Thankful Tuesday.....

I went for some blood work yesterday.

Pappy isn't feeling well, so he was able to take me.

For that I was so grateful, since ice/snow was in the forecast,

and I was so dreading driving myself.

There are two different people who take blood at my doctor's office.

One is a fellow who is absolutely awesome.....

the other is a lady who may, or may not hit the vein on the first try.....

and, I'm difficult to stick.

There were probably 6 people called in ahead of me.

Each time the lady came to the door and called their name that it was their turn.  

When my name was called.....

it was the fellow who is so good.

And, I couldn't believe it.....

I did not even feel the needle go into my arm!!

Ain't God good?

Oh, yes He is!!!

Thank you, Lord, for smiling on me.....

each and every single day.....

and I'm so sorry for the times that I completely overlook that it was You!!!

Breathing in Jesus,

Deb

Blessings in the small stuff.....

 Isn't it amazing how God blesses us, 

even in the small, somewhat trivial matters?

   Pappy and I haven't had a land line phone for several years.

We just use our cell phones, but we were able to port our land line number to my cell phone.  

We wanted to keep the number since we've had it since we got married in 1977!!   

It's kinda confusing to some people who call me and can't understand why I'm not at home when they thought they were calling our house!!!

Our cell phone carrier is Straight Talk.  

Now....if you know anything about Straight Talk.....

depending on the phone you choose.....

it operates off of different towers.

Pappy's ran off of Verizon....

mine Sprint.

His worked great.....

mine....

horrible!!!

The final straw was one day when he was kinda worried about me.....

or, concerned as I like to word it.....

and he was unable to get in touch with me because I was driving thru a total "dead zone"!!!  

He decided he was gonna get me a new phone and he went to Wal-Mart to check them out.  

The least expensive one he found that operated from Verizon towers was still $99.  

I just didn't want to pay that and we kept putting off the purchase.

 One day last week I decided to look on Straight Talk's web-site at their phones.

Low and behold....

they had a refurbished Samsung Galaxy Proclaim.....

that was FREE!!!

Did you catch that last part?!?!?

FREE!!!

(even refurbished, it has a one year warranty)

All they required was that you buy a $45 card,

which we buy every month for my phone anyway!!!

And.....although Pappy's phone works well, as far as coverage.....

it was old and he was very much in need of something better.....

and in my opinion deserved a better phone since he is the "bread-winner" in this twosome.....

well, I ordered a "new to him" phone, too!!!

God never ceases to amaze me.

I went to bed that night praising His name.....

'cause I knew the blessing came straight from HIM!!!

And, when the phone arrived and I decided that I'm totally in love with it.....

(is it okay to love a phone?)

.....well, I started praising and thanking HIM again!!!

Ain't God good?

Oh, yes He is!!!

(even in the small stuff)

I Thessalonians 5:16-18

Rejoice always, 

pray continually, 

give thanks in all circumstances; 

for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Breathing in Jesus,

Deb

Buttons and onion rings!!!

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It never ceases to amaze me how God answers prayers and how He blesses us in such simple little ways.  There was probably a time in my life that I wouldn't have seen some of the things that happen as "it's no odd, it's God" like I try to do as I've gotten older.

Here are a couple of examples.....

I bought a card with 4 round black buttons to us as eyes on a little Santa and reindeer that I'm crocheting for our niece for CHRISTmas.  I used 2 of the buttons on Santa and when I was ready to sew the eyes on the reindeer, the buttons were nowhere to be found.  I knew exactly where I was when I cut the first two off the card, but they weren't there.  Pappy even got in the floor with a flashlight looking for them, but to no avail.  I told him that I would look again the next day.  The next morning, before I got out of bed, I asked God where those buttons could be.  Immediately....I mean instantly, the thought came into my mind that I had probably thrown them in the trash can when I threw away some yarn scraps.  I got out of bed, went straight to the little trash can in the living room and guess what was laying on top?  

Yes....the card with the 2 black buttons I needed!!!

Saturday, Pappy and I went thru the drive-thru at Burger King, using 3 different coupons and  getting lunch for us both for less than $5.....yes, we are very cheap frugal!!!  Do you all remember when Burger King used to put one small onion ring in with their french fries?  I told Pappy I hoped they put one in with his fries and we were laughing about it and he told the girl at the drive-thru window. (can you tell I like onion rings?)  I opened up the bag to get our lunch out and the young lady had put a small order of onion rings with our order....which we hadn't ordered.  I started crying....I mean really crying....because I knew that small act of kindness was a blessing from God and I thanked Him.  We ate in the car and afterwards, we drove back thru the drive-thru and thanked the young lady and it made her so happy....and she told us to have a blessed CHRISTmas!!!

I told Pappy that if God smiles on us in the things that would seem so trivial to others....how much more does He love us when we're going thru a major trial!!!

Ain't God good?

Oh, yes He is!!!

In HIS Most Precious L♥ve....and with mine, too!!!

Blessings,

Deb

Saturday Showers of Sweetness!!!

As I'm writing this, I can't help but have the lyrics to "The Lord Has Been So Good to Me" running thru my head!!!  I think I'm more at peace....and happier....right now at this time in my life than I have been in a very long time.  My circumstances haven't changed all that much....but God (2 of my favorite words together)....but God has chosen to "shower" me with so much "sweetness"....way beyond I ever deserved.  

And....the "sweet" far outweighs the "sour"!!!

;-)

Here are a few of my blessings from this week.....

1.  I refilled my hummingbird feeder with "sweet" water and there's been several hanging around.  They are too cute....other than they like to fight one another!!!

2.  Pappy and I bought a refurbished computer about 6 months ago. One morning after a storm, all it would do was "click".  It was plugged into a surge protector, and nothing else plugged into it had a problem. We thought it was just our loss, since it wouldn't have been worth turning it in on our home owner's insurance due to the deductible.  Anyway.....Pappy called the company and explained what had happened....and they e-mailed us a shipping label to send it back...."free"....and I received an e-mail yesterday that it's being shipped back to us....for "free"....and it was HOPEfully fixed!!!

This is such a HUGE sweetness....because we certainly can't afford a new computer right now, with Pappy loosing his job!!!

3.  Our garden this year is a bit bigger than we've had in the past....we're really enjoying the maters and cukes....and we've got lots of little sugar baby watermelons getting big enough to eat!!!

"Sweet" watermelon!!! 

4.  My long-time friend....who knows me so well....sent me the nicest e-card one day this week....just out of the blue!!!  

Ms. Dawn is one of the most precious CHRISTians I've ever met.....who prays for me.  

What a "sweet" friend she is!!!

5.  Our oldest GRAND-son turned five on Monday....and he spent the evening riding his new bike....without training wheels!!!  What an accomplishment....but it's also kinda sad.  

 :'(

Our little "sweet" heart is growing up way too fast!!!

6.  I push mowed the yard one day this week....with our "new" lawnmower given to us by a family member....again, out of the blue.  What a precious, "sweet" thing for him to do....and oh, what a "sweet"
 blessing!!!

7.  Again, just like last week, I'm gonna stop with 7.  On the way home from getting groceries one day this week, I came very close to having a rear end collision.   It made me wonder how often God keeps us from accidents that we don't even know about!!!

Ain't God "sweet"?

Oh, yes HE is!!!

 Psalm 116:12 (NLT)

What can I offer the Lord for all He has done for me?

Sweet Reader.....

.....I HOPE you've had a great week full of lots of "sweetness"!!!

Have a great weekend!!! 

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

 

Saturday Showers of Sweetness!!!

I sincerely HOPE that you've had a wonderful week!!!

I thought I would share a few of the "sweet" blessings that I received this week....but I know they won't mean as much to y'all as they do me.  I received far more than 7 blessings....but since that's a "perfect" number....that's all I'll share with y'all!!

1)   If you're a music lover, as I am....then, you know that Rich Mullins was an amazing CHRISTian singer and song writer.  As I washed dishes one morning this week, and was listening to K-LOVE radio station, Rich's brother was being interviewed.  He told something that totally amazed me and reminded me of how we should all do something RADICAL for the Lord!!!  When Rich's career took off and he started making lots of money, he asked his manager to find out the average salary of a single male living in America at that time....and that is ALL the salary that he would accept.  When he died in an auto accident, and they went to clean out his home....he was living in a one room "hut" on a Navajo reservation and all of his belongings fit into the smallest U-Haul that you could rent....with room left over.  Goes to show that money is certainly not everything....the most important thing is serving our Lord and Savior!!!

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2)  As I sat to study my Sunday school lesson Friday morning....guess what the lesson is about.  Well, the title is "Settle Down"....but the scripture references included....wait for it....wait for it....Jeremiah 29:11!!!  It made me so happy....tearfully happy!!!

 3)  I've spent quite a  bit of time this week with 2 precious little boys who just happen to call me Nannie.  We even went to the movies one day....their first trip to a movie theater....and Nannie's first trip to one in about 5 years.  No, I don't get out much!!!  
;-)  
 We saw "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs"....
....very cute movie, especially for a dollar!!!
I was very happy that their precious Momma invited me along!!!

(playing "construction" in the hallway)

4)  A fellow Pappy works with has been blessing us with corn.  It will taste so good the middle of next winter....and what we ate this week was delicious!!

 5)  Speaking of Pappy....and his work....for somebody who is going to loose his job....he sure is putting in a lot of OT!!!  Please know I'm not complaining....what a blessing....but he is worn out!!!

:'(

6)  Since I can no longer drink my "poison" of choice....Diet Mountain Dew....I've found something that I think I like just as much....well, almost!!!  Pappy discovered these drinks a few weeks ago when we did a day of "fasting", except for liquids, something we do occasionally.  The drink is called "Nada"....and the Cran-Raspberry is my fave!!!

7)  I often pray for God to send me people I can help in some way.  I received an e-mail this week from a Sweet Reader asking for advice.  This was such an encouragement to me!!!  Also, my precious sister-in-law came pulling into my driveway one afternoon and we sat and talked....and talked....and talked!!!

I thought I would leave you with a video of Rich Mullins singing a song he wrote that you just might recognize!!!

(please turn off my PlayList above before viewing/listening)

If you get a chance....I would love to hear of a sweetness that God has showered on you this week!!!

HOPE you have a great weekend, Sweet Reader!!!

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