{ Friday Foto Friends #34 }

As busy as this week has been for me and as exhausted as I am.....
my heart is FULL!
I've never been around a more caring, forgiving, thankful, loving group of people than I have for the last five nights.  

There's no way they can even begin to realize just how special they truly are.

  As I look at this picture and each of their sweet faces, something about their personality comes to mind.  Amber, who knows her Bible so well, Frankie, the dancer, Joe, the comedian, Jordan, just the sweetest young man who makes me smile to hear him laugh, Justin, very loving, Nik-Nik, polite and kind, and Julie, my newest friend.

They truly are my "Special Friends"!

HOPE everybody has a great weekend!

{ InstaFriday #6 }

This is my first time joining Ms. Tori for her InstaFriday link-up!

If you get a chance, please pay her a visit.

She's so precious and cute and I can't even believe she has grown kiddos, 'cause she looks like a teenager herself.  And, she has such a special heart for Jesus!  You can find her here.....

Home Away From Home.

Our church celebrated our "Special Friends" this past SONday morning, and the service was so much fun.  Pastor Bruce read the story of David and Goliath and he used two of our friends to represent David and Goliath.  The workers were the soldiers, the rest of the Special Friends represented the Israelites, and the congregation, the Philistines.  Each time he said any of those words, we all had something to do/say.  The soldiers would tremble, the Israelites would cheer, the Philistines would boo, Goliath would show his muscles and David would baaa like a sheep.  This ministry holds such a special place in my heart, as Pappy is a part of their skits when they visit other churches.  But, it's not just that.....these "kids" (they are to me) are so unique and kind and you wouldn't believe the great hugs I get from them.

(by the way, that first fellow in the picture is Pappy)

It takes so little to be an encouragement sometimes.

My sweet  friend, Ms. Stephanie, from church left this message on my blog one day this week and I just had to share it and let her know how it touched my heart.  It actually made me cry!  

Jess returned from a dental appointment to pick up the kids and had a gift for me from the hygienist.  Ms. Tracy knows how much I love cardinals and she had bought this just for me.

WOW!!

God sends us little blessings in the most unique ways sometimes!

I received a text from one of my oldest friends.....

not in age, but in years we've known each other....LOL!!

She told me to check my mailbox and her hubby had left a gift from her with these little cuties inside!

She knew I hadn't been feeling well from the infection and wanted to cheer me up!

As I looked back over some of these things I shared on Instagram, I realized that I have been blessed with some really special ladies in my life.  I definitely need to remember that when I get on my pity pot and start feeling sorry for myself!

Ain't God good?

Oh, yes He is!!!

Happy Saturday, All!!

Breathing in Grace,

Don't forget about my give-a-way.

You can click here to join in!

Fish For Breakfast!!!

Do you have a favorite meal of the day?

Since I quit my full-time job, breakfast is my fave.  It's always the same thing every single day....oatmeal and yogurt and coffee.  I do change it up a little from time to time by eating different flavors of yogurt....but being old and stuck in my ways, my fave is Great Value Fat Free Black Cherry....with chunks of cherries all thru it.  Okay, I'm getting side-tracked by food....imagine that....when the topic at hand is actually eating breakfast.  

One of my favorite stories in the Bible....and when I call it a "story", that's not to indicate that it's not full of truth 'cause I do believe it actually happened....but I ♥ the scripture about when Jesus cooked breakfast for His closest friends.....

John 21:7-13

Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, 

“It’s the Lord!” 

When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic 

(for he had stripped for work), 

jumped into the water, and headed to shore. 

The others stayed with the boat and pulled the loaded net to the shore, for they were only about a hundred yards  from shore.  When they got there, they found breakfast waiting for them—fish cooking over a charcoal fire, and some bread.
“Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” Jesus said. 

 So Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore. 

There were 153 large fish, and yet the net hadn’t torn.

  “Now come and have some breakfast!” Jesus said. 

None of the disciples dared to ask him,

“Who are you?” 

They knew it was the Lord. 

 Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish.

I'm not sure I would ever consider fish for breakfast....but if Jesus were the One cooking and serving....you better believe I would be more than willing to eat  it.  That thought itself reminds me of an Easter play we went to several years ago in Kentucky.  Of all the scenes that have stuck in my memory from that visit was one where Jesus came and sat down on the steps and all the people gathered around Him and listened intently to what He had to say.  This was just a man portraying Jesus....not actually HIM....but I felt such a longing in my heart to be one of those sitting at His feet and listening and learning and being loved on.
(The 3 L's!!!)

(Pappy portraying Jesus in our Special Friends program at a church we visited recently)

In HIS Most Precious Love....and with mine!!!

Blessings,
Deb