Beautiful Ending

Sometimes, I meet someone, journeying close to the end of their life who has seen a lot of sadness and hardship...but all they can do is praise the Lord for His goodness, mercy, and love in their lives.   Someone made a great impression on me yesterday, I hope to follow her example as life continues on. Her life has a "beautiful ending" because of her trust and faith in Jesus, the "Author and Finisher" of our faith.

I love this song, but I had never seen the video until today. Remember how much our Heavenly Father loves us and does not want us to be lost and wandering alone... 

Luke 15:3-7

So he told them this parable: 4 d“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, eif he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine fin the open country, and ggo after the one that is lost, until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, hhe lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for iI have found my sheep that was lost.’ 7 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who jrepents than over ninety-nine krighteous persons who need no repentance.

I don't feel like I have reached the point where I could understand and say this verse and mean it with everything I have and am, but I hope that someday I will...

Phillipians 3:7-11

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ ⁹and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— ¹⁰ that I may know him andthe power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Let's Have Some Fun-Guys!

When I'm stressed, I walk Pepsi.  Today I walked twice.

But even when we're stressed, we have to have a little fun, be creative, be interested in the world outside our box, right?

Really I walked twice because the first time around I noticed something strange...

Our neighborhood is being slowly taken over.  By what, I'm not sure...

 Disclaimer: I really literally have no idea what any of the following are.  The only mushrooms I touch are the ones from Wal-Mart. If anybody wants to fill me in/tell me I should even be breathing around any of these...feel free.

I thought this little guy was just cute.  Like a little tennis ball on a stick....

These were interesting and pretty innocuous looking.  I guess they are your typical clean-up crew of the wild.  The tree dies, something has to eat it.  

These guys looked like sight seers looking over the rim of the Grand Canyon.  Watch out!  Don't fall off!

Are the not the most adorable ever?

But then there was this: DUH, Duh, duh!!!

In my mind, these are named the "blood 'shrooms"  They look nasty like festering scabs.  There were gnats all around them too.  

They seem to start like this, looking kind of like bread dough rising.  Look how they even engulf the grass they are growing around.

I guess some scavengers start their attack before their prey is even dead.

The last two are not actually from today's stress relieving, photographic endeavor.  They were taken a couple of weeks ago, but they're too good to leave out.

Its amazing what you see when you just open your eyes, slow down, and walk.

End of the Day

Sometimes...
at the end of the day...
 its best to just find your favorite person's shoes and sleep there....

I love her!

Truth

MISSIONS CONFERENCE

This week our church has hosted several missionaries.  Sunday night we had a wonderful dinner full of flavors from all over the world and tonight we heard from two men who love our Lord and really love people.  It is so encouraging to hear when people are showing their love, really putting it into action, and seeing people's lives change because of Jesus life, death, and resurrection.  

"In Him was life, and the life was the light of men." John 1:4

& 

"Whoever calls on the name of the Lord, will be saved." Romans 10:13

chili

First chili of fall...

In an effort to be a little more healthy I have not cooked any ground beef in a month.  But to day I broke down.  The cool breeze and gradually changing leaves told me I had to make some chili just like my mom taught me.  

McCormick's seasoning

 diced tomatoes

 beans

 and ground beef

...a taste of fall

Power

Allen and I spent part of our Sunday afternoon exploring the train tracks off of Garrison Chapel Road 7 miles west of our house.   A coal train jumped the tracks a couple of weeks ago and a chaos of twisted metal remains.  Only the engineer was onboard and he was not hurt...so we did not feel bad admiring the power that must have been present to rip the metal to shreds.  

A press release says it will cost $2.5 million for clean-up... 

Crumbs?

I heard this song for the first time on the radio today and loved it.  Its so easy, but so many, including myself at times, miss it.  

"If you're lost and need to be found...

all you gotta do is turn around."

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  

Matt 11:28-30

This is another of my favorites.  

"All these victims stand in line for,

crumbs that fall from the table just enough to get by,

all the while your invitation.

Wake on up from your slumber, baby open up your eyes.

Wake on up from your slumber, baby open up your eyes"

So often I settle for the crumbs because I don't think about what's possible. I'm comfortable so why try for more?  

"Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." 

I Corinthians 15:58