The Wind Blows

I cannot be seen but my effects can be seen moving through the trees.

I cannot be seen but you can feel me blowing through your hair.

I cannot be seen but I am appreciated when the weather is hot because I can cool you off.

I move the boats across the water, I keep the kites up in the air.

~The Wind

John 3:8  

The wind  blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes.

We don't see it but we know that it is there. Whenever I think about that it reminds me that it is the same with Christ. We cannot see Him but we can know that He is always with us. How He works in our lives one day at a time and what happens shows evidence of that. His Word tells us, creation shows us, and we can see results in those around us. One day Christ will come back and we will see Him but for now I can be content to know that He is always with me and wants to work through me.

Happily Ever After...

Those of us that are happily married can look back and see how God orchestrated the meeting of our spouse and can now tell funny stories or sweet memories and see how it has all worked out. I am thankful for the experiences and relationships that God has brought me through, taught me lessons through, and protected me from one day at a time. I am thankful for my husband and the perfect mate that he is for me. He is not perfect and neither am I but we are perfect for each other. As I look at my friends and their spouses I can say the same about them. Since we live in a world where sin is still present we cannot claim to be perfect and therefore have to continue to work to keep our marriages healthy but having Christ as our "head" it can be done. I know that I can be thankful that my parents prayed for me and the man I would marry, just as I pray for the future spouse that God may bring to my children. As we grow up there are sometimes bumps along the way and things may change from what WE think our future is going to be. I tell my children that all I want for them is to love the Lord with all of their heart, mind, and soul and He will give them the desires of their heart because their heart will be in tune with God. We will only be happy if we are with the one that God has planned for us.
Deuteronomy 6:5
   "And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might."
The following pictures are just a few that I have taken of some friends that I say are great examples of happily married Christian friends. I have a lot more friends that I could say are in the same category but I don't have their picture :) . Thank you to those of you that have been married many years and have been a great example to me -like Art & Harriette Christmann that are celebrating 67 years and Nanny & Poppy celebrating 53 years. Thank you also for the friends that have been married about the same number of years as we have been and are continuing on as great examples. And then thank you to those that are just starting out and looking forward to being married-it's a wonderful journey that will be filled with both happy times and sometimes bumps, but a time where you can grow closer to each other as you grow closer to the Lord. Remember that our mate cannot fulfill all of our needs-only Christ can do that for us. Whether or not God brings a help-mate along for you, our first priority should be loving, honoring & following Him-if we realize that then the rest of our life will fall into place.

If God has given you a mate then be sure to thank the Lord for them and then tell them that you are thankful for them and you love them. If God hasn't chosen that path for you then rejoice in the life He has given you and continue to follow what plan He has laid before you. Only God can totally satisfy!

Gentlemen...Start your Engines!

Tonight was our annual A.W.A.N.A. Grand Prix. For those of you not familiar with this event, it is a time when the kids in our church have the opportunity to make a race car out of a kit (block of wood, 4 axles, and 4 wheels). It is always fun to see what styles the kids come up with and how fast the cars are able to race down the track.  Our age group starts off with our "Cubbies" and they get to race a matchbox car down the track. We had 5 little ones that LOVED racing their car! 

Then we moved to the next age group which were the "Sparks" (K5-2nd grade). There were 2 boys and 2 girls that raced. We had the Sweetheart Cart, the Speeding bullet, Racing to Heaven, and the Lightning Bolt. They did a great job and the Speeding Bullet (Brogan's car) definitely flew down the track! 

Our T-n-T group only had 3 entries this year but they did a great job! My clubber Grace had the "Super Hero" car and she took 1st in speed and design. 

They also had her race  Brogan to see if the Super Hero was faster than a speeding bullet! :) (It almost was!) 

I also made an entry. Dave named mine "Cupcake Wars"! 

It was over the weight so I wasn't planning on racing it, but Eli asked me to race against him. Since mine was so much heavier though mine won! It was fun to make! I'm so thankful to my hubby for helping me cut it all out this week!

I think that everyone had a lot of fun, either participating or just watching. I also appreciated Pastor Andy and the brief challenge he brought after the races. He talked about how we are all in a race. We either join in the race, once we are saved, or we are on the sideline just watching the race. Once we join the race God is always there and available to help us, one day at a time-He's the best pit chief you could ever ask for. And it's great to know that when we see the checkered flag and cross the finish line He will be there to welcome us. Will He tell you "Well done my good and faithful servant"? 

TGIF

Today was my last Friday to work for the rest of the year!!!

My picture shows how I decided to relax tonight! Reading a good book on my kindle while having a cup of coffee (with flavored creamer) and listening to Beth's Enchanted & Tangled C.D.s.

Isn't it nice to once in awhile just have some down time without any obligations? I love just being in my home with no where to go. It's nice to be able to close off the outside world and all of its busyness. Tomorrow comes soon enough and why worry over it now? I can't change it. I can only take one day at a time and give 100 percent to what I have to do right now. (This is something I struggle with and have to constantly work on-with God's help.) 

James 4:13-15

  "Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”

Don't bite off more than you can chew. It's a saying we hear a lot but it is true. We say yes to a lot of things-we may not want to disappoint others or we think we can do it all. It's hard to say that little word - no - but sometimes it is for the best. My big brother has always said-"it's no more spiritual to burn out than to rust out". If God is calling to you do a ministry than go to it with all you have but if you are just filling a spot then you should take some time to pray and contemplate whether you are the person God would have to do the job. God has given us different gifts and called us to different ministries to work together.

Ephesians 4:16 

"From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love."

View through a window

This is one of my favorite times of day-when the sun has gone down before it is totally dark.

This is my favorite view-it looks over my lanai out to our lake and the woods beyond. It's relaxing to sit in my chair and hear the waterfall and watch the wildlife in our own backyard. What's outside your window?

Do you take the time to sit and enjoy it? Maybe you look out to your neighbor's house? Have you introduced yourself to them? If they watch you through their window do they see you going to church each week? Are you a witness to them? We have had neighbors comment to us about it. If you have scenery out of your window have you thanked the Lord for His beautiful creation and how artistic He is? We are so blessed for all we have. We live in a free country where we can choose where we want to live and work. We have the opportunity to go to a church of our choice and worship God freely. We can go to school and learn a trade or profession and get a job. 

This leads me to another picture I took this week. Yesterday was Administrative Professional day (formally Secretary's day). I am blessed to have a job working for a Christian business man. I love my job and what I do. I love meeting people and talking with them one day at a time. Yesterday my boss bought my lunch (yum) and gave me a gift card to use at a local spa. 

Are we thankful for what we have or where we work? Do we give 100% to our bosses while we are at work or do we come in late and leave early and grumble while we are there?

"Whatsoever we do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him."  Col. 3:17

Do you care?

I took this picture tonight when J.W. helped me in the nursery. We had this one sweet little guy. I wasn't sure what my topic would be or what I wanted to talk about because of it. I could talk about how as we get older there are always the younger ones that look up to us. It should make us reflect on our actions and attitudes wherever we are or whatever we are doing. He loved J.W.-he would run at him and hug him around the legs calling him "Ja"! Just showing a little concern or genuine compassion to someone can make a big difference. We are to show the love of Christ to those around us.

You could also talk about how as we raise our children we need to raise them to be loving, caring human beings that show compassion to others. This can be done by raising our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord one day at a time, teaching them the Bible, from passages like Deuteronomy 6: 5-7:

  5And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

   6And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

   7And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

Or I could just talk about how it is 2 boys having fun drawing together!! :)

Laugh...

The picture I will be posting today is of a friend laughing. 

It reminded me of the line, "Laugh and the world laughs with you, weep and you weep alone." That then had me do a little research to see where that quote came from and I found out that it is the beginning of a poem by Ella Wilcox. 

You really need to read the entire poem but the first paragraph goes like this-

Laugh, and the world laughs with you:

Weep, and you weep alone;

For the sad old earth

Must borrow its mirth,

It has trouble enough of its own.

The rest of the poem talks some more of the same and says that when things are going well you have a lot of friends-it speaks of the way of the world-fair weather friends.

This then caused me to stop and think about scripture and how we really should be-

 Romans 12:15:

Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.

If you are a true friend and one that wishes to be like Christ one day at a time then you will be there no matter what. You will be there to laugh during the good times and you will be there to cry with them and lend a shoulder of support during the sad times. I wouldn't want to be known as a fair weather friend-one that breezed in during the good times but ran out as soon as it got a little tough.

True friendship takes time and effort but it is so worth it!

Fit for a Princess

Today is the first day of National Princess Week. All little girls love princesses. They love to dress up like one in the beautiful gowns and read books about them and watch them in movies. Who doesn't love Belle, Snow White, Ariel or Cinderella?

They are all pretty and they all find their Prince and live happily ever after in a beautiful castle.

These princesses are all make believe. Have you ever thought about the real live princesses or queens? We know a little bit about Princess Diana and Princess Kate as we read about their lives or see them on TV.

You can even go and visit the castle where they live. But today I was thinking about another queen.

Queen Esther came to my mind.  She wasn't looking to become a queen but her cousin persuaded her to join the group that put her in a position to be chosen as the king's next queen. We aren't told that she loved her husband and yet she was there to save her people. She has a whole book written about her and there is a real life villain in the story by the name of Haman. There also is a happy ending as the Lord helps her to expose Haman's evil deeds and she saves her people.  If you haven't taken the time or don't know about the book of Esther you should look it up. It's in the Old Testament of the Bible. It only has 9 chapters. You won't be disappointed. Enjoy a story that is true and shows how a princess lives one day at a time exactly how the Lord wants her to and obeys and is able to be used of the Lord in saving an entire nation.

Happy National Princess Week!!

A Special Day for a Special Lady~

Today's blog is just an opportunity to wish my Southern Mama a very Happy Birthday. We had her family and  one of our mutual friends over for lunch and then to enjoy the cake and ice cream that her hubby got for her.

God puts us here on earth to live one day at a time and Peggy has enjoyed 65 years!

It's fun to celebrate birthdays and most of you know that I am the first to celebrate. I want to be sure to say though that although physical birthdays are fun there is another birthday that is more important-the one that we celebrate because of  the day that we accepted Christ as our personal Savior.

John 3:1-5

 1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

Do you celebrate 2 birthdays each year?

A Fishy Day

Today we chose to go on our April Date-a day at Mote Marine Aquarium and dinner at Anna Maria Oyster Bar. It was a good day to do so since we were having storms come through our area. 

We used our season passes and ran through the raindrops into the Aquarium. We have lived here almost 13 years and hadn't ever been here and we were pleasantly surprised.

It was a nice place with a lot of different tanks and a variety of beautiful creatures. It once again reminded me that God is such an amazing creative Creator. I loved the lion fish and the jelly fish and all of the sea horses they breed and raise.

A little octopus that enjoys playing with Legos

Seahorses that are about 1 month old. The zip ties help them learn to use their tails to grip.

This turtle had been injured and didn't have the use of his back legs.

 We saw sharks and manatees and even a dolphin that had been injured 9 years ago and now lived there due to a liver condition-we were able to watch a training session. They had a hospital there for animals and a bird sanctuary for injured seabirds as well.

There are 3 locations for this restaurant and we tried the one that we had not visited before. We made it before the early bird hours were over and our gift card covered our entire meal!! Bill had all-you-can-eat fish and chips and I enjoyed a coconut covered Talapia-yum!!

Today we saw just a small variety of the sea animals that God created on the 5th day of creation.

Genesis 1:20-23

  20And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.

   21And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

   22And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.

   23And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

 It once again reminded me what an amazing God we have. God allowed us to have so many different varieties of creatures to enjoy one day at a time.

Endorsements and Recommendations

It's Friday and I made it through another busy tax season!! I don't have anything new to share but I did take a couple of pictures this week. We had a client bring us cupcakes-(Rica's Cakes) this week and a bank stopped by with some as well-if you know me you know that I love cupcakes and then they were delivered to us twice this week!!

My boss closed the office a little early today and that was a wonderful blessing too!! I ran errands and then was able to go to dinner with my hubby! We ate at a favorite place of ours- Bogeys!

Bill loves their pizza and I have a few favorites but tonight I had a burger! We ended our evening out at our favorite shopping store-Publix Lakewood Walk, to get groceries for the week! 

Do you recommend places or things to your friends? Do they ask for your opinion?

I know that a lot of businesses rely on word of mouth to get the word out there and bring in customers.

Why do you like the places that you chose to eat at or shop in? Is it the brands they carry, the customer service, the prices, or the atmosphere? 

Have you ever thought of yourself as a walking advertisement? We are if we are Christians. What we say and do can point others to Christ one day at a time-we can show that we are different so that people ask us what it is that makes us different-what is the joy on our face or the way we handle pain and loss with a peace that they don't understand. My prayer is that I can be a positive advertisement for being a follower of Christ!

Ephesians 5:1
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.

Beauty & The Beast

Tonight we went to school to see the Jr/Sr High perform the musical-Beauty and the Beast! They did a magnificent job! Belle was played by a beautiful  & sweet girl that I used to babysit when she was little. She sings like an angel and looks right at home as she performed. The rest of the cast did such a wonderful job. Each one seemed to own their part and play it well. Ashton played Cogsworth and had the accent and humor down so that we laughed along with some of his lines. Ben sang his part and I loved his accent as Lumiere! Ben was Gaston and his height added well to the part and he did a great job with his acting and his singing. Heather was so cute and one of my favorite characters as Babette the feather duster-such a flirt! The other characters had great outfits and added so much to the entire musical. They pulled it altogether after practicing one day at a time and did a great job. The set was neat too because Jim built it to be able to roll yet all the walls were attached so they could rotate around-such a savings on space but allowed for 3 different scenes in one!

If you were there tonight then I'm sure you enjoyed it as much as I did. It made me think about a couple of things. One, I love fairy tales because they always have a Happy Ending! Life isn't always like that-we can't be guaranteed a happy ending while here on earth because we live in a world marred by sin. But that isn't the end of the story-if we are Christians then we do have a happy ending because we know that we will end up in Heaven with Christ-our King!

I was also reminded that we need to look beyond the surface. Love doesn't depend just on looks and money and prestige and power. Love will continue through sickness, pain, blemishes, and debt.

James 1:11

For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes.

 Christ looked beyond our sin and still loved us enough to send His son to take our sin so that we could have fellowship with Him. He looks beyond the appearance to the heart. 

I Samuel 16:7

For the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart. 

Beauty is in the eye of the Beholder!