Lessons from Liberty

Sunday afternoon Ed and I went paddleboating. It was a beautiful day. Ed did some fishing, didn't catch anything but still had a good time trying. We thought about taking Liberty out on the boat with us but she would not have been satisfied unless we would have let her jump in the water and then we would have all been soaking wet....that does not sound like fun. So we did not take her on the boat but I did take her for a walk that afternoon around the apartment complex while Ed went and got us some Chinese food for supper, it was good too. The whole day wasn't that great though, that evening I was going to put Liberty in her kennel for a while, she kept whining and driving us crazy. Well she would not come to me and when I went to get her she ran from me, now I wasn't in that great of a mood anyway and this made me mad. So I got the flyswat and she sure did get it, well needless to say I felt terrible after that. She seems to still like me, hopefully she forgets that incident.

Monday evening Ed, me, and Liberty went to Cooper Creek Park. Ed met a couple there to do some pre-marriage counseling so while they were talking I took Liberty for a walk around the park. Wow, that was a crazy walk there were LOTS of ducks and geese and since Liberty is a German Shorthair Pointer she was in "Heaven". She pointed ducks and geese and more ducks and geese....oh and there were some squirrels mixed in there too. She also wasn't content to walk on the path she had to walk in the water. After Ed was finished counseling he came and joined us on our walk. We had a good time and maybe found another place to paddleboat if they allow paddleboating at this park. It is really pretty there. There were geese and ducks with babies, when I saw them I thought how awesome God's creation is. He has given us so much to enjoy how anyone could think this happened by "accident" is beyond me. When we got home Ed had to give Liberty a much needed bath and then Ed and I sat down and watched The Waltons, our favorite show on t.v.

We are enjoying our new companion, Liberty, and as we walk her and play with her I think there is a lot to be learned from her. Liberty would have so enjoyed being able to jump out of the paddleboat and into the water, if we would have taken her on the boat with us. She wouldn't have cared if she got wet she would have just had fun. No, she didn't like it that I got angry with her and used the flyswatter on her but she is very forgiving and loves unconditionally, she is still my friend (and yes, I did tell her I was sorry). While trying to walk with her at Cooper Creek Park, Flatrock Park, and even around here at the apartment she is not in any hurry, she stops and smells everything. It is a reminder that we need to stop and enjoy the things around us, the beautiful flowers, the birds singing, God's creation. I think I am learning, though slowly, to slow down and not worry if something doesn't get done. Ed and I are going through a new phase in our lives...being empty nesters and being grandparents, it is a good time to just reflect on our lives and slow down and enjoy all that God has given to us.

Standards to Live By

I read Psalm 101 the other day and thought,wow, what good standards to live by and not only us but for the White House to live by and run our country by. Here is what Psalm 101 says:

"I will sing of your love and justice, Lord. I will praise you with songs.
I will be careful to live a blameless life-when will you come to help me?
I will lead a life of integrity in my own home.I will refuse to look at anything vile and vulgar. I hate all who deal crookedly. I will have nothing to do with them. I will reject perverse ideas and stay away from every evil. I will not tolerate people who slander their neighbors. I will not endure conceit and pride. I will search for faithful people to be my companions. Only those who are above reproach will be allowed to serve me. I will not allow deceivers to serve in my house, and liars will not stay in my presence. My daily task will be to ferret out the wicked and free the city of the Lord from their grip."

Our country has come a long way in just a few years. We sure do need to turn back to God and what America was founded on. When our country first came to be and we had presidents that stood on the Word of God this would have been read and the president of our country would have tried to live the life this Psalm speaks about but not today. I am thankful for the Christian people that are in America and actually live the Christian life that is what is holding our country together and I think it is saving us from some of God's wrath, He cannot be very happy with our country has become. I am still very thankful to be living in America, I think we live in a great country but we need to get back to the basics....God's basics.

Choices

CHOICES, CHOICES, CHOICES!!!! There are so many choices we make every day. What am I going to wear? What am I going to eat for breakfast? What am I going to pack for lunch or buy to eat for lunch? What am I going to cook for supper? What show am I going to watch on t.v.? There are about 100 stations and nothing on. What station am I going to listen to on the radio? If you can find one without static, maybe I should just go to the car and listen to sirus radio : ) Those are just a few small decisions I make every single day. Imagine when the big decisions come about, should I take that job? Should I move or stay here at the apartment....well that one isn't such a hard one, I do not like living in an apartment. Decisions that we make such as who I marry, how many children do we want, how are we going to disipline, etc. WOW, many choices, many decisions and those are just a few. As I was reading this morning in Deuteronomy I came across a verse that made me want to blog about this. In Deut. 30:15 it says "Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between life and death, between prosperity and disaster." Then the first part of verse 16 says "For I command you this day to love the Lord you God, and to keep his commands, decrees, and regulations by walking in his ways...." Yes, we have many choices we have to make throughout our lives here on this earth but we have one choice that is the most important and there are only two options; to choose Jesus or to reject Him. If we choose Jesus He gives us eternal life in Heaven, if we do not choose Jesus, we give ourselves an eternal life in Hell. Jesus wants us to choose Heaven, remember He would rather die than to live life without us, that is why He died for us and conquered death for us by rising again. As I was thinking about choices this morning I thought of a song, it says "this life has many choices, eternity has two." I chose Jesus, He gave all for me. Now after making the most important decision, to accept Jesus or not, that will greatly effect a lot of other decisions I make, what show should I watch? do I wait to have sex until I am married? who will I marry? should I tell the truth? should I listen to that song, that joke, that gossip? Many choices to make. If we accept Jesus than we will want to please Him. If you love someone you want to do things that will make that person happy. God hasn't made it hard for us to know what He wants, Deut. 29:11-14 says "This command I am giving you today is not too difficult for you to understand, and it is not beyond your reach. It is not kept in Heaven, so distant that you must ask, "Who will go up to Heaven and bring it down so we can hear it and obey?" It is not kept beyond the sea, so far away that you must ask, "Who will cross the sea to bring it to us so we can hear it and obey?" No, the message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart so that you can obey it." It is not always easy to make the choice that God wants us to make but if we truly accept Jesus we will try and when we goof we can go to Him for forgiveness and He will forgive us, 1 John 1:9 "But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from ALL wickedness." Also 1 John 2:1 says "My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. BUT if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous."

Grandmama

Hannah and Isaiah have been here visiting this past week. It was great. Being a "Grandmama" is wonderful. I love it!! I love his hugs and kisses, I love rocking him to sleep, I love hearing him giggle when his mommy his chasing him and tickling him, I love watching him play with the puppy, whom he loved, I love watching him eat and make such a mess, he really enjoys eating and he LOVES ice cream and donuts, I love watching him swing, even when he gets mad, he is cute, I have to turn my head and laugh. But today was sad, Isaiah and Hannah, went home. Now our apartment is too quiet, no little footsteps, no little giggles, no saying "No, Isaiah" over and over, no toys scattered everywhere, no slobbery kisses, and of course "Grandmama" cried. I sure do miss my little man. Pappy and me had to keep busy to keep our minds off of missing our little Isaiah. But we won't miss him long, we keep that road to Kentucky pretty hot and I am hoping Easter weekend we will be able to visit again and get more slobbery wonderful kisses and more sweet hugs. Then the end of May we will be Grandmama and Pappy again and we cannot wait to meet little man #2, Mason Hamlin, and get more rocking time, more sweet hugs, and sweet kisses, maybe not so slobbery at first but they will get that way. God has greatly blessed us and I am very thankful that He has given me the opportunity to be a grandmama. Oh,remember the jigsaw puzzle that I had a picture of on my last blog....well Isaiah found it....time to start that puzzle over. LOL