30 Days of Thankfulness - Day 29

 “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever.”  

Psalm 136:1, 26

It has been a very busy day here in the city with the small town charm.  Tonight is the first night of the "Downtown Exeter"

Christmas Open House that will continue each Thursday from now until Christmas.  This morning the "Divine Divas" got together and decorated the Mirror Image Ministries office.  We also set up displays for classes, no fees charged, open to the community.  

 Mirror Image Ministries is designed to provide referrals, resources, and support to various individuals in the community.  We also offer meeting rooms, with a wide range of meeting times, for different groups and organizations to use freely upon request.  The ministry also supports a Women's Transition Living Center at one of the oldest historical homes in Exeter.  Our purpose is "To serve, assist and support the common good of the community."

Thank you God for I am truly blessed to be a part of this ministry serving our community.



30 Days of Thankfulness - Day 28

 

 Oh give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples.”

1 Chronicles 16:8

 

It is good to be home!  Yesterday was a very long day for my sweetie and I.  We had dinner in Nashville, dessert in Dallas, arrived in Fresno at 9:35 PM (my body was telling me 11:35 PM), and actually arrived home around 11:00 PM.  We had planned to sleep in this morning but low and behold we woke up at 5:00 AM, still on Tennessee time.  I have been dragging all day and I have not accomplished much of anything as it has been a very long day too.  I am looking forward to going to bed tonight and getting a really good nights sleep.  I am so thankful to my Heavenly Father for the beautiful home and the comfortable bed He has blessed us with. 

 

Now off to dreamland for some much needed rest!

30 Days of Thanksgiving - Day 27

"Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.”  Colossians 3:16

 

Today is a bitter sweet day for me as my sweetie and I head home this afternoon.  We have had such a grand time with L Z and Debbie here at their Tennessee home.   I love spending time with family, reminiscing about the by gone days and reliving some of those times.  Wish we could take them home with us but they have things to do here just as we have things to do in Exeter, California. 

 

God has truly blessed us with this time together and as I said yesterday, my cup overflows with His blessings!

30 Days of Thankfulness - Day 26

 

“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,”  Hebrews 12:28

 

It is an absolutely gorgeous out there today and it has been a busy Monday here at the Johnson household.  My sweetie and I fly home tomorrow so I am busy getting all the laundry done so I can pack clean clothes instead of dirty ones.  Debbie and L Z are both working and Joy is here decorating the Christmas tree.

 

Our Tennessee Thanksgiving Vacation is coming to an end.  The time has just flown by and we have loved every minute.  We have been in three different states during the last eleven days, seen a lot of beautiful country and taken lots of pictures.  When we get home I will post pictures of all the beautiful fall colors, Biltmore House, etc.  This trip we did not bring our laptop and since I have been using Debbie's I did not want to download all the pictures on her computer.  We have so enjoyed the time we have spent with L Z, Debbie, Michael & Kellye and their boys, Justin & Sarah, Leslie & DeeDee, Joe Ed & Trixie, and all the great friends we have made here.

 

I am so thankful to my Heavenly Father for the blessings He has poured out on my sweetie and I that enabled us to take this trip.  His blessings are new each morning and my cup overflows.

30 Days of Thankfulness - Day 25

 

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:17

 

What a great day it has been!  This morning we arose to a blanket of frost and 21 degree temperature here in Winchester, Tennessee.  Had a cup of coffee and got ready to attend Sunday School and that is something my sweetie and I have not done in 7 years.  Our church in Exeter does not have Sunday School and we did not realize how much we missed it.  After Sunday School we attended worship service and God was definitely present in the building.  Sang some old hymns that we dearly love and heard a great sermon by Pastor Tim Brown, King of Truth.  Hung around for a while and visited with some of the great loving people.  Then it was time to head out for some lunch with Joe Ed, Trixie, L Z, Debbie, my sweetie and myself.  Since we were all stuffed it was time to head home for a nap.

This evening we went back to church, something that we don't normally do on Sunday evenings, sang some more of the old hymns and heard another great sermon by Pastor L Z, My Name is Jesus. 

Since L Z and my sweetie were hungry stopped on the way home and picked them up a Subway sandwich.  Debbie and I did not want a sandwich as we planned to have a slice of Pecan Pie.

Thank you Father for a great day of worship as we came together to sing our praises to you.  It truly has been a day filled with blessings from above!

30 Days of Thankfulness - Day 24

 

"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”  Colossians 2:6-7

 

It is a beautiful but chilly day in Tennessee.  This morning L Z and I went for our morning coffee run to Starbucks and it turned into another adventure.  He kept getting a low tire pressure warning so we pulled into the local tire shop to have it checked out and fixed.  Once repaired we headed down to Hardee's for a sausage biscuit then drove around for a while chit chatting about anything and everything.  Really enjoyed it as it has been a long time since we just sat and talked.

 

Once back at the house I gave a helping hand to Debbie as she had started with Christmas decorations.  We turned up the Christmas music and had a great time.  After the tree was put together we decided it was time to take a break and watch a Christmas movie, Matchmaker Santa.  Break time was now over and time to finish with the decorating.  Everything is decorated but the tree and that will be finished Monday.  Must say everything looks really good. 

 

It was now time to fix us some vittles as everyone was getting hungry and I must say the Chef Salad was very good and hit the spot.  Now we are off to watch the Alabama vs Auburn game and we of course are rooting for Alabama.  Roll Tide!

 

Wishing each of you a very blessed and enjoyable evening.

30 Days of Thankfulness - Day 23

 

 

It has been another great day here in Tennessee.  This morning we got up early, 5:30 AM, and headed to Cairo, Alabama.  I wanted to visit my Daddy at Sandlin Cemetery, his final resting place.  Sandlin Cemetery is an old country cemetery and it is location that we knew Daddy would love. 

 

After visiting with Daddy we headed into Huntsville, Alabama as we were meeting Leslie and DeeDee for lunch at Rosie's.  My sweetie and I were anxious to see them as we hadn't seen them in 5 years.  DeeDee is growing up and is now 9 years old.  It was absolutely wonderful seeing them and we had a great time visiting over lunch.  After lunch Gary and L Z went to the movies and saw Lincoln while Debbie, DeeDee and I set off to do some shopping, Leslie wasn't able to join us.  After a time of shopping we just had to stop at Sees Candies for some sweet treats and then we were off to meet Leslie as DeeDee had a date for some ice skating.

 

It was then time to pick up the guys at the movies.  When we arrived we found out that their movie was not over until 3:00 PM.  Since we had an hour to kill Debbie and I decided it was time for a T J Maxx visit so off we went.  They had some really pretty Christmas decorations but it would have cost me more to ship them home than I paid for them so I settled for a blouse. 

 

It was then time to head back to the movies to pick up the guys and head back up to Winchester, Tennessee.  It was an absolutely beautiful and awesome day with family.

 

There is an old saying,

"Having someplace to go is Home

Having someone to love is Family

Having both is a blessing."

 

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”  Psalm 100:4-5

 

Thank you God for the blessings of family!

 

30 Days of Thankfulness - Day 22

 

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.  Colossians 3:15-16

 

Today is a day of thanksgiving as everyday should be.  For the first time in many years my sweetie and I are spending Thanksgiving with my brother L Z and his family in Tennessee.  I am so thankful to God for this blessing He has given to us.  So today as you are surrounded by family and friends to celebrate a day of Thanksgiving offer up praises to God and thank Him for the many blessings He has given you.

 

God bless each of you and may He keep you safely wrapped in His loving protective arms.

Happy Thanksgiving

30 Days of Thankfulness - Day 21

 I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge. 1 Corinthians 1:4-5

 

My sweetie and I are having a grand time in the great State of Tennessee with L Z and Debbie.  Yesterday they took us to dinner, to celebrate our anniversary, at Bell Buckle Cafe.  Pastor Tim and Teresa, Joe Ed and Trixie, wonderful loving friends, joined us and a great time was had by all.  Today the nieces and nephews are arriving as we begin our Thanksgiving celebration. 

 

We truly have so much to be thankful for and I give praise and honor to our Heavenly Father for the many blessings He has sent our way.

30 Days of Thankfulness - Day 20

 

You are my total perfection,

marrying you was a wise selection.

My love you are the very best,

I truly am very blessed.

 

 

Happy Anniversary Gary!

30 Days of Thankfulness - Day 15 - 19

 

 

Day 15
Thursday my sweetie and I headed to Fresno airport for the first leg of our journey for our Tennessee Thanksgiving.  We arrived at the airport with time to spare so we decided to have breakfast.  I had my usual Starbucks skinny hazelnut with cinnamon steamed in the milk, my sweetie had his cafe mocha extra hot and we each a breakfast pastry.  Once we finished our breakfast we headed through security as we had about 30 minutes to wait before boarding our flight.  I then received a phone call from the airline that our flight was delayed 2 hours which meant we would miss our connector in LA to Nashville.  So to the gate I head along with every one else to reschedule our flights and made the necessary phone calls to family that we would now be arriving in Nashville 4 hours later than we planned.  Once this was done we sat back to relax  a while.  While relaxing I reviewed our flight plan and discovered there would be no time for lunch at LAX as we had planned.  So we decided to have a light brunch while waiting.  While we were waiting I decided to read my morning devotion.  I opened up my Kindle to read and discovered the title was Divine Delay.  I felt like God was telling us that this delay was okay and that there was a reason for it and He was telling us to have patience and to continue to put our trust in Him.  We finally were able to board and it looked like we were going to leave on time.  But that wasn't the case as we sat on the tarmac for 25 minutes before we were to head out.  Started to stress a little as our connector from LAX to Nashville was scheduled to leave at 12:45.  Then God reminded me that He was in control, to sit back and enjoy the flight.  So I did just that and we arrived in plenty of time for our flight, they were boarding when we arrived at the gate, but God had gotten us there in plenty of time.  We arrived in Nashville and were greeted by the smiles of L Z and Debbie.  Had a great visit as we traveled to their place in Winchester.  Great day of blessings!

Day 16
Friday everyone was up early as we were heading to Gatlinburg to spend a couple of days.  Michael, Kellye and boys were meeting us there as was Justin and Sarah.  I was an absolutely gorgeous day as we traveled and took in the sights.  Our first stop as we arrived in Gatlinburg was The Christmas Store.  Beautiful Christmas decorations and if you can't find it there they don't make it.  L Z and Debbie had reserved two cottages for us all to stay in.  Great day with family!

Day 17
Saturday we were up early and headed out to the Pancake House for an early breakfast.  After breakfast we headed to Ashville, North Carolina as were going to tour the Biltmore House.  Each room, all 250 of them, was decorated for Christmas.  I would have love to take some pictures but photography in the mansion was not allowed.  However we did take some pictures of the outside and the surrounding grounds.  After the tour we paid a visit to the Winery, walked around a little and then headed out for lunch at Deerpark Restaurant.   Great buffet with just about anything you would want and you had your choice of breakfast items to prime rib.  We then headed to the stables so the boys and Sarah could take a look at the horses.  We thought about taking a carriage ride but they were booked for the rest of the day.  It was then time to head back to Gatlinburg for some rest and relaxation which we all needed after what felt like miles of walking.  Another great day with family!

Day 18
We had originally planned to stay until Monday morning so we could attend The Miracle Theater to see the story of Christ but it had closed and the current production was Christmas at the Opry.  There weren't any other shows open that we wanted to see so we decided to head back to Winchester that afternoon.  We all headed out to the mall as the boys had some grade money to spend and of course we all needed a Starbucks.   After a little shopping Michael, Kellye and boys headed to the Titanic Museum, Justin and Sarah wanted to shop a little longer, we went for a drive and we were to all meet at the Cracker Barrel for lunch.  I had been really looking forward to this meal as Cracker Barrel is my favorite restaurant and we don't have one in California.  I of course had my favorite Chicken n'Dumplings, Fried Okra, Buttered Corn, Green Beans, Hot Biscuit and a large sweet tea, great meal.  After lunch everyone headed back to their home.  Another great day with family!

Day 19
We started our Monday off with a drive to Starbucks for our morning coffee and then to Hardees for a sausage biscuit.  Drove around a little then headed back to the house.  Spent the day relaxing, watching movies and enjoying each other's company.  Wonderful blessed day!

30 Days of Thankfulness - Day 14

"I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now."  Philippians 1:3-5

 

I am so thankful for my family.  They love me unconditionally for who I am not what I am.  This bouquet of roses represents my family.  The Love's Promise my sweetie planted for me on Valentine's Day, the Blue Girl is for our daughter Marianne and our granddaughter Awbrey, the Fire & Ice is for my sweetie for the many years he spent in the fire department and the White Rose is for our parents who are now residing in their heavenly home.  We also have a Bronze Star Rose that is for our son-in-law Stephen.  Stephen hasn't served in the military but he is as patriotic as they come.

 

Thank you God for the loving family you have so richly blessed my life with.

30 Days of Thankfulness - Day 13

 

Know that the Lord Himself is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter His gates with thanksgiving
And His courts with praise.
Give thanks to Him, bless His name.
For the Lord is good;
His lovingkindness is everlasting
And His faithfulness to all generations.

Psalm 100:3-5

 

Today I am thankful for the simple reminder of what a special lady my Momma was.  This morning as I was reading "Your Homebase Mom" blog I was reminded of a special thing my Momma did for me.  Below is my comment to Leigh Ann:

 

Leigh Ann as I was reading your post this morning my heart almost jumped out of my chest when I came to phrase “Grandma Zola’s Chocolate Pie.” My Momma’s name was Zola and it is not a name you hear often and the grandchildren all referred to her as Grandma Zola. So I could not wait to scroll down to see her picture. I couldn’t believe it when I saw her picture in her kitchen as I have almost the exact picture of my Mom in her kitchen but she is making her famous Enchiladas. The grandchildren’s favorite Grandma Zola recipe was her chocolate gravy. I will never forget the time I called her to get her recipe and she told me I don’t have one I just make it so hold on and I will go make a batch and you can write down the recipe. So she went in the kitchen and made a batch of chocolate gravy so I could have the recipe. I would love to talk with her and get her chocolate pie recipe but she is now cooking in heaven. Thanks for giving me this beautiful reminder of my Mom today.

 

Thank you God for the simple reminders of special times!

30 Days of Thankfulness - Day 12

 

"We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks! For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near." Psalm 75:1

 

We have had a long hot summer here in the city with the small town charm.  I am so thankful that the cooler temperatures have arrived.  This morning it was a cool crisp 36 degrees and I absolutely love it.  Yesterday after church my sweetie and I went for a drive and took in all the beautiful scenery God has blessed us with.  Over the weekend the snow level dropped down to 2500 hundred feet and the mountains are absolutely gorgeous.  Here are a few photos we took yesterday.

 

 

 

 

Thank you God for planting me in such a beautiful place!

 

 

 

30 Days of Thankfulness - Day 11

 

 “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.  John 15:12-13

 

Today is Veterans Day and I am so proud of these guys.  A simple Thank You does not seem enough as you left your families and homes to serve our country without complaint.  They have endured hardship and seen things that none of us could imagine.  My heart goes out to all the men and women serving our great nation.  May God bless you and keep you wrapped in His loving arms. 

30 Days of Thankfulness - Day 10

 

 

"For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer." 1 Timothy 4:4-5

 

I am so thankful that our Heavenly Father cares for us and lavishes us with His love.  When we seek His face and repent of our sins the world opens up to us, not the things of this world but the things that God created for our good.  All we have to do is ask and He will supply our every need, not our wants but our needs and don't forget to offer up thanksgiving to Him for everything He provides.

 

Dear God thank you for meeting the needs of me and my family.  Thank you for the absolutely beautiful day here in the city with the small town.  Thank you for the sun that is  shining and for the clean crisp air.  Makes a body feel alive!

30 Days of Thankfulness - Day 9

 

Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.”  Acts 14:16b-17

Thank you Heavenly Father for the rain you so richly blessed us with today.  The air is so clean and fresh, there are blue skies with puffy white clouds, and it brings the song Oh Happy Day to mind.  Where would I be if not for the love my Heavenly Father lavishes on me.

Oh Happy Day

Oh happy day (oh happy day)
Oh happy day (oh happy day)
When Jesus washed (when Jesus washed)
When Jesus washed (when Jesus washed)
Jesus washed (when Jesus washed)
Washed my sins away (oh happy day)
Oh happy day (oh happy day)


Oh happy day (oh happy day)
Oh happy day (oh happy day)
When Jesus washed (when Jesus washed)
When Jesus washed (when Jesus washed)
When my Jesus washed (when Jesus washed)
He washed my sins away

 

 He taught me how (oh, He taught me how)
To wash (to wash, to wash)
Fight and pray (to fight and pray)
Fight and pray
And he taught me how to live rejoicing
yes, He did (and live rejoicing)
Oh yeah, every, every day (every, every day)
(oh yeah) Every day!

Oh happy day (oh happy day)
Oh happy day, yeah (oh happy day)
When Jesus washed (when Jesus washed)
When my Jesus washed (when Jesus washed)
When Jesus washed [hits high note] (when Jesus washed)
My sins away (oh happy day)
I'm talking about that happy day (oh happy day)

30 Days of Thankfulness - Day 9

"See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! "  1 John 3:1

I am so thankful that I have a Heavenly Father that loves me unconditionally.  He loves me with a love that surpasses all understanding.  I am so blessed to be a daughter of the King of Kings!

30 Days of Thankfulness - Day 7

 "I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Psalm 139:14

 I am thankful for the little things we take for granted.  This is the time of year that God puts on a beautiful art show for us with brilliant and vivid colors.  Today take the time to go for a walk and take in the beauty that is all around us.  You won't be sorry you did!

 

 

 

 

30 Days of Thankfulness - Day 6

 

"Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song. For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods." Psalm 95:2-3

Today is election day and I am so thankful that I live in a country where I have the freedom to worship our God openly, I can fly our countries flag freely and cast my vote for the person I choose to vote for without fear of reprisal.

 

Don't forget to vote today, let your voice be heard!

30 Days of Thankfulness - Day 5

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Philippians 4:6

I am so thankful for my Celebrate Recovery Forever Family.  They take me as I am with all my hurts, habits and hangups.  They never judge me for past sins and they encourage me to keep moving forward toward the goal.  Thank you God for blessing my life with my Forever Family Members.

30 Days of Thankfulness - Day 4

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."  Colossians 3:17

Gary and I are so very thankful for our church family, our family of families.  When we first attended in January 2009 we knew right away that Church of God of Exeter is where God wanted to plant us and that this is where we were to bloom.  These loving men and women share each others burdens, pray for one another and do whatever they can when help is needed.  Pastor Michael and Pastor Rusty preach God's Word, share their faith in the community of Exeter and encourages us to do the same.  I love it when we come together as a family at picnics in the park and community wide events.  Thank you God for blessing Gary and I with our family of families.

 

30 Days of Thankfulness - Day 3

 

Thank you God for the the precious gift of our daughter Marianne.  She puts God first in her life and serves where she can in her church family.  She is an amazing caring and loving woman who works hard to help provide for her family.  She is there for Stephen to encourage him and doing what she can to make his day easier.  She is there for Awbrey encouraging her in school and guiding her to become the young woman God wants her to be.  She is always there when her friends need a helping hand or someone to listen to them.  She is our daughter and we are so very proud of her.

 

She truly is a woman of God!

 

"The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart exults, and with my song I shall thank Him."  Psalm 28:7

 

30 Days of Thankfulness, Day 2

 

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever." 

1 Chronicles 16:34

 

I am so thankful for my Heavenly Father.  He is always there wanting only the best for me.  To see the great love He has for us, all we have to do is look at the majesty of beauty all around us.  His love stretches from the highest mountain to the deepest valley.  He guides me, protects me and supply my every need.  Thank You Father for your great love!

 

30 Days of Thankfulness, Day 1

 

"But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in Your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for He has been good to me." Psalm 13:5-6

 

I am so thankful for my sweet husband Gary. 

 

 

He takes such good care of me and always has my best interest at heart. 

 

Love you sweetie!!!