God

Prayer & the Corona

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The other day, one of my co-workers asked me,

“Have you been praying more here lately?”

It took me a minute to think of what they meant.

HELLO! The Corona virus, Covid-19, the 2020 Pandemic, the only thing you hear anything about these days…. I answered them with, “Not really. I pray a lot anyways.” Then, I got to thinking, I wonder why I’m not praying more than usual? Because, here are the facts:

We have a disease that’s hit our country, that there is no cure.
It has no partiality, when it comes to who gets it.
Some people are dying.
We are encouraged to stay home & not be around anyone.
The governor, of our blessed state of Mississippi, is slowly but surely opening back up our state. (not that it really matters, because people haven’t stayed out of the local Walmarts AT. ALL.)

So, I guess there’s some things, needing our attention, when talking to God. It’s not that I’m not concerned about where our communities & nation are going. Because here are some facts, as well:

We have a mighty, mighty God.

God is faithful

God will provide a way.

God will take care of us. He always has. 

At the end of the day, God is in control.

Since we aren’t having church services at our church building, me and my house have Bible study at home. Here are some verses that we have found very comforting.

John 16:33
These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (NKJV)

Romans 5:1
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, (NKJV)

Romans 15:13
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (NKJV)

Colossians 3:15
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.(NKJV)

John 14:1-6
Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.”5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. (NKJV)

 

Anyone that was ever in my Daddy’s Bible class, was required to memorize John 14:1-6. I am so glad he had us do that. It is so comforting to be able to lay in bed at night, in the moments before I go to sleep, and have those words go through my head. Just one of the umpteen things my Daddy did right in this ‘ol world. He instilled the Word of God in our minds and hearts. I am so thankful for a preaching Daddy & a praying Mama. He knew committing scripture to mind was just one of the ways to find peace in this uncertain world.

I hope you are having a blessed week. Even through the nonsense, sickness, & crazy, the Lord is still there for us. The weather is finally warming up & low & behold, we have even turned the air conditioner on.  Then, we had to turn it back off because it was 41 degrees. (Help us, O Lord) We are going through phases, in opening up our state, but, I can’t say I will ever step foot back in a grocery store again. Grocery delivery has found me & I just may not let it go. Because, well, it makes me feel delighted. And couldn’t we all use a little more delightfulness in our lives? Until next time, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

photo credits: Pinterest, www.challies.com

What to do when you are going through a tough time & it’s hot

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Have you ever gone through a hard time? No one is immune to problems & struggles. Sometimes they can be waiting around every corner you turn! Attitude determines a lot of how you handle what is happening around you, or to you. We have to look for the good in everything.  If we can’t find anything good about a situation, then it’s still okay. We just need to be patient. It is necessary, that we all understand, nothing stays the same. If things are not to your liking, if they are going really bad, & I mean REALLY. BAD, it will pass. Nothing will stay the same forever. Just as if things are going wonderful & over the top. Enjoy it. It won’t last.

So, what do you do? Problems are tough. No one enjoys going through difficult things. However, here are a list of things, to hopefully help keep on your mind, as you push through to get to the other side.

  1. God is Good. (Matthew 19:7)
  2. God’s got this. (Proverbs 3:5)
  3. Jesus loves me. (Romans 5:8)
  4. Not today Satan. (James 4:7)
  5. The Lord is able. (II Corinthians 9:8)
  6. At the end of the day, God’s in control. (James 4:15)
  7. God will provide. (Hebrews 11:40)
  8. God is going to sort it all out. (Romans 8:28)
  9. God is faithful. (I Corinthians 1:9)
  10. There’s nothing that’s going to happen today, that me & the Lord can’t handle. (I Peter 5: 7)

When things go wrong, it is so important to do our best, to keep things in perspective, It’s easy to let things get the best of us. Sometimes it’s easy to get down & think things are stuck & never going to get better. That’s just not true. Everything changes. So what do you do in the mean time?

  1. Pray
  2. Count your blessings.
  3. Talk to someone, you trust, about what’s going on.
  4. Put things into perspective, by remembering one of the above phrases.
  5. Press on, don’t stop, & know things will get better.

Something that helps me, more than anything is to remember what I am thankful for. It  keeps me humble & grounded. And remember, what the Lord promises us:

Psalms 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the Lord delivers him out of them all. (NKJV)

If you focus on the Lord’s truths, you will always be on the right track. He will never leave us with it all to deal with.

Hebrews 13:5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (NKJV)

I also love some advice a dear friend gave me one time. I was going through a rough patch and confided in her. I asked her how she made it through some of the things that happened to her in life. She just laughed & said, “A lot of prayer & a lot of Paxil.” I love this advice. No, I’m not advocating taking drugs. I’m just saying sometimes we need help. And if we have to take a pill, to cope with life, for a time, well,  so be it.  There’s worse things we could do. Don’t forget, in the end, everything is going to be alright. If it’s not alright, it’s not the end.

Y’all. Whoever said, “Oh, I can’t wait for summer!”, back when it was cold, all I can say is here you are. Summer is yours to love & enjoy & make your dreams come true.  I hope it is just delightful wherever you are.  Because when I say, I will take winter any day over this hot, humid, mess, nobody is rolling their eyes now, are they?  Y’all, it’s not even the dead of summer, yet. I kid you not, we have a heat advisory out until 8pm tonight. 8:00 at night. It’s so hot, the kids can’t go out and play. It’s so hot, you melt in a puddle, walking from your house to your car. It’s so hot, that we, as Southerners, remember at this time of the year, why we are working so hard to get to heaven. Hopefully, where there is air conditioning.  Because we have heard tell the other place does not. And we ain’t in on such as that. Until next time, I will be going, because I should be washing clothes.

I am so proud of these young ladies for teaching at Vacation Bible School this year. They are some pretty good kids!

This sweet lady turned 90 years young yesterday. She has been my neighbor,  the one I sit beside at church,  & my friend, for a long time. As Miss Neenee would say, she’s our girl. We love her so much!

5 reasons to pray & pollen

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Good evening y’all! It’s Wednesday. That means I get to go have fun with a bunch of 1st and 2nd graders at church! I just cherish the little class I have on Wednesday nights. They help me make it through the week.

By now, everybody probably knows how I love prayer. Someone may ask the question- Why Pray?

Well, wonder no more! I will give you 5 good reasons to pray.

It works. Moses was the leader of a bunch of the biggest complaining complainers ever was. God was not amused with them a lot of the time. He set fire to their camp to try to put a stop to it.  But Moses prayed & the Lord heard.

Numbers 11:1-2 Now when the people complained, it displeased the Lord; for the Lord heard it, and His anger was aroused. So the fire of the Lord burned among them, and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp. 2 Then the people cried out to Moses, and when Moses prayed to the Lord, the fire was [a]quenched. (NKJV)

It builds your faith. Nothing builds your faith more than praying & then watching things play out for our good.

Luke 22:32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”(NKJV)

It makes a difference. If prayer didn’t make a difference, what good would it be?

Mark 11: 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.(NKJV)

For healing & forgiveness. I wonder if people ran to the Lord for spiritual healing, as quick as we bust up in the urgent care, every time we have an inconvenience,  we would be much better off? My mama used to tell me, “You better get down on your knees and pray.” So thankful I had a praying mama.

James 5:15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.(NKJV)

Because the Lord says to. If God is not in the business of taking our troubles and making them blessings, why pray? If we are going to worry about everything why pray? Because prayer changes things, y’all. I have seen many times, situations changing, because praying people were involved.

I Thessalonians 5:16-18 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (NKJV)

So, give it a try. Make it a practice. Why, even make an event of it.

I am so glad you came by to visit with me today. It looks like Spring brought her pollen with her. Oh well. Something new to look at for awhile. And in case you were wondering, my grands are doing awesome. Mr. Sweetie Pants has shown quite the enthusiasm for song leading at church. He is so excited that a 7 year old boy can get up and belt out songs, at the front of the church building, & not get in trouble for it. Because perhaps sometimes there are rules at worship service. Like being quiet. I hope you have a wonderful rest of the week. As for me, I will be going, because I should be washing clothes.

 

photo credit: www.marshallramsey.com, www.pinterest.com

5 things to do for a Spiritual Spring Cleaning

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Y’all, the 1st day of Spring was this week. And we have seen glorious sunshine for several days. Let me tell you, that does a number on your winter blues. It’s hard to be too gloomy when you have some bright sun beating down on your face. Don’t get me wrong. I am not mad at winter. Bless his heart. But he brought with him a lot of cold and rain. This needs to stop. I would like to say to winter, as my sweet Mama Boyce would say to a nosy neighborhood dog getting in her flower beds,

“Git out of here! Don’t make me take a switch to you!”

But that might be weird, because winter doesn’t really have ears to hear. Oh well, good idea, though.

When I think of spring, one of the things that comes to mind is spring cleaning. Spring cleaning may consist of washing windows, cleaning out closets, clearing out cabinets, dusting ceiling fans, pressure washing the outside vinyl, knocking down all the cobwebs (I get tired just thinking about it!). But you know something to consider, too, is cleaning out our God given house. Spiritual Spring Cleaning is a purging of the dirt in your heart & life. It helps to cleanse your soul of the trash, that may have accumulated. What’s a better time than spring to get rid of the mess? What kind of messes am I talking about?

Consider these-

  1. Complaining
  2. Gossiping
  3. Envying
  4. Comparing
  5. Consuming
  6. Doubting
  7. Fearing
  8. Hating

These things we should avoid doing and even hanging around places where these things are commonly practiced. They do not lift us up in any form or fashion.

Here are 5 things to help spring clean your spiritual life:

1.  Take a good inventory of your heart. What are the things that need bagged up and trashed first? Start by thinking or “studying” about what changes you need to make. It’s always a good idea to think things through. The apostle Paul suggested this to Timothy in  I Timothy 4:15 Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. (NKJV)

2. Make a plan. I have always heard it is wise to plan your work & work your plan. We need to plan ahead on how we are going to react when someone starts gossiping to us or about us. We should decide, ahead of time, to not let the little things irritate us. Plan on how you will decide to handle hard situations, before they happen. Plan on how you will handle a know it all. This way, you will have thoughtfully made an effort to change how you view and react to things in advance. 

3. Take action. One way I love to take action is by making lists. Nothing is better than crossing something off my list. My list might look something like this:

  • Count my blessings
  • Give sincere compliments
  • Study the Bible
  • Thank someone
  • Share with someone how the Lord is working in my life.
  • Sit in the sun
  • Love
  • Be humble and kind
  • Remember if you can’t change it, let it go.

4.  Pray about it. This goes without saying. We should pray always, about          everything.

5.  Practice it daily. Y’all, let’s do our best to have a clean heart. I believe it will not only be a blessing to us, but to everyone around us. It will encourage others & help them to see Jesus through us. God is always working for our good. I love the quote:

Practice makes perfect, so watch what you practice!

Let’s make sure we are practicing things that encourage and not tear down.

I sure hope everyone is ready for the weekend! I know we are. It’s been a long week. My dad had surgery on Wednesday. Then, we’ve had others in our family not feeling so very good. Prayers are appreciated. On a good note, I got to see my big brother this week. It’s always a fun time when we are together. Until next time I should be going because I should be washing clothes.

If you are still wanting more ideas on a Spiritual Spring Cleaning- just click here for another article I wrote.

God’s got this & why Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays

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Do you ever get down hearted? Just worried & concerned about your family, your finances, your health? Not to mention loved ones around you. It’s the holidays, y’all.  I don’t know about you, but sometimes it seems those are the times we get anxious. We also have a lot of reasons to miss those who have passed on.  I know I miss my mama & grandparents more than ever this time of year.  On another hand, it’s so easy to get caught up in a friend’s well being, or how about the world around us? I promise, I stopped watching the news on t.v. awhile ago. It’s just too much, sometimes. For one thing, it’s depressing. So many terrible things are happening all around us. The shootings, drugs, and just in general how people are turning away from God. It makes you think everyone is bad & wonder where is God when you need Him? If you are like me, you pray & you wait. Then, when things just don’t work out, like I think they should, I start to doubt. I doubt my prayers. I doubt my thoughts. I doubt how things are playing out in my life. I wonder if the Lord is even listening? Or if He has time, with all the other foolishness all around, to even care about my problems. That’s when I have to stop myself, dead in my tracks, & remember Who, the God I pray to, is.

The God I pray to is the same God that created Adam from the dust of the ground. Just made a real, living, breathing, human being straight out of dirt. (Genesis 1:26)

He’s the One who promised Abraham & Sarah a child in their old age. And you know what? Issac was born. (Genesis 17:19)

He’s the One who had never let rain fall on the Earth & promised Noah, if he would go out and build a boat, he would save him. Noah didn’t even know what rain was, but since God said do it, he did & boy, I bet he was proud he did. (Genesis 6: 13-22)

God is the One that promised to send a savior, and then sent Jesus. Not in a big braggadocious, royalty like way. But to a common, every day mom & dad. (Luke 2: 4-7)

The Lord raised people from the dead, made people whole that could not be healed by anyone else on Earth, put the stars in the sky, and made a donkey talk. (Numbers 22: 28)

For one second, I should never think He ain’t able to help me. Sometimes, I have to remind myself Who I am talking to. Because He can do more than I could ever think or imagine. All He needs from me, as a Christian, is to believe He can. Then, He will.

Matthew 21:22 And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive

The same God that can create a universe out of nothing, can answer my prayers. Just knowing that should make my faith big. When I get to feeling things are hopeless, I think about how the Lord has a way of working things out in our lives. We may not understand what is happening, at the time. However, the Lord has always provided for me & my family. Even when I didn’t know what the outcome would be, He was right on time. He will do the same for you. Don’t ever doubt it. Things are going to happen to us. We are going to have to deal with things, we wish we didn’t. However, with God, you never have to worry.

Isaiah 54:17 says:    

No weapon formed against you shall prosper,
And every tongue which rises against you in judgment
You shall condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
And their righteousness is from Me,”
Says the Lord.

 

It does not say weapons (problems) will never form. Problems will arise. However, God will not let them prosper (continue). Our job is to keep a Christ like attitude about it, pray about it, & wait for God to work it out.

I love this saying:

I hope everyone has had a wonderful week. Are you ready for the big day on Thursday? I know we are so excited to be with family and friends over Thanksgiving.  This is one of my most favorite holidays. My daddy called me last night & we planned what we were going to have for breakfast that day. Y’all eating is very serious with us. I just cannot wait to get all my people in my house. Those guys are pretty important to me. And I love, love, love being in their company. Family, friends, & eating too much. My favorite. I hope you have a truly wonderful Thanksgiving. As for me, I must be going, because I should be washing clothes.

Behind these sweet smiles were some cold girls!

Parade time! We love a parade!

Miss Neenee enjoyed her birthday cookies. Since she loves to cook, it was only fitting she had cooking themed cookies.

Look how cute! These were made by Meg Makes and Bakes. They tasted as good as they were pretty!

On an unrelated note, I almost had bread crumbs for breakfast instead of oatmeal the other morning. Darn those same looking containers. And my old eyes.

 

photo credit: Amazon, Pinterest

 

 

If you are looking for good news, you will find it here!

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I have some good news for you today. If you have been going through some rough and troubled times, don’t worry. They won’t last forever.

I have a sign, in my office at work, that says:

Everything in life is temporary. So if things are going good, enjoy it because it won’t last forever. And if things are going bad, don’t worry. It can’t last forever either.

This is a wonderful reminder of God’s care for us. In Psalms 130, the psalmist seems to be in a dark place. It seems he filled with desperation & is searching for relief. It seems he is pleading to the Lord.

Psalms 130:1 Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord;
2 Lord, hear my voice!
Let Your ears be attentive
To the voice of my supplications. (NKJV)

Have you ever been in such a state of mind that you just pray and beg the Lord for some sort of answer? I know I have. There have been times in my life that have seemed pretty bleak. Trusting in the Lord was the best thing I could ever do. Sometimes it’s hard to see how things are going to end up. But when you put your faith in God, things just tend to have a way of working themselves out. Even when things are in the Lord’s timing and not mine.

Psalms 130:5-6

5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
And in His word I do hope.
6 My soul waits for the Lord
More than those who watch for the morning—
Yes, more than those who watch for the morning. (NKJV)

So if you are waiting in the darkness of problems and struggles, just know daylight’s a coming! You can have the reassurance the Lord will take care of you. His love and mercy is with us always.

Psalms 118:29 Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. (NKJV)

Y’all. My daughter fried chicken and made homemade French fries last night. I’m not sure how you are raising your kids, but if they can’t whoop out some from scratch buttermilk biscuits at the age of 13 or 14, you are doing it all wrong. Maybe we just got really lucky with this gifted little cook of ours. But Lord have mercy, it’s the devil on a waist line. This weekend, she made a double decker, from scratch, cookie cake for my oldest daughter’s birthday. It was chocolate chip with homemade chocolate cream cheese icing. Now let’s get this straight, I’m not telling you all of this to make you jealous or to get her married off. I am just wanting you to know there is hope in our future of youngun’s that’s coming up. Because you know what? She has the nerve of trying to go to high school in August. That’s a lot to put a mama’s heart through. Excuse me while I hush up my cryin’.

I hope you have had a good week so far. During the cold months, here in northeast Mississippi, I made statements such as, “You won’t hear me complain one time when it gets hotter than blue blazes outside. I’m not saying a word.” So that’s what I am doing right now. Not saying a word about it being humid as all get out & melting you down to a puddle, just by walking outside. And if I have checked my calendar correctly, it is May. So, Not. A. Word. Until next time I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The need to listen to the quiet and look how big my baby has got

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So much of our lives are lived in big ways. When we celebrate, the bigger the better. The bigger the cake, the more confetti, the larger the spread of food, the more we care, right? And don’t forget about the present. Lord have mercy, we’ve got to have the biggest, best, most thoughtful, gift of all. The more expensive the better. If it’s not New Orleans Mardi Gras worthy, BIG, Bragadocious, & have the fireworks flying did you really even have a party?

What about if we had something small with just the kids, a birthday cake, that gets spit on while blowing out the candles & half melted ice cream? Oh and not to mention how bad it gets when we play musical chairs. Nobody. Likes. Losing. Would we still be having a party? I dare say we would. Does everything have to be big and extravagant to be something?

I have really been trying to pay attention to my One Word Focus. With that, I have realized, sometimes, blessings come without the hoopla & without the frills. Is it interesting? Nope. Is it Earth shattering & the angels opening up the heavens? Double nope. Is it so mundane that you take a second glance & say to yourself, “Is this really what this is?” Yep. Something as simple as someone calling to say, “I want to help.” Right at a time you ain’t expecting it AT. ALL. No trumpets were sounded. No mountains trembled. Nothing. Just good hearts wanting to pass along the Lord’s love.

But is it still God? Yep.

I think about Naaman. I’m not sure how much you know about Naaman, but he thought pretty highly of himself. I mean he was the commander of the army of the king of Syria. So, he was obviously hot stuff. There was just this one little thing about Naaman. He had leprosy. You would think that would be humbling enough. When he found out about the prophet Elisha being able to heal him, he just went flat out to his front door. Elisha sent a messenger out telling Naaman to go wash 7 times in the river Jordan. And apparently that took the friendly right out of Naaman because he wanted a PRODUCTION. He wanted hands waving & to be acknowledged. Not to have to get his hands dirty in the muddy river of the Jordan. But instead, he got a quiet blessing. In the murky river of the Jordan he received cleansing of his leprosy.

II Kings 5:14  So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.(NKJV)

Boy, don’t you know he was surprised? In his mind he thought he deserved something bigger and better. But, it’s like my daddy always says, “You better hope you don’t ever get everything you deserve.” Naaman received a quiet blessing. (II Kings 5)

All of that tells me this. We need to focus on the quietness of the Lord. We need to be thankful and appreciative of all the blessings the Lord gives us. Even when we are expecting blessings to look like something else. Just because blessings come as chocolate gravy and biscuits instead of a thick cut bone in ribeye, doesn’t mean you didn’t eat, now did it? We are important to God. Our wants and needs are important to Him. Let Him decide how to handle them. If you haven’t heard, God is always right on time.

I hope everyone has had a great week! Did anyone tell you that the kids get out of school this month? As in This. Month. I may or may not have had a little meltdown looking at pictures of my Miss Neenee to put in the yearbook. Not a fan of the growing up thing.

Here’s a picture of Miss Neenee I took last week…..

And now this……

How did this happen?

Athletic Banquet 2018

Please be in prayer for me, as I do my best to keep myself together over how my baby is starting high school in the fall. Lord have mercy. Until next time I will be going because I should be washing clothes.

6 more weeks of winter & God is in control

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Well, unless you have been under a rock, you know by now,

THERE WILL BE 6 MORE WEEKS OF WINTER

That is if you put your weather stock in a groundhog by the name of Puxsutawney Phil. Which of course why would you not?

I also wanted to mention the fact that it’s a good idea to remember at the end of the day God is in control. Oh He may let things get plumb down right crazy but He is always working behind the scenes for our good.

Don’t forget to pray.

I Thessalonians 5:17 Pray continually (NKJV) 

Don’t forget to be thankful.

Ephesians 5:20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (NKJV)

Don’t forget to be grateful.

Psalm 100:2 Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing.(NKJV)

Because just as graciously as we have received the Lord’s care & blessings, it can always be snatched away.

This world is not certain. But God is always there, if we seek Him.

Acts 17:27 so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;(NKJV)

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. It’s cold here. We’ve had our snow & ice situation back in January. Now, I am on the count down for some warmer weather. AND I DON”T WANT TO HEAR ONE WORD ABOUT HOW HOT IT IS THIS SUMMER. Because after this cold winter, all the summer smoltering weather is long forgotten. Until next time, dear friends, I have to go because I should be washing clothes.

 

Why I love fall & what’s on everyone’s mind

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Y’all. I hope you are having a wonderful week. I know this weather has just showed out these past few days. The humidity is all but gone & there’s a crispness in the air. I can put pumpkin spice creamer in my coffee again. People are decorating their yards. I saw some of the cutest kids, you’ve EVER seen, at church Sunday with their smocked pumpkin brother/sister outfits on. (Those grands of mine really are the cutest!) We are planning a trip to a fall festival in a couple of weeks. The leaves are starting to turn. And I know the colors will just be gorgeous! I just LOVE FALL.

Now, to get to what is on everyone’s mind. I know your heart has been heavy, just like mine, with the awful shooting that happened in Las Vegas. I pray for the families of the ones hurt,and the ones that lost their lives. I pray for the ones that were helpers in their time of need. I pray for the ugly hearts of those that plan & bring about such destruction. There are just no words for how hard this hits everyone as a nation. It’s devastating.

I know so many people just ask, “Why?” And then again the same anger starts coming out of our hearts and we want to know where God was. Why did God let this happen? We just want answers & want someone to be accountable for this mess. That’s just human nature. That’s how God wired us. However, we just need to remember- no matter how dark a situation can be, good can come out of it. And that’s where God is. He is the good that comes out of tragedy. He will always triumph over evil.

I Kings 19:11-12

11 Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. (NKJV)

When I looked at those pictures, on the internet, I saw people running crazy. I saw scared people, people who didn’t know which way to turn. People trying to get away from the gunfire. Then, I saw the police & first responders coming in to help. I saw people helping other people. And I bet you, I just BET YOU, no one was asking if they were a democrat, republican, what their views were on the national anthem, or  if they ever picked cotton. You see, all this division the media is honing in on is nonsense. I just don’t believe it’s really out there in the masses, like they want you to believe. I don’t believe we live in a country with hate right around every corner. I believe in the scripture

Galatians 5:9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump. (NKJV)

Because if you look around & notice, there’s a lot of  good going on everywhere. It’s just a few that are trying to bully & make us afraid. But if you live in Jesus, there’s no reason to fear. Even if they go to the extreme of killing you, they are sending you home to be with the Lord. That’s what we are all working toward, anyway, right???

Matthew 10:28 

28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. (NKJV)

Don’t live in fear. Let the Lord shine so bright in you, that there’s no room for any kind of darkness to come in.

I hope you are having a blessed week. Please be in prayer for all of the evil that’s happening in our world right now. But, thank the Lord, too for all the goodness. Until next time I have to be going, because I should be washing clothes.

When you want to take your 1st grader to the homecoming game to cheer with the big girls, because they went to mini cheer camp. Then, you realize she IS one of the BIG GIRLS & this is her last middle school homecoming. (Insert lots of tears here.)

If you want to read more about where God is in time of trouble, click here, here, or here.

 photo credits: http://www.thrivinghomeblog.com, http://www.villageoflohrville.com, pinterest

The time I thought God was missing

/ kstrick7 / Leave a comment

calvin-prophetsJanuary is just a fleeting thought.  And Lord have mercy the weather has been crazy.  70 degrees one day then, not too many days later in the 30s. No wonder we’ve had tornadoes all around us. January is also one of the most depressing months of the year.  It’s no wonder we get to questioning all kinds of things in our lives. Which brings me to this:

Do you sometime wonder where God is? I’m not talking about where His spiritual being is.  I’m talking about why am I going through such a hard time? Why is God letting this happen to me?  Me, of all people?  Dog gone it, haven’t I sat in the same spot, at church, for years, visited my elderly neighbors, gave my grandkids money to put in the plate every Sunday, and sung more Sunday school songs with the 1st and 2nd graders until they roll their eyes & say,

“Can we do something else?”

No. You can sing “Jesus Loves Me” until it’s so deep down in your heart nobody could snatch it out. Because that’s what a God fearing person does.  So, where is God, when I need Him? Did He take a break? Did He say He needed a day off from my issues? Should I put out the word that “God is missing”?  I bet the apostle Peter had some of the same exact feelings in Acts 12.

Peter certainly was in a predicament. One of his very best friends had just been killed (v. 2) And now the king was coming after him.  He was thrown in prison & things looked pretty hopeless. The Bible doesn’t say what Peter was thinking, but I betcha he was wondering where God was.  But you know what the good news is? God was right there. Working behind the scenes to help Peter and deliver him out of death. Things weren’t looking too great for Peter, since not only did Herod put one set of soldiers to guard him.  He put 4. Peter was basically just sitting in jail, waiting to die. However, that’s not where Peter stayed.  The Lord sent an angel to rescue him.

If you search the scriptures, no where will you find the Lord promising an easy passage.  He does not offer a life free of problems or pain.  We live in the world, y’all.  As long as we are in the world, we are not exempt from sufferings & heartache. The good news is that we have an awesome God to turn to.  He is the great comforter.  He is the One that is going to take care of us.  And just like He did for Peter, He delivers us in our times of trouble.

Matthew 11:28  Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (NKJV)

Matthew 5: 4  Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. (NKJV)

Thank heavens the Lord will not give us more than we can handle.  Many times we get more than we WANT to handle.  But the Lord is faithful to his promises.

I Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. (NKJV)

trust-in-god

So just know & remember how great our God is & how much He really does care for you. No matter the situation, He will provide all we need.  God’s never missing.  He’s just not always where I think He should be. I have to remember to just pray. Relentlessly, sometimes.  And be still & know He is God & will take care of everything, In. His.Time. These are the times I have to go back to my one word for the year, “Trust”. God is always there.  Always working for our good.

I’m so happy you came by to visit with me today.  I have been enjoying the cooler weather. I’ve also been trying to eat a little better. Which I am using “trying” loosely, because LORD HAVE MERCY I do love to eat.  I hope you have are having a wonderful week.  Until next time I will be going because I should be washing clothes.

When you want service station fried chicken & jojo potatoes, but your jeans say, "For the love of Pete, lady, have a salad."

When you want service station fried chicken & jojo potatoes, but your jeans say, “For the love of Pete, lady, have a salad.” I hate those jeans.

When you want to bring juice boxes and cookies for snack after the 6 year olds get finished playing ball. But then realize you can't because SHE'S IN JUNIOR HIGH ALREADY.

When you want to bring juice boxes and cookies for snack after the 2nd graders get finished playing basketball. But then realize you can’t because SHE’S IN JUNIOR HIGH ALREADY.

photo creds: http://www.crosscards.com, Calvin & Hobbes