What I'm Loving Wednesday

Today I'm linking up for

What I'm loving this Wednesday (and all future ones :) for is that our small group meets tonight. We have the most awesome small group - hands down! Priss and the husband are hosting tonight. They are excited and that makes me super excited :)

I'm loving this Wednesday because we finally have a surgery date for The Mister. He's been miserable with all of the knee pain - plus one of his semi-annual colds. But this time next week, although he may be in different type of pain, the knee will be on the mend!

What I'm loving about today is it appears we've missed the tornados we were threatened with earlier. I love the warm temps we've had this week, but hate the possibility of severe storms. This girl would like her cake and eat it too, please!

I'm loving this Wednesday because the February Photo Challenge ends. I'm not much of a photo-hog and certainly don't claim to be a photographer of any sorts, so you'll just have to bear with me. I didn't post daily, or even semi-weekly, so here goes ...

February 1

My view 5 days a week

February 2

:)

February 3

Precious hands

February 4

February 5

GRACE :)

February 6

February 7

February 8

Photo from a weekend get-a-way

February 9

February 10

Not much of an artist either ;)

February 11

Treated Sammie to her first massage

February 12

Good times! 

February 13

Christmas Present

February 14

An everyday Valentine

February 15

Yes. Some still have cords :)

February 16

Priss talked me into a new phone case

February 17

Never enough of it

February 18

Love this green tea

February 19

My least favorite chore

February 20

Always in a rush

February 21

I love this crew :)

February 22

Where the 'magic' happens!

February 23

Purchased in San Diego MANY moons ago!

February 24

The 'neat' portion of the cabinet

February 25

February 26

A snowy night not too long ago

February 27

My morning snack

February 28

Money, money, money, money - M*O*N*E*Y!

February 29

Way to start my day!



WHEW!! And ughhh! I've already been challenged for the month of March. But we'll see ...

How about you? Want to join me?

Until later :)

Random Sharing

It's Friday. Love that it is. These past few days of mysterious spring/summer temps have almost caused an early bout of Spring Fever. On top of that, we have a low-key weekend and we don't seem to have very many of those. So come on five 'clock!

Priss had another surgery yesterday. She's sick of going thru the OR and being put under, so she decided to go the in-office route this time. She's nauseous and in a lot of pain today as a result. Prayers for her are both needed and appreciated.

In our empty nest ... The Mister is hopefuly getting a date set for his knee surgery today. Torn miniscus. He's been in a lot of pain for a pretty good while and there's no sign of it letting up without it. I've often fussed at him for walking so fast that he leaves these short legs of mine in the dust, but that hasn't been the case here lately. So prayers for a sooner than later surgery date and a speedy healing are both appreciated here as well.

And with that being said ... I'll just get on with sharing a few things I've come across this week.

"Thank you Lord for not giving up on me.  Thank you for opening my eyes to the healing power of having a thankful heart."

"Anger repressed can poison a relationship as surely as the cruelest words."

When asked his secret of love, being married fifty-four years to the same person, he said, "Ruth and I are happily incompatible." ~ Billy Graham  

"I got gaps; you got gaps; we fill each other's gaps." ~ Rocky Balboa

From a blog I follow

Dear God,

I know there are times that I complain, that I compare, covet, and harbor unthankfulness… for all of those times I am sorry.  I repent from being negative towards the gifts you have given me and I choose to sow gratitude.  Thank you for my husband.  Thank you for his unique ways and our imperfect relationship.  Thank you for showing how to forgive and truly love deeply. I choose to sow gratitude so that I may leave a legacy of love in my family!  Thank you Lord for not giving up on me.  Thank you for opening my eyes to the healing power of having a thankful heart.   I also pray that my husband is thankful for all that we have and that together we will live in peace and unity.  I pray that our love grows deeper and deeper everyday.  Remove any residual affects of resentment or bitterness, refresh us O Lord in your son’s name. AMEN!

Have an awesome weekend!

Until later :)

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

(Wow. It's been a while since I've done the Wednesday thing.)

This is what I'm loving Wednesday for ...

I'm loving Wednesday because our small group meets tonight. As a matter of fact, we meet every Wednesday night. We've only met three times so far, but already know we have an awesome group. When we decided to host another group, we had a few couples who were already interested in being a part of it. So we sorta passed the word around thru friends and anticipated filling it up beforehand. But for some reason or other the timing was never right for the couples who were interested. Finally (duh!) we realized what God already knew ... that the members were already chosen :) And He hadn't needed our help at all ...

I'm loving Wednesday because my daughters have managed to get me committed to reading again. I LOVE to read and with me being an empty nester now with absolutely nothing but free time on my hands (HA!!) you'd think I would read, read and read. Whatever ... But anyway, the three of us are reading The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins together. We meet for the first time tomorrow to discuss it. I'll just say I'm so hooked that it's killing me to be on lock down until tomorrow night. Ugh.

I'm loving Wednesday and am so thankful that we live in a country with adequate (no wise cracks) medical care. Seriously. As frustrated as Miss Priss is with her condition and as bad as The Mister's knee is hurting right now, it could always be so much worse. I thank God that they have the ability to seek and receive medical care. There are so many in this world who do not have that privilege. Think about it.

I'm loving Wednesday because it's been 66 degrees today and we're expecting 73 tomorrow!! Gosh I'm hoping that Ol' Man Winter was just passing through and had completely moved on. I'd be the first to say 'good riddance!'



I'm loving Wednesday because, despite some pretty tough competition, I'm still ahead in a few games of Words with Friends :)

I'm loving Wednesday since the weekend is just right around the corner. Sure hoping my son-in-law remembers that he promised to break out the grill on Sunday :)

I'll end today with just a few notables from your favorite site ...

Problem solved. Stick closer than a brother!

Is it ever! And FYI - God repairs rips.

Just give him control of the needle and thread.

Hmmm . . . 

So true.

I LOVE that!

Until later :)

What's in your sponge?

A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of (Luke 6:45, NIV)

What is really inside will come spilling out for all to see when life puts the squeeze on us. My Mama used to say “What’s down in the well comes up in the bucket.” In other words, a crisis will usually reveal what is really in our hearts. It is easy to do and say the right things when life is calm and everything is going right, but what we say and do when chaos hits and the pressure is on tends to paint a more accurate picture of who we really are. It is kind of like sponge theology.

Suppose you have five sponges lying on your kitchen counter. Each member of your family has been cleaning different areas of your home, but the sponges all look the same. You are curious about what was cleaned but you can’t tell just by looking at the sponges since they all look the same. So what do you do?

You squeeze each sponge to see what happens. As you squeeze the first sponge, brown cola comes pouring out. Someone must have cleaned the kitchen with that sponge. Upon squeezing the second sponge, you see blue tub and tile cleaner oozing out of the sponge which leads you to believe someone used that particular sponge to clean the bathroom. In the third sponge, you find motor oil and conclude your husband was using that sponge to clean the garage. The fourth sponge produces a puff of baby powder when it is squeezed. The baby’s nursery was obviously cleaned with that sponge. Finally, the last sponge is dripping with floor wax which tells you someone used that particular sponge to clean the hall floor. As you lay the last sponge down, you look again at their similarity. They all look the same -- until they are squeezed.

We are a lot like sponges when it comes to our faith in God. We look and act as if God is Lord of our lives. We say all the right things to all the right people and do right things in order to prove we are right. But what is really inside? What do our hearts really look like?

When a crisis comes and the pressures of life squeeze us mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually, what comes out? Do we respond to that difficult person in anger or with patience and love? Does revenge spill out in ugly words to that person who has hurt us more times than we can count or do we take a breath and remember that God loves them and that hurt people tend to hurt people? Does the pain of unresolved sin flood our hearts and minds as guilt spills out of our heart with a vengeance?

Just like the sponge, we can only squeeze out what is put in. Fill your heart with the things of God. Stay in the Word each day. Spend time with faith builders who will encourage you in your faith. Seek God and His plan for your life. Pray about everything so that when life puts the squeeze on you – and it will – the very nature of God will come pouring out.

Until later :)

1 Timothy 4:12

Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. (1 Timothy 4:12)

pu·ri·ty   [pyoor-i-tee]

the condition or quality of being pure; freedom from anything that debases, contaminates, pollutes, etc.

W.a.i.t.i.n.g.....

Being wrapped up in what we think is priority can easily become a shabby substitute for being wrapped up in God's presence. And we can only be wrapped up in God’s presence when we learn to wait on Him.

No one likes to wait, on anyone or for anything. Waiting robs us of control and forces us to face the unknown. But waiting on God brings priorities into a right focus and releases the catalyst that may very well change the course of your life.

Waiting is not a passive use of time. Waiting is active spiritual obedience. In each waiting room of life, God is at work preparing you for the circumstance and the circumstance for you.

 “Listen to my voice in the morning, LORD. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.” Psalm 5:3 (NLT)

From those still, quiet moments of waiting and seeking comes a balance and focus that takes root and grows.

It is through the choice to wait on God that the seeking heart - the expectant heart  - finds every need met.

Until later :)