Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Mary and Martha....

I can promise you that I'm not just being lazy about blogging each day.....I just simply am swamped in life.  

I'm not complaining about the business though...However, I have been missing my blogging friends.

After all....we do live in a world that is filled with distractions, don't we?  I'v kinda been feeling like a "Martha" these days.

You all know the story of Martha and Mary...the sisters of Lazarus.
Martha received Jesus into her home and instead of turning her attention upon Jesus and what He had to say....Martha turned to busyness.

Martha was upset because her sister Mary, sat at the feet of Jesus and listened.  Martha did what?  She complained! She complained to Jesus that Mary was not helping.  

What was the reply of Jesus?  He said...."Martha, Martha thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary has chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her."

Mary had a purpose....yet, Martha was running around and was not prepared to listen to what God was trying to say.  

Busyness was in control of Martha's life!

This is exactly how I feel....Busyness is controlling my life.  

I know that this is just a season in my life and that the NORMAL shall return soon!!  Woo hoo....I can't wait for Normal.

Blessings to you all...
shug




Thursday, April 23, 2015

Rocks


Rocks, anyone?


There are MANY rock fences in our area and I must say....I think they make for remarkable scenery's!  The rock fence in the photo above.....surrounds a portion of our school...



This beauty...Wraps around a lake here in our area...  Wouldn't it be fun to count all of those rocks?   NOT!


Rocks....They make for a sturdy fence!   I'm guessing that the fences in the top two pictures, have been standing for at least a hundred years....maybe longer.

Joining Good Fences today....





Blessings....
Shug




Wednesday, April 22, 2015

$29,000.00....raised

Great News.....


Most of you may remember my past post on "Free Throws for Souls."

This is a ministry that our son-in-law started 5 years ago.  He shoots free throws for 24 straight hours and raises money based on how many free throws he MAKES.

This years event was held on March 27th.....and as you can see on the chart below....Tom shot over 22,000 free throws.


Tom....Made 14,597 of those free throws.   That is 66.2 percent.



While Tom is the one shooting the free throws....He certainly could not do this by himself.   He has a lot of help from many people in our community.  It takes people who are willing to stand with him...to rebound the ball and to help in various other ways.

People pledge money towards the number of shots that Tom makes...
AND....Donations are made on behalf of this event.

The money has come in.....and I am very happy to announce that...

$29,000.00   is what was raised!

This is more than wonderful.....

$3,000.00 dollars will go toward scholarships for three graduating seniors who meet the criteria for this scholarship.

The rest of the money will go toward "GOD's OPEN HANDS" and "Project Transformation."

As I have said before.....God's Open Hands, feeds thousands of people each year.   


Project Transformation.....

The youth from the local Churches come together, along with the leaders....and they build wheel chair ramps, porches, steps and other projects...for those in need.  

$29,000.00 

is an amazing amount of money!

Thank you Tom Booth...
Thank you to our community and to those who were a part of this event!

Shug ~


Monday, April 20, 2015

Precious Memories.....

You know.....This world that we live in is ever changing.   We all know this, don't we?

My oh my....how it has changed since my childhood days...not to mention the change since my dad was just a kid.

For the past six months, I've been visiting my dad all most every day at the nursing home.  I guess you could say that I visit all fourteen of the men who live in the memory care unit, each day.  

They all have Alzheimer's and each one lives in their own little world.   One thing that they have in common, is the memories of their childhood days.

My heart is touched, because the words that I hear them speak, are the memories that they have about the days gone by. They are not in tune to the happenings of today...it's their lives as a child that have remained so alive in their minds. 

My dad remembers the days of plowing in the fields with his old mule, and shucking corn under the cottonwood tree.  He also remembers riding his horse down the dirt roads and playing on the banks of the shallow creeks.

Most of all....he remembers the home cooked meals that his mom prepared each day.  The hot biscuits and fried chicken must have been a favorite. I've heard many stories of catching chickens and frying them up. 

Dad feels comfort when he sees the photo of his mom and dad, which hangs on the wall, across from his bed.   He has sweet remembrances of the days long ago.  

There are many days when he spends all day long playing with his brothers and sisters....at the old home place or down at the creek bed.

  We (me and dad) visit that old home place almost every day!! Of course...it's only in his memory, that we walk the grounds together...taking a moment every now and then to skip rocks across the pond like we did yesterday.

While visiting this past week....I had a thought that crossed my mind. What about those who are yet to come?

I pray that there is a quick cure for Alzheimer's....but until that day, my mind thinks to the young people of today?  

I pray not....but what if in later years..there are those they are stricken with this horrible disease?  What kind of childhood memories will sustain them?

Will it be.. Picking up a biscuit at a drive thru?  Will it be the letters on a iPhone as the memory of texting comes around?  Perhaps there will be a memory of occasionally getting to bed before mid-night, only to wake again in the early morning to head out the door again.

What about their PLAY TIME?  What play time???

I suppose this could be a memory....  Cramming a hundred activities into any given day! Having the feeling of total exhaustion as there is only one more thing to do.

Do you get what I'm saying here?

  From picking up a biscuit at a drive thru, to cramming a hundred activities into a day....these things...DO NOT ....sound very delightful to me.

I'm happy that my dad (and all of the other residents at the memory care unit) have their precious memories that fill their days!

Just some deep thoughts here....

Shug ~

Friday, April 17, 2015

God's Promise

Gods' Promise.....




I borrowed this photo from our nephew....whose name just happens to be Sam......!

A stunning double rainbow!

We had a huge storm come through last evening, with Lots of huge lightning strikes. 

Our family was {out}..eating... at one of our local restaurants, when this storm came up.  We were sitting in an area that is surrounded by glass windows. I was beyond "Shaky" with all the fierce lightning strikes. 

I felt as if a jumping bean had taken over my body! 

I love to hear the sound of thunder, but it's what comes after that makes me tense up.  

Unfortunately....I did not see the awesome Rainbow....however, a lot of folks in our area, captured some gorgeous photos of the colorful sky.


I did notice the strange coloring of the sky....it had a serious looking yellow tint.  If only I had explored the scene a little more....I would have seen the Rainbow for myself. 

Is it age....I don't know....but, this Spring has certainly displayed BEAUTY like I've never seen before.  




I am in Love with the Season!

Thank you Lord Jesus!!

Shug ~

Thursday, April 16, 2015

East Texas Fields and Fences

 Did someone say RAIN?   As you can see, by all the green in these pictures.....we have had a lot of rain!  More to come today, tomorrow and Saturday.

Find a deer head........Hang it on your fence!  



 I couldn't exactly tell if the next two were deer heads, or cow heads?   Kinda strange seeing them there.
This field, barn, fence......they are located just down the road from our place.   The field is so pretty with all of the wild flowers dressing it up.

I'm telling you.....when I'm out driving, I find myself in awe of God's awesome beauty that surrounds us.   How?? How can anyone enter into a Spring Season, and deny that God exist?  It is truly beyond my thinking.    

Not just Spring......But everyday!   I believe that God reveals HIMSELF through HIS creations.    

"The Whole Earth is Full of HIS Glory!"

I'm joining Good fences today.....




Blessings to each of you....
Shug


Monday, April 13, 2015

3 Pigs and More


                                                     "Tori".... running the hurdles at her last Track Meet!  

"Sports" and "Showing Pigs" is what has occupied this families time this past week and weekend!

The Henderson County Livestock show was held this past week and our kiddos had 3 BIG ol' pigs to show.   The showing was to begin at 5:30 on Thursday evening.  

Sam and I got to this event around 5:00 and was hoping for all three pigs to show before 8:00.   IT didn't happen.   There were {340 something} pigs in the show.....and guess which pig showed last?  Tori's pig!!

I think we got home around 11:30!!

Friday night was a late night as well.  Sam and I watched Trey play baseball and this game lasted until about 10:00.   

Whew....we are getting pretty good at staying up past 9:00.  Do you think all of this late night stuff will somehow keep us YOUNG?

Baseball was our Saturday event...3 games!

Fun in the Sun!!!

It is raining today.....However, we have a grandson {Tucker} playing in a Regional Golf Tournament.   He is representing our High School....as his score at the District tournament, earned him a spot at Regional.  

Although the rain is here....the tournament "GOES ON"

Praying God's Favor upon Tucker today, as he plays through the rain.

Yep....Pig Show, Golf, Baseball, Track Meet.....this is good entertainment....

Blessings!
Shug







  


Sunday, April 12, 2015

Majestic canvas


Spring "REALLY" is here and the canvas is way too majestic not to share!

I praise God for His Awesome LOVE!

Blessings to each of you....

Shug ~

Friday, April 10, 2015

Blood Moon.....


The "Blood Moon" happened last weekend.....and I am just now getting a chance to share my photo with all of you!  

I took this picture, while standing in our yard.   The moon was showing remarkable beauty!

I did not edit the Images of this picture....IT, being the moon... was just that gorgeous...

Hugs...

shug ~

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

APOLOGIES....

Apologies, Please!
           

I know that I have been absent from the Blogging world lately.... I truly have not had ANY time to stop by and visit my dear sweet friends...

LIFE has taken over and I'm finding it hard to keep up with such a busy lifestyle!
Could this be a normal thing for a person like me,  who is the caretaker of sorts to three other people with myself being a fourth??

My SUV needs a Taxi Cab sign attached to the sun roof, and perhaps a sign....FREE DELIVERY

Every morning for the past two weeks, I have been leaving our house before 8:00 A.M.... in order to taxi two of these dear folks, (whom I love to pieces).....to all kinds of places.  {Long story...but good blogging topics}

And then.....who ever knew that my sweet dad (who is in the Nursing Home) could possibly have so many dirty clothes.   I bring a load home every single day that has to be washed and dried....{and you know me}....IRONED with creases on the legs of his pants and on the sleeves of his western shirts. 

Not to worry though....I WILL get the hang of all of this and be back to my normal blogging SOON!

Hope you all will continue to visit me...  

Big Hugs...
shug ~


Monday, April 6, 2015

Celebrating Easter

It wasn't our typical Easter......But none the less.....Easter has come and today, we celebrate a risen Savior!

Hallelujah !!!!!  



Good Friday.....    Isaiah 53: 5

"He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities: the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed"

Sat morning......    We attended a funeral for a classmate/friend.   Such a hard thing to do, however.....we all know that our time here on earth is short!   It is truly a humbling thought to think that our lives here on earth are nothing but a mere second of God's time.

What matters is that during our short life here....we let our desires be that of pleasing God.....of serving God!

Sunday Morning......Easter morning.

No sunshine.....only RAIN!    My words to Sam were:  "I suppose that it has to rain somewhere on Easter morning!"

In spite of the rain and the disappointed faces of the little children, as the egg hunts were moved indoors......It was WONDERFUL  to Celebrate the resurrection of  Jesus Christ.

THE TOMB IS EMPTY!!!

Speaking of the rain.....We also had lots of thunder!  A thunderstorm of sort.

Easter Sunday.....what a perfect time to look at the storm and relate it to the importance of Easter Sunday!

Not only did Jesus Christ....die on the cross for my sins and your sins......but, HE died on the cross for you and me.   HE loves us.....He takes care of us.  

Are you going through a storm?   Rest assured that our Savior......He knows exactly where you are.  Just like the pain that Jesus endured while hanging on the cross.....we too have pain and we suffer many trials.   Jesus knows our pain!!

There are times when the Storms of Life can really shake our world........what to do??   Trust in God!  Jesus paid the price on that old wooden cross.....and today, we have the VICTORY!

The story must be told in full.   Yes, Jesus died on the cross......However....... HE WAS RESURRECTED!     

HE LIVES!!   

In spite of the rain,  the loss of a friend, NO Easter Bunny cake, and the changes in plans....Our Easter was Beautiful.


Shug ~

Sunday, April 5, 2015

Friday, April 3, 2015

The secret of the Indian Chief

How could I not have known??

I have found the secret to the "Apache" head cap on this chain link fence!!

Are you ready for this?




The name of the company that installed the fence is:  

APACHE FENCE COMPANY

This fence company is either out of business, or....it has changed locations.   

I can only assume that the Company had the Apache Head caps made as a "signature" for their fencing!

Neat idea if I so say myself...

Glad to know the answer...

Hugs,
Shug

Thursday, April 2, 2015

Indian Head Post.....

 Happy Thursday Morning.....

Take a look at this chain link fence....with Indian Head post caps. 

I'm guessing that this fence was installed some 30 or 40 years ago. It is located on the back side of a piece of property that corners our land.  




 In my efforts to research the Indian head post caps.....I came up with NOTHING.  I'm sure that there has to be some kind of background about these things...Evidently my key words were just not finding what I was looking for.  

Do any of you know anything about these??  



a close up of the head.....sorry about all the bird poop!!  lol.

I'm joining Good Fences




Have a Blessed Day!

Shug....


Wednesday, April 1, 2015

April Fools

Shame on me!!!  Days like to today can sure add a lot of laughter to the soul....                              if you plan out the               details.....CAREFULLY




What day is it?????

It's April Fools Day......and I did it up good!

I love my sweet, sweet son-in-law {Tom}

and when you love people, you often think of them.   

This morning....I was passing their house, and I suddenly remembered that today was April Fools Day.

I couldn't resist......

It's not an unusual thing for me to call Tom, at least a couple times during the year, to ask if they intended to leave their garage door up.  

Some mornings are just busy and one or the other {Tom or Shanda} will drive out the driveway....while forgetting to put the door down.  

Now keep in mind that they live on a Farm to Market road, and several homes in the area have been broken into over the past few years.

Anyways.....this morning, I called Tom's cell phone and when he answered, I said:  "Hey Tom, just wanted to check to see if you left your garage door up on purpose?  There is a truck in your driveway and they are loading up your 4 wheeler.  Is someone taking it to work on it?"   

I could hear the stress in his voice!!!  Before I could even say: "April Fools"....he hung the phone up.

Yep...I knew without a doubt what he was doing.  He was looking for the number to call the police!!!

I immediately called him back and thank goodness he answered!  He was already in his truck, headed to Chandler and YES, he was looking for the # to phone the police.

I said:  "Tom, Tom.....April Fools!

What a sigh he gave off.  NO...he wasn't mad at me.  He was just so relieved to know the truth!!

He laughed, and I am still laughing!!!

He has told me several times today...."That I GOT HIM."

Yep, I sure did!!!

It almost backfired on me, but I was able to save myself from being picked up and hauled off to jail for this hilarious prank.

I could just see the Headlines now:

"April Fools joke lands East Texas Woman in jail."   lol.....


Isn't life FUN!

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...