Friday, May 22, 2015

Fresh on Friday ~ Encouragement




Sharing from Jesus Calling today, by Sarah Young.
As I read this yesterday it really encouraged me and I know many need this gentle reminder.
I encourage you today to trust!
~

I, The Creator of The Universe,
am with you and for you. What more could you need?
  When you feel some lack, it is because you are not connecting with Me at a deep level. 
 I offer abundant Life; your part is to trust Me, refusing to worry about anything.

It is not so much adverse events that make you anxious as it is your thoughts about those events.
Your mind engages in efforts to take control of a situation, to bring about the result you desire.
Your thoughts close in on the problem like ravenous wolves. Determined to make things go your way, you forget that I am in charge of your life. The only remedy is to switch your focus from the problem to My Presence.
Stop all your striving, and watch to see what I will do. I am the Lord!

~

But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God
my Savior; my God will hear me  .~Micah 7:7

Have a great weekend, trust!
Its what echos from my heart today.....

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Thankful Thursday ~


Linking up with Rebeca Jo.
 Just a bit of what I'm thankful for.
 ~
I'm thankful that I am able to feel and recognize my emotions,
negative or positive.
There are those who are unable to do so for one reason or another.
I think it is something that needs to be practiced, the practice of turning a 
negative into a positive.
If having a difficult day what works for me is focusing on a positive emotion.
If worried I focus on the fact I serve a God of hope.
Looking at the sunset or a forest I can't help but be inspired by His creations, 
which makes me thankful.
If I'm having a bad day, I try and focus instead on some of my best days. 
In doing so my bad day won't overwhelm me.
It's then  becomes, a day that I won't allow to suck me into negative thoughts.

I'm very thankful to see marriages that are in crisis that are trusting God.
Something I failed to do so many years ago.
What a difference that would have made to my children.

I'm thankful for a little show called The Voice.
It allowed me to be in awe week after week of these amazing voices 
that had, up until the show been underutilized! 
Thankful that Sawyer won too!

It's interesting to me how much more aware I am of all that I have to be thankful for.
The simple practice of purposing to weekly write about such things.
 I can't help but see how full my life is, when I pour out my thanks for all that fills it!

It's what echos from my heart today......

Thursday, May 14, 2015

Thankful Thursday ~ Even for Feta!




It’s the attitude of gratitude that is most important and life-changing.


Linking up with Rebecca Jo for Thankful Thursdays!
http://www.knitbygodshand.com/

Thankful for ~

~My oldest son Mike who turned 38 on Monday.
(wondering how that math can be right)
My DIL had to work so I had he and the girls for dinner.
I surprised him with a meal he has been asking for,
hope your ready for this....it was a childhood meal :-)
On the menu
Velveeta shells and cheese served with Kielbasa and blueberry muffins.
For dessert brownies that Khloe and I made.
He was happy! Khloe was proud to deliver dessert.




~Thankful my hubby has 8 working days left!

~Thankful our friends George and Lynn will be house sitting  again while we
are on our vacation.  Makes all the difference in being gone for long periods.

~Thankful we are expecting a good rain tonight and tomorrow!

~Thankful this Friday is book club....The book is 


Book club isn't really so much about the books.
It's about being with a group of women I love, 
a place we can be authentic with each other. 
It's why were still together....
Then there is the pizza and wine......



~Thankful for Pastures of Eden feta cheese from Trader Joe's.....
it's so good that after crumbling into a dish you would never, ever wash
the remnants off your hands.  You will want to suck each finger of any that didn't
make it in the dish.  SWEAR! Try it and see.....

~ Thankful I am able to, hear, and sense the changes in someone special to me.
One's life changing in so many positive ways, by trusting God.
If we're fully trusting there's no giving up!
Evidence God it faithful, and he hears our prayers.
He is the God of hope.
Yes thankful I am!!


To those who believe......
It's what echos from my heart today

Friday, May 8, 2015

Photo Memories of Mom ~

She left this world on Mother's Day 2012.

Mom has been gone three years now.
It seems like yesterday most of the time. 
 It feels much longer on the days I wish I could talk to her, the days I wish I could hug her. 

~
 Below is one of my favorite photos of her and her twin sister.  Mom is on the right, so cute I think.


Below is a photo of my eldest sister, her grand daughter,
Mom and myself.


~

The photos below are the most precious photos to me.
I think I post them every year......
 When Mom was staying with us for a time
she spent everyday reading to Khloe. 
 Khloe, like most children loved my Mom so much.







~
This was Mom's Birthday, Mickey Mouse themed of course :-)
She is with my great niece Ruby and Khloe.





~
This is my very favorite photo. I believe it was our last Christmas with Mom.
This photo is when we discovered Khloe had "Nanny Cheeks". 
As she grew she took on so many of my Mom's mannerisms, and attitude! 
Her Momma actually thought a baby photo of my Mom was Khloe :-)
The resemblance is funny sometimes, and I love when someone tells me she looks like Mom.
That has meant the world to me, it's like having a bit of my Mom with me still...
I miss her beautiful blue eyes.
I miss her soft tiny hands.
I miss her hugs, I wish I had given more of them :-)
The pain of her not being here just never seems to leave.
I'm so glad I was near her to the very end, being part of her every days.
Her living far from me would have made the loss so much greater....
I wish she were still just down the hall.

I will be thinking of my Mom this Mother's Day weekend.
My thoughts will be bitter sweet.
I miss her so, but she is now with Jesus and my Dad for eternity.
I know, she is happier than she ever was here in this world.

Happy Mother's Day Mom...
She echos from my heart everyday....

Thursday, May 7, 2015

Thankful Thursday ~ Full of Thanks I Am!




Linking up with Rebecca Jo at  http://www.knitbygodshand.com/


It's thankful Thursday, by taking the time to say what you are thankful for,
 you will become more aware of how good you have it!!


~ Super thankful for Jennifer. Jennifer is in her mid thirties and Momma to her young son Brady. Jennifer is also a breast cancer survivor with an amazing attitude. Not long ago her cancer returned and appeared in other parts of her body. Once again she braved the treatments which resulted in no sign of cancer.She was recently having discomfort and like most survivors thought the worst, the return of this horrible disease. After having a scan  done she later received the news it was clear! It's been reported there was some "dancing in the streets" that took place. Very thankful she trusts a great big God, and gives him the glory in the good news.
Jen is a regular on Bob and I's prayer list, we think she's quite special. It would mean so much if you were to add her continued good health to yours!

~ Thankful Mike and Katie are moved into their new home, kitchen is coming together, cabinets were installed Monday, granite completed today, sink installed.  It is really coming together for them, looks like home :-)

~Thankful to hear we have a chance of rain!!!!

~Thankful for the chance to be treated to lunch by my sister Dona, and for a chance to hug her again.....

~ Thankful that I'm able to lead a group in organizing our Single Mom/Military Wives brunch which is this Saturday at Church. We treat them to a lovely breakfast, a speaker to encourage them, and the best is blessing them with the gift of gift cards that are donated by members of our church.  It's a ministry close to my heart for sure!

~I'm thankful and blessed that I was asked to continue to lead the planning of our Women's fall retreat again this year. A big job that would not be a successful with out the most awesome group of women that are eager to help make it special.  We have begun the planning and I'm so excited! I'm most thankful for my partner in crime, Snicker (Lori) who is my rock from start to finish in making sure this all comes together..
She's the organized one and the queen of crafty :-) 

~In fact, I'm so very thankful for Lori, she adds to my joy, listens to me whine, lifts me up, prays for me, makes me laugh and ensures I have an oil for every need!! I love her to bits

~Thankful still, for everyday I get to care for Khloe and Ellery..... it never gets old, just keeps getting better.


~
  Hoping you create a habit of thankfulness, 
you'll be glad you did!


It's what echos from my thankful heart today.....

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Marriage, it's Not Always Rainbows and Flower fields...

But it can come darn close!

This goes out to all who are struggling in relationships.
So many I love right now are in this struggle, so many....
Been there done that...and not always so well.
There are so many hurting hearts.

Some are fortunate to have rainbows and flower fields
in their marriages, I'm a believer those are the marriages
that the couples have their focus on the other,
not self........(ponder that)

Disclaimer,
This is not a recent post from my journal,
but it has been.... :-)

Marriage
~
It's not for the weak.
It's not for quitters 
(yes, I've been one)

Hearts will break
Words will be said, 
 the words some wish they could take back.
We've all done this at some at some point.
So easy to fling angry words when
we're, 
scared, hurting, worried, frustrated, angry
(fill in the blank)

We may never understand the why's.....
Heck, the one doing the flinging of words may not even know the why!

This is when we need to serve up a super size portion of grace...
it's in the hard, that's when grace is it's most powerful.

We lift each other up.
No one should do all the lifting in any relationship.
There will also be times
where hearts can and will overflow with
happiness and love to the rim!
How did I ever get so lucky kinda love!!

It's then,when love becomes what God intended, 
God's kind of love. 
It's big!
How do we make it stick?
We just keep doing it until we get it right, with the help of a God who can fix it.
(You weren't expecting and easy answer were you?)

Forgiveness is required.
~
Without true forgiveness, we never move on with fully living.
Living in this day,
 a day we were never promised to begin with.

How many times has God forgiven me? You?
More than I care to count.
Yet he continues to do so, God's grace, it's a beautiful thing!
Just as we all hope in each other,
 He too hopes that each time we start again,
 it will be the time we get it right!

It can be very hard to start again after a disappointment, 
another disappointment.
Always hoping this is the last time....this time we get it figured out.
God can take us to the lowest of lows, 
and He will if that is what's required.
For some that's what it takes to figure it out,
and then it's served it's purpose.

That's when we can really begin to live each day as if it was our last.
Wouldn't it be great if couples, if all of us in fact,
lived today as if it were our last?
Oh the peace there would be, how our days would so dramatically change!

Giving up is easy.....
trusting God with our relationships even after
we've been to our lowest.
It's right there in the hard,
and
It's called faith.

Whatever the problem, 
maybe we can't fix it, 
our well meaning friends and family can't fix it,
But I know that God can.
 
No it's not easy, but it's faith none the less......
Encouraging you to be praying for marriages, marriages that are starving
for that peace, that filled to the rim cup of love! 
I'm going to go ahead and be optimistic it will happen,
 for all that need it! 

Faith, and focus on why you fell in love with your spouse.
Rainbows and flower fields, they are within reach.

It's what echos from my heart today......

Friday, May 1, 2015

Fresh on Friday ~ Encouragement



Fresh on Friday
Be Encouraged and be an encourager!

~

Without someone encouraging us, our hardships become enormous in size,
 our desire to continue can and often does lessen.

Encouragement makes it much easier to be an occupant in this fallen world in which we live.
Sometimes just hearing a sincere word of encouragement can make the biggest difference in an already bad day. 


If we fail to lift others up, we are going to be surrounded by a mass of discouraged people.
I sincerely feel its up to each of us to do our part.

I'm fortunate, I'm surrounded by friends and family that are on the ready to encourage me.
I know in my heart, there are many who have no one encouraging them..
It's important to remember we are not all as fortunate.

In every relationship we need to take turns encouraging
 each other when it becomes clear, one of us is in need of it!




Encouraging each of you to be mindful of those around you.
Most are just in need of one sincere word from you. 

It's what echos from my heart today.