Friday Feature

May HE give you the desires of your heart and make all your plans succeed. Psalm 20:4 NIV


A VERY SPECIAL EVENT FOR A VERY SPECIAL DAUGHTER
Wrapping  up the work week, and doing something different with the days of the week, let's go out with a big bang...there isn't a better choice than my oldest daughter.

NAEAIDRIA

Celebrate with me the most ambitious, beautiful, valued, confident talented young lady's I know.  When she was little I daydreamed a lot about what she would become.  I'm so thankful for the amazing, incredibly, gifted young lady she is I could not be any prouder than I am of her.
Praying that God allows her to have many more birthdays.

Who is your feature?

Glory to God great things HE has done!!

Thursday's Thrill

“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Philipians 1:6 (KJV)




Today's theme is what are  you "thrilled" about... you know what/who brings you joy?  I have so much to be "thrilled about, I am alive, I feel well today, and am learning so much lately.
I am "thrilled" to the max about this journey, and the fact that many will benefit from it.  My Pastor's messages for some time now have come from Revelations, interesting enough so is this semester's study in BSF.  This week's lesson reminded me of the confidence we have as believer's about eternity.



Glory to God Great things HE has done!

Share your thrills.

Wednesday's Worth

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33 NIV

Do not be afraid, land of Judah; be glad and rejoice. Surely the LORD has done great things! 
Joel 2:21 NIV


On Wednesday think about something worth sharing.  I want to share an opinion, perhaps you've wondered why good people have to suffer.  I've thought about this many times.  For now I'm fine with the fact that I do not/never will control anything in my life.  I am confident that all things work together for good (Romans 8:28).  Jesus tells us we will have trouble in this world (not if we have trouble expect it) but we are to stay calm ...Easier to say than it is to do, I know.  
It has been very difficult and there are many days it takes everything within me to keep moving.  I made a intentional choice to see the good coming out of this journey.  I've been asked many times how do I manage, my response is I have made my choice.  

I overheard someone talking about me talking about what I have been through and how I need to just let it go .... I'll be talking about what the Lord has done for me until I'm unable to talk. I don't want to get over it.  I believe in good coming out of bad.  Let me be clear as I have said before I won't be the lady with my hand flagging down God to pick me for the next miracle HE wants to bless, but  rest assuredly  knowing all the good coming from this journey far outweighs the bad "something to shout about."  This journey is about so much more than me.  I'll tell this story again and again, for His GLOR!!!.  Some good is already happening, and I believe the best is yet to come ... stay tuned. It is all about HIM. 

The worth ... life is a journey, God is in control, knows what HE is doing, it's all good. You choose what you want to do with it, nothing we go through on earth will compare to eternity spent with HIM make sure you have a relationship with HIM.

Glory to God Great things HE has done !!!

Now your turn.

Tuesday Truth

For you created my inmost being: you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 
Psalm 139:13-14 NIV 

Trying new things, from now until directed to do something else on Tuesdays let's post something that is true to your heart. The truth can be a life principal you try to live by, a scripture, the thing I'd ask is to make it positive, inspiring, or encouraging,

I'll start with mine,  a true thought from the scripture above: I live my life intentional knowing how I was created. I remind myself of this often because it is easy for me to get caught up in being what others think I should be. I'm ok the way HE created me.

Please leave a comment

Teachable

Your ears shall hear a world behind you, saying “This is the new way, walk in it, “whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left.”  (Isaiah 30:21 NIV)

“But the Comforter, who is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”
(John 14:26 NIV)

Admission, my intention was to blog about the upcoming changes to this blog yesterday, however there are twenty four hours in everyday.  I'm sure I'm the only one who struggles with time management.  I am doing the best thing I can do about it now, the hours ran out before I could complete the task of the day ok.
I am  so thankful I am still teachable.  Please be patient and kind as I will be following HIS lead. Oh for those of you laughing and talking about how bad I am at blogging .... motivation at it's finest ... to rely on HIM, "He's not finish with me yet," Bro. Randy.  Some of the best things I've learned came after making a mess first.
All of that to say the blog is going under construction.  I am learning to be humble, and draw from those God has raised up on my be half, and unfortunately, I have a lot to learn.
Let me admit that I like learning but am having a bit of a problem with the instructor choices the Lord is making lately. A couple weeks ago my almost 14 year old instructor was helping me with some ways to keep the "peoples" engaged and I said to her "what peoples" she said "mother you have people that will visit your blog because of your experiences and what your interests are "those people." I thought to myself that lil girl may be on to something.  NMO is a rare disease so in my mind the audience (the people) may be small, I learned that is a "no no" bloggers should have large following, who knew everyone but me.
Another relentless instructor, (celebrating her birthday this week), spoke with me about my ideas for such a time as this, the journey and what we know to be a part of why HE created me.  She said "mother don't expect people to lose sleep, and be hyped about your blog," that is your job Moma."  You are the one about to release all the pressure stored in that pressure cooker of yours about this journey and the ministries coming out of it.  Take ownership because there is no passion for this journey like yours Moma."

To line up with the above advice, the Lord confirmed His word through two men Bro. Randy, and Doug Booker one said "leave up to God what HE wants to say through you" and other one said "God has specific plans for me, but HE will be working from His blueprint (if I knew it all, had it all there would be no need for HIM). 

Everyday we are planning a theme.  

From  now on, Monday is Music Monday,
Please share a song, lyrics and any other thing you'd like about music.  One of the things that saw me through some dark days and the way I choose to celebrate is through music.  I want to thank Melissa Brown for Timesia's hospital cd's volume 1 & 2 (and my last one from the link) click the link to listen to one of my favorites.  Please don't forget to comment.

Glory to God great things HE has done.

https://youtu.be/7S2jTLounyU

How does support of family and friends look?

Bear one another burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2)   Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friend. (Proverb 18:24)

One thing I leaned from a bible study I recently attended at my church is no longer is taking out time to rest a good thing, but it is absolutely essential to be well.   I've given myself some time away to enjoy some of the things I like doing crocheting, visiting the sick, helping Veterans through the daunting red tape to get the help both physically and emotionally they need, and helping women look and feel their best no matter what season of life the may be in. All of which are making an impact on building up the Kingdom of God.

Back writing today, I felt a nudge that gently reminded me that it is imperative to continue what I've started to completion. For a couple of reasons, the first is the fact that I know others will benefit from these experiences, but most of all everything this entire journey points back towards God.   

I'm sure that I've mentioned that the only way to go through what I've gone through is with "Jesus on your side" (words to a lil song I wrote many years ago), and the loving support of family and friends. One very unique thing I'd like to say is outside of the outward appearance, my family and friends look and act so much alike, and I am so very thankful for each of them. Another fact is it safe to say my family and friends go hand and hand, and have become interchangeable, such a beautiful experience.

This post is to tag some recently submitted videos to the blog.  Let me just pause and do a lil shot/scream out to Dave Roberts for all of his hard work he has done. I have a new plan for the blog starting Sunday, so I'll  brag on him, and Kelley Stamps, for putting the blog up, and helping me to maintain it.

Some of the videos posted were taken last year, the Lord allowed Joshua and I to host Thanksgiving here in Northwest Arkansas in our home.  This is one of my favorite family traditions.  We've done Thanksgiving this way for as long as I can remember.  We rotate where we celebrate, and the last time it was supposed to be here I wasn't physically able to host it so this was a huge blessing. The other videos were done earlier this year.

After viewing the videos, I felt like I needed to explain we made it to this point heavily reliant on our faith in God, and the support of each other.  Having family and friends isn't the same as having the support w/o asking of family and friends. Knowing there was never a reason to call because family/friends were here and still hang around to date.  I have a hard time communicating what I feel when I think of the family and friends God surrounded us with.  You realize early on who will be there for you, and at times I was really surprised, but am so much better for knowing.  The scripture that comes to mind is Philippians 4:19 ... and God shall supply all our needs according to His riches of glory in Christ Jesus did not disappoint. 

My immediate family is very unique, in that we fight about which one of us is going to do the thing that no one wants to do, and in most families it is the other way around.  My father was/is so very strict on us (now suffering from dementia very evident in his video), and my mother let's just say I would be "whipped" with whatever she could put her hand on (and they both agree I needed all the discipline I received growing up).  We have a blended family I am the middle girl of six girls and we have one older brother and the baby of our family is my other brother.  As with any other family we have our ups and downs, there are the intellectuals, nutty, humorous, serious, sweet, easy going and down right mean in which our family can be defined (have a good time figuring out which one is which).  Throughout this journey there were some role changes in which confirms God's control, and how His love was the constant that kept us. My extended family pretty much operated in conjunction with my biological family and we all share the common denominator Jesus and His love for us.  
There were many who were going to record but we had a time limit and schedules wouldn't afford everyone the opportunity to video, I want to mention how much of a blessing to be surrounded in love, every need supplied. 
These videos were posted to encourage other family and friends going through a similar journey.  It is easy to see we are ordinary people with many imperfections.  One thing that defines a true family in my opinion is learning to overlooked each other faults and love each other through.  We don't suffer from spiritual amnesia like we have it all together, but admit we are all work in progress. 
Everyone that took part knows first hand what this journey is about and wanted to share from a sister's point of view, a mother's point of view, child's point of view and from a friend's point of view and others to give hope that we made it with our faith and what God did for us through each other can work the same way for you ... trust HIM !!!
To God be the Glory Great things HE has done.

Interviews of some very good friends and family!