Friends

One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin,
but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Proverbs 18:24

  Isn't it wonderful to know that we have a friend that we can count on when the going gets rough, that will stand beside us no matter what and who will never leave us.  That friend is Jesus Christ.  We can give Him all our heartaches and disappointments.  He will take all the burdens we carry off our shoulders.  All we have to do is ask! 

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to all the men in my life!

My Sweetie Gary

My Son-in-law Stephen

My Son-in-law Ray

My Brother L Z

Mr Brother Jeff

My Brother-in-law Roger

My Brother-in-law Jimmie

Love all you guys!!!

Judging Others

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.  “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?   Matthew 7:1-3

We sometimes get caught up in looking at others around us and judging them for the way they look, the way they talk, and the way they do things.  When we do this it makes it so much easier for us to ignore whatever is going on in our lives and the way we have been living.  We should be thinking about cleaning up our own lives instead of talking about what others are doing.  Remember however you judge someone is how you are going to be judged.

Loves Promise

Psalm 25

¹ In you, LORD my God,
I put my trust.

² I trust in you;
do not let me be put to shame,
nor let my enemies triumph over me.
³ No one who hopes in you
will ever be put to shame,
but shame will come on those
who are treacherous without cause.

⁴ Show me your ways, LORD,
teach me your paths.
⁵ Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.
⁶ Remember, LORD, your great mercy and love,
for they are from of old.

The Bible is the true Word of God.  Spend time in it each day as you let God direct your life.

Happy "65th" Birthday Jimmie!!!

Happy Birthday Jimmie

Enjoy your day as you celebrate you!!!

Strength

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.  Isaiah 40:31

This verse is my life text and it has brought me comfort so many times as I have waited on God to strengthen me and to lead me in the way He wanted me to go.  The hardest part is the waiting because sometimes it seems like God is taking His sweet time to answer prayers.  It is during the waiting period that God gives you strength to take life one day at a time as you wait on Him.  His strength will guide you and prepare you for His answer.  Remember His answer may not be what you wanted to hear but as you lean on His strength you will find that His answer is exactly what you needed in your life.

Happy Birthday Little Sister

Oh Happy Birthday to you, Oh Happy Birthday to you.

Everyday of the year may you find Jesus near.

Oh Happy Birthday to you and the best one you've every had.

Debbie we wish you a day filled with everything your heart desires.

We love you "Little Sister!" 

Inspired

Gary and I walk approximately 2 miles each morning.  We were heading out around 9:00 AM but now that the warmer temperatures are arriving we try to head out around 7:00 AM before the heat sets in.  As we are walking and talking about things going on in our lives it also gives us the opportunity to take in all the beauty God has placed in this world.  In these early hours before everyone begins the busyness of the day we get the opportunity to take in the quiet of the morning with the gentle breeze blowing, the birds chirping and on some mornings we can see the beauty of the Sierra Nevada Range.  These early morning walks also inspire me to be in the Word, to read about how all God had to was speak and all the beauty of this world, that we take for granted, came into being.  With the beauty of this world can you imagine how beautiful Heaven will be when we behold the beauty and glory of His face!

Though an army besiege me,

my heart will not fear;

though war break out against me,

even then I will be confident.

 One thing I ask from the LORD,

this only do I seek:

that I may dwell in the house of the LORD

all the days of my life,

to gaze on the beauty of the LORD

and to seek him in his temple.

For in the day of trouble

he will keep me safe in his dwelling;

he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent

and set me high upon a rock.

Psalm 27:3-5

Change

Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.  He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.  James 1:16-18

How many times have we sit around saying God you need to do something.  Whether it be in our relationships, our finances, our church, or our job, we just sit there waiting for a miracle.  Maybe, just maybe, it is us that need to change our attitude.  We pray to God for the miracle and then we wait and when nothing happens we blame God and question Him as to where He was or why He didn't help us.  God never left us, we left Him.  We can have our pity party and wallow in our own self pity or we can do something.  We need to get up and move.  Pray for God's healing in relationships, get our finances in order and quit relying on plastic, quit complaining and start serving God in our church, change our attitude in our job or look for a new job.  Trust in God to lead us in the right direction.  All we need to do is Fully Rely On God!

Relationships

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.  Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.  In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.  Philippians 2:1-5

What a wonderful and joyous world this would be if we all had the mindset of Jesus Christ!

Forgiveness

Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.  Matthew 8:21-22

Forgiveness is a hard one.  We say we have forgiven someone for the hurt they have cause but have we really?  When something comes along and burst our bubble, and believe me it will, we start bringing up all the old hurt that we have forgiven them for and start throwing it right back in their face.  So did we really forgive them or did we just pay them lip service?  Isn't it wonderful that when our heavenly Father forgives us He also forgets.  The slate has been wiped clean.  What a wonderful world it would be if we could do the same thing?  I believe that when we truly forgive, the past can no longer hurt us and relationships can start anew.

Oh what a beautiful day!

This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24

This morning Gary and I went for our daily 2 mile walk and it is really beautiful out there.  We had rain over the weekend and everything looks and smells so fresh that we decided to have our breakfast on the patio this morning.  It was great sitting in the fresh air, enjoying each others company and taking in all the beauty around us created by our loving Father.

This is an Amazon Sunset Parrots Beak plant.  Gary gave it to me for Mother's Day and it is absolutely gorgeous when in bloom.  It is sometimes called "Flaming Bush" and the blooms look like flames.

Thanks Sweetie and I love it!!!



Biggest Loser Week 21

Stuff

This morning my devotion was on having stuff and it reminded me of  the Veggie Tale, Madam Blueberry, that I watched with our granddaughter Awbrey.  Madam Blueberry was never satisfied and always needed more stuff.  All the material things she had accumulated did not make her happy so she continued to buy more stuff until one day she realized that all she needed was God and He would take care of her.  How many times have we gone out and brought things just to have what our friend/neighbor has? 

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be give to you as well.  Matthew 6:28-33

Paths to God

Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.  Galatians 6:2

Paths to God

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  John 3:16-17