Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Happy 2nd Birthday Jenna!

Happy Birthday sweet Jenna! Nana loves you lots.

I have a fun day planned today. Boaz and I will be off on a field trip to the Henry Ford Museum. I think it is going to be lots of fun chaperoning a group of Fifth graders. Boaz is so excited that I could get the day off to be with him. Woooohoooo, I'm looking forward to a special day with Bo.

Tonight, we will be heading to my Granddaughter's Birthday party. Oh, I love parties!

I pray you'll have a blessed day!

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Simple acts of Love

Things that I love about my mornings

The way my husband wakes me up. He rubs my face and gives me a soft kiss on the cheek.

Getting my "Good Morning" email from my daughter who lives in Texas.

and my "Good Morning" text from my son who is in the Navy.

These simple acts of love, bless my heart the most.

Last but not least

Opening God's Word and learning all I can from it.

My natural Highs

Singing, singing, singing Praises to our Awesome Lord and Savior.
Laughing so hard my face hurts.
A hot shower.
No lines at the supermarket.
Taking a drive on a pretty road.
Hearing my favorite song on the radio.
Lying in bed listening to the rain outside.
Hot towels fresh out of the dryer.
Clean sheets
Butter pecan Ice cream in a waffle cone
A bubble bath with a good book.
Giggling.
A good conversation.
The beach
Finding a 20 dollar bill in my coat from last winter.
Laughing at myself.
Looking into my families eyes and knowing they Love me.
Laughing for absolutely no reason at all.
Having someone tell me that I’m beautiful.
Laughing with FRIENDS
Accidentally overhearing someone say something nice about me.
Waking up and realizing I still have a few hours left to sleep.
Making new friends or spending time with old ones.
Sweet dreams.
Hot coffee
Swinging on my front porch swing.
Making chocolate chip cookies for my boys and my grandchildren..
Holding hands
Running into an old friend and realizing that some things (good or bad) never change.
Watching the expression on someone's face as they open a much desired present from you.
Watching the sunrise.
Getting out of bed every morning and being grateful for another beautiful day.
Knowing that somebody misses me.
Getting a hug from someone I care about deeply.
Knowing I’ve done the right thing, no matter how badly it hurts.

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Trip to Chicago/Praise Report

I took Friday and Saturday off of work to watch my grandchildren so my son, Bret, & my daughter-in-law, Jess, could get away for the weekend. (I loved every minute of it) They visited Chicago! While they were there they were able to pick Aaron up (My son that is in the Navy) on Saturday and spend a fun day with him. He was so excited to be with family. It is so strange having my grown children visiting each other. (How did I get so old) This is all just so new to me! There were so many changes in my life this last year, nothing bad, just different. It's just taking me a little while to adjust to it all. I'm getting better, No more tears!

Praise Report

I wanted to update everyone on my husband's MRI and Blood work. The MRI showed that his Brain tumor is Stable. The doctor is going to adjust his medication and check his blood in three months.

Prayer Request

My mom has to go on Thursday for a Biopsy on her thyroid gland. I would be very grateful if you'll could pray for her.

Surprise Birthday pictures from my Mom
This picture is a little dark but this is Bret entering the party.
The Birthday boy with daughter Jenna.
Bret & his lovely wife Jessica.
Bret & his Mama (ME)
This is a picture of Jessica's family.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Happy 30th Birthday Bret- I love you lots

I can't believe my baby is all grown up! Seems like just yesterday.....



This is a picture of my very handsome son B.C. A blink of the eyes and he is now 30.















This picture was taken a few weeks ago at Boaz's Birthday party. This is Bret and my beautiful and only granddaughter Jenna. I love my sons smile!

My daughter-in-law, her mom and I threw him a surprise Birthday party on Sunday. Let's just say, we were very busy preparing. Around 50 people showed up for his party. Oh my was he surprised!! I am waiting, for my dear Mama to send me pictures. Hint, hint. You won't believe this but my hubby bought me a new Digital Camera and guess where I left the darn this???? On my kitchen table! I was trying to remember all the things I needed to bring and left the camera! grrrrrrrrrr!!! Oh well, Mama please send pictures!

Saturday, February 16, 2008

More great blogs

I wanted to share a few more sweet ladies with you. All three of these ladies started reading my blog about the same time. I thought they should all be honored together.

I wanted to thank each one of you! Kathy, Choc mint girl and Amel's blog.


Kathy slavaier is so sweet and talented. I think you will all love her as much as I do

Amel is a Newly married lady with lots of funny & sweet stories

Choc mint girl is another newly married woman with lots of great stories



I love all of my blogging friends, Ma, Becca, and Barb that includes you too!

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Happy Valentine's Day

I don't have a lot of time these days to post but I did want to send sweet blessings to my blogging friends. Hugs to all of you!

Hopefully, things will slow down next week and I can catch all of you up on what has been happening in my life. I've only been allowing myself 10 minutes on the computer a day so I can get some much needed things done around my house. The rest I can't write about right now...

Happy 22nd Anniversary to my sweet husband!

Thank you for showing me so much love this week. Your many acts of kindness, the time you spent making all of my favorite foods, buying me things that I really, really needed. You have touched the deepest part of my heart. May I someday be able to show you as much love as you have shown me. May I never forget....All the wonderful things about you.

Monday-Great home cooked meal plus my Carrot muffin from whole foods. (Pork chops, potatoes, and Green bean Casserole)

Tuesday-Yummy home cooked meal (I can't even remember what kind of meat he made, but it was good, with fried mushrooms and onion on top)

Wednesday-Phone charger (I broke mine) My big pillow with the very soft cover. (I'll explain another day).

Thursday-A beautiful vase of flowers. (I'd show everyone but my camera is broke)

Tonight, we will be going out to dinner and to the movies. I have something very special planned for him after that. (Can't tell, it's a surprise)

FYI-No news on the blood work and MRI yet.

Saturday, February 09, 2008

What a great God we Serve!

What a Wonderful and Awesome God we serve! I want to shout it from the roof top! Shout it for all the world to here! God deserves our praise!

I had a really rough few weeks, with everyone sick in my house "AGAIN"!! This is the fourth time since Christmas. There is always things happening in our lives I have no control over, my husband's health and other situations. The roads on my route were icy and snowy again today. I wrecked the side of my truck by sliding into a group of mail boxes this morning. The truck didn't get damaged until it got pulled out. I tried to do my front brakes last night and couldn't get them back together so I left the hardware off and my brakes were grinding the whole route. I had to come home this morning, after putting fruit together for Jimmy and John's wrestling tournament today and redo the brakes, after I bought the hardware that is. I really need to run soon, I have to work at the tournament today.

With all that said and done. Some might call me crazy or insane but I am excited this morning. How can I not be excited for what the Lord has done for me? He is our Risen Savior! He died to set us free! I am so excited to lead God's people in worship tomorrow. The songs that we are singing to our Lord, proclaims what a great God we are so honored to serve.

SO HERE I AM TO WORSHIP "I worship you alone Lord". HERE I AM TO BOW DOWN "only to you Lord". Here I AM TO SAY THAT YOUR MY GOD "You are the only true and awesome, living God".

How can we not be pumped up to Worship the True and living God? I can't wait to sing to Him, to hear His Word preached. I can't wait to glean everything I can from the preacher in the morning. I want to grow in love and knowledge for God and God Alone.

There is no rock, there is no God like our God. No other name worthy of ALL our
Praise. The rock of salvation that can not be moved, He's proven Himself to be faithful and true. AMEN!

Hosanna, Hosanna, You are the God who saves us, worthy of all our praises!

Behold He comes, riding on the clouds, rising like the sun, at the trumpet call. Lift your voice it's the year of jubilee and out of Zion still Salvation comes!

So here I am to Worship, here I am to bow down, here I am to say that your my God!

You have been so good to me, You have been so good to me, I came here broken, You made me whole. You have been so good to me.

So here I am to Worship, here I am to bow down, Here I am to say that your my God!

When we've been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun. We've known less days to sing God's praise than when we first begun.

Amazing love how can it be, that you my King should die for me. Amazing love I know it's true, it's my Joy to honor YOU.

So here I am to Worship, here I am to bow down, Here I am to say that your my God!

I pray you’re all as pumped up as I am to worship our God tomorrow! WoooooHoooooo Amen!

May this carry me through my week! I want to remember His love for me, through the good days and bad. I want to always be ready to tell other's how much the Lord has done for me.

Yes, I had a rough morning delivering papers. Yes, I'm tired but the Lord is my strength, my salvation. He will give me the energy that I need when I need it.

Wow, do I feel great this morning! I'd better run, I'm sure they are waiting on me to help with concessions.

Thursday, February 07, 2008

Consequences to Sin

I have been looking up and reading about the consequences to sin that we find in the Scriptures. I know this is a very long post, but I have been going though this in my quiet time for the past week. Things that are on my heart and mind, I like to blog about. I need to guide my heart every minute of every day least I be tempted and fall into sin. I am not a want to be journalist Nor do I have a Bible major. Half the time I am sure I don't dot all of my i's and cross all of my t's.

We sin in many ways; The more we pursue sin, the more our conscience becomes dulled (1 Timothy 4:2, Titus 1:15). A dull conscience causes us to be susceptible to enemy's lies which will draw us progressively further from God (James 1:14). Eventually we may not even think our actions are sinful and our ability to repent can be hindered (Hebrews 6:1-8).

We may well be tempted to think that because none of us is perfect, and we are all to some extent suffering from this moral disease the Bible calls 'sin', and because God is a loving God, then it doesn't matter too much. He will surely overlook our little faults. Unfortunately, the situation is somewhat more serious than that. Though God loves us passionately, his holiness and justice are such that he cannot live with evil. As the prophets Habakkuk and Isaiah put it, "Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong" (Habakkuk 1:13), "Your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you" (Isaiah 59:2).

In highlighting the seriousness of our position the Bible describes us as "darkened in [our] understanding" and therefore blind to spiritual truths (Ephesians 4:18, 1 Corinthians 2:14); "dead in [our] transgressions and sins" and therefore without the life of God in our souls (Ephesians 2:1, 5); and "enslaved" to our sinful nature (Titus 3:3; John 8:34), with hearts that are so twisted with self-centredness that out of them come "evil thoughts, vulgar deeds, stealing, murder, unfaithfulness in marriage, greed, meanness, deceit, indecency, envy, insults, pride and foolishness. All of these come from your heart, and they are what make you unfit to worship God" (Mark 7:21, 22). We are also described as being "without hope" (Ephesians 2:12) and "without excuse" (Romans 1:20).

Finally, we are powerless to do anything about it unless God should take the initiative (Ephesians 2:8; Acts 11:18). In short, we have a past that needs forgiving, a separation that needs bridging, a mind that needs illuminating, a void that needs filling, and a nature that needs transforming. Amazingly enough, these are all things that are amply provided for us through the death and resurrection of Jesus and the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

We can have restoration from our sin.

You can see from these

Sex sin can cause emotional confusion. Sex creates emotional bonds ("soul ties") with our sex partner. These bonds will vary in strength depending on the relationship. God intended this emotional bond for marriage partners. When we bond with people other than our spouse through sex, emotional confusion results. This confusion can manifest in many ways. Here are some examples:

* Recurring dreams and/or thoughts about your lover
* Inability to achieve emotional intimacy with spouse
* Regret or bitterness toward people who hurt us in past relationships
* Comparing our spouse with former lover in sexual performance
* Distorted understanding of true love (corrupted by lust or other selfishness)
* Increased promiscuity, in attempt to find true intimacy and love

This sin feels so much like love when it is committed. The more it is done the more our conscience is dulled to this sin.

The danger of emotional confusion is that it can hold us back from experiencing true intimacy with our spouse and God.

Adultery often destroys marriages and families. The husband and the wife will suffer emotional, spiritual and even physical damage when the bond of fidelity is broken. Major healing will be needed to repair the breach. Memories created during a marriage breakup can last the lifetime of the family and the effects can be felt up to four generations. Viewing pornography is a form of adultery (Matthew 5:28), and its potential to damage a marriage cannot be underestimated. Too often it is justified as a harmless necessity by the addicted, suggesting that it is not as damaging as physical adultery. This is a lie!

Sin causes shame, fear and guilt
in people's lives

Even when people laugh and mock the sins they commit outwardly...the feelings of guilt, fear and shame haunt them inwardly. The only person who does not experience these feelings any longer are those who been turned over to a "reprobate mind" where they no longer have feelings toward others, themselves or God. The Bible says,

"O my God, I am ashamed; I blush to lift up my face to you, for our sins are piled higher than our heads and our guilt is as boundless as the heavens." Ezra 9:6

"Otherwise I perish, for problems far too big for me to solve are piled higher than my head. Meanwhile my sins too many to count have all caught up with me and I am ashamed to look up. My heart quails within me. Please, Lord, rescue me! Quick! Come and help me!" Psalms 40:12-13

Sin causes pain and misery

God never intended our life to be unhappy and miserable but sin's power makes people do things that harm others and themselves. Every bad thing that has ever happened on earth is caused by someone's sin. Every hurt, every wound and every disease is the result of sin. The Bible says

"Listen, O heaven and earth, to what the Lord is saying: "The children I raised and cared for so long and tenderly have turned against me. Even the animals--the donkey and the ox--know their owner and appreciate his care for them, but not my people Israel. No matter what I do for them, they still don't care. Oh, what a sinful nation they are! They walk bent-backed beneath their load of guilt. Their fathers before them were evil too. Born to be bad, they have turned their backs upon the Lord and have despised the Holy One of Israel. They have cut themselves off from his help. Oh, my people, haven't you had enough of punishment? Why will you force me to whip you again and again? Must you forever rebel? From head to foot you are sick and weak and faint, covered with bruises and welts and infected wounds, unanointed and unbound...You stand there helpless and abandoned...If the Lord Almighty had not stepped in to save a few of us, we would have been wiped out as Sodom and Gomorrah were".
Isaiah 1:2-9


Sin enslaves the sinner

One of the lies that the devil tells sinners is that they are free to do what they want to...that they are control of their own life...that man does not need God.

What satan does not reveal is this startling reality...if God does not guide us then the devil will. If God is not in control, the devil is. Every person is either guided by God's goodness or the devil's evils.

Sinners are actually slaves to sin. They do not control their own lives. Sin is controlling them so that they cannot help but do things that are bad for them. Sin will ultimately destroy the person who keeps doing it. The Bible says,

"Jesus replied, "You are slaves of sin, every one of you. And slaves don't have rights, but the Son has every right there is! So if the Son sets you free, you will indeed be free--"
John 8:34-36



"Don't you realize that you can choose your own master? You can choose sin (with death) or else obedience (with acquittal). The one to whom you offer yourself--he will take you and be your master, and you will be his slave. Thank God that though you once chose to be slaves of sin, now you have obeyed with all your heart the teaching to which God has committed you. And now you are free from your old master, sin; and you have become slaves to your new master, righteousness. I speak this way, using the illustration of slaves and masters, because it is easy to understand: just as you used to be slaves to all kinds of sin, so now you must let yourselves be slaves to all that is right and holy. In those days when you were slaves of sin you didn't bother much with goodness. And what was the result? Evidently not good, since you are ashamed now even to think about those things you used to do, for all of them end in eternal doom. But now you are free from the power of sin and are slaves of God, and his benefits to you include holiness and everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Romans 6:16-23



"Be humble when you are trying to teach those who are mixed up concerning the truth. For if you talk meekly and courteously to them, they are more likely, with God's help, to turn away from their wrong ideas and believe what is true. Then they will come to their senses and escape from Satan's trap of slavery to sin, which he uses to catch them whenever he likes, and then they can begin doing the will of God." 2 Timothy 2:25-26

Sin separates us from God and spiritual life

The most serious thing about sin is that it separates us from God.

God is all good. He cannot sin nor can He be a part of sin. God hates sin but not the sinner. But even though God loves sinners, He will not be a friend to people who keep sinning. Sin is like a big wall that separates us from God. God is on one side of the wall while we are on the other side trying to live a happy life without Him. The big wall of sin keeps God from being our friend and partner.

The wall of sin is our problem. It is the wall that we need to get rid of but we can't tear the wall down by ourselves. The wall of sin is too big and powerful for any person to remove by ourselves. We need God's help...and fortunately He will if we are sincere to ask. The Bible says,

"Listen now! The Lord isn't too weak to save you. And he isn't getting deaf! He can hear you when you call! But the trouble is that your sins have cut you off from God. Because of sin he has turned his face away from you and will not listen anymore. For your hands are those of murderers and your fingers are filthy with sin. You lie and grumble and oppose the good." Isaiah 59:1-3

"You have never been mine. Go away, for your deeds are evil. All who listen to my instructions and follow them are wise, like a man who builds his house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents, and the floods rise and the storm winds beat against his house, it won't collapse, for it is built on rock. But those who hear my instructions and ignore them are foolish, like a man who builds his house on sand. For when the rains and floods come, and storm winds beat against his house, it will fall with a mighty crash." Matthew 7:23-27

"Try to stay out of all quarrels, and seek to live a clean and holy life, for one who is not holy will not see the Lord." Hebrews 12:14

Another big one I struggle with is blaming others for my sin.

As long as you are making excuses for your sinfulness, you will never grow spiritually. That will only occur when you humbly acknowledge your sin and do something about it. Since spiritual growth is a process in which there is a decreasing frequency of sin, then it must include an acknowledgement of responsibility for sin. Don't blame your circumstances, your husband, your wife, your boyfriend, your girlfriend, your boss, your employees, or your pastor; blame yourself. Don't even blame the devil. Certainly anything in the world's system contributes to the problem, but sin ultimately occurs as an act of the will-- and you are responsible for it.

Nehemiah 9:33 -- Nehemiah said this about God: "...Thou art just in all that is brought upon us...."

Luke 15:21 -- When the prodigal son returned home to his loving father, he said, "...I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight...." He realized that his father would be gracious in treating him simply as a day laborer. He didn't expect anything because he knew he didn't deserve anything. That is the mentality of a person who realizes he is a sinner and deserves nothing.

Psalm 51:4 -- David said, "Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight...." David didn't blame anybody but himself. He was saying, "God, You are just in all that You have brought to bear on my life."

Confession is acknowledging that sin is your fault.




In conclusion I have seen the following this past week.

The consequences of sin are many. They are seen throughout our world as evil men and women continue to rebel against their Creator. Sin is an evil power that is very deceptive. Even while going through the motions of lustful pleasures that last for a moment or two the sinner lives within the privacy of his or her mind and emotions where shame, fear and guilt are daily companions. The wounds of sin are many for the sinner. Pain, suffering, family breakdowns, failures in life, loneliness, depression, despair are only of the few examples of sin's consequences.

Sin is misery and bondage that will eventually destroy the mind, heart, body and soul. Its ultimate consequence is separation from God...who alone is the source of life, love and peace forever. Sin keeps man from enjoying the abundance of life that God so earnestly desires for each and every one of us.

There is nothing good that can be said of sin. It is our enemy, our nemesis, our most tragic problem.

I need to look to God every day, through reading The Bible, and prayer so I can walk away from sin when it is knocking at my door.

Monday, February 04, 2008

Marraige Monday-My most memorable Valentines Day

E-mom is the host of Marriage Monday; Don't forget to pop over to view her great ideas.It's Marriage Monday; E-mom and so many others have some great Valentine's Day Ideas
Thanks E-mom.


I have to start this post with a funny little story.

My AA news motor route ran really great this morning. This allowed me to get home in plenty of time to ride to church with my family.

My husband and I were setting in Sunday school waiting for class to start. I had been trying to remember which Anniversary it was that my husband had given me a gift everyday for five days. I wrote on Saturday that my 22nd wedding anniversary is coming up on Valentines Day.

I told my husband that it was marriage Monday again in the blogging world. I told him I was going to write about my most memorable Valentines Day. I asked if he remembered which Valentines Day it was that he showered me with all the gifts.

He looked at me and said, “Oh, if that isn't a big hint”. I laughed so hard! I had to try to stifle my laugh because Sunday school was about to start. He is just so funny! I swear, I was only trying to remember which year it was.

Now, I want to write about my most memorable Valentines Day.

On our 18th Wedding Anniversary/Valentines Day, my husband made it very special. Everyday for a whole week I received a gift.

The first gift was a white teddy bear with candy. I had no idea that, that was just the beginning. He had never done anything like this before and I guess, I was just so surprised by this side of him.

The second day, I received my favorite cookie- It was a huge fortune cookie with Chocolate & nuts on top. My favorite cookie happens to be fortune cookies. I don’t get Chinese food for the food but for the cookies. Needless to say, I ate the whole cookie by myself. Yum, Yum, Yummy.

Day three, I received a beautiful vase of my favorite flowers. Carnations-They last a long time and they are so pretty.

On day four, I received “The Love Letter”. My husband printed it on fancy paper and put it in a frame. “I’m still looking for it”. We moved a few years ago and it is somewhere upstairs packed away in a box. I’ll post it as soon as I find it.

Day five was our Anniversary/Valentines Day. My husband made this day so special. He made me a home cooked meal of my favorite foods. Chicken Parmigiana, a salad with Raspberry vinaigrette dressing, and some yummy garlic bread. For dessert, he made me a homemade Carrot cake.

After our meal he had one more gift for me.

There is a little story behind my gift I need to share. Before my husband and I got married. He gave me a beautiful ruby ring. It was his commitment to me that I was the only woman for him. He has been a Godly, faithful, kind, loving husband all these years.

When I was pregnant with our third child my hands were really swelled, the ring was cutting into my finger. I took it off and placed it in my purse. After I had Aaron I went to find it so I could wear it again. It was gone!

My husband knew how much that ring meant to me but we couldn’t afford to purchase a replacement. (He told me once I could be more responsible he would buy me another one, hee, hee) After dinner my husband handed me a package, inside was a beautiful ruby ring. The promise that he made when we were dating, still holds true today. He has always been faithful to me. Every time I look at my ring, I remember the promise he made to me years ago when we were dating, that he would always be mine.

I have always been attracted to a certain type of man. (My Type) Here are some of the things that attracted me to my husband and why I still love him so much today:

My husband is the head of our home, he leads our family in a God fearing manner. He is our provider and protector. I feel very safe and secure with him.

He was and is very handsome with lots of beautiful hair.

I love his eyes, they tell so much about how he feels about me.

The way he treated/treats his mom.

As we all know, the way they are before we marry them is the way they will be after we marry them. It only gets worse! These are the qualities, I watched for while we were dating.

He wasn't/isn't a flirt-

He had friends that were girls but it wasn't the norm to see him hanging around a bunch of women.

He wasn't/isn't a ladies man-

My husband has always been a very handsome man. Even when we worked together at McDonald's he had woman coming on to him. He was and is so faithful to me.

He had/has guy friends not just girl friends-

My husband doesn't believe woman and men can be best friends unless you are married to them. One or the other is going to have strong feeling for the other. This he says, is normally the woman but not always.

He loved/loves me and my son (before I got married) our children (now) and grandchildren-

On his lunch hour from work he would come to my sons t-ball games. He now is at every sporting event he can be at involving our children and grandchildren.

My husband puts his family before everything else- We are not at the bottom of his long list, we are at the top.

My husband's calendar is filled with our children's Wrestling practices/meets/tournaments, our children's dentist/orthodontist/doctor's appointments. It was never filled or isn't filled with lunch dates/dinner dates/parties/sports.

He was and still is the first man I call when I need anything spiritually, emotionally, physically or just if I think of something funny I need to share.

My husband has and will drop everything for his family. He has done this over and over before we were married and throughout our marriage. He always makes himself available to us.

BTW-A big Thank you to all the people that asked about my husband's appointment. He has to have an MRI and blood work. I'll post results when I get them. Keep praying please!