inspirationals
peace that surpasses all understanding
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
philippians 4:6-7
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keep moving forward
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so moving….
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amen
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yep, that’s how we do it around here too
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i believe it
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let it go
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i love Jesus
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soulmate
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true that
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kindness is underrated
i have a sign in my home that reads
“be nice or leave”
and i am serious.
i don’t understand why anyone resorts to being mean
after all
it takes a lot more effort to be mean
than to be kind
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brilliant man
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can we ever thank Him enough ?
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walt disney
a newspaper editor fired walt disney because he “lacked imagination and had no original ideas”.
wow
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Quake reveals day of Jesus’ crucifixion, researchers believe
Geologists say Jesus, as described in the New Testament, was most likely crucified on Friday, April 3, in the year 33.
The latest investigation, reported in International Geology Review, focused on earthquake activity at the Dead Sea, located 13 miles from Jerusalem. The Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 27, mentions that an earthquake coincided with the crucifixion:
“And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open.”
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if you’re looking for your soul mate
expect the unexpected
be open
because whomever it is you envision it will be
is not
i thought my perfect mate would be:
a man my age
who’s an executive in a suit
with a briefcase
driving a nice luxury car
that enjoys staying at the ritz-carlton in paris
and loves golf
God chose for me:
a man light years younger
who’s a carpenter with a tool belt
with an igloo cooler covered in stickers
driving a pick up truck
that enjoys going to disney world (yay!)
and loves motorcycles
sooooooo…….
let the creator of your soul
bring you your soul mate
allow Him to be your matchmaker
because although you THINK you know who is best for you
believe me
you don’t know nuthin’
:)
and that’s all i got to say about that
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why are you here ?
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God’s protection
He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
psalm 91:4
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true beauty
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pray
But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
matthew 6:6
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timing
i have said a million and one times…..
” with God it’s all in the timing “
He doesn’t move one moment too soon or one moment too late
His timing is perfect
we need to always remember that and
here’s the most difficult part……
be patient
* sigh *
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faith over fear
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 2Timothy 1:7
fear is a spirit, cast it out !! it is not from God.
the words “have courage” are found 365 times in the Bible. that’s one “have courage” for each and every day of the year. why ?
because God wants us to step out in faith and to conquer fear.
fear cripples
faith liberates
exercise your faith
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happy mother’s day
i have often contemplated how mary was able to mother Jesus. how do you mother the Son of God ? i can’t even imagine that.
how do you mother your own Savior ? so daunting.
what was Jesus like as a child ?
was he sweet and loving ?
shy ?
boisterous ?
talkative or quiet ?
makes you wonder doesn’t it ?
happy mother’s day ladies
:)
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faith
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highlighted in my Bible
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lifetime love
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peace
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no worry
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on the road again
we are currently praying for a camper to live in as we feel God leading us to be full time traveling missionaries. if you can offer up a wee prayer we would appreciate it. we know God will provide.
God does not call us…. without equipping us…. for the call.
k…. thanks and God Bless
:)
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turn and live
God does not ask us to feel worse than we already do about our failures or to try harder to keep His commands. Instead, He invites us to receive a fresh source of motivation and strength—“a new heart and a new spirit” from Him ( Ezekiel 36:26-27).
If you’re feeling that you’ve wandered too far away from God and that He is through with you, it’s time to embrace the truth. Will you accept the Father’s invitation to “turn and live” today?
From what you know is true,
Turn back to God—He will forgive;
He waits to pardon you. —Sper
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yup
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i know this to be true
follow Him and He will write you a beautiful love story
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uh huh
breathe ……………….
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i believe
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i am a witness to this truth
ladies…….. believe !!!!!!
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God first
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prayer
Brother Lawrence (1614–1691) felt intimately close to God as he humbly scrubbed pots and pans in the monastery kitchen. Certainly Brother Lawrence practiced specific times of devotional prayer. But what he found more life-transforming was prayer during the workday. In his devotional classicPracticing the Presence of God, he says, “It is a great delusion to think our times of prayer ought to differ from other times. We are as strictly obliged to cleave to God by action in the time of action as by prayer in the season of prayer.” In short, he advocated that we “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17).
That’s a helpful reminder, because sometimes we tend to compartmentalize our lives. Perhaps we pray only during church worship, small-group Bible study, family devotions, and personal quiet times. But what about during our workday? To pray on the job does not mean we have to fall to our knees with clasped hands and pray aloud. But it does mean that work decisions and relationships can be brought to God throughout the day.
Wherever we are and whatever we’re doing, God wants to be a part of it. When prayer enters every aspect of our lives, who knows what God might do for His glory!
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something good…..
something i learned along the way….
whenever God has a new incredible experience for you or is about to do something absolutely wonderous in your life the going before hand can become really excruciating sometimes
i believe the reason why is
the devil knows there has been an order sent out from God Himself to do this wonderous thing in your life, and although he doesn’t know what exactly it is, he wants to beat you down before you receive it, he wants to
discourage you
because discouragment has always been his greatest tool of vengeance against God’s people
if he can get you discouraged
you lose hope
trust
faith
joy
and you become depressed and despondent
and feel God isn’t paying attention
or worse
doesn’t care
and then when that big wonderful , incredible gift from God falls into your lap
you’re too beaten down and weak to jump for joy and give praise.
so i always say
when the going gets really tough
hold your head up high, throw your hands in the air and shout
HALLELUJAH !!!!!
for your redemption draws near and your God ordained gift is already on it’s way.
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remember
it’s always darkest before the dawn
but the dawn is a’ comin !!
H A L L E L U J A H !!!!!!
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this story is absolutely incredible !!!
when i showed it to matt he was amazed as he is a master carpenter and understands the undeniable feat of this staircase builder
when we get our travel trailer, we is goin to santa fe !!!
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i choose the latter
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Lion of the tribe of Judah
Revelation 5:5
New International Version (NIV)
&
learned this many years ago…..
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relationship
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we all need to learn from this……
Lily is a Great Dane that has been blind since a bizarre medical condition required that she have both eyes removed. For the last 5 years, Maddison, another Great Dane, has been her sight. The two are, of course, inseparable.
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miracle baby
brianna : mom !! did you here the news about the baby that died at birth ? they put the baby in the morgue and 12 hours later when the parents went down to see it, the baby was alive !!!!
me: ( loud gasp ) oh my gosh !!!!
brianna : i know !! doesn”t that sound like a miracle ?!
matt: that sounds like a lawsuit
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read the full story here:
http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/health/2012/04/12/miracle-morgue-baby-improving-in-argentina/
Father in heaven, i pray your hand be upon this tiny baby “Luz Milagros”, and that you fill her with life and health and that she shines as a true testimony that You still perform incredible miracles today. in Jesus name, amen.
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pain
when sand works its way into an oyster it becomes an irritant. in order to cope with the discomfort the oyster secretes a fluid called nacre to coat the grit and protect itself.
layer upon layer of this coating deposited on the irritant eventually creates a lustrous pearl of great value.
the pain we experience in life is like grit to us. but that pain can produce something of great value. these pearls of ours become pearls of wisdom.
how better to minister to others in pain but by having been there and allowed the wisdom of what we learned through it to help others along in this walk of life.
it has been my experience that those who have suffered the most pain in life are also the most compassionate and beautiful children of God. they wear strands of pearls , wisdom, around there necks and arms like precious jewels.
“weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning”
psalm 30:5 b
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kissiebuzz asked: what are some bible passages that talk about self control? I need some guidance and motivation. Thank you very much :D
here are some excellent ones :
1 Cor.9:24-27 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
Romans12:1-2 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Titus2:12 Training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,
2Tim.1:7 For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
Romans12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
and remember , always go to God in prayer and ask Him to help you in your weakness and to protect you from being in situations that would cause you to falter. i promise, He will do it !!!! He has done it for me. :)
God bless you
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that’s life
wow isn’t this the truth. how many of us had a life plan that was very smoothly worked out in our minds. and then life has a funny way of not going with the plan.
life has never gone the way i think it should, yet strangely it went the way that was best for me. difficulties and diversions occur but instead of getting angry or frustrated with them we instead should realize they come for a reason. we have lessons to learn from them, character traits that need to be developed through them.
they are not obstacles but are refining tools. meant to make us stronger to persevere through hardships, to become wiser about life, to be more compassionate to the suffering of those around us, to be less judgemental of others because we are painfully aware when others judged us harshly without understanding the intimate details of the circumstances we found ourselves in.
no, life doesn’t go the way we would have chosen for ourselves but it went the way we needed in order to make us kinder, wiser and more loving.
God knows what He is doing. even when it seems confusing to us we need to learn to trust Him.
if you can go through life’s challenges and not become bitter but instead become better for them your life will become a sweet song. learn to roll with the punches, brush yourself off and give it all over to God and He will give your life to you as a prize.
just do it
did you know the majority of people make all their major life decisions based on fear ?
should i take that new job ? or just stay put even though i am unhappy ?
maybe moving to that city will be too expensive
what if i don’t like the climate there ?
i don’t think i can commit to a long term relationship yet
babies are so demanding and i am not very good mother material i think
what if i can’t afford to live in that house once i have bought it ?
and on and on it goes.
fear paralyzes, it inhibits, it causes undue worry which drains the mind as well as the body.
fear never allows you to free yourself from the confines of over zealous self preservation.
it stagnates your life. it cripples.
be free of fear, step out in faith and challenge yourself to be brave and live the kind of life you read about in books. that make you sigh when you see it played out in movies.
live in the anticipation of excitement at the new prospect that has presented itself to you. roll it around in your mind, be cautious but be bold. and always ask yourself
“so what is the worst that can happen?” if it doesn’t work out you can always go back to where you were. but at least you tried.
for there is nothing worse in life
than regret.
regret for not having done something that could have changed your life or someone else’s.
i am convinced that regret is the worst emotion a human can experience.
so
just do it !
and if your afraid
then just do it afraid
now go !
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my best friend has been with me for going on 33 yrs. now. we have never lived even remotely near each other except for one month rooming together at school. but still to this day when we call each other the conversation never goes,
“hi, how are you? how’s the family? how are things going for you? blah, blah, blah “
it’s always,
“so this just happened and i’m wondering if i am right to feel the way i do , tell me what you think……..”
and of course because we have been together so long, she knows i will be brutally honest and because we have been together so long, i know she can take it.
and she does. only because we have been together so long.
and she knows i love her
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recently we laughed together because i told her,
“boyfriends have come and gone, husbands have come and gone, friends have come and gone but we still are together” :)
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cherish your best friend .you only need one.
share life…. with all its joys and tears
To those who say I’m an inspiration, I truly thank you. I would, on the other hand, like to turn you attention to the woman that has inspired me all my life: my mother. As always, Glory be completely to God. It is by His hands that we have been molded. →
(posted by my baby , olivia, on her tumblr )
i used to do this !!! the bells range in size and weight which gives each it’s unique sound. the smaller bells have a higher pitch and the bigger heavier bells sound low and deep. because i am small, i only rang the smallest bell so i was bell #1. the other bells were too heavy for me. one person yells out the bell numbers and you ring according to the sequence he yells out. when he wants to change the melody he yells out a new order and you change accordingly. it’s very beautiful.
the history behind the ringing of church bells is that people back in medieval times didn’t have timepieces so the church would ring a bell to let the villagers know that services were beginning. it was “a call to worship”.
we always prayed before ringing the bells. after being there a few months i was asked to lead us into prayer. my prayer always went something like this,
“Heavenly Father, we delight to ring these bells to fill the heavens with our praises to you. we pray that as these bells ring it will cause those who hear it to be drawn to come and worship you. “
after a few weeks i was told i would be leading us into prayer henceforth. the reason ?
it seems the pastor noticed a marked increase in visitors attending services and they had all commented that they came in only because they heard the bells ringing and felt drawn in by it. :)
Glory to God
The Legend of the Donkey’s Cross
why i love donkeys:
No matter what their color, almost all Miniature Donkeys share the distinctive mark of a cross that extends down their back and across their shoulders.
it is said that because the donkey carried mary who was pregnant with the Lord, to bethlehem and that he also carried Jesus into jerusalem a week before His death he bears the cross on his back.
he carried the Lord just before His birth and just before His death.
olivia’s nightly chit chat
i have always taught my girls to talk to God just as they would talk to mom and dad. that’s what prayer is. simple conversation. talk about anything and everything.
talk about your fear of forgetting your lines for the school play, about your frustration with learning math, your desire for a new pet that mom says you’re absolutely not getting because the last critter stunk up your whole room and you didn’t clean his cage enough and he was up all night on that little wheelie thing, going around and around and around and around keeping you up til you had to set him in the hallway so you could sleep and so the rest of us could be annoyed by his going around and around and around and around…… whew, hold on let me take a breath, ok you get my point, i think i am finished with my little rant, anyway„„„ no really, how can such a small animal be such big trouble ? i think a giraffe would be easier to care for. sorry, guess the rant isn’t quite over. sorry hehe.
oh yeah, see THIS, all adorablyness. that’s how they suck you in.
but it’s a massive diabolical trick, i tell you, because instead you really get this:
see what i mean !! enough already !! makes me crazy ! around and around and around and around, it’s a conspiracy, i tell ya! they really need to come with a warning label oiy…. oh yeah, sorry, i’m still ranting, aren’t i ? :/
ok i’m done
where was i going with this story ? my brain is all kerfuzzled now
oh yeah, talking to God a.k.a prayer. so one night i was tucking olivia (age 5) into bed and i told her,
“don’t forget to talk to Jesus”
“i don’t know what to talk to Him about, mommy”
“just talk about your day, share with him. when i shut the door behind me He will be sitting right there in your chair in the corner waiting to hear everything. He can’t wait for this part of the day. it’s the best for Him”
so i gave her freckled cheek a kiss and a lick and as i was shutting the bedroom door behind me i heard her say,
“well Jesus, wait til you hear THIS. You… are… never…going… to…believe what… rebecca…did…in…school…today. she got in soooooooo much trouble. uh huh, mmmm, mmmm, mmmm.
you know i honestly thought i heard Jesus chuckle. the hair on the back of my neck stood up. i guess he finds her as comical as i do.
gratitude
Lord, thank you for my loved ones , they bless me richly,
thank you for my friends who have chosen to be a part of my life,
thank you for my tiny apartment looking out over a gorgeous blue sea,
thank you for the little kitty that has taken to me,
thank you for the peace that only you can give,
thank you for each new day,
thank you for providing for my needs,
and for indulging me with my wants at times too.
thank you Lord for your son Jesus who gave me my life as a prize
and your Holy Spirit that comforts me and gives me insight and wisdom.
THANK YOU GOD FOR ALL THINGS
I LOVE YOU BEYOND MEASURE
AMEN
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my philosophy exactly
we struggle in life because we are trying to drive while looking in the rear view mirror. you can’t move forward while always looking back. you’ll crash.
grab that rear view mirror with both hands and THROW IT OUT THE WINDOW !
God won’t bring you your future while you are clinging onto your past.
olivia’s paddington bear’s christmas
i love christmas. no i mean…. I LOVE CHRISTMAS !!!! i love everything about it. first off it’s Jesus’ special day. the wonder and the sacredness of that alone is enough to do it for me. that’s all i need for this glorious season. Jesus alone.
but i do also love all the rest that goes with that. the christmas carols, the excitement, the colorfully displayed stores, the christmas movies. every year i would watch all of them with the girls. i mean ALL of them. from ” it’s a wonderful life” to “rudolph the red nosed reindeer”. my favorite as a child was “little drummer boy”. but that one always made me cry. that little lamb, baba, getting run over. year after year after year after year. oiy, it just did me in. major blubbering fest. anyway, my new favorite is a tie between “love actually”,( major grown up movie) and “elf”. elf is great isn’t it? you gotta love it.
SANTA !!!!!!
yup gotta love it. anyway where was i going with all this? hang on let me check my title for a clue…………………………..
oh yeah olivia’s paddington bear. sorry about that , i tend to get off course easily. hmmm need to work on that challenge.
(look how smartly dressed he is. quite a dapper little guy and a real cutey too.)
anyway, when olivia was 4 her favorite “toy” (yup sorry liv, he wasn’t “real”) i think at this point she can handle the truth. well, maybe. anyway. see there i go again. gaaahhhh. so for christmas one year i decided to have a little fun. now as time goes on and you read these stories you will see this is quite usual for me. well christmas morning arrived and i always had a strictly adhered to” house rule”. no one was allowed to unwrap any presents until i was awake to watch. now i am not a meany head that would sleep until 11:30 to torture them. hey i was a kid once too. so i would wait for them to wake me at 7:30. no earlier ! and we would then go downstairs and proceed with the unveiling. more like massive hysteria ,of opening the precious, long awaited gifts. you get the scene. played out in most U.S homes every Dec. 25th.
well olivia reached over to grab a gift. she had just unwrapped 3 pairs of socks with each sock being wrapped individually. yup you got that right. that meant 6 separate packages (drove them crazy ! although i found it quite amusing) at that point she noticed a jar of marmalade sitting under the tree with the lid off and the wrapping paper torn off around it. she picked it up and looked at the tag on the paper and it read,
” to paddington bear, love santa”. she jumped up excited and showed me her find. she then ran up to her room and found paddington and as she brought him downstairs to show me, she began wailing,
“mom, no fair. paddington opened his gift up before we all came down this morning.”
you know most kids would probably instead be wondering “what the heck?” but you know, we are talking liv here
“what makes you think that?”
“because he snuck back up to my room and look, he has marmalade on his face and paw”
“why that little rascal” i exclaimed with surprise. “he is a naughty bear, i think he needs a time out in the corner. give him to me. i need to talk to him.”
now it being christmas day i decided to go easy on the little guy. i scolded him and reminded him he broke the rule. but you know he just gave me that blank stare. yeah, right. like he didn’t know what i was saying.
“look” i told him, while olivia looked on (another good teaching moment, disobedience will not be tolerated, BY ANYONE). ” i know i don’t speak bear but i know that you know that i know that you know….gahhhhh….i’m getting all confused. other people sound so clever when they do that whole routine. me? my brain gets tied up in knots. anyway, i told him,
“you were a naughty bear and i expect better behavior from you in the future”
i then asked olivia to go get me a washcloth and we proceeded to wipe all the “evidence” off his mouth and paw.
a week later olivia asked me,
“mommy have you been eating the marmalade?”
i made a face and said,
“no way, i don’t like that stuff at all, why?”
“well because the jar of marmalade is almost empty”
hmmmm we both pondered this great mystery and before i said anything i thought to myself… wait for it, wait for it…. and then as i had figured, she raced up the stairs and came down with you know who.
yup all over his face and paw were marmalade.
word of caution. if you want a neat and tidy bear do not get a paddington bear. their table manners are atrocious and they can make a sticky mess.
“how does he get into the fridge ? and how hungry can one little bear be?” i questioned.
but all in all he is a good bear and actually for such a little guy he is packed with personality. he kept us quite entertained.
oh and the marmalade lasted only a month. we never could catch him in the act.
very crafty, very crafty
hehe
olivia in children’s church (age 4)
sunday mornings were always a bit hectic around the house. getting everyone out the door in time for church was more often than not a challenge. so as we once again arrived a little late for church we did what most late comers do, we slipped quietly into a back row so as not to be disruptive.
but of course, not olivia. after the service the pastor’s wife who taught olivia’s children’s church came over to me and asked,
” you have raised very confident, self assured daughter’s haven’t you?”
i inwardly groaned. “yes, i suppose that’s very true. why what did she do?” i knew it had to be liv she was talking about.
“Olivia was late coming into children’s church this morning and we were in the middle of the lesson. the children were doing their craft project while i was reading them the bible story. instead of quietly coming in and taking her seat, she instead, threw open the door, strode in , raised her hands in the air and loudly announced in a sing song manner,
” I HEEEEEYA” !! ( I HERE). at which point all the children applauded wildly.
she took a bow , then took a seat.
oiy
scotland part deux (that’s part 2) why am i writing it in french when it’s about scotland? never mind. scotland part 2. not very fancy shmancy but i guess it works, sigh.
anyway, oiy now my head hurts. hang on let me go get a cup of coffee to unwind my brain. be right back.
i’m back. owww hot. coffee. coffee.hot. hot. ok, hey you ever get up to get something and go into the kitchen and find yourself staring into the fridge wondering what you are looking for ? and then you remember…. a pair of scissors. well yeah, i can’t remember what i am supposed to be writing now. hmmmmm think, think, think….
oh yeah, well one night i had this beautiful dream. i saw 2 mountains with a valley in between with a lake in the valley. there was a double rainbow that went from one mountain spanning over the lake and connecting to the mountain on the other side. it was a breathtaking scene. when i woke i remembered , a rainbow signifies the promise of God and there being 2 meant confirmation of that promise. what He was promising me i didn’t know but i couldn’t get that vision out of my head for weeks.
a month later we moved to scotland.
a month into living there and things were getting really tough. i mean moving can be enough of a strain but throw in there culture shock, a different climate, different money, different food, difficulty with the language ( that scottish burr can be a toughy at times, psshh they speak english, yeah right) and the family was struggling. i was the one who was trying to keep the boat afloat. my motto had become, “it’s not worse than back home, it’s just DIFFERENT” different isn’t bad, it’s just well, you know, different.
so now i was beginning to have some self doubt. i started questioning all this and i asked God if we had really gotten it right and were we where He wanted us to be. i really needed some confirmation we were in His perfect will. i went for a walk to clear my head. as i rounded a corner i came to the loch (lake in scottish, like really, ya can’t just say lake?). i looked down the end of the loch and my dream unfolded before my eyes. the loch flowed between 2 mountains and with a gasp of surprise i saw a beautiful double rainbow sparkling between.
confirmation in all it’s beauty.
scotland
we were called by God to move to scotland as missionaries. for several months the same word kept coming up for me. over and over. i finally found a map of the clan names of scotland and where their ancestral lands were. i found the name that God had been showing and the little village in the midst of it. so i now had some idea where we were headed. we put our house on the market to sell. the first lady that came to see it sat and chatted for awhile. she confided that she was struggling with depression. as we talked i asked her if i could pray for her. she not only welcomed my prayer for healing but she also prayed with me to receive Jesus Christ. wow, like who knew that selling a home can be an evangelistic outreach !
the second couple complained that the rv they had would not fit in the driveway but they loved the interior decor. they asked if they could purchase the entire contents of the house instead. as i had just purchased everything the previous year and knew exactly what i had spent i told them i wanted the amount i spent plus i tacked on another $2000 for decorator fee. they came by the following week with a moving truck and cleared out the entire house. lucky for me, because i didn’t have to do a thing. woo hoo ! and i had cleared a profit to boot ! so the house was empty and left to a realtor and off we went.
we landed in scotland and rented a car to take us to the little village. when we arrived i found an information center. we made a reservation with a b&b and headed to it. now we were really flying by the seat of our pants. we needed a home to move into and had not made any arrangements before coming to find one. God kept insisting that i trust Him on this. He promised me a nice home was waiting for us when we got there. so we arrived at the b&b and unpacked. later that evening i met the owner and began to chat with him. i mentioned that we need a home to move into. he looked shocked and said “well, that’s funny, i was just thinking this morning that i would put my house up for rent”.
no kidding. so we went up to see it the following day. it was a beautiful brand new 5 bedroom, 5 bathroom house that he built. it was fully furnished and stocked with dishes and blankets and everything. it seems his family only lived in it for 3 months and weren’t happy so they moved back to their other home closer to town.
it was a real leap of faith. this adventure God had put us on. can you imagine leaving your home, family, friends, career, country and all that was safe and familiar to embark into the unknown. with 2 small children and no plans once you arrive in that foreign land ? but God directed us and provided for us every step of the way. most of the time God tells us to do something, it’s pretty scary. but i have learned to just do it scared then.
oh and the b&b owner also had a little car he sold us. seems he had only just thought of selling it too. ha
olivia is mommy
children love to pretend and play act. it’s great for them to imagine and role play but i never expected this one…..
olivia (3 yrs.) was sprawled out on the living room floor busy coloring while watching her very VERY favorite show, barney (sorry liv, major embarrassment, i know, but hey, that’s a mom’s job). hehe . uhhhhhh, where was i ? oh yeah,
anyway……. she gets up after the show ends, of course, because after all she can’t miss not even one minute of the big purply guy (yesssss, did it again, wow i’m good. i surprise myself sometimes). and she walks into her bedroom. after she leaves the room i begin to muse on my role as a mother. i’m thinking she is probably spending a lot of time in front of the tv and i should be doing more playing with her and maybe i don’t read enough to her and i should take her to the playground more often blah, blah, blah. you know basically dumping on myself. just not feeling like a good enough mom.
now she was in her room for quite awhile and it was awfully quiet. hmmmm that sends an automatic message to all mothers that basically says “SOMETHING NOT TOO GOOD MAY BE GOING ON”. so i went to investigate. olivia is sitting on the floor with her back leaning up against the side of the bed. she has her picture Bible open on her lap and is “reading” it. a scene which is strangely familiar. hmmmm, oh yeah, i do that EVERY morning. she has seen me doing that since she can remember.
“liv, what are you doing”
“i’m playing mommy”
and in that moment i realize as she is role playing that she honestly believes that THAT is what all mommy’s do. sit at the feet of God every morning.
and i hear God whisper to me “you’re the best mom”
oh wow, gulp, sniffle sniffle, tears, ” thank you God “
the grace prayer’s effect on food
one day we sat down to eat dinner when brianna (age 6 at the time) stopped us mid bite. “hey, we forgot to say grace”
“wow, you’re right. why don’t you go ahead and pray us into the meal then?”
she said her little prayer and dug in. with her mouth stuffed with pasta she smiled broadly and said ”mmmmmm the food always tastes better when you say grace first!”
amen !
hehe
brianna
when my oldest daughter brianna (olivia’s older sister) was 5 yrs. old i was pregnant with my second child. around 4 and a half months into the pregnancy i began to hemorrhage. i called the doctor and he told me to meet him in the emergency room at the hospital right away. the following day i was released and told to go home and get some bed rest. i had lost the baby. needless to say, i was filled with grief. brianna came in to check on me often. she was the type of child that if you were feeling bad , she didn’t pat your hand and feel bad FOR you she would lie down next to you and feel bad WITH you. as the day progressed she came in to lay beside me and she stroked my hand. and then words of wisdom and comfort came flowing out of her little mouth and washed over my soul. “mommy, what you’re going through right now is like being on a stormy sea. the boat is rocking and you’re scared and upset. but remember ,Jesus is in the boat with you and he is taking care of you. and right now in heaven he is holding your little baby and when you get there someday he will put that baby in your arms”.
wow, her words still resonate with me today, 19 years later. i am crying as i type this. God can speak through the youngest of His children to bring consolation to those who are hurting.
God bless you brianna. xo
FAITH, TRUST AND GODS PROVISION
BALAAM’S DONKEY (Numbers 22:21-41)
i don’t know about you but the story of balaam’s talking donkey always amazes me. not so much because the donkey talks, although that’s pretty astonishing , but because balaams reaction is to ARGUE BACK WITH HIM ! i mean if my donkey or dog or cat for that matter, were to begin talking to me i would be more like
or even
or maybe
or could be
i don’t think my first reaction would be to argue with him.
is it just me ?
HEAVENS WELCOME
it was morning and i had just returned to my dads house from the hospital. i had only moments before watched my dad peacefully slip away to heaven. he had been longing the last few years to “go home and be with the Lord” so in my sadness, i really felt happy for him. my brother was with me and we quietly discussed our feelings. i told him ” i wish i could have just seen dads face when he arrived in heaven and saw Jesus”. at that moment the phone rang. a family member was at the hospital gathering up my dad’s belongings and didn’t see his wallet. i was asked to check to see if it was here in his home. i went into his bedroom and in the first drawer i opened lay his wallet. i went back over to the phone to inform them i had it. i hung up and asked my brother if he thought it was ok to look in it. he nodded, “of course” . as i opened it, the first picture he had tucked in was this…..
i think he was very VERY happy
p.s i have kept it in my wallet ever since
PRAISE
One day while dressing my baby Olivia (about 9 months old at the time) she pointed at my shirt which had a picture of Jesus on it and said “Rock !” I said “No, that’s Jesus”. She said even louder “Rock, Rock” and in that moment I realized she had just received revelation from God. Jesus is our Rock. No one told her that. It came to her from God.
Oh and by the way, she didn’t really start talking until she turned 1. She only spoke a couple of words at 9 months.
“Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “‘From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise’?”
Matthew 21:16
GOD HEALS and YES MIRACLES STILL HAPPEN
i was feeling worse and worse with each passing day. my symptoms were bizarre. my heart was racing, i was eating like a horse and yet losing weight. my feet were swelling and tingly. i was sweating and was having a hard time making it up in the morning just to get from the bed to the sofa. after having tests done the doctor called me in to tell me i had hyperthyroidism, Graves disease. there is no cure i was told. they can treat me by burning out my thyroid gland. but that would mean i would be on medications my whole life . i didn’t like this. AT ALL. they put me on heart medication immediately because my heart rate was so fast they were afraid i would have a heart attack. the whole burning of the thyroid thingy was not going to happen i told them. no way. so…. i went home and prayed. all day. on my face. crying out to God to heal me. reciting every scripture verse on healing. reminding Jesus that he healed ALL who came to him asking.
GOD IS NEARER THAN YOU THINK
we all have times in our lives when we are upset and in turmoil and in the midst of the chaos and panic we wonder where God is. it almost seems as though he is nowhere to be found. let me share what happened to me during one of those desperate times in my own life. i was in the darkest moments and felt i just needed to go out and go for a bike ride hoping it would lift my spirits and clear my mind from the crisis i was going through. i prayed as i rode and i cried out to the Lord wondering where he was and why i wasn’t feeling His presence. i rounded a corner and was just getting close to home when i heard a loud shrill peeping coming from the road side. i stopped my bike and walked over to follow the cries of panic. as i got nearer the edge of the wooded area near the road i looked down and there in the dirt flopping desperately around was a baby bird. it still only had down on it as it’s feathers had not fully come in yet. i looked up and saw the nest it had fallen out of. i so wanted to scoop it up and place it back in the safety of its nest. but well, haven’t we all been told never to do that as it’s mother will supposedly not feed it after. i’m not sure i believe that now, i’ll have to research (google) if there is any truth to that . anyway i felt so BAD as i watched it pathetically hopping about and crying. i shooed it a little further into the woods so it wouldn’t get into the road . i finally decided i had done all i could. looking at it one last time i saw something out of the corner of my eye. i slowly turned my head and not even arms length away from me was the mother bird staring at me. i was so startled because she was so close and i hadn’t even realized she was there . i could have reached out and touched her. i stood frozen with surprise and realized she had been watching me the entire time. keeping a close eye on me to make sure i didn’t harm her baby. and she was surely watching her baby before i even arrived. probably protecting him as he lay on the dirt exposed to danger. i didn’t want her to attack me as she had that look in her eye so i slowly backed away and got on my bike. as i rode off i heard God say to me, ever so quietly. “you are that baby bird right now. feeling helpless and crying out for me to help you. in your distress you may not have felt me near but i am always very close and watching over you. i am taking care of you. Don’t be afraid”
What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. (Matthew 10:29)
GOD PROVIDES
i had just spent my second day hand painting a piece of furniture for my little girl Olivia’s bedroom. it was a lovely little antique vanity i had found in a local shop. really unique, very victorian looking with pretty swirls of wood and a huge mirror in the center. it needed some whimsy to it for such a little girl. so i hand painted lovely little flowers on it and vines and curly q’s . it was to be done in all pastels. baby blue, mint green, petal pink, pale cream. i was just about finished when i truly felt it needed some yellow rosebuds. but i had no yellow paint. and you cannot make the color yellow as it is a primary color. in my mind there was no two ways about it i HAD to have yellow rosebuds. now the worst thing about being an artist is once you are in the zone creating it is almost IMPOSSIBLE to stop. even for so much as the physical demands of the body. i have gone a whole day without eating because i couldn’t tear myself away from the art and put down the paint brush for even a moment. I was quite frustrated and said under my breath” oh Lord, please help me out here”. It was cold and nasty out and i wanted to just finish the project. so with some agitation i got my coat and bundled up my little girl and we were all set to trudge out to the store to buy the yellow paint. as i closed the front door behind me the 2 ladies that lived across from me were just getting to their door. we greeted each other and they asked me where i was headed to. i told them i had to go to the store to buy yellow paint for a project i was working on. the one lady looked surprised and reached her hand in her shopping bag and said to me “here, i don’t have ANY idea why i bought this today because i honestly don’t need it” . and she handed me a CAN OF YELLOW PAINT !!!
to this day i always say……. when you need yellow paint God WILL bring you yellow paint !!!
God showed me in that moment that no matter WHAT your need is, He WILL provide.
matthew 6:8
