Time Flies...

Time flies...can you believe it? The Thanksgiving season is now going into the Christmas season. Why is it that the older we get, the faster time flies? We have more and more things to do & places to go.





Well, I've kind of been in hibernation. Merrill went to Pennsylvania last Sat. for his deer hunting trip. He came home last night and left again this morning for Southern Oh to finish his hunting. Anyway, I've done a lot of resting from our Thanksgiving get to gathers.

Advice...

Of all the funny pictures that I have received in my emails, this is one of my favorites because it reminds me that we need to make sure that we get good advice from a reputable source. In this case, a picture is worth a thousand words! :)

Talk About The Weather...

Today is a beautiful day! It's the 28th of November and it's suppose to get up into the 50's. Can't complain about that, but tomorrow...now, that's another story. I was reading the weather report and they're saying that it will get down in the 30's tomorrow. Well, we can't complain can we, it is November going into December and we need cold weather and snow , so that we will be happy for spring. There I go getting ahead of myself again. :)

By the way when I said snow, I didn't mean anything like this!

Have a good day!

David's First Deer

How exciting...David got his deer! It's fun to watch these young hunters get meat for the table. :) It just doesn't seem possible that my grandchildren are old enough to hunt.

Monday Morning Musings...

The Thanksgiving holiday is past and now we are in the Christmas season. These are my favorite times of year. I just need a few days rest to recoup.

It was so nice to be with family. We had such a good time.I'm very thankful that everyone arrived home safely. Today, things are pretty much back to the usual. Well, the deer hunters are out and in the woods.

It's raining out and I love it! Rain is one of my favorite weathers as long as there is not too much of it. I'm so picky.:) Next, I want snow!!!

The only sad thing about Thanksgiving was that we did not get many pictures.Can you believe it, forgotten & misplaced cameras? I did get some pictures late Sat. night when Beth, Mike & Isaiah, and Duane stopped by to tell Stephanie goodbye. But, since I misplaced my cameral bag, I don't have the cord. Oh, well, enjoy the turkeys. We enjoyed turkey at our Thanksgiving dinners! :)

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Matthew 5:16

Do you ever think about how small and insignificant you are? There is a big vast world out there and we are just one little being. But if every one little being would let their light shine for Christ, imagine the impact.

All Christians work for Christ whether they know it or not. Sometimes, Christians think they don't amount to much because they can't do something big. They don't realize how important prayer is and how it changes things. Faith and believing God for sickness, problems, trials and hurts. As Billy Sunday said,"We have a God who delights in impossibilities." Something as simple as a smile & how it can light up someones day. A loving touch with care for someone. Sharing with those who don't the have needed necessities of life. Little lights with big impacts!

Our lives are lights that can shine for Jesus.

Jesus Is The Reason For The Season

"Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me."(John 14:1).

This is a hard season for lots of people. Losses seem to get bigger during the Thanksgiving & Christmas season. People are stressed out because they can't change thier circumstances or the loss of a loved one, job or something meaningful to them. This is the time of year to turn towards God. We will be celebrating Jesus birth in a month.Remember,"Jesus is the Reason for the season!"

God is always with us in the good times and the bad. He wants to love us with His everlasing love and hold us in His hand. During this Christmas season...let's put Him first. Does anything else really matter?

Hustle & Bustle

The rush is on. Lines are long and when the door opens people will literally start running and grabbing.

Well, this year I opted out. I can't think of anything worth getting up and out at a store for... at 3:30 a.m. I do know a few people who planned to do this. To me my sleep is more important. Anyway, the stores only put out so many of their drawing sales items... which isn't very reasonable. You'd think they would at least try to accommodate those faithful few who did sacrifice to get there,at least for a certain time frame, but that's another story. For me, "It's just not worth it!"

The hustle and bustle of the Christmas season is on. I can't say that I am sad because I am not. I love Christmas. I love the decorating,the traditional Christmas songs, family get to gathers and the whole thing. I love the miraculous story of Jesus birth, the angels, the shepherds and the wise men. To me, "Its the greatest time of the year!"

We Gather Together

We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing;
He chastens and hastens His will to make known;
The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing,
Sing praises to His name: He forgets not his own.
Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,
Ordaining, maintaining His kingdom divine;
So from the beginning the fight we were winning;
Thou, Lord, wast at our side, All glory be Thine!
We all do extol Thee, Thou leader triumphant,
And pray that Thou still our defender wilt be.
Let thy congregation escape tribulation;
Thy Name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!


First thing this morning, I thought of this song and how good it is to gather with those we love and to ask the Lord's blessing, to praise Him and thank Him for all that He has done.

I especially like that phrase, "sing praises to His name: he forgets not His own."

"Praise and thanks to the Lord,"...on this Thanksgiving Day!

The Blessing of Prayer

"Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit..." Eph 6:18

I am thankful for the blessing of "prayer". We can take everything to the Lord. He is always there and He always understands, comforts and meets our needs. That doesn't mean He gives us everything we want. He knows best, knows the future and the whole part of anything in our lives.

Prayer is our communication with God. God wants our Praise as well as our concerns and burdens. He is always with us.

Good Health

Today, I am thankful for good health. There are so many people around us that are suffering with bad health. Disease has taken over their bodies, and they need medical help.

We in America, are so fortunate to have good medical facilities that can help us when we need it. We have medication that help with pain and infections. We are so fortunate. We have all kinds of doctors and nurses trained in many fields.

We can truely be thankful when we are healthy and do not medical help.

Thankful For Work

"Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest." Proverbs 6:6-8 NIV

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward." Colossians 3:23-24 NIV








It has been such a blessing to go through this daily exercise of sharing what I am thankful for this Thanksgiving. Sometimes we get caught up in the daily routine of life and don't slow down enough to remember what life is all about.

Today, I am thankful for work. God has given us gifts and abilities. We use these gifts and abilites everyday at work.

We can thank God that we have work to do. Work that provides money for rents, house payments, food, clothing and our necessities of life. Work is important if you want to pay your bills.

Husbands work hard to provide for their families. They value their jobs and find great satisfaction in a job well done. When they work at something that they really like, they take pleasure in their work, and it is not burdensome.

Work for wives and mothers includes taking care of children, grandchildren, parents or those in need, and taking care of our homes by cleaning, washing clothes, preparing meals and other necessary tasks. It seems like a woman's work is never done. And, if the woman works outside her home or has a home based business she adds to these tasks.

We are thankful for the work that we have to do. It would be sad not to not have anything meaningful to do and not to have a home, family, friends or anything to work for and share the fruits of our labor with.

We can truly thank God for having work to do.

The Greatest Book Ever Written

"Thy Word is a Lamp Unto My Feet and a Light Unto My Path." Psalm 119:105

I am thankful for the greatest book ever written, "The Bible." God's word is the Christians guidebook. In God's word we learn how to live. We read and learn his Ten Commandments,we learn what the Fruits of the Spirit are, we learn about love and so much more. God's word is the Christians spiritual food and we need that food daily.

God's word is the greatest book ever written!

Thank You Lord, For your Blessings on Me

As the world looks upon me, as I struggle along
They say I have nothing, but they are so wrong
In my heart I’m rejoicing, how I wish they could see
Thank you Lord, for your blessings on me

Chorus:
There’s a roof up above me
I’ve a good place to sleep
There’s food on my table
And shoes on my feet
You gave me your love Lord
And a fine family
Thank you Lord, for your blessings on me

Now I know I’m not wealthy, and these clothes , they’re not new
I don’t have much money, but Lord I have you
And to me that’s all that matters, though the world cannot see
Thank you Lord, for your blessings on me

Repeat Chorus, then:

Thank you Lord, for your blessings on me


Today, I am thankful for the home, food and clothing that I have. There are so many that are less fortunate and we have so much. God has been so good to us.

Todays Thankful Blessing

I thank you Lord for our servicemen who at this very moment are protecting our country by keeping war away from our shores. Thank you for the blessing of an America where we can worship, pray and read our Bibles everyday. We remember these men who love us and our country enough to serve.

This part of a song that I was listening to last night on a cd that I have. Take thought and thank God with me for those who serve.


Love your country and live with pride
And don't forget those who died
America can't you see

All gave some and some gave all
And some stood through for the red, white and blue
And some had to fall
And if you ever think of me
Think of all your liberties and recall
Some gave all

And if you ever think of me
Think of all your liberties and recall,
Yes recall
Some gave all

Some gave all

Blessings

It is just a week until Thanksgiving. I was thinking of all the blessings in my life. I am going to share a blessing each day for the next week. You are invited to share your blessings.

I thank God for the blessing of Love. First of all God's love for me that He sent His son to die for my sins and that I will be with Him some day.

.

I am also thankful for the love of my family...my husband, my children, my parents, and my friends. If you have time read the love chapter in the Bible, I Corinthians 13. It would be awful to live in a world where no one loves you or cares if you even exist


"And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three, but the greatest of these is charity (love)." I Corinthians 13:13

The most beautiful things in the world are not seen nor touched. They are felt with the heart.
-- Helen Keller

I Am So In Trouble!

One thing that I always look forward to at Christmas is the candy. I don't eat a lot during the rest of the year. I have my Christmas favorites which are chocolate covered cherries, fudges (all types), peanut brittle, peppermint sticks and buckeyes etc. Well, today I bought a bag of Cherry Cordial creme Hershey Kisses. Oh my, these things are great. Sometimes the chocolate covered cherries you buy are stale tasting but these kisses are fresh and totally great. They are small, but I made up for it in the number that I ate. ;)

Remembering Our Veterans

Today we need to pray and thank God for our Veterans who have fought and are fighting to keep America safe. Many have given the sacrifice of their lives that we might worship and live in peace. Thank you Veterans!

Some of the men that have served from my family are in this picture. My Uncle Don, Uncle Albert, Dad and Uncle Junior. My Uncle Junior was wounded 3 times in WWII. Now that they are older, they discuss the WWII a lot. They are very patriotic Americans who love their country.

Thanks again Vets!

"Rejoice in the Lord always." Philippians 4:4

Cleaning The Flower Beds

What a day! I've been weeding and cleaning the flower beds. It is so nice out. I was going to mulch my roses, but it's not time. They are still green with some budding (that's scary because it is close to winter). Usually my Knockout rose is the only one that blooms through November. I did pull the mulch up a little around each rose. If I can't get out there right away to mulch, after it does get really cold, it might help.

It is nice. I saw a butterfly and a "bad bug" one of those pesky bugs that get on your trees... that should not be either. (He's now a dead bug.) I don't know where the butterfly was hiding since we've had some really cold nights. Anyway, it sounds like we're going to get rain, so I needed to get my zinnia seed heads for next spring. Half my patch is done and I will try to do the rest today before the rain.

(The picture is me with my Knockout rose.)

Sorry for the excessive editing. My yesterdays blog has been messed up to say the least. It has been all over the place, not co-operating and somehow in the end - ended up with music not to my taste. Glad I checked back.

I'm not much for music on the blogs anyway & I am always turning it off. Later today, I'll have to go over my html with a fine tooth comb to find out how it got slipped in. Hopefully, I can get my pictures back up soon.

For all those people who feed this blog in - sorry!

Happy Birthday Ted

Happy "50th" Birthday, baby brother! This blog entry is dedicated to you.

Remember all the times that I use to carry you around.(I was ten & you were a baby.) I don't think that I can do that now. You'll always be my baby brother and I'll always love you. Have a great birthday & here's hoping you'll have many more.

(Picture is of Ted & Teddy)

Happy Birthday Dad!

Happy 82nd Birthday Dad.This blog entry is dedicated to you!

You are the best! You've has always been a loving kind father. You've have shown generosity down through the years to those around you. You love your family and God.

Thank you dad for being the great father that you are. Here's wishing you many more healthy happy years. I'll always love you!!!

Remembering Marilyn

Marilyn's birthday would have been this week. This is a picture of Merrill and Marilyn back in the 60's.

Marilyn has been gone many years now, but we still miss her kind ways. She was very easy going and loved her family and God very much. She loved New Guinea and being a missionary. That is where she wanted to be and is buried there.

Recently, Steve and the children went back to New Guinea and visited the grave on the mission compound. It was a great reunion for the family and those still at the mission.

Steve Sturtevant was in this past week and stayed with us a few days. This was a picture that we took. I was nice going over old times and telling stories of the past.

Ryan's First Deer

Congratulations Ryan!

This is a picture of Ryan Lavy's first deer that he shot Sat. Nov. 3, 2007.

Do We Really Listen?

While I was working, this little event came to mind that I want to share with you...

I was talking to a friend at church and we were discussing how much people really listen to you.

She was telling me about someone who would talk to people and they would answer them, but not really pay attention to what they were saying. So, this individual decided to tell each person that they had killed their mother in law. They told this to everyone as they shook hands. Many people smiled and said that's nice. Finally, one person, not skipping a beat said, "I'm sure that she deserved it!"

I'm guilty of sometimes not listening, I want to at least acknowledge what people are saying to me. Everyone, no matter what their stage in life deserves a proper answer. All I can say is, "Lord, help us to love people enough to listen."

First We Pray

"For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievious." I John 5:3

I was reading in I John this morning and I looked at this scripture. My thoughts, God did not give us a set of commandments that we could not keep. They are simple. They make life go smoothly. They are the foundation of a good life and without that foundation we will fail.

Our greatest asset...Prayer! Prayer changes things. Americans are great about talking things to death. I do not know how we got to this place. Well, I guess I might have an idea, but that's another story. The one we should always talk to first is God.

There was a radio program a few years ago that read books on the air. In one particular book the lady used the phrase, "First we pray!" I have always loved that phrase and I believe it and try to act on it. It's not about us, it's about God. It's about God's will and what He wants. That's what's hard, our will vs God's will.

What does that have to do with what I was reading this morning? This..."Thou shalt have no other God's before me," Commandment #1. The first commandment and "first we pray". We are putting God first by praising Him, by remembering needs and by taking our problems to Him. If we love God, we will keep His commandments. Yes, I'm preaching, but most of the fingers are pointing a me.

First we pray. Act on God's guidance and go forward.

Have a great day!

"I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope."

Psalm 130:5

Top Of The Morning To You

"The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him." Lamentations 3:25

How true! God is so good. Our only hope is in Him. I am so glad that we can depend on the Lord to take care of us in the hard times as well as the good times. When we are in the valley, things can look pretty discouraging. If only we could see the beauty and green of the valley. It takes the valley's to make the mountain tops more beautiful. How great is our God!

It's really top of the morning! I couldn't sleep. Merrill and Steve are going hunting and I thought they were leaving at 3:00 a.m., but I was wrong. I am up and they are in bed! :)

We'll see how this goes. lol

Anyway, I wanted to get some writing done and the early morning hours are best. All is quiet and peaceful. The start of a new day with no mistakes in it. Yet!

Getting Back Into The Groove

It's kinda hard to get back into the groove when you've been slackin' off! I've really been neglecting this blog.

Well, the cat is gone...thanks to my grandmunchkins last Sun. They got it in the family room and out the sliding glass doors. Many thanks to you all!!!

Paul & Candy were in for their nephew's wedding. It was so nice to see them! The boys are growing so fast. Carson is almost walking and Ryan and Brandon are doing great in their new school. They like it very much.

Steve Sturtevant has been in for a few days. He has a conference or two to attend. It was nice to get to visit with him and go over old times.

Well, I guess that brings us up to date.

Have a great evening!