Thursday, June 26, 2008

THANKFUL

The best friends in the world...
the best prayer warriors in the world...
God has blessed me in every way.
I'm enjoying reading today
trying to catch up.
Got home from the hospital
and our modem died.
so thankful for my teen driver
escorting me to the library to catch up
a little.
Blessings all around.
God is mending me...
thank you for all your prayers, food, phone calls and
unending love.

Jer. 33:3 Call to me and I will answer you, and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.

Monday, June 9, 2008

Simple Woman's Day Book

FOR June 9, 2008...

Outside My Window...
...butterflies enjoying my "butterfly" bush with its bright purple cones hanging there for the world's enjoyment. Their buddies, the bees, are there, too! They're all so busy, gathering their nectar, or pollen--I wonder how far they have to fly before they will make it home to rest?


I am thinking...
on sentimental things in my mind yet will be keeping myself busy throughout the day with chores and packing for my quick trip downtown tomorrow.

I am thankful for...
wonderful volunteer counselors escorting our Youth choir to their summer tour in Florida, enduring the constant movement, giddyness of teens, and heat of the central Florida flatlands--it's going to be VERY hot while they are there enjoying "the Mouse" and singing at the nursing homes.

From the kitchen...

7-grain wheat toast with pineapple cream cheese and coffee. Haven't decided about lunch yet...probably leftovers from yesterday's lunch at O'Charley's...yum!


I am wearing...

a cotton, black and white buttoned-front blouse with white shorts, barefooted and getting ready to put on my PLATEX gloves for that "cleaning couture" look!

I am creating...

some room in my guest-room closet--Mother needs room to hang her clothes upon her arrival in the next few days...oooooh, where to put the many out-of-season clothes in the meantime?.

I am going...
later today to get a pedicure on my tootsies so I can lay in the bed and admire them later in the week. Little things go a long way!


I am reading...
blogs written on the "Simple Woman's" blog...love it!


I am hoping...
my newest members, two trumpet bushes, getting ready to be planted in my front-yard island...will acclimate well and not pass away in the Southern HEAT...sweltering humidity, suposed to top off around 97 today.
I am hearing...
the phone ringing...calls for various things--church planning for youth food, wishes for the next several days, time share opportunities (this was a short call, I really don't like marketing calls). Oooohhh, just heard some mocking birds in the backyard, they were kind enough to chime in and take my mind off the telephone calls!


Around the house...
many chores are needed today, laundry being put away, picking up the kitchen, mopping the floors downstairs, cleaning all the bathrooms, changing the bed sheets. Napping in between the bathrooms and bedsheets!


One of my favorite things...
listening to our Youth choir sing and praise our Lord...their concert last night was so well done. They sang old, new, calm, and jazzy. I know their audiences later this week will love to hear them and watch them as they smile and sing during each concert.


A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:
...recuperate
...rest.


The picture I am sharing...

is from my butterfly bush as it hosts a butterfly (who didn't smile for my camera and even turned away just as I took the pic) so it looks like a sliver of orange ...i'll try to get another shot later today maybe...

but you can clearly see the lavendery purple cone flowers...i luv my bush. It returned from "the dead" table at Pike's...I bought it for $1.50 about ten years ago. It looked like a poor, wispy stick in an 8-in pot when I saved it...a little fertilizer, good soil and it was renewed and has thrived ever since, with yearly prunings of course. It now stands about 11 fee high and 6 or 7 feet across at its widest point...have I said I love this bush God renewed for me?!

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If you'd like to do this activity...
Here's the link to the Simple Woman's main page. http://thesimplewoman.blogspot.com/

Saturday, June 7, 2008

The SIMPLE WOMAN'S DAYBOOK



FOR TODAY (June 7, 2008)...

Outside My Window...
our deck with built-in seats all around the perimeter...and no flowers in the pots due to our on-going drought. We're still praying for more rain; but behind the deck are my wonderfully large and extremely tall white oak trees...towering and swaying in today's breezes, yet it is in the 90s!


I am thinking...
this is a great way to get me writing more...I'm still fairly new at this and tend to run out of ideas.

I am thankful for...
hubby's successful shoulder surgery and his faithfulness to physical therapy...pain terrorists is what most people call them. He has listened and practiced religiously at home, so his recuperation is going wonderfully and he's moving better than he has in 30 years! God is good, all the time!


From the kitchen...
I haven't done much cooking today (due to my separating and handling laundry and laundry and laundry)...stacks separated by color and type across the floor, colorful mounds waiting to be thrown in the washer. I remember when daughter was itty bitty, she'd run and jump into them like a stack of leaves. We have,however, made a path to the fridge for ice (due to the 90 degree weather).

I am wearing...
blue jean shorts and a gray t shirt and barefoot...my hormones are raging and I'm living in a world of un-ending hot flashes...come to think of it, I've been dressing like this since November or December.

I am creating...
a legacy scrapbook (This is My Story) for my daughter...it's written by Lisa Whelchel, and I highly recommend it. You answer faith questions and scrapbook as part of your Bible Study. It really challenges you to spend time asking yourself very important questions of how, when, where and even some of your shortfalls to show where God worked things out for you. Many of these things I had not spoken of with my family and it even caused some great discussions at the dinner table.

I am going...
to church tomorrow and then taking a nap in the afternoon (I'll need the energy for youth tomorrow night...100 junior and senior high school students with all their energy and social interaction.

I am reading...
A Walk Across Egypt, a story about a southern, elderly woman. Not too far into it yet, so I haven't formulated my opinion yet.

I am hoping...
my little visiting, stray kitty will keep coming to the house ... he's good company when the hubby and daughter are out and about in their activities.

I am hearing...
Georgia Public Television's America's Test Kitchen chefs make chocolate mousse and BBQ chicken(separately, of course)...their show is so informative and their cook book is even better. Their salting vs. brining segment is interesting, too. I always brine my turkey at Thanksgiving...can't beat the flavor and it's NEVER, NEVER, NEVER dry. Thank you, Alton Brown (Food Network)

Around the house...
my hubby and daughter just finished cutting branches from the holly bushes...then raking up the stems outside the front windows...I'm not able to do this kind of bending and stretching at the moment and I really appreciate their hard work on such a really hot day. Yippee, now I can see out the front of the house as well as I can see out the back side of the house!...I was previously peeking through the branches like Artie Johnson used to sneak around on Laugh In....oops, showed by age there.

One of my favorite things...
is having "God incidences" with my girlfriends. Many times God sends us each individual messages about specific things and then as we discuss our weeks, we realize the many guidings of our Lord. He is so wonderfully creative...it's amazing.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:
...planning meals for our youth group for the next few weeks.
...cleaning bathrooms and floors before my Mom arrives later this week
...cooking some casseroles for the freezer to help while I'm recuperating
...recovering from surgery--a little anxious--but repeating Scriptures my girlfriends prayed for me...He'll give me the strength and hold me in His Right Hand...I can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens me. Give thanks IN ALL circumstances.
The picture I am sharing...
I ran across this very old picture on the Internet. I don't know the painter or the name of the painting...It used to hang in my Granny's guest bedroom on the pinewood wall facing the foot of the bed, and I used to ponder it at night as a child, wondering who the children were and wondering if the angel had a name.
It always gave me comfort then and reminds me now God sends his angels to surround us and watch over us, sometimes when we're on unknown paths or dangerous paths.
It speaks to me today, I guess, because I have a path ahead of me next week with many unknowns, so I lay my requests at His Feet knowing His yoke is easy and His burden is lite and He will hold me through the unknown. His Hands Are Mighty and our names are written in His palms.
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If you'd like to do this activity...
Here's the link to the Simple Woman's main page. http://thesimplewoman.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

"Tiglet" Appears

I had just noted on a friend's blog earlier this afternoon how I wished the little stray kitty would come back...hadn't seen her in 3 weeks or so...it only seemed fair asking God to bring her back 'cause the birds returned to "Be Still and Know's" backyard. Well, He wasted no time on this request...guess who met me at the garage tonight?!

Meowing, meowing, and rubbing up against my legs...as if she was saying, "Here I am, aren't 'ya glad t'see me?" Looking as if she had never been away, and I asked her where she had been. It would have been so cool if she could have answered me..."Oh, I just decided to hang out in someone else's garage for a few days" or "I found another "He Man" calico that caught my eye!" or "That other lady down the street had better snacks than you had so I decided to stay a while but I wanted to come see how you are."

And, I must admit, I was glad to see her...I really do wonder what she's been up to and what all adventures she's had. I sat there in my outdoor swing rubbing her soft head, as she mew'd over and over, rolling and scratching on the ground. She must have fleas running free in the tall grass and woods that are behind the house; but I still enjoyed petting her velvety fur...making a note to wash my hands as soon as I got in the house.

After giving her a little food and some water, I said my goodbyes for the day and returned to the kitchen to start cooking dinner but not before taking a few quick photos (the birds inspired me earlier today) so you could see her, too.

apologies

I truly apologize should anyone viewing my site have seen anything offensive on my right margin "slide show" I used to run.

If I post any slide shows in the future, they will be homegrown.

Philippians 4:8-9
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Monday, June 2, 2008

"PEANUT" Blessings

Sweet Mary at "Keep the Light Shining" touched me with the miracles and the "little angels" today. God incidences are wonderful and they can come through your angelic children
(Hebrews 13:3 "...some have extended hospitality to angels without ever knowing it!)

One day I'm going to write a much longer version-- but today it will be a quick memory.

A memory about my first child who went to Heaven when I was only 13 weeks pregnant. I called it "peanut"...so little and special because it was my first pregnancy. And you see, my husband believes in his heart it was a girl.

One day while having one of the many "girl talks" with my daughter, I shared with her what happened with "peanut" and how sometimes pregnancies end early--but that I believed in my heart it's soul is with her creator in Heaven.

My child became teary-eyed knowing she really did have a sibling--then God gave me a miracle through my angelic daughter...she asked if she could name her.

Oh, what a sweet blessing, to see her love for her "sister". This had never crossed my mind to name her, but God gave it to my second daughter to give this blessing to me.

I will always cherish the memory of that moment; and I can envision one day, when we get to Heaven, we'll be able to call her by name in front of Jesus...then we'll have her for eternity!