Thursday, March 31, 2011

Seasons Come and Seasons Go......

There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven.
                                       Ecclesiastes 31:1



Season of Spring................


 
Season of Summer



Season of Fall......



Season of Winter................

Just as there are seasons of Spring, Summer, Winter and Fall to weather, there are seasons in our lives as well......

The rain will come in the tears we cry, the sun will shine in brightness of our days, the storms will shake us when trouble comes, there will be newness in our lives, there will be seasons of waiting and there will be seasons of goodness.  There will even be powerful seasons of despair for us to live through from time to time...

Some of these seasons we will like and some we won't!  But...it is in those seasons of discouragement, sadness, sorrow or the longing for something, that we must remember it is only for a SEASON!

Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of JOY!
                                          Psalms 126:5

The Holy Spirit seeks to assure us that in the presence of God we will find PEACE....


                          Seek God
                          Trust God
                          Love God
                          Lean on God

This one thing we should always keep in our hearts,  God walks with us in the seasons of goodness as well as in the seasons of difficulty! Find the Hope you need to wait for the next season.


Isaiah 40:31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.




Shug Sez....

I'm not sure why the Lord placed this on my heart today....I don't know if the Lord is speaking to me, or if HE gave me this to encourage someone else that may be going through a difficult season right now......One thing I do know is that we must always TRUST God!

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Only Love Can Make A HOME.....

Houses are made of wood and stone, but only love can make a HOME!

We enjoyed a wonderful family dinner at my precious in-laws home, this past weekend!



My Mother-in-law cooked a fabulous meal for all of us to enjoy...

Nina will be 82 in April and I am so very proud of her..She wanted to cook the entire meal by herself to prove that she still has it all together in the kitchen..
There were 24 of us, so I think she did an awesome job.



Seems that Nina had the afternoon planned out pretty well...
Not only was the food great, but the desserts were delicious!!!

She had the checkers and dominoes out for anyone that wanted to play...    But....something else was on the table that was more interesting than playing games....

Oh My.....she had the OLD PHOTO ALBUMS out as well.....



Sam was taking pictures of pictures...He must have thought this one was real cute...Check out that beard on his face...this picture was taken back in 1981.


He still had long hair ~ parted down the middle ~
but NO beard!!



Oh Wow....a 1973 photo of Sam and Me...

Needless to say.....our kids loved seeing all of these OLD pictures.

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Check this out!



Poppie's beautiful Pink Dogwood Tree...


Take a close look on Poppie's face.  Tori and a few of the other kids decided that the blooms on the dogwood tree would make a wonderful gift for everyone to enjoy...SO....they broke off a few branches for each of us!!!



I am so thankful that the kids didn't find these pretty yellow blooms on Poppie's tomato plants!!!!!
I'm thinking there might have been a different look on his face had they brought these blooms in for everyone to enjoy!



This is baby Cam....the youngest of the great grandchildren...In just a few years, he too will be outside, exploring all of God's beauty.


I believe the best things are the simplest things.  A warm home and love to be shared, flowers in the garden, the lamp of God on the table and the Blessing of contentment in each of our lives...




Shug Sez...

Read Proverbs 24:3

By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

"Run Buddy Run".....

Buddy...Buddy...Buddy....





This is what they call our grand-dog.  Buddy is a golden colored cocker-spaniel and he is just the most adorable thing you have ever seen...

If you could be around him for just a short time, you would definitely fall smad...dad....in love with Buddy!  He will crawl up in your lap like a big baby and do everything that he possibly can to get your attention.

I want you to understand though, that Buddy does have his share of issues...One,.... being that he loves to run!   Do you remember the scene in the "Forest Gump" movie, when Ginny tells Forest...."Run Forest Run?"

Well.....Forest Gump doesn't hold a light to Buddy when it comes to running!!  He can run faster than a rabbit being chased by a ten legged dog.   When he gets the chance, he will  sniff out every opportunity possible  to get a head start on you.  Buddy  then likes to watch you chase after him until you fall on your face from exhaustion.

My....what a dog!  This past Sunday evening, Buddy escaped.... he did catch that opportunity.... just before the leash was snapped, He dashed out the back door...Off he went.  Now, normally he will come back home within an hour or so and sit there waiting for someone to open the door for him..

This time.....he did not come home!  After about two hours, our panic button had been pushed.

Sam posted on his facebook that Buddy was missing and I'm so glad he did.  This was just what we needed to get the search going.  I think everyone in town was on the look out for our run away grand-dog.





I felt so bad for the kids because they were so upset.  Tori has such a tender heart for animals and she and Buddy really are like two peas in a pod..She was so upset and was so scared that someone had taken him, and was going to keep him or sell him...all she could do was CRY!

Did you know that God cares about the little things that concern us?  I prayed that God would lead Buddy back home and when I talked to Trista, she said that the kids were praying that Buddy would be safe and return home.

Early, yesterday morning, Trista got a phone call from the city secretary who informed her that Buddy had been found.  A super nice lady that lives in an addition across the road from where our kids live, had seen him and she put him up in her back yard for the night.

Thank goodness for Face Book...Thank you Lord for answered prayers...and many thanks to this sweet lady for taking care of Buddy..

This situation really was a little scary and a bit stressful, but all turned out well and we are so happy to have BUDDY {the run away dog} back home!


Shug Sez.....


Let Jesus Be In Your Heart This Day.....

Monday, March 28, 2011

TEXAS IS HUGE


Did you know that TEXAS is a  HUGE state?

I'm talking about a lot of space and a lot of miles...


Say for example......a trip from Tyler to Lubbock.....

When you look at the map, the distance measures just a couple of inches... BUT...... it is actually about 471 miles, which equals about 7 hours and 11 minutes of traveling time.



GO   BEARS   GO

Our little Dribbler's Teams WON the Regional Tournament this weekend, which means we are heading to Levelland, Texas for the National Games...



I would like you to meet....Carson, our third grandson.....He was chosen as an ALL-STAR
for the Juniors basketball team....


And this is Tucker.....He is our 2nd grandson and he was chosen as an ALL-STAR for the major's basketball team.......

We are so proud of both of these guys and their TEAMS....In just two weeks, we will be loading up our vehicles for a {L..O..N..G}  trip out West..

We'll be leaving all the beautiful Pine trees behind and heading out to a part of TEXAS that seems to grow Wind Turbines!! 


I would prefer to Fly out there, but then I'd miss out on all the fun of traveling with the TEAM...

We have so many memories of traveling to Dalhart {when our daughter made ALL-STAR} ......many moons ago....The team got beat  the first game and was completely out of the tournament the next morning.  A long trip for nothing???? Not when you're traveling with us

Several families...including our family, loaded up that afternoon and took off for Colorado....We made a vacation out it!  The kids were elated to be traveling together and I don't think the topic of basketball was mentioned again...

Well....I doubt we will go to Colorado this year, because......The Brownsboro Bears are going to WIN!!!




Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve.
Joshua 24:15

Shug Sez......

Plant a seed of Friendship Today!!

Sunday, March 27, 2011

My Life Flows On



My Life flows in in endless song
Above Earth's lamentation
I hear the sweet though far-off hymn
That hails a new creation
Since god is Lord of Heaven and Earth
HOW CAN I KEEP FROM SINGING????

Shug Sez.....

Enjoy your Blessings today my Friend!!

Saturday, March 26, 2011

My Simple Saturday

My Simple Saturday........

This past Thursday, Mylee Jo and I had a very special day out!  We had a picnic and then went to TWO different parks....

Hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them....





She loved the Big Red Fire Truck!




I think this one is my favorite....


Everybody needs a powdered donut ever now and then....Mylee was certainly enjoying hers!


She was watching the birds....



We had a fantastic day....What more can I say!


Next week we're going to the ZOO...



Shug Sez....

Have a Blessed Day.....

Friday, March 25, 2011

Look For Them...They are All Around

When we take time to notice the simple things in life, we never lack for encouragement....We can discover that we are surrounded by limitless hope every single day!

For me, the key to living a happy life is in knowing what matters most in life to us and living within our means...

I will tell you this....the simple pleasures in life is what helps me keep my sanity in check....

My new calendar has some great pictures and reminders for me to think about each month...."Cherish Life's Simple Pleasures."


Take my morning coffee for example.....I'm not sure if it's the coffee or the early morning hours of quietness!  You know, before the rush of the day takes over..  A simple pleasure....but one I look forward to each day!


Old Wash Tubs......


Life is good when you own several old wash tubs....A person can do so much with these things!!  Not only do they bring back great memories for me to think about, but they bring me great pleasure when I see beautiful flowers cascading from them...


And how about Flowers......


Flowers ..........Such simple pleasures to brighten any day!


Family.....


Oh Wow....I could never say enough about Family!
My family is truly my greatest pleasure in life.....


FAITH.....



I know, I know....some might would question as to whether or not FAITH is simple....
For me, it is!  It is a simple pleasure....Knowing that I serve a Mighty GOD, and knowing that He loves me and wants the best for me is all I need to enjoy this beautiful pleasure....


Nature......the spontaneous moments of seeing God's Beauty in our every day life....{Simple Pleasures}




LOVE....
The Bliss....The delight....The contentment of being in LOVE..
Being in Love and having someone to love you in return brings complete joy to my life....


Isabella Precious Pollard
{Bella}

I am almost certain you all have seen this picture before....A simple pleasure in my life........She is the sweetest little thing and loves kids....


GRANDCHILDREN

Oh.....and did I mention ????

MY

 GRANDCHILDREN


Each of these things cost very little....but yet they are worth MUCH!!



Shug Sez.....

love your life....enjoy the simple pleasures that are offered to you every single day....Look for them, they are there!!

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Garbage In....Garbage Out

It's a super great morning right here in East Texas......   What am I  listening to right now? It's called ....."Doing the ME dance!"    It goes something like this......

"Do what you want to do, Get on up, Move around, Stand up, Touch the ground, Do what you want to do...Don't forget to shake all around, Do the Me Dance!"

If you want a good workout, then tune your TV to the childrens channels and you'll get that good workout for the day....Mylee loves watching these shows and the exercise is great for HER. (and ME)

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

"For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks."      Matthew 12:34


Have you ever heard the phrase...."Garbage In, Garbage Out?"  

 What is the best baby sitter of all times?  Some would say the TV!

With an abundance of TV channels these days, the choices of cartoons is almost unlimited.  BUT, as parents and grandparents we cannot assume that a cartoon show is going to include material that we would deem appropriate for our children/grandchildren.

We need to know exactly what it is that these shows are pouring into our childrens hearts and minds! We cannot assume that these shows are all about play and being kind to your friends....Some of them have some underlying points that children pick up on much faster than we as adults do...

My desire is for my grandchildren to develop "Pure Hearts."  How can I help them do this?.....I can be aware of what is going on around them...I can control the shows they watch in my home and most of all, I can be a living example to them....

Psalm 24:3-4


Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.


Life is a balancing act, but we must never forget that the boundaries that we set for our children/grandchildren provides securtiy and protection from things that might otherwise "put garbage in and garbage out" in their lives....By setting these boundaries, the future for them holds great promise and reward!!


Shug Sez.....

God has trusted us with these little ones...it is our job to do what we can to keep their hearts Pure!

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Stay True....Stay You!

If we are not TRUE to ourselves....we cannot be TRUE to others!!


Almost every man wastes part of his life in attempts to display qualities which he does not possess, and to gain applause, which he cannot keep........
                                        Samuel Johnson

I have never met anyone that loves rejection!

It feels great to be a part of something... for example, being accepted into a social group that is recognized by it's popularity.

Why is this so important to so many people?

The worse thing we can do is to pretend to be someone other than who we really are.  Especially, if our actions are simply to gain acceptance from a certain group of people.


I think the reason a lot of people do this is to escape their own emptiness.....

When we are not true to ourselves, we become someone who spends most of their time learning to ACT, or we become a person that is plagued with little white lies.

These little white lies can become habitual and can go on for years and years...


It takes a lot of courage {especially if you are at a place in your life where you are unhappy} to stand firm and be who you really are!!

We all have talents, and to recognize these talents and accept them can bring you an enormous amount of happiness if it is channeled in the right direction...

We need to be who WE really are and we need to stand on what we believe!

The best gift that we can give to ourselves is to let our own uniqueness and our own individuality SHINE!!




Shug Sez......
I have heard this said many times:  "Originality is a by-product of SINCERITY!!

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Changes All Around


Do you want to do something FUN today?

Give yourself permission to be lazy .....This is exactly what I am going to do......

The other day, I was cleaning out a drawer and I ran across this picture of Tyler, Tucker and Tori.  I am sure that it was taken at least three or four years ago.

When I first glanced at the picture, my first thoughts were "Look at these darling little angels."
The more that I looked at the picture, it begin to dawn on me just how much all three of them had changed.  They are growing up way too fast!

It is true that everything changes.....Even the weather in TEXAS!  

Take this picture for example.......The BIG tree in my backyard is no longer there.  I guess you could say it got sick and it had to go.  The swings that my grandchildren loved are no longer here.  When the tree went, the swings went as well!

The worn out spot in the grass is no longer there.  I can remember when the kids first started swinging in the back yard.  I knew they were having a wonderful time, but I just didn't want to have a bare spot on my lawn.....  I would give anything to have that old dirt spot back now. 
I can just see those tiny little feet as they twisted and turned in an attempt to lift their small bodies into the swing.  I can also hear them say....."Sugar, push me" over and over again.......

The hedge of Red  Tip Photina is no longer there.  Sam and I decided one day that we needed to cut them down.    Not to worry, they are already coming back.

The biggest change of all are the faces on these three beautiful children.....Tyler is almost grown and the little boy look is no longer there.  Tucker has changed by leaps and bounds and Tori, I can see many changes taking place...She is so precious. 

Seasons come and Seasons go.....and through the seasons of change, come changes in our lives.  Today, I am going to relax and enjoy going through all my old photos.......I'm going to give myself permission to cry, to laugh and to reminisce about the years that have passed and the changes that have taken place in all of our lives.

Go ahead....Give yourself permission to do the same.    You'll be glad you did!


Shug Sez.....

Life is Good!



Monday, March 21, 2011

Experiencing the Tears of Life

Experiencing the tears of life....




"HE heals the broken hearted and bindeth up there wounds...."  Psalm 147:3

Have you ever experienced the loneliness of life?  Loneliness is an unpleasant feeling with a strong sense of emptiness...I, myself have been there....and it is very difficult to bear.

"I look again towards the sky as the raindrops mix with the tears I cry."  These very words, ...... I have spoken many, many times....

Most of the time this feeling of loneliness comes when we have lost something dear to our heart or when a loved one has passed on...this is when we feel as if we are left here all alone on an empty piece of this earth.  There is no where to turn.....

Yesterday, I was so reminded of the word loneliness, after we attended a visitation for a dear friend at 3:00 in the afternoon and then traveled 10 miles to attend the family visitation for my first cousin at 6:00
{Funerals today}

Two families that will experience some kind of loneliness in the days ahead....

My mom passed away five years ago, but every single day, I am visited by a man {My precious Dad}
who looks in the mirror every morning and all he sees is emptiness...I can only imagine the question that he must ask himself each day...."Who am I...I am a dad, a granddad, a great granddad and a friend, but why do I feel so empty?" "Where is the other part of me!"  

My heart breaks for him, but I can not heal His broken heart. 

Is this really the way God wants us to live our life after the loss of a loved one?  No.....It is not! 

It's great to think about those "Past" happy occasions that you had with those that brought you so much joy, and it's  great to have the memories live on in our hearts forever, but we also need to be out and about making new happiness for ourselves and for those that we come in contact with each day......

God is there to help us when we feel that our world is falling apart..  All too often, divine destiny is neither understood nor simple to bear....But, God knows our hurts and this is when we need to come into HIS presence and allow HIM to heal  us...



Shug Sez...


Blessings to all of you that are still facing loneliness...
May God's healing touch bring you JOY!

Sunday Thinking

  Happy St. Patricks Day!   🍀 Tomorrow, I will be filling my hummingbird feeders.  The little beauties should be arriving any day now.  I a...