Because I’m happy……

June 2, 2014 / kstrick7 / 6 Comments

Faces that make me happy.

How many times have you heard someone say, “I’m just not happy.” Have you ever heard someone say “I’m just not happy because of….” (my husband, my wife, my boyfriend, my girlfriend, my job, my dog, my cat, the president, the boy that mashed my bread, when he was sacking my groceries,) It’s always about putting the blame on someone or something else besides themselves. Or the one that gets me every time,

“God wants me to be happy.”

This is normally followed by a decision to do something that person probably doesn’t need to be doing in the first place. Let me just tell you something. Life is not fair. Life is hard. I went to a graduation recently, where some elementary school students wrote advice to the graduating class. One of the comments was-

“College is tougher than high school, yes, but you are advancing into life and life is harder than college.”

Well one of those babies understood reality better than some adults!

The other day I came across something, I knew to be true. It was just a reminder. It was on a Mental Health Month calendar by Mental Health America. It gave tips on things you could do every day to help you keep your mental health, well, healthy. On day 24 it said,

“Call or email a good friend. Studies have found that the difference between happy individuals & unhappy individuals comes in the form of good relationships.”

Jesus taught about how important relationships are.

Mark 12:31 – And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”(NKJV)

By God’s inspiration the apostle Paul penned these instructions to the church at Rome:

Romans 13:9 – For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”(NKJV)

Sometimes what we think happiness is, really isn’t what happiness is all about after all. You see a lot of times I think we try to put our cause for happiness into something tangible. Money & possessions are one of the big things that comes to mind. Many think if they had more money, a bigger house, a nicer car, more land, that their world would be a brighter, happier place. Those people will never find happiness in those things. Do you know why? Because Jesus wanted us to understand how we treat each other is an important factor to how happy we will be.

Jesus did not say,“ Love thy house.” He said, “Love thy neighbor.”

It’s these sins of the heart that get a person every time. Greed, pride, & jealousy- people with those qualities will never see the kingdom of heaven. (Galatians 5:21)

So, what do you do? Remember what our purpose is in this ol’ world. (To seek and save the lost.) First we have to understand & obey the gospel. Next we have to study the Bible & grow ourselves in faith. We are then able to go tell others the Good news about Jesus & what He’s done for us. If you do these things, kind friend, you will learn happiness that you never knew existed. You will be more worried about helping people, than hurting them. The desires of your heart will turn to what Jesus wants you to do. Remember that happiness is an inside job. If you change what’s inside your heart, everything else will fall into place.

Thank you so much for stopping by to visit with me today. I love it when you stop in. We have had some glorious weather, here in northeast Mississippi (sign me up for some more of that!). Just the right weather to sit out on my deck. I hope you have a great week. As for me, I have to be going, because I should be washing clothes.

More faces that make me happy.

What I know about raising kids & why it’s good to have a strong will

May 13, 2014May 13, 2014 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

Me & my partner in (raising kids) crime

There are few fields I am an expert in. One thing I do have experience in, possibly not an expert in, is raising kids. The Lord blessed me with 5 kids. Three are my step kids. At this point in my life & theirs, we don’t even really like to acknowledge they are not my own. Reason being is that I see no difference in them & my own two. Strange how years of being right there for everything makes me feel like we are more blood than not. My last baby did tie all the kids together with having a sister. I pity the person that refers to her as their half sister. They will tell you, real quick she is their real sister. Nothing half about none of that. People rave at the resemblance of me & my two step daughters. We just laugh quietly to ourselves, hardly ever admitting we were bound by anything else other than genetics. My husband & I have been married for 15 years this year. So, we have all put our time in, together, to make this blended family what it is today. The youngest, which will be 20 her birthday, had just turned 5 when I became her step mama. She doesn’t remember when me & her daddy were not together. Along with my son, for years, we had 4 kids like stair steps. It does not seem like that long ago, that they were in kindergarten, 1^st grade, 2^nd grade, & 3^rd grade. Now, I have grandbabies. Time stops for no one. Have times always been candy canes & fluffy clouds? No. Have I learned something about kids during this time? You bet your bottom dollar. That is why I feel so strongly about young people & the direction some of them are taking today.

I watched parts of an episode on Dr. Phil last week. It was a teenage girl, that is from a nearby town. Evidently, she was reeking havoc on her mom. She smoked dope, drank, was actively having sex with a boy over 18, kicked her mama’s windshield out of her car, shoplifted, & various other things, that I may have not caught. Dr. Phil was trying to counsel her. He asked her why she shoplifted. She said it was the people she was with & that if her mama had of given her money, she would not have had to. Come to find out her mama had given her $800 for clothes & she spent it all. Now, let’s stop right there. My 19 year old, knows this girl.

She said, “Who gives their kid $800 to spend on clothes?”

She was amazed & perplexed at this. She said this because, brace yourself , we did not give our kids wardrobe money. It’s not that we hated our kids, or that we did not want them to be able to go out & buy whatever their hearts desired. I felt it my duty, as a mother, to be a part of the clothes buying process. Have you seen some of the stuff these girls wear these days, in the name of trends & fashion? Between me & their grandmother, we made it our job to keep them in modest clothing. Today, as young ladies, my two oldest daughters dress appropriately. Why? Perhaps because as teenagers, they had to pass by their Daddy’s recliner, as they made their way out the door. He would stop them in an instant & send them back to their room to cover up whatever it was that needed it. Now, did they stay covered up after they left the house? I don’t know because I wasn’t always with them. However, they knew what the right thing was.

I will give you my best shot at telling you what I believe is going on with some of these young kids, these days. Why the rebellion & the acting out some kids do in the name of trying to get attention? First off, many parents do not want to parent. They want to be their kid’s friend. Why you may ask? Because parenting done right, is hard. It’s exhausting & tiring & a headache. Sometimes you feel like you are fighting a battle. Who wants to fight a battle, if you don’t have to? You have to have a lot of self confidence & conviction in you to stand up to a 16 year old boy, who is already a head taller than you. And to tell him, in no uncertain terms he is NOT taking your car out, because he made the bad choice to not study & make a less than stellar grades on his report card. No matter how much he wants to huff & puff, he ain’t blowin’ my house down. (Whew! I think this just got personal.) All that strong will, I have always had, would be mush if I did not use it for the good of my kids. Many parents today are afraid of making their teenage kids mad. You know what? I was never inclined to “pacify” my kids. They knew how I felt & what I believed to be right, good, bad or indifferent. Sometimes, you could cut the tension with a knife. But I was never miserable in my own house.

Thus the passive parenting begins. The path of least resistance. A parent has to have their stuff together, to pass that along to a child. So many parents are off chasing a rabbit. They, themselves are not growing up. They are still partaking in things of the world that is not good. Parents of children are on drugs, taking alcohol to the extreme, involved in unhealthy relationships & barely able to take care of their own basic needs. A person has to be serious about this parenting thing or you are setting yourself up for disaster with your kids. Kids are very monkey see, monkey do. It they don’t see the mama & daddy monkey with it together, chances are, they are going to follow suit. If the mama & daddy aren’t going to church & don’t care about the Lord, don’t be surprised that the kids aren’t going to be that interested either. And who’s to blame there? Not the kids.

Now, saying all of that, can you do your very best to do everything within your power for the good of you kids & your kids still turn from the way? Well yeah. Kids are free moral agents. They have a mind of their own. You & your household is not their only influence. Does that release you of your responsibility of doing your part to raise a child to not be a menace to society? I think not. It’s our whole duty to give it our best shot. You can’t make me believe that even the ones that go astray don’t have the solid seed of the Lord planted deep down in their soul. We have to pray that they will come back. We must stay on the straight & narrow path ourselves. Some good advice my aunt gave me-

“Your kids ain’t ever gonna do exactly like you think they should.”

(so quit with the wringing of the hands & worrying.)

& another wise woman said,

“You can’t let your kids run your house.”

Oh how true. I am not going to live in a house where everything revolves around the kids. I love my kids more than life itself. Too much to let them go out in the world with the false sense of believing they are so special they are not responsible for their actions. Letting them live in a kingdom, in which they rule, is a recipe for disaster. Especially the reality check they will get when they step out on their own in the world & realize they are not the center of the universe.

My Daddy told me one time when I went to him for advice about kids,

“Do you think you are better than God? Look at Adam & Eve. Even God had problems with His kids.”

So, don’t beat yourself up too bad, when kids get on the wrong path. Pray & let God handle it.

Here is what Solomon said about raising kids- (remember when God was handing out wisdom, He gave Solomon an extra helping of wisdom – just because he asked for it.)

Proverbs 22:6 – Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. (NKJV)

Proverbs 22:15 – Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of correction will drive it far from him. (NKJV)

Proverbs 23:13 – Do not withhold correction from a child, For if you beat him with a rod, he will not die.

Proverbs 29:15 – The rod and rebuke give wisdom, But a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.

Just to clarify- these last verses have things about beating with a rod. I don’t believe in child abuse. I don’t think that’s what King Solomon was saying. I do believe in getting a child’s attention when they do wrong. Whether it takes a belt or time out. Each child is different. One of my sons would not straighten up until my husband got his belt out. My youngest daughter, I believe we could have beat her to death & she would have still been doing what we told her not to. She got lots of time outs. That’s what worked on her. The main thing is correction & consistency.

Granted my kids are not perfect. I was not a perfect parent. I did faithfully take them to church & involve them in lots of church activities. They are all Christians, they work, & provide for themselves & their families. They are God-fearing. I just don’t know if I could ask for anything more. I am proud of each & every one of them. And we still have Miss Neenee at home with us. There is still time for improvement!

I am so glad you stopped by to visit with me today. Sorry if I got on a bit of a tangent. I do hope you took something positive away from all this. Don’t take raising kids lightly! When they are grown, you will be glad you put the time in! I hope you have a great rest of the week. This weekend I will be doing a 5k at Woodall Mountain. Pray for me that I don’t pass out. 🙂 Until then, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

My kids & kids in law (minus my son)

Happy Mother’s Day & why Mother’s Day is hard

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

Sunday is Mother’s Day. I hope you have made plans to honor mothers this weekend. For some people, Mother’s Day can be a hard day. This week a friend shared with me how he dreaded Mother’s Day every year. He counted up & said his mama had passed away some 30 years ago. Still the sting of Mother’s Day is ever present, for him. I understand what my friend is saying. My mama passed away almost 12 years ago. At any time, on any day, I would give anything to see her just one last time. Mother’s Day is a reminder, my mama is not here for me to celebrate her. My mother-in-law was just like a mother to me. She is also deceased. She was such a terrific person, smart, and strong. I miss her so much. My two grandmothers were important in my life, as well. They molded me into the person I am today. There is no way I could ever stand idly by as weather got bad. My Mama Boyce taught us that caution is the best cure to uncertainty. And that’s with anything in life. She was a careful planner when it came to things. Because you just never know when something might happen. You need to be prepared. My Mamaw taught me that love is the most important thing in the world. She loved me & her other grandchildren like there was no tomorrow. Each one of us held a special place in her heart. You can ask any of my cousins about our Mamaw. They will be glad to tell you how she had the talent of making people feel loved. Like they were the most important thing in the world to her. She knew how to treat people. Salt of the earth, she was.

Just like my friend, I have had years that were really hard on Mother’s Day. However, I do have kids & it’s hard to be sad when they are standing there bearing gifts & smiles in my honor! Here the past few years I have tried to do a better job of having a kinder attitude toward Mother’s Day. However, in the end, it’s all still the same, I miss my mama, my mother-in-law, & my sweet grandmothers.

One thing that is comforting is that these wonderful ladies were God fearing, Christian women. Let’s look to the things the Bible says a Godly mother is:

Proverbs 31:10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.

v.25 Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.

²⁶She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.

²⁷She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.

²⁸Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.

²⁹Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.

³⁰Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.

³¹Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

Recently, another friend was sharing some things her grandmother had said to her. It was kind and thoughtful words that only a grandmother can impart. I told her there was no love like that of a grandmother or mother. If you have a mother, grandmother, special aunt, or friend still living, please make an effort to acknowledge them on this special day. I know they will love you for it! It will be a special Mother’s Day for my daughter, because it is her first Mother’s Day. Don’t forget to remember those wonderful mothers who have already passed away & their children- who may not love this day. Your compassion toward those folks are what makes you precious!

I hope you are having a wonderful week. Skies are going to be cloudy & rainy this weekend in our neck of the woods. That will give me some time to catch up on some things in the house. I hope you have a terrific Mother’s Day! However, I have to go for now, because I should be washing clothes.

photo credit: homeliving.blogspot.com, sew country chick

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

Happy Valentine’s Day!

February 14, 2014 / kstrick7 / 3 Comments

Love is so important. Not just the kind of love I have for the caramel – vanilla creamer, I put in my coffee. The love you have for others. You know, for your family, your friends, your peeps. People do things in the name of love. They write songs & poems about love. They make proclamations of their unfeigning love in the way of spray painted words at the top of water towers. Love makes you serious. Love makes you crazy & stupid. Ahhh, love, there has even been a day set aside to officially show people you love them. But is love more than words? Yes, love is action. You can tell someone you love them, but if you turn around & don’t put some effort into showing them some kind of attention- is that really love? The ultimate gift of love came to us in the form of the cross.

Can you image God saying, “I love these people I created.” Then, not putting some action to those words? God knows loves.

I John 4:8 says He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

Who would be a better teacher than the originator? He sent His Son to die on the cross for us, so that we may have remission of sins. Now that’s love.

I am so glad you stopped by to visit with me today. I hope you have a wonderful Valentine’s Day. Remember to tell your loved ones
how much they mean to you. As for me, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

Photo credit: Pinterest

The art of loafin’

August 17, 2013August 16, 2013 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

photo credit-scenicreflections.com

Today, while in one of our local eating establishments, I saw a young lady I go to church with. Her mama & little brother were with her. She also had her sweet baby girl, who is almost 2 & her brand new baby boy, with her. Her baby girl was running around, trying to make as many friends as she could, with the patrons, before her mama whisked her away & back over to their table. The baby boy was taking a bottle & fretting a little.

I asked my friend, “What are ya’ll doing?” She smiles and says, “Just loafin’.”

For those of you who do not understand what she meant, maybe I can enlighten you, on one of the ways of our culture. In the South, there is a certain art to what we call “loafin’ “. When we are out & about, without any real designation to where we need to be going or what we should be doing, we are loafin’ . Some may say “loaferin’. Either way, you have no schedule, no concern whatsoever for time. Things are slow. You are unhurried. There is no need, to pay any mind, to how long it takes you to do anything. You have no agenda. No thought of what you may or may not do next. It’s an innocent way of wasting time. Some people may like to refer to it as, “chillin'”, “cruisin'”, or as my middle daughter says all the time, “just hangin’ out”. You have no regard for much of anything but right there in the moment of killing time. However, you can’t loaf or loafer all the time. That would just make you lazy.

There is one thing, though, that we should be aware of: what we are doing to guarantee us a home in heaven. Unlike “loafin”, our spiritual journey should be a work in progress. We can’t be lazy when it comes to the most important thing on our list of things to do while living, “Prepare to get to heaven”. We should be attentive each day of what work we should be doing to get to heaven. Then, take action to make sure we don’t miss out.

Jesus tells us in John 14, beginning in verse 1-3:

“Let not your heart be troubled, you believe in God, believe also in me. 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, & if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am , there you may be also.”

I want to be where Jesus is. I know to get there, I can’t “loaf’ around. One of the things I must do is have faith, but I am told in James 2: 17 that faith without works is dead. I can’t have a dead faith!

I Corinthians 13: 13 says, “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three: but the greatest of these is love.”

I must also work on having love for those around me. I must treat people as I want to be treated (Matthew 7:12). I must be meek, a peacemaker, pure in heart, merciful, & let my light shine (Matthew 5:5-16). I have to be always endeavoring to keep the commandments of the Lord.

Jesus talks about not knowing when Judgment Day will be.

Matthew 24:36 says, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.”

Whew! That’s a lot for an ‘ol girl , like me, to work on. My prayer is we strive to be as Godly as possible. Not letting one day slip by us when we could have served God. We just don’t know when Jesus will come back to get us. In our Christian life, we can’t be caught “loafin’.”

I am so glad you came by to visit with me today. I have been so busy lately. Not only has it been summer with kids out of school & such. My oldest daughter got married! (I will fill you in on that later.) Until then, I have to go, because I should be washing clothes.

Peace doesn’t mean you won’t have problems. It means problems won’t have you.- Lecrae

All access pass

March 19, 2013March 19, 2013 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

Sometimes I am in awe of God. I mean, I have been so fortunate to have been brought up in church & in His service all my life. I think, as a human, one gets to going through the motions, & we take for granted or just plain forget all that God is & does. Mostly, how much He loves us. When I think of how much he loves me, little ol’ me, that just takes up about 5’6” of this ol’ world, I get teary eyed. It just tugs at my heart that I am significant to this Spirit, so indescribably powerful & in control of everything. In the same sense, I know to have an all access pass; I have to do my part as well.
In Chronicles 28:5-10 King David was advising his son Solomon about what he could have if he followed God. Here is how King David set all of this up:
5 And of all my sons (for the LORD has given me many sons) He has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel. 6 Now He said to me, ‘It is your son Solomon who shall build My house and My courts; for I have chosen him to be My son, and I will be his Father. 7 Moreover I will establish his kingdom forever, if he is steadfast to observe My commandments and My judgments, as it is this day.’ 8 Now therefore, in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the LORD, and in the hearing of our God, be careful to seek out all the commandments of the LORD your God, that you may possess this good land, and leave it as an inheritance for your children after you forever.
Here is the “rest of the story” as Paul Harvey used to say. For Solomon to receive the blessing he had a few stipulations to meet.
9 “As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever. 10 Consider now, for the LORD has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be strong, and do it.”
Doesn’t this sound like God’s grace for us? We have all these blessings, if we are willing to follow God’s plan, whether we deserve it or not. And like my Daddy always tells me, “You better hope you don’t ever get everything you deserve!” God is not playing hard to know. For those who seek Him & do his will, He is all in. However, just like Solomon, we have a responsibility to God. After that, if we are faithful, we have an all access pass to God’s love & blessings. But watch out, because God knows our hearts & the intents of our thoughts. We have to learn to love without regard. All the hate, deceit, & grudges our heart can hold, ain’t nobody got time for that! Especially God. So, just go ahead & get rid of ‘em!
What a wonderful life to live! All we have to do is submit to Christ. That’s all. I just pray that I will always be in awe of what a BIG God we serve, so that I can have my all access pass. I am so glad you stopped by today & visited with me for a bit. I hope you have a great week. As for me, I have to be going, because I should be washing clothes….

Taking some advice from Honey Boo-Boo’s Mama

January 8, 2013 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

We could take some financial lessons from Honey Boo Boo’s Mama. I just read an article on OMG! In which Mama June tells about what she does with the $15,000-$20,000 per episode they receive. The answer? The money is equally divided into 5 different trust funds (one for each of her children.). The children are not able to access the funds (except for schooling or medical emergencies) until they are 21 years old. Read below an expert from the article:

“I want my kids to look back and say, ‘Mama played it smart. Not like those other reality TV people,'” she told the website, adding that she never actually receives the money. “TLC puts the money into the girls’ trust accounts for me and then I get an e-mail telling me how much everyone gets.”
June said Sugarbear (Honey Boo Boo’s father) provides for the family by working as a contractor and no matter how much dough they rake in from their reality endeavors, they will never blow it all on material items.
“You’re never gonna see me drive a Range Rover or a Mercedes,” she said. “I’ll drive one if someone else pays for it. Never gonna live above my means.
“
I don’t know about you, but sometimes things just aren’t what they seem. I know there has been lots of speculation about this show, the way they live, how they act, what they were thinking…. It may seem that these folks are ignorant or dumb- However, I just don’t think Mama June is too far off, when it comes down to what it’s all about. Not blowing money on material items, with the thought that material things more important than they really are. She says she’s never gonna live above her means…hmmmm, There is a lesson in that all of us can learn.

In the gospels Jesus says we can only serve one master. He says if we serve man, we cannot serve God.
Luke 16:13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
Also, the apostle Paul talks about what we should regard as important. Not our standing in society, not our car, not our home, land, or any other tangible thing. We should love one another, be kind to one another, ….

Galatians 5:22 & 23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control. Against such there is no law.

I just want to thank Honey Boo Boo’s mama, June for reminding me of what I need to keep my focus on. It’s not anything tangible, that’s for sure. I will heed this reminder with COURAGE. Courage to be thankful more for people than things. Courage to appreciate what I have & not think I have to have more. Courage to know that no matter what amount is in my bank account, my family still loves me. I think that’s a good way, today, to use my one word for 2013. I am so glad you stopped by to visit with me today & listen to me ramble about Honey Boo Boo’s mama. I have to be going for now, because I should be washing clothes.

Memories in the making……

September 17, 2012 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

An unshared life is not living. He who shares does not lessen, but greatens, his life.- Stephen S. Wise

In a fast paced world of jobs, school, extracurricular activities, volunteer work, and household chores, it’s easy to forget to spend time with the people you love. Togetherness gets lost in trying to coordinate schedules & keeping up the workload & activities in a busy life.

I know of some families that still get together on loved ones birthdays, that have passed on. It is just simply a meal with reflections of that person. Wouldn’t that be admirable, just to honor someone in such a way? Another family goes on a trip each year on the date of a passed loved one’s birthday. It’s just a way of them keeping in their remembrance the joy they had for that person.

Another thing to do is to make a tradition with your family. One thing our family used to do is on Christmas, at my grandparent’s house, was exchanging gifts. One of the gifts was always a box with 2 ugly neckties. Whatever lucky person got them, had to save them until the next year. Then, they could give those 2 ties & add any other article of atrociousness to it, if they chose. It was fun each year to see who was going to end up with the ties.

Just know, when you look back on your life. It won’t be the big promotion or the grade average that will warm your heart. Rather, important memories of the times you shared with loved ones will warm your heart. Enjoy your loved ones now, while they are still here. Celebrate life with the people dearest to your heart.

Challenge: Mark on your calendar & make a date with someone you love. Have dinner with your family, take your grandmother or grandfather on a picnic, go walking with a friend, take a pet or a child outside & play in the yard. Make some memories!

I hope everyone takes time out this week to spend some time with someone you love. Let me know what you did & how it turned out. I can’t wait to hear about the fun you have. But right now, I have to be going now, because I should be washing clothes!

Parts of this article was taken from a book- 101 Ways To Make a Difference Today by Candy Paul

What is a true friend?

August 10, 2012 / kstrick7 / 2 Comments

What is a true friend? One might say it’s someone who likes the same things I do. Someone who “gets” me. Someone who cares for my well being. Someone who is there when I need them. I believe these are great qualities to have in a true friend. In your life, you may experience all different kinds of friends. You may have friends that you made in school or friends you worked with. There are life long friends & then friends that you knew for a while, but then lost touch. What ever the kind of friend, they all served a purpose. Kindness, love, understanding, patience, these are all things that are necessary to find in a friend, but also to practice, so that you may be a true friend. Recently, I have been blessed to have met up with an old friend, that I have not had contact with for some time. Since we have been back in each others lives, it’s like we picked right back up where we left off. Even our preacher laughed & evaded my friend & I are so excited to see each other, that at times we have to take turns talking! Others may sometimes think we are in our own little world, because we get so caught up chatting with each other, that we may not realize anyone else is around!

Two sweet friends

However, don’t be deceived. There are some people who may seem to be true friends on the outside, but on the inside are not.

People who say things to hurt you, with no regard for your feelings, that’s not a friend.

People who act out in anger toward you without a cause, that’s not a friend.

People who are spiteful & jealous of you, that’s not a friend.

People who are more absorbed in themselves than anyone else, that’s not a friend.

People who want you around only when they have time, that’s not a friend.

Once you have a friend, that God takes out of your life, you might want to think long & hard before you chase back after them. There might be a reason God took them out of your life. It could be that you can be happier & more productive without them. It’s sad, but things like this do happen. When those people lose sight of what it is to be a friend, then, it’s best just to carry on without them. No good will come out of negativity staying in your life with these folks. So, just pray for them & move on. Some people are never happy. They are jealous hearted & vindictive. That’s not your fault. Real friends will not want to see you upset, feelings hurt, or unhappy. You can’t change others, so give it up, cut ties & let your life take a turn for the better.

In I Samuel 20:12-17, 41-42 there is a wonderful story of two true friends, Jonathan & David. When Johnathan was being pursued by the jealous King Saul, he had a friend who risked big danger to stand by him. Jonathan, Saul’s very own son, proved his loyalty to David. He cautioned him of his father’s intention to kill him (I Samuel 20:31-42), Later, when Saul went after David in the wilderness, Jonathan, “arose & went to David in the woods & strengthened his hand in God. (23:16) In I Samuel 20:17 it says that “……he (Jonathan) loved him (David) as he loved his own soul.

What a wonderful thing to have such a friend! If you love your friends as Jonathan did David, as your own soul, that is an unconditional love. That is a precious love that is an incredible encouragement. Jonathan stood by a friend in need. That is power that is only when two people are true friends in life. That aids friends when there is heart ache & pain in this life. It gives another a feeling of security & hope to go on in a sin sick world. Whose hand can you strengthen by being a true friend today?

I have been so busy with kids, & summer & getting back in school, that I have not blogged much here lately. I hope to be over all of that soon, so that I can get back to spending time with you. Thanks so much for stopping by today. I have to be going for now because I should be washing clothes!