Happy New Year

Happy New Year every one. I pray that 2011 holds all that you envision it to be. However, we all know that most of our dreams do not always come true. Unexpected things pop up in our life that we did not plan for. That is part of living in this sin cursed world.  There is only one thing that we can count on. That is God is there no matter what we are going through.  So when you do not know what to do this coming year  keep your eyes upon Him and follow in His steps.

White Christmas

We woke up to a white Christmas. The first in many years. It was beautiful. It was my granddaughter's first Christmas. We really enjoyed seeing the snow. Now I am ready for it to leave. I thought I would share a few pictures with you.

Our side yard with more snow to come.

The highway in front of our house.

Walking in the woods.

Out riding to the Lake.

Our granddaughter Hannah with her Great Aunt April.

Becky Kelley - Where's the Line to See Jesus - OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO

Happy Thanksgiving

I know that everyone has so much to be Thankful for. I have. There is so much that God has blessed me with. I know for some this year has been harder financially than it is in the past. However, I know that most of us still have more than our brothers and sisters around the world.
I have been blessed with a granddaughter this year. Hannah is nearly 4 months old. She melts our hearts.

My parents are still here to celebrate Thanksgiving with us. Dad had a nasty fall a couple of months ago and then developed clots on his brain. He was in the hospital for several days. God was gracious and allowed him to come home. God used him during his time in the hospital and he led 4 precious souls to Christ during his stay.  Mother is doing so much better. She has pretty much recovered from her stroke in 2009. 
Another praise, my best friend's husband received Christ as his Savior. I having been praying for him since I have known her (19yrs). He is 83 yrs old. He is quite a bit older than her. I have been rejoicing since receiving her phone call on Saturday. 
A prayer request, pray for my brother who wife went to heaven last October. The holidays are really hard for him and the family this year. Last year he was still in shock. This year it is really hitting him.
More exciting news. My nephew just finished 15 weeks of basic training. He is home on a 10 day leave before going to his next placement. He  has surprised everyone today by eloping. We are pleased to have a new addition to our ever growing family. I know that my brother and my sister in love are thrilled to have a daughter in love. Since they missed out on the girls like I did. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!

Preview

Enjoy the link!

Happy Halloween

Every time I think of this time of year. I remember in elementary school memorizing this poem.  I am sure many of you did too.  I hope you enjoy the trip back down memory lane.

Five Little Pumpkins

Five little pumpkins
Sitting on a gate.
The first one said,
"Oh, my it's getting late!"
The second one said,
"There are witches in the air!"
The third one said,

"Well, I don't care!"

The fourth one said,
"Let's run and run and run!"
The fifth one said,
"I'm ready for some fun!"
Ooooo went the wind
And out went the lights
And the five little pumpkins
Rolled out of sight.

This Far

What have you been doing this fall? What have you been studying in God's Word? I have been using "Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed" by Priscilla Shirer, Beth Moore, & Kay Arthur to study with this fall.  This past week the verse that we are dwelling upon is

2 Samuel 7:18 "Then King David went in and sat before the LORD; and he said: "Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far?"

I thought I would just share with you my friends and let you dwell with me on what how God has brought you this far. How great His grace and mercy is upon someone like me and you that he should do so much for us when he shouldn't do one thing for us. How deep His love for us.

Happy Fall

I hope everyone is having a wonderful autumn season. Things have been hectic here. My father has had a fall off a ladder. Has been in the hospital twice because of the fall. This last time he had multiple blood clots resulting from the fall three weeks before. He has been in the hospital 9 days. Thank the Lord he is coming home today. God has been gracious!
My husband and oldest son have had  a very bad viral sinus infection but are on the road to recovery.  I have been enjoying keeping my 10 week old granddaughter, Hannah. I also have a frozen left shoulder. So I am going to physical therapy to regain my range of motion. 
However, I do love the glorious autumn season, beautiful fall leaves, and cool, crisp days.  Here is an email sent to me today. Hope you enjoy.

Being a Christian is like being a pumpkin.   God lifts you up, takes you in, and washes all the dirt off of you.   He opens you up, touches you deep inside and scoops out all the yucky stuff-- including the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, etc.     Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside you to shine for all the world to see.   This was passed on to me from another pumpkin.   Now, it is your turn to pass it to a pumpkin.   I liked this enough to send it to all the pumpkins in my patch.   Happy Fall!


 

Recall Notice

This was forwarded to me in an email this morning. I thought I would share it with you.

RECALL NOTICE: The Maker of all human beings (GOD) is recalling all units manufactured, regardless of make or year, due to a serious defect in the primary and central component of the heart. This is due to a malfunction in the original prototype units code named Adam and Eve, resulting in the reproduction of the same defect in all subsequent units. This defect has been technically termed "Sub-sequential Internal Non-Morality," or more commonly known as S.I.N., as it is primarily expressed.  Some of the symptoms include:  1. Loss of direction 2. Foul vocal emissions 3. Amnesia of origin 4. Lack of peace and joy 5. Selfish or violent behavior 6. Depression or confusion in the mental component 7. Fearfulness 8. Idolatry 9. Rebellion The Manufacturer, who is neither liable nor at fault for this defect, is providing factory-authorized repair and service free of charge to correct this defect. The Repair Technician, JESUS, has most generously offered to bear the entire burden of the staggering cost of these repairs. There is no additional fee required. The number to call for repair in all areas is: P-R-A-Y-E-R.  Once connected, please upload your burden of SIN through the REPENTANCE procedure. Next, download ATONEMENT from the Repair Technician, Jesus, into the heart component.    No matter how big or small the SIN defect is, Jesus will replace it with:  1. Love 2. Joy 3. Peace 4. Patience 5. Kindness 6. Goodness 7. Faithfulness 8. Gentleness 9. Self control   Please see the operating manual, the B.I.B.L.E. (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth) for further details on the use of these fixes.  WARNING: Continuing to operate the human being unit without correction voids any manufacturer warranties, exposing the unit to dangers and problems too numerous to list and will result in the human unit being permanently impounded. For free emergency service, call on Jesus.    DANGER: The human being units not responding to this recall action will have to be scrapped in the furnace. The SIN defect will not be permitted to enter Heaven so as to prevent contamination of that facility. Thank you for your attention!    - GOD    P.S. Please assist where possible by notifying others of this important recall notice, and you may contact the Father any time by 'Knee mail'!     Because He Lives!

Scars of Life

SCARS OF LIFE

Some years ago,

on a hot summer day

in South Florida ,

a little boy decided to go

for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house.

In a hurry to dive into

the cool water,

he ran out the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks, and shirt as he went.

He flew into the water,

not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore.

His father, working in the yard, saw the two as they got closer and closer together.

In utter fear,

he ran toward the water,

yelling to his son as loudly

as he could.

Hearing his voice,

the little boy became alarmed and made a U-turn

to swim to his father.

It was too late.

Just as he reached his father, the alligator reached him.

From the dock,

the father grabbed his little boy by the arms

just as the alligator

snatched his legs...

That began an incredible

tug-of-war between the two. The alligator was much stronger than the father,

but the father was much

too passionate to let go.

A farmer happened to drive by, heard his screams,

raced from his truck,

took aim and shot the alligator.

Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital,

the little boy survived.

His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack

of the animal.

And, on his arms,

were deep scratches

where his father ' s fingernails dug into his flesh in his effort

to hang on to the son he loved.

The newspaper reporter

who interviewed the boy

after the trauma,

asked if he would

show him his scars.

The boy lifted his pant legs. And then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter,

'But look at my arms.

I have great scars

on my arms, too.

I have them because

my Dad wouldn ' t let go. '

You and I can identify

with that little boy.

We have scars, too.

No, not from an alligator,

but the scars of a painful past. Some of those scars

are unsightly and have

caused us deep regret.

But, some wounds,

my friend,

are because God has refused

to let go.

In the midst of your struggle, He ' s been there

holding on to you...

The Scripture teaches that

God loves you.

You are a child of God.

He wants to protect you

and

provide for you in every way. But sometimes we foolishly wade into dangerous situations, not knowing what lies ahead. The swimming hole of life

is filled with peril -

and we forget

that the enemy is waiting

to attack.

That ' s when the tug-of-war begins - and if you have

the scars of His love

on your arms,

be very, very grateful.

He did not and will not ever let you go.

Please pass this on

to those you love...

God has blessed you,

so that you

can be

a blessing to others.

You just never know

where

a person is in his/her life

and

what they are going through. Never judge another

person ' s scars,

because you don ' t know

how they got them...

Also,

it is so important that

we are not selfish,

to receive the blessings

of these messages,

without forwarding them

to someone else.
Right now,

someone needs to know that God loves them,

and you love them, too -

enough to not let them go .

Always

Tell Your Family

And Friends

How Much

You Love Them!!!

Would You Like Some Cake

Today is my youngest brother's birthday. He is 44.  We have teased him all his life that we found him in a brush pile.  So whenever anything goes wrong he claims it "I am a brushpile  baby".  He and I have so much fun teasing each other. I love my brother dearly.

Have you ever that about what it takes to make a delicious birthday cake? Here is a story I would like to share with you. I hope you enjoy it. Happy Birthday Bro.

Sometimes we wonder, "What did I do to deserve this?" or "Why did God have to do this to me?" Here is a wonderful explanation! A daughter is telling her Mother how everything is going wrong, she's failing algebra, her boyfriend broke up with her and her best friend is moving away.
Meanwhile, her Mother is baking a cake and asks her daughter if she would like a snack, and the daughter says, "Absolutely Mom, I love your cake"
"Here, have some cooking oil," her Mother offers. "Yuck" says her daughter.
"How about a couple raw eggs?" "Gross, Mom!"
"Would you like some flour then? Or maybe baking soda?" "Mom, those are all yucky!"
To which the mother replies: "Yes, all those things seem bad all by themselves. But when they are put together in the right way, they make a wonderfully delicious cake!
God works the same way. Many times we wonder why He would let us go through such bad and difficult times. But God knows that when He puts these things all in His order, they always work for good! We just have to trust Him and, eventually, they will all make something wonderful!
God is crazy about you. He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning.
Whenever you want to talk, He'll listen. He can live anywhere in the universe, and He chose your heart.
If you like this, share with the people you really care about. I did.

Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance.

God Bless America

Just wanted to observe our National holiday in some way. I hope that each of you are enjoying this glorious Independence Day weekend.
Don' t forget to take time to realize that our freedom has come to us at a price for freedom is never free.  Continue to pray for this great nation of ours. We may not agree with everything that is going on but we are commanded in God's word to pray for leaders whether we agree with them or not. Pray that return to what we were. Pray for what we can be again with God's help. Pray for all those men & women around the world who are fighting to protect our freedom.  Don't take it for granted.  We have already seen there are so many who would love to take it from us. 
I have a nephew who has joined the military and will leave next month for basics. Please pray for him and his protection. His name is Jake.

God Bless America

by 

Irving Berlin

While the storm clouds gather far across the sea,

Let us swear allegiance to a land that's free,
Let us all be grateful for a land so fair,
As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer.

God Bless America,
Land that I love.
Stand beside her, and guide her
Through the night with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans, white with foam
God bless America, My home sweet home.

Masks

I have been thinking about great deal masks.  You know those that we all hide behind. Masks are those
objects worn either to disguise or protect the face or to project the image of another personality or being.
Seems like everyone in my extended family is probably hiding behind a mask and that none of us know the true person behind the mask.
Isn't it a shame that we don't feel free to be ourselves with our own families.  I know that in my extended family I am the peacemaker and the go between for everyone, the messenger. I feel like one day the messenger will probably be killed if not directly, indirectly from the stress of it all.  We have those who hide their hurt behind humor or too much of it. We have those who love the drama of it all. We have those who just retreat.  Those who love to be in the lime light so their mask is big and showy. Others are quite sedate.  Some are clownish.  I know that right now I would love to rip everyone's mask off and make them show their true colors but the wounds may be too deep for that.  What mask are you wearing?

Quilt Holes

Quilt of Holes

 

Author: Unknown

As I faced my Maker at the last judgment, I knelt
before the Lord along with all the other souls.

Before each of us laid our lives like the squares
of a quilt in many
piles; an angel sat before each of us sewing our
quilt squares together into a tapestry that is our life.

But as my angel took each piece of cloth off the
pile, I noticed how ragged
and empty each of my squares was. They were filled with giant holes. Each
square was labeled with a part of my life that had
been difficult, the
challenges and temptations I was faced with in
every day life. I saw hardships that I endured, which were the largest holes of all.

I glanced around me. Nobody else had such
squares. Other than a tiny hole here and there, the other tapestries were filled
with rich color and the bright hues of worldly fortune. I gazed upon my own
life and was disheartened.

My angel was sewing the ragged pieces of cloth together, threadbare and empty, like binding air.

Finally the time came when each life was to be
displayed, held up to the the scrutiny of truth. The others rose; each
in turn, holding up their tapestries. So filled their lives had been.
My angel looked upon me, and nodded for me to rise.

My gaze dropped to the ground in shame. I hadn't
had all the earthly fortunes. I had love in my life, and laughter. But
there had also been trials of illness, and wealth, and false
accusations that took from me my
world, as I knew it. I had to start over many
times. I often struggled with
the temptation to quit, only to somehow muster the strength to pick up and
begin again. I spent many nights on my knees in
prayer, asking for help and
guidance in my life. I had often been held up to
ridicule, which I endured
painfully, each time offering it up to the Father
in hopes that I would not
melt within my skin beneath the judgmental gaze of
those who unfairly judged me.

And now, I had to face the truth. My life was
what it was, and I had to accept it for what it was.
I rose and slowly lifted the combined squares of
my life to the light.

An awe-filled gasp filled the air. I gazed around
at the others who stared at me with wide eyes.

Then, I looked upon the tapestry before me. Light
flooded the many holes,
creating an image, the face of Christ. Then our
Lord stood before me, with
warmth and love in His eyes. He said, "Every time
you gave over your life
to Me, it became My life, My hardships, and My
struggles.

Each point of light in your life is when you
stepped aside and let Me shine
through, until there was more of Me than there was
of you."

May all our quilts be threadbare and worn, allowing
Christ to shine through!

Life is in the Dash

Life is in  the dash. Do you know what dash I mean? I am talking about the dash that goes between your birth date and the date of your death?  What are people going to say about your dash?  Is your dash full of passion? Vigor? Hope? Compassion? Excitement? Adventure? Good Morals? Friendship? Love? Hate? Dread? Hopelessness?  A walk with Christ? Christless? Lonely? Happy? Sad?  Healthy? Sick? Helpful?  Caring?  Contented? What can be said about your dash? What you like said about your dash?

In James 4:14 the Bible tells us "Where as you do not know what will happen tomorrow what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away."  With what little time we have determine how you want dash to be remembered.  

This is a picture of Sgt. Alvin C. York's grave. He was a distant relative of my husband. His dash was known for his bravery during war time. His struggle over  going  to war because of killing other humans. His gift of giving back to the county in which he  was from by providing a high school to the area known as the York Institute.
 
My plan for this post didn't necessarily mean to tie in with Memorial day. But it wound up doing so. I just meant to demonstrate the dash of our lives.  I hope my dash is as meaningful in some way. I pray yours is as well. We may not  be military war heroes for our  nation. But we are in fight every day for the souls of our children, grandchildren, friends, and neighbors.  Are we good soldiers for the cause of Christ?    Linda  1960 -

When Things Aren't Going as Planned

When things aren't going as planned, how do you handle it? Today, on my way to a doctor's appointment, I heard this song on the  radio. It was very appropriate. Things are not following my plans for my life. But they are following my Master's plan.  I am not sure if things are something to be concerned about or not but He is giving me the grace for this day.And I am bowing my knee to His purpose and plan.

BOW THE KNEE

There are moments on our journey following the Lord
Where God illumines ev’ry step we take.
There are times when circumstances make perfect sense to us,
As we try to understand each move He makes.
When the path grows dim and our questions have no answers, turn to Him.

Chorus:
*Bow the knee;
Trust the heart of your Father when the answer goes beyond what you can see.
Bow the knee;
Lift your eyes toward heaven and believe the One who holds eternity.
And when you don’t understand the purpose of His plan,
In the presence of the King, bow the knee. 

There are days when clouds surround us, and the rain begins to fall,
The cold and lonely winds won’t cease to blow.
And there seems to be no reason for the suffering we feel;
We are tempted to believe God does not know.
When the storms arise, don’t forget we live by faith and not by sight. 

*Bow the knee;
Trust the heart of your Father when the answer goes beyond what you can see.
Bow the knee;
Lift your eyes toward heaven and believe the One who holds eternity.
And when you don’t understand the purpose of His plan,
In the presence of the King, bow the knee.

  Listen to the song here.

Hannah's Blessing

This weekend we held a baby shower for my daughter in love. As most of you know a little over a year ago, we found out that grandson that we thought was ours was not. I still grieve over that fact. I know that it indeed was blessing from God  that Bradley was not my son's. But in the short time that we thought that he was, we grew very attached to him. I still pray for him and his mother.

Back to the good news.  I have been doing Beth Moore's study of the Patriarchs. I am just about finished with it. However, Saturday, the morning of the baby shower I was doing the study. On this day it was Jacob blessing Joseph's son Manasseh and Ephraim in Genesis 48.  I have taken that blessing and personalized for our granddaughter who is due in August. Just reading the Blessing has blessed me in Genesis 48:15 & 16. It should make any child of God lift their hand in praise.

                                  

Hannah's Blessing

God before whom our fathers
Abraham and Isaac walked
The God who has fed us
all our life to this day.
The Angel who has redeemed
us from evil.
Bless Hannah;

Let our name be named upon her
And the name of our fathers
Abraham and Isaac;
And let her grow into a
multitude in the midst of the earth.
        Genesis 48:15&16       

Cleaning the Attic

Cleaning the Attic


Last week, I spent a couple of the cool, rainy days cleaning the attic. Okay, I didn't get it completely cleaned out but I got started. I made a dent in it.
It is hard to make much of a dent, when you are flooded with memories.

My attic has so much junk stashed up there that should have gone to the dump. It also so many memories in it that should have gone into a journal. However, I was busy living life and didn't write it all down. Plus, I am not a journal person.  Over the years, I written a few things but not near enough.  But my attic is full.

The one person who placed so much in our attic is my youngest. Everything thing that he was through with made its way to the attic.  The door to the attic is just outside his bedroom door.

In my attic you will find the usual, Christmas tree and ornaments, canning supplies and many discarded items.
It is the discarded items of my children's childhood and youth that brought back the memories.

I found the legos, matchbox cars, stuffed toys and Pirate ships. I found discarded baseball trophies, even discarded crossbows probably in search of a beau.  Since I found the first few lines of a letter to a girlfriend.  

Where did all the time go? From the first Christmas tree of a couple who could not afford anything but a $10 gift for each other to an attic overflowing. Grown men for children with a grandchild on the way. Oh, the memories that flood my attic! Will more be placed up here in the years to come? I did make room for more as I came up here to clean didn't I?


                                Linda K. S. Holt

Allergies

Have you been bothered with allergies  lately? I sure have. It is no wonder with all the pollen. I have a "supposedly" white car. But here lately you would think it was neon green.
I had a young man wash it for me Wednesday morning but Thursday it didn't look it had been touched. I am sure everyone else can identify. 
Today my sweet niece sent me a couple of "Maxine" cartoons. Don't you just love "Maxine"? Thought I would share with you.

Have a Blessed Day.

Arise My Love

Arise My Love

 Tomorrow is Easter!  Yesterday was Good Friday. We looked back to the crucifixion of our Savior. What a terrible time that was. Can you imagine being the disciples and His followers not understanding all of His teachings? All of the sudden the Man that you placed all of your hopes and dreams in has been killed. How devastated you would be!  How many people feel that way even today? Everything that they have placed their hopes  and dreams in has crumpled or someone has disappointed them more than they ever imagined? 
What are they going to do? What Hope did the disciples have? The same Hope that we can have today if we will just turn to Him. Jesus Christ is the Only One who has ever Risen from the dead never to die again.  He offers eternal if we will just accept it from Him. I wanted to share with you one of my favorite Easter Celebration Songs. Worship with me today. Follow the link at title.




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My Son

I received this in an email today.  It was the only email today of any real importance. I received funny emails that made me laugh. However, this one strikes home with the truth.  I pray that you take a moment to read it and apply it if you haven't already done so.  I have heard the story before but it is one that does not get old.

Take my Son

  A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art..

 

  When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.  

  

  About a month later, just before Christmas,   

There was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands..

   

He said, 'Sir, you don't know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly... He often talked about you, and your love for art.' The young man held out this package. 'I know this isn't much. I'm not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this.'  

   

The father
 

Opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture.. 'Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It's a gift.'

 

  The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected.

 

  The man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection.

 

  On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel. 'We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?'

 

  There was silence...

 

  Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, 'We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one.'

 

 

  But the auctioneer persisted. 'Will somebody bid for this painting? Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?'

  Another voice angrily. 'We didn't come to see this painting. We came to see the VanGogh's, the Rembrandt's. Get on with the    

         Real bids!'

 

  But still the auctioneer continued. 'The son! The son! Who'll take the son?'

 

  Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the longtime gardener of the man and his son. 'I'll give $10 for the painting...' Being a poor man, it was all he could afford.

 
 

  'We have $10, who will bid $20?'

 

  'Give it to him for $10.. Let's see the masters.'

 
 

  The crowd was becoming angry. They didn't want the picture of the son.

 

 

 

  They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections..

 
 

  The auctioneer pounded the gavel.. 'Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!'

 

 A man sitting on the second row shouted, 'Now let's get on with the collection!'

 

 
 

  The auctioneer laid down his gavel. 'I'm sorry, the auction is over.'

 
 

'What about the paintings?'
 

  'I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will.... I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings.

 
 

  The man who took the son gets everything!'

  

  God gave His son 2,000 years ago to die on the cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is: 'The son, the son, who'll take the son?'

 

 

  Because, you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything.

 

 

 
 
FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, WHO SO EVER BELIEVETH, SHALL HAVE ETERNAL LIFE...THAT'S LOVE