Sure hope you all had a wonderful and blessed weekend!  A not-so-quick update on mine … Saturday we went to the antique mall, and I restocked soap and candles … walked around there and did some ‘window’ shopping, while my dh was working on his things.  Then we left and stopped in to see my father-in-law at the hospital. 

Update here on O.P:  They did not let him go home as planned on Friday afternoon … they say it’s because he needs the physical therapy to build up his strength.  He looked so frail when we saw him Saturday … even though weak, he was in good spirits … he wanted us to ‘bust him out’ of there!   Unfortunately, he is still in there today, so please keep him, and Mom Betty in your prayers … apparently he was doing well in regards to the pancreatitis, but, now they are concerned about his strength … after seeing him, so are we!  We have no idea, and they aren’t saying, when he’ll be going back home!  After our visit with him, we took a late afternoon drive in the country … it was so beautiful.  On our way home we stopped at a local buffet, and had a bite to eat.  It was a good day other than Dad not being strong enough to be back with Mom Betty … she’s missing him so much!  

Sunday morning, dawned sunny and beautiful.  Had a blessed time at church, being encouraged to plant ourselves by the water … take root, letting them grow down deep … stay in the Word … we just need to get alone with God, and let Him teach us!  It was so rich!  Afterwards, some friends invited us out to lunch … they offered to pay, so how could we say no!  They took us to ‘Kabutos’ … a Japanese restaurant where they cook in front of you … the Hibachi Chicken was delicious, and reasonably priced for lunch.  Our conversation turned to a much loved springtime activity … gardening.  We aren’t going to have a garden this year, in hopes that we’ll be moving sometime soon, so, they told us we could help ourselves to theirs, when the time came … a regular community vegetable garden!  They live about 2 blocks away, and being as my hubby loves vegetable gardening, he’ll be helping Mike out ( I’m into flowers, and herbs, myself ) …. He’s planting cabbage, cucumbers, green peppers, three or four varieties of tomatoes, green beans, squash and zucchini … he mentioned some other ones, as well … what a blessing that will be … and they’ll have some great times of fellowship!  The men need that, just as much as us women!  Right, ladies?!  Anyone have any garden plans this year?  I’m hoping to have a few flowers and herbs on my porch to tend to.

After that delicious lunch, we headed back to church for our FPU class (Financial Peace University with Dave Ramsey), where we learned more to help us on our journey to financial freedom.  He has some great tips, and knowledge that is so beneficial to anyone who’s looking to be debt free.  When that was over, we went for a drive to one of our parks here … Eagle Creek … it’s one of the largest municipal parks in the U.S. … it still looked ‘wintery’, not much color, except the grass … but, I’m sure, in no time it’ll look like Spring … we just sat, ‘planted by the water’, and enjoyed the blue sky, and warm sun, along with a nice breeze that a sailboat, or two, took advantage of, ( wish I had a kite ) … the birds were singing everywhere, bicyclists, walkers, lots of ducks and geese enjoying the fine weather … it was just an all around nice day that God seemed to have created just for us!  Thank you, Lord!

Monday was much the same, only a bit warmer, and maybe a little more overcast.  I thought it was going to be nice all week, but now I’m hearing more rain is on the way … later today I have to take photos of a floor my husband just finished laying in a condo downtown … he uses them for his flooring portfolio … we really should call it a ‘floorfolio’!  He lays some of the most beautiful flooring.  This one is an ‘onyx’ stone … hard to explain the look, he couldn’t get over how pretty it was, and it is pretty, but could you imagine paying $45.00 a square foot!  Not me … have you looked at the size of a square foot lately?!  Not much there for that much money!  /  As for me, I prefer the old wood floors … even the rugged wide plank wood floors!  I’m a simple person … nothing too fancy … I’ll have to upload one of the photos of it for you to see.  Flooring is just plain expensive these days, but people still afford to do it … for that, we are grateful!!   
 
This week, I also have to go through and get some garage sale items together for the weekend … and of course, I have the weekly housecleaning and laundry to do.  Last but never least, I need to do some catching up on here!  I’m so behind, so, I had better get busy!!  I’m hoping to get around to you all soon.  

I’ll leave you with a few photos … now they’re not very good, being a bit blurry, as I’m still learning all the settings on the camera.  I took this weekend to practice with all of the settings, and many of them turned out way too dark.  (   I managed to get a few … I’m learning … please be patient, Canon isn’t finished with me yet!  )

Oh, also I had forgotten about the Twinkie recipe last week … I’m sure you were all terribly disappointed, ;o)  well, you know, we really shouldn’t be eating too much of this kind of thing, but I’ve got one for you today, anyway.  So you enjoy, and have a terrific Twinkie Tuesday!

Blessings,
         ~ Deborah <>< 

P.S. I entered a ‘flower’ photo over on iliveinmycamera
so if you would, ‘click’ on over there and vote for your favorite! 
Thank you!  Now, onto the goodies …

  

I loved the way the horses mane matched the corn in the background.

 

Grazin’ Goose



Lilly Lake residents.



How do you catch a squirrel?
Climb in a tree and act like a nut! 
I didn’t dare!



We were high on a ridge … all those little dots are ducks and geese!
There were so many more not in the photo. Sorry these are not very clear!



There were a couple of small sailboats out …
we almost asked if we could hitch a ride!



Another view of the lake.  It’s really huge.



A Red-tailed Hawk.  This was the best I could get.



We were trying to figure out what kind of tree this was …
do any of you know?
It was really interesting, and I don’t ever recall seeing one like this before.



Finally, we ran onto a bush that was beginning to show signs of the coming Spring!



A perfect ending to a very full and perfect day!

 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself,
except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him,
the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
John 15:4-5 (KJV)

Someone shared it with me not long ago.

Over the last 2 years, a little girl and a little pug have become inseparable …

Best Friends …. Abigail and Rosco!

The song is “Over the Rainbow” sung by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole.

I had some other quotes in mind, that I would have used … but it is an adorable video and worth watching!
The gentleness and love between these two is so evident.  I hope you enjoy this!  Have a wonderful weekend!

 Hugs,
            ~ Deborah <><

 

The Blacksmith’s Shop
by Max Lucado

In the shop of a blacksmith, there are three types of tools.
There are tools on the junk pile: 
outdated, broken, dull, rusty.

They sit in the cobwebbed corner, useless to their master, oblivious to their calling.

There are tools on the anvil:
melted down, molten hot, moldable, changeable.

They lie on the anvil, being shaped by their master, accepting their calling.

There are tools of usefulness:
sharpened, primed, defined, mobile.

They lie ready in the blacksmith’s tool chest, available to their master, fulfilling their calling.

Some people lie useless:
lives broken, talents wasting, fires quenched, dreams dashed.

They are tossed in with the scrap iron, in desperate need of repair, with no notion of purpose.

Others lie on the anvil:
hearts open, hungry to change, wounds healing, visions clearing.

They welcome the painful pounding of the blacksmith’s hammer,
longing to be rebuilt, begging to be called.

Others lie in their Master’s hands:
well tuned, uncompromising, polished, productive.

They respond to their Master’s forearm, demanding nothing, surrendering all.

We are all somewhere in the blacksmith’s shop.
We are either on the scrap pile, in the Master’s hands on the anvil,
or in the tool chest. (Some of us have been in all three.)

From the shelves to the workbench, from the water to the fire …
I’m sure that somewhere you will see yourself.

Paul spoke of becoming “an instrument for noble purposes.”  And what a becoming it is!
The rubbish pile of broken tools, the anvil of recasting, the hands of the Master –
it’s a simultaneously joyful and painful voyage.

And for you who make the journey—who leave the heap and enter the fire, dare to be pounded on God’s anvil,
and doggedly seek to discover your own purpose—take courage, for you await the privilege of being called
“God’s chosen instruments.”

Hope you’ve all had a blessed week so far!  We’ve got some major storms going through now … it woke me up … lots of lightening and thunder … I can never sleep during storms like this!  Are you experiencing any of this where you are?  We now know that spring is here!  On another note … remember those Pitbulls next door?  One was loose the other day when my husband went to get the mail … needless to say, he changed his mind real quick!  I’m so thankful he didn’t get mauled!  Apparently it got lose from the chain in the front yard (they now have one chained in the front and one in the back) … we went out later that night, and it wasn’t anywhere to be seen.  We were told by a couple of people that we should carry mace, just in case!  Well now, to top that off, they’ve added 3 Chihuahau’s to the mix!  It’s becoming a regular dog pound over there!  They now have a sign in their window that says, ‘Beware of The DOG’!  Pardon me, but there is more than one!  We are praying they move!  I hope you don’t think we sound ‘unneighborly-like’, but it’s getting to be a bit much!  We are told that in our immediate area, there is no ‘animal control’ to come out to check, so the thing we are going to need to do, is call the police … they should have an answer.   

On a lighter note … I do have an update on my father-in-law, O.P. … he is doing very well!  Thank you all, again, for your thoughts, and prayers!  They were going to let him go home yesterday morning, but they wanted to get him into some physical therapy to build strength back after being bedridden this week.  Now they are saying that he’ll be going home later today.  They were amazed at how well he was doing in such a short amount of time!  Praise the Lord!  We’ll be going to see them tomorrow, or Sunday after church.  I hope you all have a wonderful Friday, and a great weekend.  We have a couple of things planned, and we’re hoping the weather will be nice.  Hope the sun is shining on you all … be blessed!  

Hugs,
         ~ Deborah <><    

       
**Praise Report** Thank you ALL, so much, for praying for both O.P., and Mom Betty!  Good News!  When he got to the hospital early Monday morning, my husband was the first one there along with my sister in law, and they immediately began to pray for him before they took him in for the tests … he woke yesterday morning with virtually no pain at all!  They also removed the IV yesterday afternoon, but are keeping him on liquids for a little longer.  They’re monitering him closely, and we are hoping that he’ll be able to get back to be with Mom before the end of the week.  We are so thankful, and I am as well, for all of your thoughts and prayers!  I’ll keep you posted as the week goes on … but, right now, things are improving, and … GOD IS GOOD all of the time!  Here is a devotional, followed by lyrics to the song you hear playing, on the goodness of God … I wanted to share it with you today … be blessed … His goodness surrounds you!

 Hugs,
         ~ Deborah <><

“You are good and what you do is good” {Psalm 119:68}.

God is goodness itself.  He is not good just sometimes, but always.  He cannot be otherwise. 
God is filled with goodness and He will never run out of goodness.

Everything He made {and makes} is good. 
“God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good”  {Genesis 1:31}. 
His creation is filled with His goodness.  He made colors so we could enjoy them. 
He made flowers, mountains, sunrises, and sunsets, and a loved one’s smile because He is good. 
He gave us eyes to see His beautiful creation. 

He gave us ears to hear – the birds singing, children laughing, and choirs singing. 
“The earth is full of the goodness of God”.  {Psalm 33:5}

He has given us the ability to taste and enjoy food – fruit, vegetables, meat, bread etc. 
“The tender mercies of the Lord are over all His works”.  {Psalm 145:9}

Today, as you reflect on the goodness of God to you, think about this verse, 
“Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness,
and for his wonderful works to the children of men!” {Psalm 107:8}
Often we take God’s goodness for granted. 
Like children, we think we are entitled to all of His blessings. 

Take time today and thank Him for His goodness to you!

Father, thank You for being totally good, that there is no shadow of evil in You! 
     Your goodness is everywhere. Help us become aware of Your goodness and be amazed. Amen.

LORD LET YOUR GLORY FALL
~ Rita Springer ~
{if you’d like, just scroll down the page to start the music again}

Lord, let Your glory fall
As on that ancient day
Songs of enduring love
And then Your glory came
And as a sign to You
That we would love the same
Our hearts will sing that song
God, let Your glory come

You are good, You are good
And Your love endures
You are good, You are good
And Your love endures
Today

Voices in unison
Giving You thanks and praise
Joined by the instruments
And then Your glory came
Your presence like a cloud
Upon that ancient day
The priests were overwhelmed
Because Your glory came

You are good, You are good
And Your love endures
You are good, You are good
And Your love endures
Today

O You are good, You are good
and Your love endures
You are good, You are good
and Your love endures
You are good, You are good
and Your love endures
Today

A sacrifice was made
and then Your fire came
they knelt upon the ground
and with one voice they praised

O You are good, You are good
and Your love endures
You are good, You are good
and Your love endures
You are good, You are good
and Your love endures
Today

I believe
that You are good, You are good
and Your love endures
You are good, You are good
and Your love endures
You are good, You are good
and Your love endures
Today

I believe
You are good, You are good
and Your love endures
You are good, You are good
and Your love endures
You are good, You are good
and Your love endures
Today …

I have an urgent prayer request … my dear father-in-law, O.P., woke up yesterday morning in a lot of pain in the area of his lower back, and hip.  They thought he might have fallen and broken his hip, because he was in so much pain  They rushed him to the hospital. and once there, they ran tests, and found out that he is suffering from ‘pancreatitis’.  I don’t know too much about what that is, but we were told in his case, it is life threatening.  They are keeping him at least a week for treatment, and to keep a close eye on him.  Also pray for Mom Betty … she is alone in their apartment at the retirement home, and is missing Dad alot.  I know God will bring her comfort.  Your prayers are very appreciated!  Thank you all so much!  I’ll keep you posted as we learn more.  I’ll be around to visit and catch up with you more, soon … I hope you all have a wonderful Tuesday.  Bless you all!  

Hugs,
~ Deborah <>< 

Mom Betty and O.P.

It is a glorious thing to get to know God in a new way in the inner chamber.
It is something still greater and more glorious to know God as the all-sufficient One
and to wait on His Spirit to open our hearts and minds wide to receive the great things,
the new things which He really longs to bestow on those who wait for Him.

~ Andrew Murray ~