Friday, January 7, 2011

A Fork In The Road........


Do you ever find yourself stumbling upon a "Fork In The Road?"

It is up to us to decipher which path to take.....but do we have to do this alone?  Here we are, right smack dab in the middle of NO WHERE.  It is up to us to choose the road we need to take and to overcome the fear of not making the right choice. 

Both paths bring a lot of appeal, but we know we must only choose one.  Our fear comes from not being able to see what lies further down the path.  Will there be drawbacks and consequences that we are not prepared for?  Are we setting ourselves up for some kind of failure?  Is there some kind of boogie bear lurking down one of the paths and is this bear waiting to chew us up and spit us out?

One Path is usually paved and it is always full of fellow travelers.  By looking at this path, we are led to believe that it will be easy to follow.  It's what we might consider to be the easy road.  You know, like well....I have been there, done that and it hasn't killed me yet.  It's not a path of happiness for us, but it's better than having to face the unknown.

It may not have killed you, but is this path the best for you and for me?  Are we simple looking at a easy way out, or do we want to do better, be better and have a life full of JOY?

The other path is a lot less traveled, mainly because it sometimes leads us down a winding path that is unpopular or unfamiliar.
This fork is usually unpaved and is filled with many potholes.

What we imagine in our minds is that this path is going to be very long and very difficult.  It might also seem to be a lonely place and none of us enjoy being lonely.  But who could ever imagine the happiness and the beauty of life that might be waiting at the end of this less traveled road.

What we really need to do is to sit a spell....we need to explore our fears and our expectations of each road.  We need to seek God's direction for our lives and trust Him to walk beside us every step of the way. 

Yes....it is true that we may encounter many forks along the path of life.  The goodness of it all is that we will never walk alone!

Shug Sez.....

Do not be afraid to take a path that could ultimately lead to your greatest joy in life.......

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Word of the year.....


Isn't is Amazing how God works in our lives?

As I have said before, I do not make New Year's Resolutions....however I decided several months ago to choose one single word and let that be my goal for the year.

A few of those words are....Serve, as in do more for people.
Focus, as in having a more determined mindset.  Pray, as in spend more time in prayer for others.  Listen, as in becoming a better listener in order to be aware of people's needs. And Give!

I think you will agree with me that each of these things are very important and I will continue to do my best at all of them, however.....I want to really improve in the area of this one word and it needs to be the word that fills my heart.

Just this past week, I have been asked to be in prayer in regards to 3 or 4 desperate needs.  Healing, restoration, guidance and direction......This is an awesome way for God to open my eyes to receive the one word that I need to use as my focal point of the year!  So with that said.....my word is:

"Pray" or "Prayer"


One thing that is very important is to have confidence when we go before God in Prayer.  I believe that there is incredible power in prayer and to be able to intercede on some one's behalf can be nothing but rewarding.....

In the presence of the Lord, there is fullness of Joy.  Continual prayer and a deep relationship with God allows us to see things in a different light and can really change our outlook on life. 

I want to be truthful in my prayer time.  God sees my heart and is aware of every single thing that is in my life.
I want to learn to pray right where I am...If there is an immediate need, then I want to be able to freely pray for that need at that particular time. 

It is very important not to hold back...God is my friend and He longs for me to come before Him in prayer.  Of course, I must be willing to listen.  I have to give God the time to speak to my heart.  Most of all, I must believe that God hears my prayers and I have to Trust In God's goodness.....

In Prayer and Praise, I can extol God's greatness and His power over any need. 

Shug Sez......

Pray....Mountains will move






Wednesday, January 5, 2011

I feel.......


Come on In.....I'll put the kettle on! 
Let me pull you up a chair so you can sit a spell.

Sounds like I've been visiting the hillbilly kinfolk doesn't it?

Maybe this is just a sign of how backwoods I must be.
There are some days when I think...."Wow, I'm getting pretty good with all this computer stuff" and then I have those days when I think "Wow, I need to give this stuff up while I'm ahead."


I'm certainly not the greatest when it comes to technology, but I am learning.  Let's see....I do have a computer, I have an Ipod, I have a DROID phone (that I can barely understand) and oh,oh, oh,....I have digital scales, a digital fan and a digital coffee pot.....

Now....let me ask, Could I be the only person in this new  year of 2011  that does not own a Laptop Computer?  It certainly seems that way!  We live in a world that is so technology savvy, and not having a laptop or a Ipad these days is almost insane.... (It's kinda like not having an indoor toilet 40 or so years ago).....

  There is so much that I need to do, and it is very difficult to find the time to sit at a computer desk.  I have to steal a few minutes here and a few minutes there.  A lot of times I totally forget about a thought that I had just a few hours earlier.  No kidding...my mind comes up with some very unique topics and ideas, but it is always when I am away from the computer...(Maybe I need to buy myself a recording device)

It is sometimes  difficult to work while your family is in another room enjoying the TV.  I get this guilty feeling when I have to spend family time (at the other end of the house) using the desktop computer. 

Does it sound like I'm complaining here?  I hope not....I'm just simply saying that it's time for me to break down and buy a laptop. I need to get more involved in this fast paced world.   It could make my life so much easier!

I guess I should have bought one of those lottery tickets last night.  I hear it carries a pretty big purse....
Let me see....If I had won, I would have bought myself a laptop and that new camera and lens that I have been wanting!!  I'd give the rest of it away.....ha,ha!

For now I guess I can use a note pad and a pen!
They both seemed to have worked pretty well for a lot of years!!


Shug Sez.....

Ya'll come back now........








Tuesday, January 4, 2011

What Goes Around...Comes Around



Good Morning!  Good Morning!

I need to give you an update on my CRAZY neighbors..
You know...the ones that are always pulling tricks on me.....They were up to it again and this time it backfired!

Now what is that saying?...."What goes around, comes around." 

Seems that Mr. B has now corrupted Mrs. D....
or has she been the ringleader of the tricks all along?

Mrs. D was really in the gift giving mood this Christmas and from what I understand, she found the perfect gift for her special neighbor....that being ME.

She and her two granddaughters just happened upon this perfect gift at the local dollar store.  A snake that grows when you put it in water!

Oh yes....they really had a trick up their sleeve.  They rushed home from the dollar store and immediately the girls put the snake in the sink.  All they needed was a little water...

Their intentions were to have this nice bag of goodies for me and in the bottom of the bag to have this huge snake all curled up.  They could not wait to see the look on my face when I grabbed the snake.

Mrs. D's family had all come by to start their usual celebrations for the evening on Christmas Eve.  (By now the entire family were in on the plans of scaring me to death.)  As they were waiting for the snake to grow to it's full length, they decided to ALL go and drive around town looking at the Christmas lights. 

I think they were probably gone for about two hours and when they returned, both of the girls dashed into the house to check on the snake. 
Both girls returned to the family room to announce that something turned the water on. 

Well.....Yes, the snake had grown....Could it have been the thing that turned the water on?....Perhaps it was the Christmas Ghost. 

I do believe that the next few hours must have been full of chaos for this family!

 As Mr. B and Mrs. D and the rest of the family ran to the back of the house, they found themselves looking at a bathroom full of water.  Water had filled the drawers on the vanity.  Water was on the closet floor....Water was everywhere!

From my understanding....Mrs. D picked the snake up and marched to the back door where she threw the thing out into the yard....

The drawers had to be emptied...The carpet on the closet floor and to be ripped up...The overflow of water had to be vacuumed up.  Just a wonderful way to celebrate a family Christmas....

Needless to say...I did not get my gift!

Shug Sez....

Be good to your neighbors!


Monday, January 3, 2011

Empty and Torn Apart




There is something about the Holidays that brings us  so much anticipation.   We sike ourselves up for all the hoopla that we have waited all year long for.  The parties, church events, spending time with family and friends, fireworks, and all the stuff that gives us an opportunity to frolic and play ....this all sends waves of excitement into our lives.  For about five or six weeks we are busy celebrating and living life to the fullest....

Then it happens....The day comes when all of the excitement has passed...Everyone goes back to there normal routine of life and we find ourselves in a somewhat depressed state of mind.  I will be the first to admit that when all my kids go back to school  it takes me a few days to kick myself back into reality...

There is nothing new about all of this....It happens and it's part of life....Rather than to focus on my own let down of jollification, I have decided that I need to use this time to reach out to others that are having legitimate hurts right now..... 

This is a crucial time of the year.  There are people out there who feel that their backs are up against a wall and they do not have any  NEW HOPE living inside of them right now.  Our world is still full of hurting people.  Their lives are kinda like the picture above.....  Torn apart and empty.........

Lets do our part to reach out and let them know that they are valuable. We need to infuse in others the fact that God is the creator of  New Life, New Hope and New Joy!!!! 

Robert Schuller once said:  "In the presence of Hope....Faith is Born.  In the presence of Faith, Love becomes a possibility!  In the
presence of Love.....Miracles Happen!!"

We all have an opportunity to share the love of God with others and by doing so, Hope will become a part of their lives.  They will no longer have to feel torn apart and empty....

Shug Sez......

Every single act of love bears the imprint of God!

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Out With The Old...In With The New!

Jan. 2nd...2011

My days have been all mixed up....Yesterday did not seem like a normal Saturday and today does not feel like Sunday....

How are Saturdays and Sundays suppose to feel?
Well, I don't know but it certainly doesn't feel right to have a lazy Saturday! 

My sweetheart is not feeling well....We stayed home all day yesterday hoping that he would get to feeling better.  Bad cough and Bad cold!  I fixed him some hot tea with lemon and honey and tucked him in bed at 6:30 p.m......

With Sam not feeling well and us being home all day, I have had a lot of time to reorganize our home...The book shelves are now empty and a lot of the stuff that I had out before the holidays is now packed away...waiting for another season and time....Did I mention I love change??

Here are the things I have come up with that I think will carry me through (At least for a month or maybe two.)



A Perfect chair for a Perfect Spot..


Light......There must be light in every room!


My two favorite colors.....Always Crisp and Clean!


Something Great to Dress up the Kitchen!



 

There are always those favorite things that you're not quite ready to say goodbye to.




I love this painting and it looks great hanging in our living room for about three months out of the year. It's almost time to say goodbye to the "Painter of Light"



This was a Christmas gift given to me from Taylor.
I love the words...Now I need to find the perfect place for it
to hang in our home...



I am so excited to add new colors everywhere. 

I love changing things around.  I think it adds a little extra zeal to my already HAPPY life!

Now....let me get busy and get this place in order.

Please add Sam to your prayer list and.....

Enjoy the Blessings of this day!

Shug Sez...

Life is what you make of it....I hope you choose Happiness.....





Saturday, January 1, 2011

Happy New Year 2011


Where did 2010 go?  I don't know!

Happy New Year 2011 to all of you...

This is My Wish For You....

May the New Year Fill Your Heart with New Hopes....May you reach out to New Opportunities in life....I wish you Prosperity, Health, and Success...I wish for you Serenity with each New Sunrise.....I wish for you a Path that leads to beautiful tomorrows....I wish you Peace when you are lonely.....I wish you abundant time for relaxation.....I wish for you the opportunity to open a New Book in life......May you have Faith to guide you....May you have Peace within your heart....I wish for you the wisdom to choose priorities....I wish for you Happiness and Joy....I wish you many New Friends.... I wish you a smile that says "I love God and I love my Life."  And Most of All...I wish you a CLOSER WALK WITH THE LORD....May you grow in HIS Love this coming year!!!

************


Sam and I were especially Blessed to be able to "Ring In The New Year" with our wonderful Friends....

It is a Huge Blessing to have friends that truly know the Lord!

Much Love to each of them for a special evening...We were entertained with a lot of laughter and we made great memories that will stay in our hearts forever!!

Shug Sez....

Happy New Year !!

Sunday Thinking

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