Sunday, May 3, 2009

TRUSTING IN THE LORD



“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6


In these times of difficult complexities, we have a sure arm to guide us, as the Lord gives us sources from which to find direction and comfort. As we struggle and fall and struggle and fall again, if we but keep our eye on our goal knowing that Christ suffered everything that we have ever suffered, we will prevail! He knows our pain, and He knows the efforts we are making.

Our problems can be big or small to the eyes of others...To us, they are Big…Heavy…Burdens…



Weight problems that never seem to end…

The want of a child that never seems to come…

A job that is particularly difficult…

A lack of self-respect where we are never seemingly good enough...

The Lord knows them all.

“Our soul waiteth for the Lord; He is our help and our shield.” Psalms 33:20


It is so difficult, after trying and struggling for so very long, to not see any apparent progress. The road seems long and the way rocky…



Keep going...Keep going...Keep going.



“…*continue in the faith *grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel…” Colossians 1:23

(Foot notes: *Perseverance…Established and steadfast)


I found this on a blog recently...I don’t remember which one. If it is yours, please claim it, and you will get the credit. :0)

I loved the perspective that this person had…

“Staying quiet and letting God take care of tough or sticky circumstances is the best way. He is so very effective at turning circumstances into glorious things, and often when we interfere, we make things messier. John Piper says "In every situation God is doing 1000 different things that we cannot see and we do not know."


I appreciate that thought very much. It reaffirms to me that our Father in Heaven is indeed, in the long run, working for our good.

For years now, I have wanted to become an RN. I have gone to school only to have to quit due to time and money constraints. I have started up again only to have to quit because of the same reasons…time and money. A third time I started, once again having to give it up. As I have to work, I can’t seem to be able to make the money I need to pay for both bills and school. I do not qualify for grants, etc. I have run the gamut. There is more involved, and believe me, I have tried all of the avenues over these several years. For me it is very disconcerting to see so many others around me being able to go to nursing school, and I am not…



Single mothers…Displaced workers hurt because of the economy…and many others receiving government help.

It is so easy for me to say, “Why them and not me? I would be a good nurse, too!” Over and over again, I read in the paper or hear at work, those who are going to nursing school, the young and the not-so-young.

For me…At this time…The way is blocked…And the doors are closed…



The Lord has let me know, however, that we are going another way. I have had confirmation of that two or three times. I don’t know that way that He has. And, I don’t know if that way means that I will ever be a nurse or if he has something else in store for me. It is difficult to resign myself to “just” being a CNA when I know that I could do so much more. It is difficult for me, being someone who has always strove to move forward, to instead stay back, while those around me move on. It is difficult for me in many ways. Faith is a very hard thing. It is blind. It is hard, as a human being, to give up the control. It is very challenging, when I am one who likes to forge ahead full force, to go day by day, each day seeming to take forever in and of itself. This is a good exercise in patience. It is a work-out for my soul. I will be better for it in the end.

“Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way…” Psalms 37: 7


I pray that we may each wait on the Lord for our betterment and for His glory, while at the same time working as diligently as we possibly can toward our goal.

Thursday, April 30, 2009

UP ON THE ROOF



We’re in the midst of a HUGE re-roofing project. It needed it and was going to get done this summer regardless, but...

The insurance company, who just happened to be doing audits, decided to pick us. So, they drove by incognito, made their assessment, and then informed us via telephone and mail that it needed to be completed by a specific date in May. Ahhh! And in the rainy season, nonetheless! What are they thinking?!

So, to the mortgage company we go to secure our loan. Fast forward several weeks (the mortgage company is extremely slow); the inspector finally makes it over to check out the house to ok us for the loan. But...before he would give us the go-ahead, we had to have the roof done! Huh? Go figure!

What does that mean? It means a $450 non-refundable inspector fee (regardless of whether we get the loan or not) and hundreds of dollars out-of-pocket spent for roofing materials. Hmmm...

While the sun still shown...







So, DH took the week off to get the roof done...

So that the inspector could in turn come back to RE-INSPECT the roof...

So that we could in turn be ok’d to get the loan...

To do the roof...

Which by then...

Will already be done. :/



Well, as Murphy would have it...

Down came the rain and washed the roofing job out! Leaks in the north room...Leaks in the south room...Leaks in the attic...

Leaks, leaks, leaks!



Half a roof done and a baggy on the other half while we wait out the storms. Who woulda thunk? One must laugh...

Well, at least we should try...;)

Actually, all in all, we feel pretty blessed, as there have been a lot more storms around us than there have been here in our area.

And...it’s supposed to be nice this Saturday, so hopefully the boys can get it finished.

Takin' a break on the roof with nutritious and yummy green smoothies...



On another yummy note, today I had lunch with Mom, Dad, and Gramma...



Good laughs…



Good conversation…



Good times…



Isn't family grand... :0)

Friday, April 17, 2009

COOKIES AND RASPBERRY HOT COCOA



My little people were over for a few hours this afternoon... :0)

Little Adrien...



And Mr. Julian...



We HAD to go through the Easter basket that they missed last Sunday...

And, of course, we HAD to bake Easter cookies…



And…we HAD to have Raspberry Hot Cocoa to dip our cookies into...





Cookies ARE so good, you know...



It’s hard to believe that Mr. Julian has already lost his first tooth!

My, he seems too young to me!



We HAD to help Namma with the laundry…

To play a game of come-and-catch me…

And, of course, we HAD to play hide-and-seek…



What my life would be without these little people...

Well...

I Just...Don’t...Know.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

HELP WANTED



I am having quite a dilemma—really...several rolled into one larger one...

This goes on throughout life, but at the moment it is quite deep...

I feel as if I am sinking deeper and deeper by the day under this great heavy burden...



I am so weak…I’m not sure why...

Other than I just am.

So...

I pray that the Lord will strengthen me—even strengthen me to WANT to be strengthened!



I look to the want ads for help…



Under the title "Help"...



This is what I find…

Seven ads for Help...

The Lords number...



Isaiah 41:10, 13

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.

Psalms 119:173

Let thine hand help me; for I have chosen thy precepts.

Psalms 40:13

Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me: O Lord, make haste to help me.

Psalms 46:1

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Psalms 60:11

Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man.

Psalms 121:1-2

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.

Isaiah 50:7

For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.


The only two requirements asked are...

FAITH...



And a SICKLE...

Doctrine and Covenants 31:5

Therefore, thrust in your sickle with all your soul, and your sins are forgiven you, and you shall be laden with sheaves upon your back, for the laborer is wothy of his hire. Wherefore, your family shall live.

Doctrine and Covenants 33:7

“…wherefore, thrust in your sickles, and reap with all your might, mind, and strength.




James 2:20

For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.


May we all have the strength to pray for strength that we may strengthened.

MY LETTER TO HARDEES



Here is a letter I wrote to Hardees just now regarding their utterly disgusting advertisement on TV.


I am absolutely appalled by your commercial of porn. Yes, porn! The “lady” sensuously eating your burger like it was a you-know-what and trying to induce you-know-what kinds of feelings in men. I sat there, as my husband was watching TV, and looked at that commercial in utter disgust. Is your food so bad that you have to debase yourselves down to the level of pornography in order to get business? Wouldn’t you rather have a wholesome ad that brings in whole families, thereby achieving a bigger bottom line for you, than those one-person “man” visits because they were titillated by your ads? I’ll think twice before visiting Hardees again—by myself, with my husband, with my grandchildren…now THAT would bring in more money, especially with the kids’ meals and toys that I like to buy them.

Sign me,

VERY disgusted


P.S. Wasn't it you who also had the ad...yes, I think it was, with the woman and the fire station, hose, etc.?


To my fellow bloggers,

If any of you would like to comment on this smut that is part of the reason of the down turn of America, go to this link, and take 5 minutes to let them know your thoughts.

http://www.hardees.com/contact/

If that link doesn't work, go to http://www.hardees.com and click on the tiny "Contact" link at the bottom of their TV screen.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

SMALL BLESSINGS AND GIANT



There are so many little blessings in life...They are there everyday...

Sometimes they’re just more visible...

Or perhaps laid upon our path for us to freely partake…

Small ones...Like a little bouquet of flowers left tucked into a car door from a sweetheart, to make me happy…



Like Hyacinth in bloom…



Or an Easter basket...



Children…



Our Savior Jesus Christ…



Temples upon the Earth…



The Dispensation of the Fullness of Times…



A son who is worthy...And today...

Received the Melchizedek Priesthood...



To bless and carry out the work of the Lord...



And...the most greatest blessing of all...A chance for all of us to RETURN...



WITH...



HONOR



To our Father in Heaven...Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

GIVE-AWAY SITE



A HUGE thank you goes out to Crafting on the Court and A Giveaway a Day! I was the lucky winter of a hand-crafted hat. Please check out these sites. :0)