Saturday, January 19, 2013

Day 31......Tree Trunks!!!


Day 31: Tree trunks

Today I am thankful for tree trunks. Yes, tree trunks.  We bought some land last year. A 6.5 acre lot of woods, grass, creeks, and all that comes with those things (critters, bugs, overgrowth).  The land had been neglected for some time and the woods near the creeks have been overrun with vines (some with vicious thorns!!) and undergowth.  Part of the yard was overrun with brambles and wild blackberries!

 It has been a struggle to clear the woods, but today we have made major progress!!! It is amazing to see the difference clearing some scraggly trees and vines can make!!!! =)  We ahve three huge piles of brush to burn!!! But, we can now see all of the tree trunks in a particular place that we have been clearing (by hand, I might add!) and it looks so much better!!! YAY!!! The trees will be happier this year without all of that extra weight from the vines!!!

Blessings!!
 
 
 

Friday, January 18, 2013

Day 30.....Rainbows!!!


Day 30: Rainbows!!!!

Yesterday I talked about Noah. He was an upright man. He was man who walked with God.
He was also a man God whom God made a covenant with thousands of years ago that still exists!!

Genesis 9:12-16

And God said, This is the token of the covenant  which I make between me {God} and you {Noah} and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:

I do set my bow {rainbow} in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.

And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow {rainbow} shall be seen in the cloud:

And I will remember my covenant, which is between me {God} and you {Noah} and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.

And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.

A few things caught my eye today.

 God made an everlasting covenant with a man that walked with Him, a man that was just and upright. We still benefit from Noah’s relationship with God today.  Will anyone benefit from my relationship with God??

There are some scientific names in these verses. Bows---rainbow. Clouds. Living creatures --- animals and humans. Impressive for a book that is thousands of years old!!!!

Every time there are clouds there is a rainbow…somewhere…and God remembers His everlasting covenant with Noah and all living creatures which filters down through the ages to you and I!!!!! =)

WOW!!!  All because Noah walked with God……something to think about.

Blessings!!

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Day 29: God's Word!!


Day 29: God’s Word

Today I am thankful for the BIBLE!!! I have started my chronological Bible reading plan!!! It’s pretty cool and exciting! I am a bit of a slacker when it comes to setting a time aside for reading the Bible so it usually does not get done. I am determined to stick to it this time. I need it.  I have been wanting to do a chronological reading for a while, and my church handed out these little schedule thingys which make doing it much easier!!!

I came across a verse today that struck me as important. Possibly life changing. I know all the verses are important, but this one is sticking in my brain today!!   Genesis 6:9 >> These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just {lawful, righteous} man and perfect {entire, integrity, truth, without blemish, complete, full, perfect, sincerely, sound, without spot undefiled, upright, whole} in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

WOW. Noah was someone to take notice of!! No wonder God allowed him to be the one that would build the ark that would save some people (and animals) alive after God flooded the earth!!

But here are my thoughts…..

  1. Am I a just woman??
  2. Am I perfect…or at least striving to be??
  3. Do I walk with God???

I think I see some things that need some work here!!!!

Blessings!!

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Day 28: Grace

Day 28: Grace

So very thankful for grace!!! These are the words to one of my favorite songs. If you know the tune feel free to sing it aloud. My husband always says to sing a song when I am feeling down or out of sorts.....


He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater;
He sendeth more strength when the labors increase.
To added affliction He addeth His mercy.
To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.

*His love has no limit; His grace has no measure;

*His pow’r has no boundary known unto men;
*For out of His infinite riches in Jesus,

*He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again!

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources,

Our Father’s full giving is only begun.

 *His love has no limit; His grace has no measure;
*His pow’r has no boundary known unto men;
*For out of His infinite riches in Jesus,

*He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again!

 

He Giveth More Grace 

 

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Day 27: Valleys


Day 27: Valleys

Today I am thankful for valleys.
While I do enjoy the literal valleys and mountains, in this post I am referring to the "Ups and Downs" of life.....
The valleys in our lives tend to make us focus on what is truly important. The mountains give us a rest from the valleys, but we often forget from where we have come while we are enjoying the fruit of our work to get up there!! Climbing a mountain is work. Going down a mountain is sometimes rough too. In the valleys, though they are often hard, we can rest in faith knowing God has got this. He is not surprised. He will help me through, and I will be better for the time spent in prayer and fellowship with Him.

Blessings!!!

Monday, January 14, 2013

Day 26: P.D.


Day 26: Pay Day

Today, I am thankful for Pay Day!!!!! We are just regular people living our lives regularly…..I am a stay-at-home mom so we are a one income family. My kids are homeschooled so they are with me all day. Everyday. We have recently built a house…..10 years of waiting has paid off, but we still have a mortgage. We like to eat, so I have to buy groceries for three growing (and endlessly hungry) kids!! We do regard debt with disdain, but recently had to finance (grrrrr) a truck to have a reliable car (my van is a ’99!!). It will be paid off in 4 months (hopefully!) by some financial maneuvering by my hubby!!!  So Pay Day is a big deal around here!!! We go shopping for the massive amount of groceries we need to sustain these people that are shorter than me! And have a bit of fun while doing it!!!! =)

Blessings!!!

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Day 25: Life


Day 25:  Life

Today I am thankful for life. It is all around us….the trees, the birds, the bugs, the critters. Every time I step outside my door something is buzzing, chirping, or creepy crawling.  Today however, I had to witness something dying. It was my first traumatic necessity on our property. It broke my heart. But it was unsafe to allow it to stay in the vicinity of our home with small children and pets roaming around like we do. The neighbors were also in a bit of an uproar for it to be gone. Apparently, they have had some issues with them in the past. After this day, and the sadness of this death, I am going to call whomever it is that can come to remove the pest and take it somewhere else to live in peace. I just cannot bring myself to allow another critter to be killed.  In my husband’s defense, the critter was huge. His head was as big as my husband fist (maybe bigger!!) and it was NOT an endangered species. It was a common snapping turtle. And my little boy’s heart will be broken when we tell him. He is turtle lover in the extreme. But the safety of my children comes first and foremost and this huge turtle had been living in our pond....

Blessings!!!

Friday, January 11, 2013

Day 24: SuNsHiNe!!


Day 24: Sunshine!!!!!

It has been overcast and gloomy-ish here for the past few weeks….but today we had a bit of sunshine!!! I didn’t realize how much I missed it!!! So today, I am thankful for SuNsHiNe!!!

Blessings!!!

Saturday, January 5, 2013

Day 23: Food, Fun & Family


Day 23: Food, Fun & Family

Tonight the choir members from our church are getting together to have dinner in celebration of our successful Christmas musical!!! We had such a great time working on the music and our director was very patient with us…we tend to get giggly after a while…. Tonight we get to relax and just enjoy each other’s company!!! It is my personal opinion that you really don’t get to know the people you go to church with unless you spend time with them outside of church!!!! So I am looking forward to tonight as we are still fairly new to this congregation!!! =)  So today, I am thankful for food, fun and my new church family!!!!! =)

Blessings!!!

Friday, January 4, 2013

Day 22: <**New Beginnings**>


Day 22: New Beginnings

We have entered a new year…2013!!!  This time of year always reminds me of my Savior’s mercy.  He is faithful to forgive and extend mercy to me anytime I ask it of Him. He is an amazing God. There is a Bible verse that says: “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:24 & 25  He is faithful and I am thankful!!!!

Blessings!!!

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Day 21****Fire Works****


Day 21: Fire Works!!

Today I am thankful for Fire Works!!! Well, really, I am thankful for the thrill it gave my kiddos!!! I have a 12yo, a 10yo and an 8yo and they have never had “fireworks” to do in their own yard!!! Partly because we have lived in the city limits for the most part as they have been growing up, and partly because I prefer to see fireworks done by professionals!!!  But tonight they got to put on their own show and they loved every minute of it (well, except for the 8yo…he was not thrilled…)!!! So was it worth the risk of possible (and probable with our record) burns and injuries?? Absolutely!! I don’t think I have ever seen their faces light up with pure enjoyment like they did tonight!!! Daddy got big bonus points today!!!!! =)

Blessings!!!