One Year Blogiversary!
Today marks my One Year Blogiversary and, as of last night, I have had 2,881 visitors with 6,630 views from 39 countries across the globe! I have so enjoyed putting these together and I truly pray that you have benefited in some way from my posts. To celebrate this special occasion, below you’ll find a list of my top 5 posts from the past year (based upon views here and on Facebook). However, I would greatly appreciate it if you would let me know what posts have been your favorites over the past year, too! If you would, please comment below or on Facebook. As always, I greatly appreciate it if you would consider sharing my posts, signing up for the blog to be delivered to your email and/or liking me on Facebook. Thank you so much for your support!
#1 – ONE AND ONLY SON (859 views)
#2 – CALLING ALL HUSBANDS! (728 views)
#3 – HOMEMADE VEGETABLE SOUP (611 views)
#4 – WAIT PATIENTLY (549 views)
#5 – FATHER AND SON (AND MOM, TOO!) (476 views)
No Status Quo
Father, thank You for a beautiful day yesterday. It may have been over cast, cold and windy but it was beautiful! Thank You for the privilege of being a part of my niece’s wedding and the many people and things it entailed. May Your blessings be upon this union and may You use them in a mighty way as they continue to strive to live their lives for You!
Psalm 37:23-24 (<<click here)
The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.
None of us knows what the future holds. We make plans as to where we want to be at points in our lives but truly only You know what directions our lives will take, Lord.
As I sit here rocking and I think of Megan and Gus and their lives together, I would pray that they would “dream big.” They are two unique individuals who have chosen to blend their gifts, talents, abilities and personalities to be used of You.
As they begin this journey together may they hold tightly to Your hand. Their lives will but full of many wonderful things but trials will come as well. May they be ever drawn to You through it all. May their relationship with You be so strong and vibrant and real and impacting that You shine through it all.
Lord, may none of us be satisfied with the easy or the expected. Help us to seek Your heart. Help us to push the envelope in how we live our lives. Help us to not settle for the status quo.
An old hymn comes to mind. “God of grace and God of glory, on Thy people pour Thy power…Grant us wisdom, grant us courage, for the facing of this hour.”
May 15th, Sun, 6:34 am
Beautiful Panorama of Life
Father, thank You for Your guiding presence throughout my day yesterday. I was able to get so much done. With the wedding this weekend, I needed to have everything ready to go for Sunday, and with Your help, it all got taken care of. Please be with us as we travel today. May your presence permeate the rehearsal and the wedding tomorrow. May it be a wonderful uniting of two beautiful souls, but may You be gloried from beginning to end. Amen.
Hebrews 11:5-6 (<<click here)
Lord, as I delve more into the ‘faith” chapter and read of individuals who believed Your promises to them though they died before seeing them fully fulfilled, I have to think about my faith.
First, I have to think through what are Your promises to me and what are my hopes and wishes – my expectations. At least for me that’s not necessarily set in black and white.
One thing is for sure, even through my ups and downs, You have been with me. In some ways, my life has not turned out as I expected it to. But…regardless of what I thought, I have a wonderful life! I have far too many blessings to count. My life is not the picture I had anticipated but the good times, the hard times, the gut wrenching times – they have all been used by You to create this beautiful panorama I call my life.
Yes, faith is sometimes believing in the fulfillment of a specific promise but, for me at least, faith is a way of life. It is a mindset that says, “Lord here I am. I trust You. Take what little I have. Use it for Your glory. Take all the pieces and parts and bring into existence the grand masterpiece that You foresee.”
Thank You, Lord, for all You do and all You are!
May 13th, Fri, 6:37 am
Nip It in the Bud!
Good morning, Father! You have been leading me in prayer the last few days but I feel compelled to write today. Looking forward, I give this day over to You. I do not know what it will bring but I know You will be beside me all the way. Use me to further Your kingdom.
Hebrews 11:4 (<<click here)
In today’s verse, Lord, Abel is commended as a righteous man because he brought a more acceptable offering than Cain, his brother. It was acceptable because it was a blood offering but it was also acceptable because it was accompanied by a right attitude.
First of all, it sure didn’t take long for sin to manifest itself after the Fall. I’m sure there were other things that were just not noted in Scripture but, wow, it didn’t take much to jump from disobedience, to anger, to murder!
Lord, as I look back at Genesis 4 I can see that Cain’s trouble began when he bristled at being corrected. His offering was rejected for it was not a sacrifice of blood. He could have corrected it but he was ticked off and ran with that mindset, instead.
How many times have I let unrighteous mindsets carry me away? Unfortunately my personality is such that even little things can tick me off. You have helped and continue to help me squelch these flair ups but I still have to deal with them on a fairly regular basis. And it doesn’t put a stop to them and my poor attitudes begin to manifest itself in words and actions it can lead me to hurt myself and others – especially loved ones.
Lord, I am so grateful that You continue to work patiently and lovingly with me. I surely need Your constant influence in my life. It’s a bit of a weird thought but with Your help I need to take Deputy Barney Fife’s advice from long ago and “Nip it in the bud!” 🙂 Before bad attitudes and actions even start to develop, as soon as they “bud” they need to be nipped off so they cannot grow and cause harm.
Help me, Lord, to be more like You every day.
May 9th, Mon, 6:24 am
Ties that Bind
Father, thank You for another day. I do not know what it will hold for me…but You do. Shine through me this day in all of Your glory. May I be a reflection of all Your attributes in my many interactions with others until my day is done. Amen.
Lord, as I think back over the last several days I can clearly see the strength of familial ties. But when You are intertwined amongst those ties, they are stronger still.
Families are a wonderful blessing, Lord. Over the years I have seen many of them rally together to support one another in times of celebration and in times of loss. They are truly there for each other through thick and thin. Lord, I am also grateful that family is not limited to the group into which one is born. For those who choose to believe, we can all be a part of Your family – brother and sisters regardless of race, geography or economic status. Many of my people are so grateful to have children and grandchildren by their side. We may be separated by distance or the trials of life may have left us alone to fend for ourselves, but, Lord, no one is exempt from Your family. Thank You for adopting us all into Your family. Help us to pray for one another, to love, to support, to rejoice with, and to cry with. You are there for each of us and because of Your call on our lives and Your example set before us may we be there for each other.
Blest be the tie that binds
Our hearts in Christian love;
the fellowship of kindred minds
is like to that above.
May 3rd, Tuesday, 5:50 am