Sunday morning when I went out to let the chickens out of their coop- I realized that it was beautiful outside and that since we would later be going to my MIL's house for lunch(and also that the high would be in the mid 90's) that now was the best time to get out and get some work done in my yard. So I just put on my clothes from the day before and got to work. I did all the weed eating my two batteries would let me do. Then I started working on an eye sore of an area of our yard. This was where we had our wood pile before we moved it to a much better place. There were all sorts of logs - some being too big(which is why they had not been moved yet. And then a lot of little pieces of wood and branches. With a whole lot of weeds grown up around it all. There was also a Large piece of the roof laying in that area - along with a few smaller ones on top of it. This was from when my husband built a roof over our porch and enclosed it. This had been an area of my yard that I wanted to get cleaned up for a long time but did not think I could do it by myself. So I had just tried to ignore it. Well not today. Today I decided that I would get it cleaned up. So I got to work. Moved a whole lot of wood out to the wood pile and I even moved that big piece of roofing. Let me tell you what - it was HEAVY. I prayed and asked God to give me the strength to get it moved. And I did it!! When I was getting to the end of cleaning up this area - I realized something very important. I am really changing. Oh I have known for a long time - hence the title to my blog. But this time I realized that in times before - when my Mother was unhappy with me - that I would put so much focus on to why she did not love me? Why it was so easy for her to turn her back on me? Why I wasn't of very much value? You get the point. Anyway this time it is different- this time I am putting my focus into things that I need to do and I am not allowing the thought that I can't do it, stop me. I think before my thinking would have been my Mom does not have much faith in me and that I can not do much - and I would let it paralyze me. But this time, I am learning that I get my value from God(as does everyone) and that I just need to let go of those feelings of being inferior and I just need to take the next step. And the next step just happened to be - to clean up my yard. And you know what? This time I have something to enjoy and appreciate. I look forward to when I will have much more of the projects that I really need to get done and I can put my focus into making the yard a more beautiful and enjoyable space - I know- I am working on the first steps to that by cleaning up the debris and all but I have a vision that one day - this yard will be an inviting, enjoyable space.


And for any of you out there that have people in your life that try to hold you down - don't let them. Put your focus on Jesus. Remember how much he loves you - that he died on the cross for YOU and that He has enough faith in you - for You do to ANYTHING that HE wants you to do. :o)

Gray Dots or Golden Stars

After reading the story -"You are Special" about the wooden people. It got me thinking - which of these stickers am I handing out? We really do have the ability to brighten someones day or to bring a dark cloud over someones day as well. There are a lot of hurting people out there that need the love of Jesus to shine through you and me. And really only by allowing God's love to penetrate our hearts are we able to truly love other people.

"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant
5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;
6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.
7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never ends.." 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a


After reading this passage in the Bible - it is obvious that Loving is a tall order to fill. But when we have Jesus in our hearts - he gives us this love for others. This is something I really need to work on. I am a sinful person and I have the tendency to want to react to other people's unlovely behaviors in a not so lovely way.


By spending more and more time with my Maker, I hope to become more and more like Him. May I allow Him to work through me and may I allow God to love other people through me. And may I avoid passing out the gray dots and instead stick with using the golden star instead.

And the next time that someone tries to stick a gray dot on you because you don't live up to their expectations- Stop and watch as that dot falls to the ground as you realize that your value comes from your Maker. :o)

Absolutely Beautiful

Absolutely Beautiful - that is what God thinks of you and me!! The other night I had a dream. And in this dream someone told me that I was absolutely beautiful. Well I am not a beauty according to this worlds standards so it is not like I go around thinking that I am so beautiful. So you can understand how being told that I was Absolutely Beautiful really stuck out in my mind. The next day as I was driving - I was thinking and this statement popped into my mind. And it was like all of a sudden I understood that it was God telling me that to Him - I.. am.. Absolutely.. Beautiful... and that not only me - but He feels that way about everyone. He is our maker and He made us just the way we are. And to Him - we are beautiful. So the next time you look into the mirror- please remember that God loves you and thinks that you are not just beautiful - but Absolutely Beautiful. And if you need some help remembering this - write it on a piece of paper and tape it on your mirror- or somewhere else that you will see it often as a reminder. And I hope that as you realize how beautiful you are to God that you will feel His love penetrating your heart, to a much deeper part of your soul. :o)

You Are Special

I just had to share this with you all today. This is a Max Lucado book. I will be buying this book for sure. There is such a great message here. I hope you are as blessed as I was. :o)

You Are Special

The Wemmicks were small wooden people. Each of the wooden people was carved by a woodworker named Eli. His workshop sat on a hill overlooking their village. Every Wemmick was different. Some had big noses, others had large eyes. Some were tall and others were short. Some wore hats, others wore coats. But all were made by the same carver and all lived in the village. And all day, every day, the Wemmicks did the same thing: They gave each other stickers. Each Wemmick had a box of golden star stickers and a box of gray dot stickers. Up and down the streets all over the city, people could be seen sticking stars or dots on one another.

The pretty ones, those with smooth wood and fine paint, always got stars. But if the wood was rough or the paint chipped, the Wemmicks gave dots. The talented ones got stars, too. Some could lift big sticks high above their heads or jump over tall boxes. Still others knew big words or could sing very pretty songs. Everyone gave them stars.

Some Wemmicks had stars all over them! Every time they got a star it made them feel so good that they did something else and got another star. Others, though, could do little. They got dots.

Punchinello was one of these. He tried to jump high like the others, but he always fell. And when he fell, the others would gather around and give him dots.

Sometimes when he fell, it would scar his wood, so the people would give him more dots. He would try to explain why he fell and say something silly, and the Wemmicks would give him more dots. After a while he had so many dots that he didn't want to go outside. He was afraid he would do something dumb such as forget his hat or step in the water, and then people would give him another dot. In fact, he had so many gray dots that some people would come up and give him one without reason. "He deserves lots of dots," the wooden people would agree with one another. "He's not a good wooden person."

After a while Punchinello believed them. "I'm not a good Wemmick," he would say. The few times he went outside, he hung around other Wemmicks who had a lot of dots. He felt better around them.

One day he met a Wemmick who was unlike any he'd ever met. She had no dots or stars. She was just wooden. Her name was Lucia. It wasn't that people didn't try to give her stickers; it's just that the stickers didn't stick. Some admired Lucia for having no dots, so they would run up and give her a star. But it would fall off. Some would look down on her for having no stars, so they would give her a dot. But it wouldn't stay either. 'That's the way I want to be,'thought Punchinello. 'I don't want anyone's marks.' So he asked the stickerless Wemmick how she did it. "It's easy," Lucia replied. "every day I go see Eli."

"Eli?" "Yes, Eli. The woodcarver. I sit in the workshop with him." "Why?" "Why don't you find out for yourself? Go up the hill. He's there."

And with that the Wemmick with no marks turned and skipped away. "But he won't want to see me!" Punchinello cried out. Lucia didn't hear. So Punchinello went home. He sat near a window and watched the wooden people as they scurried around giving each other stars and dots. "It's not right," he muttered to himself. And he resolved to go see Eli. He walked up the narrow path to the top of the hill and stepped into the big shop. His wooden eyes widened at the size of everything. The stool was as tall as he was. He had to stretch on his tiptoes to see the top of the workbench. A hammer was as long as his arm. Punchinello swallowed hard. "I'm not staying here!" and he turned to leave. Then he heard his name.

"Punchinello?" The voice was deep and strong. Punchinello stopped. "Punchinello! How good to see you. Come and let me have a look at you." Punchinello turned slowly and looked at the large bearded craftsman. "You know my name?" the little Wemmick asked.

"Of course I do. I made you." Eli stooped down and picked him up and set him on the bench. "Hmm," the maker spoke thoughtfully as he inspected the gray circles. "Looks like you've been given some bad marks." "I didn't mean to, Eli. I really tried hard." "Oh, you don't have to defend yourself to me, child. I don't care what the other Wemmicks think." "You don't?"

No, and you shouldn't either. Who are they to give stars or dots?
They're Wemmicks just like you. What they think doesn't matter, Punchinello. All that matters is what I think. And I think you are pretty special."
Punchinello laughed. "Me, special? Why? I can't walk fast. I can't jump. My paint is peeling. Why do I matter to you?"

Eli looked at Punchinello, put his hands on those small wooden shoulders, and spoke very slowly. "Because you're mine. That's why you matter to me."
Punchinello had never had anyone look at him like this--much less his maker. He didn't know what to say.
"Every day I've been hoping you'd come," Eli explained.
"I came because I met someone who had no marks."
"I know. She told me about you."
"Why don't the stickers stay on her?"
"Because she has decided that what I think is more important than what they think. The stickers only stick if you let them."

"What?"
"The stickers only stick if they matter to you. The more you trust my love, the less you care about the stickers."
"I'm not sure I understand."
"You will, but it will take time. You've got a lot of marks. For now, just come to see me every day and let me remind you how much I care." Eli lifted Punchinello off the bench and set him on the ground. "Remember," Eli said as the Wemmick walked out the door. "You are special because I made you. And I don't make mistakes."

Punchinello didn't stop, but in his heart he thought, "I think he really means it."
And when he did, a dot fell to the ground.


May all your dots fall silently to the ground, for if given by man, they matter only to other men, if given by the Gods, no one questions, the scars that make up our lives. (when given the choice, pass out stars, drop the dots in the trash.)



- Max Lucado

People Pleaser or God Pleaser?

OK - Today is going to be kind of a part two of this post Here "in whom I am well pleased" was the name of that post.
But before we get to that point - let's go back to the beginning. I think I have shared before about being a people pleaser. And this is not really a good thing. One of the negatives of being a people pleaser is that fact that if other people are upset with you - it really hurts you deeply.
Earlier this week, I felt the need to set a boundary with a family member. This person has the habit of only accepting me if I make her happy. And ever since I wrote a very nice little message to her and explained my thoughts - I have not heard one word from her. And that is not like her - Especially after we missed the last hour of Biggest Loser because of the weather reports going on. Normally I would have gotten a phone call from her asking me if I knew what the results were. Well this week I did not get that call. And yesterday it was starting to get to me. So I began to ask my self questions and I even asked it on Facebook - What causes a child(because mine began as a child) to be a people pleaser? Well I asked this question late enough that I really needed to get to bed instead of waiting up to find out what answers may be.
I went to bed and as I was laying there - as my habit is - I began to pray and then my mind wondered- but did it?

"And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased." Luke 3:22

Then the thought occurred to me - why was God pleased with Jesus - because Jesus was doing His will. Some how I got mixed up and I thought that my job was to please other people, but the truth is that I am only to be concerned with pleasing God - and in order to do that I need to do the will of God - not the will of people around me. How freeing this was to me last night!

I don't need to be concerned about what other people think of me.


My value is based on how much God loves me. And He "..SO loved the world that, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life." And so is your value! :o)

Our Afternoon Excitement!

Yesterday afternoon my husband and son were out back working on the chicken coop. I had just dumped some bags of birdseed into containers in the back yard. I went into the house and noticed my little black cat by the back door leading into the garage. Well I needed to take the birdseed bags out to the trashcans. I looked out the back door and noticed that our outside cat was laying a couple of feet away. Not thinking anything of it I opened the back door wide. Finkle, out door cat, jumped up ran towards the door. He made a pit stop to pick up the rat that lay on the rug at the door. It happened so quickly that I did not realize he had the rat till he was in the HOUSE. Well I must have scared him with my hollering cause he dropped the rat. Well I tried to get the rat with my picker upper, with no success. He picked up the rat and I did my best to get in front of him to keep him from going too much further through the house. I grabbed my phone to call my son in the house. Luckily my husband walked in about that time and we all three did our best and finally got the rat and the cat out of the house. It was a fun afternoon. I will be more vigilant to check for presents on my back rug before I open that door, or any other door. :O)

Long Time No See

Here is a treasure that I found at a favorite thrift store. I love this picture. It is so relaxing to look at it. This photo of it does not do it justice - it is beautiful! I saw it and thought ok- I want t but don't want to pay over $5.00 for it - well I got it and turned it over and was pleased to see a $3.00 price tag! :o)

Well I know I have not been around much lately. I have had to work a few extra shifts due to my MIL having a few appt. I would like to ask for prayer for her. It could be very serious and I will probably share more later if everything goes the way it looks as it may. We are hoping for the best.

I have been slowly trying to get our yard under control. I finally figured it all out. After my husband was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson's - I got discouraged and some what depressed and I just let some things go. Well now I am paying the consequences for it. I am slowly getting some knee deep grass and weeds- weeded. Slowly but surely things are coming together. I am thrilled to be making progress.

Well I better get off of here for now. I hope you all are doing well. Please be sure and Keep God first in your life - that way you have the strength to stand when the hard winds blow. :o)

Bit by Bit

I have shared how things around here have really gotten out of hand. With so much going on and my husband not being able to help with some of the jobs. And some of those jobs being things that have seemed over whelming to me. At this point I had few choices. Since it seemed so overwhelming I could just decide it was too much and ignore it but where would that get me? No where at all. And in fact things would be more out of hand than they already are. So I decided to make a list. Well looking around here and looking at the list was overwhelming for sure. How was I going to get it all done?
I looked at the list and I thought - Ok - what should I start with. And I went and did a job. In fact that was when I spent a day off this last week working on cleaning out part of our garage so that we could move some metal shelves in - so we could organize some of the things easier. This was a job that I had felt I needed to put off because I do not like cleaning areas that have mostly my husbands things- I don't know what is important and what is not. Well I accomplished what I set out to do. When he got home from work, he went through some things and told me if they were important or not - get rid of or keep. And he brought the metal cabinets in for me. I finished up cleaning things up and organizing things a bit. And when this job was done, I felt fantastic! I had finished something that I had wanted to do for a LONG time.
Then I looked at the list and I am slowly but surely knocking things off of my list. This morning - I was able to get a good amount of things done our in the yard. It is about 82 degrees but very humid and sticky out there. So I have come in to see what on my list I can accomplish inside.
So my whole point to this post - well it is to say - when we come up to times in our lives that things seem to feel overwhelming - don't get discouraged. Just decide to do what you can do today. That is really all you are responsible for today anyway. And if you take a large task and do it bit by bit - you will be surprised that the whole jobs will become manageable. No -things around here are not under control yet. But I am making good strides in that direction.
Another pointer I would have for you all - is to diligently work at things bit by bit. It is when we ignore problems and allow things to get out of control - that bring up to those times of feeling overwhelmed. This is true in taking care of your house, your yard, and also your weight. I mention these things because they are things that are true in my life. Bit by bit we will reach our goals - if set reasonably, of course. :o)

A Song From the Heart

Yes -I know that I just shared this song - and recently at that. But trust me - I have a reason for sharing it again.
Last night as I was driving home - I was listening to the radio and they were doing a top 10 songs of the week. And as the dj explained something about this song that helped me realize why his song speaks to me SO much.
It seems that just a couple of years ago - Laura Story's husband was diagnosed with a brain tumor. I think that is what they said. Now that would be scary. And it also tells me that she totally understand some of what I am feeling. And that these words to this song are from her heart. I think those are the best songs - when they come from the heart. Going through rough times really does change you perspective on things. And the good news is that going through those hard times - if we let them will bring us into a closer personal relationship with Jesus Christ. And that is really what it is all about.
As we are at the beginning of a new week - I hope that everyone has a great week!! :o)

When the To Do List gets Out of Control

Well we started some major projects around here and then it got really hot. So the projects slowed down. Then my husband had his back surgery -which brought our projects to a stand still. Then once he was better and released back to work, and the weather was better. Then his work approved overtime and had MANY jobs that needed to be done - so for several weeks he worked his tail off - just not around our house. Well and then wouldn't you know it about the time that we could get back into getting some of these things done - he went into the hospital. If it was not one thing, it was another. Well all of this to say that our To Do list is very long. I mean LONG. So I have decided that I am going to look at the list and I am going to start doing what I can do and hope that I can get things under control around here. Our yard has had to be mowed several times already - but I have not been able to keep up with the weed eating and we have a lot of TALL grass. So I will just have to work at it until I get it under control. I am going to see if my husband can fix the push mower - because the way our yard is - there is quite a bit of it tat needs to be pushed mowed - and that will cut down a little on the amount of weed eating that has to be done.

Well today I decided to work on a couple of the projects that I have really wanted done. My Mom had given us several metal shelving units for the garage. They were stacked outside and grass was grown up all around them. So first I had to weed eat to get to them. I really don't like to walk through grass that is like 2 + feet tall - We do have snakes around here and I would rather not meet one face to face -or rather foot to face.

So I got enough weed eated and then pulled the shelving units out so we could get to them when we needed them. And then I started working on cleaning part of our garage. It was in really pretty bad shape. For some reason - some people around my house don't know how to through stuff in the trash. Well that is the only conclusion that I can come up with when I end up with a large trash can full of trash from just the area in front of my car and around my washer and dryer and by the back door- next to washer and dryer. My plan had been to clean the area in front of my car and us put the shelving units there. So we got them set up there Two 3 foot shelves. And we got most of those areas cleaned up. I need to do a bit more cleaning on top of the washer and dryer and on the shelves above the washer and dryer. I also got some fire wood taken back to where we like to stack our wood - to prepare for next year.

While I was working I found a couple of boxes of my clothes and I have gone through them and I have sorted it out. I have a big trash bag to give to my sister. And ended up with 2 loads - a light and a dark load of clothes to try on and see if they will work. I am sure that part of them will not but I have to try them on and see.

There are a lot more jobs around here that need to be done but I will tackle one job at a time and I am hoping that I will be able get that list under control some time soon.

Blooming Where You are Planted

When I was about to leave Walmart, I stopped to talk to the door greeter. She is a very nice lady. As we talked she told me that one of her favorite parts of her job is to give the kids stickers. And that when she puts them on their hand that she then makes sure it is on good - and tells them that the reason why they are getting the sticker is because they are Special! What a ministry!! You know - that may be the ONLY time that this child ever hears that they are special. That is what I call - Blooming where you are planted!
We each have a special area of influence that no one else has. No one else can come in and make the difference that God has created us to make. Therefore, we need to be in tune to the Holy Spirit and obey when we are lead to act. It might change the life of someone else. And how awesome would that be?!! :o)

A Healthier Alternative

Ricotta Style Filling

2 lb. Tofu(firm)
1/4 C. Lemon Juice
2 tsp. Honey
4 tsp. Basil
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 tsp. salt

Drain Tofu and mash thoroughly with a fork. Then add the remaining ingredients. This is great to use in Lasagna. I also use some real cheese but this has a great flavor and by using this - you use much less cheese, which of course, is not very good for you.
My husband, who was raised on meat and still loves his meat, likes the lasagna when I use this.
I had lost this recipe for a LONG time and I just happened to come across it last week. So glad to have it again. I will probably make this for my family for Sabbath Dinner.

Sabbath Praises

As you all know - the last couple of weeks have been hard for our family. Well this week I just happened to hear a great song that really spoke to me. And I wanted to share it with you all. I hope you are blessed by it as I was. "What if healing comes through tears?" This phrase really speaks to me.
May God bless you all in a very special way! :o)

I'm Back

Wow- it has been a while. Last week our family went through some stressful times. It is not really something I can share on here - as it is not really my information to share. But we are praising God that it looks like things are more back to more normal now. And we pray that they will continue to be so. These circumstances really brought back some bad emotionally feelings from my growing up and so I had to work through those.

Then once our lives were a bit more back to normal and I was feeling like blogging again - I came to work on a post and could not get into Blogger. Now it seems that all those problems have been resolved as well.

So this week - I had to work more than usual because my son ended up getting bronchitis. One day after work - I was really needing gas and so I drove to a favorite gas station nearby. Now this gas station is only about 1/2 mile down the street from one of my favorite Goodwill's and I could not pass up stopping by to see if there were any treasures to be found and sure enough, there were. I found a great set of Tupperware measuring cups! I love Tupperware measuring cups - and I don't care what color they are - they are wonderful. And for $1.50 - I was excited to get them!
Then as I am looking I come across these Handmade Soaps! And when I first saw them I was just excited with the fact that they were homemade and smelled good. And when I got home and I really looked at them, I noticed they were from Walnut Grove Mercantile - just like on Little House on the Prairie!!! They were $1.00 a piece - Great prices!!

And one more treasure was found! This is a salt and pepper set from Avon - $1.00 a piece. They are milk glass. And the tops of them are plastic. I love the little scene on the front of them. It is too bad that things are not made like they used to be. I am hoping to find out about what year these are from. I have not found that out yet. If any of you guys know how I would find that out - or if you know when they came out- I would really love to hear.

I really like the old Avon perfume bottles - that were different shaped. I have quite a collection of them. I am lucky and find more of them at Goodwill for $1.00 -some have been $2.00 but not many at all.

One more thing that I would like to share today. I have been reading along with the Blogging through the Gospels. And today as I was reading- a question that I have had was answered. And it got me thinking- it is really important to read through our Bibles because the Bible will answer alot of the questions that we have - of course with the help of the Holy Spirit. Something that I have been doing is taking notes as I go along and that way I can refer back to it when I have questions. Anyway - if you are not already doing so - it would be well worth it to start reading your Bible through. And remember if you would rather begin reading in Matthew that is perfectly fine. You will get a blessing reading your Bible - I know I sure have.

Well I do hope that everyone is doing good. Have a wonderful week end! :o)

Being God's Special Messenger

I have a great little story behind this song. My Mother-in-Law loves the Gaithers. So several weeks ago while we were at Cracker Barrel and I saw a cute little plaque that said, "I am loved, you are loved." and it had little beads and a key hanging off of it. Well when I saw it, I knew I wanted to get it to put with the other things that I had gotten for my Mother in law.
When she got it - she had a great story to share. She had gotten out of her second marriage- he was an abusive man. And she was afraid to marry again. And she had meant a new man - and he had proposed. Well she had prayed about it and the next day went to church and this song was sung as special music. It was just what she needed. She said yes - and she was married to him right at 30 years when he passed away a little over a year ago. And Now she has this plaque that not only reminds her of the love she had with AQ - but also God's special answer. And I liked being a part of God getting that reminder to her. :o)

TGIF

So sorry for getting lost in action there for a bit. The last couple of weeks have been very stressful. Some things have be going on that I really can not talk about on here. But I can say that these things have been very stressful for me. And unfortunately it has pushed me towards that unhealthy emotional eating that I tend to head for when things are stressful. You know the situations that there is nothing that you can do about. For some reason - my mind is programmed to want chocolate ad sweets in those times. I have been working through these feelings and hoping that I can at least maintain my weight for a while till I can get into a better frame of mind.
We had a lot of rain at the beginning of the week, and then it has cleared up. And I am thankful to say that we were finally able to get our yard mowed. And I have spent some time the last two days trying to get some weed eating done. There is still a lot to do. We need to get our push mower fixed so that there is less weed eating that has to be done. It can become overwhelming quickly. But at least the yard is beginning to look nicer.
Oh and gas prices - it looks like they have come down a bit. $3.69 in one of the towns nearby. Just curious - What do the gas prices look like in your area?

Hi!

Hello - I am hoping to be back to regular posting tomorrow. Last week was a rough week and we are recouping. Hope everyone is going good. May God bless you in a special way! :o)