~Then Sings My Soul Saturday~I Can Only Imagine

Ephesians 3:18-19
"And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God."

The above is a picture of my Dad. It is perfect for this video and song as it is in a frame. My Dad went to be with Jesus on September 16, 2000. He is greatly missed. He, along with other family will be there to greet us.

1John 5:11 ~ "This is what God told us: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son."

Revelations 21:4 ~ "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death, sadness, crying, or pain, because all the old ways are gone."

This is one of the verses I especially like "no more death, sadness, crying or pain." This world is full of all this. Yet do we long to stay here because of the unknown?

Romans 6:23 ~"The payment for sin is death. But God gives us the free gift of life forever in Christ Jesus our Lord."

John 14:2-3 ~ "There are many rooms in my Father's house; I would not tell you this if it were not true. I am going there to prepare a place for you. After I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me so that you may be where I am."

DO YOU KNOW ANYONE WHO IS NOT PREPARED TO GO TO HEAVEN?

For more "Then Sings My Soul Saturday" posts visit Amy at Signs, Miracles and Wonders

~Thankful Thursday~Random~

*I'm thankful I can lift my eyes up any time of the day or night and our Lord is waiting for me to approach His throne.

*I'm thankful for parents that cared enough about me and my two sisters to teach us early on about God and to take us to church.

*I'm thankful that although I miss my Dad here on earth, I KNOW he will be there to greet us when we get to heaven.

*I'm thankful for family who cares and though times are really hard right now with a sister fighting an aggressive cancer, but also cancer within our extended family as well. We serve a very BIG GOD and nothing is too big for Him.

*I'm thankful for my close friends who are there during the good and the bad times.

*I'm thankful for the seasons and that spring is here.

*Lastly, I'm thankful for my Rippee. We're finally making through the healing process of his surgeries succesfully!! And, I'll leave you with a picture of Ripley taken today.

HAVE A THANKFUL THURSDAY!

Thankful Thursday is hosted by Iris at Sting My Heart.

~WFW~ Praise

To find more Word-filled Wednesdays, visit 160AcreWoods

Praising the Lord!

~Giving Thanks At All Times~

A psalm. For giving thanks.

Psalms 100:1-2
Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.

We need to glorify and bless the Lord not only when we receive answers to our prayers, but also when we do not receive answers to our prayers or when we do not receive the answers we are asking for? Psalms 100 counsels us to simply serve God for who He is, and what He is doing for us, not because of what we get from Him.

He is more than what we need. Those who rejoice in their unpleasant situations are convinced of God’s love which never abandons anyone that hopes in Him.

~Spring Flowers~

Flowers always make people better, happier and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine to the soul. By: Luther Burbank.

For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape, give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. Song of Solomon 2:11-12.

Spring being a tough act to follow, God created June. By: Al Bernstein.

Spring is God's way of saying, 'One more time!' By: Robert Orben.

“Always remember to slow down in life; live, breathe, and learn; take a look around you whenever you have time and never forget everything and every person that has the least place within your heart.”

"One day at a time --this is enough. Do not look back and grieve over the past for it is gone; and do not be troubled about the future, for it has not yet come. Live in the present, and make it so beautiful it will be worth remembering."
"A friend drops their plans when you're in trouble, shares joy in your accomplishments, feels sad when you're in pain. A friend encourages your dreams and offers advice--but when you don't follow it, they still rspect and love you."

I thought I would share a few pictures of my potted

plants with some quotes.

~Put God First~

MATTHEW 22:37-38 NKJ
"Jesus said to him, "`You shall love the Lord your God with
all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'
38 "This is the first and great commandment."

The most important command is to love God with all your being.
As with all His commands, God does not give this for His
benefit, but for your benefit. It will bless us, and improve
our life and well-being to put God first.

Loving people, while important, is only secondary according to
Jesus. In practice -- because God loves people -- loving Him
will result in loving people also.

When we get our priority backward -- putting people and their
needs first -- we miss God's plan, and will be relatively
ineffective in helping people -- compared to what we could
have been if we put God first.

MATTHEW 6:33 CEV
"But more than anything else, put God's work first and do
what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well."

We should determine to follow Jesus and obey Him. We cannot allow anything
other than Jesus Christ to be our highest priority.

~Then Sings My Soul Saturday ~ Brandon Heath~

1John 4:7-8 "Dear friends, we should love each other, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has become God's child and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."

1John 3:18 "My children, we should love people not only with words and talk, but by our actions and true caring."

Colossians 3:12-13 "God has chosen you and made you his holy people. He loves you. So you should always clothe yourselves with mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Bear with each other, and forgive each other. If someone does wrong to you, forgive that person because the Lord forgave you."

Luke 6:36-38 "But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without hoping to get anything back. Then you will have a great reward, and you will be children of the Most High God, because he is kind even to people who are ungrateful and full of sin. 36 Show mercy, just as your Father shows mercy. 37 Don't judge others, and you will not be judged. Don't accuse others of being guilty, and you will not be accused of being guilty. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and you will receive. You will be given much. Pressed down, shaken together, and running over, it will spill into your lap. The way you give to others is the way God will give to you."

In this song by Brandon Heath ~ I chose it because once we become a Christian we are "not who we were." It doesn't mean that we're never going to make mistakes, but our God forgives us. Not because we deserve it. In turn, we should forgive others.

Have a blessed and safe weekend! Love your family and friends. You never know what tomorrow holds!

For more "Then Sings My Soul Saturday" posts visit Amy at Signs, Miracles and Wonders


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~Ripley Update~

For those who aren't aware, my little fella, Ripley had his 1st surgery on Feb. 1, 2008. This surgery was to place a pin in his left elbow because of a growth defect where one of his bones did not grow. His activities were to be restricted to basically nothing for 8 weeks. Well, we had a MAJOR mishap about 5-6 weeks after surgery and surgery had to be redone. So.....after the second surgery I didn't want any more MISHAPS(ha!). The elbow had to stay wrapped for several weeks and the wrap had to be changed weekly. The first night after the very first wrap change the wrap was not secure and Ripley was able to maneuver out of it. So, the next morning we had to go back in to get the elbow wrapped again. We were less than 2 miles from home when an elderly woman ran a red light and hit us. I think we lucked out and Ripley's elbow was not injured.

So...we advance to Thursday, May 22, 8 weeks later FINALLY.

I took Ripley in for his 8 week check up and x-ray yesterday. I was rather uptight about this because of all the problems. This little fella has been through quite a bit since February 1, but I have to give it to him, he's tolerated everything very well. He has spent almost all of his time day and night over the last eight weeks in a wire crate. Very seldom did he bark or whine because he didn't want to be in the crate. And, I work at home, so I'm here a lot during the day.

We got GREAT results. His elbow is healing nicely. The pin is starting to work it's way out. It is not quite ready to come out. The surgeon wanted to look at another x-ray in 2 weeks, but I would rather want a bit longer, so we are going back in 3 1/2 weeks to have another x-ray and possible pin removal.

I can see Ripley is really starting to move and use his left leg and his mobility is good. He still limps when he walks, but this could be because of the pin. He can run with no problem at all. He has not JUMPED ON OR OFF OF ANYTHING, NOT EVEN AS MUCH AS STEPPED OFF A CURB OR STEP.

My personal plan is to continue to restrict his activity for quite some time as to continue with the healing process and hopefully we won't have any more problems. We've spent a good amount of money on this fella and I don't want to put him through anything else that could be prevented.

~Thankful Thursday ~ Time~

I'm thankful that our Lord gives us TIMES of adversity where we can grow stronger.


Isaiah 43: 2-3
"2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. When you cross rivers, you will not drown. When you walk through fire, you will not be burned, nor will the flames hurt you. 3 This is because I, the Lord, am your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I gave Egypt to pay for you, and I gave Cush and Seba to make you mine."

James 1:2-4
"2 My brothers and sisters, when you have many kinds of troubles, you should be full of joy, 3 because you know that these troubles test your faith, and this will give you patience.4 Let your patience show itself perfectly in what you do. Then you will be perfect and complete and will have everything you need."

My younger sister has one of the most aggressive forms of brain cancer. She is doing good. She returns to M.D. Anderson June 4, 2008 for testing. Please pray for excellent test results, as well as reduction in tumor size; Pray for Peace of Mind; Pray for Dr. Gilbert, Jan's oncologist that he will have wisdom in providing the best possible treatment plan.

God has blessed Jan and our family so much since November and we give Him all the praise and glory and because of this we feel we are being tested. We stand firm in our faith and we are thankful that we can tell the world how we have been blessed just since November, but we do covet your prayers!

Thankful Thursday is hosted by Iris at Sting My Heart.

~WFW~

He who is in charge of Heaven and Earth is searching for our heart. And upon this surrender the unusual outcome will be that we are set free. No prison for His captives. No, unusual captor of hearts is known as One who "raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes" (Ps.113:7-8 NAS). So what are we waiting for? "O LORD, you have searched me and you know me…you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD…My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place... All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be…" Psalm 139:1, 4, 15-16 NIV

To the One who knows me inside out – let me love You from the inside out. "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." Psalm 139:23-24 NIV


We have a very serious family matter that I would like you pray about. What worries/frightens me the most is that my sister is in the midst of the fight for her life. She has one of the most aggressive forms of brain cancer. This family matter unfortunately affects her, as well as the rest of the family. Please pray that God will soften hearts and open ears to hear what is really being said. Pray that God will cease vicious talk talk. BUT ESPECIALLY PRAY THAT GOD WILL PLACE A HEDGE OF PROTECTION AROUND JAN. PRAY THAT HER ATTITUDE WILL REMAIN POSITIVE and PRAY THAT SHE WILL HAVE PEACE.

Thanks!

To find more Word-filled Wednesdays, visit 160AcreWoods!

~Wounds~

Do you have a hole in your heart?

Perhaps the wound is old ... and you're angry.

Or perhaps the wound is fresh... and you're hurt.

Part of you is broken, and the other part is bitter. Part of you wants to cry, and part of you wants to fight. The tears you cry are hot because they come from your heart, and there is a fire burning in your heart. It's the fire of anger. It's blazing. It's consuming. Its flames leap up under a steaming pot of revenge.

And you are left with a decision: "Do I put the fire out or heat it up? Do I get over it or get even? Do I release it or resent it? Do I let my hurts heal, or do I let hurt turn into hate?"

Are you allowing your hurts to turn into hates? If so, ask yourself: Is it working? Has your hatred done you any good? has your resentment brought you any relief, any peace? Has it granted you any joy?

The answer is: Allow the hole in your heart to heal.

Matthew 18: 23-35
23 "The kingdom of heaven is like a king who decided to collect the money his servants owed him. 24 When the king began to collect his money, a servant who owed him several million dollars was brought to him. 25 But the servant did not have enough money to pay his master, the king. So the master ordered that everything the servant owned should be sold, even the servant's wife and children. Then the money would be used to pay the king what the servant owed. 26 "But the servant fell on his knees and begged, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you everything I owe.' 27 The master felt sorry for his servant and told him he did not have to pay it back. Then he let the servant go free. 28 "Later, that same servant found another servant who owed him a few dollars. The servant grabbed him around the neck and said, 'Pay me the money you owe me!' 29 "The other servant fell on his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you everything I owe.' 30 "But the first servant refused to be patient. He threw the other servant into prison until he could pay everything he owed. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were very sorry. So they went and told their master all that had happened. 32 "Then the master called his servant in and said, 'You evil servant! Because you begged me to forget what you owed, I told you that you did not have to pay anything. 33 You should have showed mercy to that other servant, just as I showed mercy to you.' 34 The master was very angry and put the servant in prison to be punished until he could pay everything he owed. 35 "This king did what my heavenly Father will do to you if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart."

Our Heavenly Father has shown mercy on us. God puts a priority on our willingness to show mercy on others! If you are dealing with a problem, such as this, you will not have REAL PEACE until this is resolved!
Taken from Max Lucado ~ Study Guide Devotional

Many Blessings!

~ A Lesson in Humility and Integrity~

Do you find it hard to admit when you are WRONG?

But, do you find once you do admit you've been wrong about something or you've taken ownership in something, that you feel better?


Listen to this story that I found on this very subject:

The three hardest tasks in the world are neither physical feats nor intellectual achievements, but moral acts: to return love for hate, to include the excluded, and to say, "I was wrong."
You wouldn’t get any argument from me about these three practices presenting us with frequent challenges. They are, in my estimation, rooted in biblical principles. Each seems to bring both the life and teaching of Jesus into focus. Reflecting on this is encouraging in and of itself.

The other day I witnessed an extraordinary scene involving the third item on the list. I was filling out a deposit slip, while standing at one of those little tables in the bank lobby. Shortly after I picked up the pen, I heard a male voice asking the manager, who was walking through the lobby, if she had a moment. She stopped and they began to converse.

He quickly recounted a story with which she was familiar. The long story made short: He had made a deposit the previous Friday. He believed the drive through teller shorted by $60. Evidently, he was quite insistent and convincing in asserting this belief, because the bank had given him the $60 he thought he was due.

I kept my head down, pretending I was still working on my deposit. I really just wanted to hear how this was going to turn out. Well, he went on to explain that he and his wife were cleaning their car on Sunday afternoon when he discovered three $20 bills had slipped into a crack behind a cup holder. He was clearly embarrassed about the whole matter.

When he handed the money to the manager he stated, “I was wrong.” The conversation was heartwarming. He then went on to say that he felt like he needed to apologize to everyone who was in the bank that afternoon. The manager assured him this was unnecessary. He stated that he would have it no other way. He asked the manager if she would offer his apologies to each one. Again, she said it really wasn’t necessary. But she indicated that she would be sure to do so.

By this time everyone in the small branch was tuned in to what was going on. I was no longer pretending to be minding my own business, either. The man then asked if the manager would mind if he spoke to the teller with whom he had previously done business. She had abandoned her post at the drive through window to listen to her client’s mea culpa. The manager consented.
She smiled as he approached. He stepped up to the counter and spoke in subdued tones. “I was wrong,” he said. She nodded as her smile grew. He then added, “I am so sorry. Would you please forgive me?”

“Yes. It is really no problem,” she said. She then added, “Thank you for coming in.”
As he walked passed me on his way to the exit, the look of relief on his face was unmistakable. I don’t know anything about this man, but I felt like he had given us all a lesson in humility and integrity. Indeed, I felt like I had seen Jesus shining through his life. It also made me desire to go and do likewise. (Written by Bill Williams May 24, 2007)

We've probably all been in this place at one time or another. How often in conflict do all parties involved have some ownership?

Philippians 2:3 ~ Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.

Proverbs 11:13 ~ 12 Mean-spirited slander is heartless; quiet discretion accompanies good sense. 13 A gadabout gossip can't be trusted with a secret, but someone of integrity won't violate a confidence. 14 Without good direction, people lose their way; the more wise counsel you follow, the better your chances.

Isn't our time and effort better spent focusing on God and others, rather than ourselves?

A couple of months ago on a Brain Tumor organization website a woman sent out an email. In the email she stated that her mother had passed away some time ago as a result of a brain tumor (GBM). As a result of her mother having had a brain tumor and passing away she has started a ministry. She and a number of other women now make what is called "Patchwork Prayer Quilts." In this email she asked if anyone was in need or if we knew of anyone who needed a prayer quilt. Since my sister is fighting this very same cancer, I emailed her and asked if she would make a quilt for Jan. I had wanted it to be a surprise, but I felt it better to let Jan pick the colors for her quilt.

We started a blog for Jan so our friends and family could check up on her, see what needs she has and also what PRAISES she has. My new quilter friend while checking on Jan found that our cousin's 6-month-old baby girl was having open heart surgery and asked if they could make Gracie a quilt as well.

Jan's quilt came to my house today. Gracie's quilt was mailed out this morning as well. Talk about focusing on other people.

I had forgotten until I opened the package today to look at Jan's quilt about what they do when they make the quilts and what families and friends can do.

There was a note inside which read:

"Patchwork Prayers is a simple idea with powerful results. The warmth of the quilt comes from the prayers tied into each knot on the quilt. As the quilt was made and the knots were tied, prayers were said for Jan.

When Jan receives her quilt, her family can tie a knot on the quilt and say a prayer for her. When she has visitors, they can tie a knot and say a prayer for her. She will then be wrapped in love and prayers."

I called Jan tonight and we talked a bit about her quilt. I read her the note. I know how special it is to me that someone I DO NOT EVEN KNOW took their time and money or money that was donated, as well as took time to pray while tying knots in this quilt for my sister who is fighting for her life, but I can't begin to imagine what it means to Jan.

She is going through an extremely difficult time. She needs all this support and love, and then some.

Thank you Marta, Charlotte's Garden and especially Thank you Gailya for focusing on my sister by praying and making this quilt for her. May the Lord bless you!

~Purpose~

What is our "purpose" here on earth?




I don't think I've heard anyone explain it better than Rick Warren did a few years back when his wife was battling breast cancer for the second time. At this time she is doing well. She has just passed her 4th anniversary of being in remission.

You will enjoy the new insights that Rick Warren has, with his wife now having cancer
and him having "wealth" from the book sales.

This is an absolutely incredible short interview with Rick Warren, "Purpose Driven Life " author and pastor of Saddleback Church in California .

In the interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, Rick said: People ask me, "What is the purpose of life?"

And I respond: "In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven.

One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body-- but not the end of me.

I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity.
This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal.

God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity.

We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.

Life is a series of problems:

Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one.

The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort.
God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy.

We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life.
The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness.

This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer.

I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore.

Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track,
and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life.

No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on.

And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for.

You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems.

If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness, 'which is my problem, my issues, my pain.'

But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.

We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for her.

It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people.

You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life.

Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder.

For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy.

It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before. I don't think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego or for you to live a life of ease.

So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence.

He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72.

First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit. We made no major purchases. Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church. Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation.
Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free.

We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity?
Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism?
Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)?

When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better. God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do.
That's why we're called human beings, not human doings.

Happy moments, PRAISE GOD. Difficult moments, SEEK GOD. Quiet
moments, WORSHIP GOD. Painful moments, TRUST GOD, Every moment, THANK GOD."

Are you doing what you should be doing? Do you refuse to talk about the painful, disturbing subjects — such as child prostitution, child labor, rape, poverty, injustice, ethnic hatred, greed, materialism, environmental destruction, HIV/AIDS? Instead, do we pity or judge these people?

I want my life to count for more than "just getting by." There are so many ways to help and minister to so many people who are hurting, sick, hungry, etc. We are a world full of a multitude of problems. But we are also a world full of Christians who are able to take a stand and make a difference and make changes.

Are you fulfilling your PURPOSE?

In church this morning, I learned that one of the young girls in our children's area was diagnosed this last week with leukemia. They don't know the type yet. Please pray for McKenzie and her family. We know this has to be extremely difficult for the family.

Please also remember my sister, Jan as she continues to fight brain cancer. She is doing well with some complaints that after time become frustrating. It's hard to watch someone you care about have to fight this nasty disease.

Have a Blessed week.

~Then Sings My Soul ~ Saturday

Heal the Wound ~ Point of Grace

The Bible says in Isaiah 1:18:

"The Lord says, "Come, let us talk about these things. Though your sins are like scarlet, they can be as white as snow. Though your sins are deep red, they can be white like wool.

For more "Then Sings My Soul Saturday" posts visit Amy at Signs, Miracles and Wonders.

~Seeking God~

Here it is Friday. It has been a long BUSY work week. The neurology office I work for currently has 4 neurologist. I have cut back to only transcribing for 1 of the neurologist. At one time I was working for 3. Their practice has grown so much that it is impossible to work for 3 now. I chose to work for the busiest neurologist which in turn benefits me. Oh, BTW I work at home. There are positives and negatives to this. My neurologist has made the offer in the past many times that any time I wanted to come to work in the office I could. This is something that I have considered. Well, last week the neurologist who is in charge approached me about coming to work in the office. I've felt for awhile it may be time to go back to work "in an office setting." I have a very good relationship with all the doctors in this practice, as well as the office manager and staff. This is something that will not happen overnight. There are a lot of things that need to be discussed. They have offered me full benefits, including insurance, 401K, retirement, etc.

Even though I work at home my freedom has been somewhat limited since these doctors business has grown so much. I will be giving up some things, but also gaining some things. It will be an adjustment to some degree because you do make your own schedule, but I think overall the benefits would far outweigh the negatives. This is to say that we can all come to an agreement that works well for all. This is something that I want to prayfully consider over time to make sure this is the right decision for me.

One of the reasons I've been so busy this week is because I've been doing 2 of the doctors work. I would rather have an overabundance of work than just a little. I work better with more work.

Busy is good, but then there are so many things around the house that have been pushed aside. It also seems that I would rather spend time outside planting flowers. I've added a few accessories type things that I was able to get great buys on at Hobby Lobby lately. I may just have to take some pictures in a bit. If you haven't been to Hobby Lobby and have one near you they have all their gardening and just about everything else 50% off. Plus the one near me has a few isles of sale items 66% off. Last year around this time they started marking down their furniture. Now all of their furniture is not the best quality, but you can find some things that are really great and then get them for great prices.

Have a HAPPY FRIDAY and SEEK GOD TODAY!

~Thankful Thursday~ Love~

When strife exists within a Christian family, unity is only possible through Christ's example of forgiveness. The beauty of Christ in our lives is not seen when we harbor unforgiveness, and we cannot have enduring relationships without freeing ourselves from this bondage. We forsake a worthy walk with the Lord if we are unwilling to sacrifice for forgiveness. Forgiveness costs us pride, humility, gentleness, patience and forbearance, but it's glorifying to God.

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called — one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4:1-6.

Jesus died on the cross for us. Not because we were worthy, but because he LOVED US.
Thankful Thursday is hosted by Iris at Sting My Heart.

~WFW~

May I grow in GRACE and GLORIFY Jesus Christ Now and Forever!

To find more Word-filled Wednesdays, visit 160AcreWoods!

~Words Control Your Life~

PROVERBS 18:20-21 NKJ
20 A man's stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth, and from the produce of his lips he shall be filled.
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

Proverbs 18:20 says what your lips produce will fill your life. Your lips produce -- words.

Words determine the course and the outcome of your life. You now have, and will continue to have, the fruit your tongue produces.

To change your life you need to change your words.

JAMES 3:2,8 NIV
2 We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.
8 but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

To change the words you speak you need God's help.

As Jesus said, out of the abundance of your heart your mouth will speak. So, you need a new heart and you need it filled with God's Word. Only in that way can your tongue be brought under complete control.

Lord, because your Word teaches that words control my life, thank you for giving me a new heart and the desire to control my words.

I get a daily email titled "Daily Thought." Today's "Daily Thought" was: "When you live in reaction, you give your power away. Then you get to experience what you gave your power to."

How often do you "live in reaction?" Just something to think about!!