I remember when I was a teen that I just couldn’t wait to grow up, to be on my own and to make my own decisions. Do you all recall that time? Or maybe that’s where you are now. We want what we do not have, and I have found through the wisdom of years, it is also frequently what we do not need. What changes in our lives to make us more aware of what our needs and wants are and the difference between the two?

I did not discover a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ until I was twenty-one. I was already free from the “shackles” of my parents, those restrictions that I had tried to escape for so many years. Now that I was on my own, I often found myself wishing that I didn’t have the concerns and responsibilities of an adult. In other words, I wished to be a teen again. Then I met the Lord, and He has constantly shown me that where I am is just where I am meant to be. If He didn’t put me into the situation, then He will use it for my good and will help me to make my way through it. The truth is that the only thing worth living and working toward is salvation, helping others to know the Lord and His free gift that will guarantee them eternal life. Freedom does not mean living in your own house and paying your own bills, buying your own car and choosing your own meals. It means being free to serve and worship the Lord who created you.

It is difficult for me to imagine that there are people in the world who are not free to worship. But I get the emails; I watch and hear the news of persecution throughout the world. Nevertheless, God says that His Word will be preached to all. All people everywhere will have the opportunity to hear and accept the Gospel. They will also be able to know the Truth and to be set free.

My prayer for myself as well as for my readers is that I will continue to discover more of God’s truth and to share it with others who need it. I am not one to stand on a street corner and preach. That doesn’t seem to be my calling, thank goodness! I have always been shy, so it is hard for me to even talk to strangers, much less approach them and start telling them about Jesus. But I can do something and so can you. I can let someone get ahead of me in a long line, thus opening the door for a conversation about kindness and goodness and being able to tell them about the Lord and His sacrifice. I can do little things that don’t seem to be much, but I do them as the Lord leads and I have watched Him opening other doors for me to be able to speak about my relationship with the Lord. I want everyone to have the freedom in their lives that I have had since my twenties.

Yes, I was a dumb teen who wanted what I wanted when I wanted it. Then God got hold of my life and now my truth is that I want what He wants and in His timing. I hope that you have a firm grasp of that Truth and are continuing down the road of life with the firm conviction that you are on the path to Heaven. That path is not always an easy one or one that we would necessarily choose for ourselves. Sometimes, it isn’t the one that God would have chosen for us either. But due to our free will choices and those of others, we are set on a path. I am here to tell you from experience that whatever path you are on, God is there with you. He will walk it with you, all the way to the end of your journey. The rocky and dangerous paths may not have been His best choice for you; but you may find yourself there. Trust that His truth will bring you to the other side. Blessings!

He Didn’t Bring Us This Far to Leave Us by The Imperials

Although I am a fan of Joanne Fluke and cozy mysteryies, I must be honest and say that I have only read about ten of her Hannah Swenson mysteries. Having received this one from Netgalley, I was more than willing to delve into the intricacies of Hannah’s life in idyllic Lake Eden, Minnesota. From the beginning of the book, it was obvious that this was all about Hannah and her personal life and not so much about solving a mystery. In the other books that I have read, there is a dead body discovered early in the first few chapters and Hannah is immediately involved in finding the perpetrator. In this book, however, the murder doesn’t occur until the book is over three fourths of the way through. I didn’t really miss it though because I was caught up in finding out more about Hannah and how she was recovering from Ross’s deception. I was kind of prepared for the cliffhanger at the end, but this one was a doozy! This was a book to read and relax with, not necessarily one in which you strive to follow the clues and figure out the murderer, along with amateur sleuth Hannah. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, especially how the entire town rallied around Hannah and supported her through her personal crisis. Fans of Fluke may be slightly disappointed at the lack of mystery, but will be rewarded with loads of yummy recipes, complete with Hannah’s practical suggestions on how to make them just the way she does. Enjoyable and light reading!

Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Available now at your favorite bookseller!

My husband and I just returned yesterday late in the afternoon from visiting our grandchildren up in Maryland. It was a wonderful visit since we arrived in time to celebrate Penny’s fourth birthday with her! Or at least most of it was wonderful. But more about that later. Here are the darlings at the party.

Evie is almost eleven months old now and is a little “darling” , which happens to be her middle name. Penny asked for a rose-themed party, so her other grandparents got her roses for her birthday. Doesn’t she look like Miss America? Or at least a younger version of one?!?

Anyway, we had a wonderful visit and the Lord gave me a Scripture to go along with our time with our loved ones.

I love every one of our nine grandchildren and I feel so blessed to be able to visit the younger ones, since I had a stroke just a month before Penny was born. My crown, my reward for being elderly and all of the aches and pains that it entails, is being able to be with our grandchildren and enjoy all of their cuteness. But I also pray for each of the grandchildren, that they will have a close relationship to God and learn to fear Him.

I taught history for several years during my teaching career and I can remember teaching the story of Ponce de Leon who really wanted to find the Fountain of Youth. If he had only read the Holy Bible, he would have discovered it long before his many journeys and adventures seeking it. I pray that each of my grandchildren will discover this secret and that I will be able to see each of them in Heaven someday.

As far as our trip goes, it was a busy visit as usual. Sunday was the birthday party and a princess movie. Monday was a trip to the YMCA and a sports class for Penny. She participated in basketball for the first time and really enjoyed learning how to dribble and making new friends. Tuesday was a trip to the local Chick-Fil-A where they had story time with a princess. Penny dressed as Anna and Evie was Olaf. I got a photo of Penny with the story teller who was also dressed as Anna. Little Olaf is on my son’s lap. She does adore her daddy! But she refused to keep on the Olaf hat which was also his face. Oh, well!

We had planned to return home on Wednesday but my husband came down with a bad stomach virus on Tuesday night and there was no way we could travel home that day. So we stuck around an extra day, a day which turned out to be a blessing for me because Evie got used to me enough to let me hold her and play with her. Until that time, I had to be content with her hand wave from a distance and her kisses from the arms of a parent. But once she warmed up to me, we were able to play together and laugh and have so much fun! I told Penny that she was never timid around me, but Evie is because she doesn’t get to see me much and doesn’t know who I am. It seems we need to visit more, right?

Unfortunately, by the time we got home late yesterday afternoon, I was ill. I went right to bed, only leaving the bed to throw up and then return to the solace of the pillows. So was the visit good and worth it? Yes! Resoundingly, yes! I am finally out of bed (twenty-four hours later) and able to hold down jello and crackers, so things are looking up. My husband did a load of his laundry and then lay down again. This stuff is a real bugger and doesn’t seem to want to let go!

Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, take time to enjoy those around you. We each have today, but none of us is promised tomorrow unless we have our eternity planned with the Lord. I hope that you have a blessed evening and a wonderful weekend, filled with love and laughter and the peace that only comes from knowing the Lord!

Note: Here you go, Stu. As promised. Pictures of my grand babies.

Hello, everyone in blog land! I was tagged for this post by Thony at markanthonyswall.wordpress.com. This tag is kind of awesome because it includes visuals and makes me use my brain. Follow Thony because he is an aspiring author with a lot to say and you will want to read what he writes. Seriously!

RULES:

1. Link back and thank the person who tagged you.

2. Link back and thank the blogger who started the tag. That was Beth.

3. List and picture at least seven of your favorite things.

4. Tag at least seven people.

5. List the rules.

My seven favorite things:

1. My Bible

This is a photo of the YouVersion app that I use daily for my devotions. I also have a regular Bible (many, actually) and I take one of them to church with me weekly.

2. My grandchildren

This is Tinslea who is named for me. She is my sixth grandchild and is very precious to me, since I got to see her shortly after her birth. All of my grandchildren are a big part of my heart.

3. Books

I read online a lot as well as hard copies of books.

4. My Fitbit tracker

Photo is from imore.com

I have the blue one and wear it daily. I have had one since I had my stroke in 2015.

5. Chai Latte tea

This is my favorite kind. I buy it at the grocery story or order it from Amazon.

6. My kitty Daisy

Daisy always sits right on my lap desk while I try to work on my IPad.

7. My IPad

I use it daily to read my Bible, post on my blog, check my email and Facebook and to read on my apps.

Tag:

If you are reading this and want to share your 7 favorite things, consider yourself tagged. I would like to see many of my online friends participate so I can find out more about you.

Blessings until next time!

Thank you to Kathy Wire at Maggie Tiggles for this nomination. Dollfaced Writer has created a tag where each month the theme is different but the tag continues monthly. Here are the rules:

1. Thank the person who nominated you to participate.

2. Link back to the original post.

3. Attach an image that inspires you regarding the month’s theme (or use the original).

4. Talk about what this month’s theme means to you.

5. Answer the questions.

6. Nominate one or more people to participate.

7. Enjoy the rest of your month.

For February, our theme is called: What’s on Your Heart

What’s on my heart for February’s heart theme:

I have been really missing seeing our grandchildren. I was scheduled to spend Christmas with them, but the doctor indicated that it was risky for me to travel with the hernia that I have. You see, my stomach is pressing against my heart and he doesn’t want it to “strangle” my heart. So, I have been careful with my activities and have been on a special diet since December 6th, when I was diagnosed. I thought that my surgery would be right away, but I had to undergo multiple invasive medical tests. Then, my surgery was finally scheduled for February 12th, but my body didn’t cooperate because I got sick on February 7th so I couldn’t have the surgery. Now that I am cleared again, my surgery has been postponed until March 20th. I was crying when the surgeon called me to tell me this news and he asked why I was so upset. I told him that I have already waited three months and I haven’t been able to see our grandchildren. He told me that it’s better for me not to be stressed over not traveling, so I can travel to see our grandchildren in Maryland. Hurray!

Meet the granddaughters that we get to visit soon. Penny had a birthday this last week and is four now. Evie is ten months old and is almost ready to walk. I have missed so much in the close to six months since I saw them last. So, our grandchildren are on my heart. I want to get the surgery done, get through my recovery, and go visit the five others in Pennsylvania. We got a phone call this week that my friend Heidi’s son and his wife have a brand new baby girl. My eyes were full of tears as I imagined how happy Heidi would have been to hold the new addition to her family. She’s in Heaven now and I’m hoping that she can see the new little one and is rejoicing with our Heavenly Father. I’m blessed to be able to visit the little ones (and the big ones) and I rejoice with a full heart because I love them so much. The thought of my surgery is scary, but the idea that I get to see Penny and Evie beforehand gives me an overwhelming flood of love and joy!

The questions that go along with this tag:

1. Do you believe in love at first sight?

I think it is possible, but an unusual occurrence. Love is not only a feeling as people like to think. It is a choice that you make every day.

2. Do you believe in soulmates?

If a soulmate is the person with whom you have chosen to live your life, yes, I do. Again, having a soulmate is a choice. You choose daily to open yourself up to a particular person and they do the same for you.

3. What’s the first thing you notice about a person?

Their facial expression. I’m always hoping for a smile.

4. What’s your ideal date?

Dinner and a movie.

5. What traits do you look for in a friend/significant other?

A love for God and a friendship that wants me to have a good relationship with God, also.

6. What are your thoughts about being friends with an ex?

Whatever causes the end of a relationship, there is normally blame for both parties. So, although I am not sure that being a friend is possible, I do believe the forgiveness is an absolute necessity.

7. If you’re a believer, when did you give your heart to the Lord? If not, what in life keeps a bounce in your step?

I became a Christian on February 28, 1973, so it has been 46 years now. I was a very young new teacher and on my own for the first time in my life. He has shown me the way to walk with Him, not always with a bounce in my step, but with a faith in my heart that He has everything under control.

I nominate the following to continue with the tag:

Stuart L. Tutt at stubaby777.wordpress.com

Bellesmoma16 at christianfictiongirl.blog

The Audacity of Faith at theaudacityoffatih.wordpress.com

Bruce at brucesbible.website

Gail at gaillovesgod.blog

No obligation to participate. Just follow the leading of the Spirit. Blessings!

This novel evoked so many different emotions in me. I was crying one minute, then smiling, then laughing aloud. I was cheering the whole time for Cassie to overcome all of the obstacles in her life but knowing in the back of my mind that real life doesn’t work like that. I loved that she was so kind to the Rookie and that she learned how to forgive so that she could then teach how to others. Cassie was a strong female character, one of the strongest that I have ever read about and her strength is in her words and her actions. I could see the research that went into the novel all along the way as I read it and I am thankful for the author’s firefighter husband who helped to make the details so realistic. As the sister of a fire chief, I was enthralled by this book from the beginning to the end. Fans of Katherine Center will not want to miss this one because it is an excellent portrayal of the real life of real heroes. I loved it and highly recommend it to those who want to be entertained and educated about the sacrifices of firefighters everywhere.

Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

AVAILABLE ON AUGUST 13, 2019 FROM YOUR LOCAL BOOKSELLERS EVERYWHERE!

I’m always the first one to get up in the morning, and if I get up really early, the house is dark. So, the first thing I do is head to the light switch so I can see where I am going without stumbling and falling. In the bedroom I use my flashlight on my phone to find my way to the door so that I don’t awaken my husband. But I know that you are aware of what happens when I leave one room and turn the light off. The darkness returns! It actually never went anywhere.

When the Israelites were traveling in the wilderness, God told them to keep the lamps in the tabernacle always burning. Did you get that word, ALWAYS! It reminds me of the eternal light on the grave of John F. Kennedy, Jr. It always burns, twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. Now, not to belabor the point, but we are the dwelling place of God and we are the lights burning in the darkness and dispelling it.

Photo from Patheos.com

How do we have the light that Jesus is talking about in this verse? We believe in Him and we walk in the light of life that He has given us. When we are the light that we are supposed to be, the darkness doesn’t exist around us. It’s all lit up and whatever is there is revealed. That’s why some people don’t like to be around believers. They don’t want their sins to be revealed because they are happy wallowing in their sin. Most sinners are comfortable in their sins because they don’t know the true way. We shine the light in the darkness and show them a better way. If we aren’t being the light, then what is our purpose for the Lord? We are supposed to shine all the time, never turning off our lights. And you know what else you can see in the darkness once the light is turned on? You can see yourself more clearly, so if there is something that needs to be changed in your life, it will be shown to you so you can get rid of it or change it. The light doesn’t become the darkness; the darkness is always there waiting for the light to be turned off. Think about it!

Photo from brainyquote.com

My desire is to be a candle in the darkness as well as a mirror reflecting the light of the Lord. I want only the light in my life, and I hope and pray that is what you want for yours. No darkness…only the light that the Lord shines into my heart to be reflected out to others who need to see clearly. Blessings to you and your household!

You finally get that great new item that you have been waiting for, and then you get out the instructions and you have to spend several hours reading them. They are difficult to decipher, but you know that you have to follow them in order for the fitness tracker or the Christmas tree or whatever it is to work properly. Bummer! You actually have to read and follow the instructions. For many years, the habit of my husband and I has been that he puts things together while I read the directions orally to him. That is usually helpful since he is an auditory learner and I’m a visual one. But when he recently got a new fitness tracker, the directions were online and more than a little difficult to follow since our satellite connection at home is so slow. So, off to the electronics store we went and the geek behind the counter had the watch synced to his phone and ready to use in no time. Don’t you wish life were like that? You have a problem and you take it to the resident geek and get it fixed in the snap of a finger? God didn’t mean for our problems to be solved like that. He left us an instruction book, called The Holy Bible, that we are supposed to read and follow. And our helper is not a human geek, but the Holy Spirit who leads us to the truth.

When we follow God’s instruction Book for life, then we are going to end up eternally with Him. However, there are many in the world who reject God’s instructions, to their own peril. I know many who think that they can consider eternity later; after all, they have their whole lives to think about death and what comes afterwards. But life may be shorter than they think, shorter than any of us think. Thus we need to be prepared for eternity, whether with our Maker or on the path to eternal destruction. I myself am choosing daily to be disciplined, corrected, and led by the Lord. I hope and pray that is your choice, too. The Bible is the instruction book for our lives and the reward at the end is eternity with our Creator. Don’t you think that is worth following those instructions? Have a blessed day!

God gives each of us twenty four hours per day, seven days per week. Tick! Tock! What are we doing with all of the valuable time that He gives us? We will be accountable to Him for how we use our time, so it is our responsibility to use it wisely. I remember when I was younger, I thought that thirty was really old. Then, I got a RIP cake from my brother for my fortieth birthday. For number fifty, I was beginning to think that I was getting old myself. Then I turned sixty and I started thinking a lot about my death, especially since my mom died when she was only fifty one. When I was sixty three, I had a stroke. Now, here I am four years later and still alive. But the question is the same? What am I doing with my time? I read, I relax, I spend time texting or talking to my children and grandchildren. And, most importantly I think, I pray. I pray for friends, for people that I haven’t met but about whom I have heard on the news. I pray for online friends, too. Of course, I attend church, but only on Sunday morning. I teach Sunday school and have taught for the last sixteen or seventeen years. The only thing that has changed has been my curriculum and the ages of my students. All in all, my life is a good one, but I am always wondering what else I can do for God. I think that is a question that we should all be asking ourselves daily. “What can I do for God today?”

We only have so much time on earth to show God’s love to others, so we need to be busy demonstrating that awesome love and forgiveness as much as possible. I fondly remember my grandparents because I spent a lot of time with them. But my grandchildren are distant and I feel that each time I visit, I have to re-introduce myself. I just want to be a good influence on them, someone who listens and hears and sees them. Isn’t that what grandparents do? I also want my children to know that I have unconditional love for them, just as the Father has for us. There are so many hours in the day in which I am selfishly pursuing my own hobbies, like reading. I am striving to spend a tithe of my time with the Lord each day. He is worthy and wants to be a part of our lives. For me, He is as close as my next heartbeat. He rescued me after I had a stroke and I am forever thankful for that. How do you show your gratitude to God? I hope that you will sincerely look at your life, just as I am doing, and purpose in your heart to “redeem the time.” Yes, there is evil in the world, all around us, in fact. But God is greater and He lives in you and me. It’s our responsibility to show God to the evil world. Perhaps we can make a small change…if each of us makes one small difference, how different could the world be? Think about it, and I hope that you will make a choice to use your time wisely. Blessings!

Photo from Word Wise on WordPress.com

On Sunday night, it was raining really hard here so I was having difficulty going to sleep. When I went into the bedroom, my husband had on the network with David Jeremiah so I got to listen to the end of his message. It was all about prayer, and I really needed to hear that message. He said that God had three ways to answer your prayers. If the request is wrong, God says “no.” If the timing is wrong, God says “slow.” And if we are wrong in making the request, God says “grow.” But if the request if right (in God’s will for us), if the timing is right, and if we are asking with a right heart, God says “go.” I have been praying a lot lately, not just for myself and my own attitude and health problems. I have also been praying for friends facing challenging

health issues like cancer and pancreatitis. This message from David Jeremiah encouraged me to keep praying. After all, I know that what I am praying is in God’s will because He desires for His people to be healthy. Sometimes, though, I know that God takes the person I am praying for to Heaven to be with Him. I consider that a divine and total healing, although, of course, I will miss that person here on earth. I am glad to know that God is listening to my prayers. Have you ever had an entire conversation with a person, finished talking and realized that the other person wasn’t really listening to you at all? That never happens with God. He is always listening to us and wants what is best for us always.

This quotation is from quotationmaster.org

This Scripture is from earlymorningshowers.com

James 5:16

What I have been told most recently about prayer is just to never stop praying. God is listening and may answer just the way I would like. Or He will answer in a way that will be better for me and for the person for whom I am praying. And sometimes I have to wait an even longer time and God answers in a way that is the absolute best thing for me and the person I am praying for. All in all, God knows all about me and all about my friends for whom I pray. He knows what is best for me, so since I want His best, I need to be willing to wait. That isn’t so easy when I have already waited two months to have the surgery that I was told had to be done as soon as possible. However, I am believing that the surgery will take place at the best time for me, so as I head out today to be checked by my primary care doctor and to possibly receive the coveted clearance for surgery, I am confident that God is working on my behalf and for my very best interests. I don’t think that it is a coincidence that when I prayed on New Year’s Eve and asked God for my word for the year, He gave me the word “TRUST.” I am learning to lean on Him, to trust Him in all things, including my health issues and those of my friends. God is equal to the task and I can trust Him to go with me in all trials. I hope that you already know the security that comes from trusting God; my confidence is in Him and He has always shown Himself worthy of my trust. He doesn’t turn away because He is bored with me and all of my concerns. He listens attentively and is working on me and on an answer for me. Let Him work on your behalf! He can be totally trusted!

Photo from wisdomhunters.com

This is one of my favorite Scriptures and one I will leave you to ponder. God’s plans for me are good…and so are His plans for you!