Loving the rain

 that we had recently.  It was so refreshing that I stood at the window and watched it, and I also opened the front door and stepped out on the porch!  I love the rain, and we got quite a bit yesterday.  Just a strong steady rain.  Luckily it didn't go for long, just long enough to water the plants good.  It sure did drop the temperatures down too!  A welcome reprieve for many, I'm sure.  Me, I still like it warm. In fact, yesterday I was so chilled in here (this room is the coolest and the warmest in the house at times) that hubby turned the heat up for me until I warmed up.  I figure my blood has thinned out so much with being out here that I am always cold. I keep a sweater in my car to wear into restaurants and other places for that very reason. I'm rarely without a sweater or something to put over my arms.

Yesterday was a fair day for work.  Had lots of meetings to work on and was kept busy.  It is what it is.  I keep thinking I should look for another position under my boss - I love being her EA, but the others... sigh.  I have 5 people now I support and throw in others who think I am their EA as well.  "It is what it is."

I sent a text yesterday evening to Pastor John to see about us getting together for dinner on Thursday.  He did respond that they tentatively have something on the calendar for Thursday but leave it open in case they get cancelled.  No biggie.  We are just surprised we got an answer.  Remember, at our last church, it took a year before we got the pastor and his wife to have lunch with us - and we invited them again after that and they STILL don't have time for us.  It's nice to be treated with respect and not ignored.

I don't know what was up with hubby yesterday.  He worked all morning on his bible studies and at his desk, going through his computer.  Stopped to fix himself something for lunch (all by himself) and got upset with me that I wouldn't come have lunch with him (he got after me about 'not eating lunch' too). I did go fix myself a lettuce and ham and cheese sandwich. It was so good I may have it again today! LOL But I came back in here, as I usually do, and worked.  I think the biggest problem with hubby is that not just one but two of his friends 'left him' at the same time.  One for Tuesday morning breakfasts has Alzheimer and went off on him and said he wasn't going to meet hubby anymore.  There went Tuesday mornings.  The other, who he met on Wednesday or Thursday for brunch, well, he moved to Oregon.  So now hubby just has his Tuesday nights and Friday mornings, and I think he is 'lost'.  He is trying to get a couple of his Friday morning guys to meet with him on another day just for breakfast.  Don't know how that is going.  I realize that hubby is lonely. He has no hobbies, and few friends, it seems.  He did it to himself.  I don't feel sorry for him; I told him this would happen for years.  He doesn't know what to do with himself.  He refused to go to the men's breakfast last Saturday morning at the new church.  He could have met some men there and connected.  Again, his choice.  But he had a long nap yesterday. When I commented about him sleeping all afternoon (anything over two hours is all afternoon to me), he got really angry at me.  Oh well. 

I need to run over to Lowes this evening and pick up the paint so that our SIL can finish painting the courtyard when they return from New Mexico. I think the plan is to return tomorrow.  Of course we will have to make sure it has dried out from the rain.  But, he can't paint if I don't have it ready for him.  Maybe I can do it over my 'lunch hour'.  Can't wait for it to get done and we have our furniture! But at least it isn't getting wet right now!  Wouldn't that have been something - just get it put out and it gets wet!

James 5:16 (NKJV):  Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

Did you know that the reason many people are sick and have diseases is because they carry around with them unforgiveness?  They let their unforgiveness of people eat at them until it causes them physical issues.  Seriously!  But once they forgive, and confess to God their sin of unforgiveness, perhaps He would heal them.  Not to say God picks and chooses whom He will heal; but He does use circumstances to reach others.  I have found in my life it has been easier to forgive others - and forgive myself - even when I don't want to, even when my anger at them is justified - even when they don't deserve to be forgiven.... I have found it is easier to forgive and keep myself healthy, than give in to my anger and bitterness at them for what they did to someone I love or even to myself - and make myself miserable.  It's a choice.  Besides, God says...

Romans 12:20 (NKJV):  Therefore "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head."

So for the person who has done evil against my children and against me, I am nice to them.  Because I am depending on God to heap coals on 'their' head!  His Word says He will.  And yes, He also says in 

Romans 12:19 (NKJV):  Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath,; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord.

So I can laugh, for that person will be held in judgement of their sin.  I don't have to do anything, but forgive. And although I don't want to, I do.  Because God says so.  Trust me, it isn't easy.  

And - with that - I'm going to shut up and get off here.  Hope that you have an amazing day!

Blessings!

It's time for church!

 I slept until 5AM this morning - that is, after waking up at 12AM, and again at 4;10AM and refusing to get up, except for the necessity of ... well, you know.  And I'm finding I'm still sleepy this morning.  BUT, I have FreeChapel.org on this morning and it is going to be a powerful service this morning.  I rewatched the first one, from last Sunday, yesterday.  I want to watch them all again - as the revival went on all week - except for last night.  Perry Stone is speaking again this morning and again at 5PM tonight.  If Free Chapel was here in town, that is where I would be going to church.

We will be going to 'our church' this morning.  Pastor Sharonda will be speaking this morning.  She's good, but she talks so fast that you have to listen close cause you will miss what the point is.  But she does get the point across and I tell you what, she doesn't hold back and don't pull any punches!

Yesterday was a quiet day - sorta - I watched one of the Free Chapel services, completed three scarves I had started for Needles of Hope, and made home made apple butter.  I discovered that I had purchased two bags of apples and one was starting to get wrinkled... so I halved the recipe I found and tried it.  They didn't get mushy like regular apple butter, but would if I ran them through the food processor - but I don't want to.  Only made a pint and a half, but that is enough for us.  Will see if I will make some for Christmas gifts; depends on how good hey taste - I know they taste sweet.

Who am I to deny what the Lord can do for you?  Do you even realize what all the Lord wants to do in you, through you, and for you?  He is not done with you yet - do you realize that?  I do hope He isn't done with me!  There is so much more that He wants to do IN me as well as THROUGH me.  How I wish you would go to FreeChapel.org and watch these revival series. Your life will be changed - and I dare say - for the good.  God is so good!  He is so able to handle me, and handle you, and handle any situation we come up against.

Yes, He can even help me with my problems (real or imagined) with hubby and family.  I can feel left out; I can feel deserted; I can feel alone - but I am never alone when Jesus is with me - and He always is.  How I wish you knew that Treasure of knowing Him!  Jesus is the Only way to our Father.  Please, don't wait too long to accept Jesus as Lord of your life.  The future is so much brighter WITH Him, than it is WITHOUT Him.

There is power in the legacy of faith.  What kind of faith are you passing down to your family?  

John 14:6 (NKJV):  "Jesus said to him, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.""

Did you know that you could love God and still do wrong?   Read the story of King Uzziah who decided he wanted to offer incense to the Lord in the Bible.  He loved God and he served God - BUT he did it in the wrong way.  He was not a priest, and only priests could offer the incense.  God said so.  But King Uzziah decided he wanted to offer incense like the priests - 80 priests came towards him to prevent him- and the king got angry.  Standing there with the incense in his hand, the king got angry - and God .... well, Read II Chronicles 26 and find out what God did to him!  We got to 'stay in our own lane' when it comes to serving God.... only move out of it when God says so!

You can love God and not like His church - but God says we should not neglect the assembling together with other believers.  King Uzziah lived the rest of his life in a leper house, never again hugging or being hugged, always alone for the rest of his life.  And his son was angry at God - and although he loved God, he felt offended - and refused to go in to God's house.

Did you know you can actually grieve yourself to death?  Oral Roberts - a great preacher - lost a son to suicide.  He was grieving, and God told him that he was not to ask 'why'.  

Sometimes we have to forgive others, and then sometimes we have to forgive ourselves.  If we have failed in our lives - we can not live in the 'what if' and the 'why'.... we have to get to the point where we don't do that - sometimes we have to forgive God.  What is holding you back?  Are you going to allow the mystery of God to keep you out heaven because you are bitter in soul of your loss?  You also have to forgive God.

Yeah, I'm pulling this from what I'm hearing, but this is truth.  We may not understand why someone close to us dies.  We may still be bitter about not getting our prayers answered in the timing we gave God.... but are you going to allow that bitterness and anger keep you out of heaven?  Are you going to pass on the legacy of anger and bitterness to your children.  Is that your legacy to leave them?  Get your child(ren) in church!  Get your family in church!  Let them know the love of God who forgives all - and let them forgive you for not getting them there.  

Oh God!  Forgive me for the times I didn't want to go to church and stayed home.  Forgive me for not keeping my children in church.  I am so sorry I was disobedient and did things my way.  I know my children are not ready to meet Jesus.   When you feel your time is at the end, and you have not accepted Jesus as Lord, remember the thief on the cross?  He just told Jesus 'Remember me' - and Jesus told him that 'you will be with me in paradise'.  It's not too late - seek Jesus!

Things are so much better with Jesus.  You will feel a peace that you have never felt before.  You will feel a joy that fulfills you.  Seek Jesus.... don't delay.  He heals the brokenhearted and binds our wounds.  Let Him.

Blessings!