Consider your life

Ecclesiastes 9: 1-12

1 For I considered all this in my heart, so that I could declare it all: that the righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God. People know neither love nor hatred by anything they see before them.

2 All things come alike to all:
One event happens to the righteous and the wicked;
To the good,the clean, and the unclean;
To him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice.
As is the good, so is the sinner;
He who takes an oath as he who fears an oath.


3 This is an evil in all that is done under the sun: that one thing happens to all. Truly the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead. 4 But for him who is joined to all the living there is hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
5 For the living know that they will die;
But the dead know nothing,
And they have no more reward,
For the memory of them is forgotten.
6 Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished;
Nevermore will they have a share
In anything done under the sun.
7 Go, eat your bread with joy,
And drink your wine with a merry heart;
For God has already accepted your works.
8 Let your garments always be white,
And let your head lack no oil.


9 Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which He has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity; for that is your portion in life, and in the labor which you perform under the sun.

10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.

11 I returned and saw under the sun that—

The race is not to the swift,
Nor the battle to the strong,
Nor bread to the wise,
Nor riches to men of understanding,
Nor favor to men of skill;
But time and chance happen to them all.


12 For man also does not know his time:
Like fish taken in a cruel net,
Like birds caught in a snare,
So the sons of men are snared in an evil time,
When it falls suddenly upon them.

Ruth and I had a wonderful time yesterday painting. It was a bit chilly in the morning hours, so we waited to paint in the afternoon. Ruth painted two paintings and I painted one which I promptly wiped off. I so enjoyed getting my paint into my brushes again. Work is good for the soul.

Garbage in, garbage out

John 4:14
But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

I love the words 'springing up into' in this passage from the KJV bible Where Jesus is talking to the woman at the well. I remember going down to the spring behind my grandmother's house, drinking from it and wondering where the water came from. The spring was on the bottom side of a small hill surrounded by lots of trees. There was a cow path leading right to the place the spring water first appeared out of the ground and the path continued on down to a small pool of water that I am sure was the result of many hooves and thirsty mouths pressing into the damp earth.

My grandfather had built a rock basin around the spring mouth high enough to keep the cows from drinking the clean water as it came up from the ground filling the basin. As the basin filled, the water flowed out into a wooden trough and from there down to the ground and into the small cow pool. The extra cow pool water then made a stream of water that continued to the creek where the waters merged. The cows loved it and so did I. That water was the coolest water and to me, as a little girl, a mystery of invention as the water spilled out over the rock basin into the cow pool giving life to the most wonderful tiny ferns, mosses, pitcher plants, wild violets and other plants I would grow to love but never know their names. Those were carefree innocent days full of the wonder of growing.

Today as I think about the words of Jesus in this passage, and thinking about my grandmother's spring I'm seeing our lives like basins catching God's spiritual goodness then filled to the top and spilled out. It's for that reason we need to take care of ourselves spiritually and physically. "Garbage in, garbage out" as the young folks say. :)

Wellness tip: Drink your water. :)

Born again?

John 3: 3

In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."

Born again, what exactly does that mean? Of course Jesus wasn't telling Nicodemus that he had to be physically born again. He meant spiritually Nicodemus, and in turn we, must be spiritually born again before he or anyone could see the kingdom of God.


For the life of me I can't understand why some people are turned off by the phrase "born again Christian", but they are. Sometimes you can see an immediate change in a persons demeanor once you tell them you are a born again Christian. I think sometimes they feel it's a disease. However, if they truly want to get to know you and be your friend, they soon realize that being a born again Christian doesn't mean you are perfect, but rather you just believe in Jesus.

A few days ago I had this experience with a new acquaintance and a funny thing happened. Once I explained what a born again Christian was, he said, "oh yeah, so am I, I just thought I was only a Baptist". :) I laughed to myself thinking now on to telling him what a Baptist is.



Wellness tip: Don't eat bad stuff for a whole week. :)

The God of Jacob

1 Praise ye the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul.

2 While I live will I praise the LORD: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.

3 Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.

4 His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.

5 Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:

6 Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever:

7 Which executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The LORD looseth the prisoners:

8 The LORD openeth the eyes of the blind: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous:

9 The LORD preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.

10 The LORD shall reign for ever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the LORD.

A few days ago I was talking with a friend of mine and she told me that someone had told her that the God talked about in the Old Testament was not the same God of the New Testament. "What!!!", I said. God is the same God yesterday, today and tomorrow. He doesn't change. It is us that do the changing. It is of great comfort to me that I know He doesn't change. I can always go to Him and He is always waiting for me, willing to listen, willing to talk.

Hope your day is filled with much love today and you enjoy God's earth trusting in Him rather than anything else as Jacob finally did. I love the story of Jacob because it shows me again how much we can mess up things but God can turn things around and work them for His good and ours. It's a good thing that the God of Jacob is the same God we have today and will be for all eternity.


Wellness Tip: Low Fat Does not Mean Eat More - Just remember to check the food label to make sure you are actually reducing your caloric intake and do not double-up on the servings consumed just because the food is "fat-free." Too many calories, whether from carbohydrates, protein, or fat will lead to weight gain.

Poor in spirit

Matthew 5: 3

3 Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Yes, I'm still thinking about the beatitudes. Today I'm thinking about what it means to be poor in spirit. To me this seems a bit confusing because I don't think being poor anyway would be a good thing, but Jesus said those that are poor in spirit are blessed and I know He tells us the truth.

Looking back again at some notes I took last year, I list poor in spirit as meaning you know yourself. You know who you are in Christ. It's an attitude of humility. When we get to the point in our lives where we completely give ourselves away in humility to God, we receive the gift of heaven. We have to realize that we can't save ourselves, only Jesus can do that. We have to realize that we can do nothing or be nothing without Him. Accepting Jesus as our saviour is the ultimate answer to what it truly means to be poor in spirit. We are weak; He is strong.



Wellness tip: When you first start walking, a ten minute walk is ten minutes better than not walking at all. If you can block out 10 minutes for a daily walk chances are you will have days your walk can be longer. It's all in getting started and that's what I'm going to do today!

Eyewitness

2 Peter 1: 12-21

12 So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have.

13 I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body,

14 because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me.

15 And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.

16 We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

17 For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."

18 We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.

19 And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.

20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation.

21 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

I do believe that the Bible is written by men inspired totally by God and am thankful that those words were transcribed and continue to be transcribed into Bibles that we can understand today. I've mentioned before that I really like the King James Version as literature but have to admit when I don't understand a passage, I turn to NIV or other translations. I think that is what we should do.

Last Sunday our pastor mentioned having a copy of the Wyclif Bible. He didn't mean an original copy. Looking up some facts, it looks like only about 250 original copies of that translation survive for us to see today.

It is amazing to me how much our own English language has changed and continues to change each year. Why just going from one side of the state of Georgia to the other, I find some words have different meanings so it boggles my mind when I think about what a huge task it must have been to take the different writings and translate them into the word of the day. That task continues even today. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have the original papers of the entire Bible to translate from?

Look at this from the Wyclif Bible John 3:16 - "For God louede so the world that he yaf his oon bigetun sone, that ech man that beliueth in him perische not, but haue euerlastynge lijf." Well, at least I can make out a bit of what the words mean. I admire and am thankful for those that study the languages of ancient Palestine which the Bible was originally written in, Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek, and have the ability to translate those words into languages we can understand.

Today will be a busy day for me as I have several projects to finish up. Hope your day is a good one and you feel the blessings of God with each step you take.

The wellness tip for today comes from Realage.com

"Three foods your arteries can't get enough of: onions, celery, and parsley.

Whether you add them to soups, relish dishes, sandwiches, or salads, improving the health of your arteries may be as simple as munching on these flavor boosters. People who eat more flavonoid-rich veggies like these cut their risk of hardening of the arteries -- especially in the legs -- in half. "

Living for God

1 Peter 4: 1-11

1 Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin.

2 As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.

3 For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry.

4 They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you.

5 But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

6 For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to men in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit.

7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.

8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.

10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.

11 If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever.

Amen.

Yesterday was a frazzled day. It all started with an upset stomach, which took up entirely too much time. I didn't have time to be sick. Who knows why my stomach was upset, it just was, but all is better now. By the time my stomach was better it was already daylight and I had to get moving with the things planned for the day. I missed my morning devotion and for the rest of the day I didn't feel quiet right.

It was late in the day before I settled back into my home. During the day I had taken care of car maintenance and got new tires. 5 Star Tire & Auto has a nice comfortable waiting room so I took advantage of that and pulled out my book to read. The author was talking about snow and how the snow covers the ground with a blanket of white making everything look so clean. He went on to say that this is the same thing that Jesus Christ did and does for us, His love covers our sins. We don't have much snow here in west central Georgia, but when it does snow, it's beautiful. As I continued to think about snow and about God's grace my mind jumped to singing "Jesus paid it all". When I woke this morning I was still thinking about that song so I went to You Tube and found a clip. Enjoy. I did. :)

Refined by fire

1 Peter: 1-12

1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia,

2who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood:
Grace and peace be yours in abundance.


3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you,

5 who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.

7 These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,

9 for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care,

11 trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.

12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.

Thank you Lord for loving me so much and for your daily presence in my life here on this earth.



Wellness - Enjoy Spring

Speaking of tongues

James 3: 1-12

1 Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.

2 We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.

3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal.

4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.

5 Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.

6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man,

8 but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness.

10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.

11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?

12 My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

I can hear my grandmother out in the yard, "Oh Lard," she would say time and time again. Mind you, when she said "Oh Lard," she meant no disrespect but was in fact calling out to the Lord for help. This to me is the proper way to use a Southern tongue and of course, one that will stay in my mind forever. We all have role models and as children we think they can do no wrong. As adults we find out that they are just as flawed as we are, but still what they do and say tends to be a big influence on what and who we become.

This morning I again get cut to my very core with words from James. The man just doesn't know how to walk and talk softly. He tells it like it is, or rather how it is supposed to be and even uses earthly examples to help us better understand.

As I go about my day today I pray that I will be able to be mindful of my tongue and what a big influence, good and bad, it can have on others .... and me too. After all, I get crazy sometimes and talk to myself or Cocoa Puff. Talking to yourself only proves that what's on your mind comes out, so filling our minds with the right stuff is just as important as what we put in our stomachs. That's my wellness tip for today. :)








Peach Orchard just outside Woodbury, Georgia on Jones Mill Road.

Enjoy... this was yesterday coming back from Pine Mountain, Georgia. I loved finding a peach orchard with the mountains in the background. This would be a great spot to paint outside and I am sure the owners would give permission. Want to join me? I'm totally inspired! Thank you Lard!

High and Low

James 1 5-11 KJV

5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:

10 But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.

11 For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.

James 1 5-11 NIV

5 If any of you need wisdom, ask God for it. He will give it to you. God gives freely to everyone. He doesn't find fault.

6 But when you ask, you must believe. You must not doubt. People who doubt are like waves of the sea. The wind blows and tosses them around.

7 A man like that shouldn't expect to receive anything from the Lord.

8 He can't make up his mind. He can never decide what to do.

9 A believer who finds himself in a low position in life should be proud that God has given him a high position.

10 But someone who is rich should take pride in his low position. That's because he will fade away like a wild flower.

11 The sun rises. Its burning heat dries up the plants. Their blossoms fall. Their beauty is destroyed. In the same way, a rich person will fade away even as he goes about his business.

Wholly Filled

Ephesians 3:14-21 KJV

14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

Don't you just love Paul. This guy is wholly filled so much so that you can almost see it dripping off of him. When he writes to the Ephesians in these verses he really gets wound up. It's almost like he's on a mission.....duh. :)

When I read Paul I am so encouraged. I've mentioned before that I enjoy reading the Bible in the King James version, but reading other versions certainly gives me help with understanding some passages or words that I might struggle with. This particular passage gives me no doubt as to what Paul's message to us is. He wants us to experience the same thing he has experienced and can't wait for us to understand.

Imagine what our day would be like if we woke each morning and became totally filled to the top with God anew. We would be like containers walking around with Him everywhere we went. Our walk would be different, our talk would be different, our thoughts would be different, our actions would be different and our emotions would be different.

My prayers for today is that we all might be wholly filled with God and enjoy His presence in our lives. I pray we might be well feeling His love and power in our lives and we might drip with His spirit everywhere our feet might take us today.
Amen.

Be well friends.

Mom Terri and Anna Claire who was not feeling so well

Wellness tip:
We make a choice everyday if we are going to be happy no matter what or if we are going to dwell in the misery that might be attacking us at the moment. Chose to be happy and watch those miserable enemies run away! You can laugh at them or you can let them defeat you. It's your choice. Every thought we have either builds us up or pulls us down. Dwell on the positive and you will be positive.

One Breath - One Step

Philippans 3:13-14

13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

I'm a wellness dropout. I know what I'm supposed to do, but I find it so easy to make the wrong food choices and easy to skip exercise or do the other things I know will make me stronger. I'm not sure why I don't have wellness discipline, but I don't at this time in my life. When I was younger I could just think about dropping five pounds and it would be done!

In the passage quoted from Philippians, Paul tells the faltering Philippian sisters and brothers that the future does not lie in embracing the past. Now I know that Paul wasn't speaking to my wellness, but his words certainly have wellness application for me. It doesn't matter what has happened in the past. I need to forget that and press on to reach my goals. Simple huh.

Each breath we take has a beginning and an end. Once the breath is gone we forget about it and take a new breath. Doing breathing exercises creates awareness of how the breath comes in and goes out, but still it's an automatic function. Breath can cease, however.

The thing for me to remember is that my entire life journey ultimately consists of the one breath and one step I am taking at this very moment. Until I go to heaven, there is always only one breath and one step of the moment, so I need only to concentrate on that one breath-one step and make the best choice I can.

Today I am praying that each breath and step I take will be good choices and that I will be able to forget the mistakes of the past and press on.

Hope your day is a good day. I'm looking forward to seeing what God has in store for me today! Be well friends.

Wellness tip:

Sore Throat Tea
Mix together a clove bud, which is antiseptic and fights infection, with 1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger (or 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger) and 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon — the latter two because of their anti-inflammatory properties.

Infuse the tea in 2 cups boiling water, and for every cup, stir in 2 teaspoons soothing and sweet raw honey. Sip throughout the day until your throat settles down.

The Expert: Paul S. Anderson, ND From ABC Good Morning America

Smile

Anna Claire and teacher Ms. Julie
Psalm 25: 4-5

4 Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.

5 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.

Yesterday I met with the breakfast prayer group and we had really had a good time sharing prayer concerns, writing cards, and just general sharing. We all need times with friends to keep us in touch with each other and to be aware of the concerns that others have, what's going on in their lives, and of course to share happy fun things too. Those happy fun things put smiles on our faces and that's a good thing as Martha would say.

I hear and see articles all the time about how to be happy. It seems that many have become obsessed with getting to the state of happiness and staying there constantly. Is this truly what we are supposed to do? Do we really have to put a smile on our faces all the time and be jolly? I don't think so. There is nothing wrong with feeling down and showing it.

Sometimes crying is the best thing you can do. If you always try to smile when you don't feel like it you will be supressing that inner need to get rid of what is bothering you. When the crying is over and you have poured out your heart to God, you can rejoice knowing God is always with you no matter what. We are, after all, His sheep and listen to His voice to lead and direct all our paths. He will not lead us wrong. It's not learning to be happy that is most important, it's learning to listen and respond to His voice.

Carley Ann

Philipians 4-8

4
Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.

5
Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

6
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

7
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

8
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Carley Ann

Thinking

Ephesians 4 NIV

1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.

2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called—

5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism;

6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

It's Wednesday already. The days seem to zip by and even though chores get accomplished it seems that there is no end in sight. Several things have been on my mind this week that keep popping to the surface demanding attention. One is the Dr. Oz segment on Oprah this past Monday where a lady was interviewed and the audience was asked to guess her age. They said 60. She was 44. I'm 60. What does 60 look like? I know I'm not a healthy 60 and even though I make plans, I don't follow through.

Wellness seems to take a backseat to all the other activities in my life. I tend to take care of others and "things" first and have ignored doing what I know I need to do for myself. I sit this morning drinking my coffee and eating a huge blueberry muffin. My head tells me I should be eating blueberries, yogurt and granola along with some green tea. Sigh

The other thing that is bothering me this morning is a Fresh Air segment I heard on NPR yesterday interviewing Bart Ehrman, a religious studies professor. I caught the last half of this interview returning from the grocery store buying those huge blueberry muffins. The interview was disturbing to me and I'm unsure how to get my mind around what was said or how I would talk with this person. It's obvious from his resume that he is well educated. It's also obvious that he has struggled with questions that his mind can not answer. The only thing I can be sure of is that only God knows the answer to all questions. I cling to Ephesians 4: 6 "one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." Even after listening to this interview, I realize that God can even work thru and use this man. After all, look at me, this morning I'm laying all my concerns at the feet of Jesus. I am sure that is what He would have me do.

(Image - Anna Claire learning to think.)

Plans

Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed Proverbs 16:3

The Gleaners
François Millet (1857)
University of Southern California

Today my Sunday school class will begin a new project. We will send cards to those that we know are visiting our church. The idea is to send a personal note that perhaps will encourage them and let them know we want them to come no matter if it is as a visitor or if they are looking for a church home. I'm excited about being part of this because I know how much a personal welcome means.

The name of our SS class is "The Gleaners" and as such we have a lot to live up to. The story of Ruth, Oparh, and Naomi tells much about what it was like to be a gleaner in the time of Judges. Times have certainly changed, but the spirit of being a gleaner is still here. God still has plans for our lives and he is still there to help us accomplish what we need to be successful in this life for ourselves and for Him.

In order to be successful we need to wake up each day knowing where we are headed. We have to have a plan. In Proverbs 4:25 it says, "Keep your eyes fixed straight ahead. Don't look to the left and don't look to the right." We will need to keep our focus and not get distracted by spending our time on things or chatter that will not help us accomplish what our plan has stated we need to do.

This is the same thing we have to do in anything we want to accomplish in our lives. I'm in a painting slump right now and need to make a plan to pull myself out and get some things accomplished. Making plans and being able to stick to them cuts down on stress which we all know robs our health. How smart is God for telling us how to cut down on stress?

My prayer for today is to thank God that He has a plan and purpose for my life. I want to thank Him for the ability to search His word and listen for His voice to guide me in everything I do. I'll be praying today too that this new mission our SS class will be doing will start out with this small action and grow larger as the need reveals itself and as God leads.

Strength

For the joy of the Lord is your strength ( Nehemiah 8:10 )

All is well but we have a bug running rampant through our family including me. We all have headaches, sore throats, fever, drippy noses and that annoying cough. What is it we always fall back on..... this too will pass. :)

Sugar-coated

As for God, His way is perfect; the world of the Lord is tried. He is a shield to all those who trust and take refuge in Him. 2 Samuel 22:31

The older I get it seems the more pills I add to the collection of pills that we all are told we need to take. I'm not a good pill taker. It's an area I need to work on making sure I take what I should and not just get busy, putting them off or just forgetting about taking them daily. Some of those pills are nasty little devils. Even when they are sugar coated, they are still nasty. I don't like them!

Satan is like that too. He's a nasty little sugar-coated devil. But, unlike pills that help to build our strength and are good for us, the devil seeks to pull us down and is bad for us. He wants make us too weak to pray. He wants us worn out, burned out and depressed but thank God as Christians we know what to do. We follow the advice of our earthly physicians and most important we follow the advice of the great physician, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Be not grieved and depressed, for the joy of the Lord is your strength and stronghold. Nehemiah 8:10

Yesterday the mother of my Aunt Jeanette died. She was 93 and had been sick a very long time. Today I pray the family will find comfort and strength in the knowledge that she is in heaven. It's never easy to give up our loved ones but knowing they are Christians makes our hearts have peace.

Being Healthy

1 Corinthians 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

The SOP (standard operating plan )

• Wake early
  
• Feed Cocoa puff
  
• Coffee
  
• Devotion - Prayer
  
• Breakfast - Yogurt and cereal mix
  
• Journal
  
• Dress routine complete with vitamins
  
• Walk around the block
  
• Paint
  
• Clean House- work on throwing away stuff
  
• Lunch -Health fruits, vegetables & water
  
• Paint weekdays and work on organization
  
• Healthy Snacks
  
• water
  
• Dinner - Healthy fruits, vegetables &water
  
• TV, Read, Internet, whatever
  
• Sleep by 11
  

I'm a list maker. I have so many lists that I feel the need to make a list of my lists. LOL Organization is also important to me even if I never seem to live up to my goals. I still feel the need to be orderly, to make lists, to plan, to dream, to hope.... you get the picture. Reading the blog of my friend Kimberly the other day I noticed she celebrates Wellness Wednesdays so I decided to join her. I knew having a wellness check point would be good for me, I've asked that my name be added to the LIST of those that are celebrating Wellness Wednesday's.

Today I begin my Wellness Wednesday by committing myself to taking my vitamins everyday. I'm so bad to skip them as the day gets busy and I know I would greatly benefit from doing this. I've been reading the new book by Dr's Oz and Rozen, "You, Staying Young" and am taking note of my short-comings. Thank goodness I don't smoke or drink.... although when my painting friends get together they always bring wine to taste after the day is over and I found I did have a liking to some Pinot Grigio one of the ladies brought and left at the house. LOL

My prayer for today is for health, my health and the health of others. May the blessing of God strengthen you and me today and we all feel the healing presence of Jesus Christ in our lives daily.

Joy and gratitude

A happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing (Proverbs 17:22)

It's been said over and over that finding and keeping joy in your life greatly depends on how you view life. Well, today it's cold and it's going to be wet later this afternoon. I wish I was in Sarasota and envy the girls who are down there enjoying the warmer air, the beach, the food, and of course the fellowship. I can't wait to see the pictures and hear all the stories.

Well, my mind can't be cheerful today but I can be grateful. I believe joy and gratitude go hand and hand. They are like friends that pull each other up when the other is down. I'm grateful today for silly things like Cocoapuff running down the hall and not being able to stop on the slick floor before crashing into the wall.

Knowing I'm really a muppet helps.

You Are Miss Piggy

A total princess and diva, you're totally in charge - even if people don't know it. You want to be loved, adored, and worshiped. And you won't settle for anything less. You're going to be a total star, and you won't let any of the "little people" get in your way. Just remember, piggy, never eat more than you can lift!

The Muppet Personality Test

I'm grateful for the silly things my son leaves me on the kitchen island, like the day he proclaimed it mother's day and left me a cup of sand to play in.

I'm grateful for lots of silly things, but right now I have to get my silly self busy and get something accomplished today.

Hope you have time for something silly today. I took the muppet test again an hour later after my coffee worked it's magic and turned into a different muppet. LOL

You Are Dr. Bunsen Honeydew

You take the title "mad scientist" to the extreme -with very scary things coming out of your lab. And you've invented some pretty cool things, from a banana sharpener to a robot politician. But while you're busy turning gold into cottage cheese, you need to watch out for poor little Beaker! "Oh, that's very naughty, Beaker! Now you eat these paper clips this minute."

The Muppet Personality Test

Changes

Changes are not easy for me. I thought they were, but the older I get the more I realize that I'm not one to make changes quickly. I admire those that can change as fast as the wind changes as it's been said. Last year I received a new NIV Bible and I've been using it all year. The thing is, I really love my old King James. It's familar and travels well with me just as the sound of an old friend or precious loved one. When I read in a different version I might gain some insight, and for that I am thankful, but when I concentrate on His voice, it's the KJV that gets it for me. Sigh... I'm just an old fogy. Do parrots in Spain speak spanish? Duh...well, see, I do know some hip new words. :)

John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

Thank you God for your voice.