THE Verse

           Christmas is now two days behind us and 363 days ahead of us, but I ask..  do you honor Jesus with your life on the days in between?
           John 3;16 is one of the most quoted verses of the Bible, but do we truly recognize the great love and divine miracle of God becoming flesh for our benefit?  What a sacrifice.  What a gift of grace.  What hope for believers.
           God's love was given and available for all but the choice to believe in Him and have eternity with Him is each individual's decision.  It is up to you...not your family, friends, pastor, or church body.

Foto Friday

Day after Christmas

My Christmas card

God's at Work in You

               Some people are multi-taskers and some can't walk and chew gum at the same time.  God is the ultimate multi-million-tasker and needs no reminders.  Our days can seem so similar to us that time goes by before we even know it.  There's a song lyric that goes 'You're gona miss this, you're gona  wish these days hadn't gone by so fast.'  How true.
              Our lives are both a journey and a process through which God is working on us.  Whether we surrender or resist to His will is our choice.  We see His faithfulness sometimes in our past, but most things we'll never know why they occurred.  Trust reminds us 'that He works all things for good, for those who believe in Him.'

Someday

          What does 'Someday' mean not only to you, but for you?  Is it a goal to be actively achieved or an excuse to buy you more time?  Procrastination is our way of putting off things that should be done today.  Who are we to take for granted that we will get the time we expect?

          Genesis 3;19  ''By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”

          Psalm 39;4  “Show me, Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is.''

          Psalm 90;12  ''Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.''

          There is no time like the present.  Yesterday is gone and tomorrow isn't promised to you.  Is there any better time than now to get right with God?  No, no excuse is adequate.  To gamble our lives and eternity with pride, sin and self reliance is foolish.

         May we all consider making today our someday deadline and get on the highway to heaven.

Garth Brooks Concert

Getting By

               Karla wrapped all of my Christmas presents beautifully this afternoon.  It is the season of giving and I love seeing people open presents.  I have great help in my friends helping me to shop and give to others in the way that I want to.  A secret to happiness is to give generously to both those in need and to those you love.

Foto Friday

Tuesday's visit with Gloria

Wednesday visit at Twylia's house

Thursday ...Snowman invasion

Hope So

              Oh, I hope my life speaks so much louder than my voice.  As my voice gets weaker with time, I see less of my strength and more of God's strength in me.  Many may not hear my words or testimony, but many can see how God is using me for His will.  Am I the only witness for Christ in other's lives?  No, but doing my part is as important as any others.
              What does your life speak to others?  Is it one of helping others or of selfish greed?  Is your success a credit to luck or blessings?  Can your obedience to God be seen publicly?
               I heard from comedian, Michael Jr, that God is like our GPS.  He tells us to go 2 miles then turn left, but we often go 2 miles and turn right.  He doesn't abandon us, but recalculates to get us from where we are to where we need to be.  The road probably won't be as smooth as He originally planned.  Yes, we are running out of time.
              If God is truly guiding your path, your walk will be louder than your talk.  Also, talk is cheap when you don't practice what you preach.

Foto Friday

Ready for church

Gloria and Buster with
family in Florida

Nancy with her flowers

Betsy and kids over last week

Eyes Wide Open

                 How can we forget to be thankful?  We have a sense of entitlement but it is only through His mercies that we don't get what we deserve.  We take things for granted and grumble thru our hardships rather than seeking to learn from them.  We give ourselves credit for things, instead of praising God for His work in us and through us.
                 I am wide awake to the mercies God has blessed me with, now more than ever.  My struggles have given me strength in more ways than I can count.  With every hurdle, I see how God is taking care of me and providing for all my needs.
                May I never fall asleep in gratitude for this life and all the blessings that have come with it.  Blessed be His name, whether He gives or takes away.

Blanket

                   I love my electric blanket.  The warmth it provides makes me want to never come out.  If I didn't have central heat, I know I'd stay in bed longer.  We are not meant to lay around excessively so I have to push those covers off and get moving.
                   I think this is why a lot of people don't attend church.  Leaving the comfort of our homes on our day off takes effort and discipline.  We expect God to be there for our good, but we also expect our excuses to be ample for Him.
                  Your example of church attendance is a witness to others.  Is church important to you on a regular basis or is it on a crisis scheduled event?  Belonging to a church family provides the warmth of fellowship, regardless of the weather.

Dale's Retirement Ceremony

Dale and Angie

My parents, Bobbie and Wayne 

Dale, Judy, Angie, Jerry

Julia and Angie

The sign Beth made for me to give Dale
with the verse and design I picked out

The 62nd squadron patch and coin
that Dale gave to me during the ceremony

Phillip and many others from FBF came

Stacey and Angie 

                      Friday was November 21st  and the day Dale retired with 21 years of service in the Air Force.  The ceremony was both formal and personal in it's presentation.  It honored both Dale and God in all of the vast accomplishments that transpired during his journey.  The message to his son was memorable and worth sharing.......''Live a life with gratitude, Live a life that guards and protects your reputation because it is as valuable as your life, and Fear and obey God always.''