Showing posts with label God. Show all posts

Dogwood and Easter

The Dogwood tree is one of my favorite trees. We have one in the front yard and one in the back. The Dogwood trees always bloom just in time for Easter. They produce beautiful flowers to remind us of God’s promise and whoever looks upon it will never forget.

You see, there is a legend behind the Dogwood tree. The story is not biblical fact but can be used as a tool to teach us some of the meanings of Easter. 


The Dogwood tree used to stand tall, straight and strong. It is said to be the timber used to build the cross that Jesus was crucified on. This made the tree sad so God promised it would no longer grow tall or strong enough to carry the weight of anything else. This is why you never see a straight branch on a dogwood tree and the branches are weak and fragile. 

The blossoms of the Dogwood tree are white to represent purity and in the shape of a cross. The outer edges of the petals are brown or red with tiny holes. This represents the nails that were driven through Jesus hands and feet and the blood he shed. 


The Center of the flower represents the crown of thorns that was worn on Jesus head. 

Though this legend of the dogwood tree may or may not be biblically true, the story that God sent his only son to to die on the cross for you and me, is.
You can read about the crucifixion of Jesus in the books of the Bible, Matthew, Mark ,Luke and John. 

Let’s remember the true meaning of Easter.....

And then let’s eat some of those Reese’s peanutbutter eggs!


Beauty and The Bee

Every day as we walk, we past a home where an old man and his wife passed away and left no one to care for their now abandoned house. It has been over a year.

We shake our head in disgust as we walk around this neglected yard that corners the street. We gripe, "I would have already called the city to get this cleaned up". or "What a mess! This is ridiculous and makes the neighborhood look bad". The complaining goes on every time. I guess you can say it at least gives us a conversation.


Rounding the corner and eyeing what once was a well kept yard full of roses and mixed flowers, we noticed some life in the mix of rubble. It was a bumble bee working diligently to gather pollen from an onion flower. I left my phone at home to charge so I asked my husband to be a photographer. He pulls his phone from his waistband and steps in to the snaky brush to get a closer aim. The complaining stopped and our conversation focused on the bee the rest of the way home.


I think God throws out little reminders for us to stop looking at the negative in things and focus on the beauty. The bee didn't care what his surroundings were, he just knew he had a job to finish and all he needed was in that place.


"The flower doesn't dream of the bee. It blossoms and the bee comes". 
                                                                                      ~Mark Nepo

Prayer Cloth

While looking around on the Internet the other day, I came across this really cute crocheted prayer cloth. I just had to make one.

 
This was my first one and I think its adorable.
You can find the free pattern HERE.

Prayer cloths are not to be sold, only given.

A prayer cloth is used by an individual or group of people that are praying for an ailing or sick friend, or family member. The prayer cloth is usually prayed upon by the individual or group, and then given to or wrapped around the sick friend or family member.

I remember a church giving one to my Mother-in-law when she was sick. I thought it was so precious. It meant a lot to her.

Now keep in mind, a prayer cloth does not heal. It is only a token of prayers said for the person its given to. Prayers, believing, and faith in God bring healing.


So that from his body were brought unto the sick, handkerchiefs or
aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of
them.
Act 19:12.
  
 
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Song Sunday

She is running
A hundred miles an hour in the wrong direction
She is trying
But the canyon's ever widening
In the depths of her cold heart
So she sets out on another misadventure just to find
She's another two years older
And she's three more steps behind

Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see?
Or does anybody even knows she's going down today
Under the shadow of our steeple
With all the lost and lonely people
Searching for the hope that's tucked away in you and me
Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see?

She is yearning
For shelter and affection
That she never found at home
She is searching
For a hero to ride in
To ride in and save the day
And in walks her prince charming
And he knows just what to say
Momentary lapse of reason
And she gives herself away

If judgement looms under every steeple
If lofty glances from lofty people
Can't see past her scarlet letter
And we never even met her

He is running
A hundred miles an hour in the wrong direction

 
~Casting Crowns- "Does Anybody Hear Her?"

Song Sunday

To everyone who's lost someone they love
Long before it was their time
You feel like the days you had were not enough
when you said goodbye

And to all of the people with burdens and pains
Keeping you back from your life
You believe that there's nothing and there is no one
Who can make it right

There is hope for the helpless
Rest for the weary
Love for the broken heart
There is grace and forgiveness
Mercy and healing
He'll meet you wherever you are
Cry out to Jesus, Cry out to Jesus

For the marriage that's struggling just to hang on
They lost all of their faith in love
They've done all they can to make it right again
Still it's not enough

For the ones who can't break the addictions and chains
You try to give up but you come back again
Just remember that you're not alone in your shame
And your suffering

When your lonely
And it feels like the whole world is falling on you
You just reach out, you just cry out to Jesus
Cry to Jesus

To the widow who suffers from being alone
Wiping the tears from her eyes
For the children around the world without a home
Say a prayer tonight

~Third Day- "Cry Out For Jesus"


Song Sunday


We pray for blessings, we pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
And all the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

'Cause what if your blessings come through rain drops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt your goodness, we doubt your love
As if every promise from Your word is not enough
And all the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

'Cause what if your blessings come through rain drops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not,
This is not our home
It's not our home

'Cause what if your blessings come through rain drops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near

What if my greatest disappointments or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy
What if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise
 
~Laura Story- "Blessings"
 

Song Sunday


God loves a lullaby,  In a mother's tears in the dead of night

 Better than a Hallelujah sometimes.

 God loves a drunkards cry, The soldier's plea not to let him die

 Better than a Hallelujah sometimes.
 

We pour out our miseries,  God just hears a melody

 Beautiful the mess we are, the honest cries of breaking hearts

 Are better than a Hallelujah.
 

The woman holding on for life, the dying man giving up the fight

Are better than a Hallelujah sometimes.

The tears of shame for what's been done, the silence when the words won't come

 Are better than a Hallelujah sometimes.
 

We pour out our miseries,  God just hears a melody

 Beautiful the mess we are , the honest cries of breaking hearts

 Are better than a Hallelujah
 

Better than a church bell ringing, better than a choir singing out, singing out.
 

We pour out our miseries,  God just hears a melody

 Beautiful the mess we are, the honest cries of breaking hearts

 Are better than a Hallelujah

 
 ~AMY GRANT - Better Than A Hallelujah~

Set Sail

If you have been keeping up with my blogs, you may remember me mentioning the Piece of drift wood  I found on the beach during my vacation.

I finally got around to creating the idea I had for it. A little sail boat.

My husband found me the perfect stick, and from some scraps of cloth my mom gave me, I was able to create the sailboat I had in my mind.

I love nautical themes and items. I guess that goes along with my love for the beach. This little thing really floats too. I like the way it turned out. I didn't want it to be perfect. I just added a sail to it and let it become what it wanted to be. I added the number to it of a special year.



"You need not sail unaided.
Give Jesus His rightful place,
And through the seas of life
You will be sailing by Grace"


Ive shared this at:

Dad and I

Happy Fathers Day to all the dads out there! I just want to say I think I have the best dad ever. He is a great christian man and is very special to me. My dad always set a godly example for me and my siblings and I am thankful for that. Ive learned alot from him and we are same in many ways. Here are just a few ways I am like him.
  •  We are funny and share the same humor.
  •  We like quick cars
  •   I have his nose
  •  We both suffer hay fever and allergies
  •  I have his knees
  •  We like blue grass music
  •  We are emotional
  •  Impatient
  •  If I'm not mistaking, I think we have the same birthmark
  •  and neither one of us will turn down a piece of chocolate cake.
I will be heading to church today and honor not only my father here on earth but also my heavenly father.
After church I will be spending time with my husband and daughter as we celebrate his well deserved fathers Day and later we will be celebrating all the dads in the family with a cookout at my house.
I smell the grill already!
Happy Fathers Day .

Happy Easter

Hope everyone is having a Happy Easter. I have been so busy this weekend through today that I have not had time to write a new post and if I did, It would be a book. So not to bore my readers, Here is just a small photo run down.

 I made Bunny Bark to give away. Note: Look what I did with an old peanut can.

Easter Bark
M&Ms , pretzels, sprinkles and broken white oreos (can use chocolate too).
lay in a cookie sheet or shallow pan, and pour melted chocolate to cover.
Cool then break apart.
Get creative with it ther are no rules.

How my daughter dyes eggs.

 6:30 am Easter Morning


6:45 Easter Morning Sunrise service begins. The sun turned the clouds to a fire red.
It was soooo pretty!!!

 at the same time, my friend Ann texted me a picture of the Sunrise service at Myrtle Beach.
Thanks Ann, wish I could have been there!!


Me with my beautiful daughter.

HAPPY EASTER!!!



Yarn Egg

With Easter approaching, I have been having experimenting with making different types of Easter decorations with things I already have around the house. The other day I made an egg out of yarn.

I used a paste made out of flour and water.
1 large balloon
and yarn.
I dipped yard strands into the paste, wrapped it around and around the balloon and let it set over night to harden.

This is the first time I've tried doing this. I seriously didn't think the idea would work but it did and it sat on my mantel for a week before I decided what to do with it.
I cut out an opening, I thought was too big, so it sat a few more day until I found some old ribbon and began experimenting until I come up with some idea that would hide the choppy look around the cutout.

.
Then finally I  put some things in it. I was going to fill it with all chocolate because the only ribbon I could find around the house was brown and it reminded me of chocolate. I threw a few foil eggs in to complete the look.

Oh and did I mention, I saw God today?


Linked on craftomaniac monday , m-i-y-monday at anoriginalbelle , made-by-monday at skiptomylou , make-scene-monday at alderberryhill ,nifty-thrifty-tuesday at coastal charm , creative-projects at todayscreativeblog , made-by-me-25-linky-party-and-features at jaqsstudi  , spring-easter-categorically-crafting at somedaycrafts , simply-link-party at simplydesigning

What I Love about Sundays

Sundays are one of my favorite days of the week. There is always something good about this day. It marks the end of one week and the beginning of another depending on how you look at it.
I remember when I was small, the whole family including aunts, uncles and cousins would all fill mamaws house after church. She would have two large tables full of food. I remember her fried chicken the most. It was fresh chicken too, the kind you had to pluck first. Oh it was the best. I don't think there is a Sunday that passes by that I don't think about that and how good her home would smell each and every Sunday. Man, I miss those days.

Nowadays, I still spend my Sundays going to church in the mornings. This starts my day off right. It relaxes my mind and fills my heart with the work of God. We have a praise team made up of four singers that start our service up with just the right songs. One of the singers is my brother. I never knew he could sing until one Easter. I didn't see it coming and I was a bit surprised. I however, am not a singer. No way could you get me up there. I'm more of one of those that watch everyone from my seat and soak it all in. I love to see others praising God. I like to hear clapping and seeing hands in the air. It gives me goose bumps.

I love seeing my daughter sitting beside me following alone in her Bible,
I love seeing new belivers being baptized. Here is my nephew just last year being baptized.
While some pray from their pew, others feel the need to kneel at the alter and leave it all there.
Everyone has their own style of worship, but any way they choose, I love being around it.

After church I come home to a small lunch and when I'm not shopping or at my Sunday Zumba class, I love snuggling on the couch with my husband watching lifetime movies and taking naps. After a good Sunday, I am ready to face the new week and leave last week behind.
This is Just a few things I love about Sundays.
 

Give Thanks

This time of year its so easy to get caught in all the rush of getting the Halloween decorations down and getting the Christmas decorations up. Rarely do we think of Thanksgiving being more than just a day for a big dinner with family and friends, a day off from school and work, or the day before a big shopping spree.
Then, sadly there are those that make Thanksgiving the only day to give thanks.

Right now while the economy is slow and more people are out of work, more homeless on the street and more crimes being committed, we feel like we have nothing to be thankful for, especially those who are victims of these cases. But we have a lot of things to be thankful for. We just take alot for granted. I mean, just imagine not having a family, a car, a house or friends. You may hate your job but imagine loosing it tomorrow. You may not have any of those things right now but if your reading this then you have a computer or a fancy cell phone and be thankful you have eye sight and the ability to read.

So as we enter into this Thanksgiving holiday, remember the meaning of Thanksgiving and be grateful. Wake up everyday for now on thinking about what you have, not what you don't have and always give thanks to God. Waking up is the first blessing you get each day.