Beautiful

Monday, July 27, 2009

New Grandchild

I have a new grandchild. A little girl. We are so happy. She is a little miracle. Serena is our second grandchild. I am so happy that my daughter and her husband are good parents. They love their children and take good care of them. My grandson is almost two. He was dedicated to the Lord and that makes me very happy.
Children are so important. They are gifts from God. We need to treat them as the special gifts that they are.
There are a lot of parents that are just barely hanging on. They are struggling either physically, financially, or spiritually. Some are struggling in all these areas.
My hat goes off to them. They keep on keeping on.
May God bless all the parents out there.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Book Review of "Just Like Jesus" by Max Lucado






In the book by Max Lucado, "Just Like Jesus", the first chapter talks about the idea of having the heart of Jesus in us. He has a special way of explaining this. The Bible tells us we are to be like Christ and to have His mind. He wants us to have a heart like Jesus. The author explained this in such a way that it helped me see this concept in a whole new way. He asks the question, "What if for 24 hours Jesus wakes up in your bed, walks in your shoes, lives in your house, assumes your schedule?" Your boss becomes his boss, your mother becomes his mother, your pains become his pains? With one exception, nothing in your life changes. Your health doesn't change. Your circumstances don't change. Your schedule isn't altered. Your problems aren't solved. Only one thing occurs.





What if for one day and one night, Jesus lives in your life with his heart? Your heart gets the day off, and your life is led by the heart of Christ. What would be different in your life? What would others see?



This just opened my eyes and helped me understand what it is like to be like Jesus. Max Lucado takes concepts that are hard to understand and puts them in stories that helps explain them so you can get a handle on it.




What is the heart of Jesus like? The author writes about Jesus' heart and what it is like. If we walk about in our daily lives with the heart of Jesus in us , our lives would be changed.



The main idea of the book is that God loves us just like we are; but he loves us too much to leave us that way.

In the second chapter he tells us we need to have listening ears to hear the music of God's word. Jesus spent a lot of time listening to His Father and we should spend time listening to Jesus.


At the end of the book is a study guide with questions for each chapter in the book.


There are a total of 214 pages in the book. The book is well written. It is an easy book to read with a lot of Bible truth in it. It is written in a descriptive manner that keeps things interesting and easy to understand.


Max Lucado lives in San Antonio, Texas with his wife. He has three grown children. He serves at the Oak Hill Church. Mr. Lucado has won the Christian Book of the Year Award three times.



































Monday, July 20, 2009

God Uses Broken People


Sometimes we try so hard and keep falling. I know I do. I wonder why God cares about me. I just keep making messes.

God can use the broken things in our lives. I don't know how He does it. Some situations seem like they will never get better. But if we pray over it and ask God to take care of it, He will. It won't be in our time but in His time. It may not be exactly the way we want it but it will be the best way.

I fret and worry about things but I don't have to. I keep trying to remember to trust and have hope. He uses people who are not perfect; people with problems. He uses people who don't have it altogether.

I need to remember that people are not perfect. They say and do things that cause pain. But so do I. Most of the time I don't realize that I hurt someone. I have a feeling they are the same.

Every day is a new day. We can start all over again. We can have hope and joy in our hearts. That is what God wants for us.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

What are our Attitudes?



Are our attitudes interfering with our interaction with others? If we want to please God and help others to see that Jesus is real, we have to be careful with our attitudes. It can be so hard sometimes whether you are at home or on the job. Or even if we are in the checkout line at the grocery store. (The checkout line is the hardest for me!) Below are three things to think about.


  1. The power of giving. An undeserved or unexpected act of kindness or a gift can touch someone's heart. Have a giving mindset.

  2. Watch your words. We are not always aware of how we speak to others. Words are powerful.

  3. Let your Love show. Show your love to others. Sometimes we think they know we love them and care about them. Put actions to your love so people can see it and feel it.
These are just a few things to think about.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Sonia Sotomayor's Views

What are Sonia Sotomayor's views on issues? Especially those on gun control and abortion? It seems as though she is being very quiet on those issues. My take is that she is on the left side of the center.

Whenever she is asked questions on gun control and abortion she finds ways to skirt the issue. Actually, most politicians do. It is hard to get questions answered that are controversial. It seems that as citizens we have no say in who gets elected to these public posts.

But we know who has the most power. We know who is in control of our lives. It is not those involved in government. Although they seem to think so. God is still on the throne and still in charge.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Times are Tough

I went to the store this evening and there was a man on the median holding up a sign that said "need work". He looked strong and like he was used to working. He seemed so sad. I went in the store and purchased a few small items that were on sale.

As I came out, a couple was sitting on a bench and asked for some change. I have seen them there before and knew they wanted money for beer.

This just hit me. I don't remember people in this area before asking for money or holding signs that said "need work". It is only recently that I have seen this.
I hear the talk on the news about lay offs. I hear about people loosing their homes. My husband and I are not rich or even close to it. We have a small mobile home in a quiet area that needs some work but it is finally paid for. We have a 1996 truck that runs good. We have food to put on the table. God is good to us. We don't deserve it but He just loves us.

All the bad news seems so far away from us. But this evening it does not seem so far away. I don't think I will forget the look in the man's eyes as I drove past him. I was not in a place where I could help him.

My husband and I have had some difficulties lately. We have been tested. It all seemed so hard. But it is nothing to what others are going through. My heart goes out to them.

Recipes for a Happy Home

HAPPY MARRIAGE RECIPE

3 Cups of Love

2 Cups of Warmth

1 Cup of Forgiveness

1 Cup of Friends

4 spoons of Hope

2 spoons of Tenderness

1 pint of Faith

1 barrell of Laughter



Combine love and warmth. Mix thoroughly with tenderness. Add forgiveness. Blend with friends and hope. Sprinkle all with tenderness. Stir in faith and laughter. Bake in warm sunshine. Serve daily in generous helpings.

by Patricia Shook



MOTHER'S LIFETIME RECIPE

2 heaping cups of Patience

1 heartful of Love

2 handfuls of Generosity

Dash of Laughter

1 heartful of Understanding



Sprinkle generously with kindness. Add plenty of faith and mix well. Spread over a period of a lifetime and serve to everybody you meet.

by Patricia Shook

Friday, July 10, 2009

Do You Know Your Hymns?

Do you know your (specific) hymn(s)? When you go to Church this weekend be sure to smile as you go through your Hymnals!
Dentist's Hymn...............................Crown Him with Many Crowns
Weatherman's Hymn......................There Shall Be Showers of Blessings

Contractor's Hymn.........................The Church's One Foundation
The Tailor's Hymn...........................Holy, Holy, Holy
The Golfer's Hymn.........................There's a Green Hill Far Away
The Politician's Hymn....................Standing on the Promises
Optometrist's Hymn......................Open My Eyes That I Might See
The IRS Agent's Hymn....................I Surrender All
The Gossip's Hymn..........................Pass It On
The Electrician's Hymn...................Send The Light
The Shopper's Hymn........................Sweet Bye and Bye
The Realtor's Hymn...............I've Got a Mansion Just over the Hilltop
The Massage Therapists Hymn.......He Touched Me
The Doctor's Hymn...........................The Great Physician
AND for those who speed on the highway - a few hymns:
45mph...................God Will Take Care of You
65mph.................... Nearer My God To Thee
85mph...................This World Is Not My Home
95mph.....................Lord, I'm Coming Home
100mph..................Precious Memories

Give me a sense of humor, Lord, Give me the grace to see a joke, To get some humor out of life, And pass it on to other folks

Have a great weekend!



Thursday, July 9, 2009

How to Change Your Life Now

I wrote an article and pubished it at ezinearticles.com. It is about taking back control of your life. The article is below.





Change Your Life Now
By: Karen D. Dobson


Have you looked around and thought, "My life is out of control?" If so, maybe it is time to take inventory. Take some time to think about your life. Are there things in your life that you would rather not be there? Are they displeasing to God? Are there things you can change to make it better?



Are there things that have crept in without you realizing it? We can get so busy trying to do all the things we need to do each day that we forget what our lives are supposed to be about. Maybe it is time to simplify your life. Change your life now by getting rid of some things that don't need to be there.



Get a pen and a notebook out and get comfortable. Ask yourself some hard questions.








  1. What is in my life that should not be there? Maybe it is harsh words. Maybe it is an ungrateful heart. Unforgiveness can create a lot of feelings and attitudes that are not healthy. Make sure you deal with unforgiveness. Sometimes our lives are filled with too many activities and we don't have time to stop and think or prepare like we should.




  2. What would I like to add to my life?




  3. What would be helpful for me and my family?




  4. What would bring peace and laughter back?



Write your answers down and review them. Sometimes what we need to change is not really bad things but just not the best things.



Take time to think through what is important in your life. Write down what you feel God is impressing on your heart. Write these things down. Change your life daily by reading over these things each day.



Ponder on the ways God is blessing you. Think of the things you are doing right. Put it on paper so you can see it in black and white.



Sometimes there are things in our lives that we cannot change. We just have to accept them. These things stretch us and make us stronger.



Transform your busy life today into a more enjoyable and productive life.



K.D. Dobson is an observer of family life and maintains a blog at


Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Improve Your Relationships With Your Words


I published an article on Searchwarp about watching your words and thinking about what you say each day. The article is below.

Are you having problems with your relationships? Are you having problems with your spouse? What about your children? Maybe you are having problems with a coworker. We all have relationships and we all have ups and downs. If you would like to improve your relationships think about the words you say and how you say them.

My husband and I were talking the other day and without even realizing it I had snapped at him twice. This is a habit I had fallen into. I did not even realize it until that day. My husband asked me a question today and I did not snap but I did answer in a condescending way. I could tell I hurt him. I decided I needed to change the way I speak to my husband and others. Below are some things to think about. If you implement them and if I implement them they will change our relationships for the better.

Listen to the words you say during the day. Make a mental note of all the times you speak in a loud voice, a whining voice, a sharp voice or in a hurtful voice.

Decide to work at changing how you talk to others.

Before you speak, make a conscious effort to think about what you are going to say.

Think about how much this person may be hurt by what you say.

Think of a way to say something in such a way as to help the other person.

Remind yourself of how much this person means to you.

If you forget and say something you shouldn’t, forgive yourself and apologize to the other person.

Keep trying until this becomes a habit.

This is a simple way to improve any relationship. And it can be so rewarding. I intend to work on this and I hope you do to.

Karen Dobson





Friday, July 3, 2009

Remember Our Milititary on The Fourth of July

During our celebrations this Fourth of July lets take time to remember the military. They are off in other countries missing their families. Their families are here missing them. Many, many of our military personnel are in danger. I think most of them are.

Let's take time to remember them this holiday. Let's stop and say a prayer for them. They are risking their lives for us. Their families are living day to day here at home just waiting for them to come home. They are having it tough right now.

Many families have already lost a loved one. This holiday will be hard for them too. My hat goes off to all of them!

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, Billy Mays and Other Celebs


My husband and I were talking and I told him that I thought the death of Michael Jackson had overshadowed that of Farrah Fawcett. He said that's true. But what about all the other people that died at the same time they did. They were being overshadowed and forgotten too.
Billy Mays, Ed McMahon died too in these past few days. It seems overwhelming to me. There is nothing wrong with honoring these people but I can't help thinking that our priorities are off.
I am wondering about all the good hard working people that loved their family and their country. They worked hard, cared about their neighbors, and helped others in need. What about those people? What about the men and women in the military that have given their lives for us to be free? What about the policemen who have died in the line of duty to protect us? The list goes on and on.
These are things I ponder over and wonder about.