Been busy & this is why. lol

Wow! I finally got this up loaded to You Tube for my son! It was worth it though. I up loaded it to his You Tube page. This is part one of his sermon at Easter. Up date on Shirley: She has gone home and hospice is coming in their home. Thank you so much for your prayers. They are greatly appreciated. All of you have been in my prayers. Hope all of you have a blessed weekend. Love, hugs, and prayers, Janie

Prayers

Thank you Sugar for tag I snagged from your AOL journal.

My son called me tonight right before pulling into his drive way. He had been to the hospital. One of our members, Shirley 86 years old, had surgery last week on her colon. Now all they can do for her is give her pain medication. Her son and grandson also attends our church. Her grandson is wanting to be a minister. Any prayers for this family would be deeply appreciated. All of you are in my prayers. Love & hugs, Janie

Have to teach tomorrow.

Matthew 24:36

"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."

Matthew 13: 30

Let both grow together until the harvest; and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

If you grew up on a farm or with a garden, you learned to despise weeds. Hours in the broiling sun with a hoe in your hands help you sympathize with farmers who will do anything to get rid of the things.

Over the years the attempts to kill them have included some strong pesticides that killed not only the weeds but all good crops. The pesticides even endangered our health.

In truth, some weeds are quite useful, producing nectar for the bees, improving the soil's nutrients, even providing food for salads. In the divine plan of the Father, everything has its purpose.

Other "weeds" will show their true colors at the harvest. Jesus made that point in His parable. Our job isn't to identify those we may consider "the weeds" and judge them as such. Only He will judge who is gathered to heaven and who is tossed into the fire.

Lord, help me stay alert to avoid the "weeds" Satan is planting. Give me the wisdom to accept those "weeds" that suit your purpose.

(Written by:Steve Phillips (television sports director, Sevier Heights Baptist church, Knoxville, TN

Link to next lesson: Life Of Jesus

My son just got his next lesson up on You Tube. The link is below. This loads really fast because James recorded it with a mp3 recorder. If you are on dial-up ... you might just try it. It just has videos like a slide show. All of you are in my prayers. Love, hugs, and prayers, Janie

http://www.youtube.com/user/VideoPreacherMan

Taking a break from journals

Just taking a break from journals for a while, at least 2 weeks and maybe more. Everything is fine. ALL of you will be in my prayers. Love, hugs, and prayers, Janie

Hope even amid dire circumstances.

I have to give the Sunday School lesson this Sunday. I am not very good at teaching. :(

Discover Fresh Hope

Financial hardship is only one of many circumstances that can make people feel hopeless about life. Deteriorating health, broken relationships, or loss of loved ones can have the same effect. How do we cope, or help someone else cope at such times?

If we are honest, we have to acknowledge that we ALL face times when circumstances seem overwhelming, and God seems far away. We wrestle with doubt and despair. To make things worse, we feel guilty for having these negative feelings. During such times, the Psalms offer the comforting message that we are not alone. The psalmists were fellow strugglers who expressed not only praise and thanksgiving, but also sorrow, fear, and despair.

Psalm 42: 1-5
1. As a deer longs for streams of water, so I long for You, God. 2. I thirst for God, living God. When can I come and appear before God? 3. My tears have been my food day and night, while all day long people say to me, "Where is your God"? 4. I remember this as I pour out my heart; how I walked with many, leading the festive procession to the house of God, with joyful and thankful shouts. 5. Why am I so depressed? Why this turmoil within me? Put your hope in God, for I will still praise Him, my Savior and my God.

We understand that God is not confined to any one location, and we can worship Him anywhere. In ancient Hebrew culture, the temple was the center of worship and represented God's dwelling place. Worshiping there with other believers, the psalmist had felt God's presence most keenly. For some reason the psalmist could not go to the temple. Questioning his own feelings and telling himself to trust God reflect the experience of someone who knows God is in control but feels hopeless nonetheless. It is a conflict between head and heart, knowledge and emotion.

Psalm 42: 1-5 demonstrates that we can share candidly with God our pain and disappointment. He will not be shocked; He already knows our secret thoughts, and He sympathizes with our suffering. The verses also challenge us to seek God above all else. More than we need a solution to our problems we need God Himself. Drawing close to Him, we discover that we are not alone in our despair.

Depend on God's Faithful Love:

Psalm 42: 6-11
6. I am deeply depressed; therefore I remember You from the land of Jordan and the peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. 7. Deep calls to deep in the roar of all Your breakers and Your billows have swept over me. 8. The Lord will send His faithful love by day; His song will be with me in the night--- a prayer to the God of my life. 9. I will say to God, my rock, "Why have You forgotten me? Why must I go about in sorrow because of the enemy's oppression?" 10. My adversaries taunt me, as if crushing my bones, while all day long they say to me, "Where is your God?" 11. Why am I so depressed? Why this turmoil within me? Put your hope in God, for I will still praise Him, my Savior and my God.

Underline the 2 questions in verse 9. Would you say the psalmist's question of God were bold, disrespectful, irreverent, honest, whiny, sincere, angry, legitimate? Does God welcome this kind of praying? Why or why not?

Although he questioned God's apparent absence in verse 9, the psalmist returned in verse 11 to the refrain that runs throughout these two psalms, expressing his "hope in God." Like the psalmist we may need to keep reminding ourselves in difficult times that trouble does not mean God is absent or doesn't care. Sometimes God uses tribulations to discipline us (not just to punish, but also to instruct). In the New Testament, the writer of Hebrews noted that God's discipline is an indication of His love for His children (Hebrew 12: 5-11). God's love is one thing we can count on no matter what we may lose or how our circumstances might change. When others turn against us, we can know that God is always for us. When we seek Him and honor Him, He loves us. When we disobey and disappoint Him, He loves us still.

Psalm 43: 1-5
1. Vindicate me, God, and defend my cause against an ungodly nation; rescue me from the deceitful and unjust man. 2. For You are the God of my refuge. Why have You rejected me? Why must I go about in sorrow because of the enemy's oppression? 3. Send Your light and Your truth; let them lead me. Let them bring me to Your holy mountain, to Your dwelling place. 4. Then I will come to the altar of God, to God, my greatest joy. I will praise You with the lyre, God, my God. 5. Why am I so depressed? Why this turmoil within me? Put your hope in God, for I will still praise Him, my Savior and my God.

Turning to God for justice when we are treated unfairly demonstrates that we believe God is just and is powerful enough to intervene and set things right. Because life this side of heaven isn't fair, we all become victims of injustice at times. At such times, we can wallow in self-pity and drown in despair. The better alternative, however, is to do what the psalmist did. He boldly petitioned God, the Judge of all the earth, to redress the abuses against him. Looking to our Refuge for deliverance from injustice raises us out of the pit of gloomy introspection and self-pitying depression.

Life doesn't always turn out the way we planned. Illness strikes. Death claims loved ones. Relationships become strained. We suffer losses and setbacks. Shifting circumstances can take us from a place of contentment to a place of despair without warning. How can we make a new start in life when we find ourselves in what seems like a hopeless situation? Consider these truths:

1. We find fresh hope by understanding our soul's desire for God. When we draw close to Him, we move toward hope.
2. We find fresh hope by relying on God's love. Even when we do not sense God's presence or see how He is helping, we can trust in His unchanging love and know that He is working for our good.
3. We find fresh hope by looking to God for guidance. When we are at a loss to know what to do, His light and truth will lead us.

UPDATE ON ACCIDENT

Just got an email from my friend. I told her that her SIL must have had an angel sitting on his shoulder. God is good. Here is her email. Hugs, Janie ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Hi Janie,
Erick is doing well. Jennie called me when he got out of surgery. He had a broken leg and a broken ankle. They put plates and pins in there to hold everything together. The doctor said he will not be able to go back to work for 3 or 4 months. (But at least he will be ok. Very lucky to only have that amount of injuries from a motorcycle accident) When the car pulled out in front of him he tried to go around it...so instead of hitting the car head on, he hit in with the right side of his body (so it was his right leg and ankle that got broken) A couple days ago he had just borrowed some leather chaps,leather jacket, and leather gloves from his friend. So I'm thinking maybe the leather outfit helped too. Anyway, just wanted to let you know that he is doing well. Thanks for the prayers, Terrie

PRAYER REQUEST PLEASE

My friend that lives in Stockton, Kansas just emailed me about her son-in-law. Here is her email. I would appreciate any prayers. All of you are also in my prayers. Love, hugs, and prayers, Janie
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Prayers needed for my son-in-law:

My oldest daughter Jennie in Arizona called me this morning all upset and crying. Her husband Erick got into a motorcyle accident on his way to work. He was going down a highway where the speed limit is 65mph and a car ran a stop sign and pulled out in front of him. (So, he hit the side of a car with his motorcycle while going about 65mph) Someone called Jennie from the accident scene, so she rushed down there. She said there was blood all over the place and Erick's clothes were all ripped up and his motorcycle was all smashed up and in pieces. They had Erick on a stretcher getting ready to take him by helicopter to the hospital. The paramedics told her that so far they knew he had a broken leg, but they did not know yet what other injuries he had because they were still examining him.
Jennie did say that Erick spoke to her at the accident scene (so that's hopeful that at least he was awake and coherent) He was wearing a helmet thank goodness. Anyway, when she called me this morning she was on her way driving to the hospital where the helicopter was taking him. I told her to call me back later to let me know what's going on. Will keep you updated....Terrie

Spic and Span

When I made the entry about cleaning the bathroom walls with a sponge mop... I forgot one of the most important things... what I cleaned it with. lol

I live in a double wide and have hallow doors in the house. They are very hard to clean without streaking. My manufactured home is a 1981 model. I used about 2 gallons of water to 1/2 cup of Spic and Span. It use to be powder but it is now liquid. The only place I could find it was Wal Mart. It is an old time cleaning agent. It has a nice unusual fragrance and not strong. I did not have to rinse either. I like 409 but it kills my lungs. Just thought I would share this. Wishing all of you a wonderful day with lots of blessings. Love, hugs, and prayers, Janie

CRAFT IDEA

I laid my own linoleum several years ago. Yep! Cocked it around the stool and tub so water wouldn't get through the cracks in case of water spill or leak. lol I wanted it done good; so I did it myself. lol

Here is a photo of my bathroom scales. If you will notice it has a top just like my linoleum. All I did was take a piece of paper (1 side of grocery sack), lay it on top of scales and press hard to get a pattern. The creases will show when you do that. I cut out the pattern, laid it on the top of a piece of self stick linoleum, drew pattern with pencil, cut it out, and then stuck it to my bathroom scales. I also measured the bottom of my wicker stand and cut out a piece of linoleum and stuck it to the side of my little shelf.

Another project I did was put ceramic tiles on top of my end tables. I put 2 full size in the front, Lowe's cut the other 2 shorter, and I put the shorter ones in the back. Put the edge of tile along sides, front, and back, and put grout between the spaces. Gary said I could not do it!! Ha! It worked and I love how the top of my end tables look and so easy to clean off with a wet washcloth!

Wishing all of you a lovely day with lots of blessings. All are in my prayers.

Love, hugs, and prayers,

Janie

Miss Gracie (our horse) in the bathroom!!

Well it turned out better that I thought. WooHoo!! I made the side curtains a long time ago! I was scared I would need to make more. I took 2 lace curtain panels and sewed them to a shower curtain ruffle. Here is the real Miss Gracie! lol

This photo looks just like Miss Gracie. She is 3 years old and still unbroken!

Just thought I would show you one of the shower curtains I bought. Hope all of you have a wonderful week with lots of blessings. Love, hugs, and prayers, Janie

SENIOR MOMENT!!! LOL

Have any of you seniors had a senior moment lately? lol I thought I was doing really well since getting on medicare. hehe I proved myself wrong twice this week!!! Yikes!!!!

Monday at 2:30 Gary told me to get around and we would go eat in the little town 14 miles east of us. I asked if he wanted me to invite Bud and Hazel to go with us (they are 92 and 95 years old). He said what ever I wanted to do. I told him that I would tell them we would pick them up around 4:30. Gary said make it around 5:00 so he could put the miniature horses up and feed them. I made the statement to him that was good because it would give me a couple of hours. (Shaking my head at this moment!). I got around thinking I had plenty of time. I got up and walked by the microwave and glanced at the clock and it said 4:30!!! I walked back into the dinning room and looked at the clock that I keep track of time with and it said 2:52 !!!! I asked Gary what time it was. He said 4:30. No wonder I have been so tired!!! Wonder how long that clock has been wrong?? I think it was alright about 3 days ago?? I always just look at that clock when getting ready for bed. I don't know why I don't watch the clock on the computer?? The clock needed batteries!! It is a bird clock. Everytime the hour comes up... a bird sings. My mother bought it for me one year for Christmas.

Sunday I wore a vest that I had never worn. It is a tiger strip (dark blonde and black stripe). I bet it has hung in my closet for 1 1/2 years. I wore it to church Sunday. I got a little warm and took it off through the service. When I got ready to put it back on I saw it still had the price tag hanging in the neck! Good thing it wasn't hanging from the arm pit!!

We went to the Assistant Living yesterday. Gary was in a hurry and wanted to get the oil changed in the truck so we had to leave 30 minutes early. I grabbed 2 cassettes, rewound them, and took off. I took 2 older songs that I was sure I knew. "Old Rugged Cross" and "It Is No Secret". I got ready to sing and I forgot the words to Old Rugged Cross!! It does not matter that Gary has retired and doesn't have any place to go... he is always in a hurry!! By the time I get some place I am exhausted from him rushing me. lol

We had a sweet surprise on our mailbox Monday. The lady that gave us Harley (the burro) had left it for us. She lives 3 houses east of us. She had written a note and taped it.

Well, this is hoping that all of you have a wonderful day. I am upset with the lady that did my eye examine. Why can't a person get things done correctly anymore?? lol All of you are in my prayers. God Bless, Janie

God Provides

Thank you Sugar for this tag. It goes along with my entry very well. :-)

Good morning, Gary has gone to the church to meet with some people about the sign that fell down in front of the church. Friday our son called to tell us that a check for $10,000 arrived in the mail from someone who does not go to our church. With the TV off and Gary gone my mind seems to do more thinking. Sometimes for me.... that can be a dangerous thing. lol

This morning I was thinking about our building that we built in 1997. The first thing that they had to make was the foundation. They were going to pour thousands of dollars worth of concrete that day. The clouds looked really bad and the workers did not know if they should pour the concrete. Concrete has to set-up for 12 hours!! The decision was up to me. :( I prayed about it and then told them to pour the concrete. There wasn't any insurance on that poured concrete. I remember sitting on a bench watching them pour and smooth out the cement. Looking up into the dark clouds wondering if I had done the right thing. All day the clouds looked like it was going to rain! I sat up that night waiting to see if the rain was going to come. It had to set-up until midnight!! Right at midnight heaven opened up and buckets of rain came down. Big rain! The insulation was getting wet! No roof yet, just sides. The next morning the contractor called and real hesitant, and said; "Janie, did you get any rain last night?" Yes we got 1 1/2 inches of rain, I told him. He was 25 miles from me and they got 2 1/2 inches of rain. He asked what time it rained and I told him midnight. Safe within minutes! I had to trust the Lord instead of myself with the choice that I made.

The Lord tells us that we need a good foundation or our house will crumble. The Lord is my foundation in all that I do. I trust Him with my life and everyday living. Do you have a good foundation in your life?

You are all in my prayers. Hope all of you have a blessed day. Love, hugs, and prayers, Janie

UpDate On Heather Cousin's young wife

Want to thank ALL of you for your prayers. God is good. Got this email from my cousin this morning. Heather is only in her 30's. She was in the hospital for heart failure. She has a 6 pound baby (don't know the age).

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Last night around 5:30 they were able to get her off the ventilator, she is breathing on her own. Her first words were water, food and mask (possible oxygen, don’t know what she meant). They removed 3 liters of fluid on Saturday, now she looks more normal. I have not heard any word as of this morning as to how the night went. She is not out of the danger yet, but things are much better. Her condition can be controlled with medication, rest. They say it will be at least a year before she regains much strength, we don’t care as long as there is hope and progress. Thanks each of you for all the prayers, God is good.

Love, hugs, and prayers, Janie

Wallpaper border is up!!

Well... leave it to me! The house looks like 2 tornadoes hit it now... but I cleaned the bathroom walls, washed the towels, artifical flowers, what-nots, mopped, washed the shower curtains, put up a new liner, and even put up the wallpaper border! WooHoo! I had Gary hold the wallpaper border for me when I put the largest piece up. Oh my! He can drive a sane person crazy! Or is it just me?? He likes to tell me how to do something and he is like a bull in a china closet. I was afraid that he was going to rip the wallpaper border by pulling on it so hard. lol He was just suppose to HOLD it. lol Well, needless to say... I put the other piece up by myself. lol I am so use to doing everything by myself. I had told him today that I would like for him to help me. I was going to have him wash the bathroom walls. (I must be kidding. lol) Instead I had him go to Wal Mart and buy a sponge mop and a shower curtain liner. Hmmmm He gave $8 for the sponge mop, but I must say that it really worked well cleaning the bathroom walls. Yep! I cleaned the bathroom walls with a sponge mop. Easiest way to do something like that. It is one of those that you push on and it rings it out. Really neat. I would mop the wall and then take a dry cloth and dry it. Worked really well. The shower curtain... he gave $8 for it too. I usually spend about $4 on a cheap one. lol He got the kind with the metal rings in it. lol He did not want to go buy these things but I told him that one of these days he may have to do it when I am gone! Learn to do something around the house. lol

Here are some photos of my bathroom. I made the design on the first photo. I cut some trim off of the bottom and put on the sides to make it look like a frame. Wow! I had about 6 inches left over when I was finished! I am tired! My walls look like pale yellow?? They are a soft rose beige. Have to get off of here and get ready for bed! Church tomorrow morning. Have to get up at 7:30... which is not long from now. Want to thank all of you for the prayers. Hope all of you have a blessed Sunday. In my prayers, Janie

One project finished! Lot of photos! More to go!

Well, I got one project finished today. It took me about an hour. This is part of the wallpaper border that I bought on eBay. See, I told you I would be pasting up everything with it! lol Here is a photo of the frames that I had in my bathroom. Years ago I painted the plastic frames with a metallic copper (1st photo with color). All I could find to glue in there at that time was some place mats. lol They were rubber like place mats. I cut the design to fit inside the frames; and threw away what was left of them. lol

Well, here are photos of what they look like now with my wallpaper border design. I glued it over the place mat photo that was in there and it gave it a padded look. I will put photos on of my bathroom with the wallpaper border later. First I want to wash my bathroom walls! lol

Right now my house looks cluttered... but sometimes if a person wants to get something done... they have to let everything else go! :(

Hmmmm wonder what else I can put this stuff on?? hehe Hope all of you have a wonderful and blessed weekend. All of you are in my prayers. Love, hugs, and prayers. God Bless, Janie

Prayers Please Thanks Soooo Much

I just got an email from my cousin that her young D-I-L is in Tulsa, Oklahoma hospital in ICU with heart failure. She has a small baby that just weighs over 6 pounds. Would appreciate any prayers. All of you are in my prayers. Love, hugs, and prayers, Janie

New Year

The song playing is "Through It All". I have been a lot of places and seen a lot of faces. Have lived in Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Florida, Texas, Turkey, and Goose Bay Labrador. Have sang at many churches and other places. Have had a lot of sorrow, questions for tomorrow, and didn't quite understand a lot of things. Did not accept Jesus Christ until 32 years old. My Christian walk was not easy in the beginning. Takes time to grow. We are like children when we first come to Christ. If I never had any problems... I'd never know that God could solve them. Trying to solve my own problems and not giving God control of my life. One of the hardest things to do is letting go of a problem and giving it to God. I feel like we all want to be in control of our lives. Knowing that we can not CONTROL others. We can not control what they say or do to us, or others. We can only control ourselves. Being responsible for ourselves. We will stand alone one day and be judged for ourselves... not others. One day ALL will be on bended knee. It is harder to prove the Bible wrong than it is to prove it right. Many have tried and have become a Christian. I have seen too many prayers answered... and miracles to not believe in Jesus Christ. Eternity is a LONG TIME.

I remember my dad crying one day after he had heard me sing in a church. He ran out that church door that day... right in the middle of my song!! Later his girlfriend called and said he needed me. He sat there with a beer in front of him .... telling me that he didn't really need that beer... and he didn't really need anything; but he was not happy. I tried to explain to him what Jesus meant to me, but I was a new Christian. Later that night my uncle went by and my dad accepted Jesus Christ. Five years later my dad died from liver cancer. He had not drank for 5 years. He was so peaceful and said that if Jesus had to suffer then why shouldn't he. The morning he died my uncle told me that he raised up off the bed a little and said.... "Well, Jesus, that is You." Then he closed his eyes and died. Praise God I will see my dad again!! If there is a Heaven and Hell.... Hell is not pretty!! Gnashing of teeth, screaming, crying, and thrown into the lake of fire. I don't want anyone to experience that! So I sound like a hell fire preacher... that is fine with me! May the Lord let you remember these words and lay it upon your heart if you have not accepted Jesus yet. The Bible is like a history book and it is all written.

If anyone has a problem... listen to the song. God will get you through it. I couldn't live without God now... no way! Peace beyond understanding.

Wishing all of you a BLESSED year! All of you who comment on my journal are in my daily prayers. Love, hugs, and prayers, Janie