Morning!  How is everyone on this beautiful but damp day?  I hear it is supposed to rain periodically for the next four days ... YUK!  I know we need the rain but I want SUNSHINE!!!!  That is ok though as I know God has a plan!

​I do so hate driving in this weather.  I have a Mary Kay function this evening so please pray for me to have safe travels.  Driving in the rain and driving at night are my worse times to drive.  Am I getting old or what?  LOL!

​I just finished my Bible studies for this morning, and I wanted to share something with you.  I am reading out of the Joyce Meyer Amplified version of the Bible and enjoying it very much.  As I was reading in Joshua, I came across this, "Joshua 9:12 mentions bread that has become dry and moldy.  If a loaf of bread is left on a table for very long, a person can touch it and tell it is getting stale.  It is on its way to becoming hard and tasteless.  The same thing can happen in our lives.  If we are not careful, the enemy will deceive us into allowing our lives to become dry and stale.  We must resist this by staying fresh - being creative and having different experiences, breaking our routines once in a while and allowing God to do new things in us, for us, and through us." 

​​Becoming stale in our daily lives leads to depression.  I can tell you from past experiences that when I allow the devil to beat me down ... when I allow him to rob me of my joy ... when I allow him to keep me in the same place as always ... when I allow him to take occupancy in my mind ... when I allow him to keep me focused on the issues in my life ... I become stale and then I become depressed.   We must not allow him to be victorious.

​It is not easy changing the course of our lives.  It is not simple to just wake up one day and say, "I am going to be happy today", but it is a start.  I understand that sometimes just getting up is a challenge.  God never said it would be easy.  He said He would give us the strength to overcome if we would put one foot in front of the other and make the effort. 

​I know how rewarding it is when we look back on our 24-hour day and see we have succeeded in changing the course of our day from gloom to gladness.  I am so elated when I have overcome even if for only a short period of time.  I know when I am victorious, then it strengthens me for the next day's battles.  When we have just one day of success, it gives us encouragement and strength to have a 2nd day of success.  Heck, when we succeed during any given minute, then it gives us what we need to succeed for that 2nd minute.  Take it minute by minute.  You can overcome.  You can change the course of your life.  You can be a blessing during your storms.  Just putting on a smile when inside you feel anything but joy is a challenge but it is rewarding.  Try it for just one minute of today.  If you succeed, then try it for 2 minutes and so on.  Soon you will be joyful for a full day and feeling the strength the Lord promised.

​I am praying for you.  Today is your day.  Please pray for me that today will be my day too!  Love you guys!

Sitting here this morning filling out applications online for part-time work and I have to ask myself, ​"What happened to personal communication?"  ​I mean nothing is face-to-face any longer, is it?  I remember when you would walk into a business establishment, ask to speak to the manager, and discuss possible employment with them one-on-one.  Now you go online, fill out an application, complete a personal evaluation of sorts, and wait!  You do not know if they got your application ... you do not have the opportunity to discuss certain items on the application which were not basic questions ... you are hanging out there in cypher space somewhere in limbo!

​Modern technology is awesome ... it is wonderful ... it is fantastic!  It is killing us!  We have lost the ability to communicate eye-to-eye.  You go into a restaurant and not only are the children sitting there on their electronic gadgets, but their parents are on them too!  How many out there actually sit down for family dinners any longer?  How many actually go outside and spend quality time with their children?  When you go on vacation with family (if you still do), how much of your vacation time is actually spent with one another without cell phones, laptops, head sets?  People, it is not just you ... I am guilty also!  We have to wake up and realize that as great as technology is today, it is just as dangerous.  We are losing one another to another world ... a world where people communicate only through text messages, emails, or social media.   We need to set aside time to reconnect with one another ... a time to regroup and realize we have things in common with our children ... a time to love on each other using our physical beings.  It is great to have someone send you a text saying "I love you", but how much greater it is to have someone take the time to come visit with you ... take you to dinner ... watch a movie!  Face time is precious and daily fading.  It is the most precious commodity we have and it is the least used.

​Special days ... ahh days like birthdays, anniversaries, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas!  They come and they go.  You might have received a quick text message or Facebook post to acknowledge your day.  It may have come just to you, or it was in a 'group' text.  You read it, you smile, and you move on.  It was nice ... it was a fleeting thought!  Nothing more and nothing less.  We are appreciative for what we got, if anything.  When was the last time you received an actual birthday card in the mail ... an anniversary card ... a Christmas card?  I get so excited when I receive personal mail.  It tells me I was worth that extra few moments it took for someone to think of me.  I was special enough for someone to take the time to purchase a card and put it in the mail just for me.  I was not a fleeting thought!  Someone truly cared and took the time to say so!  Flowers?  ​How uplifting it is to find flowers on your table ... on your steps ... through delivery!  It says you touched a life and someone is appreciative.  How very special you are!

​I realize there are lots of ways to say "I love you" without buying flowers, without spending money you may not have, but I think you get my drift in all of this.  Some people find flowers impersonal.  I think if flowers only come every blue moon and not on a regular basis, then they are special and they say a lot!  Remember how nice it used to be to receive that 'thinking of you' card in the mail?  When was the last time you did the flowers or the card or anything for someone that costs you something other than money ... it costs you time? 

​I challenge you today to make a commitment to set aside family time ... time without electronics ... time without texting ... time without cell phones ... time for just you and those you love!  Stop and buy a card for that someone special that you think of occasionally and meant to call, but you simply forgot.  Send flowers to someone you love for no reason.  Send an "I am thinking of you card" to that teacher who touched your life in a special way and you never showed your appreciation!  Rethink your options for today ... for this week ... for this month ... heck, for the year!  Squeeze in time to spend with loved ones so they can truly feel special and loved because you did not send a text but you brought yourself!  Stop and buy that card periodically for a family member, a friend, a teacher, a co-worker, or send to someone anonymously simply because you know they need encouragement!  Be that person today who goes the extra step to say 'you care'!  You will be amazed how great you will feel because you did!

​Have a blessed day!

Morning!!!  Isn't it gorgeous outside?  I am so loving this weather.  We cannot complain, however, as we had no winter.  We will regret the lack of snowy days because of ticks, fleas, etc.  I have seen on Facebook where some have found ticks on their bodies already.  YUK!!  I hate those little creatures.  Seriously, what is their purpose in life?

​Purpose!  ​What is my purpose?  What is your purpose?  I am sort of lost this morning.  I am not sure which direction to go ... what I want to do ... how I desire to spend my day?  I feel ... I do not know!  Purpose!  That is the word I am seeking ... purpose!​  I feel as if I have no purpose today.  Have you ever felt that way?  Not a very good feeling, huh?  I have plenty to do ... I have more things to do than I want to admit!  Yet, I cannot seem to find a purpose for today.

​I am at a loss today but what about others who feel as if they live without purpose everyday?  How horrible!  I could not do it.  We were created by God with purpose ... His purpose!​  We were wired to feel needed ... to love ... to give ... to use our purpose​ for His glory.  If I simply allow my day to waste away (as I have done more times than I care to admit), then I am failing Him. 

How can we have purpose without encouragement?  Do not these two go hand-in-hand?  If I do not feel encouraged, then where is the strength to fulfill my purpose for today?  I guess I am asking, ​"Who or what are you relying on for encouragement to fulfill your purpose?"  ​If your answer is anything other than "Him", then you need to rethink your game plan for today and everyday. 

​Have a great one!!!!

As I was updating certain sections of my website, I just felt led to write a blog.  What about?  ​I am not for sure so I will just share.  Do not get me wrong, there is A LOT I could share but I am not sure I am ready.  Not today anyway!

​How has your week been going?  I updated my website ... the Tidbits, the About section, and the Prayer Wall.  ​​I received some prayer requests and I felt led to include some prayers I simply saw on Facebook.  I am praying for these people and their needs.  Please do not doubt this.  I think one of my biggest struggles in life was trusting whether people were really praying for me when they said they were.  Was I being naïve in thinking others truly cared enough to take time out of their crazy, busy lives to pray for me and my needs?  Then on the flip side of these thoughts were the thoughts, "Those who are praying, do they truly know how to pray?"  Sounds pretty crazy, huh?  Well it is not.  I struggled with praying for a very long time ... ​how was I supposed to do it ... was I using the right words ... was I referring to correct scripture ... did I pray long enough ... did I speak eloquently ... was I even worthy of Him hearing my prayers?  ​Have you never had these thoughts?  If not, then you are truly a blessed one.  After all of these years of walking and growing, I still struggle with being worthy!  I could write an entire book on this, but suffice it to say I am praying for needs today and I know He is listening!  It does not matter if others are praying for you as they say they are.  It is only vital that you are taking your petitions to Him yourself.  It is great to know without doubt that you can trust others to join you in prayer.  It is reassuring to know you have a church family to hold you up in prayer.  However, ultimately, He wants to hear from you ... personally!  ​I do not make light of the fact that it is biblical and powerful for others to join you in prayer.   It is just as important that you be praying also.  We cannot rely on the prayers of others and just rest assuredly in their petitions to Our Father.  We must go to Him ourselves and seek His face!

I guess what I just shared above is why I felt led to write this blog ... LOL!  Amazing!  Simply amazing how He leads and directs. 

​On another note, my website hit an all time high this past week with over 1000 views.  This is AMAZING!  I have never had more than 500 views in one week.  Thank you!!!!  I truly thank you from the bottom of my heart.  You viewed ... you shared ... you helped me to grow!  I am blessed for each and everyone of you.  I would love ... LOVE ... to hear from you, whether personally or anonymously. 

​Have a great day!  Love you guys!