Funny How Things Look in Hindsight

It just seemed that all of 2009 was such a struggle and 2010 is off to a rough start. After I quit my profession of 24 years, I assumed (everyone knows what that means) that I would have no problems making money at home. My pride, would not let me think otherwise. (Pride goeth before the fall). I tried many things and finally accepted failure. I took a job at a local furniture store, making $500 every two weeks, and was angry because I had felt that society, family and friends had let me down. No one was at fault; it was my assumption that was the problem, that and my pride. I was afraid to ask anyone for help. I didn't want anyone to know that there was something I couldn't do. Of course, it didn't help that we couldn't afford to live in my house any longer either. We finally moved in with my daughter after I gave my dogs to new owners. This by far has been one of the hardest things I have ever done. I turned back to payer and to God, finally, devastated, frustrated, and miserable, lost and confused. Things became worse before they got better. In May of 2009, my husband blacked out behind the wheel. He is doing fine, but to this day we still don't know why or what happened. But God has brought us through that. I continually pray for guidance. I've been told that the bible says we just have to claim our promises, desires and needs, and God will deliver. I've kept a prayer journal off and on since November of 2008. In January of 2009, I had symptoms of a heart attack and because I felt like I had failed my husband, I went to the emergency room and didn't want my husband called. I had the retarded thought that he didn't really love me and that he didn't care. I was wrong, very wrong. We are each others soul mate. We didn't marry each other for one to take care of the other. We married each other because we fell in love. I prayed to God to help our marriage and to help my husband's faith to be stronger as well as mine. It seems that the more I prayed the more difficult things became, and still are at times. It is said that there isn't anything that God brings you to, that He doesn't bring you through. We have to trust and believe that God will take care of all our needs and see us through. Things for 2010 are going to be better. This year our lives will get back to some semblance of normal. I still plan to make a living with my computer. I want my house back and I've prayed for over a year. Today I received a call from someone offering to help. Of course, it comes at a cost, but I know God will take care of that if it is meant to be. We have a new church home and I'm learning to stop and pray when there are issues. I still get tired of waiting and I'm really ready for the trials and tribulations to go away. God will get us through this year. My husband and I know this and we know that we have each other no matter what and that God is always with us. May God Bless you all. L

Pray For America

I received the below in an email message and was asked to send it to everyone in my email address book. I thought posting it to the Internet might be better and reach more people. However, please feel free to copy and paste to an email to send out to everyone. May God Bless Us All!

Here is the message:
We are speeding towards one world government and the second coming at a rapid pace. I remember reading about the children of Israel who turned from God time and time again, only to realize their mistake and pray for forgiveness. Each time, God would forgive them and they would walk with him for a time. So, I am going to ask you to join me in praying for our nation every day. God is in control!!! Our president did not encourage participation in the National Day of Prayer. He called it an event. He thinks it should be private prayer instead of Public Prayer. May God Have Mercy On America & Protect Our Troops! In Texarkana last week, there were signs in people's yards that said, "America, Prayer Our Only Hope" with 2 Chron. 7:14 underneath. We certainly need God's help!Our nation is and has been on the slippery slope for a long time. If you look around you will find corruption, greed, moral decay, and a steady move away from the things that made us great. The principles upon which this nation was founded are no longer our backbone. However, we can reverse this trend. 2 Chron. 7:14 in God's word he states, "If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." I am convinced that we must pray for our nation and its leaders and ask for forgiveness. So I ask you to join me in this plea to our Lord.Would you please send this to people in your address book (send it to all of them); ask them to pray EVERYDAY... (25 to only the 5th power is 9,765,625 people..) IMAGINE if each person reaches TEN others...or all TWENTY FIVE! If you do and they comply, we will lift up millions and millions of prayers a day to our Creator. He will hear us and in faith will answer.Let me just add a quote from Ronald Reagan. "If we ever forget that we are one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under." I truly believe this is why the United States of America is in the shape we are in today. Most people have forgotten that we are one nation under God! Let us as Christians stand up and remind people of this!!

Typical Monday

Its a typical Monday morning, chilly, damp and I don't want to work outside today.. But I will if we go. We are close to finishing this job and I really hope we make enough to catch things up and have enough for a little Christmas. If not, I'm sure God will take care of our needs. I miss my family, my friends, and my socializing outside of family with co-workers and clients. I don't miss the clients enough to want to go back to corporate America, but I do miss it.

We made both church services yesterday. I really like the church and the people. I can feel God at work there, and sometimes it is hard not to cry during singing and invitation. I know that is God working in my life. I know God has something wonderful planned for me and Norman. I just wish He would let us know what it is.

Hope you all have a wonderful, God blessed day! Wishing each and everyone of you a very Merry Christmas!

Bible Verse: 1 Peter 1:16

Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

My Bucket List

My husband and I recently watched, "The Bucket List", with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. The movie is not exactly what I thought it was going to be, but it was a really good movie and it did raise a few questions. Like do you have funeral arrangements made so your loved ones don't have to worry about them? Are you finances in shape so that you don't leave behind debt for your family? And of course, do you have a bucket list? As far as my funeral arrangements, I want a Viking burial.... no grave, no flowers every year and I want a party to celebrate me going home to live with Jesus... Finances, we struggle constantly with that, but are hopefully that with in the next couple of years those will also be under control. Most important on this topic is the bucket list. I can't wait to see responses!!! Share 5 things you want to do before you die... Here are my five..

1. Swim with the sharks around the Great Barrier Reef
2. Go to Kenya or Tanzania on a photo safari shoot.
3. Go Tandem skydiving with my husband..(This is on his bucket list)
4. Fly a helicopter
5. Train one dog to help someone that is hearing impaired.

I could go on and on, but that is five of things I would like to do...

Please share your bucket list. May God Bless you all, Love, L

What Inspires me?

There are many things that inspire me as well as many people. My mother has always inspired me to follow my dreams. My sisters say that writing is my gift. My husband has encouraged me and has inspired me to keep writing stories and on all of my blogs. My husband, mother and my sisters, I think all read my blogs. I have four that I maintain and it is those times when I can step back and really think, escape or share my beliefs, hopes, dreams and my imagination. However, there are many other things that inspire me. Things like hearing someone say something funny, sad or profound. Seeing the break of day, a night sky full of stars, the birth of a puppy, or a newborns cry, these things inspire me as well. Snowing falling, rain an sun streaming through threes these are all God's handy work and are inspiring. Most of the time my inspiration comes from the way I feel about a person, a particular situation or something that has happened in my life. It sometimes comes from the need to know that my writing my possibly help some one else over come a hurdle in their life. My dreams have inspired me for years as well as the goals I set for myself. There have been times in the last year that I felt I should give up, and I recently wrote about it. A very good friend told me not to give up, to be strong. So that is what I'm doing while I wait for my next inspiration. May God Bless you all. L

Three Questions

I have a friend who writes a blog called, "Striving for 31", http://www.strivingfor31.com/. She is the wife of a Baptist preacher in North Carolina. Her blogs are more, so much more than mine are and raise a lot of questions for me sometimes. Today or the last post I read was titled, "Getting to know you...". She asked 10 questions, three of which I left blank. The three questions that I didn't answer are as follows:

• What do you really want for Christmas?


• If you could ask God one question (anything goes) what would you ask Him?


• What inspires you?

Those three questions have stumped me. Normally I would have an answer flying from my fingertips to a key board, but this year has been so different, unusual, full of trials and tribulations and has made me step back and re-examine aspects of my life. I have no regrets about the decisions that I have made and that have brought me to this point. So I'm trying to answer these questions and I'm trying to be as truthful with myself and with you, my readers.

So here is one of the questions: What do I really want for Christmas?

This should be a fairly easy and simple question, but its not. I could ask for something frivolous like a bottle of perfume or some new clothes or a video game or a new DVD, but that is not what I really want. I guess deep down, I just want to be happy and healthy and I have both of those already. I love my husband and my family and I want for all of them to be happy, healthy, wealthy and wise. That is or would be an exceptional gift! It is a gift that only God can give and I ask that for them all.

As for the other two questions, what question would I ask God? That one will be addressed on the following blogspot: http://livingbythewordofGod.blogspot.com. What inspires me? I will address on this blogspot as soon as I write my answer. May God Bless each and everyone of you in the days to come, and may He fulfill all your needs, desires and wants... Love, L

Running 100 mph

Whew!! That is all I can say!!! My daughter broke her hand last Friday. We took her to the orthopedic yesterday and she has a nice fiberglass cast now. She is having great difficulty learning to do things with only one hand. However, have you ever stopped to think about what you do with both hands and take it for granted??? I mean like taking a shower and washing your hair, opening up a can of soup, pulling up your pants or putting on a shirt.... I mean can you do those things with one hand????? Anyway, she is adjusting and she goes back to the doctors in a month. However, she is stressed beyond belief.

I feel like I'm running trying to take care of her but I would do it know matter what. She has taken care of me so many times, with a bum knee, after gastric bypass, and when I had mono. Between her and my mom, I'm indebted until the day I die.

I hit the floor running almost every morning by five am or 5:30, and I'm not usually in the bed before 10:30 and if I am, I'm dead within minutes and don't sleep but a couple of hours. Life is full these days and I'm loving it. My favorite parts are working on my blogs, my bible studies, and doing just normal wife things. Today, however, I need a nap. I'm glad my husband got back in time to mow the lawn. Now, dishes, dinner, the remainder of the laundry, and hopefully bed before midnight. Oh and we have a job!!! Yes God does take care of all our needs and gives us the energy to handle the things He lets us keep. May God Bless you all. Please say a prayer for my daughter for her hand, and for the rest of my family as they have the flue. Love you all, L

Mother/Daughter Time

On Saturday, my daughter, Caity and I spent half the day together. It was fun. We were in Greenville and they had some exotic animals there. I have some photos of a tiger.. He didn't seem real happy and I will try to add them to the blog. We also went shopping for a baby shower gift for our friend Blair... It was fun and neither one of us can wait until we can pick out baby stuff for what will be my grandchild... hopefully some time in the near future. Like a good mom, after shopping I paid for lunch from Taco Bell. It was just a good time.

Tonight, my mom called and we spent over an hour on the phone talking. It was good, much laughing and having trouble remembering and laughing cause we can't read or remember things anymore. I love the time I spend with my mom, and my daughter. I love them both munches... Oh BTW, munches is a new word I created. It stands for saying I love you this much and I love you bunches..May God bless you continually... L

Just A Note -

It seems I've been gone away on a long trip, and I am just now finding my way back. The month of July turned out different than I thought it would be, Thanks God. First, my daughter found my husband and I a rent house. It is quite affordable and as of 8/1/09 it was our place. We are still in the process of unpacking and sorting, sending a lot of stuff back to storage. I've been working for my husband since 7/7/09. I was quite scared that I wouldn't be able to handle the responsibilities and the work, but have found that I am a lot stronger than I thought. If you don't know, my husband and his brother James, do exterior remodeling and vinyl siding installation and repair as well as metal carports, decks, patio covers, and roofs, replacement windows and the list goes on. We just finished a six week job in Eustace which is at Mabank and Gun Barrel. The deck turned out awesome and I will add a picture on my blog. With me working for my husband, we have been able to catch up on a lot of our finances and been able to move. I'm not sure what finally convinced my husband that I could work with him, but I love it and so does he I think. Also, I've been contacted by the editor of an online newspaper that is local about doing some writing. No pay, but lots of exposure. Once we get settled and I get organized, I will begin posting at least once a week to my blogs. Please keep reading and letting our mutual friends know about my blogs. May God Bless you All.

Which Direction Am I going?

This past week has proved to be different. Sometimes I feel like I'm just kind of floating around like a helium balloon, no real direction, just holding on by a string. I turned in my uniforms on Tuesday, did some writing for a lady, worked on a church directory for Lone Oak Assembly of God, and registered my domain name for my website. I hope to set that up this week. I've looked to see if we can find some kind of house or trailer to rent and have been unsuccessful. I don't want to go get another job outside the house until we figure out where we are going to live. I know God will send us the direction we need to go. I know that we will be able to catch up when Norman finishes the current job and maybe that is where our deposit and first months rent will come from too. I just some times wish God would let us in on His plans. Hope everyone has a blessed week and that you get the answers to your prayers or maybe the answers to your unanswered prayers. Praying that God heals everyone that is ill or sick, and that He grants or gives you all the blessings you are looking for. Thank you God for all you do in our lives and all the blessings you have bestowed upon our family. In Jesus Christ name, Amen. L

Tears of????

I strongly dislike those days when I just cry... Those days when it seems that no matter how hard you try, nothing is working out. I have days when I just stop close my eyes and utter some very simple words, "Help me God". I know He is in control and I know we have unanswered prayers and answered prayers and I know that it is always in His time, not ours. I am very thankful for all that God has given to me and my husband and our family. I thank God daily for all those things, but is it wrong to ask and want for more from God? I'm tired of this world and look forward to the day when Christ will come to take us home.

Revelation 21:4And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

The verse above gives me comfort to know that soon there will be no more pain and we will be simplified again. May God Bless each and everyone who reads this blog. With all my heart, L