Friday Funnies

Ok so my very popular and Oh SO FUNNY Friend Kim shares her blog with us on Fridays with her Friday Funnies! Today in keeping with her theme ;) (no theme really but I seem to finding funnies that go along with hers so there ya have the theme) I am reminding you all NOT TO DRINK AND DRIVE OR FOR SOME WALK! AND DRIVE ENJOY :) THIS IS FUNNY



HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE :)

Thankful Thursday

O0h how I love Thankful Thursdays. I can sit and read some of the Thankful posts and just cry for the Goodness of the Lord just consumes me. Today has been one of those days! As I sit in the quiet and see outside of my window the beautiful colors of Fall and the precious Deer that are grazing along through my backyard and the squirrels attempting to eat the seed from the beautiful and oh so colorful variation of birds ~ I am just amazed at my FAther.

Today we are encouraged to share the things that make us go hmmmm. I'll be honest ~ that would be a post for my Husband because he is a deep thinker as all melancholies are. They look at something like The Grand Canyon and say hmmm, How did the Lord do this. Or how about when the Lord was a pillar of Cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (Ex 13:21) that seriously makes me go hmmmm. What about manna falling from the sky ~ isn't that awesome! but really don't you just wanna say hmmm to that?? I could go on and on !!! We serve a MIGHT GOD who is STILL IN THE "HMMM" er I mean MIRACLE making business today!! I am so thankful to have a relationship with HIM, to know HIM, to share my heart with HIM, to lay my burdens at HIS feet, to see HIS Goodness and His amazing work that makes us go HMMMM.

I would encourage you today to spend some time quieting your mind, your heart and allow HIM to speak to you. Remind yourself of the amazing things He IS, or has done. For you or in HIS Word! I promise you will be Moved, Encouraged, and mostly you will be Thankful


Go visit Lynn and you will see some pretty awesome and thankful posts here

Love and Blessings

PUMPKIN BARS and my little Pumpkin :)

Ok who likes to get new recipes? I know I do and that is why I am entering my friend Diana's giveaway. Go here to find some new recipes and learn about the giveway but hurry it ends this Friday. Plenty of time but please if you go visit TELL HER I SENT YOU ok :)

Here are my ingredients



Blend them all together



and bake for 25 min. CAN YOU SMELL THAT PUMPKIN SMELL.....MMMMMMMMM


Now, put on a pot of coffee and enjoy





Here is what you will need: Pumpkin Bars

4 eggs
1 1/2 T cinnamon
1 - 16oz. can pumpkin
1 tsp. salt
1 c. oil
2 c sugar
2 c flour
2 t soda
blend all ingredients together with mixer and pour into 9x13 baking dish (greased slightly) bake 25 min. or until done.
cover with cream cheese icing. ENJOY

now here is my favorite part! THIS IS MY LITTLE PUMPKIN.....our sweet Rylee


Isn't she adorable!!


Happy Baking!

I want to break free

Today Instead of sharing my Simple Womans Daybook (which I am not sure I will continue with) I am just going to share from my heart the ramblings that are taking place.

I spoke with my Dad yesterday. He had his first round of chemo and sounded good. This was a talk about life ~ what's going on in our lives, what we did over the weekend, how are the kids instead of the status quo...".the dr said this, we are going to do that"
It was so sweet and it spoke volumes to my heart. One time this summer my dad said to me as he was leaving a message for his brother ~ there he is all caught up on what is going on. I said "Dad, people don't just want an update~ they want to hear your voice, your heart, how you are doing ~ not what is the latest report!" It breaks my heart that he doesn't know that we genuinely just care about HIM and not just the FACTS of him. Anyway when I got off the phone I just cried and thanked the Lord for the precious conversation.

It seems everything I am hearing or reading is about slowing down our lives. You know when the Lord is trying to tell you something.....that message seems to be the theme in everything you hear, read, or talk to others about. But seriously how much slower can it be? I have been DOWN for 3 weeks now and am asking the Lord what exactly that looks like?

I am going to spend the rest of the day in the kitchen....I am going to join my new friend Diana at To Everything a Season and enter her giveaway and also get some really great fall recipes! So if you want to ~ go visit Diana here and come back tomorrow for my entry :) PUMPKIN BARS....YUMMY

May the Lord bless you and keep you and cause His face to shine on you, may He turn his face towards you and give you Peace!

Number 6 24-26

Update

After 3 long (VERY LONG) weeks of sleeping in a recliner due to the rotator cuff surgery I am officially back in my own bed~
Can we get a HALLELUAH? PRAISE THE LORD? a WAHOOOOO!!

I told my DH that I really wanted to try so he packed me like a fish on ice :) putting pillows on my side and he stayed real close to me so I wouldn't move or turn over on my shoulder and it worked like a charm. Now that he is leaving :( and I am praying I can stay there (in the bed) but will have to see. I am still having alot of pain and will see the Dr. this Wednesday and he will tell me if I need to have an MRI done to see if I damaged it or if I am just slow healing. Hopefullly it is the latter!

Today is the last day of Fall Break. We all had a good time and spent some really good quality time together! Today, the kids and I are just cleaning and getting back in gear for school. What are you all doing on this Monday? Did everyone else have fall break? How was is it?

Love and Blessings

Spiritual Sundays

Psalm 25:4-5

Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths

Lead me in Your Truth and teach me,
For YOU are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day.

The Discipline in Waiting ~ GROWING IN KNOWING

Cultivating the knowledge of God requires the discipline of waiting upon HIM. As used here "wait" means to "bind together"
through a process of intertwining, clearly suggesting the virtual envelopment of the soul with God. To wait upon the Lord is to foster a sensitivity both to HIS presence and HIS promptings, which quiets our hearts, focuses our minds through thanksgiving and praise, and allows HIM to reveal any subtle attitudes or forgotten sins that would dull our sensitivity to HIS voice

Study notes from the Spirit Filled Life Bible (NKJV)

As we learn, as we wait, we will be filled with HIS presence and our hearts and minds will be focused on HIM and HIS Ways!

Thankyou Charlotte and Ginger for hosting Spiritual Sundays please go visit them here! You will be so blessed!


Love and Blessings

Test Results from Dad

Got the phone call from Dad and I will be honest ~ I was devastated. This is not at all what any of us wanted to hear. I was truly believing and hoping for a good report but you know what. It. didn't. happen. I hate it that Dad had to hear the hurt in my voice because every time I have talked with him ~ He has been the one to encourage whomever he is talking with. I wish I could have been stronger for him and encourage him but the little girl in me who wants her daddy to be ok came out.
I think it is one thing for people who have cancer or any disease for that matter to be strong and deal with all that the disease brings ~ sickness, treatments, frustration for this coming into your life and not knowing what or how it will affect your life from this day forward but they should NOT have to be the ones to uplift or encourage others ~ WE SHOULD BE THE ENCOURAGING ONES!!!

I have to thank the Lord for this day because HE knew this day would come and he gave me first HIS Word to encourage me then HE arranged for my DH to return today before I received this news and then shortly afterward my sweet daughter and grandaughter arrived. Grandchildren are just the best medicine aren't they!

I spent some time with the LORD and HE calmed my fears, washed over me with love and gave me hope and much needed Peace during this precious time. While I don't know what will happen in the days ahead I do know this....When I asked my dad what I could do he simply said this "Just keep up your prayers"

and for all of you who sent my dad a card and are praying THANKYOU I know he has some of these taped to his mirror in his bathroom and some are by his bed. He said it has meant soo very much to him and touched him deeply. If anyone didn't get his address the last time and would like to send him a card please let me know and I will give you his address.

The Lord is moving, drawing my Dad close to HIM and I know there are wayyyy to many prayers going up for all of this to be for nothing! So thankyou for storming the Heavens and making the enemy mad! Now, here is the note from my dad that he posted today


Today at 3:58pm
I went into the Mayo Clinic yesterday afternoon for a CT Scan on my abdomen and torso. These were going to be the first views into the results since the radiation treatments and chemotherapy treatments began several months ago.

This morning I saw my doctor to go over the results. I must say that I hoped for better results.

My previous CT Scan took place on June 5, 2009 and it was used as a comparison to this one. On a positive note, the report noted that there is a marked improvement in the pulmonary embolism – but that is about the only bit of good news in the report.

The main tumor has not changed much – even with all the treatments. It is approximately the same size that it was. In addition to the main tumor, the doctor also said that there were some small growths on my liver. They also noticed an enlarged lymph node near my pancreas and other indications of metastasis.

Overall, as I said earlier, this was not a very good report. That said, I am where I am.

I discussed with my doctor what we can do next and she recommended more chemotherapy treatments. So, beginning Monday, I will start another round. According to my doctor, I will undergo six new treatments to try to ward off the latest growths.

I’ve talked to all of my family members about the test findings and everyone is understandably upset. Since today is the first day that we got the initial news, it will take everyone a little while to process it. The thing is that I think everyone jumped to the conclusion that I am almost dead – and the truth is that I’m not that much different than I was yesterday. We received some new news, but I am essentially the same as I was yesterday.

For me, I don’t feel much different than I did yesterday. I still don’t have any pain nor do I have the symptoms the doctors keep asking me about. I suspect that as this disease progresses, I will have more of the symptoms, but I don’ have them today. While the news about the new growths is scary and alarming, I don’t want to dwell on those things that I cannot do anything about. The treatment of the disease is in my doctors’ hands and God’s hands. I have some things I can help with, but dealing with the treatments is out of my hands.

For my part, I will do what I can to help through diet, exercise, prayer, and attitude. At this time, that’s about all I can affect.

So, I will begin another round of chemotherapy treatments on Monday and we will see where we go from here.

Doug Woods



Believing for Salvation

Friday Funnies

T.G.I.F.

I am sooo glad it is Friday ~ my DH will return today at least for the weekend. I am praying for a good report from my Dads Dr today and well it is Fall Break here and that means....no schedule, sleeping in and just enjoying my children being home! Oh how I love fall break!

When I linked up with Kim at Homesteaders Heart and saw her funny pumpkin picture I knew I had to find a funny with pumpkins to keep with her theme. I hope I didn't disappoint anyone! Happy Friday everyone. Enjoy your family! Love your husbands! Play with your children ~ you will be blessed inside and out :)





Love and Blessings

Dad

Today my dad is having a ct scan to see about the tumor in his chest. We get the results tomorrow.

Today is thankful Thursday. I am Thankful that I can share the burden on my heart with all of you KNOWING that you will join me in prayer for my sweet Daddy. Asking for peace while he awaits the results but that He would feel the PRESENCE of the LORD and that Angels would be encamped all around him, his hospital room, his bedroom and that his heart would be softened to hear and receive Jesus!

I love you all and am sooo thankful for each one of you!

Love and Blessings

Who is leading your home?

Who is the head of your household SPIRITUALLY SPEAKING?

At the encouragement of my dear friend Kat I am going to share and ask you women and men in this blogworld about the position of Head of the Household and who leads it in your home.

Of course I have to share who leads in my home, that is only fair right?! My answer ~ My husband.

But for years that was definately NOT THE CASE! Not only did he not lead but guess who was the one who kept him from taking his rightful place? ....ME! Why you ask?

because I NAGGED him
because I put myself in his place
because I didn't trust him to do it the right way
because I judged his walk with the Lord and because I didn't see what I thought was enough prayer, or reading the Word ENOUGH then he surely couldn't be doing all he should to be the godly man that I needed him to be or the Spiritual Head of the household that our family needed him to be ~ so by golly someone had to do it......

you know what all of this equaled?

ME not trusting God and not allowing God to do what HE WANTED to do. I was Fearful. I was WRONG. PLUS, so many other things that the Lord had to show me and discipline me for but in it ~ HE showed both of us the way. He showed us how VERY much He loves us and how to grow in intimacy not only with HIM, but with each other.

First of all I want to share that as close as your husband is to you is as close as he is to God. If your marriage is struggling in communication there is a high chance that your husband is not communicating with the LORD. pretty much 100% chance.
They can never be close to HIM and not to us ...why? Because the LORD would never allow it. Think about that for a minute.

Secondly, I learned that the more I nagged my husband about his prayer life or his time spent reading the Word the further away he would go. One day, I was posed with the question "Why does that bother you Loren?" "Well, because I am afraid if he isn't spending time with the Lord then, well, you know"...."OK why are you scared?" "and if you were really honest wouldn't it be true that you aren't trusting the LORD to do HIS job in and through Brian and truly you are putting your faith in Brian and not in the LORD?" OH SNAP I was busted! Honestly I was putting my faith in myself and judging that because I was attending Bible Study & I was in the Word then I had to be the one to lead us. Has anyone been there? It is truly a sad place to be and it leads to disaster! It brings so much strife into your house and trust me ~ everyone feels it ~ especially the kids!!

I went to a conference one year and afterward this precious man who taught came up to me and we were talking. I remember sharing my concern about my husband and he looked at me and said "You don't strike me as a woman who is conniving or manipulative but your issue here is FEAR. You have got to STOP putting yourself on that Cross ~ stop being a human HOLY SPIRIT ~ LAY HIM DOWN AND TRUST THE LORD. He encouraged me that every time I picked up my DH and carried him (emotionally or spiritually) that I needed to stop, repent and pray FOR BRIAN!!! Ok many times I laid him back down but as time went on I actually started to recognize WHEN I would do this and I would stop, pray, lay him down and guess what..... I changed and not only that but so did my DH :)

I had to first repent to the LORD. I had to then repent to my husband for taking the place of Spiritual Head of our family and TRUST even when I didn't see anything, I mean anything. Brian is and will forever be the Spiritual Head of our family.

There are times when I would get upset because of something I wasn't see him do that I thought he should be doing and I learned that at those moments when I was upset it was the HOLY SPIRIT prompting me and showing me something about me. I may have a judgement against someone or I may have a fear in regards to something. Again, this was the LORD speaking to me ~ teaching me ~ helping me to forgive someone or to put my trust in HIM more and more!

Let me just encourage you, if you can relate to anything that I have shared and if you are leading your family spiritually, girls ~ it is NOT our place ~ it is not our job! Our men have everything in them to lead us and God will guide them and they WILL be all you ever dreamed them to be but our job is to love them, to pray for them and to lift them up and trust them and God, no matter what we see or don't see. Share your heart with your husband but make sure you come to them "in love" not in accusation. Share your heart with the LORD ~ HE knows it already but desires for you to share with HIM. Dialogue with HIM, HE will speak back to you and LONGS TOO!! The LORD will honor this and when your husband sees that you honestly are supporting and believing that HE can and will lead ....OH MY, it will bring you to a whole new level of love with the LORD and with your husband! I PROMISE!

It is a journey, it will take you places, but the destination is AMAZING ....

IN HIM