11 years ago today I committed myself in marriage, to my husband.
What I remember most from that day is what I prayed.
I prayed our marriage would be Blessed by God, and Blessed it was that day and still is today.
God blessed me with my sweet husband Dick.
He loves me without reservation and with hope, joy, exuberance and passion every day of our lives. I have never questioned it.never.
This man as taught me so many things over the years.
He's taught me to be a kinder person, a gentler soul.
He's taught me that true love has no conditions.
He has led by example, and loved DEEPLY!!
He lives the Bible out loud. No hiding it under a bush or anything else for that matter.
He shows me kindness after kindness and makes me smile every day.
Just when I think I couldn't love him more ~~ I do.
I'd like to share a small portion of our wedding ceremony with you:
"In marriage will be revealed to you the truth of all life and the hope of the world -- that in giving love unselfishly, we are living as Christ would have us live, regaining our rightful place as caretakers of love and hope in the world. May your marriage be the foundation from which you go forth to honor and help others."
Amen.
Babe, I love you and thank you for 11 wonderful years, and I look forward with anticipation and love to all God has in store for us. Love you always ~~ you are my lobster ~~ Petrii
This song is going through my heart and head this morning. Do you remember it from your kiddo years?!! I used to love to sing this song...it was just so fun to sing. But sadly a lot of times when I sang it, I didn't feel that way. As a kid, I didn't always "feel" joyful. I was awkward and felt ugly most of the time, and was made fun of A LOT.
So it was hard for me to be joyful apart from God, but what I didn't realize then was, what was there really to be very joyful in apart from God? It was like I was saying God wasn't enough. Ouch. I lived a lot of my life that way. God + _______ = joy. That blank was different things at different times, but it was always God + something. I didn't really understand that God is enough, . (period)
Do we really get that?!! Do we really understand that all we need for life is found in our personal relationship with Jesus Christ? I don't need to run around trying to get the latest this or that to be important, or whatever the case may be. I need to trust in my Savior. He is the joy giver. He gives joy that the enemy or the world cannot take a way. A lasting pure joy in the midst of difficult situations and heavy hearts. God gives joy that endures, joy that surpasses all the stuff, and joy that remains.
So yes, I've got the joy, joy, joy, pure-sweet-lovely-joy of my Savior down in my heart to stay. How about you?!!
Have a Beautiful day,
PS Dak has a meet today at Pleasant Hope, so I'll get to see my baby sis, Dena!!! YAY!!
GO CLEVER BLUE JAYS ~~ GO DAK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (I heart fall and CC !!)
Dak has been running cross country (CC) since his freshman year.
And with each year he has improved.
Run like the wind has been our little phrase from the start.
Well, this weekend was our Conference meet in Blue Eye.
The kids did so great. Jr. High and High School.
Here are some pics:
GO CLEVER BLUE JAYS!!!
Ready, set........RUN LIKE THE WIND BABY....
RUN LIKE THE WIND!!!
And run he did.
Down the hills....
Around the corners.......
And onto the finish line..........
IN THIRD PLACE!!! What?!! Yep!!!!!! That's right. My baby took third place in conference. I AM OVER THE MOON FOR YOU SWEET THANG ~~ OVER THE MOON!!!!!
The top 5 in Conference place.........How exciting for Dak!!! (oh yeah and his mama =)
Here's our whole team. Look at those medals!!! ~~ 1st place Jr. High Boys ~~ WAY TO GO COLIN!!! ~~ 4th place Jr. High Boys ~~ 3rd place Jr. High Girls ~~ WAY TO GO COURTNEY ~~ 1st place High School Girls ~~ WAY TO GO KELLY!!! ~~ 4th Place High School Girls ~~ WAY TO GO BRIDGET ~~ 3rd place High School Boys ~~ WAY TO GO SON!!! ~~
We didn't win 1st place team, but they really worked hard and we had a GREAT showing at conference this year!!!!!!!!!!
WAY TO GO CLEVER!!!!! The season is still young ........... Keep running like the wind kiddos!!!!
Have a Blessed and Beautiful day,
PS I also posted a little something something from Sir Cuteness..........Hit it Mistro =)
Yes that's right ~~ Sir Cuteness!!! This is a video I took a couple of weeks ago. He is the cutest thing. His papa saw him two days ago and said that he has a new ADORABLE hair cut. Oh I can't wait to get me some baby lovin's =)
Tomorrow is Conference meet in Blue Eye. I'm so excited!!!
Jesus said in John 10:10 "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."
The Greek word for thief means "stealer" and the Greek word for steal means "rush (breathe hard, blow, smoke) (slaughter for any purpose)". Isn't that interesting ~~ the thief (the devil) comes to rush us to breathe hard and he blows smoke and slaughters for any purpose, it doesn't matter to him what it takes to slaughter us. How often is it a small thing that he uses?!! Ohh that makes me mad!!!!!!!!!
I have heard and have even repeated to myself lately that "hurry is the enemy of the soul". And how true that is..... the thief comes to "rush, to slaughter us for any purpose". If you are tempted to rush today, slow down. Pause. Breathe. Be still. Listen. God will speak to you child, He will. He loves you so. Let this be a word for YOU today. Close yourself in with Him in this moment. He loves you so.
Jesus came to give us life. The phrase for "that they may have" in the Greek means "to hold, possession, relation, or condition" and the word for full or whole (KJV) in the Greek means, "in the sense of beyond; superabundant, by implication excessive; exceeding abundantly above, beyond measure." Jesus came to give us life that is beyond us; superabundant life, a life beyond measure!!!!! Satan may try to steal and kill, BUT JESUS GIVES SUPERABUNDANT, BEYOND WHAT WE CAN IMAGINE, LIFE IN HIM!!! That is good!! So good!!!!!
This song is on my heart this morning. ~~ Oh, The Glory of it All ~~
Take some time to sit in the Presence of Jesus today and just let Him cover you with His love.
"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze."
God is really speaking to me through this passage in Isaiah and I'd like to share a few thoughts.
The Hebrew word for water means water but also can mean urine, of danger, violence, and also refreshment. As I studied this I was struck with its different meanings in regards to this verse. When we pass through the ugly waters or dangerous waters, He is with us. When we pass through the refreshing waters, He is with us. That spoke afresh to me today. We just simply walk through many types of waters on our pilgrimage through this earth, but we must remember God is with us through them all.
This verse goes on to say that when we pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over us.
The word for rivers here can also mean flood. The picture in my mind goes to Joshua 3:15-16a "Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water's edge, 16 the water from upstream stopped flowing..."
If you have ever seen a river at flood stage then you know the last thing you want to do is get in it, but the priests were obedient and did just that, and as soon as "their feet touched the water's edge the water from upstream stopped flowing..." In human eyes the waters should have swept over them, I'm sure there was trepidation in those toes, but they trusted God more than their eyes. They knew what God had spoke and they were sold out to His cause, so they stepped into those tumultuous waters.
It has felt, at times, that the flood stage waters in my own life would sweep over me and carry me out, but they have not, because God is with me, so I know the river will NOT sweep over me. I wanted to share this song with you today. If you are waiting on God for something, whether it be a healing or whatever it may be, cling to Abba Father today. Sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to this song.........Nothing is impossible with God!!!! He's our portion ~~ He's more than enough ~~ Jesus Your all I need!!!!!
I have been studying Isaiah 43, as evident by my memory verse (note: look in top side bar to see current verse). This whole passage is really speaking to me right now and I wanted to share just a bit with you today.
In verse one it says, "Fear not, for I have redeemed you........" When I study, I look up the Hebrew (OT) or Greek (NT) meaning of the words in my Bible Explorer software and yesterday I also used Lifeway's Bible study software (which is great btw and very worth your time in exploring), and it made for some very interesting reading and a great afternoon with Abba.
The Hebrew word for Redeemed in this verse is: "ga'al and it meets to act as kinsman; do the part of next of kin, act as kinsman redeemer...to redeem (with God as subject) individuals from death....Israel from Egyptian bondage.....Israel from exile."
I started doing some research about kinsman redeemers. I have read the verses over in Ruth about kinsman redeemer and in the song "He is" it says in Ruth He is the Kinsman Redeemer, but I didn't really understand what a Kinsman Redeemer was for sure. What was their role? Why were they needed? So I did some research.
Back in that time if you got into debt, generally you were sold into slavery to pay for that debt, and then you had to remain there until you paid the debt off or until one of your relatives would pay your debt to release you. This person was called a kinsman redeemer and had to meet four criteria to help.
They had to be related to you. It couldn't just be anybody. It had to be a relative.
The kinsman redeemer had to be free himself. A slave couldn't pay for another slave to be free.
He must be able to pay the price for their kinsman.
He must be willing to pay the price.
This moved me so deeply. All of the Bible points to redemption. It starts in Genesis and goes all the way through to Revelation. I love that about the Bible!!! We, as Gentile Believers, have been grafted in by the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ, so all of the promises in Scripture are for us to. He made a way where there was no way. I LOVE THAT!!!! THANK YOU JESUS FOR MAKING A WAY!!!!!!!!!!
As I studied about kinsman redeemers, I couldn't help but think about our ultimate Kinsman Redeemer, and how perfectly He fulfills these four parameters.
Jesus Christ is our Kinsman Redeemer because:
He became a Kinsman by coming to this earth in human flesh as a man.
He was free from the bonds of sin. He was the perfect, unspotted, unblemished, Lamb of God.
He was able to pay the price for our freedom. He could pay the ransom price.
And He was willing!!! HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!! He could have told Abba Father that He didn't want to leave all He had ever known....ever......He is forever.....to come here, but He did. He knew it was the only way to free us, to save us. Oh yes, HE WAS WILLING!!!
I am convinced that God wants me out of my comfort zone. And when I think of how Jesus left heaven to come here, all He had ever known, the most wonderful place EVER to come and be confined to this sin-cursed world, to suffer unimaginable things, so we could be saved, it astounds me. It puts new feet to my faith, because I am re-energized in the Spirit knowing that whatever God is calling me to, is so much better than where I am or came from, and it is so worth stepping out of the comfortable, cozy, lethargy of my own little bubble, to get into the often uncomfortable, but so exciting world of His Glory. Sometimes we just don't know the glory we will be able to bring the Father until we step out for Him, because after all Isaiah 43:7 tells us, we were created for His Glory. Don't miss that, it was for HIS Glory we were created, not for our own, or for this world, but for HIM.
So as we journey through this day, the day the LORD has made and given to us, let's ponder on our Kinsman Redeemer. We were slaves to sin with no way to pay our own debt. It would have taken an eternity, but God saw our need and sent us a Kinsman Redeemer, His Son, Jesus Christ to pay our debt, so our eternities can be spent with Him. What a gift ~~ What a Savior!!!!!!!!
Remember today that you were created for His Glory. It truly changed my perspective to start thinking this way. It changes how you think, which in turn changes your actions.
With tears streaming down my face I post this video of the song "He is". These ladies do a tremdous job on this human video. Please watch and be Blessed.
UPDATE: Kerri went to be with Jesus this morning. He was a wonderful Christian man whose love for the LORD was contagious. He was a teacher of God's Word and made you want to be better. He was a kind-hearted and gentle soul and will be GREATLY missed by his family and friends. Please remember his family. This is such a difficult time for them. Thank you all for praying.
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(Original)
Please let me start off with an urgent prayer request.
We got a call last night that a friend we used to go to church with and have Bible study with had a car accident and was in critical condition. We got a call later saying that he'd actually had a massive heart attack or stroke while driving and had run off the road into a field. (Kerri is probably about late forties or fifty years old.) He hit no other cars.
I just saw on FB this morning that the family has had to make some very hard decisions and now they wait. Please be in prayer over the Smith family. Kerri and his whole family are in dire need of our prayers. Thank you so much!!!
Well CC (Cross Country) is off and running!!! (heehee I crack myself up!! ~~ running, get it, cross country, running....anyway.... =)
Yesterday afternoon we had a meet at Monett, MO. This is one of our toughest meets of the season. It is at their park and golf course. There is something like 9 hills on this baby, and some of them straight up.
This course, generally kicks some serious booty.
This is Dak's third year running CC. He didn't run in Jr. High. He started as a freshman.
For those of you unfamiliar with CC here's how it works.... it is a 5K run (3.1 miles). And the fastest one wins =) They generally give medals to the top 20 runners. You can run up to seven people on a team from your school, but only the first 5 across the finish line count toward your team score. You medal individually. There are no team medals except at Conference, Districts and State.
Dak has been running really well all year so it was exciting to see how he would do in this meet.
Here the boys are getting ready.......
On your mark...
get set...
GO!!!
Just keep running...running....running.....
The finish line is in sight....yes!!!
And what was the result?!!
That's right.....
HE MEDALED!!!!!
This is Dak's first medal in a CC meet!!!
He was very excited!!
Here he is with his fellow medaler, C. (He's a fast one too!!)
showing G his medal!!
And here he is one more time....just for me.
It was such a fun meet, and in such a pretty setting. It was great for an almost fall afternoon. Meets continue through October with districts and the end of October and state being the first full weekend in November. So we are gearing up for an exciting and fun season.
Well, this is Scripture Memory Verse #18. As I went through and said my MV's yesterday, it occured to me how relevant each and every Scripture has been in my life this year. They have pertained to situations I'd face, even before I knew I'd face them. God knew what verse I would need at what time. And this time is no different.
First, my memory verse from the last 4 (yes 4 -- I kept this verse for a month) weeks has been Galatians 5:1 "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm then and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." And this one I will keep working on. I have not been as diligent over the last month to get this one memorized. So I will keep working on it.
My memory verse for the next two weeks:
Isaiah 43:2 "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze."
I can totally stand on the promises of Scripture. I love the promises in this verse.
Memorizing Scripture this year has been such a help to me. I am so thankful that God has helped me to memorize these passages.
There is a song that is coming to my heart as I pray and have my quiet time. It is Hillsong's "You are My Strength". I love this song. I have been singing it as praise to Abba.
My Father-in-law is still having a difficult time. So if you would still remember him, we would be so grateful.
God is very much moving in me during this season. He is prompting me to trust Him more, to follow Him even if circumstances would say different. I am not controlled by circumstances, but by my Heavenly Father. Through difficult times and deep waters He leads. Through valleys and hardships He is there.
He is my strength ~~ strength like no other ~~ strength like no other ~~ reaches to me.
God loves you beyond what you can fathom!! It's true. He is showing me this over and over in this current season. I posted the David Crowder Band singing the song "He Loves Me" a while back, and it is still going through my mind and heart. Love it!! He keeps reminding me that He loves me!!
Also did you see this:
This is Barbara Padilla and she is a breast cancer survivor and man can she sing!! This nearly sends me to tears every time I see it (and I've watched it several times). You do not have to like opera to enjoy this performance. She is so good.
Dick's dad is really tired, but he is home and taking it easy. We are so very thankful that he got to the hospital in time. God was watching over my sweet F-I-L. He is truly one of the kindest, gentlest souls you will meet, and he loves the LORD. He is just the greatest F-I-L a girl could ask for.
I know this is a very random post, but to be honest, I am kind of all over the place right now. It has been a very difficult few weeks for us in many ways, so I am finding myself floundering to find the right words to make things make sense. Sorry about that.
I wanted to post the recipe I fixed for my supper last night. It was the most unusual chili I have ever had.ever. But it was so good. These ingredients are definitely a strange combo, but boy do they work together. Since my heart scare, I have been completely revamping my eating habits, and I do mean completely. I was not a really terrible eater before, but over the summer I had really gotten lax and I'd just eat whatever, will that my friends is NOT a good thing at all for this girl. So since my time hanging out in a hospital gown, I decided no more of that.
Well this recipe fits quite nicely into my new jeans eating habits. So please don't turn your nose up to quickly, before you at least give it a try.
Tunisian Chili
4 servings
Cook: 15 minutes
Ingredients · Nonstick spray coating · 1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup) · 1 medium carrot, sliced, (1/2 cup) · 1 small yellow or green sweet pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (1/2 cup) · 2 teaspoons chili powder · 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon · 1/4 teaspoon salt · 1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes · 1 15-ounce can Great Northern, cannellini, or pinto beans, drained and rinsed · 1/2 cup apple juice or cider · 1/3 cup raisins · Several dashes of bottled hot pepper sauce · 2 cups hot cooked couscous 1/4 cup finely chopped peanuts (optional) Directions Spray a medium saucepan with nonstick coating. Cook onion, carrot, and sweet pepper in saucepan, covered, over medium-low heat 8 to 10 minutes or till carrots are just tender, stirring occasionally. Add chili powder, cinnamon, salt, undrained tomatoes, beans, apple juice or cider, raisins, and hot pepper sauce. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat and cook, covered, about 5 minutes to blend flavors, stirring occasionally. Serve with couscous. Garnish with peanuts, if desired. · Servings Per Recipe 4 servings · Calories 261 · Total Fat (g) 1 · Saturated Fat (g) 0 · Cholesterol (mg) 0 · Sodium (mg) 581 · Carbohydrate (g) 59 · Fiber (g) 12 · Protein (g) 12 · Vitamin A (DV%) 91 · Vitamin C (DV%) 69 · Calcium (DV%) 0
I will also be posting this on my recipe blog here. Along with some of the other tasty things I've been up to in the kitchen lately.
I hope this wasn't to random for you. Thank you so much for praying.
I just wanted to post a quick update. My father-in-law came home from the hospital yesterday. PRAISE THE LORD!!! He is on strict restrictions for the next 3 weeks. Strict. Like he can do nothing at all. He was sent home on 5 different meds (I think it was 5). Dick talked to him last night and he was visiting with Chase (don't you love good kids =) He'd gone over to see his grandpa. I don't think he could take Sir Cuteness, because of his runny nose, but he spent a few hours with Wes and he was just thrilled.
Well hopefully I'll be able to get another post up after while, but I am so far behind, we'll see.
We have had quite a weekend. Dick's dad had a major heart attack last night. They performed an angiogram and found that the main artery going to his heart was 100% blocked. They put a stint in and moved him to the CCU (Cardiac Care Unit). Today they moved him to a regular room and hopefully he will be able to go home tomorrow.
Please pray for a good report tomorrow, that the blood flow to his heart starts returning as it should and this vessel will heal with the stint in place. And please pray that the medicine will work to rebuild his heart and any other vessels that might even have a slight block.
Thank you so much. I have really wanted to post, but we have had a really busy couple of days. I am so thankful that I can jump on here and post a prayer request and know that people will pray. I love you all!!
My post today is actually posted here. Please jump over and check it out.
Colossians 1:17 (NIV) "He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together."
I love how The Message Bible puts it: "We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God's original purpose in everything created. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels - everything got started in Him and finds its purpose in Him. He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment."
I love the Word of God. I love the penetrating nature of it as the writer of Hebrews puts it:
Hebrews 4:12 "For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."
If you want to know what God thinks about something consult His Word. If you want to know what you really think about something, consult His Word, does your thoughts match His Word? You may have some adjusting to do in that particular area. The Word judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Get real with God today. No more beating around the bush with God. Be real with Him. He can handle it, He's God. He knows You child, He created You.
I love you ~~ have a Blessed day ~~ and seriously check this out!! Watch the video at the end ~~ it will blow you away ~~ let the praise begin!!!
So I had a lot of fun on my birthday last week, but I haven't gotten pictures up yet.
So without further ado....
I have a secret ~~ my GiGi got older last week.... heeheehee
My friend took me to a local Japanese garden (although we didn't realize this was NOT the JG, this was another garden in front of the JG, and the JG wasn't open the day we went, bummer... but still so fun!!)
So here I am with my scary face. I don't know why I have such a goofy look on my face...
yep goofy!!
And I don't know why my foot is off the ground here.
I can assure I was not getting ready to skip or jump...
Nope, no skipping or jumping with these knees =)
Nope....again just me and my goofyness!!!
This tree was wrapped around a pergola, so neat.
I love stuff like this.
God's creation is so amazing!!!
Vines that wrap around, so cool!!
This is an ode to my love of sunflowers!!!
This is me in the jungle of grass. How absolutely beautiful were these grasses.
Look at this beautiful butterfly. I took a lot of pics to get just the right one.
Isn't she beautiful?!?!
Peek-a-boo ~~ me hiding in the grass!!
Hey, so glad you came by to see my GiGi's birthday pics!!!
This man as taught me so many things over the years.
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