Swim Time

               My friend, Lydia, brought her kids over to swim today.  It was a mix of good fun, despite the rain and my cough.  When I had to go away for a few minutes to cough, Moses said..... 'Mommy, is Angie sleepy?'  It's hard to leave the fun, even for a few minutes but overhearing his innocent statement just made me smile.  I hope the pictures below make you smile too.

The Love of God

''May you know how high, how long, how wide and how deep is the love of Christ for you.''

         God's love for us in indescribable and overwhelming.  Our love for not only for each other, but also for Him, is tainted and flawed.  C.S. Lewis said, ''Though our feelings come and go, God's love does not.'' 'Jesus did not come to make God's love possible, but to make God's love visible.'
        We will run out of a lot of things but we will never run out of God's love.  He never tires, never fails, never lies, and never changes.  He is our 'trust' in trustworthy.

        5 Bible verses on God's love..........

Romans 5;8  ''8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.''

John 3;16  ''For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.''

Romans 8;38-39  ''For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[a] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.''

1 John 3;1  ''3 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.''

Psalm 103;11 ''For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear Him.''

Foto Friday

Delivering the friendship
plate to Susan

5 minutes after delivery

Karla, September and Angie

The downpour

Mushrooms.. loving the July rain

Callie, Karla, September, Angie
We all scream for ice cream

My dad and I on the Scrambler

My dad and I on the tilt a whirl

Dance Like You Feel

                 Do you ever dance like nobody is watching?  If not, you should try it sometime.  Let go and let the rhythm take control.  The last time I remember dancing on two feet was in my first apartment in Dallas to 'Holiday' by Madonna.
                The other day at the John Mellencamp concert, I got up the nerve to do a spin in my chair.  Well my speed was on 2 [slow], instead of 5 [fast], and my spin went only half way before it stopped.  I looked and felt pretty stupid.  I went back to my designated spot and it took a few songs before I was feeling the groove enough to try it again.  I did though.
                Life should not be about regrets, but about those memories when you took a chance.  Don't live life caring about what other people 'think' but do what pleases God and your heart.  If the world is your guide, you'll be led astray.  If God is your guide, you'll have the Master by your side.

Friend's Love

            What makes a person a 'friend?'  A friend is more than an acquaintance but is someone you can count on in good times and bad.  A friend is one who can give advice or just be a listening ear.  'A friend is someone who knows your faults, but loves you anyway.'  'A friend is someone who accepts your past, supports your present, and encourages your future.'  'A friend is someone who does things that count, but doesn't stop to count them.'
            As believers, we are friends with God.  He is the friend that does love us 'at all times.'  We can try to be a 'good' friend, but we will still disappoint our friends at times.  God loved us, even while we were still sinners.... there is no greater love than that.
            Today, I began the FBF Friend Plate of sharing both goodies and the fun of friendship.  Susan Franco was the first friend to receive the plate.  What fun friendship can be!

A Good Tree

             This is a good tree to plant in your mind.  Don't we all want more of the good things and less of the negative factors in life.
             'Fear less, hope more.'  Revelation 21;8  ''But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”   We have no reason to fear when God is on our side and more importantly that we are on His side.
             'Eat less, chew more.'  Proverbs 23;20  ''Do not join those who drink too much wine, or gorge themselves on meat.'  Take time to enjoy the smells and taste of your food because it sure beats that feeling of fullness afterwards.
            'Whine less, breathe more.'  Numbers 11;1  ''Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the Lord, and when he heard them his anger was aroused.''  There should be more gratitude in our attitudes.
           'Talk less, say more.'  Ecclesiastes 6;11  ''The more the words, the less the meaning, and how does that profit anyone?''  Keep it simple and to the point.
           'Hate less, love more.'  Luke 17;4  ''Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.”  We should forgive others as quickly as we want God to forgive us.

Funland

               

                Today we had a family fun day at Funland at Burns Park.  Can you have 'too much' fun?  Hmm, I used to think not but maybe so today.  I LOVE amusement park rides but I haven't been on one in years.  I want to go to Magic Springs but I thought I needed a little test to see if my body still loved the thrill.... it does.
                 When we parked, I saw Charlie Blevins get off the Tilt-a-Whirl.  He and Vera were there with their granddaughter.  We visited with them a little bit before they left.
                 First, my Dad and I rode the Tilt-a-Whirl two times in a row.  I loved it and felt like a kid again.  My mom took pictures.  Then we rested under the pavilion a little bit because it got hot quick out there.  We talked with the Funland director.  She had never had a disabled rider before.. my dad did have to lift and carry me onto the rides.  Then we rode the Scrambler two times in a row.  My mom rode in the second round.
                So then we bought refreshments, a Sprite and a snowcone.  This is when we should have left, but I wanted to ride one more time and my mom was going to join us.  The ride looked the same, but it was different.... it was now the ''Tilt-a-Hurl''.  Somehow I got seated wrong and I winced with pain in my rear with every turn.  After a couple of minutes, my Dad signaled the operator guy to stop.  I was thinking it was for my relief, but no.  My dad jumped up quickly, headed for the rail, and won the puke prize of the day.  After getting a coke, a lady asked him if he was okay?  He said yes and asked her 'Did everybody see?'  She said 'Probably so.'
               We headed home and my dad got me a free Tutti Frutti cup of butter pecan and birthday cake frozen yogurt.   Yumm.... perfect ending to the day is what I would say.

Foto Friday

Visiting Twylia with Charlene

Cara stopped by to visit

My dad on the White River

Dave and my Dad trout fishing

Susan's birthday party
She got the 60 gold necklace

Cathy visited Tuesday

Understanding

        While I was in Texas, I saw a sign that said, ''I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you.''  Some just don't get what we are trying to say at times.
        First, we have to be humble enough to seek wisdom.  Nobody likes a know it all,but a humble heart has a listening heart as well.  James 1;5  ''If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.''
        Secondly, we find wisdom in God's truth.  Job 28;28  ''And he said to the human race, “The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.”
        Thirdly, we gain understanding.  ''I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.''  When we know better, we do better.
        Education is the key to success and that includes knowing what God's word says for our lives to be successful.  His thoughts are above ours so we must not be swayed by anyone's thoughts that don't align with His.  Only fools are wise in their own eyes.

Swamped

           Are you feeling overwhelmed by the demands of the world on you?  Do you feel like this, that and the other should have been done yesterday?  Do you feel alone even when you're surrounded by people?
           What do you cling to in times of trouble?  Fear, self reliance, others?  God's promises are true, faithful, never ending, and unchangeable.  When we doubt where this world is headed, we should turn to the Scripture verses that give us hope, reassurance and victory in the end.
           ''I will never forsake you'' is the promise that we should remember in all of our trials.  John 3;16 is the promise of salvation and deliverance for those who believe in Jesus Christ.  ''I have prepared a place for you'' is the promise of your eternal home with Him.
           After I had written this blog, my internet went out.  My friend, Cathy, came to visit at 3pm and brought me a box from Israel of  'God's promises for you.'  I love that God used both our thoughts together today for His good.  ''Standing, standing, standing on the promises of God my Savior.''

What's It About?

Ephesians 2;10  ''For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.''

             When we humble ourselves, we realize that the world does not revolve around us.  We are just a piece of the puzzle in God's plan.  We are here to fulfill His plans for us first.  The order of importance in our lives should be God first, Others second, and Myself last.
             Our 'good works' are a result of the salvation He prepared for us.  With a Christ-like attitude, we begin to think of how we can help others and share God's love.  There are no coincidences, but God appointed opportunities.
             When you think about today's events, did you embrace an opportunity for God to use you or did you close the door to someone?  'Take my life and let it be consecrated all to Thee.'

Foto Friday