Perspective & God is still so good

August 7, 2020August 7, 2020 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

Our world today is full of uncertainties. It’s definitely the craziest times I’ve seen in my lifetime. However, through it all do you know who is still here? God. He is answering prayers & fulfilling His promises. I got an email, from a co-worker, the other day. It gave so much perspective to how strong people are. I wanted to pass it along to you all.

‘Imagine we were born in 1900. When we’re 14, World War I begins and ends when we’re 18 with 22 million dead. Soon the Spanish Flu appears, killing 50 million people and we’re only 20 years old. When we’re 29 we survive the global economic crisis with the collapse of New York Stock Exchange, causing inflation, unemployment and famine. When we’re 39, World War II begins and ends when we’re 45 years old with 60 million dead. At 52, the Korean War begins. At 64, the Vietnam War begins and ends when we’re 75. Now, A child born in 1985 thinks his grandparents have no idea how difficult life is.
Today we have all the comforts in a new world, amid a new pandemic. But we complain because we’re being told of the need to wear masks. We complain because we must stay confined to our homes where we have food, electricity, water, good jobs, Wi-Fi, and Netflix! None of that existed back in the day. But humanity survived those circumstances and never lost their joy of living. So, let’s keep our heads up, smile, and be more proud today than ever before.
Let’s make today a Thankful and Safe Day!’ – shared from Paul T. Nucor Tuscaloosa, AL Safety Manager

What an eye opener. With all of the daily struggles these folks had, you know who was still around? God. He has so many promises & blessings for us. If we choose to see them.

Nahum 1:7

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

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)

Psalm 34:19

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

This scripture was read at my Daddy’s funeral. It was read by a minister, that was one of my Daddy’s best friends. It brought such comfort to me. Just knowing that no matter what my heartache is, the Lord PROMISES to bring me out of it. I love that!

Y’all, we are going to make it out of all of this mess the world is in. That’s the good news. And if for some reason, we don’t, we have a home in heaven with the Lord. That’s the BEST news. I hope everyone is having a wonderful week. We are still hunkered down at our house. We are doing our online services & Lord’s Supper on Sunday, studying our Bibles daily & staying home. Miss Neenee has been cooking all week. She makes the BEST chocolate chip cookies this side of Chips Ahoy. My waist line is telling me to eat a salad. I don’t like to listen, much.

However, please do remember, first & foremost, no matter what,

God is still good.

Praying for you all! Love you all like chocolate gravy & biscuits!

photo credits, Pinterest, Preach the gospel.org, etsy, & memes

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

July 10, 2019July 10, 2019 / kstrick7 / 2 Comments

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.

God is Good. (Matthew 19:7)
God’s got this. (Proverbs 3:5)
Jesus loves me. (Romans 5:8)
Not today Satan. (James 4:7)
The Lord is able. (II Corinthians 9:8)
At the end of the day, God’s in control. (James 4:15)
God will provide. (Hebrews 11:40)
God is going to sort it all out. (Romans 8:28)
God is faithful. (I Corinthians 1:9)
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?

Pray
Count your blessings.
Talk to someone, you trust, about what’s going on.
Put things into perspective, by remembering one of the above phrases.
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

April 3, 2019April 3, 2019 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

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. ²Then 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 ¹⁶Rejoice always, ¹⁷pray without ceasing, ¹⁸in 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

We should care like Jesus does & why high school is a bad idea

July 17, 2018July 17, 2018 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

Goodness gracious is it really just a few weeks until the kids go back to school? I just can’t with this. Miss Neenee is going to be in the 9^th grade.

As in High. School.

I ask myself: “Why does she even need higher learning?” I love her just the way she is. But she is so excited to go. I just know with high school beginning, that means she will be flying out of our little nest before too many years. Which is not my favorite.

I am so over this already, y’all and it ain’t even started. Oh my word. I’m trying my best not to make a mountain out of a mole hill, but GAH.

HIGH SCHOOL. MY BABY. TOO MUCH TO HANDLE.

Bless my heart. Y’all pray for me. Because dadgum it if I had my druthers we would still be here.

Not here.

Speaking of which, do you ever get so caught up with your own circus of problems, that you don’t notice what others have going on? I am so bad about this, unless someone just pretty much comes up to me & tells me what’s happening, I don’t even pay attention to what’s all around me. It’s not that I don’t care, it’s that I have such a heapin’, helpin’ of this life stuff happening, that I may fail to look at what others are going through. That’s not always good.

This past Sunday, our Sunday School teacher was talking about Jesus. He was mentioning the fact that Jesus helped people & we should be willing to do the same thing. He was talking about how Jesus healed the woman, that had an issue of blood. She had so much faith, that she knew if she could just get to Jesus & touch the hem of his garment, her troubles would be over.

Matthew 9:20-22

And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment. ²¹For she said to herself, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.” ²²But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, “Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour.

A sweet hearted lady at church made mention of just that fact people may still be reaching out to touch His garment. When they do, we need to be ready to help. Her point was this, people are hurting. They need the same healing Jesus gave that woman. If others around us reach out to us, we need to be ready to point them to Jesus. I know some may be reluctant to lend a helping hand to others because

A. What do you even say to a person that is in dire straits?

And

B. Who am I to get into someone else’s business?

If you see someone that you know has had a hard time or is having a hard time, sometimes just saying, “I’m praying for you, would you like to talk?” or “What can I do to make things easier for you?” or “Here’s my cell number. Text me & let’s go out to eat.” Are WONDERFUL ways to begin. Then, be there to lend an ear, or meet for lunch, or whatever the other person feels comfortable with. Now let me tell you, I am the worst one in the world to accept help from others. I will scratch and claw and knash my teeth before I will give up and take someone’s offer of help. I have this stubborn way of thinking that I have to do everything on my own. It may be a pride thing or just being bull headed. But there are times I have to step back & say, “This is too much.” Then, members of my personal support team come in and rescue me. (**Personal support team = my wonderful, unjudging family & friends**)

The kind hearted lady I was talking about, just a minute ago, is actually a doctor. She counsels and is basically a super hero. She made mention of the fact that people need to understand they do not have to walk around with the weight of the world on their shoulders. People need to realize there is help out there. It’s through us as Christians that we need to be willing to reach out and help others. I heard a preacher say once,

“People are hurting. They need to know we care & they need to know about the love of Jesus.”

You just never know what the person right beside you is going through.

AND you don’t have to be up in someone’s business to help. Simply just saying, “I’m here if you need me.” Or “I have been thinking about you.” Or how about, “I love you.” Plain & simple. Sometimes just knowing you have support is the best medicine. If the other person does need help, hopefully, this will open the door for them to tell you that.

I can remember my mama telling me more than once,

“Don’t let things get in sucha mess. You would have been so much better off if you had of let somebody help you.”

Yes, yes I could have. But my “I can do it myself” got in the way with reality. Which was “I really could use help, like last week.” I guess I just don’t like to admit I can’t HANDLE IT ALL. Which is really silly of me because I have help around every corner, if I would only quit thinking I am less of a person for needing help. And you know my Personal Support Team I made mention of? Every time I ask one of them to help me out, they are more than glad to. It goes without saying, it would be advisable for me to not think I am too good to ask or receive help because like my Mama Boyce used to say:

“Lawdy, chile, you know better than that.”

So, to recap:

Realize there are people that need help.
Be prepared to help others.
Let others help you,

I am so glad you came by to visit with me today. It has been hotter than blue blazes here. Which is great if you can stay under the air conditioning all the time. Otherwise, it can be a smidge inconvenient because hair and makeup are not a fan of humidity. More than once in the past few weeks I have declared: I’ma ’bout to burn up! Miss Neenee is at band camp this week and next week. Pray that she remembers to put on her sunscreen, bless her red faced heart. Until next time, I should be going because I should be washing clothes.

Photo credit: www.pinterest.com, BibleGodQuotes

The time I thought God was missing

February 2, 2017February 2, 2017 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

January 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 1^st and 2^nd 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)

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.” 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

5 things to do when you don’t know what to do

February 2, 2016February 1, 2016 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

Do y’all ever have those days, weeks, years, that you wonder why

you haven’t given up yet? I’m talking about just a good ol’ throwin’

your hands up in the air & saying,

“Y’all can have this, I quit!”

Sometimes, it just seems like nothing is going right. When there’s

too much month & not enough money, not enough time in the day

to do it all, piled up laundry, stacked up dishes, legal problems,

deteriorating health (whether yours or a loved one), relationship

problems, or worse- you may feel like you don’t know where to turn.

It’s sadly a reality that people are hurting & sometimes the grief of

life can overwhelm us. However, sweet friends, I wanted to share

with you how you can get through these things in life & oddly

enough, come out ok.

Here are my 5 reasons not to go hollaring and screaming into the

sunset:

1. Remember that everything in life is temporary. If everything is going good,enjoy it, because it won’t last forever. And if things are going

bad, don’t worry, that won’t last either.

James 4:14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. (NKJV)

2. Know you have to trust the Lord. When God says you can do this,

you can. Know that the Lord will not let you go so far, you

can’t see your way back.

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)

God’s team is the winning team. Be on that team.

3. Don’t forget the prize. Keep your eye on the prize (heaven). Do

all you can to be faithful, so that you may be able to have that

prize. God’s plan for your life, far exceeds the circumstances

of your day. So, know if you just hang on there, the Lord’s

going to come right in & take care of it all. But we have to do

our part, too. Be sure you don’t forget to continue to be a beautiful Christian like example. God won’t forget you for it.

Job 23:10 But He knows the way that I take,

when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold. (NKJV)

4. Be aware that with the good, comes the bad. Hard times are a fact of life.

How we view them & handle them is up to us.

Job 2:10 Shall we indeed accept good from God & shall we not accept

adversity?(NKJV)

5. Most of all know you are not in this by yourself. There are billions of people on this ol’ earth. Know when to ask someone for help. I had a dear friend tell me once, “You can get through anything with a lot prayer & a lot of Paxil.” I love her light hearted take on life. It’s reality that sometimes we have to ask our medical care providers for help. Don’t be afraid to do that. But do know that Jesus is right there waiting to help you no matter what. If the Lord does not seem close to you, seriously, who moved? It wasn’t Him. Just seek Him, because He’s there. 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)

Let me stop here & say something about Job. He lost everything he ever worked hard for. His wife turned against him. His friends gave him bad advice. He had health & financial problems. In one day his whole world was turned upside down. However, it was in his attitude, his God fearing, God loving, God trusting attitude that helped him make it through. It seemed like sometimes that God had forgotten Job. But He didn’t. It was over years before Job’s life ever turned around. What did he do during the mean time? He was faithful. Don’t get me wrong. He was upset & didn’t like what was going on. However, he never turned his back on God.He knew the Lord would deliver him. And guess what y’all? He did & Job was more blessed in the end, than the beginning.

Now that’s a beautiful reason to keep your head up & keep

going. I have been through times in my life, that it was day by

day, minute by minute that I had to try to focus on getting

through something tough. The good news is, I did it. I know I

prayed a lot, stayed faithful to the Lord, & just kept going.

Sometimes that’s all we can do.

I am so glad you came by to visit me today. It is SUNSHINING here. Am I really here in NE Mississippi or is this heaven? So glad to see the sun after all the cold & gloomy days. I hope you have had a blessed week. As for me, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

photo credit: pinterest

Learning to trust & can I get a marshmallow peep?

April 2, 2015April 2, 2015 / kstrick7 / 2 Comments

I can remember when I was little, if I was scared, I would run & hide behind my mama. This was mostly when I had maybe perhaps done something to my brother. He would chase me & I knew, if I could find mama, I would be ok. I can remember her saying to him,

” You have to be good to her. She’s the baby. You have to show her how a big brother acts.”

(This was promptly followed by me poking my head out from behind her sticking my tongue out at him.) And oh MY word ya’ll, if that hasn’t been a reality check for ME in life. Because, you know what? People aren’t always nice to me. And they really don’t care if I’m the baby or not. But my sweet mama used this tactic to try to get us to behave. I can remember her having to stand in between me & my brother & I would hold on to her just as tight as I could. I always trusted her & whatever I did, if I could get to mama, she would take care of me. No matter if I were right, wrong, or indifferent. I had that wonderful, special trust.

Do you ever have troubles? Sometimes problems arise from a wrong choice or decision that you’ve made. At other times, you don’t really have to be responsible for any of it & here it comes. Either way, problems in life are just plain unwanted. What makes an incredible difference in bad situations? How you handle it. We can be afraid, angry, disappointed, or have a multitude of emotions. We might start to ask God, “Why me? Why us? Why this?”However, we can trust, in the middle of all the heartache, that:

1. The Lord will not leave you. 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)

2. The Lord will take care of you. I Peter 5:7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. Things may not be exactly like you think they ought to be. However, there are times the Lord takes care of us in a way we don’t understand. Matthew 11:28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. If we only go to Him & trust Him, He will help us, period. He will NOT leave us hanging out to dry.

3. The Lord will turn tragedy into blessings. One of the worst things that has ever happened to me is my mama’s sickness & untimely death. I will Never. Get. Over. It. But you know what? God has blessed our family with deeper love for each other. He sent people to help us through our hard times. We always had someone we could depend on, around us. He has caused me to appreciate life & to remember the wonderful example my mama left for us. I realize that for 30 years, I had a precious mama. Some people don’t have that. Some folks have never known their mother or don’t have a Christian mother. I was very fortunate to have had that. I can pass along those qualities to my children & family. I have a hope that I will be with her again one day. Until then, I have got to keep on keepin’ on.

John 16:22 Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.(NKJV)

The Lord is always working behind the scenes for us. We just have to trust in Him. We readily accept good from Him. As a part of life, sometimes we will have to accept bad, too.

Job 2:10 Shall we indeed accept good from God & shall we not accept adversity?(NKJV)

Life goes on. Even in awful circumstances. It’s ok to grieve the loss of a loved one, to get down & depressed about an erring child, or to feel like no one has any idea what you are going through. Those are human feelings. We just can’t unpack our bags & live in the land of desperation. There are times we get stuck going through the struggles of life. Just like a big ol’ tractor pullin’ a truck out of the ditch, the Lord can send people to help. Let them. I have said it once & will say it again & again. Folks, we are all in this big ol’ mess called LIFE together. We have to depend on each other. I hope you are at a point in your life you have finally relented to this fact. It makes things so much easier knowing you have people, who care about you. Isn’t it wonderful to know we don’t have to go through trials alone? We always have the Lord there with us. He can do things for us no one else can. We just have to simply trust. Is there a struggle in your life today? Pray about it. Seek others to help you. Look to the Lord for comfort.

The psalmist David said in Psalms 56:3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. (NKJV)

I’m not saying your problems will vanish overnight. I am saying you will be able to bear whatever it is, until things are better. You will find peace of mind. Only if you are willing to trust. God’s love never fails. We must give Him a chance to show us that. Whenever I am facing something hard in life, I have to remind myself, there’s someone out there who has a worse situation than I do. There’s always something to be thankful for. Maybe it’s that things aren’t as bad as they could be. No matter what, I have to be thankful for a loving God I can depend on. It’s hard to see the other side of trials sometimes. We just have to remember to slow down & take things day by day & trust the Lord to take care of us. In times like those, we don’t know what we need. We have to let the Lord handle our needs. He’s good at that. Just like the trust that my mama was going to make everything all better, God can do the same thing. Even bigger & better. Promise.

I am so glad you came by to visit me today. Goodness gracious, I about got too serious & heavy hearted with all of this. But sometimes it’s just that way, ya know? This Sunday is Easter. I sure hope you have your Easter frocks ready for church. My grandbaby girl is going to look so sweet. If you see her, you will be tempted to eat her with a spoon. I would discourage any of that. She has a tad of a mother hen for a mama. My Miss Neenee is ready all but the shoes. We will be getting those this week. Oh the fun! The kids & grandkids will be coming over after church. We will be dying eggs, hiding eggs, running around chasing kids, eating good food, & oh the Easter candy. There is nothing that suits me more than a marshmallow peep. Until then, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

photo credits: graphicsfairy, pinterest

Reba sings & the storms of life

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

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

Oh ain’t life wonderful

When everything is right

But sometimes wonderful

Can fall apart sometimes

When your troubles knock you down

Pick yourself up off the ground

And walk on, walk on

Nothing ever stays wrong that long

Walk on

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

Walk toward the light till you find the sun

You’ll be better off in the long run

And walk on…..

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

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

I know she was relating to this verse.

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

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

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

Psalm 9:9

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

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

One day, Miss Neenee yelled from the living room,

“Mama come here!”

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

“Mama, Reaba sangs!”

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

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

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

I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart

August 26, 2013 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

II Corinthians 7:4 …I am filled with comfort, I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation.

photo credit: gospelgifs.com

Do you ever get upset when something unwelcome happens in your life? Why, a harsh comment, a financial problem, a sick loved one, a relationship that’s just not what it should be, an unruly child, dealing with addiction,*** any of these things can just take the friendly right out of you! It just seems like the weight of the world is hanging on our shoulders. How could things be any worse? How could anyone really understand? Then, those feelings of woe, depression & anxiety begin to follow you around. This week, I read about someone who loved problems. He even said they made him really glad. No, it’s not a man who’s cornbread wasn’t quite done, or who was a few bricks shy of a load. It was the apostle Paul.

Do you think the apostle Paul a little “cooky” for finding troubles joyful? I have to admit, joy is sure not my first knee jerk reaction, when problems come around in my life. However, Paul had accomplished something we all should work toward. He had trained his mind to see the good in all things. He had made his thoughts so pure, that no negativity was going to enter in his mind, to rob his joy. I kind of see it like a barrier, like a hedge around something. You make joy the center of your mind. When troubles start to come in, bad thoughts don’t get past the barrier. They just sort of bounce off. I think it would take a lot of prayer to keep that hedge up. But, I truly believe, it can be done. It’s all about what we practice & discipline ourselves to do. We have to include God in it. How else could it be done, than with the Lord’s help?

Have you ever come across someone who lives in the state of gloom & doom? Where nothing is ever right? The glass is always ½ empty. No one or thing has ever been created that could ever please them. Do you like being around people like that? Don’t be one of those people! Griping & nagging is not only not lady-like, it does not make you pretty (or most importantly Godly). I hope this doesn’t describe you.

When it rains, look for the rainbow.

When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.

And remember-life is only as good or miserable as you make it.

The apostle Paul was beaten, imprisoned, shipwrecked, stoned, and people did not want to believe what he said. Goodness gracious! What did he have to be happy about? He had Jesus. Sometimes things might get so rough, in our lives, Jesus might be the only thing we can see that’s good. That’s o.k. Because that’s all you need anyway. You have choices in your life. Choose joy!

Thank you for coming by to visit with me today. You would not believe the clothes, I have piled up, that need folding. It makes me think of how my friend refers to it as “Mount St. Laundry.” Both my girls, that are still at home, are in school. My husband & I typically enjoy wearing clean clothes, daily, as well. That makes for lots of clothes changes. I hope you have a good week. Come back to see me, soon. I have to be going now, because I should be washing clothes…..

photo credit: Naomi-cru.deviantart.com

***Small side note: Up in the 1st paragraph, I make mention of several things, that could really upset your world. On my first read over, I laughed out loud, when I realized I had actually listed dealing with addition, as one of those horrible things. I did correct it. However, am not so sure that for me, I did not have it right the 1st time! To read more about my dislike of math, click here.