Happy Birthday B-Bop

Today is the birthday of one of my favoritest peoples...MY NIECE BETHANY!   Since a little one she has always been my girl...given me the complimentary laugh when everyone else seemed to say what?   I wish I could have put up the slide show I did for her wedding...but can't figure out how to get the whole thing on here...But there are some favorites so I put them on and say Happy Birthday and God bless you on this special day!   

I hope you got to talk to your sweetie...I'll bet he loves me calling him that!!!   Anyway Happy Birthday Bethany I love you and miss you!!   So I add one of my favorite songs for one of my favorite people...may your little light continue to shine!!!  

So very thankful that you are my nieces...
because after all I love you to pieces!!!

lyap

 

Happy Birthday B-Bop!!

Fear not...

This seems to be tugging on me as I stay home from work today...I had someone tell me that I had said something in one of my blogs a long time ago about the fact that we say God never gives us more than we can handle not being quite the case but that He helps us handle what we are given. Was there some scripture that went along with that?

As of late...I have been on a search of Truth.  And I think of the movie A Few Good Men...and I hear "You can't handle the truth!"  Can I?   I have been reading deeper in my Bible...trying to just slowly chew and digest some of the truths that God has for me.   I have started a journal Spirit of Truth in which I put these many morsels of scripture...and it is exciting each day what comes about.  I have been told if you slowly chew your food that it is better for you...you are more satisfied...and so I have began with Psalm 119.  That is actually quite a bit to chew at one verse a day.  Especially when I get lead to so many other places.  I am reading it along with A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by W. Phillip Keller.  In which he takes each morsel of Psalm 23...I have enjoyed the book but am only just starting He restoreth my soul...I spent quite some time on He leadeth me beside the still waters...because there he had said read John 14 - 17.   Well when you are chewing slowly...there is a lot to chew in these chapters!

And so I had asked another friend...what scriptures she thinks.   Well she shares that her favorite is Isaiah 41:13.   So I add it to a picture that I take that I had to stop and snap the other night on the drive home...just the way the light seemed to shine on the mountains...all be it a small portion...

And I think...how many times like this picture...we focus so much on the dark clouds...the barren lands...that we lose sight of the LIGHT...of the majesty that is before us!   But the part that just seemed to show me God's part in all this is the next day...reading in Jesus Calling...Enjoying Peace in His Presence by Sarah Young...what do you think her scripture is as she talks of "Whenever you start to feel afraid remember that I am holding you by your right hand.  Nothing can separate you from My Presence!"   As Katie says...Holy Goose Bumps...I suppose some might say...coincidence...but it does not seem coincidence to me...Right out loud Katie!   Right our loud!

So as I was saying...see I chew slowwwwwwwwwwwly....BUT this morning when I was woke up at 4:00 a.m. with the nudge to get up...it had occurred to me as I was thinking of things that I should do in my walk...and this I felt was the God will not give you more than you can handle...  Because in researching...I see no where in the Bible that says God will only give you what you can handle...there are things I feel that God did not stop from happening...but I don't feel He made them happen!   But I have felt His strength...His Presence seeing some endure what no one would think could be endured...and personally I don't think that we are strong enough.  And this comes from one who always said I can do it myself...

And so I include a verse that I was lead to this morning one that I had thought of as belonging to one person but it is for all of us...

And so I think of the many that are battling right now...many against that hated cancer!   Friends....friends of friends...and I think back of my writing this morning...

Perhaps I should put in some context...I have been thinking of how we are all parts of the Body...and I realize in proportion...I am probably just an ass molecule...perhaps some might think what is she talking about...but I am starting to see how I am such a small part of it all..what a minute part I am...and so this morning...

I am but an ass molecule such a minute tiny part of the Awesome--I search for a word..world? Being? Creation? What is this Magnificent Mass that is being created. I am part of the Body...How I act and react affects those "within my gate" until all can ultimately be affected if I am a cancer then I harm the body! Let me be a "Healthy" and by that I mean spiritually, physically, and mentally strong...Let me walk in Thy ways...though at times I fear and there seems a familiarness with Jesus Calling.

And Sarah Young writes:

"When anxiety attempts to wedge its way into your thoughts, remind yourself that I am your Shepherd.  The bottom line is that I am taking care of you; therefore, you needn't be afraid of anything.  Rather than try to maintain control over your life, abandon yourself to My will.  Though this may feel frightening--even dangerous, the safest place to be is in My will." 
 
And I come back...to Psalm 23...

Those in "my gate" you are in my thoughts and prayers as you go about this journey that you travel!  God be with you holding your hand...

lyp

Ash Wednesday...

I admit...I have not always been familiar with Ash Wednesday...and as many of you know...it holds a painful hold in the lives of our family.   You see it was on Ash Wednesday that my son-in-law, Jay Sheridan, was killed.   I still remember walking in Heather's house and wondering why some there had black on their heads...

For those not familiar...I include from Wikepedia...though I know just because it is on the Internet does not make it TRUTH!    A word I have been reminded of quite often as of late...However, I include some information about Ash Wednesday...

Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent in the Western Christian calendar. Occurring 46 days before Easter, it is a moveable fast that can fall as early as February 4 and as late as March 10.
According to the canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke; Jesus spent 40 days fasting in the desert, where he endured temptation by Satan.^[2][3] Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of this 40-day liturgical period of prayer and fasting or abstinence. Of the 46 days until Easter, six are Sundays. As the Christian sabbath, Sundays are not included in the fasting period and are instead "feast" days during Lent ^[4].

A day of fasting...a day of prayer...a day I think of Jay...and pray for comfort and peace for those who love him.

But I am reminded of Joy...of Love...tonight I got to visit with one little Isabel...how she makes me smile and sometimes just laugh right out loud.   I told her to give Grammy a hug for me...to which she replied I'm not going to do that.   She proceeds to tell me that I am at my house how can she give Grammy a hug for me.   She then changes channels as she is looking at a world map I took it on the Ipad...but she is telling her mom it is snowing at Ahma's house...well I hope she is right!   I love that she understands that maps and weather all go together...

While at my house the other day she is grooming her dog Otis.   Not grooming as in one would groom their dog...NO Otis is now a sheep and she is grooming him just like Uncle LaLa did at the Stock Show...it was quite the entertainment...to which I was recording her.   She was focused I thought on my and the dog...even though Oppy had the news on.   She is busy working away and she hears snow on Monday.   She perks up and beings to worry as that's Grammy day and she is worried that her and Grammy will be separated by snow!   She is so funny sometimes.  I love the joy she brings to all of us!

But I think of how she is a reminder to us all that Spring is coming...that Easter will be here...and I have a picture of her and the Valentine's goose...As I do LOVE this little Firecracker!!!  Wearing her Peanut jammies from Grammy...Yes Peanut was what her dad called her...and Grammy found several sizes of these...

 I get a call from Izzy and her mama who got home from going to dinner with Grammy and Grandad after church...and Izzy is excited as she got a Valentine in the mail with a dollar in it...LUCKY DAY she says!   Her mother asks her who got M & M's on the floor that she got along with a puppy and a book from Aunt Aum and Andooo and Grammy and Grandad...without really missing a beat she blames the M & M's on the floor on Otis...poor dog!

I think of my favorite scripture...1 Corinthians 13...I think of Jay...I think of his girls...

And I read...AND NOW THESE THREE REMAIN: FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE...

And this picture makes me smile...as one little Isabel plays with her mama's ear...usually a sign she is ready to go to sleep...but also a sign that says I love you...and yes the greatest of these is love...as we head into this "Season" heading for spring...for Easter...thinking of no greater love than to lay down one's life...Thank you Jay...Thank you Jesus!

Amen

lyaaa

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MISTY

This mornings sunrise had extra pink...and though it might not show up quite as clear...it made me think of someone special...

 

So a Happy Birthday to one of my special "kids"...though she is sometimes referred to as my son's mother...or my good "son's" wife...But whatever she is called even if it is PJ's mama...we are blessed to have her in our circle of people!

I put in a few pictures from the stock show...showing how cute this glowing one is...

 

 

 And so I catch a shot of Misty telling Heather and Pat a story...I love Misty's animation and at this point Lance is still watching the sheep show...PJ will be lucky to having such a great story teller!



 

But this one is my favorite...I sometimes wonder how Misty puts up with these two guys together...but from the looks of this one I think she can hold her own...I am thankful my kids have such special friends as Misty and Pat...

 



Thank you Misty for bringing smiles to our faces and joy to our lives.   We are blessed to have you and so thankful for you!   God bless you and keep you...


lya