A quick update

I really haven't fallen off the face of the earth...but life gets busy, schedules change, and some things get put on the back burner, so to speak.
Lots of things have changed since my last post--

• I returned to teaching in the classroom in August, 2013
• My kids started Christian School at the same time
• Grandma went to Heaven on October 16, 2013
• We saw God's faithfulness to us during the loss of my husband's job
• My parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary last year (July 2015)
• Mom had to move into an assisted living facility in July 2015
• Dad joined her in February 2016
• We have taken several trips up to the Northeast section of the U.S. and have loved it!
• "R" is now a Junior in High School; also has her learner's permit!
• "D" is now a 6th grader and in Junior High
• "S" is now a 2nd grader
• Our church celebrated her 35th anniversary in June--we had lots of food, fellowship, preaching, inflatables, and fireworks!
• Oh, we love summer!  =)

I know there is lots that I haven't written about, but one last thought is that God is good, all the time!

It's here~well, maybe....

Yes, the colder weather has departed...at least for the day...and the kids and I have enjoyed some gorgeous spring weather! :) After a quick trip to the dentist to check on my two-year-old's front tooth, we ran a few errands, came home and played in the front yard. We chatted with our sweet neighbor, met a new neighbor family across the street, and enjoyed some warm sunshine. Tomorrow? Well, let's just say it's supposed to be near 50 degrees and raining...but that's okay. The pollen will get washed away.   ;)

As you could tell, I have been taking a little break from the blog, and it has been very nice. I hope that you have a wonderful Thursday wherever you happen to be!

Random Thoughts

Thank you so much for your sweet comments on my last post! I love reading your thoughts...And today, I have some random thoughts~no specific order, no rhyme or reason...please bear with me.  :)

• I have the "perfect spouse" for me, and I have a great relationship with him...
• I am thankful for the ability to "blog" and have met many new friends!
• Do you receive any devotionals on your computer? I receive three of them. One is Girlfriends in God, another is from Proverbs 31 Ministries, and the last one is from a preacher out in California. Today he wrote the following devotional about divine appointments, and it really spoke to my heart:

Many times God works in our hearts and lives before He uses us in a great way. Have you ever had God take you through a trial, prepare your life for a future event, then use you to His glory? Before God brings others to us, He often deals with us first.

When God does bring along someone, recognize it as His divine appointment rather than a temporary inconvenience. We've all got work to do, a schedule to keep, a family to lead, and a life to live. Yet, remember that life isn't about our work. It's about God's work. It's about reaching out to others who are hurting, helping those who are struggling, listening to those who are mourning, and witnessing to those who are lost. Our lives are about helping others see Christ.

• WOW! It was a great reminder to me...to not get so focused on "my life", but to see others' needs.
• I am meeting my brother one last time for lunch before he heads back to Europe to the mission field...my parents, brother, Hubbie, kids, and I are going to Famous Dave's...I am excited about the delicious food, but even more excited to spend time with everyone. On Wednesday, I was able to see William (my brother), and had a really nice visit. He is leaving around 5 PM Eastern time...please pray for safety. He should arrive at his local airport around 2:45 tomorrow afternoon.
• Our fall revival is now finished, but I am praying that the Holy Spirit keeps working on me. Such great, encouraging messages.
• Candy give-away was last night after the service. We do not celebrate Halloween, but we love to give our kids candy...so the adults all bring a big bag of candy, and line up (sit) around the perimeter of our gym. The kids (through the 5th grade) file past us with their bags, and get tons of candy! Suffice it to say that there were lots of kids "bouncing off the walls" last night. Oh, such excitement!!! And all for some candy! :)
• Did you know that October 31st is also Reformation Day? It was the day that Martin Luther nailed his 95 Thesis to the church door.
• Although I am not a huge fan of Wally World, I do shop there occasionally. Yesterday, I found the cutest black wire basket for $5! I love black wire items! They also have some beautiful dishes and glasses for $3 each from the Better Homes & Gardens collection that would love fabulous in my kitchen...I may have to go back...

I told you I was totally random today...just wanted to get a couple of thoughts written down. Thanks for sticking with me! I hope you have a great Thursday!

Summer Flowers

These plants are in our front flower beds. I was first introduced to "Vinca" a few years ago. They are hardy and withstand the summer heat (so much better than impatiens). In fact, we rarely purchase any other kind of plant for our flower beds...These flowers are pretty right now, but they will soon be gone...

and the flower beds will be ready for fall planting.

As I look at these beauties, I'm reminded of the following verse:

Isaiah 40:8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth:

but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

Have a great Wednesday!

Getting Close...

Good morning! Great guesses yesterday, but no one guessed correctly... I did receive a blessing (one of my reasons for blogging is to count my blessings) from the purchase!

And just so you know, my post today is all over the place.

• I can't believe it! This is post number 74! I never thought I would have so much fun or meet so many wonderful ladies (YOU!) when I first started blogging, back in October. This has been a great way for me to be more faithful with journaling...

• I think when I reach 100, I'll have to do a little giveaway.  :)   There have been so many giveaways this week all over blogland. Did you enter any? I entered several, but I did not win anything. I will certainly try again!

• Just this morning, I found a brand new blog called Finding Heaven. If you visit, Jen would certainly enjoy hearing from you. You can visit her here.

• I'm going to be busy the next few days filling over 1,000 Easter eggs with candy! Our church hands out treat bags filled with eggs. We usually do this on Easter Sunday, but this year, we'll do it Palm Sunday, and included in the treat bag will be some invitations for the children to pass out to friends, neighbors, etc. We'll have a special treat for the visitors that come on Easter Sunday. Does your church do anything special for the young ones?

I hope you have a great day and a good start to your weekend!

A Couple of Things

Thank you for all those sweet comments yesterday! I was blessed by your kind words...and, yes, that is our home with all that snow! That picture was taken in December, right before Christmas, when we received 24.5 inches of the white stuff!! In late January and early February, during a two week period, we got four snow storms, and about three feet of snow total! In my area, things kind of shut down when we get a few inches...the federal government was off for 4 straight days, and all the local school systems were off for 7 or 8 school days...but the snow sure was pretty!

Just a quick update on the things that I wrote about yesterday~

The ladies' meeting went well. We're planning our mother/daughter banquet for this year. The theme is "His Eye is on the Sparrow"~thinking about how God cares about the little details in our life...anyway, I think we had a good planning session, but we still have lots of work to do...

The chocolate cake was good. I took several pictures of it and will post those next week along with the recipe. My kids loved it..."This is the best chocolate cake ever!" (The name of the cake was Best Chocolate Cake Ever!)

I hope you all have a great weekend, and are able to spend some time with the special people in your life!