Ugh...

Ugh...that is how I am feeling...

...I think the busyness of Christmas,

New Years, snow,

stressing out over things that really didn't need stressing out about, snow, fighting getting a cold, did I mention snow and freezing temps, like really cold temps...yes we actually got down to -2*, felt like -17* and just plain doing too much...it finally caught up with me...

...the worst headache I have had in many years,

...congestion, tightness in the chest/back

...coughing, backache oh yeah, the headache from @#$%&*.

Yep I went to bed Wednesday evening about 9 PM and

crawled out of bed about 3 PM on Thursday

for about an hour...while I made some soup and ate said soup,

and found my bed, my pillows and blankets till 

7:20 AM this morning (Friday).

I am happy to say the headache is now about a 1-2 instead of 10+,

still have the tightness in my chest/back,

still coughing and feeling congested...

...I did get up and work for about 6 hours,

celebrating I got all the End of Month and Year reports done!!!

and now I am snuggled on the couch, 

finally checking emails...can you say over 600!!!

And that just overwhelmed me so I decided to 

write this very lame blog post.

And trying to get all the i's dotted and t's crossed

so we can go on vacation in

29 days and 26 minutes.

Can't wait to see our kids and grands!!!

And friends and family,

our family at Northwood Alliance Church.

Time to go lay down...

...I will write more later.

Brrrr...it's Cold!!!

Woke this morning at 6:00 AM to 0' but felt like -15'

that is just too darn cold.

To warm myself up I rode my stationary bike

for 45.05 minutes, 9.65 miles and burned 495 calories.

Got on the scale and am down 1.6 lbs this week for a

weight loss of 8.2 lbs since 9/1/13 with a total

weight loss of 23.2 lbs since 8/1/11.

I need to lose 16.6 lbs to get to my first goal.

The sun is shining bright and looks beautiful on the snow,

the skies are clear.

This was taken at 7:53 this morning, isn't it beautiful?

I began my Bible study this morning reading 

and I was reminded that I am the one who is to seek the Lord.

He is always waiting to hear from me.

That just warms my heart to know that 

God is ALWAYS here for me,

I just need to call on his name.

And then Mark 10:46-52

and the question Jesus asks Bartimaeus

Jesus asks not only Bartimaeus what he wants from Jesus

he asks that of me too.

What do I want Jesus to do for me?

God wants to know what we (I) want?

He wants specifics, the desires of our heart.

Laying heavy on my heart is reconciliation within my family.

I have prayed off/on for healing in a specific relationship,

that of my sister and myself.  I have cried out many times to God

and to her...all to no avail...but I am reminded this morning that 

I need to be diligent in my seeking God for healing and

remind myself I have done everything I can do ... 

it is now up to her and God.

And I know it is all in God's timing.

I need to be patient and continue to trust Him,

continue to pray for my sister and because I don't know 

what is going on in her life

I just pray...

Lord be with Joanie, 

love on her like I am not able to do.

And then my focus changed from being on me to

what does the Lord want me to do.

Am I ready and willing to do what the Lord

asks me to do?

I am trying every day to say 

"Here am I Lord.  What do you want me to do?"

And then I ask myself

"Am I really willing to go where the Lord would have me to go?  

Or am I like Asa in 2 Chronicles 16:7-10

Just after that, Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said, “Because you went for help to the king of Aram and didn’t ask God for help, you’ve lost a victory over the army of the king of Aram. Didn’t the Ethiopians and Libyans come against you with superior forces, completely outclassing you with their chariots and cavalry? But you asked God for help and he gave you the victory. God is always on the alert, constantly on the lookout for people who are totally committed to him. You were foolish to go for human help when you could have had God’s help. Now you’re in trouble—one round of war after another.”

10 At that, Asa lost his temper. Angry, he put Hanani in the stocks. At the same time Asa started abusing some of the people.

Or a little child who gets mad while playing with someone and grabs her ball and goes home crying because she did not get her way?  Don't I respond like that sometimes.  Get mad, storm out of the room because I don't like what someone said or implied?

But God is not like that...his grace gives us second chances, he loves me no matter what, he loves me not my sin.  Even though I don't like what so and so said to me or did to me I need to stop, be quiet, listen and then do what is right even if its not what I want to do.

Thank you Jesus for giving me so many second chances, 

for loving me in spite of what I say or do that is not right or nice.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to right those who I have wronged.

Help me Jesus, to be quiet more, 

to listen more,

to think before I react.

Thank you Jesus for loving me!!!

And thank you for showing me how to extend grace

to others and myself as you extend it to me.

Amen.

The First Snowfall of 2014

We woke to SNOW this morning

These were taken about 7 AM out the office door of 

Branson View Campground

 Our motor home is under the light.  

The cabin is behind it.

Looking up the hill from the office.

 

And then about 8:00 this is what I found.

I just love that guy!!!

I am so thankful for a hubby who loves me and 

cares not only about me but all our guests as well.

Then about 11 AM we looked outside.

You can barely see where Ron had blown the snow.

But you can see where someone was able to get out of the campground.

And we thought you might like to see how big some of those snowflakes are.

Well I guess I should get off the computer.

Time to make some Apple Pancakes for brunch

and then start tackling my To Do List...

one of this weeks goals is to take down the Christmas decorations.

The house always feel so empty when everything is down

so I think I might leave some lights up inside.

What do you think?  Is that a good idea or not?

Links in Life

I am amazed how God links my life altogether.

I really shouldn't be, since the majority of my life I have loved and follow Him.

But here I sit once again,

amazed how so many things in my life 

just link together.

I joined a group on Facebook,

ChickswithoutBricks.

Many of us are RV'rs but the focus of the group is

"Welcome to Chicks without Bricks. If you haven't done so yet, consider getting the book "Postcards from Chicks Without Bricks" available at any one of our blogs (see authors' blogs listed in the files section)
This is a challenge group geared towards helping YOU be the best Chick you can be. You don't have to live in an RV to be without bricks (but we all think you're crazy not to want to;)  If you have a dream you've been putting off, then you are in the right place. Be sure to invite your friends. The more Chicks the merrier. You can join the challenge any time. Be sure to post your progress with each of the weekly goals so we can all encourage one another to 'Lighten up and LIVE'!"

And the first challenge asks the question

What is it you really want? 

And then one of my Scriptures for today is found in 

 

Really asking What is it you want?

See how he links one thing to another?

I have some goals I have set for this year...

...to lose 50 lbs, by exercising 5x a week and making healthy food choices

...to grow closer to God through Daily Quiet Time, study and prayer

...to finish all the unfinished craft projects that I have started 

and carried with me for way too many years

...to stay on top of our paperwork and not let it gather in a Ziplock Bag like the two in the cupboard waiting for me to address, which means processing those two Ziplock bags

...for healing in relationships

 ...to bless others

...to grow the business here at Branson View Campground

...to grow the business of Santa Claus

Thank you Lord for keeping me focused in my life and how I should live.

  Other thoughts from my Quiet Time this morning:

Psalm 118

Psalm 118: 5-16

The Message

Pushed to the wall, I called to God;
    from the wide open spaces, he answered.
God’s now at my side and I’m not afraid;
    who would dare lay a hand on me?
God’s my strong champion;
    I flick off my enemies like flies.
Far better to take refuge in God
    than trust in people;
Far better to take refuge in God
    than trust in celebrities.
Hemmed in by barbarians,
    in God’s name I rubbed their faces in the dirt;
Hemmed in and with no way out,
    in God’s name I rubbed their faces in the dirt;
Like swarming bees, like wild prairie fire, they hemmed me in;
    in God’s name I rubbed their faces in the dirt.
I was right on the cliff-edge, ready to fall,
    when God grabbed and held me.
God’s my strength, he’s also my song,
    and now he’s my salvation.
Hear the shouts, hear the triumph songs
    in the camp of the saved?
        “The hand of God has turned the tide!
        The hand of God is raised in victory!
        The hand of God has turned the tide!”

 

and

Psalm 118:27-29

New Living Translation

The Lord is God, shining upon us.
    Take the sacrifice and bind it with cords on the altar.

You are my God, and I will praise you!
    You are my God, and I will exalt you!

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
    His faithful love endures forever.

God is ALWAYS available.

He is ALWAYS waiting for me to seek Him.

And then I turned to 2 Tim 1:7

 

And also I don't have to be ashamed.

Being ashamed is feeling humiliated or embarrassed because we feel inadequate or inferior.

I do need to remember, every day, is that I Am

Saved,

Rescued,

Redeemed,

Justified and

Sanctified.

The word I am focusing on this month is GRACE.

Grace is God giving us a second chance.  

Isn't that what I need to be doing with those I am in relationship with...extending Grace, 

just like God tells us in Forgiveness...we must do it 70 x 7, who can keep track of 490 times forgiving someone?  I know I can't, I just need to forgive those who have hurt me or wronged me.  And the same is true with Grace...I need to give those in my life, those who cross my path, a second chance, not jump to conclusions and not be judging them.  I need to LOVE them, extending Forgiveness and Grace, love them not the sin!!!

And Lord I ask you today, 

to help me love those I come into contact with,

to extend the hand of fellowship,

to be hospitable and encouraging.

What is it you want?

How do you plan to go about it?