My First Miscellany Monday

I decided today I would join in on some "Miscellany Monday" fun... 

So, here goes!

-----------ll-----------ll-------------ll-------------ll-----------ll----------

# 1.

"Therefore love joy and peace."

Confused?  Well, I was at first. 

Quite a few weeks ago, I came across this Bible verse in Romans and could not make sense of it!  For some reason the wires in my brain must have short-circuited because this sentence just wasn't clicking.  I thought, "Where is the verb here?  This is an incomplete sentence!" 

After re-reading it a couple several times and applying some second grade grammar, I finally found it. :)

      Okay, maybe that is a bit of an exaggeration... but it sure was fun! ;)       

        

# 2.

100+ lb. Mama's boy. 

...Enough said. :)

# 3.

Picture of an Orange Car. 

A friend of ours owns this really neat Porsche:

I took a picture of it awhile back, and figured now would be a good time to share! ;)

# 4.

Coke vs. Dr. Pepper

While my family doesn't drink sodas anymore, I still find myself missing the days when I 'd have a yummy Dr. Pepper (along with a king size package of Reeses)... Mmm.  The rest of my family typically preferred drinking a good ole' Coca-Cola. 

Do you drink sodas?  If so,

which do you prefer?

# 5.

I love roller coasters.

From the twisty-twirlies to the loop-the-loops,

the calm, relaxing to the giant thrillers... I love them all!

Okay, maybe there are a few exceptions. :)

(Personal footage below *wink*) 

# 6.

I dislike snakes with a passion.

But they're tolerable when they look like this. :)

# 7.

Random Bible verse...

I just prayed for a verse to share with you all and randomly opened my Bible to Isaiah chapter 12.  Since it's fairly short, I'll just type the entire passage!

In that day you will say: 

"I will praise you, O LORD.

Although you were angry with me,

your anger has turned away

and you have comforted me.

Surely God is my salvation;

I will trust and not be afraid.

The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song;

he has become my salvation."

In that day you will say:

"Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name;

make known among the nations what he has done,

and proclaim that his name is exalted.

Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things;

let this be known to all the world.

Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion,

for great is the Holy One of Israel among you." 

----------ll-----------ll----------ll----------ll------------ll----------

Well, that's a wrap!

I pray you all have a very blessed week. :)

You Were Bought at a Price

The other day I remembered something my Dad preached about, years ago at our old church during the Lord's supper.  He spoke on the topic that our salvation wasn't free--we were bought at a price. I thought this would serve as a great reminder to us all. :) 

It's amazing to think that our salvation didn't come cheaply.  At any moment God could have chosen to "lower the price" instead of sending Jesus to die on the cross for our sins...

(Marking us down to 50% off, or buy 1 get 2 free, etc........ ;) 

But He didn't!  Each and every individual Christian was bought at the same price.  And a very expensive price that was! 

That price was the blood of Jesus Christ.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.  1 Peter 1:18-20

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

How differently things would have turned out had the Lord decided that the blood of his Son was too high a price to pay...  Nothing would be the same.

 

You are not your own;

you were bought at a price.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Praise the Lord all the earth! :)

*Jumping for Joy* -- Aspire Photo Challenge

When I saw that this week's theme for  

Hannah's photo challenge was

*Joy*

I couldn't resist entering this picture!

To me, this photo describes Sister #1 perfectly.

Fun,

Energetic,

Outgoing . . .

And always

jumping

for

joy!

Be joyful always...

1 Thessalonians 5:16

and have a blessed weekend, everyone! :)

I'm 6,484 Days Old (Yes, You Read That Right!)

I was thinking the other day about what I should post next on my blog.  I always want to write thought-provoking, encouraging, spiritual things that will benefit those who are reading, yet have fun and make it interesting too. =)  SoOoOo...  as I began thinking and praying about it several verses came to mind that had to do with the concept of "numbering our days".  I felt like I should write a post around those verses with the thought that each and every day is precious and should not be wasted.  Then the Lord gave me the idea to actually calculate how many days have gone by since the day I was born. 

----------------------------
Thus this post begins...
----------------------------

Man's days are determined;

you have decreed the number of his months

and have set limits he cannot exceed.

Job 14:5

Isn't it comforting to know that our days were ordained for us before one of them came to be? (Psalm 139)  The thought that God has pre-determined each and every day we will live out on this earth is mind-blowing for sure!  Nothing can keep us from reaching the very last day He has determined for us.  Nothing will allow us to live a day beyond that date.  Basically, because we serve an infallible God, in a sense our days are infallible!  

Show me, O LORD, my life's end

and the number of my days;

let me know how fleeting is my life.

Psalm 39:4

After reading that verse I can't help but wonder: What kind of situation would prompt such a request?  It sounds to me like David was in need of divine inspiration.  Reading through the entire chapter it becomes obvious that he was a bit unsettled.  Crying out to God, he asked to be shown the number of his days.  Now, I think that if I knew the exact number of my days, I might be motivated to live life a bit differently--with a new perspective and carefully making the most of every opportunity with what I had left!  I have a feeling David needed that kind of inspiration.  Many times, not until someone is given some kind of terminal diagnosis do they realize how fleeting life really is.  It'll make you think twice about things you would have completely overlooked in the past.  Why is that? 

It's so easy to go through a day without taking the time to thank, praise, and worship God for who He is.  With the many distractions this world holds, it's unfortunately become quite easy to forget about Him entirely.  Sadly, we have to make an effort to keep our minds stayed upon Him because that's not something that comes naturally to us.  If we truly realized how significant and holy He is, I don't think we'd have time for anything else!  Think about it.  The only reason you woke up today is because He wanted it to happen.  The only reason you are breathing your next breath is because He's making it happen.  He is 100% responsible for sustaining us through every moment.  Without Him, let's face it, we wouldn't be here right now. 

How great is God—beyond our understanding!

The number of his years is past finding out.

Job 36:26

On the opposite end of the spectrum, God's days are without number.  He is the beginning and the end, eternally existent.  That's not a God we should be able to forget. 

Does a maiden forget her jewelry,

a bride her wedding ornaments?

Yet my people have forgotten me,

days without number. 

Jeremiah 2:32

We don't want to be a people remembered for forgetting God. 

So... let's make every day count!

 

Today I am



days old.

It's a brand new day the Lord has made.

I'm rejoicing right now...

and I'm glad in it! :)

Teach us to number our days aright,

that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

{Psalm 90:12}

For Fun...

I decided to join the blog party being hosted by Shannon at Below the Plateau!  It includes several Etsy-sponsored giveaways, and also involves creating your own party post and answering some fun tag questions.  So...  Let's get started!

•  Ring! Ring! You receive a phone call from a national sweepstakes organization saying that you have won a life-time supply of your favorite beverage!! What would that drink be?

A caramel one to be exact.

Okay, so maybe this isn't technically considered a "drink"

...but it would be my pick anyway! ;)
.
.

• If you could live in a Jane Austen novel, which book would you pick?  What character would you be?

From Pride & Prejudice

Honestly, this is the only Jane Austen book I've ever read!
.
.

• What is your theme song, that favorite song that absolutely matches you?

• You are trapped on a deserted island. Your only supplies are the clothes you have on, and a box with five things in it. What are those five things?

#1  My Bible

#2 Matches

#3 Knife

#4 Pillow

#5 Blanket

.

• Chocolate or Caramel?

Chocolate for sure. =)
.
.

• Vacation! If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?

I think that would be Israel... or Rome... or Hawaii.  Yeah.  Definitely Africa. :D  I'm so indecisive!  I really would like to visit Israel though. 
.
.

• If forced to do one of the two, which would you do: sky diving or scuba diving? Why?

I think I would rather sky dive because I've always been kinda leery about ocean water.  I'd rather jump out of the sky at 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 feet. lol!
.
.

• Favorite TV show, and why?

Duggars: 19 Kids and Counting

It's encouraging to me because the Duggars share a lot of our same beliefs... and it's fun to see how their large family interacts and functions on a day-to-day basis! 
.
.

• Are you a coffee and donuts sorta lady, or a tea and scones type of gal?

In the past I think I would have leaned more towards tea and scones... but I sure LOVE doughnuts and I've recently started drinking coffee (after being dead-set against it for so long!)  I have to say, I'm starting to really like love it. :)   So... does "all of the above" count?
..
.

• The time machine has finally been created, and you are the first to be able to use it! What era would you travel too?

Sometime during the 1800's - early 1900's.  Don't ask me why.  For some reason I'm really fascinated by the thought that it really wasn't toooo long ago, yet things were so different!  I like to think about the fact that those were the times my grandparents, great-grandparents, and great-great-grandparents lived as well. :)
.
.

• What is the last movie you watched?

A few minutes of Pearl Harbor on television.
.
.

• Ding-dong!!! Your favorite actor/singer/celebrity is at your front door! Who would it be?

This is the best I could come up with.  For some reason my mind is drawing a blank!

.

.

• What was your absolute favorite toy as a baby?

His name was Puppy.  (So original, right?)  Naturally, he was a puppy... but with a puppet mouth.
.
.

• What types of blogs do you like best? (examples: DIY, cooking, journal, ect.)

I love blogs written by people who are 100% sold out to and in love with Jesus Christ.  They can be of any type and as long as it's obvious that Jesus is the center of their life, I love them! :)

• What is your favorite Bible verse, your "life verse?"

"Come near to God and he will come near to you."  James 4:8 

Alright, that was a lot of fun!  I'm glad I was finally able to get this posted.  (I've been working on it a little "here and there" for the last few days.)  I pray you have a very blessed week, everyone! :)

::Update on Dad::

A week ago Dad started having some symptoms that told us another lesion was growing.  We first noticed he was having trouble staying upright when walking.  For some reason he would naturally lean to the right and fall over if we didn't steady him.  It gradually grew worse and by last Thursday (a week ago) he was flat on his back in bed, unable to walk on his own.  Of course, Mom called his MS doctor that morning.  The doctor never ordered an MRI but he did order 5-day steroid infusions to be administered by a home health company as soon as possible.  That night Dad started vomiting each time he sat up or walked to the bathroom.  We also discovered that his double-vision had come back too. When Mom talked to an on-call physician they said it sounded like the lesion was growing at the bottom of the brain stem because a lesion in that location would cause all three of his current symptoms.  Needless to say, it wasn't until last Saturday that Dad got his first dose of steroids, making today his fifth and final day of treatment.   And thankfully, he is doing way better; he's able to walk on his own with only slight trouble, and the nausea and double vision are gone!  Thank you, Lord!! 

Each time that Dad has had a new lesion grow it's only progressed in severity.  This is the first time a lesion did not cause worse or more severe symptoms than the one before it!  In all actuality, this go-around wasn't anywhere near as hard as it has been in the past.  We're most definitely praising God for that victory. 

As far as overall treatment goes, Dad is supposed to start an MS drug sometime in the near future.  Right now we're in the process of getting things approved, etc.  We've prayed and prayed about it, and we continue to trust all things to the Lord.  He's the one responsible for opening doors that need to be opened and shutting those that need to be shut... So we're confident that if it's His will for Dad to take this drug then He'll make sure it happens!  If not, we know He'll prevent it.  Either way, God knows what's best and it's all in His hands.

Anyway, I thought I would type this update so everyone would know what's been going on.  Thank you to all of you who are praying.  As always, your prayers are greatly appreciated by our family. Have a wonderful Wednesday!

PRAISE THE LORD ALL THE EARTH. :)

New Blog Look... & Giveaways!

Yes, I finally did it.  After going so long with the same blog design I decided it was time for some change around here!  I'm still in the midst of tweaking a few things, but I think I've got the basic overall look.  Feel free to let me know what you think! ;)

(I think I'm going to miss her! lol)

As for the giveaways . . .

Lindsay is hosting a very special giveaway including some great fall lovelies! 

Eden is also having her own giveaway in celebration of her 1-year blogging anniversary!

Be sure to head on over and check both of these out!  You won't want to miss all the fun. ;)  Have a blessed evening!!

Wanna Learn More About Me?

 --------------------------------

Well, this post is going to be filled with plenty of fun facts (i.e., I'm getting pretty good at going at least a week without posting--sorry about that!), my favorite things, and even a glimpse at what my handwriting looks like!  I hope you ENJOY . . . ♥

 ---------------------------------

First off, Abigail tagged me with this quick little questionnaire!  Thanks Abby! ;)

Country or city? Country for sure. :)

What is your favorite color?  P u r p l e 

How many states have you been to? Five

What is your favorite Bible verse? James 4:8 "Come near to God and he will come near to you."

What is your favorite song? That's a tough question! There's just too many to choose from. :)

Would you rather be inside or outside your house? Hahahahahaha...... everyone that knows me knows my answer..... That would be: inside my house.  Final answer. =)

Do you like pens or pencils? Pencils

What is your favorite memory? I have so many, but one that randomly comes to mind is playing with my sisters in our old backyard before any of us were teenagers. We lived in the city then, and had the PERFECT climbing tree and a wooden (log cabin) playhouse. We would oftentimes pretend the tree was a spaceship and we all had our special "spots" where we climbed up on to sit at our individual stations. We would also set up the playhouse to be a number of things such as a doctors office, McDonalds (lol), and even a mechanics auto shop with our own bays and an indoor "office" to boot! (Our Dad has always been an automotive mechanic and we loved visiting him at work and seeing what the environment was like at his job. :) Oh, and did I mention we used our bicycles as the "cars" that needed to be worked on?? That reminds me how every now and then we would even pretend the bikes were our horses. We would set up race tracks around the yard and even a few small ramps for our horses to "jump". ;)

Okay, that was one big memory. :D Now I'll pass this tag along to anyone who sees it and wants to give it a try!

Next, I've decided to do this "Handwriting" tag I saw going around for awhile. Here are the rules:

Write down the following, snap a picture (or scan the document), post it, and tag others.

#1 Name/Blog Name
#2 Right handed, left handed or both
#3 Favorite letters to write
#4 Least favorite letters to write

#5 Write: The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

#6 Write in caps: CRAB HUMOR KALEIDOSCOPE PAJAMAS GAZILLION

#7 Favorite song lyrics

#8 Who you'd like to tag 
#9 Any special note or drawing

And here is the finished product... *drum roll*



*Don't mind the drawing that's slightly showing through
this sheet of paper.  That's just what happens when you
leave it lying on the desk without supervision BEFORE the
photo is taken.  I guess it's also Sister #3's technique of
sneaking her way into a blog post! lol  Tee Hee.... Well, it
worked! ;) (The funny part is that I didn't even notice it
until I was previewing this post. :D)

 Well, that concludes this "fun" post.  I really do hope you enjoyed reading.  :)  "Have a wonderful day!"