my “One Word” for 2014 is Pray, I do need to make sure I am practicing making my prayer life better & better.
Thank you for taking time to stop by today. It is bright & sunny in Northeast MS today. I hope it hangs around a bit. I hope you have a great rest of the week. Shortly, I will be mailing in my registration for our town’s 10k run. I have never done a 10k, only 5ks. So ya’ll be prayin’ for me! But for now, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

Credits: Parts of this were taken from our lesson Sunday. Thank you, Andrew for letting me use this!

photo credits: therighttrackkc.blogspot, pinterest

How I talk Mississippi & how the Lord won souls

April 2, 2014April 2, 2014 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

I have a strong Southern accent. Sometimes in my job, people who are not from the South, have a hard time understanding what I am saying. Even when they are standing right in front of me! I had a nice gentleman call into work today. He was asking to speak to my manager. He wanted to know what his name was. I told him & he said,

“His last name is Hawk?”

I laughed & thought, “Oh, here we go again.”

I corrected him & spelled out my boss’s last name.

The man said,

“I get you. I should have known that’s what you were saying. I speak Mississippi, too.”

When he said that, we both laughed & I was more at ease. Right then & there we had a connection. He automatically scored some points with me by being able to relate to me & my kind.

In the 2^nd chapter of Acts there were some men that stood before a diverse group of folks. These men had the good news of Jesus to bring to them. However, first they had to win the crowd over. How in the world would they do that? Starting with verse 5:

⁶And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. 7 Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? ⁸And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? ⁹Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, ¹¹Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.” (NKJV)

Don’t you know the Lord already knew how receptive people would be to what was happening if they knew the disciples “got” them & who they were? I love feeling a part of something. I think they did, too. It’s just human nature to want to be included. When the crowd of people heard the disciples in their language, don’t you know they must have finally felt the message they were being brought were from qualified people that understood them? Oh yeah, you had the skeptics trying to throw a spoke in the wheel by saying they were drunk. (verse 13) Ain’t there always some of them everywhere you go? Thank goodness God’s plan was carried out flawlessly. After listening to that message, there were baptisms and sins forgiven and people saved in the number of about 3,000 souls! (verse 41) All because they felt like they were listening to people who they were in favor with. Don’t you know that made them feel good? Like chocolate gravy & biscuits good!

I am so glad you came by to visit with me today. The sun is shining on Northeast Mississippi right now. I am loving it! I hope you stop back by soon. As for me, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

If you are Southern, you will completely understand this comic & you will wonder is it supposed to be funny? Because, it seems like this guy is looking for wildlife to me.

photo credits: sweet southern prep, zazzle

Things we tell ourselves & chickens coming home to roost

March 24, 2014March 24, 2014 / kstrick7 / 2 Comments

Back last year, we had a student from Freed Hardeman University come to preach to us. He mentioned in his lesson, that he was learning Latin. He said it had given him a new meaning to how he understood the word of God. After services, I told him if he could explain to me what the apostle Paul was talking about in Romans 7, then & only then would I be impressed. We laughed, because at that time, Romans 7 was a mystery to me. Since then, I have done more study & have read different people’s views & have formed a conclusion about it. One of the verses has actually made more sense to me as of late.

Romans 7: 19 says For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil, that I do not want.

Everybody has a struggle. Whether it’s something that comes along from time to time or a problem we carry around every day. It’s there. Sometimes we try to tell ourselves, no one will ever know. Or it won’t hurt just this one time. Or it’s not hurting anybody but me. One of my favorites, that I tell myself,

“At least it’s not as bad as, insert some other sin here.”

But you know what? It’s still sin, so really put whatever you want there. God doesn’t like it.

It’s just so hard, though. I don’t wake up every day & say, “Well, let’s get to the sinnin’.” But, I am human. There are times I have to really focus & pray about not letting myself fall into a trap of gossiping, judging, being negative, saying hurtful things, keeping my nose in my own business and other various & asundry personality traits that my Mamaw warned me against practicing. My Mamaw was a wonderful Christian woman. She cautioned us about being ugly. She always said of someone who was behaving vicariously without regard of consequences-

Actual picture of chickens roosting for those who don’t know, bless your heart.

“Their chickens will come home to roost.”

Meaning what comes around goes around. You reap what you sow. Mamaw wanted us reaping good, not bad. So she would caution us about puttin’ on the dog. She didn’t want us trying to get above our raisings. She did not want us doing things we ought not. But if we did, she didn’t want us acting like we didn’t do it. She was all about everybody owning up to what they did. She spoke quite frequently to me about how it’s important to have pretty ways.

You know what? Even though I know I shouldn’t do something, whether my Mamaw’s direction is on my mind or the voice inside me saying, “This is not right,” it just happens. All my good efforts fizzle into a pile of well-intentioned intentions. I begin to feel like the apostle Paul- just sort of in a frenzy. I don’t want to act in a way that’s unacceptable to the Lord. But if there’s anybody out there to cut their nose off to spite their face, it’s me. I just have a way, of sometimes, you know, not shuttin’ up. Thank goodness I have a Lord that forgives pitiful people, like me. He’s just awesome like that. I know if I confess my sins, He is faithful & just to forgive my sins and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness. (I John 1:9) Every. Day.

I am so glad you came by to visit with me today. It doesn’t matter what struggle you have. Take it to Jesus. He will help you. I promise! Your sins will never be too bad for him to forgive. I hope your week is starting out good. It was a sunny day in Mississippi & that’s always a plus! You take care & I will see you again soon. For now, I have to be going, because I should be washing clothes.

Photo credit: turbokitty.wordpress.com

Glorious sunshine & how to be unattractive

March 10, 2014March 10, 2014 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

Well, there it was. I saw it the other day. Sunshine. What in the world was the SUN doing SHINING on my day off?? Usually it waits until I get to work & can’t get outside. But, there it was, the sun. Shining. I thought I would never see it again. You know how it is. The sun comes out for 5 minutes & everybody has flip flops on and some even shorts. I just shake my head.

With spring coming along, lots of people are trying to get fit. I was just talking to a lady at work. We were saying how this is the time people are throwing it into high gear with their exercising, so they will look good in their clothes for the summer. No one wants to look unattractive. We color our hair & get cute haircuts, try to wear trendy clothes, buy the necessary accessories, purchase new shoes, and meticulously apply our make up, whatever it takes to look attractive. If you are like me, those things may or may not all come together for you. I tell my hairdresser, I don’t want to be one of those people that you see from the back & think, “Oh what a pretty girl.” And then you see them from the front & they are cute as can be except they have an old face. Meaning don’t let me look too young for my age. So far, we’ve had a pretty good understanding. She politely tells me when she thinks I need to cut or style my hair this way or that way. She’s a keeper.

Did you know there are things we do that makes us unattractive? No, I’m not talking about leaving your eyebrows unattended or not combing your hair. I’m talking about our inward man. To God that’s the most important, anyhow. I read an article on Lifehack.org that talked about how people make themselves unattractive & don’t even realize it. You can read more about it here

These are some of the statements they proclaim make you unattractive:

You are self-absorbed.
You are rude.
You are always negative.
You are the boss. (Always bossy & have to be in control of everything.)

I Peter 3:3-4 (ESV) says that our inward appearance is much more important that what we look like on the outside.

3 Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear—
4 but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.

It’s funny. When I read these verses, I think of both of my grandmothers. Both of them were beautiful to me. They were beautiful to anyone that knew them. It may not have been the clothes they wore or their outward appearance. One of my grandmother’s hardly went to town, so her daily wear was simple. Most of the time she wore a cotton dress or polyester pants & a soft shirt. She was a plain person, who did not require much. She took care of her family. She was gentle & soft spoken. My other grandmother was more on the go. She went to town weekly, to church every time the doors were opened, & was very social. She had plenty of nice dresses & pretty outfits. She got her hair done every week. She always had her lips painted & face powdered. However, when people remember her, they don’t remember what she had on or how she looked on the outside. They recall the meal she fed them or the kind words she had to say. She was always there to lend an understanding ear to a friend & had helping hands that seldom rested. She also had a sweet tempered and caring spirit about her. I believe these are the women Peter is talking about in these verses. Coincidently, if you read the whole text he is speaking of how women are to be in subjection to their husbands. That was another wonderful trait of my grandmothers. They were both loving & faithful to their husbands. I am so glad to have had wonderful role models. If I had my druthers, I would much rather be like these considerate, dear ladies. They were not much for puttin’ on the dog. They were from the country, hardworking, good to the core people. You don’t find many like that anymore.

Don’t get me wrong. I am a firm believer in doing all you can to make yourself presentable. No one has ever died of brushing their teeth or bathing too much. You can comb your hair, put on clean clothes, & wash your face & it will make all the difference in the world. However, if you are the most beautiful, gorgeous person in the world & have a bad attitude, you really aren’t that pretty. It doesn’t matter how good looking you are, if no one can stand to be around you, what’s the point? Our purpose is to seek and save the lost. How can a person do that if their ways make them unapproachable? If a person is so self-absorbed they do not care about the condition of another person’s soul, well that’s another blog post about getting your priorities straight. Oh, I need to just hush right now, before I go off on a tangent.

Thank you for stopping by to visit with me today. I hope you are working on your outward appearance. More importantly, I hope you are also working on your inward self. Because, every day you have to get up, look in the mirror & say, “This is who I am going to have to deal with today.” You are much better when you are kind & nice. I hope there is sunshine wherever you are. I will be enjoying as much sunshine as I can this week. Right now, I have to be going, because I should be washing clothes.

photo credits: to such as these, etsy & midnightpoesy.blogspot.com

Noah’s ark & some complaining

February 28, 2014 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

I have a Bible class at church. I look so forward to being with these lovelies each week. They are 1^st & 2^nd graders. Oh, the questions they have about God’s word! It is amazing to look through the eyes of a child. So, I knew when I was studying to teach them about Noah’s ark, I had better know my stuff. As I was reading over the story in Genesis, I came across a verse that I immediately identified with.

Genesis 8:

⁶So it came to pass, at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made. ⁷Then he sent out a raven, which kept going to and fro until the waters had dried up from the earth.

Sometimes we seem to overlook that raven. We see pictures about the dove, that comes back with the olive branch. But the raven has kinda gotten muddled up in the story somehow. Well, let me tell you.

I think the raven was very significant.

I feel it’s pain. Sometimes I feel like all I do is go “to & fro” with unrelenting problems. Will they ever stop? Will I be going back & forth forever? At times, it sure does seem like it. Whether it’s one of my kids sick with a stomach bug, bills that need to be paid, like yesterday, people who don’t get the concept of a car line at school, those who think more of themselves, than others, people who say harsh words to my loved ones, my son, who has chosen a destructive path in life, missing my mama, mother-in-law, father-in-law, grandparents who have all gone on, life can get pretty crazy, ya know? With my big family, I am constantly thinking, “What do I need to do next?” because something is always happening with one of us. When the doctor gives you 8 pills to take a day to “cure” your stomach problems, perhaps you may think will this ever end?? Stress can get pretty high every once in awhile. And then, the hot water line to the washing machine starts to leak. God bless my son-in-law for being around to fix stuff, when no one else is around! I think, maybe once winter is over & we can get outside & get some fresh air, maybe things will settle down. Oh wait, I get POISON IVY about every time I get in the yard. Do you see where I am going with this? To and fro, flying around, like Noah’s raven. Nowhere to rest! Sometimes, I think the only thing to make it all better is pitchin’ a dyin’ duck dawg fit. Just gettin’ everybody while I’m at it. Even the cat.

But then you know what? Just like the raven, I hit dry land. I realize I really do have it good.

: Miss Neenee & Mr. Sweetie Pants playing a game of drop the pompom through the toilet paper roll & catch it.

Miss Neenee & Mr. Sweetie Pants playing a game of drop the pompom through the toilet paper roll & catch it.

My Mr. Sweetie Pants grandson lights up our world. Do you hear me? Precious & sweet. Especially when he says,

“Grand, hold me.”

And stretches those little arms up. Melts me. Won’t be long until I have a grandbaby girl! Of course she will be just as cute. I have seen the sonogram pictures. She is going to be a dandy!

Then, I have my kids & my husband who are so good to me. Dirty dishes loaded in the dishwasher, by someone else than me. Always a good way to make this mama’s day. Not to mention, I have some of the kindest, dearest friends in the world. My church family is exceptionally wonderful. I have a good job & work with nice people. I have the best big brother in the world. My niece & nephew are the cat’s pajamas. And my brother’s wife, she’s a good one to have on your team, too. My Daddy is so kind & considerate. He always makes time for us. Those kids I have in my Bible class. I so look forward to seeing them & spending time with them every week. Some of the stuff they say just tickles me to death. Blessed is what I am.

I’m so glad you came by to visit today. You just remember, you are not alone in this world. Life is a battle. You may be going into battle, or coming out of one. If things are going good for you. Enjoy it. Because problems rise up, when you least expect it. The Lord is willing & able to comfort you & give you the peace of mind that nothing else can. It’s been one more week. I’m ready to see the weekend! Come back & see me again soon. As for me, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

Photo credits:momsgenerations.com, christark.com

Nobody likes a tough biscuit-what to do when you are spoken to through a cooking show

February 20, 2014February 18, 2014 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

On Saturday I watch 2 shows on Food Network. One is The Pioneer Woman.

The Pioneer Woman & her sweet family

The other is Trisha Yearwood’s show, Trisha’s Southern Kitchen. I love these 2 ladies on these show. They make food that we eat. They are funny, down to earth, & people I would be friends with in real life. The Pioneer Woman, Mrs. Ree Drummond, & I have a connection.

She has a house full of kids & so did I.

She is not ashamed of cooking with butter & sugar & neither am I.

She has a very cute husband & so do I.

She lives in the country & so do I.

I think she is the awesome sauce of everything & she doesn’t have a clue I exist. (That’s not weird at all, right?)

She put the icing on the cake on Saturday’s show. She proclaimed her dislike of bananas. I told my kids, “See there I told you we were kindred spirits!” I do not like bananas. My family, however, does. So, when I make dishes with bananas, I have to ask,

“Well, is it fit to eat?”

Because obviously, I am not doing a taste test on it.

Trisha & her sister Beth

A little later, I was watching Trisha’s show, though, & they said something that spoke to me. She & her sister were making Strawberry Shortcake. One of them said,

“Yeah, you can’t work the dough too much, because it’s like making biscuits. The more you work the dough, the tougher the biscuits. And nobody wants a tough biscuit.”

Kneading that biscuit dough made me think of life’s situations. When you are overthinking what someone said or dealing with a frustrating problem, the more you lull it over & keep it on your mind, it seems the tougher the problem becomes.

Matthew 6: 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
Meaning worry gets you nowhere. So, why waste your precious time on it?
Matthew 6:34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Live each day to the fullest. Spend your time on what is at hand. Most of the things we worry about never happen or happen like we think, anyway.

The more time and energy you give to it, the tougher it gets on your well-being & spirit. Nothing will worry you to a frazzle any quicker than keeping unnecessary things on your mind. Lulling over things just makes things much tougher than they have to be. The outcome is no peace of mind & contentment for you, my friend. Like eating a tough biscuit.

What’s the answer, then?

When you run into a hard situation in life, address it, pray about it, and then move on. Don’t dwell or lull over it. Get your mind on something good. Think happy thoughts! I need to practice what I preach. Sharing with you about it helps me remember what’s important. It helps remind me I don’t want to be eating tough biscuits all my life. So, that means I need to quit lulling, ~~so much~~, all together. Hey, I’m trying.

One year for Christmas, my father-in-law gave all of us kids & the grandkids this scripture in a frame. He signed his name to it, so that we could always remember he was passing along some great truths to us.

Philippians 4: 8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

I am so glad you came by to visit with me today. You know, we had some snow last week. Yesterday, I talked to a fellow co-worker that put it all into perspective. He said, “I don’t know why everybody runs to the grocery store for bread & milk. Just give it a day or two & it (the snow) will all be gone.” It’s easy to say all this whilst only a few short days later, we are having 60 degree weather. No, I have never heard of anyone dying from not having milk or bread on hand. On the other side of that, I don’t want to be the first one to. Oh the wonderfulness of living in the South! So, what do you do when you are spoken to through a cooking show? Well, you blog about it silly! I hope you are having a great day wherever you are. As for me, I should be going, because I should be washing clothes.

photo credits: Food Network, Serious Eats, LOL Wall

How to handle a rude person

February 17, 2014February 14, 2014 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

Have you ever wondered just what makes people act the way they do? I have ran across my fair share of people, who live in the land of Meanness. I’m talking about taking up residency on Smarty Pants Lane. They are just rude. You know the ones I am talking about. They stay mad as an old wet hen. Everything is a problem. Ne’er a kind word has parted their lips. And nothing has ever been their fault.

Let me give you my remedy to handling a rude person:

1. Consider what is causing them to be this way. Many people who are rude have these things in common: jealousy, envy, bad attitude, lack of self-confidence, false sense of they are better than others, feelings of neglect, or they do not feel loved. Believe it or not insecurity is the driving factor to a lot of hatefulness & rudeness in the world.

2. Once you identify what it might be, see if you can change any of it. Talk to that person & see what their version of the problem is. If it’s an isolated incident, they might not have felt well at the time. They may have misunderstood something you did or said. If needed, take responsibility & apologize. We are all human & make mistakes. Maybe it’s something you didn’t do. Some people act out because of things that have happened to them in their lives that leave them feeling some of the ways I listed in #1. Or maybe they have allowed the devil to get ahold of them. Maybe they just have a lack of love & concern for others. You can’t fix people that don’t want to be helped.

3. After you have addressed the situation, you have apologized (if necessary), prayed about it, have been kind & tried to help, you should move on. Hopefully, you will resolve what has happened & the world can be wonderful again. However, please remember some people are committed to live in gloom & doom. Once you do everything you can for them, make it a point to distance yourself from their trifilin’ ways. These people create their own environment of hate & discontent. Don’t live there with them.

4. No matter what, Jesus said to treat people like you want to be treated.

Matthew 7:12 So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

He did also want us to stand up for ourselves. He didn’t make us to be cowards or to not stand for right.

Luke 12:39 But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into.

Being bullied is not right. However, I have always heard the people who deserve love & kindness the least, need it the most. Put your feelings to the side & extend kindness to someone who not only does not deserve it, but who you don’t expect kindness in return. A friend of mine’s mama told her the best way to treat those not nice to you, is to kill them with kindness. I would say that’s a good antidote for both the giving & receiving side. Because some people are just hard to be kind to. But that does not dismiss us of our responsibility to treat others as you want to be treated.

Just remember to pray for these people. You never know what lesson the Lord wants you to learn from your trials. Keep your eyes open to learn something from these experiences. If nothing else, to know how you don’t want to be.

I am tickled to death that you came by to visit with me today. I love it when you drop by. Please know you are loved at this little I should be washing clothes blog. You never have to be rude here! But for now, I do have to be going, because I should be washing clothes.

photo credits: someecards,bitsofpositivity

Until God opens the next door for you….

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

Do you ever get discouraged & want to give up? Does it just seem like nothing is going right? No matter how hard you try, you just get in a rut & think,

“How much more can I take?”

You may pray about it & wonder where God is. The devil will always try to make things seem hopeless. As if there is no way out. Well, good news! I am here today to tell you, you don’t have to worry any longer. God is working for us, even when we don’t realize it.

I want to take a minute to share with you some scripture about a man named David. In reading Psalms 40, he must have had some problems. He sure was bending God’s ear about them. He poured his heart out to God & waited & cried & waited & pleaded & trusted & God heard him. He said he had more troubles than hair on head!

Psalms 40:12

For innumerable evils have surrounded me;
My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up;
They are more than the hairs of my head;
Therefore my heart fails me.

Hold on, now, I think sometimes I get to sounding like David. My faith may get a little lacking, as well. Look at what David said God did for him in his trials.

Psalms 40:1

I waited patiently for the Lord;
And He inclined to me,
And heard my cry.
²He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,
Out of the miry clay,
And set my feet upon a rock,
And established my steps.

God is always working behind the scenes for us. It’s in those moments of waiting, that we learn being faithful is essential. When God comes through for us, it’s like a load is lifted. It’s as if everything finally falls into place. We know it just got real. We look back and see that God was there all the time. He was molding us into what He plans for us to be. We are a work in progress. Ever changing & developing into a faithful servant for the Lord. Don’t let the devil try to tell you God doesn’t care. He does.

Psalms 40:17

But I am poor and needy;
Yet the Lord thinks upon me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
Do not delay, O my God.

Just like He took care of David, He takes care of us, too. That just makes me happy! Like sweet tea with my cornbread happy! That’s the kind of God I want to serve. The One that’s always thinking about me.

Thank you for stopping by to visit with me today. I love it when you take time to come by. Take a minute this week to make a phone call, visit, or send a card to someone to encourage them. You never know if your kind word might make all the difference in their day. I will see you next time, right now I have to be going because, I should be washing clothes.

photo credit: Kimberly Jones

Online envy & Football food

January 31, 2014January 31, 2014 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

Isn’t there some kind of game this weekend? Oh yeah, the SUPER BOWL! Football is probably my favorite sport to watch. The Blind Side is one of my favorite all time movies. The Manning boys are from the great state of Mississippi, so I kinda have a responsibility to like football. Saying that, I have been thinking about things to cook for our “Couchgate” as Miss Neenee likes to call it. You know where you sit on the couch, eat, watch the game, yell at the t.v. & eat.

But first I want to share with you an article I read in our Hope Health Letter, at work. It’s an article called Keeping up with the e-Joneses. I found it interesting, because, well, I guess I am little guilty of this. The article is talking about how wonderful it is that social networks allow us to stay in touch with friends & family-however, constantly checking the status of others might have a negative consequence. It’s called online envy. Here is what to watch for:

When you log on to a social network & see what others have posted, do you:

Feel sorry for yourself?

Make a purchase or take similar action based on something you’ve seen someone share?

Wish there was a “dislike” button?

Say to yourself, “It must be nice to…(have that much money, time, etc.)?”

Wow! Can you believe there are lots of people who are having the same negative thoughts because of other’s online statuses? I know haters are gonna hate, but this has to do with our emotional health.

My Mawmaw used to say: “You better be glad for what you’ve got. Because the Lord can take it away, just like He gave it.”

The apostle Paul had one fix for being envious

Colossians 3:15

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

If you spend your time counting your blessings, you won’t have time to be too concerned with what is going on with others.

The Lord takes being envious pretty serious. Here is another scripture that includes envy with some other extreme sins:

Galatians 5:21

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.

Another way to put a stop to online envy is to quit checking social networks so much. You will drive your self crazy! Someone is always going to be getting a new car, winning 1st place, moving to a gorgeous house, getting a beautiful new haircut, having kids with perfect grades, going on trips to terrificly entertaining places & all kinds of AWESOME things that may not ever happen to you. That’s ok. You have to take inventory of what wonderful things you have going on in your life. You have all kinds of positive things in your life.

Be grateful for them.

Now, to my Super Bowl Football Food. I got this recipe, a long time ago, from a co-worker. It is always a crowd pleaser. Any recipe that starts with, “You will need a pack of bacon”, is bound to be one I am most interested in.

2 packages hotdogs

1 pack of bacon

1 cup brown sugar

toothpicks

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Cut each individual hotdog into 3 pieces. Take a 1/2 piece of bacon & wrap around the hotdog. Secure with a toothpick. Place hotdogs on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle generously with brown sugar. Cook for 40 minutes or until sugar is bubbly. These can be put in a crock pot on the low setting to keep warm.

When they get cooked up, they will look like this

This is not my picture. It came from the Just Best Recipes website. However, they will look just like this.

I have a few other things on my mind to make. If I get time, I will post those, as well. I’m so glad you came by to visit with me today. I hope you have a great time watching the Super Bowl. All I have to say is, “Go Seahawks!!” Now, that I got that out, I have to be going, because I should be washing clothes.

Super Bowl photo credit: sitclose.com

What happens when a cat gets in the car

January 15, 2014January 15, 2014 / kstrick7 / 2 Comments

The other night my daughter –in- law called me. She & my son had just picked up Mr. Sweetie Pants. Of course it was from a fun filled night & day of candy kisses, games of Elefun, cooking at the play kitchen & other various & a sundry activities we are not allowed to speak of in hopes of keeping him out of trouble.

My daughter-in-law began telling me, “You know how ya’ll are always saying, take that cat with you? Well, we did, but we didn’t mean to!” Not long after that a knock came at the door & my daughter-in-law commenced to tell what happened. She said, “ I was putting the baby in the car & I guess she got in there then. We were going down the road & heard a meow. We looked around & there she was standing on the seat between us!”

The car riding culprit Pepper

Have you ever found yourself somewhere you didn’t plan on being? I mean, when you started out, you thought,

“Oh, this is a good idea.”

Over time, you realized,

“Yeah, really shouldn’t have done that.”

Then, you are stuck & don’t know how to get out of that situation. You may not have someone as good hearted as my daughter-in-law to bring you back home. First, be realistic. Know there are consequences to everything. Those consequences may not be great. However, I heard the motivational speaker Zig Ziglar put it the best, “If you are going to have to swallow a frog, you don’t want to have look at it too long.” Meaning, get you some gumption & take it like the big bad boy you were when you made that wrong decision. Right your wrongs quickly. Then, know you have people around you that love you & will help you. Don’t be afraid to admit your mistakes. The Lord uses both good & bad to make us who He wants us to be.

James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; v. 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. V. 4 But let patience have her perfect work that you may be perfect and entire wanting nothing.

Nothing is a better character builder than a good ol’ dose of humility. Take inventory of what it is you are supposed to be doing. Don’t let it damper your spirit. Everybody makes mistakes. Failure is not getting back up, once you fall down. So, get up, dust yourself off & hit the ground running. Pray about it all. Ask the Lord to give you strength & He will. Just like our sweet cat Pepper, you will be so glad to see the light of home!
I am so glad you came by today to visit with me. I hope you are getting back in the swing of things after the holidays. As for me, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.