God is good ALL the time!

For my 60th birthday a few years ago….2013…let’s just be truthful…I treated myself to a three-week trip to one of my favorite places in the country—Destin Florida. I found a rental on VRBO. I had used them for years. Talked to a nice lady from Memphis (she lives in Louisiana now) who had a two bedroom. Friends were going with me, leaving, others including David coming…it was nearing Christmas and finally the sons from Ohio joined us.

Little did I know that God would bless me with a friendship with an amazing woman of God with so much talent and personality and courage through that VRBO rental. She owned three condos and lived in Memphis. I began to entertain the idea of owning and renting from Oklahoma. She mentored and shared and guided and helped me all the way. We became so close during the year that we were like pen pals of the old days yet we were email pals. We shared prayer requests, and she would pray fervently and immediately….she is one of my “hot” lines to the Father to join in prayer because He has told us where two or more are gathered…..and even though we weren’t in the same physical place we both knew we were joined in the heart and sisters in Christ and praying with the Holy Spirit.

We finally actually met a little over a year after that rental from her in December 2013. She continues to be a blessing in my life, continues to be a joint “hot” line to the Father. When I contacted her last month with a 300 degree fever (I was a little delirious.). She prayed immediately for my health (and my mental state I think too as the fever was actually 103.) We thought I might have Covid. I had enough of the symptoms, and she prayed with me through testing and waiting. It was negative! Never knew what virus I had….

God blesses us in so many amazing ways….ways we can never conceive. Watch for Him and be the blessing to others she has been to me. Oh what a journey we are on with the Father guiding our steps. Thank you Lord for Donna. By the way, I have met several other awesome Christians through her and they too are a blessing in my life and include another talented sweet lady who is the hostess from heaven…a great cook and she is from Memphis too, Debbie…..

Truly ….My God will richly fill your every need in a glorious way through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

Patience.....again

When I first started this blog ages ago, I entered a post on patience. Do we ever learn patience? Geez. Holy Moly!

I decided to retire my 57 year old sewing machine because I was having so many problems with it….didnt want to pay to have it worked on and thought a new fairly basic one might be a nice treat. I wanted to make a hot pink pillowcase in silk for my grand daughter. Well. so far I should have a pillowcase made and I still cant get this thing to sew a straight line. My simple machine has 53 stitches. I just want one simple basic straight line. Cant seem to get it.

My old machine was so easy to fill bobbin. Left in place, left needle threaded and wait until I talk about threading the needle. Anyway. It was way simple. This one has this elaborate process where you have to take the thread out of the needle, take the bobbin out and put it atop the machine. Gee whiz.

And when did they make the needle so little? I had to take the needle out of the machine to thread it. I think the thread is thicker than the needle eye. Even with a magnifying glass it was awful….. I have pulled out every stop—magnifying glass, needle nose pliers because my hands are too fat to fit into the area to take the needle in and out. I had to take the needle out to thread it.

Would have been easier to buy her a satin pillowcase. Surely someone sells small ones. No way they could cost as much as a new machine…..to say nothing of the strain on my patience. Not sure how much improvement there is there. At times I considered a hammer….

She was gone in seconds. 21 years old.

My beautiful friend and sister-in-law of three months was killed instantly in a car wreck.

Her family were devout Christians.  Our family had never been in church, but she loved my brother and married him anyway. She was one of my best friends.  I would never see her again.

Even in their grief HER family knew that they would one day see her beautiful smile again.  Devastated as they were, they witnessed to my family and all my family came to know Jesus at that time but me.

I was 18 years old and devastated.  I tried a little alcohol, some smoking and even more rebellion but nothing could ease the pain. I thought I wanted to go to a different kind of church than my family, but that didn’t seem to work either.

Then one morning I went to church and as the choir sang Softly and Tenderly and a sweet Christian lady prayed for me I gave my life to Jesus.

Sometimes there is not “another” chance to follow Him. Sometimes life can be gone in seconds and there is not another chance to make that decision to follow Him. Do you know Him today?

You are Chosen

The Holy Bible is the Living Word. It is the Logos. It is the inerrant Word of God. In it you will find that you are chosen. A royal priesthood. A brother or sister in Christ Jesus. God made a covenant with Abram many many years ago. That can be studied in the Old Testament. The New Testament brought us His son to die for us that we might have life and have it more abundant. He died in our place. He carried our sins to the cross. He sits at the right hand of the Father in heaven. We can study the Bible a whole life time and never know all the answers. It takes but a moment to know the Son and through Him to know the Father. You are chosen. Follow Him.

Jesus will be your closest friend.

    We live in a difficult world filled with danger, strife, misfortune and so much evil.  You don’t have to walk through it alone.  There is one who will walk through it with you and carry you even through the hard times.
    Life is fragile and any of us can be in eternity in mere seconds.
You will never walk alone again if you choose Jesus. Read Daniel 3:16-28. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego all found themselves cast in the fire because of a guy named Nebuchadnezzar who was the king at the time. But guess what! When he looked in the fire, he saw four, not three! They were not alone.
You never have to be alone either in a fire or water. Check out this: Isaiah 43:2 NIV.

“When you pass through the waters,
    I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
    they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
    you will not be burned;
    the flames will not set you ablaze.”

Jesus will be your closest friend.