Spring Break

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This is just a small sampling of the pictures we took on our little vacation to Driftwood Shores in Florence, Oregon. We had such a great time together. This is one of our last real family Spring Break trips, since Bugg will be heading off to college. So it was bittersweet. Extra special times. :~)

Here is the real story :~)

The hubs and I don't lack for vehicles at our home. We have 4 rigs, two boats, a trailer, 3 bicycles and I am sure a few other things that could mobilize us. All of the rigs are paid for and so when considering getting something newer than 11 years old comes to the conversation, we slightly balk. You see, neither of us want to go back to payments. We have thankfully made it to the only "bill" being the house payment, besides utilities. So, Hubs truck is old! Like a 1991, before we were married year, right? It has a temperament and often decides to do what it feels it wants to do, not always what we think it should do, right. So he has been eyeing this rig down at the lot by our house, we are officially on vacation with the girls for Spring Break and we aren't going out of town yet...so let's look at this pickup. OK, that sounds reasonable. He gets this nice young kid to go with him for a test drive, on the way out he says to Peanut and I, "take a look around and see if there is anything you like!" Was he intentional? I am not sure, but Peanut and I went cruising about the lot. We found this one rig that was listed for less than $13,000 and it was a 2004, TAHOE! Had power everything and a built in DVD player. Must be a mistake. He comes back and he really, really likes the truck. I tell him that is great, get the truck. While you were out, we looked at this......

Peanut is with us as Hubs does all the negotiating. She is a quick learner and quite bright, if I might add. So she is going right along with her Dad on this one. They are wheeling and dealing and guess what? Long story short...we brought this one home and haven't got the pick up yet. But maybe before too long. Nice day out with the family for me :~).

Lynsey turns 18 :~)

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Just when I think that life may slow down, my little girl turns 18! Crazy!

When God Seems Silent | Kyria

When God Seems Silent | Kyria

Laugh it UP!

March 8, 2011
Laugh it up!
Mary Southerland

Today’s Truth
“I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10, NKJV).

Friend to Friend
Jesus lived and died so that we can experience abundant life. Jesus did not come so that we can merely survive life. Pagans can survive life. God’s plan is for us to experience joy and peace – no matter what life holds.

John 10:10 clearly states the promise of God, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” In this verse, “abundant” literally means “going beyond; full or exuberant.” In other words, an abundant life is a life filled with joy. Even in the midst of a joy-less world, we can live a joy-filled life for one simple reason – God is in control. And because He is in control, we are promised, “the cheerful heart has a continual feast” (Proverbs 15:15 NIV). Life should be an ongoing celebration.

Now, be honest for a moment. Is your life a continual feast, a daily celebration? Would those who know you best describe you as a woman of joy? Laughter and joy are treasures from God, valuable to us for many reasons.

1. Joy heals. Proverbs 17:22 “A happy heart is like good medicine, but a broken spirit drains your strength.”

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In other words, God created us to illustrate the truth, that if we laugh more days, we will have more days to laugh. Joy heals.

2. Joy makes us strong. Nehemiah 8:10 “The joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Joy – humor – laughter – all cultivate inner strength that operates beyond our own human abilities. The joy of the Lord in us will produce His strength through us. A life without joy is like a car without shock absorbers. It will be jolted by every bump in the road. Laughter and joy are the shock-absorbers of life and can radically change our perspective of life and the tough times it holds.

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C. Joy makes the ordinary special.

Someone said, “If you have to move ten inches from where you are now to be happy, then you will never be truly happy.” As we learn to celebrate the ordinary things in life, we build a life of joy because it is against the backdrop of the ordinary that God’s work becomes extraordinary. We don’t have trouble celebrating the big events in life. Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries – are celebrations we anticipate and execute with great planning and forethought. We tend to place unrealistic expectations on these celebrations because there is no daily celebration of life.

So celebrate, my friends! Celebrate Tuesdays, half birthdays, haircuts, new jeans and report cards. Celebrate the day braces go on – and especially the day they come off. Celebrate if Dad comes home early. Hey, just celebrate if Dad comes home. ...

I want it all. I want everything God has for me. I want to celebrate life, but I often get so wrapped up in the urgent things that I lose sight of the important things. A celebratory attitude is slowly siphoned from our souls by the countless “joy robbers” the enemy sends our way. Guard your heart and mind. Refuse to surrender your God-given joy to anyone or anything. Join me this week as we celebrate Jesus. Party on, girlfriends!

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Thank you, Honey

In honor of my husband, who for the last two weeks has held me up and kept me going when I wanted to curl up and give up. I hope that I am an example of this devotional. I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to say how grateful I am that he has been there for me. Thank you, Honey. I am honored to be your Wife.

Words Can Captivate Your Man

Sharon Jaynes

(In honor of Valentine's Day, Sharon's February devotions will focus on marriage.)

Today's Truth
"A good wife is hard to find, and worth far more than diamonds" (Proverbs 31:10, The Message).

Friend To Friend
Today, I want you to use your imagination. I want you to imagine your husband sitting at his desk or at a quiet place at work. Imagine him lost in thought about how blessed he is to have you as his wife. He holds your framed picture in his hand and moisture begins to pool in his eyes. He is captivated.

All the riches in the world are not to be compared with the jewel I have in this woman, he muses. What did I ever do to deserve her? God has given me such a gift. All our married life, she has done nothing but love me, bring out the best in me, and look out for my best interest. All the guys at the office are envious of our relationship. I see the way their eyes soften when she comes by just to tell me hello, grabs my hand when we're at office functions, or pecks me on the cheek for no apparent reason. I notice that her loving words to me are in stark contrast to some of the cutting remarks of other wives...and so do my friends. I look around at the accomplishments of my life, but having this woman as my wife is my greatest. Oh sure, there are many women out there in the world who are accomplishing great feats, but my wife...well, she surpasses them all.

What a picture! That's the woman I want to be, don't you? And amazingly my words can be the determining factor as to whether this scenario is possible or not. Did you know that there are words your husband longs to hear? Did you know that there are words we should never say? Let me give you a few from my book, The Power of a Woman's Words.

Words to Never Say to Your Husband

1. I told you so.

2. You just don't think.

3. It's your fault.

4. What's wrong with you?

5. I can't do anything to please you.

6. All you care about is yourself.

7. You never listen to me.

8. I don't know why I put up with you.

9. What do you want now?

10. How many times do I have to tell you?

Words Your Husband Longs to Hear

1. I've been thinking about you all day.
2. What can I do for you today?
3. How can I pray for you today?
4. The best part of my day is when you come home.
5. You are one of God's most precious gifts to me.
6. You are so wonderful.
7. You look so handsome today.
8. I don't feel complete without you.
9. I will always love you.
10. I trust your decisions.

Today, be aware of the words you say to your husband. Do they build him up or tear him down? Do they make him glad he came home, or wish he hadn't?

Sitting at His feet

I often wonder...what are You teaching me, Lord? In all of this, what is my lesson?

As I have struggled the last two weeks with injury and illness, I have tried to see what my lesson might be. I long to have plans, structure, to know what is on the schedule and be ready to take it all in stride.....as long as it goes according to plan. Well, the injury was not a planned thing, really neither was the surgery. It had been planned later, but not now! So I am finding that the Lord is teaching me, that it isn't about MY schedule but HIS. I am able to sit at his feet and learn from Him, right here, right now....in this unplanned stage of my life. May I honor Him in all I say and do. This is a portion of my devotion this morning, it really spoke to my heart. Maybe it will speak to yours.

He is Waiting for You

Mary Southerland

Today's Truth
"Now as they went on their way, He entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home" (Luke 10:38, NIV).

Seeking God begins with recognizing who He is and then inviting Him into our life as Lord and Savior. If He is not Lord of all, then He is not Lord at all. For some of us, the problem is not that we lack a personal relationship with God. Our problem is that we are not "making room" for that relationship. Balance comes when we yield to His plan in the everyday moments of life.

Mary's home revealed a world very different from mine and an uncommonly simplistic lifestyle I desperately longed to experience. The house was sparsely furnished with only the necessities but Mary described her life and daily routine with words like "calm, uncomplicated, peaceful and serene." When I asked why she had chosen such a lifestyle she sweetly responded with words of wisdom I will never forget, "I have discovered that when my life and my heart get too crowded there is not enough room for God." Exactly!

An unbalanced life is too crowded for God. It is so easy to relegate our spirituality to religious activity when all He really wants is to spend time with us. When the tears fall, He wants to wipe them away, collecting each one so that He can pour them back into our lives as a refreshing rain of restoration. God longs for us to forever run into His arms, sharing every hurt and rejoicing in every victory. The Father yearns to wrap His strong arms around us, bringing the peace and balance we so desperately need.

Instead, we often relinquish control of our life to unworthy demands dictated by a world that operates in "urgent" gear. We forget what is really important. The important rarely barges in while the urgent is always an offensive intruder. The important waits patiently while the urgent demands its own way, creating bedlam and imbalance. Certainly, there are times when the important is also urgent - but we must learn to discern between the two. We wrongly conclude that a busy life is automatically a productive life and think that a full schedule will surely produce a full heart.

I have great news! He loves who you are more than He loves what you do. Seek Him today. Make room for Him. He is waiting.