Evenin folks!

It is Tuesday night and I am so sleepy so don't be expecting much out of me tonight! After Dancing With The Stars, I'm hitting the sack! Haven't been sleeping well lately and I'm not sure why. Very aggravating though! Alfred got a small buck yesterday so we have deer meat now! I can hardly wait to fry some up with mashed taters and gravy! Ummm.....It is SO good on a cold night for sure!

I was thinking earlier today about a Thanksgiving we celebrated some years back. Our families were all here and I decided to cook most of the side dishes outside in my Dutch Oven! I did Broccoli Rice Casserole, Mexican Cornbread and Berry Cobbler in it! It was the NEATEST thing and tasted unbelievably good! We even ate outside around the fire and stayed there talking and laughing for hours! It was an awesome time for everyone! A Thanksgiving we won't soon forget! Now, for those of you who don't know what a Dutch Oven is, it is a big, cast iron pot with legs and a flat lid with a lip around it. You pull hot coals out away from the fire and set the Dutch Oven on top of them. Then you put whatever dish you want to bake inside it, cover with the lid and put hot coals all over the top. The heat from the coals creates an oven inside the pot and you can bake very much like a regular oven does in your home. It even browns like an oven! Of course you can't regulate the temperature very well so you just have to play it by ear! It was so much fun and made us feel like we had stepped back in time. If you are in an area where you can, I recommend trying it sometime!

We are so blessed and this Thanksgiving we need to slow down and enjoy the simpler things. We get so caught up in the cooking, cleaning and preparing for the festivities that we miss the blessing! Let's not miss out this Thanksgiving! How about we slow down and look around at all God has done and then give Him our heartfelt thanks this year.

It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High.
—Psalm 92:1

AMEN BROTHER! :) God bless...

Weekend with Trav & Brittany

We had a wonderful weekend with Travis & Brittany but I sure hated to see them leave this morning. It is lonesome around here with just Alfred! :) The pictures are of them about to leave for Ragin's wedding so they were looking sharp! It does my heart so much good to see Trav doing so well. It has been a long time coming for sure and I can just hear God saying, "I told you it was going to be ok!" He is constantly speaking to my heart and reminding me that that He was in control the entire time! I just can't express my gratitude enough for all He did and continues to do. I have said this many times before but , how do we cope with even the slightest difficulty without God? I can't imagine it and don't want to either!

We put the game camera back out this afternoon. Ferd saw some signs of hogs so he wants to see if they are coming to the corn. Sorry but I just don't share his enthusiasm about the hogs! I like seeing the deer on the camera but the hogs just don't excite me. We went to the cabin after lunch and the Water Turkeys were THICK! It was a crazy sight and I did get a couple pictures but I'll post them later. Alfred said they were feeding on Shad. Speaking of Shad, the creek bed is COVERED with thousands of dead ones after the flood waters receded. It is crazy, the number that didn't make it!

Oh well, as you can see I don't have much to write about tonight. It has been a good weekend and we have to get back at it tomorrow. I hope you all have a blessed week and don't wait until Thanksgiving to give thanks for all your blessings. :) God bless you all...

A book you say...?

My friends keep telling me I should write a book. Heck, I can't even keep up with my daily blog so how ya think that's going to work out for me? I know it's not really the same and I HAVE entertained the thought many times in the past but my thoughts are too jumbled up in my mind and I struggle to put them into words. I truly have been feeling a prodding from the Holy Spirit but honestly, I don't know which direction to go with it! I read something in one of my devotions last week that basically said, "If God is calling you to do something and you feel you are not prepared, THAT'S the time He wants you to begin! If you wait until YOU believe you are prepared, you will probably never start!" So true but nevertheless, I still feel like I'm groping in darkness. I need to practice my own preaching and just be still and listen. He will direct my path I know.

Maybe I could write my autobiography! Now THAT ought to be a best seller in no time! HA! According to the internet, the correct way to write an autobiography is to focus on three major things.....

1. Who you are in life
2. What life means to you
3. What your outlook on the future is

Ok......sooooo......hmmmm.......? I'll get back to ya on that one! Maybe I could write about my dreams! You wouldn't believe most of them and I dream nearly every night so in a year I could have a 365 page book! How's that for planning ahead? Anyway, I have the most unbelievable KA-RAZY, all over the place, dreams! But then, what if someone came and put me away only to try and study my brain! Just too risky! ;) Seriously, I do love to write and I get it honest because my mama loved writing too. I just can't imagine sticking with one theme long enough to complete an entire book! If God is truly urging me to write, and I believe He is, then He will give me the subject, the words and the wisdom to see it through. Until then, I'll just keep blogging away. God bless you all.......

The War

Did you ever see the movie "The War" with Kevin Costner and Elijah Wood? It is one of my all time favorites because it reminds me so much of the old dirt roads in Mississippi where I grew up! The kids, Stu (Elijah Wood) and Lidia live with their mother and father (Kevin Costner) in rural Mississippi. Lidia's best friends are two black girls named Amber and Elvadine. You will LOVE Elvadine! Anyway, they love to sing and dance to old Diana Ross songs which is pretty hilarious! Of course Lidia (the white girl) has no rhythm! The local Lipnicki children, Leo, Arliss, Ulla and Billy, are the local bullies so there is constant friction between the two groups. It is a fantastic movie with a fantastic message so you should probably go pick it up at WalMart for about $6 and watch it! My favorite scene in the whole movie is when Elvadine voices her opinion, to a very prim and proper school teacher, about a book called, "Why My Life Is Like A Bowl Full of Cherries." The teacher wants the class to read it and then write their memoirs! You really don't want to miss this scene! I have written the actual quote, just as Elvadeen says it, but you MUST watch it for yourself. Though her statements are heartwrenching, her performance is stunning!

"I was thinkin' to myself...Elvadeen, what you gots to write about in your whole good for nothin' life? Ain't got no daddy. Only money ever belongst to you was 20 dollas you got yosef in a birfday card from your uncle lass year. But it really wasnt for yo birfday. It was for layin' over his lap, and lettin' him spank you with yo underpants down....(pause)...Now here you come along, shovin' me in the back of the room, when I's can't even see good, which means I's probly not gonna graduate this summer neither! Just cause you read how some white man's life be like a bowl fulla cherries, I gotta come up with a fit here saying!! Well, fine! I'm gonna write how happy I'm gonna be to get 20 more dollas for my birfday- never mind what he got planned for me this year...and I'm gonna write how the new man my momma's seein' might stop drinkin, and treat me nice, and maybe he's gonna take us off da welfare, and in the end, we gonna be good as puddin! Life sho is a bowl fulla cherries. But to tell you da truth, Miss Strapford? I think YOU, that BOOK, and this WHOLE CLASS be a bowl...fulla...####!"

Oooo, you tell 'em Elvadine! It truly is a good movie and, in my opinion, vividly captures the day to day struggles families had, not to mention, it wasn't so long ago either. People were POOR, and I don't mean, (oh my poor, needy children......they don't each have their own I-Phone!) I mean they were DIRT POOR! Take a look around the next time you go shopping. There is an entire generation of kids that get anything and everything they want! Mama and daddy work overtime to make sure they have it too! I heard an advertisement for yet ANOTHER reality show that is coming on.....something about getting ready for the new baby. Some EXTREMELY SMART INDIVIDUAL said they were spending $28,000 for "STUFF" for this infant coming into the world! WOW! Mary didn't have a baby shower. As a matter of fact, in preparation for her childbirth, she rode a donkey, bareback, over a hundred miles carrying the "world's most precious cargo" in her womb. And then, Jesus was born in a stable! DID YOU HEAR ME?!!! THE KING OF KINGS WAS BORN IN A STABLE! THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD WAS BORN IN A STABLE!!! Does that disturb you? Well don't let it because it was all part of God's perfect plan and it was a most amazing night! (I know 'cause I read all about it!) :) Let the fact that our Nation is headed down a path of destruction disturb you. Our values have gotten all mixed up and we are wandering in a spiritual desert, experiencing the worst kind of drought. These things are cause for concern friends! Oh how we need to be on our knees praying! I love you all............

Names of God

Some years ago I bought a book and began studying the different names of God. It was a good book and I was reading and trying to apply these truths to my daily life. You know how satan tries to slap you down when you set your mind to do something for Christ? And he sure doesn't want us to get any closer so he pulls out the big guns and prepares for the attack! This particular time in my life I had been praying and praying and praying some more, for a situation to turn around! I prayed it, I believed it, I claimed it and gave God all the glory for it! Was I ever glad I had learned the proper way to approach the throne and command my Father's undivided attention! I was certain He had taken care of everything! Well the day came...Hours would pass and all there was left to do was wait for God's answer! He said no! He said NO! HE SAID NO!!! That's all I could hear in my head and it was more than I could bear! Anger welled up inside me like I had never felt before! I was FURIOUS with God! How could He let me down this way? Well that was it! I would show God that I didn't need him and even said, "I HATE GOD!" Oh yes I did! I said it with my own mouth, out loud for the world to hear! AND, on top of that, I went straight home and, since we had a fire in the fireplace, decided I would burn my Bible and my Names of God book and any other piece of Christian literature I could get my hands on. I threw the book in before my youngest son Jamie stopped me! He wouldn't let me burn my Bible, THANK YOU JAMIE! I had never felt so out of control before and it scared me terribly. Without getting into the details, you will be happy to know, there is a beautiful ending to my awful display of disobedience. The truth is, that ordeal brought me and my Lord closer than I can begin to tell you! Without actually hearing His voice, he spoke to me and said it was ok that I had said I hated Him! He understood? Oh my gosh! He understood and it was ok! How could that be? I knew full well that I didn't hate Him, but how could He ever forgive me for what I had done? It's very hard to put this into words. I had so much remorse for what I had said and done, but also a profound revelation that God had already forgotten it all! It was gone and I knew without a doubt, He had cast it into that sea of disremembrance. You know, as far as the east is from the west! He "FLUNG" it and it was over! I wish I could explain to you how I felt but I believe those words are being reserved for a Heavenly conversation I will have with my Father one day. What a mighty God we serve! What a loving God we serve! What an understanding God we serve! What a forgiving God we serve! It just goes on and on............

The names of God are listed here. There are more but these were the only ones I studied at that particular time in my life.

Jehovah-Jireh - The LORD my Provider
Jehovah-Rapha - The LORD my Healer
Jehovah-Nissi - The LORD my Banner
Jehovah-M'Kaddesh - The Lord my Sanctifier
Jehovah-Shalom - The LORD my Peace
Jehovah-Tsidkenu - The LORD my Righteousness
Jehovah-Shammah - The LORD Is There

Wanna shake your fist at God? I don't recommend it because it is an extremely difficult place to be. However, if I hadn't done it I would have missed out on a very special blessing and newfound closeness I might have never known otherwise. I am SO thankful for the end result! And did it ever backfire on Satan! HA!

Genesis 50:20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

Oh, and about that NO answer God gave that day! You wouldn't even believe it if I told you! ;) Much love to you all and God bless.............

It Is Well With My Soul

This is for those of you that have never heard the history behind this great old hymn by Horatio Spafford. (1828-1888) His unwavering faith and God's Amazing Grace will bless your heart.

Spafford was born on October 20, 1828 in North Troy, New York. He was a successful lawyer in Chicago who maintained a keen interest in Christian activities, deeply spiritual and devoted to the scriptures. The words of this song were not written during the happiest period of Spafford's life. On the contrary, they came from a man who had suffered almost unimaginable personal tragedy. In 1870 the Spaffords' only son was killed by scarlet fever at the age of four. A year later, it was fire rather than fever that struck. Horatio had invested heavily in real estate on the shores of Lake Michigan. In 1871, every one of these holdings was wiped out by the great Chicago Fire. Aware of the toll that these disasters had taken on the family, Horatio decided to take his wife and four daughters on a holiday to England for some much needed rest. The Spaffords traveled to New York in November, from where they were to catch the French steamer 'Ville de Havre' across the Atlantic. Yet just before they set sail, a last-minute business development forced Horatio to delay. Not wanting to ruin the family holiday, Spafford persuaded his family to go as planned. He would follow on later. With this decided, Anna and her four daughters sailed East to Europe while Spafford returned West to Chicago. Just nine days later, Spafford received a telegram from his wife in Wales. It read: "Saved alone."
On November 2nd 1873, the 'Ville de Havre' had collided with 'The Lochearn', an English vessel. It sank in only 12 minutes, claiming the lives of 226 people. Anna Spafford had stood bravely on the deck, with her daughters Annie, Maggie, Bessie and Tanetta clinging desperately to her. Her last memory had been of her baby being torn violently from her arms by the force of the waters. Anna was only saved from the fate of her daughters by a plank which floated beneath her unconscious body and propped her up. When the survivors of the wreck had been rescued, Mrs. Spafford's first reaction was one of complete despair. Upon hearing the terrible news, Horatio Spafford boarded the next ship out of New York to join his bereaved wife. During his voyage, the captain of the ship called him to the bridge. "A careful reckoning has been made", he said, "and I believe we are now passing the place where the de Havre was wrecked. The water is three miles deep." Having just passed over the watery grave of his beautiful children, Horatio returned to his cabin and penned the lyrics of his great hymn.

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Oh what lessons we can learn from this great man of God! Read it again! Read it and try to fully comprehend having this kind of faith. It doesn't matter how many times I read or hear this story, it always leaves me in complete and total awe! Can you say, It is well with my soul? God bless....

Deep Thoughts

Did any of you ever watch the old Saturday Night Live shows on TV? During one particular season, (or maybe two) there was a skit called "Deep Thoughts" by Jack Handey and it was pretty ridiculous! What did you expect from SNL anyway right? It was meant to be funny and funny it was! At least it was to me! It was only intended to entertain and make you laugh, nothing more.

Over the last ten years or so, I have had opportunities galore to ponder on life's ups and downs. I am always tempted to say that there were more downs than ups (that woe is me mentality) but THEN I think of ALL God has done and where He has brought me thus far. To complain almost seems as though I'm saying it wasn't worth it! I am SO MUCH the wiser, have SO MUCH more faith and I feel God's love SO MUCH greater than I ever did before! How does this happen? How do we come out of the fire without even smelling of the smoke? The next few sentences sum it up better than I ever could! I hope you will take these Deep Thoughts from God's Word and God's messenger and ponder them! They hold unbelievably deep truths that will encourage and empower the believer!

Life is often lived forward but understood backward. It is not until we are down the road and we stand on the mountain looking back at the valley that we can appreciate the terrain God has allowed us to scale and the spiritual deposits He has made in our life while we were there. "He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings deep shadows into the light." (Job 12:22) When you begin to realize this, you sit back and breathe a sigh of relief because you know God was in control all along. It didn't seem like it at the time, but He was.

Is that as amazing to you as it is to me? I have read this over and over tonight and honestly, I could probably go on writing for hours. I can picture myself on that high mountain, pausing just long enough to take a look back into that deep valley and saying, "Thank you Lord for getting me through it but I'm moving on now." God is SO GOOD! He never fails, He never disappoints, He never turns His back on us and no matter how hard we fight to do it in our own strength, He never lets go of our hand! My prayer is that wherever you are at this point in your life, you will not atempt to go one day more without Jesus Christ! It is simply not worth it.......

I love you all but Jesus loves you more! God bless..........

Monday, Monday....

Our pond is full now!
Alfred paddling across the creek! Blue & Red swimming along behind.

Jeremy is standing right in front of the cabin on the river bank.

The Trinity River is up!

Well another weekend is gone and we have to get back at it tomorrow! "Daylight Wasting Time" has come again and the clocks have been set back. I've been wanting to go to bed since 6:00 this evening! It's crazy how my body just thought since it got dark, it needed to go to sleep! And I had to fight it too! I DO NOT like the time change because there is no daylight in the evenings and it messes up everything. I want to play outside when I get home and I can't cause I'm a'skeered of the dark! Alfred always tells me, "There's nothing in the dark that's not there in the light!" Ahhh.....well......excuuuuse me but, at least in the light, I can see to shoot at it if it tries to get me! He is so weird and just doesn't understand things clearly like I do! AND, I remind him of it often!

I took lots of pictures of the flood waters this weekend. It was pretty wild there for a bit but everything is getting back to normal. The rivers & creeks have receeded considerably since Friday so that's good. I know there are probably a lot of people that had their homes flooded and are still displaced. We need to pray for them and lend a hand should we hear of a need. Put some action with those prayers friends! Don't ya love helping someone in need? I sure do! When Travis was in prison, he met many, many young men it seemed had no one that cared a flip about them! It always broke my heart and naturally I wanted to be their mama! Trav used to fuss at me and tell me, "YOU CAN'T HELP THE WORLD MAMA!" I know he's right but my heart sure wanted to take a shot at it! I can hardly stand it! My mother used to say that I gravitated toward the "underdog types" in my life! I just wanted good things for everybody and was nice to EVERYONE! It didn't matter to me what they looked like, smelled like or anything else! I just had a hard time accepting that I couldn't help everyone that needed it, and still do to this day! Let's just do what we can, WHEN we can and even though we can't "HELP THE WORLD," we CAN make a difference. I love all of ya! Even you ornery ones! HA! God bless us everyone.......

What Do I Know of Holy?

I've made You promises a thousand times
I tried to hear from Heaven, but I talked the whole time
I think I made You too small
I never hear You at all, no
If You touched my face, would I know You?
Looked into my eyes could I behold You?

So what do I know of You, who spoke me into motion
And where have I even stood, but the shore along Your ocean
Are You fire are You fury, are You sacred, are You beautiful
Lord, what do I know; what do I know of Holy?

I guess I thought that I had figured You out
I knew all the stories and I'd learned to talk about
How You are might to save
But those were only empty words on a page
Then I caught a glimpse of who You might be
The slightest glimpse of You
Brought me down to my knees.

So what do I know of You, who spoke me into motion
And where have I even stood, but the shore along Your ocean
Are You fire are You fury, are You sacred are You beautiful
Lord, what do I know; What do I know of Holy?

I ABSOLUTELY love this song by Addison Road. To me the words are SO deep and they speak to my heart in such a powerful way. Maybe it's because when I sing along, it reveals all the many failings and shortcomings within my own life! Yeah...I think that's it! Music is an amazing ministry and like I mentioned in last nights writings, God is speaking to us all the time, but it's up to us to listen. I believe God has communicated to me through music my entire life. I feel His spirit in a ways unlike any other time and more importantly, I recognize His voice. I know He has chosen this avenue to minister to me and I cherish it so! We are all unique and God ministers to us in many, many different ways. Just listen! His voice is soft and still but is SO easy to hear when WE stop talking long enough and open our hearts. Show Christ's love to someone that needs a message of encouragement! I promise, YOU will receive the blessing!
God bless.................

Another devotion

I love my daily devotions and it never seems to fail, they speak some amazing words of wisdom I need and at the exact moment I need it. Coincidence? I think not! God is ALWAYS speaking to His children but we aren't always listening. This particular devotion, from a couple weeks ago, had a quote that was so deep (to my shallow mind that is) and it made a profound impression on me. It said, "Beware of any Christian leader who does not walk with a limp." I pondered this for some time and even though I knew in my heart what it meant, I could not get my mind to fully grasp it. To me it compared somewhat to Paul's thorn in the flesh he referred in the Scriptures. Something in Paul's life hindered him, or at least he felt as though it did. We don't know what it was that Paul agonized over and we don't need to know. Only that it was there and it was very real in his life. I truly believe we can become so haughty and full of ourselves that we become a major hindrance to our own spiritual growth. Most of you know how much I love to sing. I LOVE singing songs that allow me to vocalize things I could never put into words on my own. I LOVE singing about my Jesus! But, I have such a fear when it comes to standing in front of a crowd of people. I've often thought about asking everyone to bow their heads as if they were praying and then they wouldn't be looking directly at me while I'm singing. OR, if someone else stands with me, I can make myself believe that everyone is looking at them and not me! WOW! Pretty amazing huh? I'm just special that way! HA! Alfred refers to it as a "SHORT" in my brain! He loves me so! Anyway, what I'm getting at here is, I have BEGGED and PLEADED with God to take away that fear! I told him if He did it for me, I would praise Him like even HE wouldn't believe! Or at least that's what I thought! Truth is, I'm afraid if God took away that fear, that "thorn in my flesh" then I might begin thinking I can do this on my own! Can you understand what I'm trying to say? I don't want to get so comfortable that I feel I don't need God when I perform. When we get comfortable or complacent, we begin thinking we can do things in our own abilities. OH HEAVENS NO! I know for me personally, that would be a disaster in the making. We need to ask God to work in us amidst our thorns and inabilities. Then we can blossom into the Christian workers and leaders God has called us to be.

P.S.
And oh yeah Lord, could you take away just a teeeeeny bit of it for me.....? :) Love you all!

Super nice day

Ferd dropping a dead Hackberry tree behind the cabin.

I'm taking a picture from underneath the cabin! HA!

Just a pretty reflection of the sky in the creek

Water in the creek under the swinging bridge!

We had such a wonderful day today. Our plans to go to the beach with Jeff and Susie for the weekend were cancelled but we got to spend a really fun evening with them anyway. Jeff's mom got sick and had to be admitted to the hospital but thankfully she is home and doing fine tonight.The Yeagers came over tonight and we went out to eat and then topped it off with a trip to WalMart. Does it really ever get any better than this people? HA!

The day was gorgeous and me and Ferd worked outside, trimming around the NINE MILLION trees on this place and trying to weedeat. Weedeating was supposed to be my job but that heifer is too heavy for me to handle. Dangit! Anyway, Ferd weedate/weedeated (?) around one of my Oleanders and the stinkin' strings broke off! Dangit again! Soooo......he decided to mow! One of the blades on the mower was bent so he had to stop that too! Dadburnit! (Ain't ya glad I don't have a potty mouth?) Well, we rode down to the cabin and looked at the REALLY HIGH river for a spell and then took a power nap! Then we walked out on the swinging bridge and I made pictures of the really high water in the creek. It's been dry as a bone all summer but not anymore! Ferd also cut a dead Hackberry tree behind the cabin. We ended up not really getting much of anything done but it was a good day anyway. We moved the deer camera back to the place with the most activity so we should have some good pics in a couple days. We have counted seven different bucks coming to the corn and three or four does. Along with the corn and apple blocks, Ferd planted a turnip & mustard green patch to entice them!

I guess I'll sign off for tonight as there's not too much to write about. I just want to try to get back into the habit of writing regularly. You know how NOT GOOD at that I've been in the past. Love and Christ's blessings to you all........

Cushion of the sea...

Ok, ok, ok......so I'm not very good at this blog thing. My intentions are good but I get busy and just forget to write.

Today I want to share with you a devotion that describes what the Scriptures refer to as "peace that passes all human understanding." I found it to be simply amazing and decided I would include it in this blog. The devotion goes......There is what is called "the cushion of the sea." Down beneath the surface that is agitated by storms and driven about with winds, there is a part of the sea that is never stirred. When we dredge the bottom and bring up the remains of animal and vegetable life, we find that they give evidence of not having been disturbed in the least, for hundreds and thousands of years. The peace of God is that eternal calm which, like the cushion of the sea, lies far too deep down to be reached by any external trouble and disturbance; and he who enters into the presence of God, becomes partaker of that undisturbed and undisturbable calm. -- Dr. A. T. Pierson

Anyone that knows me very well, knows I have experienced some very stressful things in my adult life. Things that brought me to my knees, (and I don't mean in prayer) but in utter fear. Fear that, in the beginning, overwhelmed me and overshadowed the help I knew was there. That help was The Cross and I had to find my way back to that place of calm assurance. How did I get so unbelievably lost in this darkness? Why couldn't I find what I SO needed? Where was my Heavenly Father? I was SO afraid! Without writing a novel, I can say with such thankfulness, I DID find my way back and on my journey, experienced this undisturbable calm and peace that passes all understanding. How do I know what I experienced was that God given peace? Because I couldn't explain it with words! Any explanation I thought about giving, simply made no sense. That's when I knew it was from God and oh how beautiful that realization was! My prayer is that you will not stop until you find your "cushion of the sea." Then and only then, will you truly understand. Goodnight and God bless............

"Try a Little Kindness"

If you see your brother standing by the road
With a heavy load, from the seeds he's sown
And if you see your sister fallen by the way,
Just stop and say, you're going the wrong way.

You've got to try a little kindness
Just show a little kindness
Shine your light for everyone to see
And if you try a little kindness
Then you'll overlook the blindness
Of narrow minded people
On the narrow minded streets.

In case you don't recognize the lines above, they are from an old song by Glen Campbell. I think the lyrics speak volumes and the song has been one of my favorites for many, many years. I have always tried to live my life in such a way as the song speaks of. I think you would agree, kindness is something this world is in desperate need of. In this day of Selfishness, and the "it's all about ME" mentality, we need to be practicing kindness towards our fellow man. I know it is hard sometimes because some people are SO difficult. The bad thing is, it's our loss when we don't do what God expects us to do. Believe me, I know! Kindness is FREE, (giving AND receiving) and the rewards are great! Let's all make a conscious effort to be kind to one another today, tomorrow and every day. I love you all in Christ! God bless............

Sorry it's been so long.......

I just realized I haven't posted in over three months and probably don't have anyone reading the blog anymore but oh well.....I thought I would write a little something tonight. A lot has happened in our lives and I really don't know where to start. Travis got home and Jamie left in April so that was a bitter sweet time for us. God is good and knows best so I have to be thankful that He takes control of situations that are out of our hands. We haven't been in church since April 26th so that's really not a good thing for us. I can't explain why but we haven't been back and I miss it. As for me, I desperately need God in my life and my spirit suffers when I get away from that sweet fellowship. So......what is wrong with me you ask? Why don't I just get up and get back in church? Why do I do exactly the opposite of what I know I should be doing? Ugh! I frustrate myself! Instead of waking up on Sunday morning and getting ready for church, I have been sleeping late. What a loss for me! Why is it we can't get that much needed nourishment from listening to a good sermon on TV? I know the answer to that! It's because we need to be in God's House, fellowshipping with our brothers and sisters in Christ. There is simply nothing that can take the place of that! Pray God will point us in the right direction and we can begin serving Him again like we are called to do.

Alfred had his overtime cut out completely so things have been difficult around here. We've had to make lots of changes but it really hasn't helped much. I'm sure it will pass but this has been the hardest time for us in a very long time. I am hopeful it will get better before we have to make some really tough decisions.

Now that I sit here writing, I realize there is a lot more I want to write about but I'll save it for another night. My computer has a virus so it has to go back into the shop for a clean up. Don't know how long that will take but hopefully it will only be a couple days. God bless everyone and I hope you all have a great week!

A Sunday afternoon walk........

Creek on our property

Beautiful old tree with a massive root system on the bank of the creek

The wild ferns are gorgeous!


Just a shot of a jet going overhead. Close enough to capture four jet streams!
If you click on the photo it will get larger and you can see what I'm talking about.
It was pretty awesome!

Me and Ferd took off this afternoon and got in the creek just down the hill. This creek winds around and has forks going off in all different directions. We got in the water and just walked for about two hours. It was so beautiful! It really reminds me of a tropical rain forest down there, with the wild ferns growing out the sides of the banks , little rock water falls here and there and the dragonflies flitting around like little fairies. And peaceful down there! MAN! You couldn't hear anything except the wind blowing through the trees. There were places where the water was just about ankle deep and then there were knee deep spots but we just trudged on through. I was having a hard time maneuvering without slipping on the rocks but Ferd was good to help me through the bad spots. I wore sandals and that was a bad idea because they gave me no traction walking across the wet rocks. Anyway, you really should see it down there. Maybe next time we'll take a picnic lunch and make it a real adventure.

You guys have a great week and don't forget to pray for one another. God bless..........

Yeager's new beach retreat!

Trailer loaded with lumber.

Jeff fixing to run me over!

Deep thought!


Monster log!

The birth of the new Beach House!

We had a really good day today. Jeff and Susie came over and brought three humongous pine logs that needed to be cut on the sawmill. They are planning to rebuild at the beach since Hurricane Ike took everything they had and left the country with it! It's so good to see them planning again. They got lots and lots of lumber and it should be a good start for their rebuilding.

I truly have nothing much to write about tonight. It is very late and I am very tired so I'm headed to bed. Hope everyone has a great day tomorrow! God bless.........

Garden and stuff.........

Chicken Hawk in flight!

Neat reflection photo on the pond.

Going to have lots of corn!


Corn, Green Beans & Watermelons

I haven't been on in quite a while and Alfred asked me to take some pics of his garden and post them. So, here ya go. We have a bumper crop of Zucchini Squash, Yellow Squash, New Potatoes & Cucumbers! It is wonderful and there is nothing like the taste of fresh vegetables right out of the garden! I put a lot of squash in the freezer yesterday and today but there will be that much more again tomorrow. Anyone need squash? :)

Trav has moved to Plano and is doing very well. He has his own apartment directly across from his office so he can walk to work every day. He is loving his freedom and it feels so good knowing he is finally getting on with his life. I know God has wonderful things in store for him and I can hardly wait to see it all unfold. Continue to keep him in your prayers. Actually, please keep Trav, Jeremy and Jamie in your prayers. Things don't always work out the way we expect them to in life but we MUST BELIEVE that always God knows best, no matter how difficult the circumstance. He has proven it time and time again.

We went riding all over the place today and of course I had my camera with me. I got a pretty good shot of a Hawk flying overhead and also the old boat on the pond bank had a perfect reflection in the water......I couldn't resist it. We haven't slowed down much in the past month but I will try to start posting regularly again. I really enjoy writing but lately I just haven't been making myself do it. God bless you all and have a blessed week!

That night.....?

OK, OK....so we did make another trip to Beaumont. It was so good to see Trav and he was pretty wound up when we got there but calmed down after a few minutes. He's SO ready to come home and no one seems to know what the hold up is. Maybe this week! We have planned and planned and now we wait and wait and wait......He'll be home before we know it.

There are so many things to be thankful for this Easter holiday. First and foremost is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Can you imagine life without Him? Me and Ferd rode the gator over on the other hill Friday night and watched the unbelievably beautiful full moon come up over the trees. It was so windy and cool on top of that hill and we turned the lights off and just sat there listening to the wind and marveled at how awesome the Heavens were! I asked Alfred if he thought the night Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, praying with His disciples, might have been a night like we were enjoying? As we sat there I couldn't help but wonder what it might have been like. Was it a big full moon and the wind blowing so cool across the garden or was it a dark and dreary night with the impending torture and death of Christ about to unfold? In my heart, I can't imagine anything that might have been beautiful about that particular night. However, hold on to your hat cause SUNDAY WAS A'COMIN!.........UP FROM THE GRAVE HE AROSE! There's the beauty! "O death where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" I Corinthians 15:55 ~ The grave couldn't hold Him and it can't hold us as Christians either. This isn't all there is to it brothers and sisters! The best is yet to come and I hope you won't miss out on the chance to live with Jesus (AND ME) for eternity! I can hear Alfred now, "OH NO!!" Anyway, it's going to be great and you won't want to miss it! I promise!!! God bless and have a BLESSED EASTER now, ya hear? Jesus loves you!

No more Beaumont!

Ferd got his floor down in the cabin.
It's sooo plerdy!

Bumble Bee was looking into my eyes!

This little feller was covered with pollen!

I bet he needed a bath when he got home!

Well, I do believe with all my heart that this was my last trip to Beaumont! It just felt like it when I left Trav today. He got his final "official" Parole Certificate so there's nothing more we need to wait on.....(except the bus of course!) Trav told of how his emotions are doing a number on him and how he is so excited one minute then nervous as a cat the next. Just about every other emotion you can think of right now, he's experiencing. I told him he sounds like a person that wants to go sky diving more than anything else in the world but when they get all their gear on and are sitting in the door of that plane, thousands of feet in the air, they start saying, "Wait, Wait, Wait, I don't know if I'm ready for this!" He said that is exactly how he feels! I know it will be a huge adjustment but we are all here to help him get back into the swing of things. We've even ordered the FAMOUS BANJO MINNOW FISHING SYSTEM so the Burts will be a force to be reckoned with on the river! Actually I ordered one and mama ordered one so we have TWO of these fishing packages in route. I had no idea she was ordering and vice versa. Oh well....the boys are tickled about getting two sets. Speaking of the boys.....I went outside tonight to see where Jer & Jamie were and it appears they were having a "blow dart" competition in the barn and they made me join them. We laughed until we cried! My turn came and when I blew, the first three stuck right in the target. The others went a bit off the beaten path but I felt like I had done an exceptional job and am most likely ready for the real hunt now! HA! Well, Jeremy went next and he didn't hit the target ONE TIME! I nearly peed my pants laughing at him. And so did Jamie! THEN, it was Jamie's time, and he couldn't hit the north end of a south bound cow so I believe I have de-throned the Burt men and have accepted the title of "BLOW DART QUEEN" of Burt Hill! It was very touching and I will probably add this skill to my resume! Not many women can say they've accomplished as much..... I believe you call it VERSATILE! ;)

Today has been a good day and God has blessed us many times over as He usually does. We are tired and in need of a long winter's nap....Or a long summer's nap maybe! Maybe just a good ole nap where you get up when you're good and ready! That's sound like the one! God love you all!

Take care and God bless you................

Well, well, well.............

Today was a complete waste of an eight hour personal day. I woke up at 6:30 to get ready for work and Alfred was sitting in his chair. I knew something was wrong because he normally leaves for work at 4:00. He said the well was out and we had no water soooo......that meant no shower and I wasn't even thinking about going to work the way I looked! I was hoping Alfred would be able to prime it but that didn't work. We had to call the well repair guys and they got here right before noon. After trying three times to prime it with no luck, they had to pull it. That's what they are doing in the pics. They are still out there as I write so I'm sure the repair bill is ticking upwards nicely. It just hurts my feelings to have to do this......again. Oh well..... enough feeling sorry for myself. T'will be ok...

Mama called Huntsville today about Trav and they said everything is in order and he has been PC'd (program completed) so they are just waiting on his certificate from Austin. The lady was going to call today and see if she couldn't get the process moving along a little faster. As you know, we are SO anxious for his homecoming! While we're on the subject of Trav......he had this old orange baseball cap that he dearly loved before he went to prison and he wore it all the time. As a matter of fact, the deputy that took him to Huntsville, the day he enteredTDCJ, let him wear it one last time on the way there. When I had to pick up his personal belongings, his cap was there. As you might imagine, that was an extremely emotional day for me. Over the past seven years I have taken good care of it, knowing he would ask about it again. And, last weekend he did! I didn't tell him this but in his new room, we hung a wall mounted hat/coat rack and his orange cap is the only thing hanging on it right now. Somehow, that silly cap hanging there just completed the room! That cap has traveled a lot of miles with him and I have a feeling it will be something he'll treasure from now on.

The well guys are done and we have wonderful, running water again. They said they'd have someone from the office call and let us know how much. YIKES! I think they were afraid to give Alfred the ticket! I've been planning all day to go in to work when the well was fixed but it's 2:00 and too late to go now. The sun is shining beautifully and I think I'll go outside for a while....God bless all of ya!

Been distracted....

Alfred told me I need to start writing again and I know he's right but sometimes I just can't think of anything good to write about. I've been distracted lately getting ready for Trav's homecoming. Anyway, he said, "Just write about us riding down to the river and getting the gator stuck." So, here goes......we rode down to the river this afternoon and got the gator stuck on the way back up the hill. HA! Actually we sat on the porch for a long time just talking and laughing. I tried to imitate the call of an Eagle and Alfred said I sounded like a ruptured chicken! What the heck is a ruptured chicken? My mama says Alfred is wise behind his ears! She also says, "Life is like a box of chocolates.....you never know what you're gonna get!" :) Anyway, we DID get stuck coming back up on the gator and Ferd had to get the tractor and push it up the hill. It was a slippery, nasty mess for sure.

Mama and me went to see Trav yesterday and he was in a pretty foul mood when we got there. He's so ready to come home and things aren't moving along the way he (or we) want them to. We are all so anxious to have him home and it just has to be any day now. He was in a much better mood by the time our visit was over so that made it a bit easier to leave him. On the way home, we stopped at Golden Corral for lunch and our chinese waiter tried to take mama home with him. He was a cutie pie for sure but she wouldn't cooperate! I do have to admit, the service was excellent! It really is kinda sickening to see old people flirting. Speaking of flirting....did I mention my mother-in-law has a boyfriend too! Holy cow! There must be something in the water around here! They're snuggling on the sofa like teenagers! We may be planning a double wedding around here before you know it. Alfred's mama AND my mama have both gone a'courtin!!

Oh well.....I guess this is about it for tonight. Hopefully I'll write again tomorrow and will have more to say. Have a great week and God bless.................

Still no Trav....

It's Saturday morning and I haven't written in almost a month. We were hoping Trav would make it home this week but as most of you know, it didn't happen. I know when it does, it will be a glorious day but I am tired of the wait. I suppose we've waited for seven years, and another few days won't make much difference. The thing I MOST looked forward to, was seeing him walk out of that place a free man but it looks like we may not even get to witness that. Seems TDCJ doesn't communicate information regarding release dates with the families (that's not their job) so we may not know when to be there to pick him up. Amazing to me but that's what we have been told. I honestly don't know why I'd expect anything different.....that system has amazed me time and time again over the past seven years. Maybe it will work out in spite of the incompetence. We really want to be there so WE can bring him home and I definitely don't want him on another nasty bus! Maybe next week....

Mama has been here for a week and we really do enjoy her company. She has a "friend" in Mississippi so I doubt there is any chance she'll be moving back to Texas now. As long as she's happy, we're happy for her. We just miss her terribly when we don't get to see her. Hey! Maybe she can talk him into moving out here! I doubt that too but it does sound like a plan to me! :)

I have lots to do today so I am going to sign off now. Hope you all have a blessed day in church tomorrow. See ya!

I'm tard........

It's very hard to capture on camera, the difference the dozer has made already.

It has really opened up the landscape considerably!

This is the beginning of a downward slope that gets much worse as he works his way down.

Mike, the dozer guy, got so much done today, it's unbelievable! He still has 3 more days to clear so it will look like a different place when he's done. I knew we were on a high hill but never realized how high until today. There are hills that the dozer can only go straight up and straight down. If he tried to go from side to side he could turn over and we don't want that to happen. It is STEEP! Of course there will be lots of piles we'll have to work with the tractor and eventually burn but that will be the fun part. We love doing stuff like that. Just give us a brush pile, box of matches and a pack of weiners and we'll call the Yeagers and have a party! We don't spend much on entertainment and the cool part is, we don't have to! True friends can just pull up a few chairs and have the best time ever! We all love it, not to mention it's SO relaxing! Anyway, we'll have lots of brush fires as soon as the burn bans are lifted and the piles dry out a bit.

We worked hard on Trav's room again today. I just about got all the walls stained and it is looking so pretty. We are definitely proud of our accomplishments so far but sometimes it seems we will never get done. I guess I'm just way too tired tonight.... Glad we have the day off tomorrow because I will most assuredly sleep in........or at least I plan on it anyway. I usually wake up and start thinking of all I need to do and just get up. Oh well.......it will be another productive day. God's blessings to you all...............

Howdy again neighbors!

D5 Cat Dozer

He was gettin' after it!

Where the Gator is sitting used to be an awful thicket several years ago!

Its been a few days since I've posted anything so I thought I would take some time and write tonight. We have been busy, busy trying to get Trav's room finished. It is coming along nicely and we should finish up this weekend. I will be so happy when it's ready and he's up there enjoying the peace and quiet. We have no idea what it's like to live life so confined to one space and have absolutely no freedom. Actually, I try not to think about it too much! It will be quite an adjustment for him but I know he'll do just fine. It is so exciting and we have been waiting for this a long time!

We have been trying to get a dozer in here to clear off these hills so I called around and got some prices last week but it was going to be costly. As luck would have it, there was a guy doing some dozer work for a man just down the street and our son Jamie met him and had been helping him a little. We met him today and low and behold, he brought his dozer down this evening and started working. He is the nicest man and we even took him out to supper tonight. He will work for us for at least 3 days and possibly 4, depending on how things look. He is quite skillful at what he does and has already gotten a lot cleared in just a few hours. It will be so nice to have that done and then we'll have some amazing views out across those hills! I mentioned "luck" at the beginning of this paragraph but I truly believe God puts the right people in our paths and works things out so sweetly when we trust in Him. We talked a lot with this new friend tonight and he has had a difficult life but really has a positive outlook about things now. He even said he may go to church with us in the morning! How cool is that?!?! God loves to do good things for His children and while we may not see it happening at the time, He is ALWAYS looking out for us. Hope everyone has a blessed day in church tomorrow! God bless.....

Ye Ole Billy Goat!

When I was about 9 years old ALL I wanted for my birthday was a goat! I have NO idea why but I wanted a goat and nothing else would satisfy me! I begged and pleaded but it wasn't looking good for me. At least that's what I thought! The day came and I couldn't wait for daddy to get home to see if he bought me my goat. He drove up and parked just outside of the carport. He got out of the car, brought his lunchbox in and put it on the table and looked at me as if to say, "WHAT?!?" I said, "Well?" Hesitantly, he escorted me out to the car and opened the trunk! There was the most beautiful goat I'd ever laid eyes on! OH DADDY! You got me a goat!!! I was overjoyed! His name would be Billy! WOW! How original was that! As I write this I can't help but wonder, what on earth was I thinking? Anyway, I had my goat and we tied him up outside so he wouldn't get away. Later that night, he chewed through the rope and was on top of the car glaring through the kitchen window at us eating supper. I thought it was the coolest thing ever but my daddy was NOT so happy with Bill! He didn't implode right then but it would happen later! My little brother, Lance, was about 6 years old and still in diapers! (NOT REALLY) I guess he must have been about 2. Anyway, mama used cloth diapers so the clothes line was always a sea of white, whipping in the wind. Well, this was just too much temptation for Ole Billy and he ate about a dozen of them. HOLY COW! This could be a problem! Well, a few days later, daddy decided to fence off a corner of the barn to make a pen for Ole Billy and I helped. We got it finished and put Ole Bill inside. I'm sure I gave him a big hug and then me and daddy headed down the hill to the house. Well, before we got to the road, Ole Bill came running up beside us! OH MY! Daddy looked a bit flushed! He turned a color I had never seen before! This didn't look like his happy face! Oh well, once again I thought it was the coolest thing ever because I realized I had an EXTRA SPECIAL goat! One that could escape from anything my daddy built, AND DID! I also had a little dog named Yippy (who everyone loved) and he followed daddy everywhere he went......very soon, Ole Billy would tag right along with them. My daddy really tried to feel something special for Billy but it just never happened. No matter how hard he tried, in the end, he loathed that goat! Unfortunately, I didn't get to keep Billy for long. It seems he was meant to roam the planet and no matter what we did, we couldn't manage to make him stay in a pen. So......daddy sold him to a band of gypsies! HA! Not really! But I'm pretty sure he would have if they they'd happened by! Years later, as a tribute to me and my daddy, Alfred Burt would buy me a goat for my birthday! OH YES HE DID! This time I was NOT amused! I had long ago grown out of that stage and didn't think it was a very nice present. My daddy, however, thought it was hilarious! All he knew was that goat was going home with us and he didn't have to worry about it. After about a month, I started speaking to Ferd again!

God bless you all and don't forget to laugh! It'll keep you healthy!

The Church House beating....

Sorry I didn't write last night but things got a little crazy around here and it got late before I realized it. This is a very sad story about a little bitty, sweet, sugar dumplin' (me) that got the ruffles whipped clean off her britches one Sunday. I guess I have been in church about as long as I've been alive. By now you know I was raised in Kosciusko, Mississippi and the infamous "church house beating" took place right outside the walls of the Hurricane Baptist Church. I was very young because I can remember wearing panties with ruffles on the hiney! To this day, I still love anything with ruffles and obviously ALWAYS have! I probably need to clarify....I DO NOT STILL WEAR PANTIES WITH RUFFLES! Don't even go there! Anyway, one Sunday, during church, daddy, mama, Rhonda and me (little sugar dumplin') were sitting in the worship service. I can't tell you much of what happened next because in the blink of an eye, I was in the car with my daddy. I can clearly remember where the car was sitting, (on the left side of the church, right up next to a window) I just have no recollection of how I got inside it with this mad man! He may have thrown me out a window for all I know. The battle that ensued inside that vehicle was intense! I can only remember bits and pieces, (because I must have been going in and out of consciousness) but we were in the front seat when he started whipping my behind and I remember crawling over into the back seat, trying to get away from him! He didn't let up! He was right behind me, coming at me like a Spider Monkey! Over the seat, he whipped me some more! I swear I didn't have a ruffle left on those PINK panties! I can't imagine what I could have possibly been doing to deserve such an assault on my sweetness! Many years later I would dedicate the song "Daddy's Hands" to him but it always had a "deeper, extra special" meaning to us that most people didn't know about. No one seems to remember what I did in church that day but I'd venture a guess, it didn't happen again! I can remember about three times in my entire life that my daddy whipped me, but only one incident worthy of writing about! Now mama......welllllllll, now that's a horse of a different color! For the first 10 years of my life I thought her right arm was a peach limb!

Once again, a true story with a humorous slant for your reading pleasure. Oh, I have so many more to tell! I wish you much joy and laughter! God bless..........

SHEILA in the grass....

Since I have such mental blocks and can't seem to write at night, I've decided I'll keep telling my childhood stories. Maybe someone will get some enjoyment out of them. This is a story about cutting the grass. You remember me telling you that we had a huge yard in Mississippi? Well, one day I was behind the house, fooling around with the lawnmower (which I was NOT supposed to be doing!) For some reason daddy couldn't get it to crank a day or two before and so I remembered a trick I saw him do and I thought I would try it. Well, it worked and I cranked the mower! HOLY COW! I HAD BECOME A MECHANIC! This ranked right up there with Moses parting the Red Sea!!! It was only a few seconds and mama came tearing out of the house, screaming like a wounded Wildebeest! She was not happy that I had cranked the mower but I WAS! I was proud of my 8 year old self and what I had acomplished! Right about that time, she got this EVIL look in her eyes, (the look I would see often in the years to follow) and decided that since I was old enough to crank the mower, I must be old enough to cut grass! And, that's how it all started! From then on, my carefree summer days were spent mowing our 900 acre yard! At least that's how big it looked to me! Once again, me and Rhonda would divide it up into sections and decide who would cut what. This one particular day, I got in mama's closet and she had this DROP DEAD GORGEOUS, blue, lacy, party slip I had been dying to wear! It looked like the perfect lawn mowing attire so I put it on, pinned it up tight around my waist so it wouldn't fall off and headed out to earn my slave wages! I began mowing in my same old boring pattern but it was different this time because I looked so beautiful in my dress. Then, out of the blue it hit me! Our yard was big enough that I could mow my name in the grass! How cool would that be!!! Well, off I went in my DROP DEAD GORGEOUS SLIP/DRESS! I was just about to the letter E when from behind me I heard the familiar cries of the wounded Wildebeest again! Oh my gosh! She was after me with a stick! I can't remember everything she said but I can assure you, it wasn't nice! She must have been speaking in her native tongue because I couldn't really understand her very well! I just knew she had a BIG problem with me writing out my name in the front yard! SHE NAMED ME SHEILA so I really didn't know what the big deal was! Anyway, she whipped me all the way back to the house! Then, after she beat me half to death and made me take my slip off, she made me go finish mowing! The very NERVE! It was brutal I'm telling ya! Brutal!

I LOVE my mama! She would cry like the Wildebeest many, many, MANY more times before I grew up but she never gave up on me (or any of us kids.) I exaggerate a teeeeeny bit when telling my stories because I hope it will bring laughter to the reader. If you know my mama, you will laugh for sure. I really DID try to cut my name in the yard that day and she really DID yell at me and she DID get after me with a stick and she DID make me take off the pretty slip. Oh and she DID make me finish cutting the grass so maybe I really didn't exaggerate that much after all! HA! Tomorrow, I'll tell you about the "Church House Beating!" MAN! I had a good childhood! God bless.......

My first love.....

Some time ago, I promised I would write all about my first boyfriend. My sister, Rhonda, and I always played games when we were younger and much of the time we had imaginary friends playing with us. We lived in the MIDDLE OF NOWHERE so there was no one else around to play with during the summer. If you had a friend, you definitely had to conjure them up in your mind. We always played in different parts of our yard, which by the way was huge, and we would divide it up into sections, most of the time with the grass clippings after it had been mowed. We would rake the grass into shapes of houses and that's where we lived. It was a great game! As we got a little older, we decided we needed husbands so.......we made them up! Rhonda was always standing there with her back to me and she could wrap her arms around her body and it looked like she was being hugged by someone! It was crazy how that looked and it made me plum mad! I couldn't do it with my arms and so I had to improvise. AND, as luck would have it, I didn't have to imagine my feller up.....He lived on the side of the road at the edge of our yard. We had these little black metal telephone poles that were about 4' tall and they had numbers written in white paint on one side. My guy's name was 764589. I ALWAYS had to go to his house because he only had one leg, but MAN, did we ever have some good times! We'd talk and play games and even danced on occasion. I remember him dipping me during a ballroom type dance several times! He WAS a faithful boyfriend and never danced with Rhonda, well.....at least not that I ever saw! One day I went to see him and a bird had flown over and......well......you know! His numbers were really hard to read that day and I was understandably upset but in no time, he was clean as a whistle. You think I'm kidding don't you? Well I'm not and this is all very true account of a game of make believe that two little girls played in Kosciusko, Mississippi! You can ask Rhonda, (aka Ole Limber Arms) if you don't believe me! Now that I'm all grown up, I wonder if mama ever looked out the window and wondered what in the heck I was doing dancing with the telephone pole? OR, HOLY COW, how does Rhonda do that with her arms! If she did, she never mentioned it! She had probably long given up on trying to figure out what we were up to! God bless her and daddy for raising us AND doing a darn good job of it! I ended up with a man, just as faithful as ole 764589 but he's no where near as good a dancer! I have all kinds of good stories so stay tuned....... I still can't do that with my arms!

I've always heard that God is especially close to the simple minded. You know He's gotta' LOVE me! God bless you all..........

So blessed!

You know, my son Jeremy called me from work this morning because they were having a big lay-off at his job today and we were really worried about it. He's only been with the company for about 4 months so there was definitely reason to be concerned. Well, they didn't lay him off and as an added bonus, they praised him and told him how they felt he was a real asset to the company. Now if you've never seen Jeremy walking on clouds well.....let me tell you, it's an joyous sight to behold! He has been a happy young man this evening and we have been happy for him! I asked him if he wanted to dance with his mama to which he replied, "I'M GOOD!" Oh well.....I tried! :)

As a result of the ongoing economic challenges, Alfred got his hours cut way back last week. While we know things may get rough for us financially, we also know that God has never failed to provide for our needs. Why would I have any reason to think He would fail us now? When our boys were little, in the 80's, Alfred got laid off from his job and I remember being so afraid of what would happen. He has always been the best provider for us so he went right back into the home building business. He stayed plenty busy but we still struggled terribly during that time. The boys had found their stomachs and keeping them fed was a big grocery bill for sure. One day we were so broke and Alfred didn't know how he was going to get gas to make it to work the next morning. It was so depressing but this particular afternoon we decided to get out and take the boys for a walk. No sense sitting there worrying over it. We'd even take a bucket and pick some Dew Berries so I could make a cobbler. I will never forget that walk! Alfred was on one side of the road in a berry patch and I was on the other side picking from vines off the side of the road. I looked down and there in the dirt was a $5 bill! About that time, Alfred hollered at me and said, "The berries are over here!" I hollered back and said, "Well the money's over here!" I picked it up, knocked all the dirt off and ran to show him! You could tell it had been there a while because it was caked with dirt! No matter! It would still buy just about half a tank of gas! We were so happy because we realized, God had provided for that very need at the exact time we needed it the most! God doesn't sit in Heaven oblivious to what's going on with His children! He just wants us acknowledge Him and believe that He CAN and WILL take care of us. It's called FAITH! It's not hard..... you just have to "let go and let God!" Because ... He is good all the time! God bless you guys and don't forget to pray for one another.

God was everywhere!

I have no idea what I did to get that honkin' big picture on my home page! I have tried nine ways to Sunday to fix it but no luck. I guess you'll just have to keep looking at Red & Blue (our two dogs posing so nicely for the camera) Red is a Red Bone & Blue is a Blue Tick! How's that for some real original names? HA! But isn't the river pretty in the picture? Me and Ferd were both off Monday and it was a GORGEOUS day so we paddled across the river, crawled up on the bank and listened to the peaceful, but rare, sound of quietness! Ferd layed back and I just perched on a high bank and enjoyed God's creation. I'm not certain I can convey to you how it felt sitting there, but in that amazing peacefulness was a deep awareness that God was right there; all around us! He was in the trees, the skies, the waters, and I could hear Him in the wind! It was Heavenly and I didn't want to leave. I think I could have sat there for the rest of the day but Ferd had work to do so after a while, we went back across. I can't even imagine what Heaven will be like if just sitting on the river bank was that extraordinary!? WHEW! When you go outside today, take a look around and see if you don't recognize Him! I'm telling ya....there's no greater peace than the peace that comes from a personal relationship with Christ! God bless you all and have a safe and blessed weekend!

GOD BLESS AMERICA!

God bless America, land that I love

Stand beside Her and guide Her

Through the night with the Light from above

From the mountains, to the prairies

To the oceans white with foam

God bless America

My home sweet home!

~Irving Berlin~ 1938

Our nation is officially headed in a new direction and more than ever we need to be vigilant in prayer. Regardless of how any of us voted or how we feel about our new President, we must support him and cover him in prayer. We live in the most blessed Nation on the face of this earth and if we don't get on our knees before God, He will withdraw His mighty hand of protection over us. Our precious freedoms we take so for granted, are being taken away and we are sitting back and letting it happen. I am about to be 51 years old and even in my short lifetime I have seen changes that have been detrimental to this great country. When I was a little girl, school started every morning with a prayer and The Pledge of Allegiance! We did NOT begin the day without them! AND, I remember the priority that was put on getting the flag down from the flagpole at even the slightest hint of rain. There was a deep respect for Old Glory and we all knew what she stood for! It was imbedded in us at a young age. Now, some 45 years later, families are torn apart, husbands and wives cheat on one another, children disrespect their parents and elders, killings happen as if some sort of sport! In Matthew 24:12 it says, "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." Jesus Christ gave us a very clear warning that in the last days, the natural love that should be between children and parents, husbands and wives, and families in general would grow cold. Almost as if to freeze over. If there were only one warning that signaled the "end times" this one would be enough to convince me. But, just go back 40 or 45 years. About the time someone decided we didn't need God in our public schools..and people wonder what happened? Let me put it this way.....If Christ is not the center of the home, then families, schools, churches, governments and on and on, simply will not be able to stand! It's simple really! Christ is the ONLY way! I pray you choose Christ!

New Employee

My devotion today was called "New Employee" and it really made me think about my position in the workplace. I have always tried to do my job to the very best of my ability. I take great pride in being an honest, loyal and dependable employee......one that gets things done. Then I read this devotion. The scenario is simple.....Jesus comes to work in my office for one year! WOW! How do you measure up to His performance? How do you measure up period!? Well let me be the first to say, you don't and you never will but that doesn't mean you don't try. In my field of work, several months ago, I had the chance to meet other ladies that have the same job title and description as myself. They were from offices all throughout our region and as I listened to the different ones talking, I soon realized they were so experienced and to be quite honest, I felt a bit inferior in their company. Now, I had a choice right then and there. I could have thought, I'll never know as much as they do or I'll never be as good at this as they are! OR, I could sit up straight and take some lessons from them. I could listen more closely and glean valuable information from their years of experience. Just because someone does something better than me is no reason to slack off and quit trying. I just have to bow up and get moving! Always trying to be better! That's the way it is with Christians. We are NEVER to settle for "good enough." There's more out there brothers and sisters and I'm going after it! I'm going to take advantage of every opportunity out in front of me and I may not always sit and wait for it to come to me....I may hunt it down! We are to keep our eyes on the PRIZE and that means never giving up. Jesus is the Prize and the road to Heaven is paved with God given opportunities. Don't let them slip through your fingers.

Now, I hope you enjoy the following as this is what all my rambling is about today:

What would happen if Jesus came to work for a year in your workplace? Let's consider some hypothetical things that He might do:

He would do His work with excellence. He would be known around the office for the great work He did. He would develop new ideas for doing things better. He would hang out with sinners in order to develop a relationship with them in order to speak to them about the Father. He would strategically pray for each worker about their concerns and their needs. He would pray for those who even disliked Him. He would rally the office to support a needy family during Christmas. He would offer to pray for those who were sick in the office and see them get healed. He would honor the boss and respect him/her. He would consider the boss as His authority in His workplace. He would be truthful in all his dealings and never exaggerate for the sake of advancement. He would be concerned about His city. He would always have a motive to help others become successful, even at his own expense.

CAN I GET AN AMEN SISTA! :) GOD BLESS.......

Pushin' Smiles!

One of our elderly clients came in last week and asked about selling some of her stocks. She was so happy and had a smile from one ear to the other. She realized her account had significantly decreased in value due to the economy, but wasn't the least bit concerned. Said she knew the Lord takes care of her and she wasn't worried about it one bit. We talked about how good God is and how He has always taken care of us whether it be in times of want or times of plenty. If you turn on the news these days, all you hear is gloom and doom but I'm telling you, this sweet lady has got it all figured out. She isn't relying on what the stock market does or does not do. She is trusting in her Lord and Savior and it was evident with every word that came out of her mouth. She left a trail of "feel good" behind her when she walked out! ;) As Christians, we need to be encouragers. We need to be like this little lady and walk around with a big smile that makes people want to ask, "What the heck?" You know, she is probably pushing 80 years old and I couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was. Proverbs 17:22 says, "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones." You don't have to look far to see a bunch of dry bones walking around and I sure don't want to be like them! Did you know that different types of machinery must be oiled regularly or excessive friction will occur and before long, they're completely worn out. The lubrication causes them to operate smoothly. There's way too much friction in this world today and it doesn't have to be that way. We can do our part with something as simple as a smile! It's contagious! Now this is your assignment. "Go about, spreading much oil and causing smooth operations for the people of God!" :) God bless........and don't forget to smile!

Somebody's a year older!

Well Alfred has his 52nd birthday today and he doesn't look a day older than 51! HA! I went to the bakery at Brookshire Brothers after work to get him a cake and well.....the selection was not what I had in mind! I settled on this one particular cake and headed for the checkout. Then, something caught my eye! There was this specialty cake section that had cakes that were so gorgeous, I thought they were fake! You know.....the kind that you just look at and then place a special order for. Anyway, I asked one of the ladies if these cakes were real to which she replied, "Oh yes" and I replied, "Oh my!" Welllll.......Ferd got a chocolate cake with a mountain of whipped chocolate icing and topped with rows of dipped strawberries! Holy Cow! It was so pretty! The girl at the checkout even said, "Wow! What a pretty cake!" Nuttin too special for my man, I always say! :) Speaking of special.......I even made Tacos for supper! Now you're probably thinking.....TACOS? For the birthday guy? Well, Alfred LOVES Tacos! I think he puts them right up there with fried catfish! Leah and Dennis came & had supper with us so it was a really nice evening. They bought him a camping cook set for his cabin.

Today in my daily devotion, I read the following quote and it impressed me so much, I felt inclined to share. "The burden of suffering seems a tombstone hung about our necks, while in reality it is only the weight which is necessary to keep the diver down while he is hunting for pearls." Everyone hates going through troubles and trials but if we do our best to keep things in perspective, maybe we'll see that God has some hidden treasures for us to discover. I know this has been the case in our lives. We have been so blessed but have also been through some very dark days in the past. Days I wanted nothing at all to do with God! I didn't understand why such awful things were happening and the only one I knew to blame was God! He could fix it if He just would! But He didn't right then and oftentimes He won't. He has something He wants us to learn. We have to stay down, with that awful weight around our neck, and force ourself to look for the treasure! Then, after what seems like an eternity, one day you catch a glimpse of something shiny! It's not a physical treasure but a spiritual one. One called HOPE. Something begins to well up inside of you because you know He is bringing you through. There are no words to describe that feeling but one thing is for certain....God is still in the process of working things out for our family. The realization of it all is amazingly beautiful and I am so thankful knowing He's always there. Even though I shook my fist in His face, He still loves me just as much as ever. We can't stand idle in the fire or we'll be completely consumed. Our God is an AWESOME God!