Working in the Yard

Yesterday we spent a lot of time working in the yard. I got a lot of weed eating done, which felt great because it makes the yard look so much nicer. I have some more to get done and I will slowly work on it through the week. We tackled a job that has needed attention for quite some time now - we trimmed our bushes! This was a pretty big job. Lots of picking up leaves and branches and hauling them to the burn pile in the back yard. Oh I don't know if I shared this or not but about 2 - 3 weeks ago - we FINALLY got our LARGE burn pile burned!! It was so nice to finally get it done. It was like 2 years worth of branches and such and with all the work we have done in the yard these past 2 years - it was a LARGE pile. Anyway now we are filling it up again with stuff.
One sad story to tell about trimming the bushes. My husband had to get some loppers out to cut some thick branches - they had not been trimmed in 2 years so it was big job. Anyway after he cut a particular branch off - he noticed(before he the throw it to the pile) that there was a birds nest in it- with 2 small blue eggs in it. :o(
We then noticed some birds chirping nearby. Come to find out it was the nest of some cardinals. My husband put the branch back in the middle of the bush - so that hopefully the birds can hatch the eggs. I sure hope that it will work. Had no idea there could be a nest in there.
I also worked in my chicken coop. I shoveled out the layer of chicken manure out of the bottom of the coop. Then I got all the hay out of the laying bins and replaced it with nice fresh hay. I also worked on getting a compost pile going - well I had one going already in a smaller trashcan. I have a large trashcan that I am using to make a bigger compost pile. And I took the small trash can and poured it into the bigger one. I added the stuff from the bottom of the chicken coop and some fresh leaves and the hay from the bins. Oh when I poured the compost that I already had going - I was thrilled to see earth worms in it! I raked up some fresh leaves and put them in the small trash can to start working on decomposing them. I am looking forward to the results of having some great dirt when this stuff breaks down!
I got the chickens fresh water and watered our garden. Oh - I got my first zucchini this week end!! And have lots of yellow squash growing.
It was nice to get a lot of the jobs that I wanted to get done. I even had a little time to play in my sewing room. I am starting a new project- I was only able to do a little bit of the planning and seeing what I had and what I needed but it felt good to get started on this project.
I may be getting a bit paranoid - but after all of my work in the yard- I can inside and took a shower. Ever since my experience with poison ivy this past month(still having some problems with it- have 6 or so places that are still itching quite a bit) I am scared that I will get it again if I am not careful.
Anyway that is what we did. What did ya'll do this week end? :O)

Sabbath Praise

I would have loved to have found a version of this with singing also. But I am thankful that it has the lyrics. This went right along the sermon - based on Isaiah 61:1-3 - wonderful verses- wonderful promises! :O)

Refreshing the Soul

Sometimes the soul just needs to get out into nature, to sit in the sunshine and breath the fresh air. This is what I needed and this is what I did last week. The past couple of weeks have been very hard on me - physically and mentally. I did not sleep very good for several weeks there - with the poison ivy and all. So it was very refreshing to my soul when we went camping last week.
We went a great state park that had a fishing pier. And we spent several evenings there fishing. Caught some awesome fish and just enjoyed each others company and also the fresh air and the sunshine. It was so refreshing to the soul.
I think that we all need to take time to refresh our souls. Spending time in nature is a great way to do that. But spending time in God's Word every day is a daily refreshing that we need. So please take time today to refresh your soul - spend some time in God's Word and nature if you can. :o)

Steve Harvey - Introduces Christ

My cousin posted this on Facebook this morning and when I heard it, I thought that it was an awesome way to start the day!! So I wanted to share it with you all just in case, like me, you have never seen this before!



I hope you all have a great day!! :O)

God's Watchful Care

Last week my husband and I went camping. After we got our RV all set up in our spot, we decided to drive to a nearby town to get a few things. We drove up a two lane road to the main road. As we sat at a red light - all of a SUDDEN a semi - came pulling up beside us on our left~ meaning he was on the wrong side of the road. He had been driving so fast that it took him till he got to the front of our truck or even a little ahead of our truck before he could get the semi to stop. Whoa. That was scary. We had no idea that he came so close to rear ended us going so very fast. Had he hit us going as fast as he was - we would have been seriously hurt - even though we were in a good sized Dodge truck. And had someone been coming the other direction - he could have killed them or they could have swerved to miss him and hit us head on. There are so many scenario's of what could have happened. I am so very thankful that God was watching over us and keeping us safe. I am so thankful for God's hand of safety on us that day and many other times that we have no idea of what we are protected from. When we get to heaven, I am sure we will be surprised to hear the many stories.

A Great Addition to My Kitchen

Ok -- So I have a spiral notebook somewhere around here with a few blog post written in it - but I can not seem to find it. So today I will share about something really cool that we found. 

On our way home from Waco a few weeks ago, we stopped by Hillsboro and the outlet stores there. We went to the kitchen store and found this little gem. An onion keeper. And let me tell you what - it works!!! There have been way too many times when I cut up an onion and have to double bag it or wrap it in foil and then put it in a baggy trying to keep the onion flavor from getting into all of my stuff in the fridge. Well This bowl actually works! Not only does it keep the onion scent inside the bowl but it keeps the onion fresh longer. We would have to get rid of onion after just a few days cause they would get kind of see through and I would be concerned about them. Now we can use the onion till we have used the onion up. 

 The secret seems to be the stainless steel lid. In the photo above it looks like I did not have the lid shut completely. It seals nicely and does an excellent job at keeping the onion fresh.

Sometimes I buy gadgets and such for the kitchen -and I am disappointed and wish I had not spent the money. Other times - I am thrilled with what I have found~ and this is one of those times. Just wanted to share.

Red Sea Rule #5

To review:
#1. " Realize that God means for you to be where you are."
#2. "Be more concerned for God's glory than for your relief."
#3. Acknowledge your enemy, but keep your eyes on the Lord."
#4. Pray


Red Sea Rule #5
"Stay calm and confident, and give God time to work."

"And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. 14. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace." Exodus 14:13-14

"I am waiting on Thee, Lord, to open the way." - J. Hudson Taylor

"In our distresses in life when trapped by the Red Sea, we must trust God with the impossible and leave room for Him to work, for the Lord has promised to fight for us." (page 54)

"Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." Deuteronomy 31:6

"What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?"
Romans 8:31

"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." Romans 8:37

"Many times we cannot solve problems, heal hurts, change circumstances, or win our own battles. We must kneel in prayer, then stand to see what He will do. We must leave room for God, staying calm and giving Him time to work." (page 56)

God's timing is not our timing. Many times we get impatient and want things to happen now. But that is not always the best way for things to happen. God knows the end from the beginning and there is a reason why He seems to take his time at answering our prayers at times. So we must trust Him and be patient. Give Him time and space to work. Not always easy but the best thing for us to do.

***Wow- it amazes me that these are as relevant to me today as when I read the book and wrote these posts up. I am glad I decided to re post them. I really needed to review them. I hope that they are a blessing to you as well. :o)

Back to Reality

Good Morning~ Well last week my husband and I went on a camping trip. We had a great time! It was very relaxing and refreshing. It's kind of funny - I felt pretty good and was thinking of the energy that I was feeling and that once we got home - of all the things I could get accomplished. Well the day that we came home -was the day that I dropped my prednisone from 2 times a day down to once a day. Well by Sunday - when I thought that I was going to get SO much done- I was having major hot flashes and a headache and just not feeling good. I was able to get a few things done around here - like the priority things that I really felt I needed to get done. I am SO hoping that I do not have those problems today. I have a pill to take today and this should end my prednisone. I am so ready to be off this medicine.

I have been itchy off and on the last week - but on Saturday night it flared up again and I had a rough night. I am so ready for all of this to be behind me. I am so thankful to be towards the end but will be thrilled when it is all gone.

I have an awesome story to share with you all of how God was watching over us on our trip, but I will have to share that later. I am going to have to get back into the swing of things and get myself to work. I have a lot of do to catch up. I hope you all have a great day! :o)

Sabbath Praise

"WHY THE AMERICAN FLAG IS FOLDED 13 TIMES"

Have you ever wondered why the Flag of the United

States of America is folded 13 times when it is
lowered or when it is folded and handed to the
next of kin at the burial of a veteran?

Here is the meaning of each of those folds and what it means:

The first fold of our Flag is a symbol of life.

The second fold is a symbol of our belief in eternal life.

The third fold is made in honor and remembrance of the
veterans departing our ranks who gave a portion of
their lives for the defense of our
country to attain peace throughout the world.

The fourth fold represents our weaker nature, for as
American citizens trusting, it is to Him we turn in
times of peace as well as in time of war for His
divine guidance.

The fifth fold is a tribute to our country, for in the
words of Stephen Decatur, "Our Country, in dealing
with other countries may she always be right; but it
is still our country, right or wrong."

The sixth fold is for where our hearts lie. It is
with our heart that we pledge allegiance to the Flag
of the United States of America, and to the
Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God,
indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

The seventh fold is a tribute to our Armed Forces, for
it is through the Armed Forces that we protect our
country and our flag against all her enemies, whether
they be found within or without the boundaries of our
Republic.

The eighth fold is a tribute to the one who entered
into the valley of the shadow of death, that we might
see the light of day, and to honor mother, for whom it
flies on Mother's Day.

The ninth fold is a tribute to womanhood; for it has
been through their faith, their love, loyalty and
devotion that the character of the men and women who
have made this country great has been molded.

The tenth fold is a tribute to the father, for he,
too, has given his sons and daughters for the defense
of our country since they were first born.

The eleventh fold, in the eyes of a Hebrew citizen
represents the lower portion of the seal of King David
and King Solomon, and glorifies in their eyes, the God
of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

The twelfth fold, in the eyes of a Christian citizen,
represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies, in
their eyes, God the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit.

When the Flag is completely folded, the stars are
uppermost reminding us of our Nation's motto, "In God
We Trust." After the Flag is completely folded and
tucked in, it takes on the appearance of a cocked hat,
ever reminding us of the soldiers who served under
General George Washington, and the Sailors and Marines
who served under Captain John Paul Jones, who were
followed by their comrades and shipmates in the Armed
Forces of the United States, preserving for us the
rights, privileges, and freedoms we enjoy today.

The next time you see a Flag ceremony honoring someone
that has served our country, either in the Armed
Forces or in our civilian services such as the Police
Force or Fire Department, keep in mind all the
important reasons behind each and every movement.
They have paid the ultimate sacrifice for all of us by
honoring our Flag and our Country.

Author Unknown

One day my husband and I were watching TV and saw a commercial that talked about the meanings of folding the flag. We thought it was very neat, so I looked it up on the Internet. There looks like there is some controversy about the meanings of the 13 foldings of the flag at ceremonies - like funerals. Anyway I thought I would share this and then I would set up a link so you can read more about it if you would like to. Here is a link to Snopes.

Source of photo above found here

What Does Love Look Like?

In our world of Hallmark movies - many times we get a poor idea of what love really is. The movies might be entertaining but they are not what love really is. They are not reality. We are given an idea of what love really is by reading our Bible. And what better chapter in the Bible could we look at than 1 Corinthians 13 could we look to for some answers?

"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. 4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. 13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. " 1 Corinthians 13

Do you see what I see? This list is not a list of gushy feelings and such - no - it is a list that shows that love will be hard sometime. This is a much more realistic idea of what love really is. So if you watch movies and have gotten the idea that -love is just a lot of mushy feelings and such - I hate to be the bearer of bad news but you are setting yourself up for real disappointment.

This photo floated around Facebook last week and I though I would share it. It is very true. Satan is out to attack - especially marriages and one of the ways he does this is to give us false ideas of what love really is. When we are so wrapped up in the idea that love is just the feelings of being in love, then we run the risk of running away from the commitment that we have made when tough times come along. In a relationship, there will be ups and downs and we need to hold onto the commitment that we have made - even in the bad time. When those times come along if we will hold onto God and trust Him- He will carry us through.

God's Promises/ Our Strength

When I went to my Dr. on that Friday morning to get help with my poison ivy, I was told that I could expect to get some relief with in 24-48 hours. Had I realized that it would take more like a week or longer, I don't know if I would have made it through those days. It was the Hope that tomorrow would be better, helped me continue along the journey.

You know I think that God is the same way. He does not give us time expectations on our sufferings but he does warn us that we will suffer. And he also gives us promises. Promises like Romans 8:28

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Psalms 46:1

"But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble." Psalms 37:39

^"The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble." Psalms 9:9

We can hold onto the hope of the promises. God's words are truth. So whether our suffering is for 24- 48 hours or longer - we can hold onto God. He is our strength. A Mighty Fortress is Our God! :o)

The Red Sea Rules #4

To review:
#1. " Realize that God means for you to be where you are."
#2. "Be more concerned for God's glory than for your relief."
#3. Acknowledge your enemy, but keep your eyes on the Lord."

Now:
#4. Pray

"And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD." Exodus 14:10

"Their fear set them a praying, and that was a good effect of it. God brings us into straits that He may bring us to our knees." Matthew Henry

The cool thing about prayer is that it is like our life line to God. There is a lot of power in prayer. James 5:16b tells us: "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."


"Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;" Colossians 4:2

Even Jesus knew the importance and power of prayer. There are many times in the Bible that tells of him going off by himself to pray. And we can not forgot when he went to Gethsemane.
"And he went a little further , and fell on his face, and prayed , saying , "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will , but as thou wilt." Matthew 26:39

Thomas Watson, the Puritan writer, said, "Faith is to prayer what the feather is to the arrow; it feathers the arrow of prayer, and makes it fly swifter, and pierce the throne of grace." (page 48)

So when you find yourself in a tough time - don't forget the importance of prayer.

G.A.P.

The other day I was at a local thrift store. As I was leaving the store, I noticed a shirt handing at the end of an aisle. It said:

G.A.P.

God Answers Prayers

As I left the store, I thought about God answering prayers and back over some major answers to prayers that I have experienced. I think it is a very good idea to remember answers to prayers. I even have a prayer book - that I write my prayer request and on the page across from the "prayer request" I have a page that is "praises." This way I can go back over what my prayer requests were and many times I run across prayer requests that have been answered and I am reminded of God's care - even then I have been too busy to notice.

Even though we are told in James 5:13 that if we are suffering to pray; this should not be the only that that we are praying.

We are told in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 that we are to "pray without ceasing."

Matthew 26:41 tells us to pray to help keep ourselves from temptations.

God has all the solutions to our problems. He may not answer our prayers the way we would like Him to, or in the time period we'd like. But we can trust Him to do the right things for us.

As I was doing a personal study on prayer I found a little gem.

"...But the prayer of the upright is His delight."  Proverbs 15:8b

Isn't that awesome? Our prayers are a delight o our creator and savior- How awesome is that?! :O)

*******
I have an answer to prayer that happened just last week. I was carrying my medicine in my purse because I was having to take the medicine while I was at work. When I got home from work, I discovered my Prednisone missing from my purse. I called back to work and asked if they would look for the medicine. Well no one saw them. After looking thoroughly through my purse and vehicle, I knew that the medicine had to be at work. So I drove over there. I looked around and did not find them. When I was walking out to my car- I prayed and told God that I had no idea where the pills were and could He please help me find them. As I sat in the car - I just happened to look into my rear view mirror and guess what I saw- my pill bottle laying on the ground next to where I park. They had apparently been sitting there for at least 2 hours or so. I was so thrilled to have found them. I was thrilled that no one else had found them and that taken them. God cares about even the small stuff. Be sure to include Him! :o)

Simple Beauty

Well here is the good news. 2 weeks later and my worse case (0nly case) of poison ivy ever...my corner is basically done! There is a bit of touch up to do but I am so thankful for the progress made. The sun was not out very bright the day I took a photo. Sorry you can't see it very clearly but it does look really nice.

 Well just as a added bonus I thought I would share a photo of a medium on a main road in the area. There are a lot of places with bluebonnets and indian paintbrushes that are very pretty and hopefully I can get a photo of them, but this is a picture with simple purple, pink and yellow flowers. Just one of the added benefits of spring time!

Sabbath Praise

Our Mission Field

When pulling out of our church parking lot - you will notice this sign:

"You are Now Entering the Mission Field."

And although I agree with this sign, our mission field encompasses so much more.

I really believe that we need to have this attitude as much when we go to church, as we do when leaving the church. I'm sure we all know of someone who no longer goes to church. I believe that our mission field is as much in the church as outside of the church.

I also think that we need to have this attitudes at our own homes and around our own families.

"Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives." 1 Peter 3:1 (you can read the rest of this chapter and find more wise instruction)

We need to show the love of Jesus no matter where we are. You never know who is watching you or who, in your realm of influence, needs to feel the love of Jesus.
So we all need to realize that our mission field is our realm of influence. Every person that crosses our path - are people that we can influence for or against Jesus Christ. That is ALOT of responsibility!

Thursday's Random Bits

Today I was finally able to get my yard mowed again. It has come to that time of year again when we have to mow about every week if we want the yard to look nice. I had to move a couple of my pepper plants around(thank goodness they are in containers) in order to be able to get the lawn mower into the Chicken pin. It feels nice to get it all done. I had a few snags - ran over a strap and then ran out of gas. But over all it went great and the yard looks nice. I was able to get my main weed eating done in the front yard too.

I am so thankful to be feeling better. Last night was rough again. But I am hoping that tonight will be better. I bought a bar of Yardley Oatmeal and Almond soap today and I am planning on taking a cool shower before I go to bed and I am praying for a good nights rest. It has been almost 2 weeks since I have gotten a good nights rest. Trust me I have been miserable every night.

Today I was thinking about all the times that I have taken it for granted that I have a fairly good immune system and that most of the time I feel OK. I think after you deal with physical discomfort for  while - it really makes you appreciate the good times even better. So remember that - if you are physically doing well - you have something to be thankful for.

After I got done mowing, it was fun to see my chickens out exploring their yard. They love freshly mowed grass as much as I do. And of course all of the bugs that I knocked up when I mowed.

Where Does My Help Come From

The Lord...Of Course! :O)

I have shared how I have been going through some personal battles lately. Well I still can not and probably can never go into details about what I am going through, but I wanted to share what I can in order to help others of you out there, that feel as though you are under attack from Satan.

Several days ago as I was talking to my sponsor, she pointed out that this case of poison ivy was probably directly related to the battle that I have been going through. As I thought of it, I realized that my sister and I used to always play in the woods and I never ever remember even knowing about poison ivy or any such dangerous plants, yet we never got poison ivy.

This case of poison ivy has been so tough and miserable. It has beat me down. It's hard to stay strong and focused on God when you are not getting very much sleep and when half of the time or more you are itching or burning and miserable. And that is even with meds. When I went to the Dr on Friday she said I should see improvements with in 24 - 48 hours. I have still been suffering.

This morning during my devotional time, God brought some of my favorite verses to mind. I know I have shared them all with you before. And I am sure I'll be sharing them again. God's promises are worth reading again and again.

The trial I have been going through has been a very painful one. And I have had to first remember : "Be still and know that I am God.." Psalms 46:10a

God is God and I need to just be still and allow Him to be God. When I do this I can remember that:

"The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace." Exodus 14:14

I needed to be reminded of this. I have not had a lot of peace lately. Satan has been attacking my mind and trying to keep me in internal turmoil. He's been doing a good job, till I decided Who I wanted to be in charge of my life.

"To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified."
Isaiah 61:3

I love this promise. Beauty for ashes...garments of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Praise the Lord for His loving kindness.

I am also reminded:

"But He knows the way that I take; When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold." Job 23:10 (I believe this is the theme verse for the book of Job)

I have decided to turn this trial over to God. When Satan attacks... I will step back and allow God to fight for me. And I look forward to the peace that only God can give me.

If you are going through a hard time right now- turn it over to God, we were not meant to carry all these burdens. God has promised to help us out. We just need to trust Him.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6

Treasure Hunting

So last week I shared how I had found two matching pieces of Avon stuff at two different stores~ Here. Well I decided to check out my Avon Collection book and guess what I found out? Well there is also a soap holder and a pitcher and saucer- that match the pieces that I have already found. Here is a photo of the pitcher and saucer:

So now I am on a treasure hunt to see if I can find it or the soap holder. I would love to have the whole set. Anyway I just wanted to share that with you all today. I am sure you appreciate me sharing about something other than the poison ivy.

*Also I have some prayer requests. My youngest son has a redo test to finish up his GED test today. And my oldest son has a meeting with his previous employers. Praying that God will have His hand in everything and will bless. I would really appreciate any prayers. And also prayer for me - that I will be healed - physically, mentally, and spiritually. Thanks so much! :o)

Poison Ivy Still Relentlessly Bothering Me....

Well I saw my Dr again and she was not happy with the lack of progress with my poison ivy. So she upped my meds to 6 pills for 2 days and then tomorrow I will start the 4 a day for 4 days and then 3 a day for 3 days and continue tapering down until I am done - I think I will be on pills till the 26th or after. I am still having a hard time. This is really wearing me down. Right now as I type my arms are burning and itching like crazy. I am not sleeping good at night. I guess it is the heat from my body up against the mattress that is causing the poison ivy to flare up and then I get woke up - at least several times a night. And it bothers me enough that I have to go wash my arms off at least and sometimes even apply some meds.
As I have shared before, I have some person stuff going on as well and this case of poison ivy has really caused havoc with my emotions and such. Not surprised..I have not been this miserable- physically in a long time....a really long time. Actually I can not remember when I was in worse shape - over such a long period of time. Since Thursday - I have been miserable. Wasn't pleasant since the Sunday before that Thursday but totally miserable since then.
Anyway I would like to ask for prayers. Please pray that I can get a good nights rest. And that this stuff will finally clear up. Then I am hoping that I can deal with my other problems in a much more good way. Thanks so very much :o)

Visiting Waco

This past week end we went to Waco for the week-end. We stopped by the Texas Ranger Museum. We got there one hour before they closed and it worked out great to us. However if any of you want to visit the Texas Ranger allow more time, especially if you have children.

They have a movie about the history of the Texas rangers that they show. And there is a bunch of things to read.
They have a lot of displays of guns and such. A display of Bonnie and Clyde memorabilia. There are a couple of guns that can be help - so see how heavy they feel- HEAVY.

And a gun that you can put together and take a part.

And the Texas Ranger Museum would not be complete without a display(or two) of Chuck Norris. They have a room that actually show cases different Rangers on TV.

I wanted to show you this photo - it has a 100.00, 500.00, and a 1,000.00 bill! I have never seen a 1000.00 bill before.

Oh and we went to Rudy's for supper. This was at the checkout. Only in Texas would they make Jalapeno Pecan Brittle!

We went to Cameron Park. We checked out Miss Nellie's Pretty Place. It is a Wildflower Garden. We walked through it. There were a few flowers here and there but not as full as I had hoped. Then we went to Circle Point. It was so calm and relaxing from up there. I love how our shadows showed up in the photo's.

I will tell more about our week end later in the week.

*********************

Well as you all know - I got poison ivy. Not fun. Thursday it was miserable and by Friday morning - I was trying my best to be seen by my Dr. I am SO glad that I did because it just kept spreading and I had a rough week end. My Dr put me on a cream and 2 pills. I am feeling some relief now, but I have to take pill for like a total of 16 days. And what is sad is that my poison ivy continues to spread. I was told that I could continue to break out for up to two weeks from exposure. Anyway I am SO thankful that i went to the Dr. :o)

Happy Easter part 2

This one is actually my top favorite song - the other one ranks up there close. Love them both! Have an awesome day!

My good friend Susan posted a great short video about why we call the Friday that Jesus Christ died - Good Friday. It is less than 2 minutes and a great video. Click on over an check it out.

Happy Easter

This is my favorite song about Jesus Christ rising from the dead! I love it! "Joy to the World - He is risen!" Sorry if it has the advertisement at the beginning - you can skip that part. Enjoy! Have a great day! :o)

Sabbath Praise

Sorry this is so late today. I hope you all are having a good week-end! :o)

Boy - This Stuff Drains You

Today has really been a hard day for me - poison ivy wise. It is really sucking the energy out of me and I have not been able to get done half as much as I would have liked to get done. I have a to do list but I am having to literally make myself do what ever I actually get done.

I did actually make myself go out and work on that corner of the yard. Yes - the corner of the yard that gave me this mess. That was hard to make myself do. I was NOT wanting to go back out there. I did take my poison ivy killer stuff out there and sprayed the poison ivy that was left. Not a lot but enough to cause me some concern. We got the trees cut down and have it mostly cleaned up. I need to take a rake to parts of it and finish cleaning it up. And then I have some stuff to take to the Pile. But I left that for another day.

We had the guy coming to buy the motorcycle and to pick it up today. So that has been taken care of. I sure appreciate my husband being willing to sell it and now we will put more focus on cleaning out the garage. And getting other thing done around here.

Anyway I just wanted to touch base with you all. I may be taking a bit of a bloggy break. Tonight I am going to take a half of a benedryl and hoping that it will help with the itching. Cause I am itching all over and especially the spots of outbreak. Hoping to have this stuff cleared up soon. Ya'll have a good week end! :O)

The Little Family and More

Yesterday I was driving home on some back roads. As I drove up a small hill, I suddenly noticed a little family crossing the road. I stopped and I grabbed for my phone and hurried to get the camera going on it. By the time that I got the camera ready- the little family had already crossed the road. A Mamma chicken and her baby chicks. Oh how I love baby chicks!! I wanted to take the whole family home with me. I was so happy to get to see them go across the street and be able to get a photo. Even though you can not see the babies as well as I would like to be able to. I would have LOVED to have gotten a photo of them on the street - you would have been able to see them much more clearly.

So if you drive back roads- be careful because you don't know what little family might be trying to cross the road!

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I think I shared that I had gotten poison ivy. I am not surprised at all. And goodness, had I known how irritating it is - I would have worn a long sleeved shirt the whole entire time - even though it was quite warm. I have been struggling with this for a few days now and it seems to be spreading. So today I called my Dr's office. I wanted to see if there was anything that she could call in for me. Well I figured she wouldn't - some Dr's do - my Dr does not. Anyway I am not totally convinced of this but how they were talking is that it does not spread by the pus or what ever out of the sores coming in contact with other things but just that I was exposed in different places and that it comes up at different times. Oh and I found out that it usually last about 2 weeks. Goodness - that means I have another week of this. I did find out that I can take benedryl - so I will probably start taking small amounts at night to see if I can get help for this itching. I am itching - not only in the infected areas but all over. And it is annoying. Here is a photo of the worse area of my poison ivy:
Well after this experience - I have a new respect for poison ivy and a new resolve to get rid of it out of my yard. I have a little bit of work left in the corner of my yard and some more poison ivy to clear away. And there is another place in my yard that has had poison ivy before. So I will be vigilant to get it taken care of and cleared way.

If any of you have any more help for poison ivy - I would love to hear it. I would like relief and relief fast. Thanks :o)

Treasures- Matching But From Two Different Stores

Hello~ Today was suppose to be a day off. Then I found out that I was going to have to work, one hour before I was suppose to be there. So my plans were changed and I had to put my to do list aside.

I worked and afterwards, I decided to not let the day go to waste so I ran to a nearby favorite Goodwill. I found a couple of tops for me. I also found a cute pair of capri's,a top,and a dress for for my granddaughter. While I was there I found and awesome find! A couple of weeks ago I found the cutest blue and white Avon vase at a different GW store. Today I found the other matching piece of the set. I was so thrilled. There was so much stuff on the shelves and I was about to leave the store so it was a real blessing that I found it! Each piece cost me $2.00.

My friend Susan found a treasure this week at her favorite thrift store. If you have found treasure's at thrift stores, Goodwill's or garage sales. Please leave a comment. I would love to hear about them! :o)

Tornado Activity Too Close

It has been a rough day here in Texas today. There has been two main tornado's that moved through the area. Touching down here and there.

These two photos are photos of the tornado that hit the closest to us. Just a couple of miles behind where we live. It was quite scary.

This is the radar after a lot of the tornado's calmed down. But I am now hearing that some tornado's are kicking up again.

We have been SO lucky with just heavy rains and then hail for about 10 minutes or so.

I have spent a lot of time today praying for family and friends that are out there in dangers way. here is still activity going on. Just heard of a tornado that touched down near Forney.

I hope you all stay safe out there today. :O)

Selling This, Buying That

Good Morning~ Wish I could report that we got the corner done, but I can't. But I can say that we made ALOT of progress. It will be done in probably about an hours worth of work. We could have finished it last night, but we had a guy coming to look at my husband's motorcycle that he was trying to sell. And Good News - the guy bought it!! Yay! He should be coming to pick it up today or tomorrow. Yesterday I mentioned that I would be sharing a blessing from God. Well my husband had wanted to get an RV. He loves to go fishing and camping and had been tent camping the last couple of years since our last RV was totalled. Anyway he has been looking and looking for something in our price range. Well we had really wanted to get something with a bathroom. The idea of having to get up to walk to a bathroom in the middle of the night - was not something that I looked forward to at all. But most of the trailers that had bathrooms were out of our price range.

One day last week as we were headed home from an errand, my husband asked if I minded if we stopped by an RV place. He wanted to look inside of a pop up camper and see what they were like. So we did. As we were fixing to leave, one of the sales ladies asked if she could help us. We told her that were were looking for a trailer in this price range and she said she had a trade in coming in later that day or the next day that she could sell for that price.

The next day it came in and she text photos of it to my husband. When he got home from work we went up to look at it. We were so surprised at how nice it was considering that it is a 89 model. We were very pleased with it and decided we would buy it. The next day we went and did all the paper work and such. And brought it home.
God really blessed us with this trailer. It is 31 foot - we would have be ok with a smaller trailer. It has a pretty nice bathroom with a shower and tiny tub. A couch that lays out into a bed. And the only thing we don't really like is that the trailer originally had 2 bunk sized beds on either side in the bedroom at the back of the trailer. And so someone had taken those mattresses out and then built a board across the whole room - like for king sized bed.

See what I mean at the end of the hall. And it did not come with a mattress. We had hated the idea of paying several hundred dollars just for a mattress for the trailer - but my husband came up with a great idea - that will work since we sold the motorcycle. We will buy a new mattress for our bed - it is at least 9 years old now. It is in pretty good shape though for being the age it is. And we will take our mattress out to the trailer. So we will have a mattress that we know is comfortable in the trailer!

The freezer works great - the fridge not get as cold as we thought it should - we will get thermometer and put out there and check it out. We know of someone who works on trailers so we will have him come look at it and see what he can do before we decide what to do. The tires on it are in good condition and the AC unit had been replaced recently. Oh some of the other RV's that we were looking at did not even have AC's - it is just too hot here in Texas during the summers not to have an AC - so I am thankful for an AC too!

Well I am still praising God for blessing us with this trailer. We bought it for such a good price - we had not found anything even nearly as nice or with bathroom and AC for this price. Thank you Jesus for this and all the other blessings that you lavish on us all every day! :o)

Not Done Yet, But Getting Closer

It is a very warm afternoon, in the upper 80's. So I have had to come inside to take a break. Oh and on another break - I found what looks like poison ivy on my left arm. I am hoping that is all I get and that it will heal quickly. I had sure hoped I was not allergic.

Hoping I have another photo to share later today or tomorrow of the finished area! Oh and those piles of branches and trees - have been taken to our trash pile. And believe me - we have had many, many piles from cutting things down. This is just stuff from one little area. I have several piles of leaves that I need to get raked up and transferred to the area that I want them. So that will be what I go out and do in a few minutes. Then it will be back on cutting down trees and pulling briers and such out of the trees.

Later this week- I will share with a blessing that God brought to us last week. But for now - it is time to get to work. See ya'll later~ :o)

Hoping to Finish Today

I don't know if I mentioned this a couple of days ago but this photo was taken last year. So imagine the growth - grown up about a foot forward from where it is in this photo. And all of the trees and such have grown taller as well. We have had to cut down quite a few trees - because they have thorns. I don't want trees that have thorns. Oh and when I say thorns..these thorns are like about an inch - inch and a half long. Ouch. It makes it a bit more dangerous to deal with them but that is what my nice pair of leather gloves are for. But let me tell you those thorns along with the brier thorns have still come through the gloves- so I have to be careful.

So we have about 2/3's of it done. So far no poison ivy. I do have one spot on my ankle that very well could be poison ivy. Ever so often it burns and itches but I am trying to hard to mess with it.

In just a few minutes I am hoping to get out back and get working on this area. I am hoping that by tonight I can take a photo of it and post it so ya'll can see the progress- Well actually I am hoping it is done by tonight. We will see. I have a lot of other things I want to do today to..so we will have to see what gets done.

I hope you all have a wonderful day! :O)