Life Story

"Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God." Each life is a story to be written. The Author starts each life story...but each life will write his or her own ending.
I recently came across this in a devotional and it really got me thinkin'....WOW!! How very true, we enter this world (no matter the circumstances) pretty much fresh...clean...free...From that point on "we" are writing our own ending. We decide what "baggage" we carry with us, what decisions we make, what road we travel....the "end" of our story! Will we follow the "world" or will we follow God's path? Where will the "world" path take us?.......scripture tells us to "live in the world, but not by the world" . What a challenge, live in the world...but not by the world. What exactly does that mean???? For me it means just what the beginning sentence states....make my journey with a deep consciousness of God....to live with a deep consciousness of God is to know God and to know God not only must we study His Word, we must have fellowship with like-minded people...fellowship and we must listen for the still, small voice that will answer our questions and help us in the times of trial and decisions....For me that "listening" is the hardest part! I tend to want to BLOW ahead with whatever I may or may not be doing.......but, sometimes God is wanting me to be still & listen for Him and His plan! His plan may not always be the easiest path, but I know it is always the best path....because it is the path that leads to Him! So....I choose love for my story ending, the love that God had for me at the beginning of my story and the love that will eventually bring me to eternity with our Heavenly Father!

One more

Okay, one more "dog" story. The pictures above are of Bandit and his diggin' hole. As soon as we moved into our house Bandit went to diggin'....that was 13 years ago! We've filled in the hole many times throughout the years, but Bandit just goes right back to the same place and digs! It's pretty much an everyday habit for him, except he's become a "fair-weather" digger.......he'll stick his nose out the doggie door to test and if it seems okay, out he'll go. Back to the "hole", spend a few minutes lettin' the dirt fly and he has satisfied his need to dig. I give this old guy lots of credit, he's never tried to dig outta' the yard and from the depth of this hole he could've broke out long ago!! Gotta' love the dogs!! Boy, they sure do give me a lot of entertainment!!

Contentment

What is contentment? The dictionary says it is the state of being contented; an ease of mind, the act of being satisfied. If only we could heed Paul's writing in Philippians 4:11-13...."Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to get along happily whether I have much or little. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need." This is from the New Living Translation....love love love the ease of reading this translation! The kicker for me is the HAPPILY part, so maybe we can learn to be content with what we have or the situation we are in, but HAPPILY? Now, I know for me that can be a challenge! In this crazy, hectic, get it now world we live in the word contentment is often overlooked....how can we be content when there is so MUCH. So much to want, to think we need. But, that is in contrast to Scripture.....we are to be content with what we have and with what situation God has place us in. That said I am sure there are those that are in a very bad situation that God wants them to get out of, maybe a danger for their very lives....that's were the trust part comes in. When we put our faith in God and our trust Him to provide....He will provide the means to get out or improve that situation.
What is it that we think will bring us contentment? Money, worldly things, a spouse? Hebrews 13:5 tells us to be free from the love of money and to be satisfied with what we have.....for God has said, "I will never fail you, I will never forsake you." God will never leave me...nor will He ever forsake me, I sure can't say that about any THING or any ONE else in my life.
True contentment can be found.....in GOD! God will bring about a peace like nothing from this world can. Peace and contentment, now that's what I'm talking about! My new motto is this....."If I can't have the best of everything, I will make the best of everything I have!" The number one thing is my relationship with our Heavenly Father...to do everything I possibly can to grow stronger in the Word, to grow closer in relationship and to bring as many people as I can along!

Confession

I confess I am just about 20 pounds overweight! There I said it...not that anyone really reads my blog, but it is somewhat helpful anyway to just confess! Because I have come to the realization that I am overweight, I decided to "work-out". Not sure how that's gonna turn out....what muscle do we have in our left butt-cheek anyway and why in the world is that where I hurt after only two days of a mild work-out? I also confess I've not "worked out" since my buddy moved to another state back in July, good grief it sure doesn't take long for a body to go WaY soft!!! If you're wondering how my age plays into this equation.....well, let's just say I'm too old to not know better and too young to call it "old-age"!!! I really miss my buddy....she was a work out guru! This chick could run circles around anyone half her age and she kept me accountable. She wasn't mean spirited at all, but she just had a way of making you want to improve your lifestyle! Not only in body, but in spirit.....she is an awesome Christian lady. So, as I ponder how to get this body of mine back in shape without doing some major muscle damage (there's gotta be a muscle in my left butt-cheek) I am hoping that this silly blog will help me somehow be more accountable! I'm only in the first week.......so maybe next week I will show some improvement. Ever how slight it might be I will rejoice! (Although I'm hoping for some grand intervention and the fat will just melt away in my sleep because I am really good at sleeping and not so coordinated to do the whole aerobics exercises!) If only I didn't love to bake goodies and cook! Or maybe if I had an ounce of self disciple that would stop me from eating all the stuff I bake and cook! Maybe I need to work on the self-disciple too! Hummm....now that I think about it weight isn't the only issue I need to tackle. Guess I best stop typing before this self-examination reveals even more!!

Who Knew

Who knew when my husband stated a new job that I'd be so darn perplexed at the simple idea of packing a lunch? I have a great hubby and up until this job change he's always been pretty much on his own when it comes to lunch, he never complained and come to think about it....he still doesn't. I was never concerned, partly because I work full time and partly because it was just never something that bothered me much....at least until he started working with some other men that have awesome wives that go to great pains to fix them fabulous home-cooked lunches. About a week into it and the sheer guilt of a fast sandwich kicked in and I had the brilliant idea of canned soup...who would know that it wasn't home made? Ummm...me! The "other" wives fix all this wonderful food...mini-meatloafs...chicken-fried chicken sandwiches...stew, you name it and these women can concoct it, keep it hot and make it delicious! Mind you, my great hubby wasn't really rubbing it in when he would tell me about the "lunches", I asume he's just a perplexed as I am (or maybe I'm just givin him to much credit...but, hey after 25 years of marriage I've gotta be blind to some issues!) Now...while I don't consider myself a gourmet chef I take some pride in being a pretty darn good home cook, so this is really buggin' me! I guess there is some stupid sense of competition in there too (bad as I hate to admit it)...I just don't want to be known as the one wife that sends sandwiches and canned soup for her hubby every day!
So...excuse me while I go whip up a pot of stew or maybe some of those mini-meatloaves and try to redeem some sense of my wife-hood!