Happy Birthday Stephen

It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.
1 Corinthians 1:30

Stephen we were so blessed when God chose you to be our "Son."

Today as we celebrate you and your life may you be surrounded by family and friends, and your day be blessed with love, joy, peace, laughter and sunshine.

Happy Birthday Son

Love,

Mom & Dad

A Time For Everything

There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens:

     a time to be born and a time to die,
    a time to plant and a time to uproot,
     a time to kill and a time to heal,
    a time to tear down and a time to build,

Ecclesiastes 3:1-3

Thirty-one years ago today my sweet Momma left her earthly home for her heavenly home.  There are times when I miss her so much that I find myself picking up the phone to call her just to chat for a while and then I remember I can't.  You see there are no phones in heaven.  But you know what?  I have a direct line to heaven through Jesus Christ.  I can tell Jesus what I want to say to my Momma and I feel that He will pass my message on to her.  

Father God thank you for my loving Savior Jesus Christ.  Father God thank you for blessing my life with a loving Momma.  Father God thank you for all the wonderful memories I have of my Momma.  Father God thank you for taking my Momma's pain away and giving her a perfect body.  Father God thank you for always being there for me, even during the times that I forget to praise you for the many blessings you have given me.  Amen

Time is a very precious gift from God;
so precious that it's only given to us moment by moment.

Amelia Barr  

Mountains

If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.  1 Corinthians 13:2

Without love I have nothing and I am nothing.  I can have all the faith in the world but if love is missing I cannot accomplish anything.  God's Word tells me I am to love my neighbor as I love myself.  What?  How can I love myself when at times I can't stand myself and the things I say or do.   How can I love a person that puts themselves on a higher plane than others?  How can I love a person that has abused their child, their spouse and others?  How am I supposed to love someone that has taken the life of another?  How???  With the love of God that is how.  

God loves me no matter what I have done and He has forgiven me.  If I love others like God loves me then I can forgive them as He has already forgiven much of me.  In Matthew 19:26 His Word tells me, Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  His love is what moves the mountains that we put up between ourselves and others.  So get beyond yourself, forgive others, and love them with the love of Christ that God has placed in you.

Father God thank you for loving me so much that you gave your Son for me for His blood cleansed me and made me whole.  Father God help me to love others with that same love, to see beyond all the hurts, habits and hang-ups and to love with an unconditional love.  Amen

Instead of praying that mountains be removed,
let's pray for the courage to climb them.

Anonymous

Be Still...

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth.”

Psalm 46:10

Today has been a very busy day.  I feel like this is the first time today that I have actually sat down with my own thoughts.  I have rushed from one thing to another today and it is exhausting. Shame on me for I have not stopped long enough to listen to what God has to say.  His Word tells me that I am to be still, to wait on Him, to listen to the whisper of His voice, to let Him guide me through my day.  We get so busy with being busy that we forget to wait on God.  If I had taken the time today to spend time with God I can't help but think that I just might not be as tired as I am.

Father God please forgive for not spending time with you today.  Forgive me for not listening to your voice and letting you guide me through my day.  Thank you for letting everything come together and for the wonderful evening of worship.  Thank you for  blessing my life be such wonderful family and friends.  Father God teach me to take the time to stop and smell the Roses.  Amen

Take time to notice all the usually unnoticed, simple things in life.  

Delight in the never-ending hope that's available every day!

Anonymous

WWJD

My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.  Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.  James 3:12-14

Life is difficult and can throw us a lot of curves when we least expect them.  If we aren't careful our lives will become as dormant as these trees.  When we don't stay in the Word we stop growing and we find ourselves back down in the valley.

God gave us the freewill to make choices that will affect our lives and sometimes those choices affect the lives of those we love most.   When someone hurts us we carry it around like an albatross around our neck.  We let the hurt define who we are, how we act and our hurt ends up hurting others.  When our hurt starts hurting others it is time for us to take a real good look at the choices we have been making.  We need to let go of the bitterness and selfish motives to strike back at the person who hurt us.  We need to get back in the Word and let Christ lead us.  Several years back there was an acrostic WWJD, "What Would Jesus Do?"

So when this hurt comes, and it will, stop and simply ask yourself, WWJD.

I Know The Plans...

  For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Jeremiah 29:11

Today in our fair city and county we had a little fog.  As I was driving into Vancouver this morning this verse came to mind.  It reminded me that I don't know what is in my future but God does.  Just as I could not tell what was ahead me on the road I knew to drive cautiously.  God tells us not to worry about yesterday because we cannot change a thing that happened and not to worry about tomorrow as He has it all under control.  What I am to do is to live life one day at a time placing my trust in Him.

Just as this sign tells me that there is a curve ahead and to reduce my speed, God tells me that He knows what all of my tomorrows hold.  He has known all about me before I came into this world.  He gives me the free choice to make decisions regarding my life.  He also tells me to put my faith and trust in Him and everything will be all right.  This doesn't mean that there will not be trials in my life but with God as my pilot I will come through those trials a stronger person.

Father God thank you for the gentle reminders you give me to keep you at the forefront of our lives.  Father God thank you for the protection you me and my family daily.  Father God help me to make the right choices each day as I serve you.  Amen

There is a past which is gone forever, but there is a future which is still our own.

F. W. Robertson

Happy Birthday Momma

being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.  Philippians 1:6

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday dear Momma

Happy Birthday to you

Momma you would have been 88 years old today and all us kids would have gathered around to be with you as we celebrated you.  Today you are celebrating with all our loved ones in your heavenly home as you have for thirty-one years.  So Momma I wish you a great day but I wanted to drop in and say, I love you and I miss you every day.

Happy Birthday Momma and give all a hug and kiss for me.

Love,

Shirley

He Who Began

He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 1:6

This past weekend as we put away all the Christmas things we cleaned each room as we put them back to normal.  Since we did all the cleaning over the weekend it has been a quiet relaxing day here at our house with each of us doing whatever we wanted to do.

Even though things are as they should be now it seems like there is always something to do and our work is not finished.  It is the same with us as God continues to work in each of our lives.  The day we accept Christ as our Savior doesn't mean that everything is now all hunky dory and we no longer need to do anything.  Just as when we were babies our Mommas took care of us and taught us the things we needed to know we are babes in Christ.  We will grow and mature in Christ as we follow His teachings.  How do we do this?  By reading and studying His Word and by applying it to our daily lives.  We no longer live as we used to but by the example Christ set so that others will see Him living in use.  

I don't know about you but I am so glad that Christ is not finished with me yet for I am a work in progress and will be until the day He calls me home.

Father God thank you for Your Son, Your Son that so willing came to earth and set the example of how I should live.  Father God thank you for the many blessings you have blessed our family with and for the blessings that are to come.  Father God thank you for the mercy and grace you grant me each day as I strive to follow the example Your Son set for me.  Amen

Peace

 Grace, mercy and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.  2 John 1:3

It has been an overcast dreary day here in the PNW with rain off and on.  It is days like this that I want to curl up with a good book, a hot cup of tea, and an afghan in front of the fireplace.  It wouldn't have taken much for that to happen this morning.  But today is the Lord's day, a day set aside for us to worship Him and spend time with our family of families.

Morning worship was awesome!  Today was the first Sunday of the New Year and Pastor Steve started a new sermon series, "Speak Up - His Words, Your Mouth.", It is going to be a great series and I don't want to miss a single Sunday.

This morning was also "Next Step Dessert" Sunday, a time when we can hang out, welcome our visitors, visit with each other and be a "family."  Our baby girl does an awesome job putting this together each month.

Once we arrived home from morning worship it was time to sit back and relax a while.  My sweetie and our boy Ozzie took naps while I played with calendars and things.  All in all it has been a very peaceful day here at our little piece of heaven.

Father God thank for blessing lives with our family of families.  Father God thank you for Pastor Steve, the shepherd you have placed in our midst to lead us.  Father God thank you for the grace, mercy and peace you give us each day.  Amen

I wish you peace in the world in which you live and in the smallest corner of the heart where truth is kept.

Robert A. Ward

Second Chances

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

I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to You among the nations.

Psalm 57:8-9

Everyday God gives us a second chance, a chance to get it right and I am so glad He does.  My sweetie and I have spent the day putting our house in order after the Christmas festivities.  It is always nice to have things back to normal and spending the time together doing this is great.

Doing this together reminds me that I need to do the same with God to keep my life in order.  I need to stop trying to do it on my own and let Him take the wheel.  I need to quit trying to lead and let God lead me down the paths He wants me to take.  I need to surrender to His will for my life.  When I do this I will find that things are normal as that is how it should be.  With God as my leader I will find life simpler and easier.  

Father God help me to surrender my will to you.  Father God show me the paths you would have me take as I travel through this life you have blessed me with.  Father God thank you for the second you give me each day.  Amen

God puts each fresh morning, each new chance of life, into our as a gift to see what we will do with it.

Anonymous

He Is Near

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. 

James 4:8

Today has been a busy day around here, even though I did sleep in this morning.  Once up and moving I decided it was time to get the Christmas decorations put away and that took me all day.  I was exhausted by the time it was all back in the garage and I realized that my patience was wearing thin with everything.  My sweetie took one look at me and ask me to sit and rest a while which I happily complied with.  He then said, "I know that you are exhausted so why don't we go out to dinner."  Well let me tell you he didn't have to ask twice.  Since I was still in my pajamas I quickly cleaned up a bit, didn't want to embarrass him to much, and we headed out for dinner to one of our favorite places here in our small town, Country Cafe.  Well the first thing I ordered was a hot cup of coffee while we sat and relaxed a bit.  Of all the yummy things they have on their menu a hamburger and fries was calling my name and we finished up with Apple Pie Ala Mode.

So just when you have reached the end of your rope and you wonder if any one cares how tired you are God is there waiting.  It is then that you realize that He has been near you all day giving you the strength to accomplish the things that need to be done.  

Father God thank you for being there, for giving me the strength to accomplish the tasks set before me.  Amen

"Have confidence in God's mercy, for when you think He is a long way from you, He is often quite near."

Thomas A. Kempis

First Day of the New Year

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:16 

Today it is a beautiful sun shiny day here in the PNW.  It is also the first day of a brand new year, a year for God to use each of us in a mighty way.  The little squares on my new calendar are blank right now but they will shortly start to fill up as I transfer things from last years calendar.  As I go about my daily tasks I ask God to remind me to always put Him first and to begin my day with Him at the forefront.  To remember to live each day to the fullest enjoying it one moment at a time.  

Life is God's gift to you.  

The way you live your life is your gift to God. 

Make it a fantastic one!

by Leo Buscaglia

Thank you Father God the gift of today, thank you for your infinite mercy and grace!