Wisdom & Understanding

Wonderful! Counselor! Mighty God! Everlasting Father! Prince of PEACE! He is all of those and so much more! Thinking this morning of how God has been so faithful to me. Usually at year's end, people take inventory of how the year went and most of us can recount the days of good and pleasantries as well as the days that were not so good and we barely made it through. When I watch all the hustle and bustle of this season, people shopping like crazy trying to get that perfect gift for someone, crowding all the stores sometimes pushing and shoving, short patience, rudeness, lack of consideration, children having meltdowns in the aisles, the elderly and disabled trying to navigate the crowds that seemingly have no compassion, the couples with worn down regard for each other arguing openly in the lines at the register, the unattended child sitting in the shopping cart as the parent unaware of lurking danger scavenges for that special gift... can you tell I "people watch" quit

Psalms 96 says: Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! Sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, bless His name; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples.  You may say "Well I don't have a singing voice." OR "Guess what, I don't feel like singing right now." Well, that may be true, but think on this...some of the most powerful, memorable and life changing songs have been written out of the most tragic situations. Popular "love" songs, gospel songs, country songs and really many genres of music have been written through and from tragedy, heart break and life's trials...and yet THOSE are the songs that though they sometimes may bring tears, when we've listened we feel encouraged afterwards. Some of the most soul moving songs (Negro spirituals) were written during the times of slavery in this country by the slaves or former slaves themselves and yet they gi

Glorious Monday Everyone! What a way to start the day with your home alarm system going off! Well it was my fault actually...forgot to turn it off BEFORE I let the dogs out to do their business...that'll do it for sure...wake you up real fast 😁 ! However since I don't move quite as fast as I once did , I apparently didn't get to it quick enough to stop the process of setting things in motion. PLUS my landline phone was down (thanks a lot Comcast) so when the alarm company called to verify, the call went straight to voice mail. I can't make this stuff up.  Needless to say it was an embarrassing time of standing out on the front porch in all my morning regalia (rollers in hair, mix matched pajamas and robe, bare feet) with my royal court of 2 Chihuahuas barking and snarling in the window)while I explained to the very nice police officers about how I didn't get to the alarm in time to shut it off. I apologized that I hope I did not spoil their day...I hope they

"...And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God [Yah] in Christ [Yeshua] forgave you." Ephesians 4:32  Who would have thought that a quick trip to a home improvement store to do a return, would be a life lesson for me? But then I tend to see "lessons" in a lot of things that others may deem silly or nonsensical...I'm just built that way I guess 😜  I entered the building and an obvious employee is just standing there leaning against a wall, so I say to him in a cheerful voice "Hi! How are you, on break?" and I don't know if it was my goofy smile or my perfume but he immediately tensed up and got annoyed and said in a gruff voice "No, I'm JUST standing here!" Well no one had to tell me to turn my head, look and move forward without another word. What a greeting! Sheesh!  Okay then I go to the Customer service desk, you know the desk where you get help...that's so funny in most cases nowada

"Labor" means work...and it doesn't always have to be physical work you know...it could be your mind! I have the tendency to do just that...overwork my mind. Thinking, thinking...trying to resolve things in my mind over and over, trying to think ahead, trying to understand things that are unreasonable, trying to figure out why folks do what they do, thinking, thinking...until sometimes I am pooped! I'm sure I'm not the only one guilty of that...  My point is this...I am slowly learning that all that over time that we put in does not do us any good. When you do over time on a physical job at least you get extra pay...but when we over work our minds all we end up getting is extra headache, stress, anxiety and even anger. It's not good...at all.  There are many scriptures about how we are not suppose to be anxious or worry, but one of my favorites is this: "Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?" (Matthew 6:27 NLT) Now that is TRUTH

Sad to say...the way I see how some of these "ministries" are going, there is cause for alarm. I usually don't post on subjects like politics and "religion" because I know that it can get some people's goat a'goin' and this forum is not for debating purposes I believe and I don't have the time, so I usually stick to MY experiences...sort of safe that way :-D So consider this post to be about MY experience ok?  It grieves me deeply to see how some ministries have turned from their Biblical purpose and instead have made it into a Business. They appear to have the same organizational setup as the successful "pyramid" type businesses that are so popular.  To me...it appears to be all about success being accomplished by the number of attendees, the size of the buildings, and the entertainment atmosphere created during the worship. Some go as far as to have personal stylists for their leaders, thinking they should be fashion conscience an

Every year I say I'm not going to post on my late husband's birthday, October 22nd. I mean folks are probably tired of hearing my tribute...but then I remember that we should "give honor to whom honor is due" and though he has been gone for almost 17 years, his life has had such an impact on me that it seems sometimes that he was just here not that long ago.  My husband was a quiet, humble man, with a dry sense of humor that always made me laugh out loud when he on occasion made a really funny remark. I think that is what made the remarks so funny, because they came so rarely and it was done with a serious face. 😊  After receiving Jesus as His Lord and Savior, he became a man that loved God first, me and his family even more with a passion that increased with each day of his life. He was a teacher of men and did it every opportunity he got. He was a "Fisher of men" whether it was taking the men from his job on a deep sea fishing trip or hosting up

Afternoon coffee (decaf as always) on the back porch...  "Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits..." Psalms 103:1-2  GRATEFUL = A. appreciative of benefits received B : expressing gratitude (Merriam-Webster dictionary)  I am truly grateful how the Lord has kept me all these years. I would have given up a very long time ago, but He has been so faithful to keep me going forward.  I remember reading a book by a widow many years ago and the most important thing that she could have written were these simple words "You will not always feel this way." The words leaped off the page and into my heavy heart and I could almost feel it becoming lighter.  The grieving process is a long journey, but the important thing is that somehow, some way... God gradually exchanges the bruised and broken heart for a newer stronger one.  You will never be the same after a loss, whe

“Break up your fallow ground, And do not sow among thorns..." Jeremiah 4:3  Fallow ground, for those "city" folks that may not know much about farming or gardening, is ground that has been left untilled, unplowed or as the dictionary states, dormant or inactive. Such was the case of the little raised garden bed that my son and grandson built over the summer. The project was sincere and exciting, but between the summer heat, and the busy-ness of life, finishing the summer planting got put on the bottom of the list.  We started off with a bang; had a meeting with an expert home gardener (thanks Geannine) bought the suggested books, resources and materials. We even added extra protection against the moles, voles and groundhogs; but our energy seemed to fizzle as the season went on and the summer planting season was soon over.  Every time I would look out the back door to the garden with its one Blackberry bush that my son did manage to plant, I knew that I had to g

PEACE...something that everyone is seeking, something that you can not tangibly hold in your hand and yet... many have fought wars, lost lives and some have chosen to give up and have taken their own lives because of its absence.  Where do we get this precious sought after gift? Certainly not from man... Some of my most loneliest and un-peaceful times can be when I am surrounded by people, good people...and then some of my most peaceful, comforting times have been when I am alone and in the presence of God's Holy Spirit. Having inner peace is not dependent upon the presence of man, but totally on the presence of God.  King David knew that having peace is a treasured commodity when he wrote this in Psalms 51:10-11 "Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me." He knew that God's presence brought Peace and he did not want to lose that.  Have you lo

Love this scripture, it tells me that if I live a godly life, even in old age I will flourish and still produce fruit! Now living a godly life is not a perfect life, we all fall and make mistakes, even very serious ones; but if we have a heart like King David, who was a man who made many mistakes but he ALWAYS had a repentant attitude, always willing to submit to God, THEN we can be the”material” God can work with to eventually perfect. We will still be able to produce fruit in our old age! Does that mean still have babies? God forbid! At this age I would probably be more harm to a baby than good...an excellent grandma, but a momma not so much. No, producing “fruit “ all around us, wherever and whenever our presence and influence is operative, we can make things happen for the good in our families, work places, social circles and even in this crazy world.  We may be getting older, takes us longer to get up and going , may hold up a few checkout lines at the store counting your

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Happy Friday everyone! Though I do realize that it may not be a Happy Friday for everyone. While some are rejoicing that its the end of a work week and have great plans for the weekend, there are others that are having a not so good day...it may be their health, a family or financial issue or in the case of some precious people that I know, they are in mourning while preparing to celebrate the life of a passing loved one.  If you find yourself in one of those situations, I just want you to know that in the midst of all the chaos, heart break and even grief, God sees you. I remember the days following my husband's passing, how I felt so alone in my grief. There were others all around

Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding. Proverbs 4:7  Yesterday was the perfect day to sit out on the back porch with a cup of Apple Cinnamon Spice tea that I picked up at Big Lots and it is DELICIOUS by the way (commercial) lol The cool pre-Autumn breeze and the softly falling rain made it just the right atmosphere to sit from the busy and take a gander at life. (Does anyone still say "take a gander"? , interpretation: "Take a look") 🤓  For just a few minutes as I sipped my tea, in a Fall themed cup (Summer lovers don't hate, I'm trying to hold back as best I can but pumpkins and colorful leaves keep leaking out 🍁🍁🍁🍁 SEE whadda I tell ya !) 🤣 Anyway... I thought about what's really important and I came up with "Getting wisdom". King Solomon of the Bible knew this secret, when asked in a dream what did he want, he requested wisdom and understanding in discerning justice, beca

"...And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” Exodus 14:13-14  Most of you reading this know the story or have at least seen the scene in the movie "The Ten Commandments when Moses and the Hebrew children have fled the slavery of Egypt and are now at the Red Sea, trapped and impossible to go forward with Pharaoh and his army in pursuit. It is here smack in the middle of impossibilities and no hope that God gives Moses the faith and assurance to speak to the people to not be afraid, to not panic, but stand still and see the awesomeness of God!  He HAD to tell them to "stand still" because , I am sure that being in a position with your front facing the expansion of the Sea and your back to an oncoming ferocious army, the natural human in

Prayer...how important is it? Here's the answer...it is VERY important. I am sure that all of us at one time or the other have doubted if our prayers have accomplished anything, especially when we don't see the results that we had excepted to see in the anticipated time slot, however let me assure you that God hears every prayer. Prayer is powerful and I believe that it can extend over time and generations. I think our problem is that when we submit our petitions to God, we also try to tell Him when and how to answer it. (I'm guilty too, my hand is raised 🙋🏾‍♀️  When I think about the prayers that I know my parents prayed for me, they may not have lived to see all the results, but their prayers were answered. How do I know? because as I have matured, there have been so many times that I have said, "Da, Ma, now I see and understand what you meant."  When I think of my late husband's prayers, I know that they are being answered even though he has bee

" In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." I Thessalonians 5:18  Want to hear something funny this Tuesday morning? Well it wasn't funny to me while it was happening but...anyway I have been up all night with a sick dog. My 10 pounder had diarrhea...at both ends...don't know how or why but yep...he had it... bad. Needless to say I never got to bed because I had to be on call for his out door runs (no pun intended) and for clean up for the ones he missed. ugh.  I went on the internet to find out the causes and home remedies and actually it is safe to give dogs Pepto Bismol (as long as you give doses in conjunction with their weight) and also Pedialyte for dehydration. By then it was only about 4:30 AM and the closest store did not open until 6:00AM! So I had to take him and the little one to sit on the back porch with the backdoor partially opened to give him access to outdoors in case of his sudden attacks until the

I am speaking to the brokenhearted and hurting this morning...whether it be physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually. Pain is pain and can be found in all those areas. There is one thing to be sure, no one knows YOUR pain like you do. If this does not relate to you, I doubt if it would make sense, but I feel led to speak to those that are experiencing pain during this season of life.  Have you ever tried to explain a headache or any other pain in your body to a doctor or anyone for that matter...you may say something like this: "Well the pain sort of starts in the middle and radiates to the back." or " Well the pain sort of throbs in intervals." All while the person that you are trying to describe it to just looks at you , or at best a Doctor gives several explanations and then a prescription and says "Try this, it MAY help." Well my point is, no one knows and feels that pain like you do. Your pain is personal...  Good and well meaning people

For yesterday's (Sunday) dinner, I decided to make some comfort food; Fried chicken, mash potatoes and gravy for my grandchildren. They along with their parents usually eat very healthy...but when the 'rents are away, the Grandma does play 🙂 So I pulled out my frying pan and before long had the house smelling so good, I think that it would have made even Colonel Sanders want to sit at the table! 🍗🍗🍗  I noticed something though while I was cooking ...I cleaned as I cooked. Let me explain...my Mom trained me and my siblings well and that is why I do not like a dirty, cluttered kitchen. So I have this technique that I've learned from her, that if you clean as you cook, when you are done you won't have a large pile of dirty pots, pans and utensils to wash and put away . I also wipe the counters and stove top as soon as there is a spill, so I won't have any mess or stains to deal with after cooking the meal. I know... it may sound redundant and even a little OCD,

I know we shouldn't say "hate", but I. hate. bugs! Now add to that humidity and heat and you have a formula that brings out the Charlie Brown cry of "ARRRRGGGGGGGHHHH" in me! I uttered this sentiment several times a few days ago as I ventured out into a hot and humid August morning to do some much needed yard work.  Costumed to look like a beekeeper sans the full Beekeeper's hat (though I wish I had one, that screen covering over the face would have been much appreciated), I bravely went out to tackle the task. For all you bug lovers out there, I'm sorry to say that I did annihilate a few that decided to come into my face space...or was it I that came into THEIR space?... Whatever, they did prematurely leave their bug life, but it was a quick transition, especially the one that I took out with the hedge clippers...sorry, but I felt like I was being attacked for just doing my job... Enough of that, my point is, I was hot, sweat dripping beneath my

" 🎶 🎶 I'm a little teapot short and stout, here is my handle, here is my spout. When I get all steamed up, hear me shout! Just tip me over and pour me out, just tip me over and pour me out."🎶 🎶  Most of you know that little song. I was going through some old pics and saw this one of my little red teapot and that song kept going around in my head...and NO I am not going bonkers! LOL The part about getting all steamed up, made me think about how we allow things in life to get us all angry and riled up with people, situations and even ourselves. Nowadays it seems to take very little to get people sometimes almost violently angry, especially over things like politics. Scary! But politics is just one of many things that can understandably or not, get our blood pressure up and boiling! 😡  Now I try to be a realist and I know for sure that we all WILL get angry at times, but the important thing is not to let it fester. Harboring anger can cause major illnesses both p

I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; The humble shall hear of it and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. Psalms 34:1-3  This picture was taken a couple of years ago at the Reading Terminal Market in Philly. The beautiful flowers caught my attention as we were passing by; so I just had to stop and memorialize the awesome, diversified beauty God created and that was displayed in these flowers! It puzzles me how some can look at this and think that it all just "happened". You see, man cannot create anything; man can invent, manufacture and reproduce BUT, the results of those things are only from the ideas and the use of things that are already here. I heard someone say once that a skyscraper can be produced by man, but it is God who created the stone and metals it took to make it. The airplane was invented, but it's idea of the function of fligh

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls." Matthew 11:28-29  "A yoke is a wooden beam normally used between a pair of oxen or other animals to enable them to pull together on a load when working in pairs." -Wikipedia  As I sat down with a sigh this morning, I felt in my heart the Lord saying "Give me your burdens". At first I was like, "but I really don't have any, I'm tired from working in the yard right now but other than that"...then a light went on...oh yes! I do have burdens. Things that I want to see get better, people with situations that I want to see corrected and solved, things in my life that I want to change but have to wait on the timing of God. I am sure that you could add your own to that list. These things can become "burdens" because we, well in this case &q

Hey Y'all! Listen I want to take a few minutes of your time and just tell y'all something! The month of June!!!!!! Wow! was a DOOSY! what started off as an upstairs bathroom repair ended up having to be a full bathroom renovation and you know what comes with that...lots of workers coming in and out, my dogs barking, loud noises with the demo, THEN after a couple of weeks with that...a mysterious clog was in my drain...so that meant more workers coming in and out, dogs barking, lots of water on the kitchen floor, loud noises as they snaked the drain numerous times and after 2 visits they were finally able to unclog the drain...oh! did I mention that while all this was going on I had poison ivy all over the left side of my face, arm and hand...yeah. Is that why some of the workers were looking at me funny when I was trying to explain the problem to them or maybe it was that I was yelling over the barking dogs...must have been a scary sight... Anyhoo...got through that, only to

O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory. Psalms 63: 1-2 There is something about sitting in the quiet of the morning to meditate on God's Word. To me, it seems as if I can "hear" Him better and He can listen to my ramblings and blabberings and yes even my blubbering over things I question, don't understand or just plain need an listening ear. There IS something about witnessing the coming of a new day...its a fresh start, a chance to do and experience something that you have never done before...a blessing for us to partake of. We never know what each new day will bring, but for now as it dawns, we can talk to the One Who DOES know and get assurance to bravely move forward. Father God, I pray for each person reading this, that as their new day begins, give them the tools that they n

My parents have been in their heavenly home for many years now, but there isn't a day that goes by that I do not think of them. This morning was no exception and it is awesome how sometimes the most craziest things can trigger a wonderful memory. The legacy that they left me and my siblings of love, laughter, good work ethics, perseverance and a tough hide; which we received from their example, guidance and at the end of a switch from a tree (you southerners will know what that is) or a leather belt (and no it was not child abuse, our hind parts needed it) LOL .  But while I was munching on some roasted pecans as a snack, a memory came to me of how whenever I went home to visit, my Mom would have sacks of pecans in the shell waiting for us to carry back home. Our precious neighbors had a couple of large pecan trees in their back yard and they would harvest the nuts in the fall when they fell from the trees. My parents would make sure that they harvested enough for all of us. W

"Yet the Lord will command His lovingkindness in the day time, and in the night His song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life." Psalms 42:8  No matter what time at night, from 8 PM to even 3 in the morning, there is a bird in my backyard that sings constantly! It would be annoying if the tunes weren't so beautiful! Upon research there are several species that actually serenade during the night: the Mockingbird, the Whippoorwill and the Thrush, just to name a few. I always knew that birds sing at the crack of dawn, but didn't realize there are birds that sing all through the night!  One night as I waited on the back porch for my dogs to take a late night potty break outside, a bird in a nearby tree sung the loveliest of songs. It was pitch black outside but it sang its little heart out, so lovely that I sat and listened for a very long time in the dark, until my dogs protested and wanted to go inside for there bedtime treat. They had no concep

I started a project of cleaning and organizing my garage the day after returning from a short, but exhausting trip. I don't know why I felt I had to dive right into this project but I did. Guess I may have just been tired of the 3 boxes of stainless steel shelving I had sitting in the garage for over 6 months and felt the need to finally just assemble it and get it over with.  Midway during my assembling, I became overwhelmed and felt like throwing up my hands and giving up. The project began to be too tedious, too burdensome. Just as I began to think about how far I had to go to get this thing completed, I suddenly remembered how far I HAD come in the process. After many months of just sitting, the materials were at least out of the boxes and partially put together, things I no longer needed had been set aside for the trash or GoodWill, and the things I wanted to keep were organized in bins waiting to go on the shelves once assembled. So even though I had much to still do, i r

The refrain from this old hymn is flowing like a ribbon through my mind this morning:  Grace, grace, God’s grace, Grace that will pardon and cleanse within; Grace, grace, God’s grace, Grace that is greater than all our sin.  Grace...God's free and unmerited favor (love) towards us. Grace that I could NEVER earn and yet as I truly submit myself, concerns, worries , anxieties to Him; as I willingly let it all go... sometimes without understanding the details...He will give us the necessities to navigate the journey and come out whole, matured, fulfilled and safe.  I don't know about you, but I need His Grace, I need His favor, His love directing me, encouraging me, consoling me and assuring me that I will make it through. His ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8)...  When we hit a rough spot in life, we may think that the issue is with others, when it may just be about us. What is God trying to teach us, what is He trying to strengthen in us...what is He trying to

I have a story to tell... a true one...and it's mine, or at least a chapter of my story :-)... Yesterday morning when I reached into the cabinet to get a mug for my coffee, I was drawn to my "Fa La La" cup. Yeah I know it's not the season, but I felt like having a "Fa La La" day! What's a "Fa La La" day? Well to me it's a day when you let nothing get to you. An emotionally free day. 😏There are no perfect days course, but I planned "Fa La La one.  After doing some chores and errands, I decided to do something fun and for me that is a visit to the Antique Emporium. While perusing an aisle a woman passed me and said that she was looking for "canes". I had no idea what she was mumbling about but soon she found a container full of walking canes of which she chose an old wooden one. In her excitement of finding it, she turned to me and shared that she searches for these old wooden canes and refurbish them. At first I though

“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16  A few years ago when I saw these vintage wall sconces at a small yard sale, I was delighted. The metal leaves and glass candle holders was just the touch I wanted to add to a room for soft light at night. Light... no matter how softly it may glow, can be very comforting. The Bible says that for those that have submitted their lives to God, we are the light of the world. That we should not hide that light; that we should allow that light to shine, so that people in this dark world will see and turn to Him.  I often ask myself "Have I been a light today?" I confess that there have been times that I've blown it...was rude to uncaring customer service

"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies..." Psalms 23:5  Most of us reading this are familiar with the line in Psalms 23 about God preparing a table for us even in the presence of my enemies. I was so used to reciting that Psalm automatically, I confess that I never took the time to study what that passage meant... Until I was preparing a table for my luncheon guests recently. I wanted it not to just be a time to eat, but a time of fellowship; a time of sharing with each other from our hearts. I wanted it to be peaceful, relaxing and permeating with God's presence. I wanted them to feel welcomed and appreciated... God loves us so much that even in the presence of our "enemies", our trials, struggles and difficulties that are raging war against us, He wants us to feel welcomed to come and sit at His table and fellowship with Him...to feel free to share from our hearts, to feel at peace with Him and to relax in His Presence.

“Worrying is carrying tomorrow's load with today's strength- carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying doesn't empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.” -Corrie ten Boom  Worry...something that we all are guilty of...some occasionally, some are masters at it. Though we all worry in different ways and about different things, there is one thing that is common...Worry saps/drains you emotionally, physically and spiritually. It is a distraction that keeps you from seeing the "brighter side" and takes away your hope of possibilities.  We can lose so much time and energy by worrying about things that have not even happened and may never happen. Here is what Jesus has to say about it... “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of t

"Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12  Dark, rainy and dreary day early this morning. I seldom turn on these lamps because generally this area is always flooded with sunlight...but this morning I needed to turn them on. The golden light emanating from these small lamps turned the gloomy foyer once again into a welcoming, cheerful area...  Amazing what light can do...not only drive out the darkness, but illuminate a perspective. Isn't that what happens when we invite Jesus in to a situation? If we allow it, He can and will drive away the darkness of depression, sadness or defeat AND give us a new,perspective on life. What seems dark, dreadful and foreboding CAN become full of hope with strength to move forward, as you allow HIS light to shine on you. Invite Him in today, no matter the dark, HE is ALWAYS brighter.

"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things." Philippians 4:8  Anticipating warmer weather, I put some of my plants on the back porch and it was good timing. It really is only a 3 season room, so when winter is over, it becomes a place to sit, read, relax and meditate.  I am becoming the little old lady that dotes on her plants 😊 but really through the years I have learned how to take the day to day "drama" down several notches and just chill. So when I feel that the daily news becomes overwhelming, when what is going on in the world is nerve wracking I come aside, go out on the porch and "minister" to my plants. While watering, misting and trimming the leaves, I begin to think about the positive things in life. I admit so

 I must admit, this morning I awoke thinking of all the things that I do not have in my life and the temptation was to go on over and start setting up for the grandest Pity Party on the East coast! I have learned that is when the enemy of my soul tries to get me; when I'm tired, weak, maybe not feeling well, emotionally and physically vulnerable. This morning I was still partially in sleep land when all the things that make me sad came rushing in to my thoughts. It was tempting to just hop on and ride the waves of negativity that were calling me; but after a few tears, God in His faithfulness reminded me of all I do have...His Goodness, His Mercy, His Grace, His Protection, His Forgiveness, His Salvation...His Love... I have made a commitment to be as transparent as I can be in this life, I don't want to be a phone-y or fake, I really don't want to be, so that is why I spill my guts on social media I guess. There are many that are looking for someone to just be real abo