As Far As IT goes

GIFT GIVING, SHOPPING, DRIVING TO PARTIES, WRAPPING, BAKING, COOKING, EATING, TREE TRIMMING, STUFFING STOCKINGS...

 

this is IT for a lot of people.

 It is here already.. CHRISTMAS eve.. It seems we just put the tree back up in the attic.. from last year. I can not believe this year is already almost over. For many, it is all about the gifts, Santa, eating, Time with family they have not seen.etc.. They NEVER put CHRIST in Christmas. They want all for themselves.. or they think of just their four and no more.. Some celebrate the birth, (AND THEY SHOULD), BUT that is as far as it goes... HE was born.. Some still have HIM  in the manger... They don't take it any further. Christ came to be born to DIE!! Die for our sins.. He was wounded for OUR transgressions...  He was born to die upon Calvary. He died so we could live. This is the best  Christmas gift ever given.

Luke 23:33 And when they were come to the place which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.

 Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift.

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM OUR HOME TO YOURS!!

 

Christmas is a little more merrier this year. Chris'Grandmother went home to Heaven  saturday. She is with her Heavenly Father. He has made this a special Christmas for her, and she is having the best one ever with her Savior, Husband, and two of her children. Today, We will lay her body to rest, but she is with Jesus... Christmas in HEAVEN!!!

We wish everyone in our family, and our friends, and all of our ''blogger friends'' a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and a Happy NEW YEAR. Take time out to celebrate the true meaning of this season.  JESUS!! if you do, truely, it will be the best one you have ever had!!

keep it real

 it is truly hard to believe it is Christmas time again!!! to me, this year has been one of the fastest years yet... after february, it just absolutely flew by... Christmas is such a wonderful time of the year... People are usually in better moods, they tend to want to be more generous...they are more attentive to the needs of elderly.. i watch a show in the mornings here, it always has the 25 wishes of Christmas every year. this is 25 different wishes granted to a group of selected people.. One lady has got a set of bunk beds for her kids, one lady asked for a new fridge for her parents, one man asked for a recliner for his mom... ALL these wishes have been granted... I think this is a wonderful thing.

 MY hubby and me at Christmas last year

 

 

 

To some, this is as far as they go with Christmas, it's all about what they want or get... or really HOW MUCH they can get for themselves...  People need to go back to the true meaning of Christmas.. Christ has never left Christmas..yet, so many have left Him out.... they put other things in His place, when He should be first.. He is the true meaning, it is His birthday.. I am glad He did not stay in the manger. I am glad HE was born, and then died on Calvary for us to have eternal life.

Apple pie my aunt made last year for our family Christmas

 

we need to keep it real this Christmas... It is wonderful to do all the decorating, baking, eating, exchanging of gifts etc.. but keep the real meaning of Christmas alive... Make it REAL TO YOU...

 

Isaiah 7:14:9:6 For unto us a child is born,unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty GOD, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

 

BY HIM

What comfort by Him do we win

Who made Himself the price for sin

To make us heirs of glory?

To see this Babe all innocence,

A Martyr born in our defense:

Can man forget this story? - Ben Jonson

 

roasted acorn squash = yummy

when fall rolls in, i tend to try to be in the kitchen more, trying new things. cool crisp fall days make you want ''comfort food''.. this includes yummy, hearty, soups, creamy hot pasta, and all the goodness of homemade apple ANYTHING.. after all, this is fall, and we know fall = apples..

when summer is coming to it's end, the grocery stores start putting out their fall squash, pumpkins, etc.  I want to first say, I LOVE FRIED SQUASH!!!! and i love to grow my own.. but i am interested in butternut, and acorn squash also... I recently started wondering what it would be like to bake or ''roast'' some.. so, I did.. It was very good.. 

 I took an ACORN squash.. Cut it in half, and got all the seeds out..

 I placed it in a glass pyrex dish, with just a little water..

 I drizzeled it with honey and sprinkled a little salt on it..

I baked (roasted) it in the oven, on 350 degrees for about 25 minutes..

after it comes out.. add a little butter, and i did add a small amount of brown sugar.. IT was YUMMY.. and if you wonder if it tasted like sweet potato... maybe a little.. but it was not near as sweet.. I liked this new alternative to squash..... OH, and NO, this is NOT off pinterest...just something I wanted to do.... lol

PRAYER can change ANYTHING!!

Psalms 63:1 O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee; my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is.

 

I am so glad that He hears me when I pray.It can be for the smallest of things.It can be for strength to make it through the day. It can be for energy to walk up 2 flights of stairs. It can be for traveling mercy to and from. It can be bearing a friend's heavy burden, who is going through a heavy trial in their life right now, unsure of what to do next.

 

We face situations every day of our lives, some very much unexpected.Our trials can come and go, but quickly they can send us on our knees, or in our ''special prayer place,'' crying to the Lord for help. He takes time to hear every word... It is during this time, He can use our trial or problem we are facing to draw us closer to Him, to draw our attention to an area in our life He wants complete control over. He wants us to surrender it to Him. Denying ourself is a biggie..We have to realize we are NOTHING WITHOUT HIM.

 

1 Peter 5:8-9 Be sober,be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

 

The devil wants to destroy us, and can even use ''people'' to do it. They can lie, cheat and destroy your character. They can use something to try to use for ''their advantage.'' We have to give it to God.

 

We have to be bold enough to hold on that He is in control, and be brave enough to trust Him to bring us through it. Through our trials, we know that in the end, He will see us through to the end.

 I truly believe that when I pray, He knows why, what ,when and how the outcome is going to be..

 

God knows ALL about it, and what WE are going through.

Learn to ALWAYS trust HIM, for HE knows just WHAT to do.

 

I am praying for a certain situation today. I am praying for guidence, and praying and trusting that when one door closes, another one opens...open wide, and something on the other side is beautiful, and waiting for us... and WE can glorify the Lord, knowing HE answers prayer. It can change ANYTHING!!

 

10 GREAT YEARS!!

I can hardly believe it.. Last week, we celebrated 10 years of marriage!! It does not seem we have been married for 10 years!!! We have had ten great years.. we have definately had many struggles and battles to face together, but God has been faithful to us every step of the way!!

We  went to Cancun for our ANNIVERSARY trip.. It was great and we had a blast.. we enjoyed lots of great food, took in some great shows, and even enjoyed a wonderful ''couple's day'' at the spa...a wonderful treat to ourselves!!! I hope to have all the pics downloaded soon, so I will post some maybe tomorrow!!

It's hard to come back to reality... but it did not seem very bad.. glad to be back in good ole USA!! It still is the greatest country to be in!!

happy birthday sis!!

 we celebrated my sister's birthday, and the ''start of fall'' with a family campout last weekend. we had a great meal of yummy burgers, dawgs, baked beans, and all the trimmings, along with homemade carrot cake for her birthday cake. we had such  fun around the campfire roasting marshmellows, and talking and laughing.. just being together..
on saturday, those who did not stay over came back for a delicious breakfast. we had a blast riding the paddleboats, and exploring around the campground!! it was what my sis wanted to do for her birthday..so, that's what she got!!

 she even got candles...lighting the way to her JUG!!

 TWO LOVEBIRDS RIDING THE PADDLEBOATS!!

 YUMMO BREAKFAST!!

 LOVE THIS CUTE LITTLE BROWN EYED BLESSING!!

SLIDING AND PLAYING AT THE PLAYGROUND!!

HER YUMMY BIRTHDAY CAKE!!

Fall IS in the air

beautiful view of the lake

 The warm summer days are SLOWLY dissapearing. We like to make the most of them until they are gone. Fall will be here on Saturday.I do love summer. I love spending the day lounging by the pool. I love the water. I love fresh veggies from the garden. It's sad to see it all go until next year, I dearly LOVE the new season FASTLY approaching.

Thursday, I spent the morning cleaning and clearing the flowers that I had in the planters. They are almost all gone. I plan on planting pretty mums and maybe some pansies next week. I took the ''summer decor'' down. This included butterflies, and flip flops, etc... I will put out fall leaves, pumpkins, and one of my favorites, sunflowers..  I just look at these plants, and become instantly happy... I have also some new decor pieces this year also... I will share them later.. I got my first ''fall feel'' a few weeks ago, and got the ''want to'' to bake some apple bread..yummmm.. look forward to doing this again maybe next week.  Saturday, I think is the first day of fall!!!

I spent the day  friday, with a group of ladies from my church. My mother asked me to go with her and some friends to Chimmney Rock for the day. I had just went there 2 weeks ago with my hubby. He was working, and so I did not want to spend all day alone, so after some thought,, I agreed to go with them. I am glad I did.We had a great, fun time looking in all the shops,had a great cup of coffee, a delicious cone of ice cream.. It was a fun time. We stopped in at this cute little fruit stand. It had fresh tomatoes, and all kinds of jams/jellies. Mrs. Doris bought Charles some green tomatoes.. She said he loves them!! We stopped for a late lunch b4 returning home.It is a great thing to be with the older ladies. You really can learn so much!! They are such great Christian women to follow.

Titus 2 :3-5 The aged women likewise,that they be in behavior as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things. That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children. To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home,good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

When I returned home, hubby asked me to come eat supper with he and the guys. We talked about what we would do on Saturday. We had a fun day planned together. We went to a state park, and had a grill-out picnic by the lake, and then went out fishing for the day. We did not catch anything, but had fun trying. They were having a horse show also there this weekend. We got to see some pretty horses.Wow!! I love these fun, special times together. We left the lake and went by our favorite mexican place for supper!! We had a fabulous day!!

 horses on the banks

 yum.. hotdogs

 

Love your special times together, It could change INSTANTLY!!

Lending A Hand

My MOTHER called me last friday and asked me if I wanted to  go to a nearby store with her. I really did not feel like going. I was really having one of those sleepy days. After dozing off again, the phone rang. It was hubby, asking me to meet him and the guys for mexican lunch.... hmmmm... I said yes..after all, I was about to starve, and I very seldom turn down mexican food!!!
 I called my mama to find out if she still was going shopping, she said yes.. She said she would meet me there after our lunch. We shopped around there for about an hour. We left and went our separate ways. I decided to go back by our local library. I try to go at least once a week.It is wonderful ME time, and I love to sit and read cooking magazines, do my devotions and writing for this blog, or just get some quiet time. I can chill with my Starbucks, and a comfy chair. It was NO accident for me going there .. God had a plan.

There is a man I see there almost every time I go. He is usually LOUD, amd rather stumbly.. He does not get around good.. I found out today, he is 96, and STILL drives!!!!! YIKES!!! He is really loud to be in a library, but today, I noticed he was not as loud.He kept getting up and down out of his chair, and getting different magazines. I was sitting in a chair next  to him, looking at the newspaper. He got up and was returning a magazine to it's shelf, and FELL,he passed out, and hit his head and arm on the shelf. He finally came to, after I was shouting at him. He was bleeding from his arm, and was wollering on the floor. He had wet his pants.. I felt extremly bad for the poor man.He was barely responsive. I quickly ran for help, at the front of the library.The library manager and myself got him stable. We called 911, it seemed forever before they arrived. In the meantime, the librarian provided me with medical supplies and I cleaned his arm ,and stopped the bleeding.I dressed it also.
The man was checked out by the paramedics, and he refused to go to the hospital. I really disagreed. I felt like he should have went to checked out at the hospital. I felt really bad for the poor man. The librarian told me that the man had NO immediate family. I thought about him all night, wondering how he was. After he declined to go to the hospital, he said he just wanted to go home.. YIKES, x 2!!! How was he going to drive himself home??? After trying to tell him NOT to drive home, he  insisted on leaving. I felt helpless, but could NOT make him stay... I did stay and watch and make sure he got to his car ok.. I watched the news that night for recent wrecks, I did not hear of any... Praise the Lord!!!. I was glad to be able to use my skills to help him, and lend him a hand. I really feel I was at the right place at the right time. Where the man fell,  he was in the back of the library. Had I NOT been back there next to him, IF he had fallen, he probably would not have been seen for awhile. God knew all this was going to happen.
I am glad He puts us where we are needed, and where HE wants us.I was glad to help the poor man, but  was even more relieved he was NOT seriously injured!!! Praise the Lord!!

The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him. Nahum 1:7

Adventure Fun?? YES!!

Having FUN can be an adventure!!!!!! I like having No plans!!!!Sometimes, we rarely have days where we don't know what we want to do for the day. I kind of like those days...NO plans..just kind of a lazy day.. We kind of had one of those days Saturday.... After many ??? of ''What do you want to do today??'', I told hubby I really did not care.. just did not want to stay home on a beautiful day.... We chose to ride toward  Chimney Rock... AND lake lure for the day...
We had such a fun time just walking through the town area, and exploring all the fun quaint shops... We had done this before, but it is always fun to do it again.. We had a fun lunch right on the little river, with a great view of the rock!! We went on a little trail walk, and then went to a cute little antique shop.. this was a little Heaven on Earth for me..... I loved looking at all the things, and they had all kinds of stuff I liked.. I even bought a few things I had been looking for, and some wonderful smelling candles....Mmmmmmm!!!!

We came by the Lake Lure and walked the trails there and even witnessed a beautiful wedding ceremony about to happen... It was fun to be nosy behind the bushes!!!!

 We were being nosy looking at this pretty wedding about to begin!!

 pretty view of the Lake

 LOVE  these

 YUMMY CHEESEBURGER

PRETTY VIEW OF THE ROCK!!

We had a fun filled day..and that was what I liked about it... NOT really knowing what we were going to get into..just as long as I was with my sweetie!!!

Comfort: We need it!!!

COMFORT IS SOMETHING WE ALL NEED. We need to feel it from time to time. It is always great to feel ''everyhing will be alright'', when what we are facing tells us it may be different.

2 Corinthians 1:3 KJV Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort.

Sometimes the comforting of someone is NOT enough. HE comforts anyone who calls upon HIM in time of need. Some people blame God for what has happened to them, that they overlook Him, right there ,wanting to help them through whatever they may be going through. HE is very near when HE COMFORTS US!!

We go through times in our lives, when we don't feel the closeness of God.We are not as close to God as we need to be.He is always near. I can relate to this, personally. This also helps us to comfort others. It gives us a sense of encouragement to help others with the problems they are going through. I face this every day. If I can help someone, medically, physically, spiritually then I feel that God used me for His honor to comfort someone... EVEN when I feel like ''it's NO use!!!'' Sometimes, just lending an ear to someone who wants to share their problems, and burdens can be a great comfort to others.. YOU don't have to say a word, just BE THERE..

I like the book of Psalms. You can ALWAYS find COMFORT there. 

Psalm 23:4 KJV ''Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou are with me, thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.''

glad to know HE comforts me when I am weary, eases EVERY pain, feels my deepest longings, time and time again!!

The comfort of HIS love,

Helps the struggles along;

Praising the LORD above,

In words of joyful song.

Angel's Landing Camping

my catfish i caught.it weighed about 9 pounds.

 my hubby and I, along with my mama,sister, and nephew just returned from a little R&R. we went camping at a''HOLE ON THE WALL'' place, we just kind of ran up on. we had fun cooking, fishing, and camping and lots of laughs and good times. we cooked some yummy hotdogs with homemade chili, wonderful waffles, and even some fried catfish.

our view from our campsite.

the campground..

while we were there, drake met a new friend. his name was hunter. he was there with his grandparents. drake and hunter hit it off.. and they were inseparable after that. they had a blast fishing, riding bikes, swimming..you name it, they done it.. they really liked being together. on sunday night, myself, hubby, drake, hunter, and pop-pop(hunter's grandpa) went night catfishing with a man, Mr. Ritchie..this man was a trip!! he knew how to cafish.. we caught 3 in a short time. drake caught this one, it weighed 19 pounds!! he was reluctant to holding it to take a pic, this is the closest we got him to it, but he was still all smiles!!

yes!!this is real!!! there were several around the campground..this little guy lingered at the drain pipe where you clean the fish.. when you cut the water on, the water runs to the end of the pipe, into the lake, and he sits at the end of the pipe.. it ws really something being that close to the gators.. and scary too.. and they were fun to watch...

my mama bought me a new waffle iron.. and we had a fun time making waffles for breakfast, one morning.. they were delicious!!

we had a great time, and it was so good to be with family, and have fun times together.. we look forward to going back there, soon!!

Priorities?? Where do YOU stand???

Mark 8: 36-37 KJV  For what shall it profit a man . If he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

PRIORITIES????? WHERE DO YOU STAND???

I tend to get my priorities out of order from time to time. I feel like I neglect my housework,ALOT, from time to time.. I can really tell it, when I go to the linen closet to get a towel for my shower, and there are just a few washcloths in there.. OR when I go to the sink, and there are dirty dishes in  there, that I said I would load in the dishwasher ''in a little bit''. but got off track, and some ''other priority'' took it's place.. That is when I have to regroup and prioritize what is more important??? clean clothes?? OR tv show?? clean dishes?? OR SHOPPING!!!!!!!! WOW!!! I LOVE TO SHOP!! hmmmmm???? lol.. In several areas in our lives, priorities have ''their place''....

A young Preacher/ College boy in our Church, preached a message a few weeks ago on, ''Standing in your Place.'' It was a wonderful, challenging message.. He said in his message there were 4 things we could conquer if we ''stood in our place''.. 1) faint- not getting tired, Remember strength?? It is made perfect in weakness. 2) fierce- don't be scared.. lean on THE EVERLASTING ARM. 3) fatigue- we will get tired, but keep on keeping on, and  4) fear- don't be afraid o show your faith. have FAITH in Him..

I think still, one of my favorite things to remember is JOY. JESUS, OTHERS, YOU..

IF you have them in this order, how could anything go wrong?? To get our priorities in order, I think we need to die to self DAILY!!! this is the true ''WILL OF GOD''..give each day  to HIM, for him to  use you..WHAT CAN YOU DO TO PLEASE HIM TODAY?? Don't ever think you can do anything by yourself.. YOU WILL FAIL!!  OBEY His Word, and live in the center of His will..This ought to make you STAND IN YOUR PLACE, more everyday..It is vital. Judges 7:21 And thy stood every man in his plac round about th camp: and all the host ran, and cried, and fled.

have you ever really thought about WHO is  expecting YOU to stand in YOUR PLACE?? wow, that is really something to think about!!! and very''humbling'' too, i might add... someone is watching you stand, and watching your actions when troubles come, and trials.. how YOU handle them??? 

this brings me to a conclusion... We need to get our priorities in line and order, and don't let the devil take ''OUR PLACE''..The Lord stood for us , why can we not stand for Him??  If we put our priorities in order, according to The Word of God, He will bless us, and we will have JOY, knowing we are ''Standing in our Place''!!

family fun time

 

THIS IS BEAUTIFUL.. A VERY COOL PLACE!!

*****FAMILY TIME-***** ENJOY EVERY TIME TOGETHER AS A FAMILY, WHILE YOU CAN!!! YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN IT COULD BE YOUR LAST TIME TOGETHER!!

 my family and i like to do fun things... we had never been to a zoo together as a family, so, my and hubby and I planned a fun ''family field trip'' to the zoo... not everyone in the family got to go, because of jobs, or previous engagements, but the ones that went had a ball..and look forward to going to another one ,soon. we started the day with breakfast at bojangles, then a 2 hour ride to the zoo,,,.. we had soo much fun looking and watching the animals..... some really amaze me. i could sit and look at them  for hours....... we had a delicious ''picnic/tailgate'' lunch on the grounds.. it was so fun too.... it was a very fun day filled with laughter, and excitement, and LOTS of walking... and we even saw a family from our church... imagine that...lol.. we finished up with a great meal at O' Charley's..... it was a great day!!!!

 Have you ever thought???? black on white?? OR white on black??????? these animals are simply gorgeous!!! And they are so very smart!! i think these are a definite favorite!!!!

 nephew, Drake and his daddy!!.. on a monkey??

i love him!!!!

the seals..

 choot em!!!!

looking at the alligators!!!

TRUST THE POTTER

JEREMIAH 18:3 KJV THEN I WENT DOWN TO THE POTTER'S HOUSE, AND, BEHOLD , HE  WROUGHT A WORK ON THE WHEELS.

I KNOW I SAID THIS IN A PREVIOUS BLOG POST. I HEARD A SONG LAST WEEK, WHILE DOING SOME  THINGS AROUND THE HOUSE. THAT SONG WAS ''JUST A SONG'' I WAS KIND OF LISTENING TO.... BUT THEN I STARTED REALLY LISTENING TO THE TRUE WORDS AND MEANING TO THE SONG.... IT WAS REALLY GREAT, AND ONE I FEEL LIKE WAS IN HIS PERFECT TIMING FOR ME TO HEAR LAST WEEK... HE MAKES NO MISTAKES.... IT HAS BEEN ON MY HEART AND MIND, AND I HAVE BEEN REALLY BREAKING DOWN THE CHORUS IN MY HEAD. A GROUP THAT I SING IN AT CHURCH IS GOING TO LEARN IT, I HOPE IT WILL BE A BLESSING TO OTHERS, AS IT HAS BEEN TO ME.

TRUST THE POTTER
** GIVE HIM EVERYTHING  TO HIM, LET HIM MOLD YOU AND MAKE YOU INTO SOMETHING GREAT...
** HE CONFORMS YOU TO WHAT HE WANT YOU TO BE.. (in HIS image)
HE KNOWS WHAT'S BEST FOR ME!!!
**HE IS LOOKING OUT FOR YOURS AND MY BEST INTEREST, AND WHAT IS HIS WILL FOR MY LIFE.
** WE HAVE TO ENDURE THE '' WHEEL''!!!! 
HE HAS A PERFECT PLAN THESE EYES CAN'T SEE!!! 
**HE HAS A PERFECT PLAN FOR OUR LIFE, AND KNOWS US BY NAME, AND KNOWS OUR PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE!!
HE'S THE POTTER, I 'M THE CLAY, HE KNOWS JUST HOW MUCH I CAN TAKE!! 
** SOMETIMES, WE DON'T WANT FOR HIM TO MOLD US A CERTAIN WAY, BECAUSE WE WANT EVERYTHING DONE ''OUR WAY''!!! THIS IS A BIG ONE FOR ME.. I THINK I AM VERY INDEPENDENT!! BUT I REALLY AM WEAK!!!
** HE KNOWS OUR PRESSURE POINTS!!!! 
WHEN I FACE THE FIRE AGAIN, I WILL TRUST THE POTTER'S HAND!!! 
** WE NEED TO BE SUBMISSIVE TO HIS WILL AND ''WHEEL''. IT TAKES TIME, BUT IN THE END, WE CAN BE A BEAUTIFUL AND GREAT DISPLAY FOR HIM.

ISAIAH 64::8 KJV BUT NOW, O LORD, THOU ART OUR FATHER; WE ARE THE CLAY, AND THOU OUR POTTER; AND WE ARE THE WORK OF THY HAND.  

THIS ALSO MAKES ME THINK OF ANOTHER SONG, A DEAR FRIEND OF MINE SINGS,'' HE DIDN'T THROW THE CLAY AWAY.''

A vessel of HIS honor, I am today, all because JESUS didn't throw the clay away!!!

this is a wonderful blessing!!!

A time and Season

EVERYTHING  has a SEASON.. ..

Ecclesiastes 3:!  To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.

Is it WINTER IN your life?????????????

i want to start by saying this is mainly for me.. i need to be reminded of all of this today.. blogging is a way for me to VENT my true thoughts, and feelings about the things in my life.. At the same time, I never want to be a hinder on anyone.. I have a heavy burden for something tonight.. the LORD knows ALL about it, and even knows the outcome of it all... I know in HIS perfect Season and time, HIS will, will be done... This is just me journaling... so here goes................lol :)))

I like to sit by the pool and watch the water, I really like to watch the wind blow through the trees.. This reminds me that Fall IS SOON upon us... we have had a rough, hotttt, summer.. but i do love the summer time. i LOVE the summer fruits and veggies fresh from the garden.. tonight, i picked cayenne pepper, a tomato, and some banana pepper.. by the end of the week, we should be picking green beans, and some cucumbers..yumm!!!  I am amazed how EVEN the way it looks outside, you can ''kind of tell'' the season we are in.. This also puts me in to another  mode.. our spiritual season....

sometimes we go through times in our lives that puts us in different seasons... just saying for example, when I think of WINTER, i think of COLD, DARK, RAINY WEATHER.... BUT then SPRING is just around the corner... hmmmmm... we may be in a winter time in our lives, when everything seems dark, LONELY, AND COLD.. we have NOWHERE TO RUN AND HIDE to get WARM... oh, but we do.. The Lord is there with open arms to welcome us, and provides warmth beyond comprehension... He lets us snuggle up to Him and DEPEND ON Him... this is really amazing!!!  and SPRING is here before we know it.. when i think of spring, i think of light and hope... EVERYTHING NEW.... WOW!! HE knows when to send the winter, but really shows us HIS true WORKS with His handywork of everything NEW AND beautiful... He does all this for us!!! Summer  comes and we can bask in ''HIS light'', knowing we are an example of His beauty..... and He made us, and is helping us through every trial.. We can shine for His good and for His glory.. the HOTTNESS of summer dies down to the coolness and crispness of Fall..and oh, the beauty of this season.. To me, this is probably my FAVORITE SEASON.. it shows us God's beauty of colors.. i love that  Every leaf is DIFFERENT.. and it is.. the colors , red, orange, and yellows.. are bright and broad.. this REMINDS me that He brings different things in our lives to BRIGHTEN our lives... to show us he is in control.. and when we are brought through our trial, a bigger, brighter picture is there, waiting on us to see the beauty of it all.. and His hand through every time and season in our lives..The seasons change, and I am thankful they do.. think of living in COLD, DARK, RAINY conditions FOREVER!!! this is not a season i could be stuck in.. This makes me think that even though winter may be here, ''spiritually'' it will be just short time, and SPRING is here before we know it!!!.thank God HE KNOWS when to change ''our season''!!!!!!  i am thankful for His FAITHFULNESS.. it is certain and very promising through the ''real seasons'' of all the months of the year, but most all, through the ''seasons'' of MY LIFE!!!!

birthdays and blessings

I'LL TRUST THE POTTER'S HAND, HE KNOWS WHATS BEST FOR ME!!  HE HAS A PERFECT PLAN,  THESE EYES CANT SEE, HE'S THE POTTER , I 'M  THE CLAY, HE KNOWS JUST HOW MUCH I CAN TAKE, WHEN I FACE THE FIRE AGAIN, I WILL TRUST THE POTTER'S HANDS.

wow..what great words!!! just sitting here this morning , enjoying my delicious muffins with cream cheese, and oh, so good Starbucks..    Let me just say, if you love Starbucks, then spend some extra money, and buy some for the home... it is AWESOME to have ANYTIME you want, without having to leave your home!!!!!! As i am sitting here blogging, that song above came on the radio... the words are just beautiful. (( ''HE knows whats best for me!! )))   if that song did NOT say anything else, that would be enough.. Glad to be reminded of this today!!

i need to get up from here to get ready for church.. we had a fun weekend, got to go fishing some friday.. we did not catch anything, but it was still fun hanging out with my hubby... it came a HUGE STORM, and we had to leave.. we went to a favorite place for supper before heading home...,  and today , we are celebrating my nephew, Drake's birthday!!!  He is growing real fast!!! He will be in the fourth grade this time!!!
Happy birthday, Drake!!

Thank You LORD

i am waking  up this morning to find out about the Colorado movie theater shooting... wow... things just keep getting worse every day.. I am overwhelmed at how a heartless person can take innocent, young lives... People are cruel!!! They need Jesus!! I am praying today for the families of these victims, and I am  very glad they have this person in custody, so  that he can no longer do this!!!

This makes me thankful today to the Lord for all His many blessings. My ''Grattitude Attitude'' today is in place.  Some blessings today include, my hubby arriving from work this morning, SAFE!! and at home with me!!! A good morning hug and kiss!! Thankful for a yummy breakfast that he prepared for me and him!! Thankful for our home, and our little piece of land we have here... It still amazes me that the Lord preserved this just for us.. in HIS time... Thankful for the ''basic things''.. like water, AIR CONDITIONER!!!!!!, and power!!! We have  had a a lot of power outages in our area lately, due to really bad storms.. Thankful HE has kept us safe. I am thankful for our garden.. I know that is  kind of crazy.. but I am thankful for it.. It has had a SLOW start, because it was soooo dry, but we have got some much needed rain, so it has kind of had a growth spurt over the past few days.. We have gotten cucumbers, tomatoes, and peppers of the vines this week..

2 Thessalonians 5:18 KJV In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

This makes me aware to NEED to be more thankful. Often I struggle with the WILL of God concerning my life. I definately know that it IS the WILL of Him to be thankful.This is commanded!!!! ,According to this verse in 2 Thessalonians. When we are thankful,it is much more easier to praise the Lord for the things He has done for us. I, sometimes, worry about what iS going to happen tomorrow, before I am even thankful for the things that have happen, or will happen today!!! I need to work on that, because I know He is in control of it ALL.. past, present, and FUTURE!!!
I found this poem and it describes my true feelings today.....

THANKSGIVING is more than a day in November, That students of history are taught to remember, For while we still offer the traditional prayer, We pray out of habit without being aware, That the pilgrims thanked GOD just for being alive, For the strength that HE gave them to endure and survive. Oh, teach us, dear GOD, we are pilgrims, STILL, Subject alone to  YOUR guidance and Will, And show us the way to purposeful living, So we may have reason for DAILY THANKSGIVING!!!!!

Thank you Lord for your blessings on me and my wonderful family.. Your goodness amazes me everyday!!

CHRISTmas in JULY!!!!

 Luke 2:11 KJV  For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Saviour,  which is Christ the Lord.

Merry CHRISTmas!!! yes, I said it!!! It is CHRISTmas in July, here at the Simple Gift. Here it is, EXTREMELY hotttt...!! My family and I just returned from our annual family beach vacay. We have enjoyed yummy meals, long lounges on the beach, homemade ice cream, shopping, eating, playing games, eating..., swimming, oh, and I forgot, eating!!!!! We had a fabulous time, but would have enjoyed it more, had my parents came. They did not make it this year.. It did not seem right without them.. While we were there, we often talked about how Christmas was just around the corner!!!! It just seems like I just got all my decor back up in it's corner in the attic!!!I have already seen decorations out for this season!!! YIKES!!! This seems unreal..

Last year at Christmas time, I was seriously just going through the motions!!! I love Christmas time, but did not feel like celebrating at all... My heart was NOT in it.. I had just lost my grandmother, at the end of November.. All I could think about was her being gone, and how we would NOT be celebrating with her this year... I had just celebrated with her Thanksgiving just a few weeks before.. It was a wonderful Thanksgiving. I never imagined the LOSS our family would feel without her. I could only think back at our ''LAST'' Christmas together, and all the good times we shared, our time of gift exchange, pictures, etc. This is HARD!! AND believe me, it STILL is. I have to depend on the Lord to help me through it, and He has, but I still miss her so much.  I can only reflect on our happy memories, the great experiences I had with her in the kitchen, and knowing that it is temporary!!! My family and I will see her again.

I am looking forward to Christmas this year. I don't have to wait to December 25.. I can celebrate it 365 days a year... We took our youth choir to sing at this nearby church, back in the early spring. My Mother is the youth choir director. While we were there, our choir sang, ''I CALL HIM LORD''..... i was singing with them too, it was such a sweet, spirit of  God, that I felt there that night.. It kind of made me feel like it was Christmas again.. I was singing all these words about Jehovah, MESSIAH, mighty GOD and KING!!!!  AND it wasn't just a Christmas carol, or just a crazy kid's Christmas play.. IT was REAL.. it  WAS real to me..IT is amazing to know that HE is LORD.. and HE provides for ME!!

''and the angels called Him JESUS, born of a virgin, Mary called Him, JESUS, but I CALL Him LORD!!!''

That was a beautiful song, even still is, and It doesn't have to be just at Christmas!!!

So, as I sit here , I am still feeling IN the CHRISTmas SPIRIT... i am anticipating it!! I am keeping my memories of Past Christmas's in my heart.. But I  know my Grandmaw had the best Christmas EVER this past year, and will continue!!!  Merry Christmas ''in July'' Everyone!!!!

 I BOUGHT THIS SWEATER FOR MY GRANDMAW,SHE LOVED IT, AND ALWAYS LOOKED SO PROUD AND FESTIVE WHEN SHE WORE IT!!!

this is her Christmas tree.. this was the last time it was put up.... so pretty!!!!

BY HIM

What comfort by HIM do we win,

Who made Himself the price of sin.

To make us heirs of Glory??

To see this babe, ALL innocence,

A martyr born in our defence:

Can a man forget this story?? - Ben Jonson