snow snow go away

Fall is here.The leaves are falling at a rapid rate.The temperature is getting cooler by the day.Some of us would rather have warmer weather.As we grow older ,we don't look forward to the cooler temperatures and then there's the snow.....Pretty as it may be.It is annoying when we still have to drive to work.Or you live way back in the woods like me and at times get snowed in for several days.There have been several occasions when I have been ready to call in the Coast guard and tell them bring the boat or a helicopter and get me out of here.Ive seen enough squirrels and snow.While being stuck here was fun for a day.It is no longer enjoyable.I want to see people.Other people besides my family members who are now getting on each others nerves. Fighting over the TV Remote.Oh if only the cable would go out.Who have had way too much hot cocoa Who grew tired of playing in the snow 48 hours ago .And if I have to hang one more wet article of clothing by the woodstove......

Why do we always want things to be different? If we are stuck in the snow.We can't find ways to accept it and enjoy the time with our family.We are looking for ways to get out of the situation.There are people who work long hours each week.They don't spend much time with their families.A minute here,a text message there.They would give their right arm to be snowed in together.Some,pay a lot of money to go on vacations in the snowy wilderness.Have I got a house for you! Complete with,a driveway that is hard to drive down, unless you have 4 wheel drive.Lots of squirrels and an occasional snake in the kids room.

I think of my friend Carol. She makes me laugh.She can take any situation no matter how difficult or sad and she will make you crack up. She can find the humor in a trip to wawa.Just ask her about the time.....
She has kept me howling while we both have been raising our children for the past 17 years. And its nice to have someone who you can laugh with while you are going through hard times, and trying to figure out how to raise a child.
She is still laughing but now there is an intruder in her life.And some days it might be hard to find a smile let alone a chuckle.

When our children are small.We can protect them.We know where they are.Who they spend their time with.We have control.But as they grow older they venture out.The cord starts to stretch further away from Mom and Dad.The ones who can protect them from harm.Protect them from the people that can sway them or undo all the good we have tried to instill in them.We picture horrible things and people just waiting outside the confines of our safe warm house,ready to pounce on our vulnerable little babies the split second they walk out the door.The big bad wolf in sheep's clothing waiting for red riding hood in the dark lonely forest.

We are going along just fine and then comes the.....dreaded Girlfriend or the Boyfriend.Then one we would never choose for our precious babies.The one who right now has more influence on them then anyone.We want to throw them out of our homes.Barracade the doors,lock the windows and keep our child inside where it is safe.Where we are in control.But we all know we cannot do this.There have been people who have attempted it ,but they either end up in jail or the Dr Phil Show.Or the children leave ,never to return again.We've caused division in the family and now they don't call or come home.

The thing we have to remember is the Lord is in control.He loves our children more than we ever could.This is something that we as Mothers can't even begin to grasp.We love them more than anything.How could He love them more? But He does.

He knows from the very moment they are born and given to us as gifts,what their lives will be like.He even knows about the dreaded Girlfriend.He might not have put her there,but you will learn something from the whole experience.And He will get you through it all.

And while us Mothers are spending our days worrying,plotting against this intruder in our home.Thinking of ways to remove this person from our child's life.We are wasting precious energy and time.Most likely the relationship will not last,and we will be exhausted by the time it does , if we don't put our trust in the one who loves them more than we do.The one who has a plan and a purpose for our children.The one who created them and loved us enough to give us these precious gifts to raise.

It is hard being a Mother.The letting go,the trusting that our babies will be ok when they are away from us.We can choose to let go and let God.Or hold on to them with a death grip that will cause them to run.We can choose to spend our waking moments consumed with thoughts of how this person is ruining our lives.But He knows them better than we do.He will protect them.And while at this time in our lives we are not happy with our child's choice.We have to trust that it will all work out.Let go of the worry and fear.Let the Lord give you peace that will astound you.But you have to loosen your grip and let him take the hand of your beloved baby.And one day you will look back and realize that all the worrying,fear and unrest weren't necessary.For he or she is long gone and your child is doing just fine.They are in the care of the one who Loves them the most.

I lift my eyes up to the hills - where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and creator of earth. He will not let your foot slip. He who watches over you will not slumber; Indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you - the Lord is your shade at your right hand; The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm - He will watch over your life; The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. Psalm 121

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27

Blessings
Dee

Lifes a roller coaster

On my way home this morning I noticed the leaves on the trees had started to change.Then tonight as I looked out and I noticed that the Marsh grass had started to turn brown.Fall is approaching,but how did I not see it before? Did the leaves change over night? I don't think so.Life has a habit of constantly changing,each day is different than the next.

But did you ever notice things change right before our eyes and we miss them.Our children seem to grow up over night.How did my blue eyed Barney the dinosaur loving 3 year old,turn into a 17 year old with a beard,a drivers license? When did my little Logan turn into a 10 year old who is now almost as tall as me?When did all these lines around my eyes appear?

Life is changing quickly before my eyes and it will continue to do so.It is like riding a bicycle with no brakes.we are riding down the road,at times we speed up and hang on for dear life,unable to slow down,unable to stop the ride we are on.If we had our way we would cruise slowly taking in the sights,we can put our feet down and slow down the bike if we want to.The one thing that keeps coming to mind is that.Although we can't stop life from happening or moving quickly
.We do have the ability to either enjoy the scenery and the ride.Or we can hang on for dear life.Clutching the bar white knuckling it like we were on a roller coaster and we have a fear of heights.Eyes shut tight,holding our breath until its over., missing it all.

But for those that enjoy roller coasters.The ride is exhilarating.The ups and downs of the track,The wind whipping in your face,being able to see the tops of the trees below.The miles and miles of landscape we can see from the top of the peak.Until the roller coaster starts to descend. The rush of air,the feeling that you are going to fall out of the car at times,but you are safely seat belted in. The hairpin turns.You feel alive, A little scared at times.A little giddy but when the ride ends.No matter how scary it was.You want to do it again.

That is how life should be.There will always be ups and downs.you may feel you are going to fall and at times you are holding on for dear life.Only to go around a bend that makes you smile and you laugh until your belly hurts.We have a choice, enjoy life or dread it.While none of us can ever say that Yes, we enjoyed every moment of every day.There are some days we want to pull the covers over our heads and hide.There will always be times that if we had to choose what is happening to us,we wouldn't wish it on our worst enemy.But we manage.If we remember that we were put on this earth for a purpose and every moment of our life is planned out.We can hop on that roller coaster,put our face to the wind and ride with the confidence that we will make it to the end of the track.And the ride will be worth it.

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Blessings
Dee

Bee's in my hair,but im ok

I had a bee in my hair this morning,which caused me to rip out my pony tail holder,while ripping out some of my hair with it.Tearing off my shirt,and doing the crazy shake your head,wave your arms dance until the buzzing stopped and the bee was found,Tangled in my hair.The bee is no longer with us,I must say., We had a snake in the dining room the other day,it started out in the kids room. More on that later.

One teenage son who has a knee injury,hence visits to get an MRI,physical therapy,One doctor visit for inhalers for possible exercise induced asthma.One husband with a stomach virus now turned into a severe head cold for the past 7 weeks.One 10 year old with a blood shot eye,belly ache and the sniffles. Did I mention the snake in the bedroom? But in the midst of all of this ,Im doing alright.It a wonder im still sane.But im doing ok.

Each morning when we wake up we are never to sure what our day will be like.We can have visions of what we would like it be like.But rarely do our visions match our day.Some days are quiet and calm.We breeze right on thru.Others start out peaceful, but can turn into a bee in the hair,snake in the house.visit to the Doctor day.Not what we have in mind.

I worked with my friend Cathie yesterday. She lost her husband of 40 some years recently.Although the family knew it was coming and had time to prepare somewhat.Im sure that day She would have rather had a nice quiet uneventful boring day.She reminded me that we had prayed months ago that the Lord would put people in her life to encourage her. I do not know what it feels like to lose someone that close,but im sure your greatest fear is the loneliness,and the fear of the unknown.The intense feeling that someone has pulled the rug right out from under you and you are laying on the floor banged up and bruised and bewildered.But the one thing that she said was that she did not feel lonely.That she knew God was in control of her life.

As we go through life we can hear the words"He is in control and will never leave us'.But we are never 100% postive that we trust in that.What if its not what I want.What if He forgets about me.What if Everyone forgets about me.I will be alone.I will feel this way for the rest of my life.

The one thing I have learned this year from talking to so many women who have lost loved ones,Husbands ,Children.Is that they got through it all.Some days they didn't know how they did it They could hardly get out of bed,But they had the strength to keep going.

Most of them can tell you now that they can feel the Lords peace.Sure there is sadness some days.We wouldn't be human if we didnt feel emotions.But all of them can tell you honestly that their joy has returned,and they made it through something that they thought was impossible to handle.

So I ask you today,are you trusting in the one who can carry you through whatever life throws at you? Whether it is a bee in your hair,snake in your house,or the death of a loved one,loss of a job or major health problems.

Do you believe that He will pick you up in his arms and carry you? Or are you still lying on the floor after the rug was pulled out from under you,wishing your life was better,crying over your bruises but not putting your trust in Him and not getting up,dusting yourself off ,wiping your tears.He can't help you if you don't let him.

Your morning may be quiet but we never know what is around the corner. Your never too sure of what is up ahead.But the one thing we can be sure of is How much He loves us,That He is in control of every second of our day,and He will never leave our side.There may be Bees in your hair,sick kids,even a snake slithering down the hall,but you will be alright if you trust in Him.

Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

Blessings Dee

Devotion on Hope

The definition of hope·less

1. Having no hope; despairing.

2. Offering no hope; bleak.

3. Incurable.

4. Having no possibility of solution; impossible.

How many of us put our hope and trust in the Lord,only to yank it back.We are like children when they go fishing,They cast the line,pull it back. cast again, and in 2 seconds they pull it back in,the line is now tangled in the weeds,The bobber and hook need to be cut off,They must start all over again.Within an hour or two fishing isn't as fun as they thought it would be.They just want to go home.And they sure are exhausted and there are no fish to bring home.

We go through life half believing that He can do what he says He can do. When things are going well.We have hope .We tell others who are in despair," Have hope, God will carry you through" we go through out the day dispensing our wisdom and quoting scripture to those in need.Why we could be on the stage like joyce meyer or the Girls from women of faith.We sure sound good!

But when the roaring waves of life come crashing down on us,we soon forget what we have told others. We begin to doubt,we become fearful.What if God doesn't answer this prayer.What if He chooses to say no.What will I do? What if He is not paying attention?

We all have things in our life that we have been praying for ,for years,sometimes decades.We see no change,as a matter of fact things have gotten worse.We have situations in our lives right now,that seem hopeless.God can do anything,but I doubt He can fix this.....Its hopeless,But you don't understand,,,there is no way they can change,Why is it,we can believe most of what we read,but if it seems hopeless in our eyes,this is the one thing God can't do.

We become doubters.How many of us pray,asking for certain things ,but as it is leaving our mouths,our minds are thinking "not going to happen"," I'll just open my mouth,but what I'm praying isn't going to happen".How can He work if we are stifling him?I picture a hand over a mouth muffling the words.If you have ever gone through the McDonalds drive thru you can relate.When they repeat your order back,most of the time you just agree and pray that it is correct. You can't understand one single word they have said.He already knows what you are praying,but He wants to hear it ,He wants you to believe it.


When we pray we need to believe, believe and receive.When things seem so hopeless that is when we need to go to him and give it to him.All of it,all of the doubt and the pain.We cannot take it back.Lay it at his feet and walk away.He will pick it up,He will carry the heavy load.

He can take the most desperate situation and breath life into it.He will take away the weariness of carrying the heavy burdens of life and hopelessness.Take the weight from your shoulders and place it at the feet of Jesus.And walk away knowing that it is already taken care of.

No amount of worrying about it,will make an ounce of difference.Cast your cares on him.like the fishermen who has fished for many years. Throw out the line,and leave it there.but instead of a fish you will have the peace of knowing He's got it.

Psa 42:5 (NNAS) Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him For the help of His presence.

Psa 71:5 (NNAS) For You are my hope; O Lord GOD, You are my confidence from my youth.

Rom 8:24-25 (NNAS) For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.

Jeremiah 29:11 (New International Version)
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Blessings
Dee

This morning I watched a skittish young squirrel that was scared to death of a piece of watermelon.Last night I had placed an old slice under the bird feeder.I'm assuming the squirrel was young.As they grow older they sure do get bolder.If they see something they want and it is right next to you they will come and get it.But this squirrel seemed scared to death of a piece of fruit.

He would skitter sideways towards it and run away,he would constantly look at it,look away,run towards it then run away again and again.At first it was amusing ,after 10 minutes of watching I wanted to yell"Its a watermelon,not a bomb,just go get it! But how was he to know? He or she is a squirrel.They live in a world where the unknown is dangerous.One wrong move and you are someones lunch.Or a pancake lying in the road.Life is scary when you are a tiny squirrel.You must always proceed with caution.

Even though we are not squirrels at times we live our lives like them.We become fearful of the unknown.Hesitant to try something new,something that is out of our comfort zone.The what if's take over and we stay right where we are.Staring at the watermelon slice,that we sure would like to have,but something keeps us away from it.We constantly look at it,run towards it,but then we run away.The endless cycle of doubt starts.

We may want to get to know someone but are afraid to invite them over,what if they say no? Why would they want to spend time with me? We want to be involved in a ministry,take a class,or try something new.But as we start to move forward,we become skittish like the squirrel.The whispers start in our ears.You can't do that? Who are you to think you can? ,Why would they want to get to know you?What if you fail,what will people think?

Whispers that start small and are like the hissing of snakes,subtle and quitebut persistant.They are at their loudest when the Lord calls us to do something .The sound is deafening at times.Nothing can drown them out.

Jesus wants us to have an abundant life.He has given each person gifts and talents to use for his kingdom.He wants us to step out of our comfort zones.He promises to be with us.But we forget that most of the time.We continue to stay right where we are.We want to move forward,we have dreams of doing great things.We can see it,but something holds us back.

Think of the little squirrel.If He chose to be a little braver and step up to the watermelon.He would find out it is just fruit,that it tastes good,and all of it would be his.His little belly would be full.But instead He choses to torture himself this morning.He will never know the sweetness of the watermelon.The satisfaction of overcoming his fears.The joy of pushing himself past the fear and completing the mission

.Do you want to be the squirrel and spend your days wishing and hoping but never getting what you want? Will you waste your days running towards what He wants you to do,but when you are almost there,you run away like the little squirrel? Don;t listen to the whispers that try to talk you out of what He wants you to do.All you have to do is take the first step.He will be there every step of the way.Trust him.

Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

2 Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."

Proverbs 16:3
Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed."

Blessings
Dee

A light in the darkness

John 8:12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

After reading this mornings newspaper I have come to the conclusion that our world is quickly becoming a mess,violence is way up, people have lost their minds.I wonder at times if there is any good news happening in our area.I have always thought that we need a newspaper of just happy,positive things going on.But would there be enough to fill it? I'm sure there would be plenty but most days after reading the press it makes you question.

I love the picture of the mountain above with the moon.It makes you think of how dark the world has become.Some days the darkness and the heaviness hangs over us like a thick dark blanket,we question if there is any light out there?.Where I live it is dark,So dark at times you can't see your hand in front of your face if there is no moon.When we first moved out here,the outdoor spotlights didn't work,So, when it was time to go to your car if you didn't have a flashlight,good luck trying to find where you where going.

You had to take baby steps,like when you are blindfolded playing a game as a child.You take tiny steps with your hands outstretched to protect you in case you trip or run into anything like a tree or a wall.A little hesitant for fear what was ahead.

At first living out here was a little too dark,a little too far from civilization,and there was a little too much nature walking around at night.Things you could hear but couldn't see.The fear of what was out there or who was out there, was there at times.The fear of the unknown in a strange place

.But as we began to work on our house and put up the spotlights and become familiar with our property things began to look differently.We could walk outside with confidence,knowing if anything was near us like the raccoon who happened to be following us hissing as we dragged the bag of trash to the cans.We could find our way,even if there was no moon.We felt safer with the light.

This is how the Lord is ,if he is in our lives.While the world around us continues to become more violent.When some days we think about what our futures will be like ,especially for our children and grandchildren,we shudder.
But the one thing we have is the Lord.He is the light in the darkness.He will show us the way.He will keep us on the path.He will be our protection when at times the darkness seems to be everywhere,closing in and surrounding us until it is hard to see any light.He is there.Like the tiny looking moon over the mountains in the picture above.While we may be deep in the dark valleys at times,or hanging on the side of a mountain too big to climb ,by just our fingertips.All we need to do is look up.And the light of Jesus will shine down upon us,illuminating our way like a lighthouse on the darkened beach that beckons the lost ships in the night."Here I am " It says,"Here I am,I will bring you to safety"",I will bring you out of harms way".A comforting glow that calls us to the shore safe and sound.So, when your world seems its darkest,and you can't find your way,look up and his heavenly light will shine ever so brightly for you to see.
Blessings
Dee

2 Samuel 22:29

You are my lamp, O LORD; the LORD turns my darkness into light.

This morning as I sat on the porch having my morning Coffee,I watched the squirrels surrounding the bird feeders like a little group of boy scouts around a campfire.The birds going back and forth to get their breakfast of sunflower seeds.All was calm,except the hummingbirds.They are about the cutest little birds you have ever seen,if you have had a chance to see them up close.Tiny in size,their wings go so fast they are a blur.All day they zip back and forth from the trees to the feeder.When you see them they look so sweet and adorable,you want to put one in a cage so you can look at it all day and hear their little squeaks.

But if you happen to be another hummingbird,look out,Looks are deceiving.They are the most territorial birds around.All day they fight.Zooming into each other little fighter planes.We have 2 feeders ,there is plenty of nectar to go around,but all day they are like spoiled little children.Defending their territory,smacking into each other,squeaking quite loudly.Always on the defense.They seem to waste precious energy defending their turf,they rarely rest.I would think they would be exhausted by nightfall.

We all have days like this.While we look sweet and nice on the outside.Inside we are not pretty at all.Sometimes we can hide it ,other times out is all comes and those in our path ,get a smack,just like the hummingbirds.We wonder why the birds act the way they do.They can never change,they are a bird,thats how God created them.They will defend their territory until the day they die.

But we have the choice each morning.While the Lord did create us with certain personalities and traits.What is inside does not have to stay put.We can constantly work on changing our hearts,our thoughts and our actions.Each morning we need to go to the Lord and ask that our hearts be overfilled with his Love and His peace.Sure we can skip that and go about our merry old way.And some days our way is far from merry!.But do we want to go through our day with heavy hearts.with aggravation upon us,looking at the world as the hummingbirds do,waiting for people to come near us,invade our territory and take what we think is ours?

No,this only drags us down.It causes up to lose our joy,our peace.If we let it take over we walk around grumbling and complaining,holding onto things like spoiled little children who have a death grip on a toy they don't even want,but they can't let it go for fear someone else will take it.We need to let it go.Let go of the anger ,the guilt,the things that cause us to be defensive.Let it go and let God replace it all with joy and peace.Let go of the fear that grips you and causes you to want to hide under the covers.Let go of the past that still holds on and refuses to let you move forward.Let go and let Him begin to replace it all with Peace,Hope,and strength.Remember the birds,they cannot change but you have a choice.
Blessings Dee

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

Matthew 11:28-30

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light

Galatians 5:22-23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law