Thanksgiving 2014

Romans 15:5-6
May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

My heavenly Father, I ask you to help my earthly family.  Open our ears to hear You, open our eyes to see You and open our hearts to want to know You.

Luke 12:48
From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

Lord we have been given much: OUR HEALTH, OUR HOMES, OUR FINANCES, OUR COMFORTS, AND OUR FAMILY.  We are blessed with much when there are so many who have less.  Show us how to serve You with all that we have.  How to give of our treasures, time, and talents to those in need.

Luke 12:34
For where your treasure is there your heart will also be.

We do have many treasures here on this earth, (family, pets, cars, houses, electronics, clothes, etc...)  Don't let us put those things before You.
Yes, You gave us all we have as a blessing as a gift because You love us.  Help us to put You first above all else.  Help us to love and trust You as You deserve.

Luke 12:14-15
Then He said to them, "Watch out!  Be on guard against all kinds of greed;  a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.

We are thankful for all that You have given us.  Teach us to use our gifts to help those in need.  Those who don't know You.  Those who have forgotten how much they are loved by the One who created the universe and eveything in it.  Use us to share our treasure, time, and talents to spread Your love.

Luke 6:38
Give and it will be given to you.  A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running overwill be poured into your lap.  For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Help us to hear Your voice calling us to follow You.
We want to be with You now and for all eternity.  We also want our family to be together in Heaven with those who have gone before us.

Luke 11:23
He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me , scatters.

Surround my family with Your presence.  Help us Lord, as only You can.  You know our weaknesses and our strengths.  You know our needs and desires.  I ask that You look upon my family and bless us in a way that there will be no doubt that You are in control of our lives. 

We loveYou and worship You for all that You do and will continue to do in our lives.  Amen.

Proverbs 31:26

She speaks with wisdom and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

Lord, I pray that You will guard my words and thoughts so that I only bring  joy, peace, and wisdom to others.  Amen.

Proverbs 30:5

Every word of God is flawless;  He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.

Proverbs 29:17

Discipline your son and he will give you peace;  he will bring delight to your soul.

Or discipline your daughters and they will bring you peace and delight!

Yes, I was the mean mom.  But my girls knew that I loved them and only wanted the best for them.  If and when they have their own children I hope they will discipline them too.  There is nothing worse than seeing a parent that won't discipline their children.

Proverbs 28:27

He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses.

Proverbs 27:19

As water reflects a face, so a man's heart reflects the man.

Proverbs 26:20

Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down.

Proverbs 19:23, 20:1, 21:30. 22:24-25, 23:31-32, 24:29, 25:19

The fear of the Lord leads to life;
then one rests content, untouched by trouble.

Wine is a mocker and beer is a brawler;
whoever is led astray by them is not wise.

There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord.

Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn his ways and get yourself ensnared.

Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly!  In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper.

Do not say, "I'll do to him as he has done to me;  I'll pay that man back for what he did."

Like a bad tooth or a lame foot is reliance on the unfaithful in times of trouble.

Proverb 15:13, 16:31, 17:1, and 18:13

A happy heart makes a face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit.

Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life.

Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting with strife.

He who answers before listening; that is his folly and his shame.

All of these verses are full of wisdom for me.  I try to be cheerful, I would rather have peace and quiet than chaos, I need to listen better, and underneath my dark brown hair is a crown of gray. 
It's like they were written just for me. 
That is why it is said that the bible is "alive."  It is for each of us, everyday, all the time!

Mr and Mrs Henry

Today was a wonderful day!
My daughter Jessica and Keith Henry stood together and pledged to take each other as husband and wife.  Even though it was the shortest ceremony I ever witnessed, I could see that their vows were sincere.
I ask God to bless them with love-overflowing, patience-unending, forgiveness-unceasing, respect, honor, and joy, til death do they part.
 

Above all, keep loving each other earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.                                                                                             1 Peter 4:8

Proverbs 14:30

A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. NIV

It's healthy to be content, but envy can eat you up. CEV

Are you jealous or envious of someone?  You need to learn to be content with what you are and with what you have. 
If you are jealous of that woman that is slim and strong, you need to get active and eat healthier.  If you are envious of that guy that has a nice house and new car, maybe you can spend less money on cigarettes, beer, or shoes. 
Or even better just live with what God has given you and be content with how God made you.  Give God thanks and honor with your life and all that you have.

Proverbs 13:24

He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him.

I admit to being a "mean mom." I had to discipline the girls myself alot of the time since Bill was out of town. I couldn't say, "you're in trouble when your dad gets home." That could have been in 3 weeks! Sometimes I feel I was too hard on them, but they have grown to become wonderful young women that I am very proud of.
 
 

Proverbs 12:10

Good people are kind to their animals, but a mean person is cruel.

Do you know someone who threatens to hurt cats, or dogs or even squirrels?  How about the person that drops off the cat because she will soon have kittens, or the dog that is old and can't see. 
I'm not talking about hunting or fishing for food.  God created animals for our use. 
You might want to examine your relationship with them.  Be careful who you associate with, sometimes their attitudes can rub off on you.

Proverbs 11:25

A generous man will prosper, he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

We are to be generous not only with our time and money, but with our positive attitude.  We are to share our faith and our hope with others.  And if I am having a bad day, I hope someone will come along and refresh me.

Proverbs 10:12

Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs.

All wrongs???  Like murder, rape, theft, abuse?  God are you sure? 
If God says it, it is true.  We are not the judge, God is.  He will make the wrongs right.  Put it in His hands.

Proverbs 9:10

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

All the time I hear people say, "I don't understand why God let's bad things happen."  God doesn't let bad things happen, He allows them to happen because He gave us free will and we choose to be bad.  I don't mean "we" personally even though we do bad things but I mean evil in the world.  If you take the time to get to know our Lord, you will understand better why there is war, murder, rape, thieft, drug abuse, sickness, etc...  People choose to do evil, make bad choices, and one things leads to another and before you know it our society is a mess. 
Read your bible and get to know the Holy One.

Proverbs 8:13

To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.

To fear the Lord is not the same as being afraid of Him!  To fear the Lord is to respect, honor, and to be in awe of Him.

Yes, I fear the Lord!

Proverbs 7: 1-2

My son, keep My words and store up My commands within you.
Keep My commands and you will live; guard My teachings as the apple of your eye.

The Bible is the Word of God.  It contains God's commands and His teachings.  We would all do well to spend more time studing it's wisdom.

Proverbs 6:20-22

My son, keep your father's commands and do not forsake your mother's teaching.
Bind them upon your heart forever, fasten them around your neck. When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you wake, they will speak to you.

I have parents that brought us up as good Christians.  We had rules to follow, we went to church, our parents were good examples.  I wonder how these verses would help someone who didn't have good parents.

Today, I pray for those who don't have good parents.  Help them Lord to find good examples to follow.  Lead them to the ones who will teach them to obey Your commands.  Amen.

Proverbs 5:18-19

May your fountain be blessed and you rejoice in the wife of your youth. 
A loving doe, a graceful deer - may her breasts satisfy you always, may you be ever captivated by her love.

I know it sounds corny, but I want my husband to be satisfied and captivated by my love.  God brought us together almost 40 years years ago.  God knows what he is doing so I will do my best to bring honor to
God by loving my husband. I will thank God for every moment we get to spend together.

 

Proverbs 4:25-27

Keep looking straight ahead, without turning aside.  Know where you are headed, and you will stay on solid ground.  Don't make a mistake by turning to the right or the left.

Do you know where you are headed?  I do.  I am spending eternity in Heaven with my Heavenly Father.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.

This is my favorite verse in the whole entire Bible.  Seriously if we trust, He will make our path straight! 
We can pray, we can sing, we can read our bibles till the cows come home, but if we don't trust Him we are lost.  Lost on a path of winding roads, rough places, and mountainous hills to climb.
Just trust Him!

Proverbs 2:8

For He guards the course of the just and protects the way of His faithful ones.

He keeps His eye on all who live honestly and pays special attention to His loyally committed ones.

Gods sees that justice is done, and He watches over everyone who is faithful to Him.

Three versions of the same verse.  Each time I read them I feel loved.  Isn't it wonderful to know that the God of the Universe is watching over us!

Gluten - Free, Sugar - Free, Dairy - Free, Caffine - Free

I have been diagnosed with Eczema.  The doctor says it was caused by too much acid in my body.  So I am on a gluten , sugar, dairy, and caffeine free diet.  Believe me that's a tough diet to maintain.  I have been researching recipes to make and foods that I can eat.  Almonds have become my candy.  Salad is my new staple food. 
Let me explain how this all started:
I have been contemplating starting up a cheesecake business, renting a building, making a website so I can sell and ship my cheesecakes all over the country.  So I prayed to God, "help me to know if this business is from You, if it is not, take it away from me ."  The next week I developed eczema on my hands, yes on my hands!  The one place a baker cannot have eczema.  Well I got my answer, loud and clear.
So, I went to the dermatologist.  He did a biopsy and said it was eczema.  He then wanted to put me on steroids.  I told him I can't sleep on steroids.  He said take a Benadryl.  I wanted to explore a more natural way of healing so through God's help and my cousin's husband Joe, I found a doctor who believes the same way I do.  He gave me a diet to follow and drops and cream to use.  It's been 2 months and I am getting better.  I know that I will be healed, not necessarily in my time but in God's time.
So I will be posting recipes I find, not only for myself, but for anyone going through this condition.  I say "through" because we will conquer this and find relief with God's help.

Proverbs 1:7

Start with God - the first step in learning is bowing down to God; only fools thumb their noses at such wisdom and learning.

Today is October 1, 2014.  There are 31 days in October and there are 31 chapters in the Book of Proverbs.  I plan to read a chapter each day this month. 
If you would like to join me, please leave a comment on which verse in that chapter spoke to you that day.  Together we will gain wisdom and understanding of our AWESOME God.

New me:

The new me is a gentler, kinder, more peaceful woman of God.
I have learned to appreciate my life in a new way.  Each day is a gift and my purpose here on Earth is to bring glory to God and plant seeds to spread God's kingdom.