After Thanksgiving already?

The picture above is on Thanksgiving Day, when everyone was together.

So here we are, a few days after Thanksgiving.
We got back on Friday night from visiting our Family in Texas, and the drive back was ... how should we say it, "Tiring". After all of us staying up all night with our cousins for hours, the sleep finally caught up to us.
My Cousin had her first baby the day that we came. Unfortunately their were some complications, and so they had to do a C-section. Thankfully, the baby is fine now, and my cousin and her husband have a beautiful baby girl whose name is, Availeth Joy Williams!!!

My cousins took me to the mall, and to the wonderful "In-N-Out Burger" for the first time, and I stuffed myself to death. We had Turkey, Ham, Creamed Corn, Strawberry Jello, rolls, potatoes, plus not to mention all of the wonderful pies, cookies, cakes, and other desserts they had there. I stuffed myself, so much so that I felt like I gained 20 pounds. (okay, maybe I'm over exaggerating, a little.)
We had our annual Bingo game, and "I" was the first one to call "Bingo!" I got a $5.00 gift card to Sonic, although I had a hard time deciding on all the prizes.

Anyways, It's refreshing to be back, but I already miss the family in Texas.
I don't know how it is in your family, but in ours, EVERYONE is grumpy the entire drive back home whether we like it or not.
It was actually very depressing to drive back. We had the case of "Rain" most of the way back. And when it wasn't raining, it was so cold that you couldn't even see out the window.

Isn't that how our life is sometimes? We hold grudges, thoughts, words, and actions; so much so that we can't see through our evil thoughts.
Just a thought...anyways, have a wonderful Week!

Giving Thanks ...even when it hurts!

We will be going on vacation on Monday, so I will write my Thanksgiving post now.

There are so many things to be grateful for, but are we grateful for our trials and tribulation?
Are we thankful that God gives us Joy in the midst of our trials?
Are we thankful for both the good and bad?
Make a list of each and every little thing you are grateful for. Trust me, it will fill a lot of pages. I'm thankful for my eyes, nose, mouth, heart, ears, family, love, siblings, friends ... well, you get the point.
Are you thankful for your family? Maybe you had a fight the other day with a family member, or friend. Are you still thankful for them?

1 Thessalonians 5:18 ESV /Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Ephesians 5:20 ESV / Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Psalm 107:1 ESV / Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!

Psalm 7:17 ESV / I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.

Thanksgiving Delights:On Thanksgiving Day we’re thankful forOur blessings all year through,For family we dearly love,For good friends, old and new.
For sun to light and warm our days,For stars that glow at night,For trees of green and skies of blue,And puffy clouds of white.
We’re grateful for our eyes that seeThe beauty all around,For arms to hug, and legs to walk,And ears to hear each sound.
The list of all we’re grateful forWould fill a great big book;Our thankful hearts find new delightsEverywhere we look!

~By Joanna Fuchs~

Top 10 Cutest Babies!

My brother showed our family this hilarious video of the top 10 cutiest babies laughing. It's hilarious!!! Please share!

Worry and Stress Free life!

We all worry don't we? We worry about if we will pass the driver's test, if their will be enough food for week, if we will live to see our children or great grandchildren, if we will get paid, if we will have enough gas to get through the week. If, if, if, but, but, but; we are constantly worrying about everything.

Do you know what God says about worry?

I've spent an awful lot of time in my life worrying. I've worried about approaching deadlines and shrinking budgets. I've worried about bills and expenses, rising gas prices. I've even worried about having our own home in perfect condition for "company," and within seconds of their arrival, the house is turned upside down and no one even notices.
I've worried about first impressions, and contagious infections..
Over the span of my lifetime, worrying accounts for hours and hours of invaluable time that I'll never get back.
Here are four biblical reasons not to worry.

Worrying Accomplishes Absolutely Nothing.
I don't know about you, but I don't have any time to waste these days; And worrying is a waste of very precious time. Worrying won't help you solve a problem or bring about a solution, so why waste your time and energy on it?
Matthew 6:27-29 says, "And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.

Worrying is Not Good for You.
Worrying is destructive to us in so many ways. It becomes a mental burden that can even cause us to grow physically sick.

Proverbs 12:25 "Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down, But a good word makes it glad. Worrying is the Opposite of Trusting God."

The energy that we spend worrying can be put to much better use in prayer. Here's a little formula to remember: Worry replaced by Prayer equals Trust.
Matthew 6:30 "But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!"

Philippians 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Worrying Puts Your Focus in the Wrong Direction.When we keep our eyes focused on God, we remember his love for us and we realize we truly have nothing to worry about. God has a wonderful plan for our lives, and part of that plan includes taking care of us. Even in the difficult times, when it seems like God doesn't care, we can put our trust in the Lord and focus on his kingdom. God will take care of our every need.

Matthew 6:25 "For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?"

Matthew 6:31-33 " Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

1 Peter 5:7 "casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you."

So, let's have a worry and stress-free life!

Sand Painting

I was sent this video below on Sand Painting. It is an incredible video!

After watching this ... think about how just like this man worked on one creation and then another with completion, so God does with us. He knows just where to put things in our life. He created us. I hope you are blessed with this video!

"How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with You."
~Psalm 139:17-18

What if ...?

There was a video that I once saw that I can’t find, so I’d like to share
with you in my own words as best as I can.
Once there was a man who was blind. He went by the stairs to a building nearby, and sat down with a sign that he made out of cardboard that read, “I am blind, anything helps”. This man would just sit there with a cup by his foot for people to give him money. Occasionally he would get a few coins here and there, but not much. After a few hours this young woman comes over to him, takes the sign that this man wrote, and writes something on it with a permanent marker. The old man felt her shoes at the bottom of his feet, and wondered what she was doing. After the woman wrote down something on the board, she walked away without saying a word.

A few minutes later there were people passing by this man and they were constantly putting coins and money into this man’s cup. An hour or so later the young woman came back. Once again the old man felt her shoes, and recognized it as being the same woman who wrote something on the cardboard. Curious, the man said, “Miss, what did you write on my sign?” The woman then replied, “I wrote what you wrote, only with different words; and with that, she walked away. As the woman walked away without another word, the camera focused onto the sign that said, “It’s a beautiful day outside, and I can’t see it.”

Put yourself in this man’s shoe … what if you were blind? It makes you think … huh?

God Loves you!!!

I found this video below on GodTube.
It makes you think of how special God really thinks you are.
Today, I went to the Christian Book Store, and I saw a shirt that said, "God doesn't just like you, he LOVES you." ... have a blessed day!

The Power of Forgiveness!

The Power of Forgiveness:

It’s starting to get in that time of year, so … last night we watched a movie called, “A Christmas snow”.
In the movie it talked about forgiveness. I have attached the story below.

Kathleen has carried around the unwanted memory of her father abandoning her and her mother on Christmas Eve.
For the past 30 years, she has blamed her mother for that night and refuses to celebrate Christmas in any fashion.
Although she has tried to forget her past, it has not forgotten her, and in the days leading up to Christmas she finds herself stuck in her own home with two strangers, because of an unforgiving blizzard.
As the storm brings her face to face with the hurts of her past, she will have to choose one path; letting go and grabbing hold of a life changing forgiveness or continuing to carry her pain and bitterness with her.

I will just tell you how it ends right now (I know! Sorry!)… Kathleen ends up finding her father without even realizing it; and her father finds her without realizing it. This man “Sam” (Kathleen’s Father) stays with Kathleen, and then leaves on Christmas Eve to find his daughter to tell her that he’s sorry. A month later, Kathleen finds out that her dad died a month before.
Kathleen receives a package, opens it, and finds her father’s watch and Bible with a love letter written to Kathleen. Kathleen then realizes that the Bible was Sam’s, (her father) and cries.
In the letter that Sam gives to Kathleen, it asks her to forgive him and her mother whom remarried to another man.
Kathleen shows up at her mom’s house the next Christmas to ask forgiveness for her mother and step-father.
The point is … you can choose to forgive … the question is … will you?