Press On



Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6

 

 

This past month has been a difficult one.  The month started with Gary being hospitalized with pneumonia and respiratory infection.  He spent three days in the hospital, came home and recuperated for the next two weeks.  I took him to the doctor on October 9 for a follow-up and at the same time asked the doctor what I should take for the cold I now had.  So I took what he suggested and the cold lingered.  I then had a sinus infection that has finally cleared up but now I think I am fighting the flu as I have absolutely no energy at all.  As I said this has been a difficult month.  But this one thing I know for sure is that God is not going to put more on me than He or I can't handle because He is my Lord and Savior and in Him I will put all my trust.  I know that this to shall pass and the light at the end of the tunnel is the glory of God shining through so I am going to let His light shine through me and press on.

 

 

Press On
When the valley is deep
When the mountain is steep
When the body is weary
When we stumble and fall
When the choices are hard
When we're battered and scarred
When we've spent our resources
When we've given our all

In Jesus' name, we press on
In Jesus' name, we press on
Dear Lord, with the prize
Clear before our eyes
We find the strength to press on
In Jesus' name, we press on
In Jesus' name, we press on
Dear Lord, with the prize
Clear before our eyes
We find the strength to press on
To press on

By Dan Burgess

 

 

Children of God

For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.  Romans 8:15-17

 

Isn't it wonderful to know that you are a child of the King of Kings and as God's heirs we have the same blessings as Jesus Christ.  I am so glad that God is my Heavenly Father for He gives me life each day.  I want to shout it from the mountain tops so that everyone can know that God is my DAD and He can be their DAD too!  He cares for me more than anyone ever will. 

 

 

Children of the Heavenly Father

 

Children of the heav’nly Father
Safely in His bosom gather;
Nestling bird nor star in Heaven
Such a refuge e’er was given.

 

God His own doth tend and nourish;
In His holy courts they flourish;
From all evil things He spares them;
In His mighty arms He bears them.

 

Neither life nor death shall ever
From the Lord His children sever;
Unto them His grace He showeth,
And their sorrows all He knoweth.

 

Though He giveth or He taketh,
God His children ne’er forsaketh;
His the loving purpose solely
To preserve them pure and holy.

 

Lo, their very hairs He numbers,
And no daily care encumbers
Them that share His ev’ry blessing
And His help in woes distressing.

 

Praise the Lord in joyful numbers:
Your Protector never slumbers.
At the will of your Defender
Ev’ry foeman must surrender

By Karolina Sandell Berg

Jesus is Sunshine

 

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.  2 Corinthians 4:6

 

 

Did you know that on our great world the sun is always shining somewhere, lighting the darkness and filling the air with its warmth.  As Christians we can have that sunshine shine on us all the time.  We can have that warmth that fills the soul and lights the path ahead for us.  Jesus is that sunshine and He will shine on you!

 

There is Sunshine in My Soul

 

There is sunshine in my soul today,

More glorious and bright

than glows in any earthly sky,

For Jesus is my light.

 

O there's sunshine, blessed sunshine,

While the peaceful, happy moments roll;

When Jesus shows His smiling face

There is sunshine in my soul

By Eliza E. Hewitt

 

 

Walking With Jesus

 

When we obey him, every path he guides us on is fragrant with his lovingkindness and his truth.  Psalm 25:10

 

When we try to do things our way and follow our own direction, the path we choose to take can become crooked and dark. 

 

But when we turn our eyes on Jesus and focus on the truth He has for us our path will be filled with the light and the fragrance of Christ.

 

 

 

Remember Christ did not stray away from us, we strayed away from Him.  His attention never left us for we are always on His mind.

 

Footsteps of Jesus

 

Sweetly, Lord, have we heard Thee calling, :Come, follow me!"

And we see where Thy footprints falling, Lead us to Thee.

 

Footprints of Jesus that make the pathway glow;

We will follow the steps of Jesus where're they go.

By Mary B. Slade

Seeds of Life

He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”  Matthew 13:31-32

 

As we travel through life we are constantly sowing seeds.  Oh I don't mean seeds that you plant to grow vegetables and flowers but the seeds of life.  We sow seeds everywhere we go by the way we react to life's situations and to the people we come in contact with on a daily basis. 

 

Remember the seeds we sow today are the flowers of tomorrow. 

Time With God

You are my hiding place; and you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.  Psalm 32:7

Gary and I spent the past 3 days at Three Rivers Retreat, formerly known as the XYZ Retreat, with approximately 150 seasoned citizens from as far north as Sacramento and south to Tulare.  The Central California Association of Church of God has this retreat every year at St. Anthony's Retreat in Three Rivers.

 

Our time was spent worshipping our Lord, singing old time gospel hymns, and listening to some awesome sermons.  Each afternoon we had a couple hours free time where you could walk through the beautiful gardens, hike along the river, attend a craft class, attend an exercise class 'Steppin with Jesus', or simply spend time visiting with others in the lounge.  Here are a few pictures from the 12 Stations of the Cross garden.

 

 

 

It was an amazing spirit filled time with God!

 

Fragrance of Christ

 

As far as God is concerned, there is a sweet, wholesome fragrance in our lives. It is the fragrance of Christ within us. 2 Corinthians 2:15

 

Today as you go about your routine of life may the fragrance of Christ permeate you within and without. May all those you come in contact with know that you are a child of the King and the fragrance of Christ radiate through you to them.

 

There is a song that I dearly love as it talks about the presence/fragrance of our Lord and Savior. I have often said that when I pass from this earth to my heavenly home I would sing this song.

 

There's a Sweet, Sweet Spirit

There's a sweet, sweet Spirit in this place

And I know that it's the Spirit of the Lord

There are sweet expressions on each face

And I know that it's the presence of the Lord

Sweet Holy Spirit

Sweet heavenly dove

Stay right here with us

Filling us with Your love

And for these blessings

We lift our hearts in praise

Without a doubt we'll know

That we have been revived

When we shall leave this place

Doris Akers

Special Times

 

He surrounds me with lovingkindness and tender mercies.  He fills my life with good things.  Psalm 103:4,5

 

When Gary retired in 2009 and we moved to Exeter my sister and I started a birthday tradition.  On our birthdays we spend the day together with lunch and shopping.  In our young adult life we each had our own thing going with family, careers, jobs and I lived 3 hours away.  I look forward to these birthdays when we do things together and expressing our love for each other. 

 

 

 

This past week I celebrated my 67th birthday.  This year Gary, Christy and Cadon joined Nellie and I at Hazel's Kitchen in Tulare for my birthday lunch.  Nellie and I love this little place and it has a very special meaning to both of us.  It is where we had our Mother's Day Luncheon in 2003 and Linda, our sister, was able to join us.  It was the last Mother's Day we were got to spend with Linda as she went home to be with our Heavenly Father a few months later.  So we love this little restaurant with its family atmosphere as it reminds us of the good times with family.

 

After lunch Gary headed home and the rest of us headed to the factory outlet stores to do a little shopping.  Didn't have anything in mind to buy just having a good time trying on things and window shopping.  Then there is the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory where we to stop and get a chocolate pecan turtle.  Yummy!!!!

 

Nellie and I then headed into Visalia.  Stopped at Famous Footwear to see if they had the shoes we were both looking for and then went next door to Target.  I wanted to check out their purses and Nellie wanted to check out a toy for her grandson Andrew.  I didn't find a purse I liked and the toy she wanted isn't released until October 21.  We then headed to Macy's to see what they had on sale and yes I found the exact type of purse I was looking for,  I should say that Nellie found it for me.

 

We were both tired at this point and decided to head home.  Nellie dropped me off and I sent her on her way with Homemade Apple Sauce and Blackberry Freezer Jam.  I so enjoyed spending my special day with family. 

 

God always has a wonderful way of showing us what really matters.   

I Know Who Holds Tomorrow

So don't be anxious for tomorrow.  God will take care of your tomorrow too.  Live one day at a time.  Matthew 6:34

 

Situations and circumstances come into our lives that we want to take care and get them out of our hair.  Then worry sets in because things aren't going like we planned or the way we think they should go.  His word tells us not to do this very thing because He is in control.  We have to let go and let God handle things.

I Know Who Holds Tomorrow

 

I don't know about tomorrow,
I just live from day to day.
I don't borrow from it's sunshine,
For it's skies may turn to gray.

I don't worry about my future,
For I know what Jesus said,
And today He walks beside me,
For He knows what lies ahead.

Many things about tomorrow,
I don't seem to understand;
But I know Who holds tomorrow,
And I know Who holds my hand.

Ira F. Stanphill

Gentle Shepherd

 

He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will carry the lambs in his arms.  Isaiah 40:11

 

I am so glad that my Savior loves me and cares for me as I have been leaning on His strength and letting Him carry me.  This has been a very long and tiring week.  Many of you know that my sweetie was hospitalized last Sunday with a respiratory infection and pneumonia.  He was able to come home last Wednesday and is still on the mend.  The doctor told him that his temperature would spike until all the infection was gone and it has done just that.  One minute he is burning up and the next minute he is freezing.  The last couple of days the coughing has really been bothering him and he is not getting a lot of sleep. 

 

Thank you all for the prayers that have been said and are continuing for my sweetie.  I know that God hears and answers prayers and He will answer them in His time.   

 

There is a song that has been on my heart today and I want to share it with you.

 

Gentle Shepherd

Gentle Shepherd, come and lead us,

For we need You to help us find our way.

Gentle Shepherd, come and feed us,

For we need Your strength from day to day.

There's no other we can turn to

Who can help us face another day;

Gentle Shepherd, come and lead us,

For we need You to help us find our way.

Gloria & Bill Gaither

Asian Chopped Chicken Salad

 

We have had an exceptionally warm summer and I found myself looking for dinner alternatives that did not require heating up the kitchen.  I came across this while blog surfing, Reasons to Skip the Housework, and decided to give it a try.  It is absolutely delicious, easy to make, and best of all my sweetie loves it.

 

Asian Chopped Chicken Salad

 

Chopped Grilled Chicken

Chopped Cilantro

Chopped Red Onion

Chopped Lettuce

Broccoli Slaw

Sliced Almonds

Asian Sesame Dressing

 

Mix it all up, add your dressing, and you've got a tasty meal!

DIY Fall Wreath

 

This morning I decided to get creative and make a fall wreath.

I took some supplies I had at home and put them with a couple of things I picked up yesterday at the dollar store.

Fall Leaf Garland

Bunch of Fall Flowers

Styrofoam Wreath Ring

Leftover Yarn

Ribbon ( 2 different kinds)

Scissors

Wire Cutters

Styrofoam Glue

I started by covering the wreath form with the yarn.  This was a bit tedious as I wound and wound the yarn around the form tightly as I didn't want any of the white to show through.

Once the form was covered with the yarn I snipped off flowers and leafs with my wire cutters.  I then poked small holes in the wreath and put a small amount of the Styrofoam glue on the end of the snipped flowers and leafs before I pushed them into the Styrofoam.  I decided not to use any of the ribbon on the wreath since it just did not blend well with the yarn.  To hang I tied a piece of the yarn around the wreath, then over the hook on the door, and snipped off the ends.  Since I used the yarn as the hanger you can't see it as it blends right in with the rest of the yarn.

I had some leftover flowers and leaves so I used a small willow wreath, purchased at the dollar store, and made a small wreath to hang over the fireplace using the existing candle holder.  

By using supplies I already had on hand, and taking advantage of what the dollar store had to offer, I made  both wreaths for $4.00.  

Now that is the way I like to decorate!

He's Home

 

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:3-9

 

Gary came home today after spending 3 days in the hospital with pneumonia and respiratory infection.  He went to the doctor last Thursday and was on antibiotics.  Sunday evening his temperature started to spike and hit the 102.8 mark.  we tried all the remedies to bring down his temperature but nothing worked.  So at 9:59 PM we headed to ER and Gary called his doctor to talk with him about his condition.  Thankfully we did not have to wait in ER and Gary was taken right into triage.  While in triage his doctor called and told Gary that he had requested for him to be admitted to the hospital.  After all the evaluations, lab work, xrays, IVs, etc. Gary was taken to his room at 4:00 AM and I headed home at 4:30 AM to get a couple hours sleep.  So Gary spent the last 3 days on oxygen, getting breathing treatments, more xrays, and more lab work.

 

During these past days we know that there have been a lot of prayers going up for Gary and we know that God heard and answered these prayers.  We cannot thank each of you enough for your prayers, your phone calls and your well wishes.  We love each and every member of our family of families.  God bless each of you and may He keep you wrapped in His sheltering wings.

 

We Are So Blessed

 

We are so blessed by the gifts from Your hand,

I just can't understand why You loved us so much.

We are so blessed, we just can't find a way

or the words that can say Thank You Lord, for Your touch,

When we're empty You fill us Til we overflow.

When we're hungry You feed us and cause us to know;

We are so blessed, take what we have to bring;

Take it all, everything, Lord, we love You so much.

William J. & Gloria Gaither, and Greg Nelson