I Am Not Alone - Revisited Again

Here it is a Wednesday, the middle of the week, and I honestly had nothing new to share with  you. Then I was reading a few of our friends' posts, and there was more than one mention of  "being alone", or "feeling alone", and I thought to myself, "I wonder how many others are out there with feelings of loneliness or who are currently going through a difficult time and feeling like they are alone in their struggles."  I have a feeling there are more than just a few.  We all go through those times, when we are literally alone, or when we may feel alone even though there may be many people around.  We may feel like we don't belong, or that no one really cares whether I live or die. My friend, if you find yourself having these kinds of feelings, first of all, please don't isolate yourself completely. Reach out to someone...even if it's someone here in blogland. We may not be physically close, but we are close in spirit and heart, and there are many here who will be more than happy to pray with you, listen to your fears or concerns, and may even have some words of wisdom and encouragement to share with you. But most of all, reach out to God and tell Him about your concerns and pain. It is amazing how much prayer helps when we take our needs to the Lord and leave them there. I have included many scripture verses in this post of hope and faith and promise and how much God cares for you. Please take the time to read through this and perhaps even save the verses for future reference. You personally may not feel the need for this right now, but there may come a time when you will...or you may know someone who needs to hear this message...so please share it.  And may you know beyond a doubt that you are not alone, because The Father is with you.

Previously posted on 4/9/2020, during the "pandemic":  Sharing this post again...perhaps there is someone out there who needs to hear this message today, especially during this time of "social distancing" and isolation.

May you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are not alone..."the Father is with me"...

"And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me."

John 16:32b

The above drawing used to hang in my husband's study when he was serving as a pastor.  I drew this for him years ago after seeing this same picture on a card that someone had sent to us...so I can't take full credit for the idea...but it struck me so strongly that I had to duplicate it for a constant reminder that God would be with him through all the difficult days and times of searching for answers from God's Word to share with God's people.

Perhaps there is someone reading this today who needs to be reminded that you are not alone...because the Father IS with you...always!  How do we know this?  Because His Word promises...and God never goes back on His Word:

"Be strong and of good courage,

Do not fear nor be afraid of them;

For the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you.

He will not leave you nor forsake you."

Deuteronomy 31:6

"And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you.

He will be with you,

He will not leave you nor forsake you;

Do not fear nor be dismayed."

Deuteronomy 31:8

"Fear not, for I AM with you;

Be not dismayed, for I Am your God.

I will strengthen you,

Yes, I will help you,

I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."

Isaiah 41:10

"Where can I go from Your Spirit?

Or where can I flee from Your Presence?

If I ascend into heaven, You are there;

If I make my bed in hell,

behold, You are there.

If I take the wings of the morning,

and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

Even there Your hand shall lead me,

and Your right hand shall hold me.

If I say, 'Surely the darkness shall fall on me,'

Even the night shall be light about me;"

Psalm 139:7-11

Jesus tells His disciples the following promise just before His departure from this earth into heaven...which is for all of us who bear His Name:

"Lo, I Am with you ALWAYS, even to the end of the age."

Matthew 28:20

Also Jesus promises to send us a helper...a comforter:

"And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, 

that he may abide with you forever..

the Spirit of truth,

whom the world cannot receive, 

because it neither sees Him nor knows Him;

but you know Him,

for He dwells with you and will be in you.

I will not leave you orphans; 

I will come to you..."

John 14:16-18

So, my friends, if you are feeling all alone in your battle with grief, disease, disappointments, tragedies and anxieties...if you cannot feel Christ's Presence in your life, I encourage you to claim these promises above for yourself today.  Rest in His loving arms, knowing that He is with you and will never leave you or forsake you.

There is a song that came to my mind while writing this that I would like to share with you...perhaps you've heard it...or maybe it will be new to you.  Click on this link to the song "Just Be Held" by Casting Crowns.    

Here are the lyrics:

"Just Be Held"  by Casting Crowns

Hold it all together
Everybody needs you strong
But life hits you out of nowhere
And barely leaves you holding on

And when you're tired of fighting
Chained by your control
There's freedom in surrender
Lay it down and let it go

So when you're on your knees and answers seem so far away
You're not alone, stop holding on and just be held
Your world's not falling apart, it's falling into place
I'm on the throne, stop holding on and just be held
Just be held, just be held

If your eyes are on the storm
You'll wonder if I love you still
But if your eyes are on the cross
You'll know I always have and I always will

And not a tear is wasted
In time, you'll understand
I'm painting beauty with the ashes
Your life is in My hands

So when you're on your knees and answers seem so far away
You're not alone, stop holding on and just be held
Your worlds not falling apart, its falling into place
I'm on the throne, stop holding on and just be held
Just be held, just be held

Lift your hands, lift your eyes
In the storm is where you'll find Me
And where you are, I'll hold your heart
I'll hold your heart
Come to Me, find your rest
In the arms of the God who won't let go

So when you're on your knees and answers seem so far away
You're not alone, stop holding on and just be held
Your worlds not falling apart, its falling into place
I'm on the throne, stop holding on and just be held (stop holding on and just be held)
Just be held, just be held, just be held, just be held

So, no matter what you are going through right now, my prayer for you is that you will remember that you are never alone...God is with you always...and now, lay back into His loving arms and "Just Be Held".

"Peace I leave with you,

My peace I give to you;

not as the world gives do I give to you.

Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid..."

Words of Jesus, 

The Gospel of John 14:27

Thursday Thankfulness from the Back Porch

Good Morning from the back porch!  Sunshine and Blackie are "greeting" you, but after looking at their eyes and posture, it's more like they are "glaring" at us!  I'm thinking they are saying, "How dare you make us stay out here where it's so cold while you are inside where it is so nice and warm!" (this picture was taken yesterday).   However, seriously, they have been doing fine and they seem to have taken advantage of the warm places that we prepared for them on the porch for the past couple of very cold days, and now today it is already 47 degrees and heading back up to 75 this afternoon, so they are just fine.  

So, just after I wrote that paragraph with that picture above, I got up to go to the bathroom. When I stepped into my bathroom I was literally shocked to see Blackie in there, snooping around quietly and acting like nothing was unusual about him being there...and I am like, "Blackie! How did you get in here???"  He kind of turned around and smiled at me as if to say, "Ha Ha! I fooled  you!! I got in when you weren't looking and I've been in here for 10 minutes and you didn't even know it!"  The only thing I can figure out is that when I stepped out on the front porch to put out the flag, he must've been right there by the front door and slipped in when I wasn't looking because I was focused on putting out the flag and looking at the sunrise!  It certainly was a shock to me, because he's rarely ever on the front porch in the morning. He is such a little scamp! 

So here we go, I am herding him back toward the back door... (he sees those doggy beds under the coffee table, which belong to our grandpuppies when they come to visit, and I think he was kind of smirking at them, as if to say, "just you wait...I'll be in here in those beds one of these days!") LOL.

Sunshine was right there at the back door as if to say, "Hey! How did you get in there without me?" Meanwhile Blackie headed to the edge of the porch to look out at the birds and pretend nothing was any different. Mister Innocent. LOL.

And once again they sat down and got back to their normal places...

But Blackie looked back and gave me one last glance as if to say, "I almost fooled you this time! You better watch out, because I know all the tricks, and one of these days you won't be able to get me back out that door!"    Yeah, I'm thinking this blog is becoming a saga of whose will is going to break first...mine or the cats, (or my hubby...who is the real stern one behind the mandate of no cats in the house...and yet he goes out to give them treats when they really don't need them, and I hear him talking baby talk to them when he doesn't think I'm listening...)

Stay tuned.  I wonder how many of you are placing bets on how soon those cats will be living in our house? LOL.  

Meanwhile, life is calm and peaceful out on the still very dry Still Waters Pond. This was the scene this morning, with Mr. and Mrs. Sand Hill Crane literally walking on the dry pond over to the shore, which really isn't a shore anymore...it's all dry land these days. That black bird you see behind them is that male Muscovy Duck...who is still hanging around and trying to sneak up on the porch when we aren't looking... Did I say life was 'calm and peaceful'?  LOL. 

Yesterday morning hubby had a follow up Doctor visit to go over his labs from last week...and Praise the Lord! They were all really good, and he had a very good visit with the doctor. Things are looking much better than they were earlier this year, and we are VERY thankful.    So we BOTH had good doctor reports this week!!

From there we stopped at the hospital so I could visit our neighbor, who has been in there for about a week. This is the same neighbor who used to feed our kitties before I took over. She has had a lot of health issues over the past year, and has been in and out of the hospital several times after falling in her home.  It's really been a rough time, and her daughter works full time and lives a couple of hours away, so things have been really challenging for both of them.  I've tried to help as much as I could, but there's only so much I could do, along with other home health people her daughter has had to hire to come and check on her and help out.  Anyway, finally her daughter was able to find a rehab place for her closer to her home, and she is going to be going there for at least a month, and then we'll see what happens after that. I wanted to see her before she left today because I know I won't be able to go visit her at the rehab place 2 hours away.  I am thankful that she will be taken care of and hopefully she will get stronger...and of course her dream is to be able to come back to her home...but time will tell and I pray for what is really best for her.

After that it was lunch time, so hubby and I decided to go try out a restaurant in Palatka that has just reopened in a new location after about a year of renovation, etc.  We'd never been to that restaurant before, so we really didn't know what to expect, but we'd heard that people really loved it and they were anxiously awaiting for it to reopen. We got there around 11:15 a.m. for lunch, and there was already a line waiting!  Thankfully we got in pretty quick, and we were not disappointed in the food or the service...and the atmosphere was very "country". Of course I took pictures!

The name of the restaurant is "Bradley's", and they serve southern country style food and seafood. Oh, and steak and catfish too, on their supper menu, but we rarely go out for supper. Although I love some good catfish, and so we may have to go back for that sometime...

Here's some of the decor...one of Sunshine and Blackie's distant cousins was there: LOL.  (a.k.a. a Bobcat)

This area is known for large mouth bass fishing...and it looks like someone caught a few prize fish!

We are not far from the Ocala National Forest, so these fellas aren't far from "home".  There were a LOT of these deer mounted on all the walls of the restaurant...I was half expecting to see venison on the menu, but it wasn't...

LOL...This is what goes on at night out there on the shores of the lakes in the area...Welcome to north central Florida!  

Oops...that fella didn't get away...

I thought this painting was quite interesting.    Might be a bit too remote and swampy for my liking, but this is typical of places in "old Florida"...

And here's my plate! I ordered the Chicken and Dumplings special for the day, and it came with a choice of vegies...I chose Collard Greens, and Zipper Peas, and a "Hoecake"!  I had to ask what the "hoecake" would be, and was told it was cornbread. Imagine my surprise when it came looking more like a "pancake", but it was definitely cornbread! It was all REALLY good, if you like southern country cooking!

Hubby had the Chopped Beef Steak smothered in mushrooms and gravy, rice and gravy, and green beans. He ordered the hush puppies for his bread. Normally we have those with seafood, but they were good with this too...

It was all good, and we will definitely be going back! Now I see why people were standing in line waiting!!

Well Folks, I guess this is all from the back porch today. I'm very thankful for all of these blessings and also that today has turned out to be a lovely sunshiny warm day. Oh, and I just found out that my sister and her family are going to come here for Thanksgiving, and I am very happy about that! It's been a while since they've all been here at our house for Thanksgiving (or any dinner), so it will be wonderful. Now I just have to start cleaning house and planning ahead...

Here's a good thought for today...

 John 14:27 NKJV

 "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

One more thing I am thankful for is that the government shutdown is over and hopefully things will get back to some kind of normal. Praying for all those who have been seriously impacted by this shutdown in one way or another. 

Thank you all for your kind words and prayers for my daughter in law's sister's family. You all are a wonderful family of friends. I do thank God for each and every one of you.  

Thankful Thursday

 It's Thursday Evening...and I'm thankful for so many things...

Let's start with this gorgeous sunrise this morning...

Psalm 118:24 NKJV

24 This is the day the Lord has made;

We will rejoice and be glad in it.

And our flag is still standing strong, no matter what the rest of the crazy people in our world (country) may be doing or thinking...but this is not going to be a political post...let's just say I'm thankful to live in Florida, where we still proclaim "In God We Trust"!

This was last night's sunset over Still Waters Pond...

Psalm 19  NKJV

The Perfect Revelation of the Lord

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

 1 The heavens declare the glory of God;

And the firmament shows His handiwork.

2 Day unto day utters speech,

And night unto night reveals knowledge.

3 There is no speech nor language

Where their voice is not heard.

4 Their line has gone out through all the earth,

And their words to the end of the world.

In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun,

5 Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,

And rejoices like a strong man to run its race.

6 Its rising is from one end of heaven,

And its circuit to the other end;

And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

Last night's full moon...(I wish my phone could capture its beauty better, but you get the idea)

And here it is again tonight, partially hidden behind some cloudy skies, but still beautiful:

Many of you have mentioned and noticed how dry our Still Waters Pond is from my previous post.  Here was how it looked early this morning...Even though it is nearly dry, the Great White Egret, Great Blue Heron, and Mr. and Mrs. Sand Hill Crane are still finding some water in which to look for their breakfast:

It was still just barely daylight, so these photos aren't real clear, but I wanted you to see that there is still life on Still Waters Pond in spite of the dry conditions. I am very thankful for that little bit of water, and continue to pray that the rains will soon come and replenish and restore it to new life once again.

Now, here'a praise item.  I hadn't mentioned it, but our pretty kitty Sunshine had not been home for over two days, which is not like him at all. He rarely ever misses a meal, even if he might be a little late sometimes.  I was really getting worried and was afraid he was lost or hurt or perhaps got himself locked in someone's shed or something...I read about someone else's cat doing that here in our community, and the poor kitty was locked in a neighbor's shed and the neighbors weren't home for several days, and the owner of the kitty finally heard the kitty meowing in there, but had no way to get him out. Finally some good Samaritans came to her aide and they managed to get the kitty out, who was hungry, but otherwise fine after several days of confinement. Anyway, when I saw that on Facebook in our community "Word of Mouth" page, I wondered if that could've happened to Sunshine. So I thought maybe I should at least check our shed just in case, even though I knew it was doubtful he could be in there.  Just as I was on my way to unlock the shed, I looked at our car, and there he was, relaxing in the shade under the car! I don't know when he showed up there or where he'd been, but I was so happy to see him I literally had tears of joy running down my face!

It wasn't quite supper time yet, but I knew Sunshine would be starving, and of course Blackie showed up and he'll eat anytime of day or night if I put food out there, so I fed them and gave them both lots of loving.  

When I was petting Sunshine on his back, he winced and meowed like he was hurt, and then I noticed that he had a cut near where the tail attached to his hindquarters. It was very tender, and it was pretty obvious he had probably been in a 'cat fight'. It's not too bad or deep, and he has been licking it and taking care of it, but if it doesn't get better soon we will get him checked out. That must explain where he'd been...somewhere perhaps licking his wounds for a couple of days. I'm so thankful he's home safely and I pray he'll stay out of harm's way.  Yes, I'd love to bring them both inside, but they are outdoor cats, and I'm not too sure that would work out so well for us or them. 

I guess, that's all I've got for now. It's bedtime, and the time change is still making me want to go to bed at my usual time pre-time change time,which would be right now, so I think it's time to say good night.

Here's some closing thoughts that bring comfort and peace...

John 14:27  NKJV

27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Amen.

Thursday Thankfulness and Friday Foto Friends

Hello! Happy Thursday Thankfulness and Friday Foto Friends! 

I don't think Sgt. Joyce Kilmer had this tree in mind when he wrote the poem "Trees"

Trees

BY JOYCE KILMER

"I think that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest

Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in Summer wear

A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree."

Joyce Kilmer, “Trees” from Poetry 2, no. 5 (August 1915): 153.

Thought I'd put something a little different than the usual to get your attention! LOL.  Even decaying trees can be beautiful in their own way...well, it might take a bit of imagination to see the beauty, but if you look hard enough, you will see it.

This is what happens when you stand up out in the woods too long.  The woodpeckers come and peck away at you and the insects eat up your insides and the squirrels and raccoons and birds make their nests in your hollow center. You begin to look like "The Walking Dead".  LOL. But even decaying trees serve a purpose!

Okay, here, this is a little bit better! This beautiful little Spiderwort wildflower was growing not too far away from that very sad looking decaying tree. Did you know that this little wildflower is not only "attractive, it is also edible. Try the flowers fresh on a salad or candied for a sweet treat. Stems and leaves can be eaten raw and leaves can also be cooked. The leaves are mucilaginous; the “juice” can be used to soothe insect bites in the same way one would use aloe."  So the next time you see one of these lovely little purple flowers in the woods or in your yard, don't destroy it! Just enjoy it!

It's been a busy week. Today (Thursday), is the first day I've been able to stay home and relax and try to get caught up on stuff here. I'm not complaining...it's all good...just been busy going here and there and everywhere it seems. I might as well start at the beginning and work my way through so you will understand...

Why don't I start with the Kentucky Derby on Saturday?  No, I didn't go. As a matter of fact, I didn't even get to watch it on TV as we couldn't find it in time to see the race.  I had not been paying attention to the fact that it was time for it until I saw someone post something on Facebook that they were having a Derby party at their community clubhouse. Well, if you've known me for very long, you will know that I love to use that occasion as an excuse to put on a pretty hat and pretend I am among the many hat wearers at the Kentucky Derby.  While hubby tried in vain to find the race on TV before it was over, I was busily donning my lovely tea party hat and sprucing myself up for the "party".

By the time he found it, the race was over, and we had to watch it on YouTube. No matter, I was having fun anyway. I have no clue who won the race or even who was running. To me, it was all about the hat. LOL.  I only get to wear a fancy hat on Derby Day or for some other fun or make believe occasion. This particular hat I had worn a year or so ago for a "High Tea with Mrs. Henry Flagler" tea party, put on by our local Historical Society. HERE is a link to that event.

Just wondering, do you ever wear fancy hats? If so, where and when?  We do have some ladies who wear hats to church, but since I sing in the choir it would not be appropriate for me to wear a hat. Besides, I am rather self-conscious about doing anything that might attract too much attention to myself in church.  Obviously, I don't seem to care about that at other times. LOL.  Just kidding. Well, those who really know me from childhood know the truth of that matter.  So let's move on to other things, shall we, rather than focusing too much attention on myself. LOL.

Speaking of Kentucky, I mentioned in a post about a month or so ago about a friend at our church who had undergone a 12 hour surgery (cancer) and had come through it very well, thank the Lord.  Well, this dear friend moved here with her hubby to our town a few years ago from Kentucky.  They fell in love with this sweet little Victorian Cottage in the historical section of our little town, and so they bought it and have been enjoying fixing it up.  On Monday I had the privilege to take my friend over to Gainesville for a medical procedure. She is doing very well following her surgery, but still has some hoops to jump through before she will be completely well. However, Praise God, they have declared that there is no more cancer, which is a huge miracle as she was originally diagnosed at stage 4. She is a walking miracle for certain!

I asked her if she would mind if I took some pictures of her beautiful home and share them here with you. She said she would be delighted.  

This is the front gate, which is covered with beautiful Confederate (or Star) Jasmine. 

The gate leads to the front porch...

which wraps around the house like this...

They have lovely gardens and yard all around their sweet cottage home...

And even a beautiful spoon wind spinner and a Pink Flamingo to add to the southern charm of this home!

Their home is within walking distance of our little church, and so it was only natural that God would lead them to come and join us for worship. They are a blessing to our church and community. Please continue to keep "Kim" in your thoughts and prayers as she continues in her recovery process. I know she would appreciate it.

On Tuesday hubby and I had our own doctor appointments to attend in St. Augustine, about an hour away from home. This was for a consultation to determine if and when we have our next colonoscopies.  Hubby will have one in a couple of weeks, but they said it was too soon for me to have another one, but they ordered a CT Scan instead because of some issues I've been having for a while. Well, that led to Wednesday, when I had to drink that yucky barium "berry smoothie milkshake" (LOL). I did manage to choke down two bottles of that stuff, but it was not without some difficulty. I quoted my verse  (and One Word) of the year all the while:  

Philippians 4:13

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

The CT scan was not too scary, but I found myself still holding on to that verse as I held myself perfectly still and held my breath when asked.  Not sure when I will get the results, but I am trusting God for good results.

Of course, our trip to St. Augustine on Tuesday was a good excuse for us to stop off at one of our favorite eating establishments on the way back home for lunch.  "Corky Bells", beside the St. John's River. in Palatka. Thankfully it was early enough that it wasn't too crowded or too hot yet, so we were able to get a table beside the river.  Here's our view:

This was my favorite view...

And his "favorite view". LOL.

It was breezy, sunny, and lovely all around us...

Oh, look out for alligators, but we didn't see any this time...

Easter lilies blooming in May!  I think mine here in my garden will be blooming in a few days as well...

Beautiful day to sit beside the river in the shade of this huge Cypress Tree.

There were many boaters out on the river enjoying a lovely day...

Back home again on our own Still Waters Pond, I shared this picture and verse on Facebook yesterday:

John 14:27

27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

I think this is a good place to stop for today.  We know that God is in control in all things, the world situation, things that happen in our own homes and communities, and even in our own personal lives. We can trust in Him no matter what...and He has promised us His peace. Therefore, we should not let our hearts be troubled or be afraid. Just hold on to His peace. Amen.