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

Time change is for the birds & my secret sister

November 6, 2014November 5, 2014 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

Ooohhh, the time change……..Really, is this change necessary? I mean, at work Monday around 2:30pm, I thought it was time for me to go home. Imagine my surprise. Since, I work until 5pm, that was definitely upsetting for me. Next time they take a vote for cancelling daylight savings time, will someone let me know? I perhaps have a strong opinion about it. Thanks ya’ll. Because time change is hard.

Isn’t it wonderful the love of the Lord never changes? It is a very constant thing for those who are His. Do you wonder sometimes if Jesus still cares? He does. He never changes. We all get discouraged. We all have struggles. It’s every day, for some of us. Not just occasionally. It is nearing the time of year that is, harder than normal, for us folks who have lost loved ones. Times come when you feel you just can’t go on. It may be the loss of a job, loss of a loved one, a divorce, or sickness, whether it be you or someone you care about. Things happen. Things that we don’t plan for. Change happens. But, I am here with some good news, the Lord is here for us. The whole time. Not just for the parts that are easy. He will be with you as long as you will let Him. He wants us all to have a home in heaven. Now, that’s a change I am happy about. I will gladly change my earthly address in exchange for a heavenly home.

David talks about his own troubling times in Psalms 30. David had a man killed, so that he could take his wife. David & his new wife had a baby & the baby died. (II Samuel 12) David was so full of grief. He called on God. He knew His love was there. Never changing.

Psalms 30: 2

Lord my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me. ^{v. 3}You, Lord, brought me up from the realm of the dead; you spared me from going down to the pit. (NKJV)

The Lord obviously loved David. He was right there for him. Even though David did wrong, God came back to him, when he repented.

Psalms 30:5

For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.(NKJV)

Have you ever stayed up at night & wanted relief? Didn’t things look much better in the morning? David found favor with God. God made sure he was there for David. Why? Because God’s just awesome like that. He’s a dependable. He never changes. And after the baby died, David went to worship the Lord. David was changed. He knew the same Lord that allowed bad things to happen to him, was the same Lord that blessed him. He knew God was going to take care of everything. And He did.

Thank you for stopping by to visit with me today. Did you know it’s only 3 weeks until Thanksgiving? I am so excited! I can’t wait for all of our family to be together. There is ne’er a dull moment with my bunch. There will be lots of cooking, eating, & fun times. And too, my secret sister, from the Only a Breath encouragement project, sent me a card this week. She wrote a beautiful scripture in it. Do you know where it was from? Psalms 30. I had been reading & studying that very scripture the same day I got the card. Now tell me the Lord didn’t just send me a friend! I hope you have a wonderful rest of the week. Until next time, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

photo credits: deposit photos, pinterest

How I had my faith strengthened & it’s ok to pick up your dirty socks

September 26, 2014September 26, 2014 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

You know, I never get tired of having my faith strengthened. God is such a working God. He is on time, every time. This past week, a sweet friend shared with me a beautiful story of God being hard at work in her life.

A friend of mine has been going through some trials. She has had her fair share of ups & downs here of late. Sometimes, during the week, we may just get a minute to share what we have going on. At times, it’s just a shaking of our heads in passing, saying- “Pray for me.” And we do. That’s why when she sent me a quick message, this week, I knew our prayers were being heard. My friend’s mother has been in poor health. She is older & is having quite a time. My friend & her sister have been wearing themselves to a frazzle trying to take care of her. Her doctor had discussed with my friend & her family about moving her to an assisted living center. Of course, there goes more sleepless nights for my friend. She knew in her head this was what was best for her mama. But her heart kept tugging at her to keep her at home. When the day finally came to talk to her mama about staying in an assisted living home, her mama was just fine with it. The doctor talked to her mama & explained to her this was what she needed right now. She was all in. No kicking, screaming, spittin’, cussin’ or anything, from my friend or her mama. My friend was so thankful to the Lord & relieved. She knew it was the prayers of hers & her family & friends that made it all work out.

Change is hard. Sickness & getting older is hard. There comes a time that we have to make decisions we don’t want to. We have responsibilities to others. And sometimes those hard decisions may have to do with our parents. I know for me, when my mama got so sick, it was awful. It was especially heartbreaking to have to move her to a place with 24 hour nurse care. Nobody wants to have to move a loved one from their own home, to somewhere strange & unknown- even for their own good. But with a lot of prayer, we did what we had to do. We put our heart to the side & went with what our head told us to do. Our main goal was to take care of her needs. That’s what I told my friend, the last time we talked about her sweet mama. “Remember, this is something to work out in your head, not your heart.” She did the right thing. She asked the Lord for help. I think sometimes we don’t receive because we don’t ask.

Sadly very true….

James 1:6 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.

Just like anything, our asking has conditions. We must ask for things that are Godly & for the glory of the Lord. Not for our own selfish benefit.

James 4:3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.

I think it was wonderful that my friend took all of this to our Lord. He was the One that made the difference. We must rely on God’s divine will. Not ours.

I am so glad you stopped by to visit with me today. Have I told you lately that I’m happy you are here? I appreciate the time you give to coming by this little blog. I also wanted to take this time to apologize to the cable man that came to fix our internet this week. I am sorry you had to see my husband’s dirty socks on my bedroom floor. I had fully intended on being home to pick them up before you got there. Don’t worry. I gave him a good scolding. Since he was the one that let you back there anyway. Trust me. I know the talking to I gave him did a lot of good. Because his dirty socks, he took off last night, were perhaps in the exact same area this morning. I do love that man. Even though he is a non-dirty sock picker upper. I hope everyone has a blessed weekend. As for me, I will be doing a little sewing for my granddaughter. She’s got to have some new things for fall & Christmas. I will share some of it with you, soon. Until then, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

Oh & p.s. Happy 3rd birthday today to Mr. Sweetie Pants!!