Be still!

Psalm 46

¹ God is our refuge and strength,

an ever-present help in trouble.

² Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way

and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

³ though its waters roar and foam

and the mountains quake with their surging.

⁴ There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,

the holy place where the Most High dwells.

⁵ God is within her, she will not fall;

God will help her at break of day.

⁶ Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;

he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

⁷ The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

⁸ Come and see what the LORD has done,
the desolations he has brought on the earth.
⁹ He makes wars cease
to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the shields with fire.
¹⁰ He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”

¹¹ The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Isn't it wonderful to know that we can call on God at any time of the day.  He never forgets about us and is always there waiting patiently for us to call Him.  When we call on our Heavenly Father, He bends down His ear and really listens to what we have to say.  All we have to do is listen to what He is telling us to do. 

Are you lonesome?

God says to His children "Are you lonesome?  Breathe out My name.  Come to Me and I will be your friend.  Are you sick?  come to me for healing.  Are you left out of things?  Feeling rejected and pushed aside?  Come home to Me."  Alice Chapin

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 

Matthew 11:28-29

Sausage & Sauerkraut Dinner

This is absolutely one of my favorite fall dinners and the family loves it!!!

6 small red potatoes, unpeeled, quartered
8 fresh baby carrots, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 medium onion, cut into thin wedges
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp spicy brown mustard
1 tsp caraway seed
1 (15 oz) can sauerkraut
1 lb fully cooked turkey kielbasa, cut into 1 inch slices

In crock pot combine potatoes, carrots and onion.  In medium bowl, combine brown sugar, mustard and caraway seed; mix well.  Stir in sauerkraut and kielbasa.  Spoon sauerkraut mixture over vegetables in crock pot.  Cover; cook on low setting for at least 8 hours or until vegetables are tender.  Serves 4

To make your dinner complete add a really good bread and an Apple Crisp for dessert.  Yummy!!!

Where does my help come from?

 Psalm 121

¹ I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
² My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

³ He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
⁴ indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

⁵ The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
⁶ the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

⁷ The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
⁸ the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.

There is no limit to God's love.  It is without measure and its depth cannot be sounded.

Mother Teresa

Majesty

Gary and I had a wonderful time on our weekend getaway in Cambria and San Simeon.  When I look around at all the beautiful things that God has blessed us with I am in awe.  Not only do we take all this beauty for granted we also take everything He has personally blessed us with for granted.  When I look at scenery like this all I can think of is "Majesty, worship His Majesty."

 .
Yours, LORD, is the greatness and the power
and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, LORD, is the kingdom;
you are exalted as head over all.
Wealth and honor come from you;
you are the ruler of all things.
In your hands are strength and power
to exalt and give strength to all.  

1 Chronicles 29:11-12

Rest & Relaxation

Gary and I are heading out tomorrow morning for the coast for some much needed rest and relaxation.  This will be the first time since July that we will be able to get away for more than two hours together.  Cheryl, Gary's sister, is coming down to spend the weekend with their Mom.  Thank you so much Cheryl for this gift of time!

The Wrong Bus

Have you ever felt like you were on the wrong bus heading in the wrong direction?  I had the strangest dream last night.  I dreamt that I was on a bus and I was totally confused as it turned out to be the wrong bus.  I told myself that I would ride it to the end and then catch the bus that would take me back to where I started.  But then I decided to call Gary to see where he was and if he could come and get me.  Then I became even more confused as the person on the other end of the phone kept telling me that my cell phone number had never been issued and wanted to know how I came to have this number.  I then woke up.  

As I was walking this morning I kept thinking about this very strange dream.  How many times do we get on the wrong bus as we go about our daily routines?  We go in one direction when God is telling us to go in another.  We want control of situations and we want to solve the problems that come our way without help from anyone.  We can really mess things up.  Finally we decide to turn them over to God and go in the direction He was leading us in all along.  If only we weren't so stubborn.  If only we didn't have to have things our way.  If only we would listen to our Heavenly Father our lives would be so much better.

Psalm 25:4-7

Show me your ways, LORD,
teach me your paths.
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.
Remember, LORD, your great mercy and love,
for they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth
and my rebellious ways;
according to your love remember me,
for you, LORD, are good.

Happy 21st Anniversary Marianne & Stephen

Happy Anniversary to you

Happy Anniversary to you

Happy Anniversary we love you

Happy Anniversary to you.

You two enjoy your day as you celebrate your lives together. 

Sure wish we were there to celebrate with you.

Love,

Mom & Dad

Morning Has Broken

Awake, my soul!
Awake, harp and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn.

 I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.

Psalm 57:8-9

This morning as I was walking I took a look around me at the beautiful surroundings.  There is this little park near where I live and that is where I walk each morning.  I see the same thing each morning but never really stop to take it all in.  There is an abundance of green grass, trees, shrubs, and a play area for the little ones.  In the evenings the park is full as families come out and watch their children play soccer, football, etc.  But this morning I felt God was telling me stop for a moment and really look around me.  Look at what He created for my pleasure.  So I did just that.

With fall just around the corner there was a crispness in the air this morning and I was not the only one walking.  There is a group of "seasoned citizens" who arrive each morning at 7:30 and they each have a little dog.  This is a social time for them as they take their time walking their little dogs and visiting with each other.  The dogs were also having a great time playing together.  I could hear the birds chirping as I continued my walk.   I could see the mountains in the distance, some still with snow even this late in the year.  As I was walking I thought of a hymn we sang in church when I a little girl and I could not help but hum it to myself as I walked along. 

Morning has broken like the first morning,

Blackbird has spoken like the first bird,

Praise for the singing!  Praise for the morning!

Praise for them springing fresh from the Word!

Mine is the sunlight!  Mine is the morning,

Born of the one light Eden saw play!

Praise with elation, praise every morning,

God's recreation of the new day! 

Elenor Farjeon, 1931

So today as you go about your normal routines, stop for a moment and take a look around your surroundings.  You will see God's hand in everything!

Happy Anniversary Blake & Tami

Happy Anniversary to you

Happy Anniversary to you

Happy Anniversary we love you

Happy Anniversary to you.

Wishing you two a wonderful day as you celebrate your lives together.

Love,

Uncle Gary & Aunt Shirley

His Still Small Voice

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

James 1:12

Sometimes we don't understand why things happen and why the circumstances we find ourselves in are the way they are.  We try and try to figure out why things keep happening and then we finally turn to God and ask the same question.  Why?  Maybe, just maybe, we should be relying on God more instead of trying to figure things out on our own.  Maybe we should be spending more time in God's Word and time in prayer communicating with Him on a daily basis.  Maybe we should just be quiet and listen to His still small voice.  Marianne, my daughter, wrote something similar to this on her blog earlier this week and it made me stop and think that I need to get self out of the way and spend more quiet time with God.  She inspired me!  So I am walking my 2 miles every morning and I am spending that time communicating with God and then listening to His still small voice as He communicates what He wants me to do with my life.

He Is Right Here

He is right here.  With an unyielding desire that is willing to trust, we may boldly call out to our heavenly Father and know that He will answer, filling our hearts with bright colors and freshness of life.

How precious it is Lord to realize that you are thinking about me constantly!  I can't even count how many times a day your thoughts turn towards me.

Psalm 139:17, 18

Something Different

Today I want to start something different on my blog.  So, as my niece has done, I think I'll start posting a picture everyday.  A picture of something that is or has a special meaning to me with a short explanation.

The is me and my handsome husband.



We Will Never Forget

Today as we reflect back to September 11, 2001, take time to remember all those who lost their lives, pause for a moment, and say a prayer for the families they left behind.

God Bless America!!!

Grandparents Day

This is my Grandpa and Granny Johnson

We visited with Granny and Grandpa often until we moved to California in 1955.  Then we only saw them once a year when we would go back for a two week vacation.  Grandpa was a quiet man of few words.  He had his TV programs he would watch and when they were over the TV was turned off until his next program came on.  Granny was a whistler.  One of my fondest memories is her whistling as she ran the dust mop over her linoleum floors.  She would whistle the entire hymn as she went about completing her day to day tasks.  Granny was also a quilter.  The quilting frame that hung from the ceiling fascinated me as to how anyone could make something as beautiful as one of her quilts on that thing.  Her stewed potatoes was absolutely the best!

This is Mommy and Poppy Griffin

We also visited with Mommy and Poppy often until we moved to California.  Then it was our annual two week vacation to Arkansas.  All of Mom's brothers, sisters and their families would come to Mommy and Poppy's place when we were there.  I remember peeling 20 pounds of potatoes for one meal.  The adults always ate first and then the kids would get what was left over.  My fondest memory of Mommy and Poppy was when they said their evening prayers.  There would be Baptist pallets everywhere as there were so many people in their little place.  If you got up during the night you really had to watch where you were walking or you would step on someone.  I would lay there at night listening to them pray for each family member, whom they call by name, and drift off to sleep as they prayed.

I miss seeing my Grandparents but I know that they are in Heaven celebrating with our Heavenly Father and they are so much better off than me.

Happy Grandparents Day Granny, Grandpa, Mommy and Poppy.

I love you!!!

Happy Birthday Junah

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday dear Junah

Happy Birthday to you

Junah today you are 4 years old!

Have fun and eat lots of cake.

Love you,

Uncle Gary & Aunt Shirley

Happy 16th Birthday Makenna!

Makenna have fun celebrating your "Sweet Sixteen" birthday.

Love you,

Uncle Gary & Aunt Shirley

Wait!

Waiting is very hard to do.  No one likes to wait as that takes to much patience.  Circumstances around us affect each of our lives daily.  We want to get it done and to get it done now.  We want things to just go away.   Sometimes we don't want to deal with the trials that come our way.  So, why should we have to wait?  Because God's Word tells us to.  Sometimes we get tired of waiting and try to hurry things along and create a mess.  God will answer your prayers and pave the way for even better things.  It may not be what you asked for but He knows what we need. 

So wait upon Him! 

They that wait upon in the LORD
   shall renew their strength.
They shall mount up with wings as eagles;
they shall run and not grow weary,
they shall walk and not be faint.

Isaiah 40:31

Make a joyful noise.

  Our churches 100th anniversary celebration is later this month and is putting together a celebration choir.  So when it was asked for volunteers to sing in the choir I of course lifted my hand as I love to sing.   I sang in the church choir for 25 years and I loved it. I can't read music and I am not always on key but I love to sing. I love to make a joyful noise for God and sing my praises to Him.  Henry Van Dyke put it this way: Use what talents you possess. The forest would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best.  So today make a joyful noise unto the Lord!

 Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous;
it is fitting for the upright to praise him.
Praise the LORD with the harp;
make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully, and shout for joy.

Psalm 33:1-3

Have You Ever Felt alone?

Have you ever felt alone in a crowd?

Although there are people all around you, you feel alone.  I have felt that way for most of my life.  I was the second of 4 children and I think that even then I felt alone.  As I grew into my teenage and adult years I was still alone.  I made mistakes in relationships as a result of not wanting to be alone and trying to please others.  As I grew I found out that I was never alone.  There was someone always with me.  All I had to do was acknowledge Him.   He was always there with me through the darkness with everything around me was falling apart.  When I was at my lowest He was there to pick me up and carry me through.  He will never leave me no matter what comes my way.  One of my favorite hymns is "In The Garden"  written by C. Austin Miles in 1912.  The words of this hymn speak to my soul and reminds me that with God as my Savior I am never alone.

In the Garden

I come to the garden alone,

While the dew is still on the roses;

 And the voice I hear, falling on my ear,

The Son of God discloses.

And He walks with me, and He talks with me,

And He tells me I am His own;

And the joy we share as we tarry there,

None other has ever known.

God's Glory

All God's glory and beauty come from within, and there He delights to dwell.  His visits there are frequent, His conversation sweet, His comforts refreshing, His peace passing all understanding.

Thomas A. Kempis

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!  Ephesians 3:20-21

Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad

Today my Mom and Dad are celebrating their 68th Wedding Anniversary in Heaven. 

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!!!

When Things Go Wrong, Part 2

Yesterday I talked about circumstances and the choices we make.  Well this morning as I was walking I felt as if God was telling me what I needed to write about today.  God was telling me that lately I have been making the wrong choices and those choices are what make things go wrong.  I was putting other things ahead of Him.  I was not spending enough time in His Word and in prayer.  I should be studying His Word and applying His message to my life daily.  Prayer is our direct line of communication with God.  So many times we go to God in prayer asking for Him to take over things that we have already messed up.  We are quick to ask for things and we want them right now. Whether we are studying His Word or we are in our prayer closet, stop for a moment and listen.  Meditate on His Word, let God speak to us and He will direct us in the choices we make.

Don't be weary in prayer; keep at it; watch for God's answers and remember to be thankful when they come.  Colossians 4:2