Mess, Mess, Mess

... I spent the entire day Friday cleaning out my utility room..... Now I do not know about you but that room is not high on my list for being tidy........ It is a utility room........With the washer and dryer and freezer..... It has drawers and shelves and cabinets for stuff....... The hot water heater is in the corner behind the door and the vacuums are at the far end behind the dryer..... Now......... It can be a bit of a mess at times and oh well........... Well........ our heating and air has given up the ghost and has to come out........ at this time it is encased in a wall between my dining room and my front door......... but seeing as how it has decided to dump water all over the floor and sound like a dragster burning rubber just before they take their foot off of the brake........ Soooooo out it comes........ now the good thing is the wall between the dining room and the entry way will be gone and I will have this beautiful huge dining room and a new bay window......... but the bad news is the new unit goes.................... Yeap in the utility room............ which means that half of the counter top with the sink and half of the cabinets and draws comes out.............. Oh my..... the mess that is headed my way........Sooooooooo I had to clean out the cabinets and drawers and make sure that things were out of the way for my DH to go in there sometime today with a skill saw.......... just the mention of that makes my teeth hurt!

.... Now to add mess upon mess........... Because the new unit will live in a different part of the house the duck work has to be altered......... ok....... they have to go up in the attic........ Ok....... the entry way to the attic is in my shop.......... My shop...... Where I am busy preparing to make your shirts..... My shop where I have a couple of project going for you to see in a couple of weeks........ My shop that is almost finished and only needs some curtains and a new door....... Ok......... but!!!!!!!!! (you knew that was coming) there is no fold out ladder to get into the attic........ OH NO....... soooooooo today down comes all my shelves with all my material and all my button jars and the entire shop will need be covered with sheets as my DH has to cut a larger hole in the ceiling and install a fold out ladder so that the "guys" coming can go up and down that ladder with the duck work and stuff............ OH my gosh!!!!!!!!! So..... I will be absent this weekend and maybe some next week because I have no idea what day of the week they will be here and I have no idea what kind of a mess that will be here when the are gone........ My DH has taken the week off and I pray that the new unit will be installed on Tuesday or Wednesday...... then I can beg and cry and plead (not really) for him to help me to reclaim my space......... sooooooo that is what my weekend and my coming week looks like......... What are you up to?

hahah......... BUT

I am thankful for a DH that takes care of these things............

I am thankful for a home even if it does need fixing and repairs sometimes...

I am thankful for a small business right outside my kitchen door even if it is going to be covered in sheets for a season.

I am thankful for air conditioning in the heat of the summer and warmth in the cold winter

I am thankful for my health that allows to be a helping hand (if I watch my back) to my DH...

I am thankful for the fact that the Cardinals won last night and that my humming bird feeders are hanging outside my kitchen window........ and I am watching with great anticipation for the arrival of the first little red throated guy that comes here every year.......

AND I am thankful that my Father God answered a prayer of my heart this week and He did it via one of the beautiful blog gals.......

Life is good and so you can disregard all the oh poor me's in the above rambling..........

Have a great weekend........

Tea With Jean

......... No pictures but tea with Jean was great today...... She looks good but very thin...... Her hair was cut real short and she just did not want her picture taken...... and I respect her and did not try.... She ate about half her salad... I make a mean salad.........

Regular lettuce
Romaine Lettuce
Fresh Spinach
Cauliflower
Grated Carrots
Broccoli
Mushrooms
Green Onions (the tender tops)
Fresh Pineapple
Mandarin Oranges
Crumbled Black Walnuts
Sunflower Seeds
Slivered Almonds
Raisins
Croutons
Sun dried Tomato Salad Dressing

YUMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!

She did not eat all of hers and I sent it home with her for an afternoon snack.......

........It was so good to have her here in the house and laughing and talking as in the old days...... She lost her husband Nelson suddenly in August of last year......... He was a precious precious man.... I miss him so.......... She has defied all the stats on her type of cancer ....... She was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer 3 1/2 years ago and they said she would not live two years..... They do not know the power of God...... She goes back for her Pet Scan in May........ they have taken her Shunt (I think that is the right word) out and she does not need any further chemo right now......... She is a funny lady and maybe she will let me get a picture next time......

.... We laughed about old times when we were remodeling our church back in the late 80's...... We had purchase an old building on the south side of town and it was a mess...... There were about 15 of us and we tore into that building and remolded the inside over a period of about 5 months.. In the mean time we still had "church"......... I miss those days when times were easier and God so moved every time we gathered together......... My husband and I were pastors of that little church and we baptised about 15 people in a period of about one year......... that included Nelson and Jean.......... We sat in second hand pews that were donated to us from a larger church that had remolded and when we got to singing and praising the Lord the floor shook! ahahah I can still sense the presence of the Lord in that old building..........

.......... I cannot remember a better time with the Lord than in that old building....... We froze in the winter and perspired (the ladies) and poured sweat (the men) in the summer........ We started with a pastor that had not had a church in several years and he left one Sunday morning after throwing the offering that morning down the middle of the pews and walked out.......... We just sat there stunned and then decided to sing......... and there we stayed for another two years..... When I drive by that old building to this day I still hear the worship that went up to the Father God.......... We had called it Cornerstone 1 Peter 2:6.

.... I do not understand all that has happened over the years since then but I do know this one thing.......... That when Nelson took his last breath his spirit man had already seen the face of God and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the cancer that is in Jeans body will not shorten her life by one second......... The Father God, the maker of universe is not moved by cancer and He is the only one that says when we leave this world........... She will remain right here until He calls her name............. AND........ Nelson will be right inside that gate when she passes through that shadow.............

....... It was a good day..........

Thankful Thursday

..THIS IS A THANKFUL THURSDAY

Do you remember Jean my friend that is in a battle with Pancreatic Cancer........... Well I have not been posting much on her because she is doing great!!!!!!!!! In fact she is coming here today for lunch....... I have been going over there but she is well enough to get out and about and we are having lunch with Tea!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will see if she will let me take her picture today...........

I am thankful the the life that the Lord continues to give her..........

.......... I am thankful for my DH...... I guess one of these days I will need to share with you how we met ......... and how that came about....... I will do that..... It is an awesome story........Just to give you a taste of that story.......... We met on the Internet April 24th 1999........... and we met at the praying hands in Tulsa Oklahoma on May 30th 1999........ He is a a man of God and it may sound strange but he is helping me to understand the nature of God....... I have never know a man so tender.

.........I am thankful that it is BASEBALL season BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am a St.Louis Cardinal fan and me and my DH love to share the love of the game........... and they won their first game Wednesday night.......... Ypeeeeeeeeeeee !!

............ I am thankful for the blue birds that are showing up in my back yard and the Hostas that are pushing up through the ground.

......... I am thankful that I have a lot of feeling coming back in my right foot and am not having to take much pain medicine........ and that is a wonderful thing.... I am believe that God is going to heal my back and let me avoid the surgeons...... I thank each and every one of you for your prayers.....

............ I am thankful for dirt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! because when the temperature gets above 65 I have something to play in..................

......... I am thankful for my sense of humor......... because my laughter has been good medicine for myself and others.............

........... so today I wish you the spirit of giggles............... (it's a spirit, I know it is, I am sure of it... because it lives with me in my house) but I will lend it out to you.............

Hugs

God and Google Earth

Scenes from the Bible have been imagined by countless artists over the centuries, but never quite like this. God’s Eye View portrays four key Biblical events as if captured by Google Earth.

God’s Eye View depicts Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden

or better yet.. (Stay Away From That Tree In the Middle)

Just my thoughts

Moses parting the Red Sea




The Crucifixion




Noah’s Ark




It’s the work of Sydney-based “creative collective” The Glue Society. The project was commissioned by Eric Romano of Pulse Art, New York for its Miami art fair.

If you have not seen Google Earth then you are MISSING something very worth the download..... It will amaze you........

http://www.earth.google.com/

Stepping Out Into The Flesh

.............. If I am going to come here and share with you the victories in my life and if I am going to encourage you with the scriptures from the word of God, then I have to come here and share with you the things that I struggle with in my life....... There are things in my life that I just cannot get victory over and no matter how I try it seems to be something of a thorn in my flesh.

.......... There is a calling on my life and that calling is to teach. I have been teaching for many many years and there have been on some occasions that I have been behind the pulpit and did some preaching. Now as much as I enjoyed that anointing , my passion is teaching. Every time that I stood behind a pulpit or podium or what ever you would like to call it I was very aware that I was held responsible for every word I spoke. It is an awesome responsibility to open the word of God and expound on it's contents........ I have enough of the fear of God in me to know that when teaching I am wearing a different mantel and He is listening.......


........ I say those things to just let you know that I am very real and I have such down days and I have issues in my life that I have such a hard time overcoming.

......... When I started my blog almost a year ago now, I did so at the urging of my husband. He was so aware that because of Mom and Dad out here now I would be so limited as to my getting out and about and seeing other people. I am very very extroverted and I will talk to a rock if that is the only thing around........... Well before I started blogging I was talking to a lot of rocks..... hahahhah... So I listened to my husband and I started blogging, and I must say it is the most wonderful thing ........... I do love just chatting and I have a lot of fun with the Show and Tell and I will do that now each Friday, but my prime intentions of coming here was to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with whomever will listen......... I have had trouble getting started at the devotional page but I will get my act together............ and I said all that to say this............

......... I am so human and I will be human until the trumpet sounds or I draw my last breath. Then the corruptible will put on incorruption and this mortal will put on immortality. In an instant, in a twinkling of an eye we will be changed....... I so look forward to that day......... but until then...... there are issues in my life that cause my heart to hurt and cause me to act out of that hurt instead of out of the Spirit. I try to live my life with a heart open to the unctions of the Holy Spirit but sometimes I just flat out ignore that and I react in the flesh and when I do that there are consequences to be paid. There are people hurt and then comes the chastisement of the Lord and now I have to repent and then I have to ask for forgiveness....... That is just they way it is........ sooooooooo because of the chastisement from the Lord I try real hard not to do that much...... but I dare say I will do it again because of the old man that still resides in me.

... We all have issues that we deal with every day and with the grace of God He will either helps us to overcome or He will give us the strength to carry.........

........ I do so love each of you out there and I am learning each personality as I go. It is fun to find out that you can learn about a personality just by reading the written word........ Each of you bring to this world a certain flavor and I always want you to know that I will always strive to be real in word and deed here in this blog land.......... I have no idea why I am writing this tonight or why the Lord has required me to do so...... I tried writing this last night but words did not come, but tonight I find them easy..........

......... Hugs

Denise

LIGHTEN UP MONDAY

........... I am sorry............. I am soooooooooooooooooooo sorry......... but I just had to do this....... I had to............. I got this email this morning and I just have to share it........... but beware.......... it is not for the faint of heart............ soooooooooo click out now ........................................

The caption that came with this picture was

At Some Point You Must Give Up The Daisy Dukes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

but I think it should read

WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS SHE THINKING!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ARE YOU READY...............................

The look on that man's face is priceless............. horror I think.!!!!!!!!!!!!

Forgive

FORGIVENESS

Consider this, that woman of Samaria, she had had five husbands and the man that she was living with was not even her husband. Now do you suppose that she had issues with forgiveness? I would not hesitate to say yes. Now when I say forgiveness I mean that she would have those that she needed to forgive and I am sure that she needed to forgive herself. There may be those in our lives that need to ask us for forgiveness but that is a matter between that person and the Father God. It is our responsibility to be obedient and forgive. It is just that simple. The word of God tells us

Mt 6:14

For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you.

Mt 6:15

but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Now, what is there about that scripture that we do not understand? When you get time please read Matthew 18: 21- end of the chapter.

I came face to face with the hate in my heart several years ago. It had been nearly two years since my divorce and I must tell you that I was in very bad shape. I was dying on the inside and on the outside on a roller coaster ride with death.

After spending an hour or so at the car wash, one day in June of 1993 I needed to run to Wal-Mart for a few things. Hair a mess, no make up, just going to run in and grab a few things and run out. How many of you know that when you go to Wal-Mart in a small town, it is like homecoming. Nearly finished I round the end of an isle in the food section and came face to face with the other woman. She now lived in my home, was a part of my business, and living with my husband. I cannot tell you the depths of my hate for her. At one point I called it “Righteous indignation “to avoid dealing with my hate. At that moment she smiled. I left my basket where it sat and hurried out the door, getting in my car and headed home. Not being able to drive my car because of the sobs that were coming up from within my spirit, I pulled off to the side of the road. In my pain and despair I cried out to the Lord to let me live. I was in such torment; I wanted to live but did not want to live in that state. As I sat in my car on the side of the highway sobbing pleading for life the Lord spoke to me so clearly. Oh not in audible voice, to my spirit, “Forgive her”, at first my rebellion rose up within me and I shouted No in the face of God, “I want her dead” Now there is an attitude for a Christian? Ever been there?

After pleading over and over again for Him to restore my life, the same message came bursting through over and over again “Forgive Her”… After what seemed to be hours, broken and finally ready to obey, with everything that I had within me, with my teeth clinched tight, “I forgive her” came out my lips. There was no lightening; there was no feeling, there was nothing.

So many of us think that we need to “want” to obey. The word tells us that we walk by faith and not by sight and certainly not by feeling. Obedience to the word in most instances comes before the feeling or the want to! I did not want to utter those words of forgiveness, I did not want to loose her of her debt to me however, in obedience to His word, I uttered the words that set me free. Oh not right then, but I can tell you this one thing, that day was the first day of the rest of my life. Friends saw it on my face and they began to see the healing taking place in my life.

We are not people without passion and emotions. We believe that as Christians there is something wrong with us if we find hate in our hearts. We must give our emotions to the One that gave us those emotions. He is able to search out our hearts and bring us into forgiveness if we will just be obedient to His word. It absolutely does not matter what has been done to you, what you have suffered, He wants you to live, and the key to that life is forgiveness. Trust me; it will transform your life. It has mine.

Joh 10:10

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Live in the abundance of His gift to you. Open the door to answered prayer; open the door to health and peace in your life. Open the door to joy and the strength it brings, open the door for the Father to repair, and restore your heart. He stands ready, He offers you the key, take hold of life, forgive and see if what I say is not the absolute truth. He challenges us to prove all things in

1 Thessalonians 5:21

Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

Be blessed today, and pray about all things that you hold in your heart. Let the spirit of God search out your heart and bring all things under his blood. Forgiveness is a gift, take it and live.

In Christ

Denise