Here Comes The Bride?

Today has been a busy one. My sister is in town for her daughter's wedding and things have been a little hectic. Along with having to pick up a few things for the lovely rehearsal dinner we had planned, I also had some personal commitments to take care of. Time, time, time........is there ever enough of it?

I barely made it to the church on time, but when I got there, I was wondering where everyone else was. There were a few cars in the parking lot, but not as many as there should be. Of course my mind went into overdrive. What if the something had gone wrong? You know it's possible with all the stress of the planning. When I got inside and saw the face of the bride to be I knew something was wrong. Tears. There were tears. No groom. I did not see the groom.

I was slow to speak, but finally ask if she was okay. She could only nod her head. I went back into the kitchen to help finish preparing for the meal and left her alone to speak with her mother. It wasn't long before the groom to be entered in and all was well again. Stressful, I tell you. Stressful. So as long as all goes well, (I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask for prayer for them) I will be attending another wedding tomorrow.

Rocking Blogger?

This was a surprise to me!! LOL..... My sweet friend Angel Mama over at Pearls of Wisdom blessed me with this a few days ago and I am just getting around to passing on the love. She is definitely a deserving candidate. We have only recently *met* but found we have so much in common such as our love for God, our family, our homes, and of course *with a big smile* our love of tea and it's customs. Thank-you, Angel Mama. Without further ado and in no particular order, I now will pass the "torch" to few others. Most of my favorites have received it already such as Anita , Denise, and Sharon . Congratulations, ladies.

I'll start with my other friend, Sharon from Days Of Gladness. I enjoy reading of her busy schedule juggling church ministry and family. She is one busy woman and enjoys doing the work of the Lord.

Joy in F.R.O.G. or Marilee is new to Blogger, but not the blogging world. She is and old friend from FaithPrints who has always been a great encourager. She is a Born Again Christian in every sense of the word and excited about it! Praise God!

Beth at Life With Two Little Vikings is another FaithPrints alumni. She if a faithful blogger and I admire the fact that she can post more than once a day AND about different topics! LOL

Lisa at Sound Proof Room and Sara from Toward The Mark are also from our FaithPrints days. Two more deserving ladies and I treasure their friendship. Lisa is my west coast buddy that shares pieces of her life and her love for the Lord and she takes care of her son. And Sara blesses me with her post that make me think all while taking care of her little Jack and new baby Harry.

And then there is Iris from Sting My Heart. I think she already received this award as well. She is also a wonderful encourager and I enjoy reading her devotions and such. She is a blessing to the blogging community.

If you haven't already, go on over and visit each of these wonderful ladies. They will bless you as they share their hearts and lives.

Thanks again, Angel Mama.

Praise Him

I just wanted to pop in and thank everyone for their prayers. Praise God! He is in the midst of things and I know He is working all things for my good. I am excited about what He is going to do! (and about what He has already done!) There is nothing impossible with Him. How amazing to serve a living God!! It's late and I have had a long two days, so I am off to bed. Nitey nite!

Please Pray

I've got something very important going on in my home today. I ask each one that would to please pray about it. Have a great day and hopefully, I will post more later.

What Are We?

I have so much "rolling around" in my head today with revival going on (It is wonderful, by the way) and Anita's post on Lutheran worship. I am not sure that she is a "typical Lutheran" by standard. Not that I would know what the typical Lutheran is since I haven't known one until I *met* her. I am only resting this on the evidence I have witnessed in her writings, which brings me to my point. It is so easy to have a mental conception of some one else's denomination or style of service. What I mean by style of service is how a person lives their life daily for the Lord.....not their church program. That is why we are here....to serve HIM and by serving Him, we will serve others. Anita makes it clear that she is a server. I like that.

I don't believe God EVER intended us to be segregated by religious labels. He hasn't tried to "trick" us with different choices that we hope is the "right" one that gets us to heaven. NO. No. No. He has made it so simple, but man is responsible for "cluttering up" the way with " you have to do this" and "you can't do that" or " if you're not a believer in this particular denomination" and blah, blah, blah......it just goes on and on.

Because of these labels, we have a society that is full of fear. Fear of not doing the "right " thing or saying the "right" prayer that they will lose their soul forever. This is not of God. How does being afraid of our Father bring Him glory? It doesn't. Just imagine your own children. We know it has been said that children are a reflection of their parents. What are your children saying about you if they are cowering in fear while trying to carry out simple chores of everyday life? We know these chores were being done ONLY because of their fear and not because of their love and respect for you. There is a difference. Just as we want a close relationship with our children, one of love and respect, so does our heavenly father.

Another reason labels can hinder one is because they make a person think they have act or behave like everyone else in "their" belief system. It will cause them to stay "stuck" in a group because "I am not supposed to worship or act like that." Even though their heart is longing to feel what others are experiencing. Why are people so afraid of the Spirit of God? Labels. I am convinced it is being labled. Again, I am not saying we should be "willy nilly" and just do "whatever feels good." I am saying get on your face before God and don't be afraid to pour your heart out to Him. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you and He will. Once we do this, we'll know how to serve. His spirit is real and alive. Some have tried to make Him a figment of imagination or a cold, dead statue, but HE IS ALIVE! Don't be afraid. Don't rely on what man tells you.... Find out for yourself!

I have witnessed the Spirit of God this week in revival. It has been glorious. Praise God! I have seen walls coming down while people of different faiths have been worshipping. That is what we were created to do......worship! I have seen people weeping before the Lord with hearts and hands raised. I have seen some sitting on the pews quietly engulfed in the secure presence of the Lord. I have seen others that would have been too embarrassed to lift a hand in honor to God raise both hands. I believe lives are being changed forever! God will pour out His spirit where there is a hungry heart. I don't know about you, but His Spirit is Life to me.

There's only one way to heaven and this doesn't include a *magic formula* or "seven steps to self-righteousness" found in some book written with the intentions of making the top ten. Before you think I am against reading other books, let me just say that I am not. What I am saying is the bible must be read first so that you will be able to comprehend what is truth and how it should be applied to your life or what is false that should be tossed out. JESUS is the ONLY way to heaven. How do I know? The bible tells me so. I believe Jesus is the son of God, that He died for my sins, was resurrected on the third day and now sits on the right hand of God making intercession for me. Hallelujah! Do you believe this simple truth and share in love of Christ with me? If not, you can. Are you ready to trade the tumoil of life for the peace of God? Ask Him to forgive you of your sins and come into your heart to live. He will and it will be glorious and life changing!

A Sermon Worth Repeating

My friend Sara has a way of posing some interesting thoughts to chew on. She has challenged me to think on more than one occassion. One of the recent discussions made me think of this. Particularly the quote at the bottom.

The message, though written years ago, is a timely one. I hope you are blessed by it as I was I.



"Having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."—2 Peter 1:4.

VANISH for ever all thought of indulging the flesh if you would live in the power of your risen Lord. It were ill that a man who is alive in Christ should dwell in the corruption of sin. "Why seek ye the living among the dead?" said the angel to Magdalene. Should the living dwell in the sepulchre? Should divine life be immured in the charnel house of fleshly lust? How can we partake of the cup of the Lord and yet drink the cup of Belial? Surely, believer, from open lusts and sins you are delivered: have you also escaped from the more secret and delusive lime-twigs of the Satanic fowler? Have you come forth from the lust of pride? Have you escaped from slothfulness? Have you clean escaped from carnal security? Are you seeking day by day to live above worldliness, the pride of life, and the ensnaring vice of avarice? Remember, it is for this that you have been enriched with the treasures of God. If you be indeed the chosen of God, and beloved by Him, do not suffer all the lavish treasure of grace to be wasted upon you. Follow after holiness; it is the Christian's crown and glory. An unholy church! it is useless to the world, and of no esteem among men. It is an abomination, hell's laughter, heaven's abhorrence. The worst evils which have ever come upon the world have been brought upon her by an unholy church. O Christian, the vows of God are upon you. You are God's priest: act as such. You are God's king: reign over your lusts. You are God's chosen: do not associate with Belial. Heaven is your portion: live like a heavenly spirit, so shall you prove that you have true faith in Jesus, for there cannot be faith in the heart unless there be holiness in the life.


"Lord, I desire to live as one
Who bears a blood-bought name,
As one who fears but grieving Thee,
And knows no other shame."

C. H. Spurgeon


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Pray For Revival

We're in revival this week so please pray for a mighty outpouring of God's Spirit upon us. I would also like to ask you to pray for my daughter and a situation that involves her. We are praying God's will in this matter.

Ten Commandments

While searching online I found the Ten Commandments of Helen Steiner Rice. She is one of my favorite inspirational poets, but I had not heard of these before. I enjoyed them so much I wanted to share with you. Have a blessed day, everyone!

1. Thou shalt be happy


2. Thou shalt use thy talents to make others glad.


3. Thou shalt rise above defeat and trouble.


4. Thou shalt look upon each day as a new day.


5. Thou shalt always do thy best and leave the rest to God.


6. Thou shalt not waste thy time and energy in useless worry.


7. Thou shalt look only on the bright side of life.


8. Thou shalt not be afraid of tomorrow.


9. Thou shalt have a kind word and a kind deed for everyone.


10. Thou shalt say each morning -- I am a child of God and nothing can hurt me.


Helen Steiner Rice

Great Cookies Fast

Earlier tonight I wanted something to snack on and decided to google quick cookie recipes. I knew I was short on a few things I might need, so I was looking for something that used the mininum amount of ingredients. Well, imagine my suprise when I found this recipe for Easy Peanut Butter Cookies with only three ingredients and neither of them being flour! Being from the south, I thought it was impossibe to bake PB cookies without flour. I had to try it for myself.

These cookies are delicious and require less than 5 minutes prep. time. This will also come in handy when I have nothing in the house for surprise guests. I cannot get over how quick and easy these actually were. Let me know if you decide to try it for yourself. Below is a picture of what's left of the finished product.

A Chosen Vessel

One of these days I am going to remember to take "before" pictures. I went to Myrtle Beach Mother's Day and I don't remember if I blogged about that or not, but I went to Marshall's that day. While I was there I found a Victorian looking flower arrangement that I would have liked to have for my porch. It was $25 and I knew I would have to decide if I wanted to spend that amount for this realizing that after a few weeks the artificial flowers would fade and I would have a pretty container with those ugly, light green plants that those precious grannies have hanging from their rafters. (No offense intended if you have some of these. *smile*) I just adore ferns hanging from my porch, but I have a matter of direct sunlight that cooks the tender fronds to a brittle crispy brown. I have tried everything to remedy this but to no avail. I finally took pity on the poor things and decided that I wouldn't torture a single fern again. So, standing around doing "should I" or "shouldn't I" I finally decided shouldn't.



Later on that week I went browsing at my local T.J. Maxx and guess what I found? Yep! That same arrangement. On clearance! $15...Wow! Although it was missing a few flowers, I knew it was coming home with me. Have I ever mentioned how giddy I get when I find a bargain? So giddy in fact, that I am almost blushing even now. I stopped on way home at the Dollar Tree and purchased some fake fern fronds. I had no idea these were even here AND one dollar to boot! Giddy, I tell you, giddy. I could hardly wait to get home and begin my project of restoration.



I lovingly took the arrangement out of the car and immediately began "C. P. R." As I began to add the fern leaves I thought about a few flowers I had found a few weeks ago while cleaning out my closet. I knew these would be an absolute perfect addition to liven it up. I scrounged around until I found them again and added a few until I was satisfied. And here is the end result.

Not quite the way it was when it started out or how it was left, but a new creation! I thought about how it had been rejected by others. Bruised and battered, thus losing a lot of it's appeal, but in the end, it was chosen, changed and cherished. Isn't that like the love of Jesus? He looks upon us and sees our potential not our shortcomings and He lovingly brings us back to restoration. Thank God for that, or I too, would be on the clearance rack of life.

John 15:16
Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

***NOTE***
I did not realize what the daily verse was before this post. Ah, confirmation once again. Don't you love HIM?

Ta Dah!

I spent waaay more time experimenting with my new look than I wanted to. I hope you like it. I think I will have to view it with fresh eyes before I can make a final decision. Mine are awfully tired tonight and I don't trust them to judge anything effectively. I have been wanting to make some changes for awhile, but couldn't seem to find the time.

We had another hot day in the good 'ole south. Summer is edging in quickly and looks like it will live up to it's usual reputation. My heart goes out to the elderly and children with breathing problems. The heat usually intensifies their breathing discomfort. I just don't remember the days of summer being so hot when I was a child. I realize the older you get the worse it is, but I think it's more than that. We now have advisories for heat and air quality that are given during the weather report. I don't remember having these either until the last couple of years. What I do remember is getting off the school bus on breezy May days and kicking off my sneakers to feel the warm, cushy grass between my toes. This, of course this was to my grandmother's horror. She was under the distinct impression that we were "flirtin' with pneumonia" by going barefoot before the official arrival of summer. She also made sure no t-shirts (yes, we wore t-shirts under our regular clothes) were removed before their time. She was a long sleeved girl all summer long, as I can remember. She wore a hat, too. One of those big, straw ones. Nothing fancy, mind you. She held true to the plain and simple.

Well, I have got to get into bed. I need at least a few winks before Nathan's feet hit the floor. He waits for NO one! Nitey Nite.

We're Alive!

Time has slipped away ever so quickly. I can't believe it has been almost two weeks since my last post. Nathan has recovered from his ear infection, but not without incident. Last Saturday was a full schedule. We had a birthday party to attend for one of Nathan's friends and since he seemed to be feeling better, I decided to take him. He romped and played for about two hours and did not want to sit down to eat his meal or have cake and ice cream. I was just happy to see him playing again. He was seeming more "normal" except for an upset stomach.

By the time we arrived home for the evening, his upset stomach had become a major concern. Needless to say, after calling the pediatrician, I was on my way back to Express Care. The doctor, as well as myself, wanted him to be checked out, you know, just in case. Let me just say before you start thinking I am some medical room junkie, there are plenty of other details that led to my calling the pediatrician. Details that......well.....let's just say I had good reasons and you should be grateful that I have not listed them here. *smile*

After a couple of hours we were on our way home again and relieved. I was also thankful there were no major problems. It seems the antibiotic was causing the distress and I was told to discontinue it immediately. No problem. I haven't been comfortable with having to give Nathan medication anyway, so this was good news to me. Another thing, I was quite impressed with the Dr. of the night. He was absolutely wonderful! Dr. Tong, if you're out there, I'm giving you a great bit thumbs up! It is an awesome thing to have someone as a caregiver and is defined by the very word. I want to thank you all for your prayers. This is most important. I know that Nathan would not be as well as he is without the help of the Lord Jesus.
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Did I fail to mention how hot it is? It was a scorcher today and yesterday, thus, my new profile picture.

Speaking of that, I hope all enjoyed Father's Day. I wanted to blog about that, but it will have to wait. I have the sweetest picture...

I have a lot of catching up to do on everyone's blog. It doesn't take long to get behind and I have missed my friends so off I go.

Not Again!

I just got back from Urgent Care. Not one of my favorite places by a long shot, but since it was after hours I had no other choice. My first flag was raised last night when my little man wanted to go to bed early. He didn't have a temperature or seem abnormal in any other way so I counted it a blessing. He slept late this morning while I did the laundry, vacuumed the pool and tinkered around with a couple of other projects. Again, a blessing, I thought.

After he awoke, I fixed him something to eat and his appetite was normal. In fact, he wanted applesauce as an extra treat. It wasn't too long after his meal that I gave him his bath. We had to get ready for his speech appointment. I was very satisfied with his therapy today. He accomplished so much and I was proud of my little guy. His arm was covered in stickers that he received as rewards.

We stopped on the way home and got something for lunch. He didn't seem too interested in his chicken nuggets or fries, but I attributed it to his hearty breakfast. Once we got home he strolled around and played as usual. As the evening approached, he decided he wanted to take a nap with his dad. The both of them snuggled up together and out they went. Nathan was out in record time.

He had been sleeping for about an hour when I heard him coming through the living room, whining. Following close behind was dad. "He's burning up" was all I needed to hear. That small flag that had been raised last night was now up and waving madly. The thought of ear infection had been playing back and forth since last night, but I refused to dwell on it.

His pediatrician's office was closed and had been for over and hour. I immediately picked up the phone to make sure Urgent Care was open. They were. I had one hour to get there. We were off in a flash. Since it was the end of the evening we didn't have to wait too long. I don't think we have ever gotten in and out so quick. I am thankful for that.

I really thought that tubes meant an end to ear infections. Boy, was I wrong. I hope this is at least the last one for a few months. Please pray for my little man. He is so miserable and it breaks my heart to see him this way.

A Contest

My friend Anita is having a Summer Reading Contest. She is giving away a gift certificate to Amazon. Visit her page to find out all of the details.

Now, most of you will agree the bible is our all time favorite book. And that's because it is God's word that gives direction for our life. It gives us strength for the journey, hope for the discouraged and food for the hungry. It's all that and so much more! Since most will agree to this, I am posting my second favorite at the moment. In fact, I let you know about this one a few weeks back. It is The Pleasures Of Tea. After taking a few peaks inside you will know why.

So, off you go. Put your name in for the running!

Dishes And Dawn

I am thankful for the much needed rain we received over the weekend. The crops have been very dry and started to "yellow." This is not good. We all know the effects of farming season. It is like everything else. When conditions are good, prices are pretty stable, but when weather is not accommodating, our veggie prices go through the roof. I don't know about you, but I am paying more than I want to for items of necessity as it is.

I have been trying to cut back on purchases and I have been using as little electricity as possible. I haven't used my dryer but once in about a month. I hang all of my laundry on the clothesline. I love the fresh smell it gives my clothes. I have also been hand-washing all of my dishes. No dishwasher running up the bill here. While I was preparing the dish water the other day, I picked up my bottle of Dawn and squirted amount needed for the perfect lather under the flowing faucet. The smell of it brought back so many memories.

I thought about the days I would stand at the sink as a small child while my grandmother washed dishes. I can still see that big, pink bottle of the cheapest stuff she could afford. I think it was called Lilac or something like that. It was not known to have the staying power of the name brand stuff, but she used it just the same. I know she had to use twice as much to get those dishes clean. By the time she did this she could have gotten the better stuff. It's strange that I remember what my grandmother used at that time, but not my own mother. As I got older and laden with the dish washing responsibility, (we did not own a dishwasher) I did not want to use the pink stuff. I wanted something that would last. I wanted Dawn. Do any of you remember your first encounter with Dawn. I knew this was the one for me. I am not sure where I first used this super, sudsy, power house, but I was impressed.


This is a great product, and as time has passed, it has evolved into many different fragrances and formulas. Through the years, I left my first love of the original and was led away to try some of the other scents. I even strayed for awhile and tried other brands. There is no substitute. I had decided to go back to the original. After all, this is what sold me to begin with. I finished filling my sink with the sudsy blue formula and thought about how I had missed the "original" scent. There is an indescribable clean smell about it.


While washing my dishes, I thought about how we as Christians, can easily be led away from our first love. We are constantly being tempted with new gadgets and gizmos that keep our lives busy. Our focus should not be on the things we acquire in this life. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with having material things if we know how to manage time spent with them. In fact, I think God blesses us with lots of things that make our life easier. We are children of the king and He wants us to have the best, but we must keep our eyes on Him first. All these other "things" are bonuses and only bring temporary satisfaction if we don't keep them in the proper perspective. God is the originator of our life's contentment. If we find ourselves discontented, we need to go back to the Original. Jesus Christ. He is the only one that can fill the void in our lives.

Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Fun, Fun, Fun

Caleb *skipped* school yesterday. He needed to put his feet up. Now you know where I have been for the past few days. Sun, sun, sun. Temps in the 90's.

And no, I am not being over-protective with his double swimmie suit. *smile*

Remembering

May we Never forget our freedom or the ones who have helped us to keep it. Please keep my brother in law in prayer as he is acting in our behalf at this very moment. Thank-you, Mike and the countless others. Please remember to pray for the families that have lost precious family members.

A Cute Little Purse

While I was over visiting Iris, I found this cute Dooney and Bourke purse giveaway. An added bonus is Victoria Secret perfume. It is being held over at Pinks & Blues Blog. I went ahead and threw my name in the ring and you can too! Just go on over there and sign up!! You only have until June 1st.

Happy Friday

Blessings to all!

I Have Been Slack

I know, I know, I've been slacking in the blogosphere. I have popped in and out to read my friend's blogs, even if I haven't commented for lack of time and I have prayed for those in need. I have kept my clothesline busy this week. All of my laundry has been hanging out in the wide open sunshine. I am hoping to see a difference in my electric bill. I don't want to go on a rampage here, *smile* but with gas prices the way they are every little bit helps.



Nathan is loving playtime outside. Hubs is suppose to get a smaller area fenced in the yard to help keep him contained. There is just so much for him to get into and that's not all. Fire Ants. I am almost convinced these are a plague. We haven't been able to get rid of them. I have never seen them this bad. We have put poison out for several years, but that only makes them move from one area to another. Gone are the days when you could get barefoot and fancy free on the luscious lawn.



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Nathan had his second appointment with his speech therapist yesterday. I don't know, but for some reason, I am unsure about this. Not with therapy, but with Nathan's responses to the exercise. The therapist had two stacks of pictures of boys and girls. She would hold one of each up at the same time and ask Nathan "which one is the girl/boy?" His only attempt of answering this was by reaching for one of the pictures. After his choice she would scribble something on her pad. This is where I was getting a little fidgety. What was she scribbling and why was I afraid to ask? I probably wouldn't have been so uncomfortable except I knew Nathan was making his choices based on what the girl/boy in the pics was doing or holding. Balloons, bikes, and bananas captivated his attention. That's what he was going after. I wanted to bring this to her attention, but *sighing* feeling a little intimidated, I said nothing. I will see how it goes next time.



Speaking of Nathan's speech, he doesn't make full sentences well. Yesterday, while I was in the kitchen he wanted juice. Anything we put in his cup for him drink is "juice." I heard him saying "mama's juice" curious as to what he could be talking about, I turned to see him holding my water bottle. He sure knows how to bring a smile to my face.

I don't know how much time I will spend on here. It's time to get the pool going and ya'll remember what a chore that was for me last year. Whew! I am hoping to get it going by this weekend. I am planning to have a few people over for a cookout on my BRAND. NEW. GRILL!
Yes, you read it right. Hubs decided not to take anymore chance and went out and purchased himself that new grill we had discussed previously. Yay!! Grilled steak is sooo much better than broiled. I have already tried it out and it works beautifully. I will try to post pictures as soon as I can.....if I don't forget.