Too Blessed to Be Stressed!

As I write this post, I am hearing the continuous sound of rain drops falling on the roof and on the A/C-Heating unit outside the window. After being out of work for a week, driving into work in the pouring rain on a Monday morning is not sounding too good. But, one of my goals for 2015 is to think positively. Positive thoughts, positive words and no (less?) anxiety.  I want to be intentional about having peace in my life in small and large things.

This is my new planner for 2015. I really like it a lot. In fact I bought 6 while they were on sale at Family Christian Store for gifts. The things I like are that its small enough to fit in my pocketbook, it has a page for monthly goals, the whole month at a glance and each page has a Bible verse and a small motivational paragraph.

So, I had to share with you what the scripture and devotion for this week is:

"Papa God is our heavenly Father, and we can trust that He will get us safely where we need to be.  We don't need to worry, fret, or fear the what-ifs."

Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.  Psalm 56:3

I'll quote even further the devotion for the month of January ends with this:  "...By opening that station wagon door of trust and climbing in.  By making the choice to relax in the backseat, enjoy the journey, and let Papa drive." (emphasis mine)

Ok, so I will let Papa drive, and trust that He will get me to work safely.  But, if not, I know its His will!

Have a great Monday, the last one for 2014!

My Church

What! Its already February 10, 2014! It was all a blur, between having the flu and minor surgery for skin cancer on my nose.

I was visiting Mama's grave to place a new flower arrangement on it and took a few pictures of my church with my cell phone.  This is on the western side of the 140 year old building.  Every time I go to church I go check on her grave.  Its such a peaceful, beautiful spot.

Love this picture with the sun's (Son's?) rays glowing behind the tree.

A little clearer view without the sun glow.  What a blessing being raised in this church has been.

The church building is in the shape of a cross.   You can see a large bell in the steeple if you look closely.  It has to be rung by pulling a long rope.  It takes a strong man or 2 or 3 boys to make it ring.  One of Mama's wishes was that the bell be rung when she was being carried from the church to her final resting spot.   An older man was in charge of ringing the bell.  It was a close call, but he was able to get a few "DONG, DONGS" out of the bell.  Probably needed two "older" men!  How she would have loved seeing six of her handsome grandsons and great grandsons, all dressed in dark suits, carrying her to be laid beside her dear Mama and Papa, as the bell was being rung!

Purple for Mama, Sunflowers for me.

 

 

 

 

Looking South

This is the old section of the cemetery.  To the left of this are Sunday School buildings, the Fellowship Hall, Pastor's Home, and a new section of the cemetery.

Next to the farmhouse, this place feels most like home to me.   Many Saints and Angels have walked these grounds.

Ironing Boards and Boiling Water

I just couldn't take using this ironing board cover another minute! You can't say I didn't get the full use out of it before replacing it.  Trust me, this was not a result of ironing clothes.  At least 95% of it was from pressing little fabric scraps that became quilts.

Before:

After:  AAAHHH.  That is SO much better!

Its amazing how I keep using something that is obviously dirty and ragged, because the damage happened so gradually.  Then one day it hits me!  For less than $10.00 I can make this thing nice again.

While thinking about this I compared it to my life.  What bad habits have I gotten used to because they happened so gradually?   Remember the story about the frog being cooked in boiling water?  He was put in the water while the water was still cool.  The water temperature rose slowly and he didn't notice until it was too late and he was cooked!  AACK!

And the Saints Go Marching In.... A Heart Strings Post

We said good bye to Mama's last beloved brother this week.
 

I'm sure Mama met him at the Gates with great joy!  He was so sad when she left us and I never thought he'd be following her so soon, since he had always enjoyed good health.  But, the Lord took him swiftly.  He left behind his beloved wife of 59 years, who had fallen and broken her hip only a week before.

I read this devotion Sunday morning, based on Psalms 118:24:  This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. 

Then on Monday, when I saw the cover of Uncle B's Funeral program, I was pleasantly surprised to see the same Bible verse.  I know this is an often quoted and well known Bible verse, but is Somebody trying to tell me something?  Most of the time I probably miss these little gifts from the Lord because I'm not paying attention.  Note to self:  Be more observant.  There is so much wonder all around us, but we don't notice it.

A pearl from the devotion:  Be GLAD  G=Go to the Lord; L=Leave your burdens with him; A=Adore Him; D= Do these things Daily. 

The Devotion Book is Words of Encouragement for a Discouraged World.

Consistently Growing Spritually in 2011

I have been posting about my theme for 2011, which is to be consistent. Its so easy to make New Year's Resolutions ,or if you are avoiding the word, "Resolution", plans or goals. The hard thing is to consistently work towards those goals when the excitement of a new year starts to wear off, which for me is about a week!

Since today is the first day of the year, I thought I'd write here that my first priority in being consistent is to grow spiritually in 2011. The Lord provides many ways of doing this. Each and every one of us is different and He knows that each one of us need different ways of becoming close to Him.

So what things do you do, or experience by God's Grace, that help you to grow spiritually?

Of course these are the most obvious:

1. Church attendance
2. Bible reading and study
3. Prayer

For me I need all of the above, but to take it one step further, I need to serve God in my everyday life. When there are things you do that are hard, but you know God wants you to do them, remember that you are serving Him.

My favorite Christian author is Elizabeth George. Her writing speaks to my homemaking dreams heart in many ways. HERE IS A WEBSITE that contains a daily recording by Elizabeth George. This is one small way I can lift my heart spiritually in 2011. If I need an extra lift, there are archives!

So to grow spiritually in 2011, my goal is to serve God consistently through practical Christian living.

Here are just a few ideas:

1. Family: What better way is there to serve God? Being a helper and cheerleader for our husbands, if married, doing laundry, cooking, providing a peaceful atmosphere all please God. Helping my Mother in her daily life during this season of her life is not always convenient, but an important part of serving the Lord for me. Even though my children are now adults, I am still serving God by being there for them.

2. At work: Answering the phone is not my favorite thing to do there, but you never know how you are serving God by being polite and helpful Striving for excellence (I always fail) in doing a good job is pleasing to God.

3. Couponing: This is a good way to purchase food for my Church's food pantry to help feed the hungry. Also this helps me to be a good steward of my family's grocery budget;

4. Sewing/Quilting: I like to sell some of the items I make, but have become more and more aware of an inner desire to use this as a ministry. Not only can I make gifts for family and friends, but the items I make can be donated to many causes. I have been contemplating making baby quilts to be donated to a pediatric intensive care unit or Unwed mothers' home.

5. Blogging: It is my hope that this blog is an encouragement to someone and that any ideas I have are helpful. I hope to honor God here and to grow spiritually as a result.

6. Homemaking: This includes lots of the ideas in number 1, but I will go further to include cooking, menu planning, cleaning, gardening and the list goes on....

I am the first to admit that I often fail in my quest to please God, both here on this blog and in my daily life, but I will keep working at it! He is always gently calling.

It would help me in this journey if you could share the ways you are growing spiritually closer to God. Please share these in the comments! Thanks and Happy New Year!