Quiet Time

Today has been a very quiet day for the most part. My two children are visiting their Dad for the weekend and I am home alone. I say alone meaning by myself although my daughter called me this morning to check on me and my neighbors have called to talk also. It is nice to live in the country as I have some nice neighbors which I do say we all watch out for one another. This is good. It is a blessing from the Lord, for certain.

I did receive one call from a friend and neighbor, today, who asked me for some pictures. They had met someone and needed the pictures I had to see if the person they had recently met was the same person that I had the pictures of. I pray it is not but if it is God will take care of the situation in the long run. As God knows all things and it is best left in His hands as He can do more about the situation than I can. He is far more capable of handling it as I , in being human, tend to go off on my own directive, which is not always a good thing. This time I am leaving it in God's hands.

I will soon be getting some new neighbors. My friend and neighbor, Sid , died last year at the age of 86. He was a dear sweet older gentleman whom I had the pleasure of talking with often, about gardening and the Lord. He was always a gentleman, no wayward words from him in anyway. He tended to like women but with me he treated me as his daughter and friend. He did not treat me like others. He respected me and even asked me for advise which I found to be an honor as he did not ask the advice of ladies often. His other half Genie was a sweetheart. She was in her 70's and when Sid died she moved back to Michigan. She attended Church with me sometimes. Sid's children are down this weekend packing up Sid's place as it sold last week. I have been keeping an eye on the place, for them, since Sid's death last year. It was not hard to do but a blessing to do so for I reaped many benefits in the doing. His children allowed me to get the produce from the fruit trees and berry vines and bushes since I was watching the place plus the fresh asparagus.

I love asparagus. And asparagus is one of the things Sid and I talked about how best to grow them. He stopped by my garden one day about two months before he died and asked me the best way to make asparagus beds. I told him to make the bed base out of horse manure and layer the dirt over it then place the asparagus in before covering the asparagus over. Sid did this and his asparagus has produced so well. This spring and summer it bore so well I have an abundance of it that I froze. Sid did not get to enjoy his asparagus I realized but I got the benefit of it. I have been blest by Sid even after his death. I pray he has found peace with the Lord.

Back to his children. They called me today to let me know they were packing thins up. To let me know that the new family would be moving in. It seems it will be a large family. I am praying they are good neighbors. I have lived here for 35 years, since I was 10. yes I am 45 now. I was raised on the 600 acres around me that used to be my family farm, yet I only live on 1.15 acres of what used to be our farm. it is all that is still in our family as my Dad had to sell out when his health began to fail and my siblings went in the different directions of their own lives and families. I have such fond memories around here. I grew up here. Most of the area has not changed much in these 35 years since we first moved here. Except the selling of our farm and the moving away of my parents and siblings. I stayed.

I was blest by another neighbor two weekends ago when he and his wife came down to spend the weekend at their weekend place. I watch their place while they are gone. They live in another state and come to spend the weekends here but are in the process of moving here permanently. My friend and neighbor and his wife told me that if I ever moved from this place they would sell their place and move away as they enjoyed having me as a neighbor, they said to me you and your children are good people. I felt good about this but it is not me it is the Lord. I try to live my life for the Lord and do as He would have me to do. I try to treat others nicely and help out when I can if I am able. I am nothing without my God for I am only what He allows me to be. If I did not have the Lord in my life I would have nothing. It is not me it is the Lord that others see and know. I am but His humble servant. I am a willing vessel for Him to use to do His work with and through. I love my Lord and Saviour and no one nor no thing is worth losing Him over.

It has cost me people in my life, to stay true to the Lord. I am married but I do not a husband who stands beside me, I have not seen my husband in almost 3 years, God knows of it all and I rest assured in His knowing. The Lord did say that we would suffer persecutions, lose loved ones, and suffer when we chose to serve Him. But it is all worth it to be the Lord's. I would rather lose all of my worldly possessions, which aren't much, than to lose my God, the Lord Jesus Christ. For I know that the Lord is my all and that worldly goods, belongings,
possessions,whatever you want to give them the name of, can not compare to the Lord and what He has to offer each one of us.

Life is to be lived. But what is the quality of life if we spend it serving sin , the world and the devil ? It is nothing for in the next life when one is judged the reward one receives for the wages of sin is death, hell, the eternal lake of fire. Ask yourself is sin, love of the world,money and worldly things worth eternal damnation, eternal separation from the Lord ? For me it is not. I would rather have Jesus than anything or anyone this world could afford today. Jesus, I will choose the best which is Jesus.

I am not perfect. I am far from it. I falter and sometimes I fall. But the Lord is always right there waiting with open arms to lift me from the miry pit into which I fall. He helps me when I despair. It is His arms that hold me to His bosom when no other arms ever will. I rely upon my Lord for He is always with me, He will never leave me nor forsake me just as He will never leave nor forsake anyone. It is we , who walk away from Him, not He who walks away from us. We are the ones at fault. We turn our back on Him. He is just waiting for us to turn around and come home to Him.

I know where my home is. I look forward to going home one day. But while I am still on this earth I know that my Father has work for me to do. Work I shall, til He comes to take me home. I have my children to teach and I have His songs to sing, His praises to proclaim and His Love to share. His Word is within my heart and His name is upon my lips. His praises, His name is sweeter than honey, Jesus. Yahweh,Yeshuah, my Lord and Saviour, my God. In Him is my strength and my fortress, my shield and my buckler, my strong tower, a very present help in time of trouble, the Great I Am.

I am going to do something I have not done in quite some time. I am going to paint again. I am going to draw again and I am going to start doing the gifts the Lord has blest me with again. I have put of for too long the talents and gifts the Lord has blest me with and I must use those gifts, those talents for Him. I sing for Him,as always I have, in the churches He sends me to. I pray for those He sends for me to pray for, as this is the service He has called me to do directly is prayer and singing. But I must do more for my Lord for I have let my sorrow still hold me back. I must release the sorrow and get over my loss, God knows of the loss I speak of, for the Lord wants me. He has work for me to do and I must be about my Father's business.

How about you? Are you tending to the Father's business ? God is each one of our people's Father for He is God. Without Him we would not exist, we would not be. Tend to the Lord's business while yet you still can. Lay up your treasures in heaven for their your heart will be also. My treasure is in Heaven, it is the Lord. Where is your treasure ?

Nuture and Admonition Of The Lord

Last night I went to a singing that was held at the elementary schools gymnasium where I attended elementary school. It was a Gospel singing as those are the only singing's I attend anymore. Just being in the school brought back memories. There were 4 groups of singers and a few individual/solo singers who sang also.

I went because my Brother, Jim, was singing with a group that I have known some of them since I was little.I wanted to listen to them and share in praising god through listening to them sing His praises, which I did. I grew up knowing them, except for 3 members of the group who are recent additions to the group, which I was introduced to them last night. The group is headed by my district Magistrate. I have known him since I was little. He used to work with my Dad when I was little. A dear Sister in Christ whom I love to sing and who is like a member of my own family, I grew up with her being around. This lady has been gifted with an awesome voice and she also plays the piano and keyboard. She sings beautifully. They were the last group to sing at this singing. I will share more about them in a bit.

One group consisted of 5 men who sang and played their instruments. They were truly gifted of the Lord. These guys were not afraid to show they loved the Lord. They praised Him in song , in word and in deed. You could tell that they loved the Lord. The one song they sang that has an awesome message in it is a song sung by Doyle Lawson, " Eternity Has Two ". The song says this life has many choices but eternity has two. That is so true. Eternity , the choices, Heaven or hell, Jesus or the devil. Which choice have you made in where to spend eternity ? Have you chosen Heaven ? Or have you chosen hell ? This is a question each person needs to ask them self. Where have you chosen to spend eternity ?

Think on this wise.... Do you have children ? How do you live your life before your children ? Whom have you taught your children to serve ? Have you taught them of Jesus ? Have you lived a life before / in front of your children to let them know the right way to live for God/Jesus ? Have you read the Bible to them ? Have you prayed in front of them and with them ? Do you answer your child's questions about the Lord with good godly answers and advice ? Have you made promises to God and broken those promises ? Have your children known you made promises to God and have your children seen you break those promises to God ?

What exactly are you teaching your children ? If you are not and have not taught them of the Lord and if you have not lived a life before them that is befitting of Christ, in a sense, you are teaching your children how choose hell over Heaven. You are teaching your children to serve the world, the devil and teaching them to reject the Lord. By not teaching them of the Lord and His ways you are teaching your child how to go to hell. Do you want your child to spend eternity in Hell and the lake of fire ? Do you want to spend eternity in hell and the lake of fire ? I don't want my children to. So I am teaching them of the Lord Jesus and His ways. I love my children, I care where their souls will spend eternity.

By teaching our children of the lord and living a life befitting of Christ we are establishing them on a firm foundation. We are setting their feet upon the right path, the path that leads to Jesus and Heaven. By not teaching our children of the Lord and his ways we are teaching our children to choose the world, the devil and hell. If you love your child you will care how they choose to live their life, be it for the Lord or for the devil. The Lord's way leads to Glory in Heaven, the devils way leads to hell, the lake of fire and eternal damnation. Remember that eternity has two choices. Which choice have you chosen, Heaven or Hell ? Which choice have you prepared your child to choose by the way you live your life before them, Heaven or Hell ?

The Bible, God's Word, tells us to raise a child up in the way we would have them to go. It also said to raise our children in nurture and admonition of the Lord. If we are not teaching our children of God then we are teaching our children of the devil and the world. If we are not teaching our children of the Lord , then we are failing God in what He asked of us, as parents, to do for our children, raise them up in nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Ephesians 6:1-4

1) Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.

2) Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)

3) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

4) And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

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



We are responsible for what we teach our children whether we realize it or not. We will have to be judged of the Lord Jesus for the way we chose to teach and raise our children. We are accountable for all the wrongfulness and sin we have taught them just as we are accountable for all we have taught them or allowed them to be taught by others. For we as parents have the right and the authority to teach our children and it is our God given duty to do so. So how have you taught you children to choose for their eternity ? Remember Eternity has two choices, Heaven or hell and the lake of fire. Which place have you instilled the knowledge of in your child, the Lord and Heaven or the devil and hell fire in the lake of fire for eternity ?


I enjoyed the singing we went to. I got to listen to these groups sing the Lord's praises and it blest me. I also got surprised because the group my brother has been playing with intended for me to sing a few songs, which I was not aware of until my Magistrate friend announced to the audience, which I was a member of the audience , that I was going to sing. He called me up on the stage and I sang to songs with my brother, I did harmony while he sang lead. Then the dears Sister in Christ, that I love to hear sing, requested that I sing lead while she harmonized with me on a song that is dear to my heart entitled, " Make It Home ". This song is dear to my heart as I want to make it home to Heaven to be with Jesus. I do not care about a mansion or even walking on streets of gold. What I am looking forward to seeing is Jesus. I am not worthy to look upon Him but I will lay at His feet and thank Him for all that He has done for me. My life is my Lord's, it is not my own. I gave my life up to Him, I gave my will over to Him, long ago and where He leads me I will follow. There is no one nor nothing in this world worth losing the Lord Jesus/Father God over. For if we lose the Lord we have lost our very soul. I shall serve the Lord in this life and in the next, in Glory.

Praise the Lord for He is awesome and Holy of Holies. He is the Great I Am and the Love of my life is the Lord. Thank You Jesus for all that you have and daily do for me and all the blessings and even the trials. For the trials and all are working me into whom You want me to be. As silver refined in the fire so one day Your reflection You will see in me. Take me and mode me into the vessel You would have me to be. Thank You Jesus in Your precious Holy name, the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

Thankfulness

I am thankful to the Lord for hearing and answering prayers. I recently posted on this blog and in several prayer request about the need for rain that we had in our area of Kentucky. I know that a lot of people prayed concerning our dry , almost drought conditions. God heard those prayers . He answered them on Thursday as we had a good gentle rain all day and into the next morning. The Lord knew we needed this gentle rain so the moisture deprived ground to be able to absorb it and that is what He supplied. He knew that if He had sent a hard downpour the rain water would have just run off into the ditches. But God is awesome as He knows exactly what we need , when we need it and how we need it in order to benefit the best.

Thanks to all of you who prayed. Thanks be to God for hearing and answering those prayers and all praise, honor and glory is due Him. Thank You, Jesus.

Grape Jelly

It has been quite a while since I have posted in my Blog. I apologize to everyone for this. I have been busy with different things. I have been having some test run at the doctors due to reasons God knows of. It seems my heart has been harmed by the stress that has been dealt to me, God knows of it all and that is where it shall stay. Thanks to everyone who is and has been keeping the children and I in your prayers. God is good.

This weekend, Labor Day weekend, the children and I went to visit my parents and brothers. My parents live with my brother Bill and my brother Jim has recently moved in with Bill and my parents after he got divorced. He was married for almost 25 years so it has been hard on him but God is at work in all our lives. This weekend was the warmest weekend weather wise that we have had in quite some time. We have actually had a very mild August with most days ranging in the low to mid 80's degree wise. Normally we have temperatures in the 100's in August. So God has blest us with cooler weather however it has been very dry, almost drought conditions again this summer. We have been praying for rain but so far there is none forth coming. I do thank God for the sprinkles that we received today, though.

I am also thankful that my parents and brother Bill sent me home with some fresh produce that we picked from their garden. I did not get to have a garden this year, God knows why and that is where it will stay. One thing they sent me home with was some Concord grapes we picked from the vines on Sunday morning, before it got too hot outside. They were so beautiful in color and smelled so good. In spite of the lack of rain that we have had, the grapes were surprisingly plump and juicy. I brought two shopping bags home filled with those Concord grapes.

So today I taught the children how to make fresh grape juice and fresh homemade grape jelly. I am thankful that I am blest by God in being able to home school my children. They both had a good lesson in home economics today. We started out by picking each grape off the cluster stem and washing them. Then we drained them in a colander to get any excess water off of them. The stems I discarded in the trash but any grapes that were too ripe or smashed I put in a bucket to give to our chickens. After draining the excess water off the grapes the children helped me put the grapes in a big cold pack canner and mashed them up with a potato masher. They had fun doing this.

Next I placed that big ole' canner on the stove to heat. When the grapes started to simmer I timed it for 5 minutes. After the 5 minutes was up we smashed the grapes some more with the potato masher, then simmered it for 5 more minutes. I had an old colander that I placed a piece of muslin in and filled it with some of the grapes then let it cool. After it had cooled enough to handle I set about squeezing the juice out of the grapes. First I smashed them with a wooden spoon to get as much juice out through the muslin as I could before I had to start twisting the muslin up in order to squeeze out any remaining juice. When I had squeezed out all the juice I could through the muslin squeeze technique, anyone who has ever made homemade grape juice or jelly will understand what I mean, I emptied the pulp and seeds into a mesh strainer and smashed the mess again to get any remaining juice out I could then I discarded the pulpy mess in the chicken bucket. Then I repeated the whole process with fresh grapes again about 4 or 5 more times. We ended up with 4 quarts of fresh grape juice. I probably could have gotten more out of the grapes but I have carpal tunnel syndrome and arthritis in my hands and it is a bit hard to squeeze really tight sometimes. Any way I felt good about our day of juice making.

But next I wanted to make some fresh homemade grape jelly. I had told my mom when we were picking the grapes that my intent was to make grape jelly with those grapes. Once I set my mind to something that is exactly what I do, I do what I say I will. So I measured 5 cups of the fresh grape juice into a large sauce pan and added a box of Sure Jell pectin. After I mixed it in I measured out 7 cups of granulated sugar into a bowl and set it aside to add to the juice mixture later. I got my jars all washed and sterilized for the jelly and set everything up for when the jelly would be ready to pour in the jars. Then I set about the cooking process. I heated the juice until it came to a rolling boil then added the sugar and stirred it all up. I had to constantly stir, with a long handled wooden spoon, the whole time so the juice would not stick or burn. I had to get the juice back up to a rolling boil and let it boil for exactly one minute. So Elizabeth is timing the minute while I am stirring the juice/jelly mixture on the hot stove. Zak is amused by the whole process of course as he sees all this steam coming from the large sauce pan and me sweating away, toiling over it.

The minute is up and I remove the jelly from the heat, set it aside to cool just a little until the skim forms on top. After the skim formed I took a metal spoon, as this is always what my Mamaw, Grandmother and Mom had always taught me to use a metal spoon only, to skim the skim off the jelly. Once I had the skim removed and set aside in a bowl I placed the jelly jars in a metal pan of hot water. The reason this is done is so the jars will be warm not cold when the hot jelly is poured into them as pouring hot liquid into a cold glass jar will cause the jars to crack or break. The children and I ladled the jelly into the jars and carefully wiped the rims of the jars to remove any spilled jelly. Then we set the jars aside to cool a little while we cleaned up our mess. Believe me it was a mess as we had grape juice splatters everywhere, floor, counters, stove, walls you name it. I even ruined my white tee shirt, that I forgot to put an apron over when we started the whole juice/jelly making process. Oh well it was fun.

After we cleaned up I melted some paraffin wax to place in each jar over the jelly to seal it . Then we placed lids over the jars and set them tight and placed them in the cabinet for storage. Next I got out some fresh whole grain bread and we had grape jelly sandwiches. The children really liked the jelly, especially since they had helped make it. Elizabeth said it was better than candy, now that is a compliment. Zak loved the fresh grape juice the best though. God is good.

Just making the juice and jelly, together, brought back so many wonderful memories for me. I grew up on a family farm. I was raised to work the land, to grow our own food and to make jellies, jams, breads, can and preserve things. We even butchered our own meat and hunted for some of it. I truly miss the life I had when I was growing up. We were self sufficient because God had blest us with the means and ability to do so. We always gave the Lord the praises for all we had as we truly knew that everything came from Him. Some of my fondest memories are when my mom and family and I were making juices, jams, jellies , preserving and canning things. We shared some quality family time plus we were all learning how to do things. I thank God for what my mother and dad taught me in the way of taking care of yourself if you have to. God provides for us if we will accept what He has to offer us. I have been blest, I know, with caring parents and grandparents who cared enough to teach me of God/Jesus and how to do so many things with what God has given us. There is just something special about being able to make your own jellies, jams, juices, preparing and preserving/canning the produce that God has supplied one with in their gardens and land.

I am thankful that I have a family who cares enough to provide me with fresh produce knowing that I was not able to have my garden this year. God has blest me so much with such caring friends and family. Sister Pat and Brother Jimmy, my Pastor and his wife, have given me green beans, cucumbers and peppers this year as they knew I could not have my garden. My neighbors gave me apples and peaches and berries. It is just that the people I have given produce from my garden , the years I was able to have one, gave me produce when I was not able to have a garden. I miss not having my garden as does my son and daughter but God knew this and He placed it in the hearts of others to supply us with fresh produce. That is such a wonderful blessing to know that God cares and that so many others care as well. I am so thankful and I sing His praises always and in all ways. God is awesome.

I am just so thankful for all the wonderful memories that were brought back when the children and I made the juice and jelly today. I am thankful that I got to share this with my children and was able to teach them how to make grape juice and grape jelly. God blesses us in so many ways and with so many opportunities to make wonderful memories with our children while we are here on this earth with them. My daughter said it right when I was trying to explain how I felt when I took that first bite of fresh grape jelly on that bread," It brings back wonderful feelings and memories to you Mom of when you grew up and how things are meant to be, the way they used to be." I told her yes. That a lot of people would not know how to do many things if something happened and they had to go back to the way things used to be. But I am thankful to God that I still know and am able to teach my own children the way to take care of themselves if the need ever arises, with, in and through Jesus Christ. The good things, such as these come from the Lord . We use what God has given us and make the most of it and pass it down from generation to generation as God intends for it to be done. The good things that we teach our children of God and His ways and how we need to be prepared for the possibility of taking care of ourselves and our families, as God intends for us to, is a gift from God.

I am old fashioned in a lot of ways, I know. But I thank God for this. I would rather be old fashioned and know how to do things for my family as God intends for me to do instead of being lost to and in the world and it's ways. I rely on God not on the world or it's ways. God has never led me wrong but the world, the devil and their way will lead a person wrong every time. Remember that God has no part with this world that He is separate from it just as He has called us, His children to be separate from the world. He tells us to come out from amongst it.

The following passages of scripture are some scriptures that the Lord Jesus has laid upon my heart. I wanted to share them with you. I hope they speak to some, of what we should truly hold as important to us and that is the Lord and all that is of the Lord. That is what we should hold dear, the Lord and his Way.

2 Corinthians 6:17-18

17)Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.

18)And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Romans 12:2

2)And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

James 4:4

4)Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

1 John 2:15-17

15)Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

16)For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

17)And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

Take the time to teach your children something that is good and something they will remember with fond memories and want to pass on to their children in generations to come, if the Lord so wills us to have generations to come.

May you all have a blest day and a blessed week ahead.

Bluebirds: A Sign From God

Have you ever seen a Bluebird. By Bluebird I mean anyone of the various Eastern Bluebird, Western Bluebird, Blue Grosbeak, a Red-flanked Bluetail, the Mountain Bluebird or the iridescent blue of the Indigo Bunting. I have been fortunately blest by the Lord with seeing each variety of Bluebird I have mentioned here.

The Bluebird has been a special sing between the Lord and I ever since I was a very small child. Whenever I have had troubles, worries, been in doubt, beset by trials, testing and temptation the Lord has always sent a Bluebird to remind me that He is always with me and that He cares, He hears me when I pray or just hears my thoughts. It has always been this way.

The other day, my children and I went to check the mail at the Post Office. I had some things on my mind on the way home that were weighing heavy on me. These issues were causing me to get a little upset, a little angry, I must say. I am human, as all of us are. We each have our own faults that we need to work on. The Lord knew this. I was not aware at the moment that God was paying attention to my thoughts and me getting a little angry inside myself.

The children and I almost always take the Lake Road route back home when we check the mail. My mind was on what was troubling me when I caught that beautiful iridescent blue hue of the Indigo Bunting. The Indigo Bunting was sitting in the middle of the road. Normally they will fly off when they see a vehicle approaching. This one was staring right at me and just held it's ground. I put on the breaks and came to a stop. Only then did the Indigo Bunting fly up, off the road and into a tree in the fence row right next to our vehicle. The children were like ," Oh wow ! " Me, I got tears in my eyes because I knew that God had sent the Indigo Bunting as a message to me.

I shared with the children what had been troubling me and that the Indigo Bunting was a sign from God, to me, to stop letting what was bothering me bother me. To just leave it with Him, leave it behind and go on. He was full aware that I was getting angry and letting this upset me but He also cared enough to send the one sign that He knew would get through to me and that was the Bluebird, the Indigo Bunting. He did it in a way that He knew I would not miss and that I would take note of.

That is how God sometimes works. Sometimes He sends us a gentle reminder. Sometimes He has to do something drastic that will get our attention. But know for a certainty that when God wants to get our attention, He will, in whatever way He deems fit to do so. The Lord knows that by me being distracted, by cares and worries, that my mind is not upon Him as it should be. He tells us to trust completely in Him. That He will supply our need. Sometimes we need a reminder, from God, concerning this.


Philippians 4:19
19)But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.


Psalms 84:11
11)For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.

Psalms 91:9-13 9) Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;

10 )There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

11) For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

12) They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

13) Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.

The Lord God/Jesus is true to His Word. Isn't it wonderful how much the Lord Loves us ? He shows us how much He cares if we will but open our eyes and heart up to Him and receive the blessings that He has to offer His children. He lets us know He cares for us.

This morning when I woke up, there was a bit of worry on my mind. I got ready for the day , came out and read my Bible and prayed afterwards. I went to check in on the children who were still sleeping and they were fine. I walked out to the kitchen and heard the most beautiful song being song outside my kitchen window. I stopped and looked out and saw a beautiful Bluebird on my arch trellis where I hang my bird feeders. It was in the center of the arch of the trellis and was looking in the window at me just singing it's little heart out. I said ," Good morning little Bluebird. God sent you again." It hopped down to the feeder and started feeding and it's mate joined it. I watched them for a little while thinking of how, so often, God reminds me that He cares for me. That whatever is on my mind, He knows. He sends the Bluebirds as a reminder of this, to me.

I am so thankful that God Loves us as He does. I am thankful that He takes the time to show me He cares. I know that I am not alone in the Lord letting me know He cares, for He lets all His children know He cares for them. That is His way. Yes, sometimes He has to chastise, correct us just as we do our own children or He encourages us as we do our own children. For we are God's children when we come to Him for forgiveness and accept the forgiveness that He has to offer us.


I have not posted for awhile. The good Lord knows of the reasons why. But I know that I have to start posting again as this is one way that I can share the Lord with everyone. He wants us to share His message, His Word with each other. If we can help one other person in this life, to know the Lord, then that is an awesome thing. For without God in our life we have nothing. With Him we have everything. God is my everything. The Lord Jesus is awesome.

Surrounded By Beauty

Everywhere I look I see the beauty of God's creation. So many flowers, in arrays of bloom, in various hues of the Master Artist's palette. I love this time of year, Spring. It is the season of rebirth, renewal, not only of the plants and animals but also of the spirit, my spirit, that has awoken from a long season of mourning.

Yes, I was in mourning for what I had lost in my marriage. I had allowed that mourning, that sorrow, to hold me captive too long. One day God spoke to me and told me it was time to say no more. To leave my mourning behind. To be strengthened and arise. To move forward and not look back, nor let the past hold sway over me any longer. God strengthened me. I did not do this on my own. I cried out to God in my heartache and hurt and He heard me. I was in despair but God let me know that it is He, who truly cares.

We all have loved and lost. It is a part of living, growing, breathing and dying. We learn from the experiences we have in this life and hopefully we learn not to repeat the same mistakes. We must forgive those who hurt us for whatever reason they choose to or chose to hurt us. But too, we should remember and learn from the hurt we suffered so we will not return to the same deeds that led us down the path to heartache and hurt. We must guard our heart as it says in God's Word, the Holy Bible.

Did you ever wonder what was meant by " guard your heart" ?

Proverbs 4:23 23)Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

Philippians 4:6-7 6)Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God 7)And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

We must guard our hearts for the Lord dwells in the hearts of His children. Our hearts are special to God for his children's hearts are His. Out of the abundance of one's heart we can tell so many things. We can observe a person and tell whether they are the Lord's child or not. We have that spirit to discern. Our fruits bear record of us. If we intentionally hurt someone, knowing that it is going to hurt them , just what are we saying about ourself to others when we choose to willfully hurt another knowing it will hurt them ? It is not sending a good message to others about ourself. Now what message do you think we are sending to God when we intentionally hurt another person ? We have the opportunity not to hurt someone by doing the right thing. Yet so often we choose to hurt someone so we ourself, or someone else, can benefit at the expense of the person that one chose to hurt. It would be easier to do the right thing so why do we so often choose to do the thing we know will cause hurt and heartache to another ?Personally, I believe it is done in selfishness and for selfish reasons.

Some people believe that after one has been hurt so many times their heart becomes hardened to trusting another or to taking the chance to love another. But there is a difference between hardening of one's heart and guarding one's heart. I have chosen to guard my heart as the Lord directs us to in His Word.

My point is that the Lord woke me from my mourning and told me to guard my heart. He renewed me, refreshed me, uplifted me, and made my path clear, that I was to follow upon for Him and in His service. To no longer be held down or allow the grief and mourning to have control over me. For no one on this earth or no thing in this earth is worth losing the Lord Jesus, Father God over. We must think of it on this wise because the Lord gave His all for us. Are you willing to give your all for Him ? I am !

Just as the flowers burst into bloom and as the trees break forth, unfurling their leaves towards the dawning of a new day so to doth my heart sing a new song of praise to Him. As the grass stretches forth it's blades to the sky , so to doth my spirit reach out to God. As the iridescent blue Indigo Bunting takes flight to the sky so to doth my love and soul soar towards the Heavens as gossamer set forth to freely fly. I praise my Lord and Saviour.

I cried unto the Lord in Heaven and He heard my cry. He uplifted me, He blest me. His Word tells us that if we cry to Him as His children then He will hear us and He will heed our call. I know this for He heard me and He answered. I rejoice in the Light of His Love. My life is His. I shall live for Him and in His service and do His bidding. Where ever He leads me, there I shall follow. But by the grace of God I exist as I am. I am His. I am surrounded by His beauty. Surrounded by beauty of His design that can only be created by His hand, His beauty.

Snow, Wonderful Snow

Two days ago we had Crocuses and Daffodils blooming. My Lilac bushes were actually getting leaves on them as well as buds. My Weeping Willow tree had leaves coming out on it. It was like Spring had arrived but yet, I knew that it was still winter.

Well this morning when I awoke the ground and everything was covered with a blanket of fresh white wonderful snow. It looked so beautiful out. The world lay shrouded in a blanket of pristine, sparkling white. I grabbed my camera and measuring stick and went outside to measure the snowfall we had and to take some pictures before the snow became all tracked up. We received 5 and 1/2 inches , here where I live in Kentucky. Places to the north of us received up to 16 inches of snow. I am thankful to the good Lord that we got what we did and not more. God knows what He is doing and He blesses us in ways that only He can.

We have not had this much snow where I live in Kentucky for several years now. It is nice to see it and to be able to go out and enjoy it while it is here. I enjoyed the snow by myself for a while before I woke the children. After taking pictures and measuring the snow I used the snow shovel to shovel the stepping stones and a path to the mail box. Then I shoveled a path to the SUV and another path for the cats. I found all their food bowls and shoveled a path across the road to the field as I knew some of our cats had places they stayed at in the field across from us. I wanted them to be able to get to their food bowls without having to travel through the deep snow. After doing the shoveling and making sure my two dogs had water I came back in and woke the children up.

They were so surprised to see the amount of snow we had. This is Zak's first major snowfall since he was 1 year old and he is now 9 years old. He was so excited. So we bundled up and went out to feed the animals and to play in the snow afterwards. I got our sleds out of our outbuilding and headed for our neighbors field. It has an awesome hill to sled down. I had to make several runs with the sled down the hill in order to pack the snow so we could sled. Elizabeth took her pan sled down a different path so we made two paths to sled down the hill on. After we had the paths good and packed we got down to some serious sledding. We had a blast. We got cold then came in to rest, warm up and get dry clothes on. We stayed inside for about two hours.

We then got all bundled up again and returned to our sledding. This time the snow had melted some and refroze on top of the packed sled runway and the sleds moved quickly down their courses. I thought nothing about it as I was having fun with the children and I was enjoying myself and let out a few screams and whoops of joy. Little did I know that our German Shepherd ,Levi, thought someone was hurting me. I keep him cabled in the backyard. Elizabeth hollers to me, as I am at the bottom of the hill, to watch out because Levi was barreling down the hill towards me to make sure I was okay. I looked up and here comes this 150 pound German Shepherd, full speed, rushing to check on me. After assuring him I was fine, I unhooked his cable, which he had jerked free from it's post, and let him run and play with us in the snow. Every time I went down the hill on the sled , Levi was right behind me running along. If Zak got a little way away from Elizabeth and I, Levi would shepherd him back over to us as Levi keeps an eye on Zak because Zak is his boy. Levi tends to be a little protective of us and once again he showed this in breaking free from his confines to come and check on me when he thought I was in trouble. God blesses us in so many ways, people. We just take so much for granted and fail to see all the blessings that God blesses us with daily.

Today was a blessing to me as I got to have some wonderful time shared with my children while we played and sledded in the snow. We made some great memories and had a good time. It was good, clean, honest fun. God provided this opportunity for us to have fun together and we throughly enjoyed it. Thank you Lord for this wonderful blessing.

Another blessing that I received was just a short time ago. I was sitting on the love seat when I and Elizabeth noticed a snow plow come in the road. Now this is odd, as they rarely plow our road as it is a back road. I mean I admit I live in the sticks but I love it out here.Well the snow plow went on by the house and came back out and stopped in front of my door. I put on my boots and went out to see what was going on. To my great surprise and a wonderful blessing from God above, the County Judge Executive was driving the snow plow himself. He said he thought he had better come out and check on me and the children since we had so much snow. He wanted to make sure we did not need anything and to make sure we were okay. I mean , he could of had one of the county road workers to come out and do this but he chose to do this himself. I have known Judge Gary and been friends with him for years and he comes by to check on us from time to time, but this truly blest my heart. The goodness of this man's heart and his family is what makes living here mean so much to me. The Judge, the County Sheriff and his wife and their families know that my husband physically abandoned me over two years ago. They know that he does not provide any money for me to live on or to buy necessities with. It just truly blest my heart that the Judge came out, himself,to check on us and to plow the road for us. That is someone who truly cares about others.

I thank God for the Judge , the Sheriff and their families. I thank God for all His many blessings . God is so awesome. He lets us know that He cares for us. We, our self, need to learn to notice the ways that God cares for us and blesses us in. We get too caught up in things that we should not and we fail to notice the blessings that God gifts us with. One of my prayers is that I will always notice the blessings, from least to greatest, that He chooses to daily bless us with and to always give praise, thanks, honor and glory to Him for them. Without God in my life I have nothing, but with Him in my life I have everything. God is awesome.

Thank You, Lord for the blessings, You daily bless us with. Thank You for the snow and for the wonderful time the children and I had playing and sledding today. Thank You for Judge Gary coming out to check on us and for the good deed he did. Thank You for all those who daily show they care about the children and I and what is happening in our lives. People care and they pray and their prayers are heard by You. Thank You for hearing and answering all those and our prayers. I cried unto You, God, and You heard my cry. From my despair , You heard my voice and heeded the cry from the depths of my heart and soul. I put my trust in You and You graced me and blest me for this. You heard my plea from my broken heart and contrite broken spirit and You lifted me from the deep valley of despair I was in and You, Lord, blest me and the children. I thank you Father for all Your many blessings and I praise Your Holy name. I ask that You please forgive those who seek Your forgiveness in the wrong they have done and I forgive those who have wronged me. I ask Your forgiveness for myself and pray that You will continue to strengthen me and enable the children and I to move on and get through these trials and tests and that You will help us through all and I give You the praise, the honor and the glory in all and always in the Precious Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.